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a college hired strippers to dress provocatively and pose as admissions workers in order to lure more students , according to a lawsuit . fasttrain college in miami , florida , brought in a team of exotic dancers and encouraged them to wear revealing clothes while they recruited young men , the lawsuit said . the for-profit school has also been accused of fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in federal money and coaching students to lie on financial forms . fasttrain college in miami brought in a team of exotic dancers and encouraged them to wear revealing clothes while they recruited young men , the lawsuit said . former owner alejandro amor , 56 , was criminally indicted in october and faces pending charges of conspiracy and theft of government money . the school promised a free education in recruiting some students to its inner-city campuses , authorities said in the civil complaint . but some former students say they are still struggling with student loan debts , and the lawsuit identifies more than 160 former students who are now in default .<doc-sep>former owner alejandro amor , 56 , was criminally indicted in october and faces pending charges of conspiracy and theft of government money . from 2009 to its closing in june 2012 , fasttrain received some $ 35 million in federal funds , including pell grants , providing federal aid to the neediest families . the u.s. government is now claiming damages of more than $ 6 million . ` to generate as much revenue as possible , fasttrain would fill its classes with ineligible students , ' the complaint said . students who never graduated from high school received fake diplomas , the complaint charged , or were coached to lie about their status on financial aid applications . to access taxpayer money , the school needed first-time students to attend class for at least 30 days .<doc-sep>if they did n't , fasttrain falsified attendance records or backdated the enrollment so they could collect the money quicker , the lawsuit says . the growth of for-profit colleges , which are governed by private organisations or corporations , has been explosive in florida and across the country . as the schools have grown , numerous whistle-blower lawsuits have been filed against them by ex-employees . some former fasttrain students say they are still struggling with student loan debts . those who were attending around the time of the fbi raid can get their loans discharged under a ` closed school ' provision . the school promised a free education in recruiting some students to its inner-city campuses , authorities said .<doc-sep>-lrb- mental floss -rrb- -- college admissions are competitive , and not just from the student 's side . sure , sometimes it 's hard to get into the college of your choice , but the schools are fighting just as hard to lure in top applicants . davidson college students do n't have to visit laundromats because they enjoy the luxury of a free laundry service . while some colleges boast about class sizes , graduate fellowships , and endowment growth rates , this sort of info is likely to bore the 17-year-old students they 're wooing . instead , some schools try to come up with unique perks that appeal to students , often in the form of free services . while the cost of these `` free '' perks is undoubtedly built back into tuition bills , when a family 's spending upwards of $ 40,000 a year for school , it ca n't hurt to help them feel like they 're getting something for nothing . here are a few you might be jealous of : . 1 . free laundry . nothing 's more maddening for a college student than wanting to study , party , or sleep , only to be confronted with a massive mound of laundry . most of us know that if left unchecked , these piles of dirty clothes can grow until they 're on the brink of becoming sentient beings , but students at davidson , an elite liberal arts college in north carolina , do n't have to worry about it . their college does the laundry for them . since 1919 , davidson has been operating a laundry facility that allows students to drop off their laundry and pick it up once its clean and smelling of dryer sheets . at the lula bell houston laundry , students ' dress shirts and blouses are even pressed and put on hangers for them . the laundry clears about six tons ' worth of dirty clothes and linens a week , but if students prefer to keep their filthy t-shirts to themselves , the school also offers free self-service washers and dryers in the dorms . as if that 's not enough , davidson was even more generous when its basketball team made a miraculous run to the ncaa 's sweet 16 last march . the school shelled out the cash for free bus transport to the venue in detroit , two nights ' lodging , and a free ticket to the game for any student who wanted to go cheer on their cinderella in person . mental floss : 8 tuition-free colleges .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- as a professor who sees firsthand how tough it is to get into college , i expected to hear widespread howls of protests from high school seniors and their parents when , this fall , a kaplan test prep survey showed that an increasing number of college admissions officers were discovering information on facebook and google that hurt a student 's acceptance chances . according to the kaplan survey , 27 % of admissions officers checked google and 26 % looked on facebook as part of their applicant-review process . thirty-five percent of those doing so -- compared with 12 % in 2011 -- found material that negatively impacted their view of a student . the results of the survey would , i thought , cause college-bound students and their parents to lash out in anger . students are under so much stress . college costs are up , and winning the admissions race seems harder than ever . with harvard 's 5.9 % acceptance rate and six of the eight ivy league schools taking in fewer than 10 % of their applicants , competition is certainly tough for ambitious students . but for many others , even popular state schools are out of reach . in california , berkeley and ucla admit fewer than 22 % of their applicants . the lack of protests over the survey results tells me that students and their parents are already so frazzled about finding the right college and the money to pay for it that they do n't have the energy to fight a new battle . however , this does n't mean we should brush aside the ethical questions that arise when college admissions officers get information about an applicant from the internet rather than from the applicant directly . what is considered private in a student 's life that may be found online ? why should material not submitted by applicants to a college be used to judge them ? these are questions for which the kaplan survey , which was anonymous and conducted at 350 schools across the country , failed to provide a consensus answer . my reaction was to see what i could learn on my own by directly contacting a handful of highly selective schools that could , if they chose , use their resources to go online and check out their applicants . i asked everyone to answer on the record , and what i found was that none of the admissions officers who responded said they made it a practice to search the internet for information about their applicants . after that , matters got more complicated .<doc-sep>test misuses feed the public perception that the scores are the most influential factor in college admission . for the past 15 years , national association for college admission counseling -lrb- nacac -rrb- research has shown that students ' grades in high school , particularly grades in college preparatory courses , are by far the most important consideration in college admission decisions . one of the most pressing problems regarding the sat and act scores is their misuse in the u.s. news and world report college rankings formula . the sat and act were designed to provide information about a student to colleges and universities and were never meant to be measures of college quality . accordingly , the commission encouraged u.s. news and world report to eliminate test scores as a measure of institutional quality . the u.s. news ranking formula includes a `` student selectivity '' score that constitutes 15 percent of a college 's overall rank . sat or act scores of enrollees make up 50 percent of the student selectivity score . in response to the nacac report , u.s. news and world report said , `` as long as standardized tests play an integral role in the college admissions process , u.s. news will use them as part of our ranking methodology . '' the situation at baylor is a reminder of the inflated value assigned to the sat and act in higher education . the fervor surrounding the rankings , as well as the lengths to which colleges go to increase them , are unfortunate distractions in higher education and admissions . the impression students and families get from the rankings is that higher test scores mean higher quality colleges . to borrow a phrase familiar to admission deans , many colleges recruit great students and then graduate great students . is that because of the institution , or the students ? some credit undoubtedly should go to both . but is a college of lower quality because its students ' sat scores are lower than those of students at another college ?<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- just when many colleges have started sending out their acceptances , director paul weitz 's `` admission , '' a comedy set in a fictionalized princeton university admissions office , has debuted in movie theaters across the country . the film is off to a so-so start at the box office , but its timing could not be better for drawing in high school seniors and their parents . tina fey , in the role of portia nathan , an admissions officer with a screwball love life , gives us a lot to laugh at in `` admission , '' but as a college professor who has served on his school 's admissions committee , i found myself doing more squirming than laughing as i watched the film . what had me squirming was the focus of `` admission , '' portia 's efforts to gain entry into princeton for jeremiah balakian , a brilliant student , who was a screwup at his local new hampshire high school but who has found himself at quest , a nearby progressive , prep school . jeremiah is the classic diamond in the rough . he has gotten fives on all his advanced placement tests , despite never having taken an ap course , and he is near 800 -lrb- the top score -rrb- on his college boards . but portia , whose motives for helping jeremiah are personal and professional , can not convince her fellow admissions officers that jeremiah is right for princeton . after they vote to reject him , she takes matters into her own hands . in the middle of the night , she sneaks into the princeton admissions office and changes jeremiah 's folder from deny to accept . the result is a blessing for jeremiah but the end of portia 's career in college admissions . what worried me -- and will , i assume , worry high school students and their parents -- is the film 's implication that the only way a diamond in the rough gets into a college such as princeton is through an admissions officer willing to sacrifice her best interests . my harvard undergraduate experience , as well as my current sarah lawrence experience , tells me that admissions officers are a lot smarter than `` admission '' suggests . the admission officers i know find it easy to advocate for the student with great grades or the 220-pound halfback who likes physics or the cellist who has played in the local symphony , but their eureka moment comes in discovering the promising student everyone else has ignored . still , i take the larger point of `` admission '' -- namely , these days getting into a prestigious college has become a blood sport . as portia tells herself in the jean hanff korelitz novel on which `` admission '' is based , `` the system as far as she was concerned was not about the applicant at all . it was about the institution . it was about delivering to the trustees , and to a lesser extent the faculty , a united nations of scholars , an olympiad of athletes , a conservatory of artists and musicians , a great society of strivers . '' colleges want students who will enhance their ratings and their brand , which means many worthy applicants get left behind . at the country 's most selective colleges and universities , only 3 percent of the students come from the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder . even worse , at all too many high schools , it is hard for aspiring students to get help on their college applications . a 2010 public agenda study found that across the nation the ratio of high school students to guidance counselors was 460 to 1 . what are good students and their parents supposed to do then ? here `` admission '' provides no checklist of answers , but its satire on the workings of a fictionalized princeton -lrb- last year the real princeton took in just 2,095 of the 26,664 who applied -rrb- , provides solid , commonsense advice . `` admission '' tells students and their parents that although the princetons of america offer a great education , those who obsess over gaining admission to them are , in most cases , headed for disappointment . they are letting themselves play a game in which there are certain to be more losers than winners . equally important , `` admission '' asserts that landing a spot in a prestigious college -lrb- portia is a dartmouth graduate -rrb- does not guarantee a happy post-college life . indeed , if there is an overriding message in `` admission , '' it is : do n't lose perspective . the one truly shallow moment in the film comes when the director of princeton admissions complains to his staff that u.s. news & world report has lowered princeton to no. 2 in its rankings . the director is deeply upset by the downgrade . he believes , as all too many parents and their children do in real life , that the quality of an education can be measured like a baseball batting average or the carats in a diamond ring . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of nicolaus mills .

<t> fasttrain college ` purposely hired ' a team of exotic dancers , lawsuit says . </t> <t> they were encouraged to dress provocatively to lure more students . </t> <t> school has been accused of fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars . </t> <t> former owner alejandro amor faces pending charges of conspiracy . </t>

fasttrain college hired strippers to pose as admissions workers to lure students<T>

the elephants of my childhood , vladimir and evgeny , have probably been killed by now . i was very lucky that i ever got to see them with my own eyes , but such are the perks for a little boy whose grandfather was the soviet union 's top biologist . they were fictitious in the beginning , invented by my grandfather vladimir sokolov , as he tucked me in to bed at night . i would hear how vladimir and evgeny would get stuck in mud holes and roam the african forests getting into adventures , and how vladimir would save little evgeny from the clutches of lions and leopards . in the flickering electricity of the lamps in our soviet flat , it was my first introduction to the wonder of wildlife . scroll down for video . the author evgeny lebedev pictured with a group of armed wildlife rangers in kenya . a few years later , accompanying my grandfather on a government trip to kenya , a battered jeep took us to a ridge a couple of hours ' drive south of nairobi and , as we crested the top , the view opened to reveal a herd of elephants around a waterhole . i stared at the joy of it : the plodding feet , the curling trunks moving across the wide escarpment , the young ones nuzzling at the grown-ups ' tree-trunk legs . almost all the adults were female , my grandfather explained , except for two young males , old enough now to soon start out of their own , their life 's adventures unfolding in front of them like the african savannah . the larger one , he nicknamed vladimir ; the smaller one , evgeny . it was an image of calm perfection -- a scene which , even to my then 14-year-old self , was clearly how nature at its purest should be . vladimir and evgeny were young enough , then , to still be alive now , and they may well be , but the numbers suggest otherwise . they may still be trumpeting around the african bush . but it 's more likely that what remains of them is an ivory dragon somewhere on a chinese mantelpiece . when i saw that herd there were around 1.2 million elephants on the continent . three-quarters of those , including most likely many of the elephants i saw that day , have since been hunted for their tusks -- and the numbers being lost are growing . the reality is that there is a war going on in africa and it is war between wildlife rangers and poachers to ensure the survival of some of the world 's most iconic species . it is also a war that the conservationists are losing . elephants have been poached in such numbers that unless urgent action is taken the reality we face is that they risk extinction in the wild within the next decade . this is not only the case in kenya but across africa . this year alone some 36,000 elephants will be killed across the continent -- an average of one every 20 minutes .<doc-sep>an african elephant pictured as it charges towards the photographer . this year alone some 36,000 elephants will be killed across the african continent - an average of one every 20 minutes . in chad , which once had 15,000 elephants , there are now just 400 . in sierra leone , the last elephant disappeared three years ago . the reason is greed -- and specifically the vast profits that can be made from ivory due to the seemingly insatiable demand of asia 's rapidly growing middle-classes . many there still see ivory as an aspirational product and , as people 's bank balances swell , the law of supply and demand has resulted in prices rocketing . a kilogram of ivory is now worth # 1,225 on the black market , three times what it was four years ago . the tragedy is that many do not appreciate the consequence of their purchase as , incredibly , it is not universally known in asia that elephants are killed to extract their ivory . in china , some 70 per cent of people were found in a survey to believe tusks grew back like fingernails . that ignorance is resulting in bloodied carcasses across the savannahs . i recently returned from africa , where i have been working closely with the kenya-based elephant protection charity space for giants to do what we can to help save those elephants that remain . together we have helped finance anti-poaching patrols in laikipia , one of the last great enclaves for elephants in east africa , and helped facilitate the purchase of a new conservancy , loisaba , to act as a vast -- and heavily protected -- sanctuary . rangers look over the carcass of an elephant found shot dead by poachers in cameroon . training programmes have been introduced for local wildlife rangers and the judiciary , and plans are in place to extend our work into tanzania and gabon . the trip rammed home the scale of the threat -- and the urgency of the action required to combat it . those seeking to kill elephants are no longer local farmers armed with a bow and arrow or an old rifle , seeking some extra bucks . increasingly , it is heavily armed professional gangs financed by the same money-men who make their wealth from the smuggling of drugs and people being sold into prostitution . organisations that rank among the most loathsome in the world are culpable . al-shabaab , the somalian extremists who carried out the slaughter in nairobi 's westgate mall ; joseph kony 's lord 's resistance army , which routinely kidnaps and drugs children to turn them into child soldiers ; and janjaweed , the roving gunmen who carried out the genocide in darfur , all resort to ivory poaching to finance their nefarious activities .<doc-sep>against them is a thin green line of wildlife rangers . in the face of such a sustained onslaught , they have had to militarise or risk being overrun . pictured is the decomposed carcasses of two elephants found in waza national park , cameroon . in laikipia , i have been on night patrols with units of these brave men . and be in no doubt that the dangers they face are no less than those confronting combatants in a real war . space for giants ' rangers are dressed in combat fatigues . their weapons are heckler & koch g3s , the german-made automatic rifle that is one of the most efficient and modern in the world . their webbing is filled with military supplies , including night-vision goggles and closed-frequency radios . the medic , taking up the rear , normally has the latest combat kit , including bandages dripped in quick-clot -- only just developed by u.s. forces -- to stop the bleeding from a gunshot wound . before we set out one evening , the unit 's commander , jackson kamunya , left me in no doubt as to why such equipment is needed . ` a report came in on the radio that the poachers were active and we mobilised the helicopter to get to them before they could reach the animals , ' he said of a recent patrol . ` it meant we got there ahead of them so we could set our ambush . we could see them , all armed with ak-47s . then everyone started shooting . ' dozens of elephant tusks are laid out on display in a sombre reminder of the illegal ivory trade . twelve people have been killed in the poaching war being waged in just a small area of kenya . to the north , in west pokot county , five poachers were shot dead and two rangers wounded in a further fire-fight . the same story is being repeated across the continent . south africa 's kruger park saw a police constable and a ranger killed as they tried to track poachers seeking rhino horn . in uganda , there have been reports of poachers using attack helicopters to mow down elephants . some 1,000 wildlife rangers -- a third more than the entire losses of the british military in iraq and afghanistan -- have been killed in the past decade . space for giants ' founder , dr max graham , is certain that only ` boots on the ground ' , like those i patrolled with , can blunt the poaching threat until demand in asia is eased through education programmes . changing such beliefs , however , is a process that will likely take decades .<doc-sep>` the illegal trade has already effectively wiped out rhinos from the wild , forcing them to become a highly managed population in a small number of sanctuaries , ' he explained . ` that 's what will happen to elephants if the present rate of slaughter continues . that is the reality of the situation . it 's a war , a war for wildlife , being waged right here , right now . '' my grandfather is no longer with us , although his work is still studied in universities across the former soviet union . he died in 1998 of a rare form of bone cancer , most likely caused as a result of the work he was required to conduct in chernobyl in the immediate aftermath of the reactor meltdown . the demand for ivory has increased in recent years and is largely fuelled by asia 's burgeoning middle classes . he always wanted me to be a zoologist . i let him down in not achieving that but i still gained from him a love of nature and a life-long commitment to conversation and wildlife protection . it is what makes what is now unfolding to the animals he first introduced me to in those make-believe stories so unbearable to watch . i know he would be proud of what -- with space for giants and all the independent and evening standard readers who have supported this cause -- we have achieved so far . in the area of laikipia that is implementing our programmes , poaching rates are already down 60 per cent . and the area we protect will spread . i am committed to that . part of our work involves tracking elephants ' migratory patterns so the alert can be raised if one approaches known poaching hot spots . to do this the animals are darted and a gps collar is fitted . each is then given a name so it can be identified as its progress is charted . late last year we darted a young male , which we nicknamed evgeny . recently , i fitted another collar , this time to a fully-grown bull elephant . we called him vladimir . it means i can now track them both through the elephant-monitoring system fitted to space for giants computers , and watch this new vladimir and evgeny as they really do roam the plains of africa as elephants have since before the dawn of man . long may they do so . and long may all their kind continue to do so , despite the war waged against them so that their tusks can be turned into trinkets . this is a fight for their survival that can not be lost . my grandfather would have told me that . it is what he taught me all those years ago at my bedside .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the accelerating pace of the slaughter of elephants for their tusks has put african elephants at catastrophic risk in the coming decades . to make matters worse , some of the region 's most notorious armed groups are taking tusks to finance their atrocities . the somali terrorists of al-shabaab , the sudanese government-supported janjaweed militia that has been responsible for much of the violence during the darfur genocide , and the lord 's resistance army , which has kidnapped hundreds of boys and girls across central africa to be fighters and sex slaves , are participating in this illegal trade . these groups typically kill elephants using the automatic weapons that they also use to kill people . and as the militants become more involved in the poaching business , they apply the same lack of discrimination in killing elephants that they have demonstrated with their human victims . for example , poachers thought to be janjaweed from sudan , working with chadians , allegedly killed at least 86 elephants , including calves and 33 pregnant females , over the course of a week . the international fund for animal welfare found that at least 400 elephants were slaughtered between january and march 2012 at the bouba ndjida national park in cameroon . animal rights groups say poaching is worse than it 's been in decades . they say it may be even worse than it was in the 1980s , before the international ban on ivory was put in place . watch : fighting the lord 's resistance army slaughter of elephants . typically , the elephants are killed only for their tusks . poachers often hack off their trunks first and then their tusks with hacksaws and machetes , and leave the bodies to rot . some lord 's resistance army groups have reportedly eaten the meat of some of the elephants they have killed , which is not surprising given their frequent hand-to-mouth existence in the bush . this appalling reality presents an opportunity for conservation groups and anti-atrocity and human rights groups to join forces to combat the threat posed to people and elephants by these armed groups . achim steiner , u.n. undersecretary general and the u.n. environment program 's executive director , said , `` the surge in the killing of elephants in africa and the illegal taking of other listed species globally threatens not only wildlife populations but the livelihoods of millions who depend on tourism for a living and the lives of those wardens and wildlife staff who are attempting to stem the illegal tide . ''<doc-sep>the youngest are in the most danger , since their smaller trunks ca n't reach deep into the few remaining wells , the group said . the worst drought in 26 years is threatening the existence of the `` last desert elephants in west africa , '' the northernmost herds in the continent , save the elephants said . the animals , now numbering only about 350 to 450 , have been called `` the last elephants of timbuktu , '' said jake wall , a scientist with save the elephants . but they 're south of timbuktu , wall told cnn in a phone interview from bamako , mali . `` we tend to refer to them as ` the last sahelian elephants . ' '' see a map of mali '' each year , the elephants trek farther on the fringes of the sahara to find water . they have the longest migration route of any in the continent , traveling `` in a counterclockwise circle '' of about 700 kilometers -lrb- 435 miles -rrb- , save the elephants said . the images are signs of the crisis gripping the northwest african nation . the u.n. development programme ranks mali near the bottom of its human development index . it cites a 56 percent poverty rate in the country , with nearly a third of the population unlikely to live past age 40 , and an illiteracy rate of 77 percent .<doc-sep>the youngest are in the most danger , since their smaller trunks ca n't reach deep into the few remaining wells , the group said . the worst drought in 26 years is threatening the existence of the `` last desert elephants in west africa , '' the northernmost herds in the continent , save the elephants said . the animals , now numbering only about 350 to 450 , have been called `` the last elephants of timbuktu , '' said jake wall , a scientist with save the elephants . but they 're south of timbuktu , wall told cnn in a phone interview from bamako , mali . `` we tend to refer to them as ` the last sahelian elephants . ' '' see a map of mali '' each year , the elephants trek farther on the fringes of the sahara to find water . they have the longest migration route of any in the continent , traveling `` in a counterclockwise circle '' of about 700 kilometers -lrb- 435 miles -rrb- , save the elephants said . the images are signs of the crisis gripping the northwest african nation . the u.n. development programme ranks mali near the bottom of its human development index . it cites a 56 percent poverty rate in the country , with nearly a third of the population unlikely to live past age 40 , and an illiteracy rate of 77 percent .<doc-sep>the elephant that inspired the save the elephants charity has been found dead after poachers ripped his tusks from his skull . mountain bull , a 46-year-old african elephant , was found in mount kenya forest last week after his gps tracker installed by conservationists stalled . he is thought to have been dead for eight days . tragic : mountain bull , the 46-year-old creature that inspired save the elephants , has been found dead . the six-tonne elephant became the face of the save the elephants campaign in october 2012 . prone to ploughing down anything from huge trees to man-made barriers , he had been attracting the attention of poachers for years . in a desperate bid to protect the magnificent creature , conservationists gave mountain bull a tracking device to identify his natural migration path .

<t> this year alone 36,000 elephants will be killed across the african continent . </t> <t> demand for ivory across asia 's burgeoning middle classes is increasing . </t> <t> african charity space for giants is armed to defend animals using force . </t> <t> militarised conservation groups are engaging in firefights with poachers . </t> <t> poachers include fanatics of al-shabaab and the lord 's resistance army . </t> <t> some 1,000 wildlife rangers have been killed in the past decade . </t>

the heroes fighting to save elephants from terrorists<T>

north korea 's public officials are the most corrupt in the world with bribery , counterfeit medicine and backdoor payments just some of the consequences of its crooked institutions , according to a new study . experts have assessed the public sectors of countries across the globe and placed the authoritarian state dead last , tied with somalia , when compared to the rest of the world . the two countries both received their ranking of 174th - with eight points out of a possible 100 - after factors of corruption within all countries were indexed . in first place with the world 's most honest officials was denmark , on a score of 92 , followed by new zealand , which scored 91 . click on the map to see your country 's score . north korea -lrb- pictured -rrb- is the worst in the world for public official corruption , which includes bribery , backdoor payments and a lack of public accountability . somalia was tied in last place with north korea in the rankings . pictured is mogadishu , the country 's capital . because bribery and backdoor payments are by nature conducted in a clandestine manner , it remains impossible to accurately assess a country 's level of corruption . instead , transparency international 's corruption perception index assesses perceptions of corruption across every country . this includes public officials ' accountability to the public , their likelihood to accept bribes or exploit their position for personal gain , and to what extent rogue officials are prosecuted by their country 's justice system . britain was ranked 14th in the study , behind europe 's scandinavian countries , switzerland , the netherlands and germany . its total points tally was 78 , showing an improvement of four points since 2012 . across the atlantic , the u.s. was ranked 17th on 74 points , trailing canada by seven places but showing a vastly better score than every other country on its continent . many of the central and south american states fared poorly , with venezuela , honduras and haiti among the worst . denmark -lrb- pictured -rrb- topped the list with the world 's most honest officials . the country came first with a score of 92 points out of a possible 100 . jose ugaz , the chair of transparency international , said leading institutions in the u.s. and europe needed to work with fast growing economies to hold the corrupt to account . he said : ` corrupt officials smuggle ill-gotten assets into safe havens through offshore companies with absolute impunity . ` countries at the bottom need to adopt radical anti-corruption measures in favour of their people . ` countries at the top of the index should make sure they do n't export corrupt practices to underdeveloped countries . ' in second place , one point behind denmark , was new zealand . pictured is the view of dunedin in the south island . 1 . denmark , 92 points . 2 . new zealand , 91 points . 3 . finland , 89 points . 4 . sweden , 87 points . 5 . norway , 86 points . 5 . switzerland , 86 points . 7 . singapore , 84 points . 8 . the netherlands , 83 points . 9 . luxembourg , 82 points . 10 . canada , 81 points . 166 . eritrea , 18 points . 166 . libya , 18 points . 166 . uzbekistan , 18 points . 169 . turkmenistan , 17 points . 170 . iraq , 16 points . 171 . south sudan , 15 points . 172 . afghanistan , 12 points . 173 . sudan , 11 points . 174 . north korea , 8 points . 174 . somalia , 8 points . mr ugaz warned of the dire consequences of corruption , which he said included the denial of basic human rights and prevention of economic development . ` grand corruption in big economies not only blocks basic human rights for the poorest but also creates governance problems and instability . ` fast-growing economies whose governments refuse to be transparent and tolerate corruption , create a culture of impunity in which corruption thrives . '<doc-sep>by . katie silver . and nina golgowski . updated : . 09:22 gmt , 5 december 2011 . the united states is ranked behind 23 countries in its scale of corruption , according to an international report released this week . new zealand comes in at number one as the least corrupt country , just before denmark and finland sharing the number two spot . the report released by german watchdog organization transparency international , ranked the 182 countries and territories according to their levels of perceived public sector corruption . ranked : the united states is ranked behind 23 countries with new zealand ranked as the least corrupt , according to the 2011 corruption perceptions index . surrounding the united states ' place at 24 , chile placed 22 and uruguay at 25 , being its only two closely competing south american countries . the bottom ranked nations , ahead of somalia . and north korea who tied at number 182 , were myanmar , . afghanistan , uzbekistan , turkmenistan , sudan , iraq , haiti and venezuela . among the top ten nations in . terms of lowest surveyed corruption , the majority are european nations with the three exceptions of singapore at number five , australia at number eight , and canada at number 10 . australia tied its ranking with switzerland . worst : somalia and north korea were tied as the ` most corrupt ' nations on earth . over all , the top 20 countries were european though bulgaria was the lowest-performing european union country , ranking at number 86 . the top performers of the americas include canada which ranked 10th , barbados 16th , bahamas 21st and then chile at 22nd . to compile the index , transparency international used reports based ` on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions . ' tied : a woman stands with her child at the world 's largest refugee camp in somali which tied at 182nd as the world 's most corrupt country . the organization said perceptions alone are important to measure because corruption is so hidden , making its measurement difficult . ` over time perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption , ' transparency international said in it 's report . the report asked questions relating to : . regionally , in eastern europe and central asia , turkey is ranked highest at 61 while turkmenistan and uzbekistan are lowest at 177 . in the middle east and north africa , qatar ranks best at number 22 while iraq is the lowest at number 175 . in sub-saharan africa , botswana ranked highest at number 32 . india fell from 87th in 2010 to 95th , ranking behind china -lrb- 75th -rrb- but in front of pakistan -lrb- 134th -rrb- in south-asian nations .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- afghanistan , north korea and somalia are seen as the most corrupt nations in the world , according to transparency international 's latest survey , released tuesday . more than two thirds of the 177 countries included in the 2013 corruption perceptions index scored below 50 , where 0 indicates the country 's public sector is seen as highly corrupt and 100 as very clean . denmark and new zealand performed best with scores of 91 . afghanistan , north korea and somalia tied last with 8 points each . `` all countries still face the threat of corruption at all levels of government , from the issuing of local permits to the enforcement of laws and regulations , '' said huguette labelle , transparency international 's chair in a statement . in syria , where 100,000 have died in a conflict which began in 2011 and has now exploded into war , people regard its public sector as increasingly corrupt . the stricken nation dropped 9 points from 144th place to 168th . libya , yemen , spain , australia , guatemala and madagascar were among the other countries whose scores declined significantly . myanmar saw the biggest improvement , rising from 5th last position in 2012 to 19 places from the bottom this year .<doc-sep>` governments need to integrate anti-corruption actions into all public decision-making , ' said transparency international head huguette labelle . ` priorities include better rules on lobbying and political financing , making public spending and contracting more transparent and making public bodies more accountable to people . ' corruption in europe : greece and italy ranked worst of all eu countries for corruption , while denmark and finland topped the global list as the least corrupt countries . the survey , which was first conducted in 1995 , draws on a variety of sources that capture perceptions of corruption , including world bank and world economic forum assessments , the african development bank 's governance ratings , and transparency international 's own bribe payers survey . afghanistan , north korea and somalia were ranked the worst overall on this year 's list , all tied with a rating of just eight . denmark , finland and new zealand were thought of as least corrupt with scores of 90 . canada scored 84 , germany 79 and japan and britain tied at 74 . the united states was rated 73 , giving it 19th place , and france scored 71 . at the bottom of western european nations , greece scored a 36 , italy 42 , portugal 63 and spain 65 . all four countries are mired in recession , and both portugal and greece have received eu bailouts . riots in athens : the countries worst hit by the european financial crisis , in particular greece , are perceived to be the most corrupt in the eu . the greek numbers , which put it in 94th place on the ranking , stand out in particular , koch said . if the new 2012 methodology is applied to the 2011 results , greece fell by 14 places . ` greece , of course , at place 94 is the lowest state in the european union , ' she said . ` it 's ranked lower than countries like colombia , benin and zambia ... which gives you pause for thought . ' transparency 's managing director cobus de swardt said the world 's top economies should ` lead by example ' and ensure ` their institutions are fully transparent and their leaders are held accountable . ' ` this is crucial since their institutions play a significant role in preventing corruption from flourishing globally , ' de swardt said . 1 . denmark - 90 .<doc-sep>cairns , who played his last game for new zealand in 2006 , had been acting as a television commentator for new zealand 's test match against the west indies in dunedin , but left the coverage amid the controversy . another former player claimed in media reports to be the third individual involved made no public comment . new zealand cricket chief executive david white told reporters the organization had been aware of this investigation for a number of months and was `` shocked and surprised by the allegations . '' `` we support the icc 's investigation as corruption has no place in our sport . no current new zealand players are being investigated . no games played in new zealand are being investigated . lastly , no matches under new zealand cricket 's jurisdiction are being investigated . '' new zealand prime minister john key told reporters it would be `` very , very serious '' if the allegations were proven . `` new zealand is a country that sees itself as a very above board , honest place both to do business and to play sport , so it would be deeply concerning if this was factually correct . '' the country regularly ranks as one of the world 's least corrupt , recently topping transparency international 's corruption perceptions index alongside denmark .

<t> north korea and somalia have the world 's most corrupt public officials . </t> <t> they are considered the worst for bribery and public accountability . </t> <t> the most honest officials were found in denmark and new zealand . </t> <t> study 's authors warn corruption denies the poor their basic human rights . </t> <t> it also impedes economic growth and causes internal instability . </t>

north korea the world 's most corrupt country : eye-opening interactive map ranks every country 's transparency - with denmark topping the list<T>

some 100 brains specimens which went missing from the university of texas nearly 30 years ago have been found . the samples - about half of the university 's collection which were preserved in jars of formaldehyde - disappeared from a facility in austin in the 1990s . they were discovered this week at a university building in san antonio . the university of texas at austin has found its 100 missing brain samples at another facility in san antonio -lrb- stock image -rrb- . timothy schallert , a professor of neuroscience and psychology at ut in austin , told the los angeles times : ` they have the brains . they read a media report of the missing brains and they called to say : '' we got those brains ! '' ' the professor said he believed that the brains had been well cared for . his colleague , professor lawrence cormack , had earlier said that students could have stolen the brains as a prank . one of the missing brains belonged to clock tower sniper charles whitman -lrb- pictured -rrb- . the brains were provided from patients at the state mental hospital for research on diseases including alzheimer 's .<doc-sep>the austin state hospital had transferred the brains to the university about 28 years ago under a ` temporary possession ' agreement . the psychology lab only had room for 100 brains , so the rest were moved to the basement of the university 's animal resources center . the story came to light this week after a book was published called ` malformed : forgotten brains of the texas state mental hospital ' by adam voorhes and alex hannaford . one of the missing brains reportedly belonged to austin university clock tower sniper charles whitman . whitman 's 1966 rampage at the university of texas killed 16 people , including his mother and wife , and wounded 32 others . the 100 remaining brains at the austin school have been moved to the norman hackerman building , where they are being scanned with high-resolution resonance imaging equipment . mr cormack said : ` these mri images will be both useful teaching and research tools . it keeps the brains intact . ' the university of texas at austin -lrb- pictured -rrb- said the brains went missing some time in the mid 1990s .<doc-sep>many of the newly described species are known only from a few specimens collected before 1950 from locations that have been destroyed or irrevocably changed by agriculture or urban development . ` based on this study , we can predict that mantis groups with similar habitat specialisation in africa , asia and australia will also be far more diverse than what is currently known ' said dr gavin svenson , curator of invertebrate zoology at the cleveland museum of natural history in the u.s. ` many of these groups have never been studied other than by the scientists that originally described some of the species , which in some cases is more than 100 years ago . ` this is exciting because enormous potential exists for advancing our understanding of praying mantis diversity just by looking within our existing museum collections and conducting a few field expeditions , ' he explained . dr svenson searched for the insects in eight countries in central and south america and studied hundreds of specimens from 25 museums in north america , south america and europe to make the finds . liturgusa algorei , a new species of praying mantis named after former us vice-president al gore , was captured in a dense rain forest along the amazon river in northern peru , but other specimens were identified among museum collections collected over a century ago .<doc-sep>scientists believe they are a step closer to understanding how the human mind ages after discovering a way to boost the number of brain cells in mice . researchers from stanford university school of medicine discovered that giving old mice blood from younger specimens resulted in a three-fold increase in the number of brain cells . they isolated the chemical eotaxin and discovered that injecting it into younger mice had the opposite effect , causing fewer brain cells to be produced . the research involved giving blood from younger mice to older specimens and vice versa . the team are now testing eotaxin 's role in memory loss associated with alzheimer 's disease and hope their research might also prove useful in treating dementia . tony wyss-coray , associate professor of neurology and neurological sciences at stanford and the study 's senior author , believes the findings raise the question of whether it might be possible to shield the human brain from aging . the experiment involved connecting the circulatory systems of pairs of young and old mice together .<doc-sep>by . victoria woollaston . published : . 11:31 est , 24 may 2013 . | . updated : . 11:37 est , 24 may 2013 . researchers and archivists from university of california are asking for help in transcribing field notes and identifying insect specimens dating back over 100 years . among the collection is a tierra del fuego beetle discovered in 1833 by charles darwin . volunteers can look at the specimens and submit their transcriptions online using the berkeley university 's calbug system . citizen scientists will be able transcribe labels similar to the one pictured , which shows a ground beetle from tierra del fuego , chile that was collected in 1833 by charles darwin . volunteers can look through the other collections from uc berkeley 's essig museum of entomology and submit transcriptions using its calbug system .<doc-sep>antlers discovered by walkers on a beach in the lake district , could be 20,000 years old , one has expert claimed . rod scarr and his daughter carol found the antlers poking out of the muddy shore with a large section of deer skull , on walney island , off the coast at barrow , cumbria . in april 2012 , an eight-year-old called jamie cassidy found a perfectly preserved 3ft -lrb- 91cm -rrb- high antler on the same beach , which were at the time was thought to be 4,000 years old - but it could be much older . what a find ! antlers -lrb- pictured -rrb- discovered by walkers on a beach in the lake district , could be 20,000 years old , one expert claims , but carbon dating is required to make sure they are as old as suspected . carbon dating is needed to ascertain the precise age of both specimens . david gelsthorpe , manchester museum 's curator of earth sciences , has examined photos of the antlers , which are believed to belong to a two-year-old red deer . he said : ` we have found similar material from 10 to 20,000 years ago in the north west , so that is why i suggested that figure for the age . ` for example there was a similar skull found when they were digging the manchester ship canal in the 1880s . rod scarr and his daughter and carol -lrb- pictured -rrb- found the prehistoric antlers poking out of the muddy shore with a large section of deer skull , when on a leisurely walk . the interesting remains were found on walney island , off the coast at barrow , cumbria -lrb- marked on the map -rrb- . dutch fossil hunters have hauled woolly mammoth bones from the north sea , which was icy tundra 40,000 years ago . the group of archaeologists , salvagers and palaeontologists trawl the waters off the east coast of rotterdam at a depth of 100 feet -lrb- 30 metres -rrb- and in 2010 discovered bones belonging to an 11ft -lrb- 3.4 metre -rrb- tall mammoth . they collected its skull , tusks and other large bones , and filled in any missing ones with finds from similar beasts discovered nearby of a similar age , to form a complete skeleton after months of work . they also uncovered bones belonging to woolly rhinos and irish elks , plus a prehistoric skull of a european bison , also known as a wisent on the north sea bed .

<t> the brain speciments , from the austin state mental hospital , went missing in the 1990s . </t> <t> the samples , which are stored in formaldehyde , turned up at a university facility in san antonio . </t> <t> the missing brains include that of infamous sniper charles whitman . </t>

eureka ⁇ university of texas finds 100 missing brain specimens after 30 years<T>

two days of rain has soothed the parched landscape of california , though relief has also brought flooded roadways and traffic jams in some areas . reservoirs swelled and waterfalls sprung back to life on wednesday , as officials monitored for flooding and mudslides that were possible after one of california 's worst years of drought on record . a sinkhole in san francisco was being blamed on the heavy storm , which also dumped snow over mountains and brought water back to the waterfalls of yosemite national park . scroll down for video . the flood : an officer directed cars through a flooded section of road in mill valley on wednesday after heavy rain soaked a previously drought-stricken terrain . inundated : an empty car is submerged on a flooded section road in mill valley on wednesday after heavy rain soaked a previously drought-stricken terrain . backup : a miles-long traffic jam on the southbound section of highway 101 slowed cars to a crawl ahead of a flooded portion of roadway in mill valley on wednesday . forecast : a satellite image shows the clouds spread across the western united states that were dumping rain across california and causing isolated flooding . the park 's 2,425-foot yosemite falls , which had nearly dried up by mid-july , came roaring back to life . ` with the precipitation , they are looking good . they are flowing nicely , ' park spokeswoman ashley mayer said . one area , yucaipa ridge up in the san bernardino mountains , had received 8.38 inches of rain , according to the national weather service . cbs reports that slick roads and flooding on highways led to an uptick in accident reports across the state . on wednesday , the agency reported that local california highway patrol dispatchers had logged 101 crash reports between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m. . there were 328 throughout the day on tuesday , according to the agency , compared to 50 to 75 crashes on a normal non-rainy day . officials said that , in spite of this week 's rainfall , much more would be needed to reverse three years of drought conditions in the state . the association of california water services notes that the 2014 water year , which ended september 30 , was the fourth driest in california 's history . traffic jam : one onlooker tweeted the sight of cars backed up in sacramento along a highway at dusk . plowing through : a car pushed through deep water on a flooded section of road in mill valley on wednesday after heavy rain soaked a previously drought-stricken terrain . slick : an suv drove over mud-covered roadway in point mugu , after rain brought mud and debris flowing into parts of the highway throughout california . soaked : a cyclist struggled to pedal through the deep waters on a flooded roadway in mill valley on wednesday during the second day of heavy rain . warning signs : signs in tiburon warn drivers off the badly flooded sections of roadway on wednesday after the region was hit with heavy rain , lightning and hail . the drought made terrain in some areas susceptible to mudslides from flash floods on tuesday . residents in camarillo springs were forced to evacuate around 75 homes as rushing water brought mud flowing through the foothills 50 miles northwest of los angeles . homeowners were urged to remain outside the area even after the evacuation order was lifted , though no damage was reported . silverado canyon also had a voluntary evacuation notice in place for around 60 homes in an area that had experienced large fires and mudslides previously . wade on : an employee at a chevron gas station fights through floodwaters outside the building in mill valley on wednesday after days of heavy rain . flooding : a kid 's bike sits locked toa utility pole in mill valley on wednesday after heavy rain soaked a previously drought-stricken terrain . the rain is expected to last through thursday , and has allowed much of the san francisco bay area to catch up to or exceed normal annual rainfall levels . the sierra nevada snowpack , which holds much of the water supply in the state , was at just 24 percent of its average level before the storms . snow has built quickly , with some areas experiencing snowfall of 10 inches at elevations of 8,000 feet .<doc-sep>new delhi , india -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- at least 441 people have died in floods in india from this season 's monsoon rains , federal authorities said in their latest report . an indian child plays in a flooded street in mumbai earlier this month . flooding has affected more than 1.5 million people in parts of india , said the disaster management division of the federal home ministry . the country 's main weather office has warned of more heavy rain in western and central parts of india . monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from june till september . though they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands , they also leave a trail of landslides , home collapses and floods that can kill . in neighboring pakistan , torrential monsoon rains left more than three dozen people dead and broke a 32-year record over the weekend . cnn 's harmeet shah singh contributed to this report .<doc-sep>` there have been studies -lsb- showing -rsb- that some areas get more rainfall during el niño years , but more rainfall does n't necessarily mean more floods , ' professor ward said . ` so we 're looking at the actual flooding and damages caused by flooding . ' these do n't always match an increase in rainfall . for instance , the southeast of the us is often cooler and wetter during an el niño , but the impact of flooding as a whole was n't severe . scientists recently suggested that ecuador is about to be hit by eastward-moving waves of warm water , suggesting that el niño may be on its way . the most recent waves increase the chances that parched california could be in for some relief - albeit small - if weather patterns take a turn later this year . but nasa has warned that ` fickle ' el niño will likely be weak if it does appear , providing only limited relief for a drought-ridden west coast . strong el niño events occur every 20 years or so . on the left , the village of puerto maldonado , peru , is seen flooded in january 2003 as a result of el niño rains , which drove 16,000 people from their homes . the worst el niño on record in 1997 to 1998 was blamed for massive flooding along china 's yangtze river , right , that killed over 1,500 people . kelvin waves of high sea level -lrb- red/yellow -rrb- are seen crossing the pacific ocean at the equator . the waves may be due to el niño events . green indicates normal sea level , and blue/purple areas are lower than normal .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the death toll in the flooding across pakistan is now 58 , the national disaster management authority said monday . flash floods from torrential rains over the past three days have killed 15 people and displaced more than 20,000 others in pakistan 's balochistan province , abdul katif kakar , the director of planning for the provincial disaster management authority , said monday . at a news conference in quetta , kakar said that in balochistan , the flooding and rain killed six people in khuzdar district , four in turbat and five in lasbella . he said two people were missing in lasbella district , feared to have been swept away by flood waters . monsoon rains and flash flooding continue to bring misery to people living in khuzdar , jhal magsi and loralai districts . the disaster agency says nine districts across balochistan are heavily affected by floods . it says more than two dozen mud-walled houses have collapsed from flooding in the nawan killi area of quetta , the capital of balochistan .<doc-sep>manila , philippines -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- fueled by seasonal monsoon rains and a nearby tropical storm , widespread flooding in the philippines worsened tuesday , killing at least 11 people , the national disaster agency reported . a landslide in the manila suburb of quezon city buried two houses , leaving nine people dead and four others injured , according to the national disaster risk reduction and management center . three of the dead were children , the state-run philippines news agency reported . the capital city of manila got 504 millimeters -lrb- about 20 inches -rrb- of rain tuesday , pna reported , with more on the way . the country 's weather service -- the philippine atmospheric , geophysical and astronomical services administration -- warned the manila region 's 12 million residents of continued torrential rains and serious flooding through wednesday . `` it 's like a water world , '' benito ramos , head of the disaster agency , said of the city , according to pna . the national railroad called off service , and many roads were under water . some dams were beginning to overflow , putting more communities at risk , the authorities said . north koreans in desperate need of food after floods . the flooding has already forced more than 780,000 people across the country from their homes , the disaster agency said . about 242,000 were staying in emergency shelters tuesday night , according to the agency . rescue requests continued to come in early wednesday , including some people who were using twitter to contact the authorities for help . `` pregnant woman needs help ! staying on top of a roof , '' one twitter user posted , followed by an address . `` please help borres family w / 2y/o child !! , '' posted another . the weather agency warned residents to expect more landslides and flash flooding , and the authorities urged residents in low-lying areas to move to higher ground . as well as the deaths in the landslide in quezon city , two people died from electrocution and drowning outside the manila region , the disaster agency said early wednesday . those deaths came on top of the 53 people who had already been killed across the philippines by heavy wind and rain in the past few weeks . in an effort to save lives and make way for rescue and relief efforts , president benigno aquino ordered work suspended at government and private offices around the capital region tuesday .

<t> more than eight inches fell on some parts of northern california . </t> <t> rain replenished lakes , streams and reservoirs but also caused widespread flooding . </t>

more flooding in california as torrential rains turn relief from drought into disaster<T>

defense secretary chuck hagel said thursday that he and president barack obama had ` no major differences ' and there was no single reason for his resignation . hagel said he simply came to the conclusion that it was the right time for him to step aside , and he leaves believing that he accomplished a great deal . the outgoing pentagon chief 's comments marked the first time he has responded to questions about his resignation since he submitted it nov. 24 . they come on the eve of obama 's plans to announce hagel 's successor and a day after a senior u.s. army officer told mailonline hagel was ` relieved ' to not have to shill for obama anymore . scroll down for video . watch your back : outgoing secretary of defense chuck hagel would n't give a specific reason for his resignation today , again saying that it was a ` mutual decision ' between he and president barack obama and they had ` no major differences ' asked directly whether he felt he was pressured to resign today , hagel was not specific . he called it a ` mutual decision ' with obama based on one-on-one talks at the white house . hagel said he and obama had discussed the coming two years , the last of obama 's term , and saw what hagel called ` another zone ' of challenges ahead for the country .<doc-sep>` leaders have to be wise enough to know that , ' he said . ` we both came to the conclusion , ' he said , referring to his private consultations with obama , ` that i think the country was best served with new leadership . he thought it was -lrb- also -rrb- , over at this institution after we had talked through it . ' the department of defense insider who spoke with mailonline on wednesday said hagel ` jumped at the chance to get out , and could n't wait to announce it so things did n't go more to hell in iraq and he 'd get blamed for it . ' ` no one wants to be disloyal , ' he said . ` but also nobody wants to be on watch while the defense department weakens to the point of disintegrating , and america gets pushed around the -lsb- global -rsb- schoolyard . it 's embarrassing . ' another hagel confidante told cnn on wednesday that the pentagon head ` wanted to move quickly ' toward the exit . juxtaposed with the international turmoil that 's arisen since he vacated his senate seat to join the obama administration less than two years ago , cnn 's source said hagel want to ` at least control his departure . ' arizona sen. john mccain said in a radio interview last month that hagel was ` very , very frustrated ' by the time he put in his notice . in this february 2013 photo , then-deputy defense secretary ashton carter is pictured testifying before the senate armed services committee with chairman of the joint chiefs of staff gen. martin dempsey . obama is expected to nominate carter tomorrow to serve as the next secretary of defense .<doc-sep>when obama announced that hagel was leaving , he called the former republican senator from nebraska an ` exemplary ' pentagon chief and indicated that resigning was hagel 's decision . he said hagel approached him and ` determined that ... it was an appropriate time for him to complete his service . ' ` let me just say that chuck is and has been a great friend of mine . i 've known him , admired him and trusted him for nearly a decade since i was a green-behind-the - ears freshman senator and we were both on the senate foreign relations committee , ' obama told reporters gathered in the white house state dining room . it was at a press briefing later that day that the white house said hagel 's departure came after he and hagel came to the decision jointly . ` the two of them arrived together at the determination that new leadership should take over at the pentagon , ' earnest told reporters . rumors immediately began swirling that hagel was asked to leave , however . a senior pentagon official told nbc news that hagel ` was n't up to the job . ' while denying that hagel was forced out , the white house acknowledged last month that the issues plaguing the pentagon require a different type of leadership skills than the ones hagel was brought on to handle .<doc-sep>` when secretary hagel was first nominated for this job ... the threat that was posed by isil was not nearly as significant as it is now , ' earnest told reporters . the white house says it will announce hagel 's replacement on friday . obama is widely to expected to name former deputy defense secretary ashton carter as hagel 's successor . the white house would n't confirm to reporters this week that carter was obama 's pick , but earnest lavished praised on him when probed by reporters for his thoughts of the former dod official . earnest said carter ` certainly deserves and has demonstrated strong bipartisan support for his previous service in government , ' but insisted , ' i do n't have any additional insight to share with you . ' carter left the obama administration in 2013 . unlike hagel , he has never served in the active military , but he is respected by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle . he served as the no. 2 official at the pentagon from october 2011 to december 2013 . he also used to be the pentagon 's chief arms buyer . he has been mum since rumors began swirling that he would be the next defense secretary .<doc-sep>president barack obama will announce his pick for secretary of defense on friday morning , white house press secretary josh earnest said thursday afternoon during the daily white house briefing . obama is slated to nominate ashton carter , former second in command at the pentagon , as cnn has previously reported . related : meet chuck hagel 's expected replacement as defense secretary . pending confirmation in the senate , carter will succeed outgoing secretary of defense chuck hagel , who announced his resignation last week . hagel has said he will stay on board until a successor is confirmed . carter , 60 , served as deputy defense secretary under both hagel and obama 's first secretary of defense leon panetta . he 'd be the fourth secretary of defense of obama 's six-year tenure including robert gates , a hold-over from president george w. bush . some consider carter the last man standing for a job others have declined . obama adviser michele flournoy was initially considered to be a frontrunner for the position after hagel announced he 'd be leaving , leaving room for her to make history as the first woman to hold the post . but she quickly took her name out of the running in a letter to the center for a new american security , a think tank she co-founded in 2007 .<doc-sep>militants aligned with the self-proclaimed ` islamic state ' -lrb- isis -rrb- boasted monday on twitter that the terror army was responsible for u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel 's ouster . ` the islamic state has toppled the us defense minister , ' one of the group 's social media agitator gloated monday on twitter , launching a hashtag with the same message . isis , known for its gruesome beheading videos , was praised in a long stream of tweets featuring a photoshopped image depicting hagel 's head being severed . other images featured cartoons of obama kicking hagel in the backside and mocking hagel with emoji for getting choked up during his farewell remarks . ` obama : you failed , ' several of those tweets read in arabic . ` hagel : you need to slaughter dementia . ' warning : graphic content . the isis terror army 's supporters flooded twitter with digital high-fives on monday after us defense secretary chuck hagel was forced out of his job . hagel 's sentimental side showed during his remarks alongside obama on monday , and isis sympathizers were quick to mock him for it . ` obama , the mule of the jews , has accepted hagel 's resignation , ' read another .<doc-sep>republican leader mitch mcconnell also broadly praised hagel as recently as 2009 , saying , `` chuck has earned the respect of his colleagues and risen to national prominence as a clear voice on foreign policy and national security . '' this generous perspective is unlikely to be recollected by conservatives during the confirmation hearings . since his nomination , hagel has been diligently working the corridors of congress , trying to address concerns directly . he 's also met with leaders of organizations like the anti-defamation league and the american israel public affairs committee to address the accusations behind closed doors . consider the attacks on hagel against the backdrop of facts , with a sense of perspective . and then look at the staunch defenders of hagel 's nomination : republican secretary of defense robert gates , republican secretary of state colin powell , reagan 's respected secretary of defense frank carlucci and the first president bush 's national security adviser brent scowcroft . the bottom line : chuck hagel is squarely in the main street republican tradition . that he is being relentlessly attacked by some neoconservatives reflects how much their `` you 're either with us or against us '' attitude has strayed out of the historic mainstream . listen : hagel 's other war . policy differences can and should be debated , but stooping to personal smears smacks of desperation . it is doubly ironic because hagel 's appointment by a democratic president is designed to help re-center american foreign policy , reminding us all of some forgotten cold war era wisdom articulated by republican sen. arthur vandenberg during the truman administration : `` partisan politics ought to end at the water 's edge . '' the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of john avlon .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- to the surprise of many , including me , president barack obama has nominated former nebraska sen. chuck hagel to be his next defense secretary . like many texans , i am grateful for hagel 's courageous military service , but i fear he is the wrong man to lead the pentagon . one of the biggest foreign-policy challenges of obama 's second term is preventing iran from acquiring nuclear weapons -- which means we need a defense secretary who understands the nature and magnitude of the iranian threat . based on his record , hagel does not . in july 2001 , 96 u.s. senators voted to extend sanctions against iran . chuck hagel was one of only two senators who voted against sanctions . a year later , he urged the bush administration to support iranian membership in the world trade organization . even more disturbing , hagel voted against a 2007 measure that called for the iranian revolutionary guard corps -lrb- irgc -rrb- to be designated a terrorist group . -lrb- at the time , the irgc was aiding and equipping shiite militias that were murdering u.s. troops in iraq . -rrb- a few weeks after this vote , hagel sent a letter to president george w. bush asking him to launch `` direct , unconditional , and comprehensive talks '' with the iranian government , which the state department has labeled a state sponsor of terrorism every year since 1984 . in july 2008 , hagel recommended that washington go beyond direct talks and establish a u.s. diplomatic mission in tehran . later that month , in a senate banking committee vote , he was one of only two senators to oppose the comprehensive iran sanctions , accountability and divestment act . -lrb- obama signed a subsequent version of this bill in july 2010 . -rrb- . finally , in his 2008 book , `` america : our next chapter , '' hagel appeared to suggest that the united states could live with a nuclear iran , writing that `` the genie of nuclear armaments is already out of the bottle , no matter what iran does . ''

<t> hagel has n't spoken out since he submitted his resignation on nov. 24 . </t> <t> obama will announce his successor tomorrow ; widely expected to be former deputy defense secretary ashton carter . </t> <t> a senior u.s. army officer told mailonline yesterday hagel was ` relieved ' to not have to shill for obama anymore . </t>

defense secretary chuck hagel says he has ` no major differences ' with obama<T>

a cyclist who wanted to travel the world on a shoestring has returned home from a four-year adventure which saw him pedal 43,000 miles across 61 countries - the equivalent of twice around the planet . charlie walker , 27 , spent 1,606 days cycling through three continents on his second-hand bike ` old geoff ' - despite ` not really being a cyclist ' . the young travel writer headed north to the arctic circle , down to the southern tip of africa , to the far east of asia and into the jungles of vietnam . scroll down for video . charlie walker , 27 , spent 1,606 days cycling through three continents on his second-hand bike ` old geoff ' - despite ` not really being a cyclist ' . pictured : mr walker outside a village shop in hubei province , china . the young travel writer was away for four years and cycled through 60 countries , including turkey -lrb- pictured on the road to noah 's arc -rrb- . mr walker cycled north to the arctic circle , down to the southern tip of africa , to the far east of asia and into the jungles of vietnam . pictured : the cyclist looks over the fish river canyon , namibia . the 27-year-old -lrb- pictured -rrb- started his journey in july 2010 because he wanted to see the world in a ` cheap and slow ' way . during his trip , mr walker found himself chased by elephants , arrested in china and even had to run the gauntlet of a war zone in northern mozambique . now , after four years on the road , charlie has finally crossed the finish line in his home village of bowerchalke , wiltshire . mr walker said : ' i had n't sat on a bike for a couple of months prior to starting so i had to get used to it again . ` i 'm not really a cyclist , the bicycle was a conveniently cheap and deliberately slow means to an end . ` the end being to see the world , meet interesting people and to challenge myself both physically and mentally . hopefully , i 've learnt a thing or two along the way too .<doc-sep>' i cycled out of my village , took a ferry across the channel then did n't stop . i flew a few times over war spots for safety , but other than that , i rode most places . ' this map shows the 43,600 mile route that mr walker carried out solo on his second-hand bike . he covered europe , africa and asia . mr walker is watched by young locals as he fixes his bike in uttar pradesh , india -lrb- left -rrb- after having reached norpkapp , norway -lrb- right -rrb- . the young adventurer also reached cape agulhas , the southern-most tip of africa , west cape province during his travels . during his trip , mr walker cycled through difficult and varied terrain , including through the kurish mountains -lrb- pictured -rrb- . mr walker , a newcastle university graduate , had the idea to take on the challenge while trekking through the himalayas in 2008 . he originally decided to cycle from the dead sea to mount everest . but the route quickly snowballed and soon mr walker had quadrupled the length of his route . before setting off in july 2010 , the travel writer finally decided on three main points to cross off his list - nordkaap in norway ; singapore via the bridge from mainland malaysia , and cape town in south africa . he left the route to ` chance ' , covering the incredible 43,630 miles depending on where the road took him . he did little planning and relied on the kindness of strangers . the cyclist left the route to ` chance ' , covering the incredible 43,630 miles depending on where the road took him . pictured : mr walker cycles through north west tanzania as a storm approaches . but mr walker also had his fair share of trouble , including being arrested in china -lrb- where he is pictured , in henan province -rrb- . mr walker takes a breather in front of a spectacular sunset on the empty road to karima , northern sudan , during the latter part of his journey . the cyclist was faced with clogged brakes and wheels after travelling through a forest track in the republic of congo -lrb- pictured -rrb- .<doc-sep>but mr walker also had his fair share of trouble . in iran he was held on suspicion of being a spy , while he was mistaken for jesus while in africa . in china , he was arrested twice after breaking into a tibetan military base . and in botswana , he was chased down ` elephant highway ' by a group of elephants who were not used to seeing two-wheeled vehicles . mr walker also battled searing heat , freezing cold , endless miles of pedalling , an attempt to steal his beloved second-hand bike , called ` old geoff ' , and mended more than 250 punctures . he said : ' i have a lot of stand out memories but one has to be how nice and hospitable people are . the young man even got to have a brew with father christmas when he visited finnish lapland . mr walker , a newcastle university graduate , pictured at a sign reading ` welcome to shout city ' in western iran . england , france , belgium , netherlands , germany , denmark , sweden , norway , finland , estonia , latvia , lithuania , poland , slovakia , hungary , romania , bulgaria , turkey , iran , india , nepal , tibet , china , laos , thailand , malaysia , singapore , cambodia , vietnam , mongolia , kazakhstan , kyrgyzstan , tajikistan , uzbekistan , afghanistan , iraq , egypt , sudan , ethiopia , kenya , uganda , rwanda , burundi , tanzania , malawi , mozambique , swaziland , south africa , lesotho , namibia , botswana , zambia , drc , republic of congo , cameroon , senegal , mauritania , morocco , gibraltar , spain , france . ` there were of course the dangerous times , and the times you do n't think you 're going to make it . ' i was detained at the boarder between afghanistan and iran because they thought , after looking at me , my passport and some of the pictures i had taken i might be a spy . ` they put two and two together and made 12 , but they released me soon after . in botswana i was chased by elephants on a road aptly named `` elephant highway '' . ` the elephants just graze by the side of the road and they are used to vehicles driving past them , but they do n't see so many bicycles . ` it 's an animal shape moving at speed on wheels , they were bound to get a bit jumpy .<doc-sep>' i had a large bull elephant stand there and face up to me flapping his ears before he began chasing towards me . ' i had a heavily laden bicycle that probably weighed about as much as me . ` it was a little bit frantic , there were a good few miles i did n't look behind me and just keep pedalling . ' as his epic journey grew bigger charlie 's regular blogs , updating his friends and family of his adventures , gathered a devoted following . mr walker camped under the stars on several nights , including here at dune 45 camp in namibia . the cyclist gets off his bike as he passes as ovoo - a shamanistic cairn - in the gobi north of zamyn-uud , mongolia . he took some time out of his cycling schedule to enjoy the calm of lake pokhara , nepal -lrb- pictured -rrb- . through his updates he persuaded people to donate to two charities to support his adventure . he chose future hope , which supports street children in kolkatta , india , and the rnli . mr walker said his biggest battle during his four year challenge , was the mental battle he faced . he said : ' i had been travelling for a bit for a few years before and my trips got slowly more intrepid . i wanted to develop myself as a travel writer , so when i finished university and got a job i saved up enough to go . ` thelast few years have certainly been tough , and often lonely but , on balance , an incredible and positive experience . ' to read more about mr walker 's adventures , visit www.charliewalkerexplore.co.uk .<doc-sep>that 's going on here , everything people are doing is to find mickey . it . has nothing to do with anything else . our goal is to find my sister , ' charlie shunick added . evidence : . the recovered bike belonging to missing student mickey shunick since may 19 was found with significant damage suggesting a possible hit and run police say . abdella said he believes that the lafayette police are working hard to find shunick , aged 22 , who disappeared in may while riding her bicycle home from her friend 's house in the middle of the night . shunick 's bicycle was found on may 30 badly mangled under a bridge about 30 minutes from the spot where she disappeared . at the time , police suggested that she may have been hit by a car . ` it 's a very active investigation , ' said abdella . ` and i think the police are very , very active , they are putting in a lot of manpower , they 're spending a lot of overtime . ' discovery : just over a week after she vanished her bike was discovered beneath this bridge , 27 miles from where she was last seen , with police initially tight-lipped on its found condition . tire marks : near the bike , police also say they found tire marks from a vehicle that was driving off the road 's side leading police to believe the vehicle placed the bike there . on the day shunick 's bike was found , police have . also revealed their discovery of off-road tire tracks nearby . ` we strongly believe that the person , or perpetrator , drove down to the edge of the water and dumped the bike into the water for it not to be found , cpl. paul mouton , of the lafayette police department , told abc . police report that they 're currently searching for the drivers of three vehicles seen passing around the same time and area she was seen riding in security footage . the vehicles are a white pickup truck with a bed cover , a white four-door chevy z71 truck , and an older model sedan . possible suspects : lafayette police are currently searching for the drivers of these three vehicles seen passing around the same time and area mickey shunick was last seen . same location : visible in the top right of the video grab is miss shunick seen riding her bike home in the same area and time the three vehicles were seen passing . two videos show the university of louisiana student on st john street and st landry street in lafayette date from 1.47 am and 1.48 am when the student had left a friend 's house . it was over a week after her disappearance that fishermen found her bike at whiskey bay on the atchafalaya river , louisiana . her family were brought to the scene by police and confirmed it was her black and gold schwinn . the bike 's condition was initially not released while authorities began searching the river by boat with divers planned when the current became less strong . dna testing : police hope that forensic tests on her bike 's handlebars , frame and grips will find dna evidence to any potential suspects in her disappearance .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the first time i spoke to norma bastidas , she was having a rough couple of days . thirty miles into her attempt to set the record for the world 's longest triathlon , bastidas , 47 , had to start over due to a gps malfunction . the saltwater off cancun , mexico , was eating away at her gums and throat . her face was sunburned . she 'd been stung several times by sea creatures , so her lips were swollen . `` i wanted to look like angelina jolie , but i probably look like mickey rourke in ` the wrestler , ' '' she joked . her laid-back sense of humor belies an ambitious drive . a year ago , bastidas did n't even know how to swim . but on march 20 , she finished swimming 95 miles in the caribbean to complete that leg of her triathlon challenge . on april 4 , she crossed the u.s.-mexico border , averaging about 130 miles a day on her bike . in 1998 , australian david holleran completed a triathlon consisting of a 26-mile swim , 1,242-mile bike ride and a 310-mile run . he holds the record for the longest triathlon , according to guinness world records . bastidas will more than double that distance , swimming 95 miles , biking 2,932 miles and running 735 miles for a total of 3,762 miles before reaching washington near the end of april . it 's a grueling journey , even for someone used to tackling ultra races . but there 's something driving bastidas other than the desire to break a world record : she 's determined to raise awareness about human trafficking and stop it . `` i 'm prepared to do whatever it takes , '' bastidas said after a particularly rough patch of riding in mexico . `` if you do n't risk everything , that 's not courage . '' just a few days ago , the triathlete hopped off her bike and laced up her sneakers to begin her run into the u.s. capital . `` her triathlon route covered major human trafficking routes , '' team member alexis rhyner said when i asked why bastidas was traveling so far . `` it was also important to her that the route pass through both countries and both capitals , to unify both nations to fight the issue together and take responsibility for what is happening in and between our two borders . '' thousands of children are sold for sex every day in mexico and the united states , according to iempathize , a child advocacy group bastidas has teamed with to film a documentary of her journey .<doc-sep>by . jill reilly . published : . 10:39 est , 12 june 2012 . | . updated : . 01:44 est , 13 june 2012 . missing : sam swain with his beloved bike which was stolen in bristol . a cyclist who travelled 10,000 miles across europe and asia on his bike was devastated when it was stolen after arriving back in the uk . sam swain , 22 , took his dawes super galaxy hybrid touring bike from ireland to japan - through turkey and iran - before riding it to india and thailand . he then cycled through cambodia , laos , vietnam , china and south korea on the sturdy two-wheeler to fulfill a childhood dream . but after he returned to britain his beloved bronze-coloured bicycle was stolen from a bike rack just yards from where he works . the restaurant waiter , who had locked up the bike , said : ` we cycled . from ireland to japan , across europe and asia , with no problems . throughout that trip . ` we come back to england and my bike gets stolen . ' mr swain completed the ten-month inter-continental journey with his father mark , 54 , last year . the . # 1,000 bike was stolen at 8.30 pm on june 1 from a rack in bristol 's . quakers friars as sam was at work in nearby italian restaurant . carluccio 's . as soon as he realised the bike had gone he reported the theft to a cabot circus security guard . staff . found cctv footage of a woman with a boy aged about 13 by the bike and . the same boy riding off on it while the woman left on foot . theft : mr swain had his beloved bicycle stolen from a rack in bristol 's quakers friars just yards from where he works as a waiter . the footage was passed on to police but they later told sam there was a ` slim chance ' of recovering the bike . he was told an officer would be assigned to the case but has yet to hear back from anyone . mr swain said : ` it really annoys me because there 's footage of the person stealing it but little prospect of getting it back . pedals at the ready : sam swain and his father mark at the beginning of their 10k mile cycling epic . travelling : sam swain on the danube cycle path in germany - the timing of the theft was all the worse for the 22-year-old as he was in training for another long ride , from the uk to poland - starting next month . happier times : the keen cyclist and his dawes super galaxy hybrid bike near a paddy field in thailand . ` there seems no point in having security cameras and patrols in cabot circus if they ca n't crack down on it straight away . ' the . timing of the theft was all the worse for mr swain as he was in training for . another long ride , from the uk to poland - starting next month . an . avon and somerset police spokesman said : ` this theft was reported on . saturday , june 2 , and the following day was assigned to a local beat . manager to investigate . dream : it was childhood dream for mr swain to complete the trip on a bike . mr swain completed the ten-month inter-continental journey with his father mark , 54 , last year . he is pictured on the left in vietnam and on the right in laos . saddle sore : the jubilant pair on their return to the uk after completing the trip of a lifetime . ` cctv of the incident is being examined to try and identify the person who stole the bike in order that they can be dealt with and the bike recovered . ` the theft of bikes is taken seriously and we would encourage anyone who knows people who steal or handle stolen bikes to get in touch with us . '<doc-sep>blogging about tripp 's progress became a form of therapy for her . `` you have meltdowns and you have days where you cry and are depressed , but you get on there , and you see all these people who are supportive , '' she said . `` and all the stories people share of their kids getting poor prognoses from doctors that they are going to be vegetables , but then they pull through . those stories are really great . '' over time , halstead 's posts about her son 's accident and recovery found a mass audience . within a few months , the tripp halstead updates facebook page gained more than 700,000 followers . parents shared hopeful tales about their children persevering over ailments despite the greatest of odds . `` it has been a blessing . it 's what keeps me sane , '' halstead said . an ironman family 's race to help . one of those people who found tripp 's facebook page was kaete nazaroff , who began following his journey in march . she did n't know tripp personally , but as the new york resident stared at his small face on her laptop screen , she knew he was in pain . tripp 's story reminded nazaroff of her own son . `` i have a 2-year-old boy who is blond and precious just like tripp 's ` before ' photos , '' she said . at the time , halstead was uploading photos of her son , unconscious and hooked up to all sorts of tubes after undergoing surgery to get rid of a bacterial infection that took root near his brain . it was an emotional step back after tripp was starting to make progress in rehabilitation . the juxtaposition between the images of tripp hooked up to colorful tubes and wires and the nostalgic photos of the carefree toddler before the accident stayed with nazaroff , even after she turned off her computer . a week went by , and the mother of two still could not get tripp 's story out of her mind . `` i was thinking this could be any of us , '' said nazaroff , who as a child cared for a mother with multiple sclerosis . `` i know what it 's like to be caring for someone who is sick and you ca n't do anything about it . '' so she began brainstorming ways to help . she turned to her husband , dave , the owner of three bike shops in new york and a seven-time ironman triathlete . nazaroff asked him how long it would take to ride his bike from nyack , new york , to atlanta . she reasoned that they could do something to raise money for tripp and his family . `` they were n't asking for donations , but my heart connected to tripp 's anguish , '' she said . `` i did n't have a lot of money of my own that my family could spare , but i knew -lrb- we could -rrb- raise money for them . '' the couple decided to make the bike-riding fundraiser a reality for tripp and his family . they set a date , june 26 , when dave nazaroff would begin riding his bike nearly 900 miles from new york to atlanta over five days . when nazaroff contacted the halsteads about the plan , they were slightly stunned by the idea . `` we got the e-mail from kaete about what they wanted to do -- her husband riding 900 miles -- we were like , ` wow , that 's kind of crazy , ' '' bill halstead recalled . dave nazaroff agrees that 900 miles is a hefty distance . `` i 've ridden my bike pretty far but never the distance that i am going to do for this trip , '' he explained .

<t> charlie walker , 27 , cycled through three continents on his second-hand bike ` old geoff ' despite ` not being a cyclist ' </t> <t> he visited arctic circle , far east asia and southern tip of africa , after wanting to see world in a ` cheap and slow ' way . </t> <t> during trip , he was chased by elephants , arrested in china and had to run the gauntlet of a war zone in mozambique . </t> <t> travel writer returned home last week to his home village of bowerchalke , wiltshire after 1,606 days on the road . </t>

charlie walker finishes four-year bike journey after riding 43k miles<T>

sir bradley wiggins cycling success is believed to be behind the increase in middle-age men buying bicycles . you can perhaps blame cycling knight bradley wiggins for them clogging up the country roads every weekend . now mamils -- or middle-aged men in lycra , to give them their full name - have pedalled into the latest edition of the online oxford dictionary too . it defines as a mamil as ' a middle-aged man who is a very keen road cyclist , typically one who rides an expensive bike and wears the type of clothing associated with professional cyclists ' . the word is among 1,000 new entries added today -lrb- thurs -rrb- to the free online dictionary oxforddictionaries.com , which is updated quarterly and prides itself on tracking new and emerging word trends . mamil has been in use since at least 2010 after research by retail analyst mintel suggested there had been a surge in men of a certain age taking up cycling when they might once have invested in a motorcycle or sports car .<doc-sep>the phenomenon of middle aged men buying an expensive bicycle then intensified after sir bradley 's success in the tour de france and olympics in 2012 . celebrity fans of slipping on the lycra and saddling up include actor and spandau ballet guitarist gary kemp , 55 , who once said : ` i 'm obsessed , i 've done all the major routes of the tour de france , including the hill climbs . ' but while there is an amusing side to words such as mamil and other new entries like ` al desko ' , an adjective referring to eating while working at one 's desk in an office , or ` fresh-air fiend ' , meaning a person who is very keen on outdoor activities , some other new entries have been criticised because they risk encouraging children to spell common words incorrectly . the plain english campaign said the inclusion of ` fone ' -lrb- meaning phone -rrb- , ` hawt ' -lrb- a chiefly us spelling of hot -rrb- , ` mahoosive ' -lrb- meaning exceptionally big -rrb- and ` tomoz ' -lrb- an informal version of tomorrow -rrb- could cause problems if youngsters see them and think those are the correct spellings . another new entry is ` duck face ' , defined as ` an exaggerated pouting expression in which the lips are thrust outwards , typically made by a person posing for a photograph ' .<doc-sep>yesterday -lrb- wed -rrb- judy pearsall , editorial director for oxford dictionaries , said : ` one of the benefits of our unique language monitoring programme is that it enables us to track in detail how english language evolves over relatively short periods of time . for instance , in this age of the selfie perhaps it 's no surprise that average monthly usage of the term duck face is 35 per cent higher in 2014 than it was last year . ' now mamils -- or middle-aged men in lycra , has been added as a new word in the oxford english dictionary . pictured sir bradley wiggins . finance and business remains a major influence on english , with many terms from there included in the online dictionary today for the first time too . these include ` flash crash ' , which is stock exchange slang for an extremely rapid decline in the price of a commodity , and ` misery index ' , an informal measure of the state of an economy generated by adding together its rate of inflation and its rate of unemployment . new words , senses , and phrases are added to oxforddictionaries.com once its editors have gathered enough independent evidence from a range of sources to be confident that they have widespread currency in english , a spokesman said .<doc-sep>if someone wants to show you the ` selfie ' they took with their ` phablet ' , do not be alarmed . according to the dictionary , they are simply inviting you to look at the photo they took of themselves on their smartphone with a larger screen -lrb- that is , somewhere between a phone and a tablet -rrb- . the two words are among the hundreds -- many influenced by technology -- recently added to oxford dictionaries online . the word ` selfie ' is among the hundreds - many influenced by technology - recently added to oxford dictionaries online . ` hackerspace ' -lrb- a meeting place for data enthusiasts -rrb- and ` bitcoin ' -lrb- a digital currency that does not require a bank -rrb- have also made it , along with abbreviations such as ` byod ' -lrb- bring your own device -rrb- , ` srsly ' -lrb- seriously -rrb- and ` apols ' -lrb- apologies -rrb- . approximately 1.8 billion new words are detected each year , but just around 1,000 of those make it into the dictionary . twerking , the raunchy dance performed by miley cyrus at the mtv video music awards , is also among the slew of new terms included . the move , which the us singer and actress showed off with the help of singer robin thicke , has been included in the latest revision of oxford dictionaries online .<doc-sep>they included strategically useful two-letter words ` qi ' , a chinese term for circulating life energy , -lrb- 11 points -rrb- and ` za ' , north american slang for pizza -lrb- 11 points -rrb- . announcing the competition this week , scrabble 's makers hasbro suggested new words such as ` selfie ' -lrb- nine points -rrb- and ` hashtag ' -lrb- 14 points -rrb- . but fans have been proposing . their own ideas such as ` aa ' , a pointy rock found in hawaii -lrb- two . points -rrb- , and ` zyme ' , something that causes zymotic disease -lrb- 18 points -rrb- . other possible choices include . ` twerk ' -lrb- 12 points -rrb- , the suggestive bottom-wiggling dance made famous by pop star miley . cyrus and yolo , an acronym for you only live once -lrb- seven . points -rrb- which was entered into the oxford dictionary in 2012 . twerk -lrb- 12 points -rrb- a raunchy , bottom-wiggling dance made famous by u.s. pop star miley cyrus -lrb- pictured -rrb- will likely be among the entries . while the world 's major dictionaries are updated every year , the scrabble dictionary is only updated once or twice a decade , long a source of annoyance for many players .<doc-sep>language experts who spoke with cnn said they disapprove of payack 's count , but they agree that english generally has more words than most , if not all , languages . `` this is stuff that you just ca n't count , '' said jesse sheidlower , editor at large of the oxford english dictionary . `` no one can count it , and to pretend that you can is totally disingenuous . it simply ca n't be done . '' the oxford english dictionary has about 600,000 entries , sheidlower said . but that by no means includes all words , he said . for example , sheidlower said `` great-great-great-great grandfather '' could be considered a word , but would n't be in the dictionary . there 's a similar problem with numbers , which may be counted up by their pieces -- `` twenty '' and `` three '' -- but not always as a group , as in `` two-hundred twenty-three . '' part of what makes determining the number of words in a language so difficult is that there are so many root words and their variants , said sarah thomason , president of the linguistic society of america and a linguistics professor at the university of michigan . in the language of native alaskans , she said , there are dozens of words for snow , but many of them are linked together and would n't be counted individually . does that mean , she asked , that `` slush , '' `` powder '' and other snow words in english should be counted as one entry ?<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 12:26 est , 16 march 2014 . | . updated : . 12:56 est , 16 march 2014 . the latest round of words has been added to the oxford english dictionary - including one of the rudest in the english language . the offensive word - which has been added under the ` c ' section - joins nearly 900 other terms newly added to the reference collection . among them is ` old etonian ' , which refers to an old boy of eton college , ` bathroom break ' , ` beat boxer ' , and ` scissor kick ' . the latest round of words has been added to the oxford english dictionary - including one of the rudest in the english language . four times a year , the oxford english dictionary chooses a select few new words to add to its pages . other words on the list include ` bookaholic , ' ` e-ticket , ' ` bestie ' , and ` honk ' . the last update saw words like ` twerk ' and ` selfie ' . katherine connor martin , head of us dictionaries , said ` wackado ' and ` wackadoodle ' elaborations of wacky , wack , or wacko , used to refer to people regarded as eccentric , had also been added to the oed . she said : ` the silliness of the words themselves contributes to their mildly contemptuous effect .

<t> mamils is among 1,000 new words added to the free online dictionary . </t> <t> it stands for middle-aged men in lycra and has been used since 2010 . </t> <t> other new words added inlcude al desko , duck face , and mahoosive . </t>

mamils make oxford dictionary debut among 1,000 other new entries<T>

a schoolboy died from major internal injuries after falling off a bike while speeding down a hill as he played with friends after school , an inquest heard today . peter mills-coles , eight , was sent flying when he lent over to steer around a corner and his right pedal hit the ground on a residential street in borehamwood , hertfordshire . both he and the bike were sent flying into the air , colliding either before or after peter hit the ground , causing him severe internal injuries . accident : peter mills-coles , eight , -lrb- pictured left , and right -rrb- died from major internal injuries after falling off a bike while speeding down a hill as he played with friends after school . peter was rushed to hospital in barnet but doctors were unable to save him and he died after the accident on may 19 . he had been playing with a group of friends after school when the freak accident occurred , the inquest at hatfield coroner 's court heard . the boy was taking a turn on a friend 's bike and had gone off for a ride around the block , as his friends had before him , but had not returned . one man living nearby had been in his garden when he heard a ` loud thump ' and went out to the road to investigate . ` he saw peter lying on the grass verge on his side , ' said coroner edward thomas . ` the bike was on its side next to a tree by next door 's garden . ' fast : peter had been coming down this hill when he fell off his bike after trying to go around the bend .<doc-sep>play : peter and his friends had taken it in turns to ride around the block , and he was taking this right-hand bend when he crashed . police constable robert wagstaff , a collision investigator , told the hearing that while the bike was a ` bit scruffy ' , the brakes , steering and wheels were all in good working order . there were no potholes or any problems with the road surface where peter fell off the bike and no other vehicles were involved . pc wagstaff said : ` where he fell there was a decline and there 's a right-hand bend that he tried to negotiate . ` the right pedal is down , that 's made contact with the ground and the bike and rider were launched . ' the speed peter was riding at meant he would have had to lean quite far over to get around the bend , pc wagstaff added . results from a post-mortem examination showed peter had suffered massive internal bleeding from a liver laceration . neighbours had looked after peter until ambulance staff arrived at around 5.30 pm to take him to hospital . mr thomas said he was really impressed with the responses from passers-by . ' i think the feeling of a lot of people was that they wished they could have done more , ' he said . ' i really want to reassure them that they did everything right - there was nothing more they could have done . '<doc-sep>peter was a year three pupil at summerswood primary school in borehamwood . his school released a tribute , saying : ` peter is much loved and will always be remembered by all his friends and everyone at summerswood . ` he was a popular member of his class and was always recognisable by his cheeky smile . his parents christopher and angela were not at today 's hearing . mr thomas added : ' i just felt so very sad for peter . ' i think all of us remember as children riding our bikes . i remember falling off my bike . ` they were just having such a nice time , just having a little spin around and just a slight misjudgement down quite a steep hill with the pedal , and that 's the jolt . ` no other vehicles had any bearing on this at all . ` i 'm going to record that peter died an accidental death and that concludes the investigation into this awful tragedy . ' speaking to the family liaison officer representing peter 's family , mr thomas said : ` can you please pass on how sorry we all were ? ` what a nice young boy he was . poor peter . '<doc-sep>kara rann , 27 , died 10 days after falling from her bike during a race , where she suffered head injuries . a woman motorbike racer died 10 days after she fell from her bike whilst travelling at 180mph and suffered serious head injuries during a race . kara rann , 27 , lost control on a hairpin bend and was thrown from her yamaha r6 motorcycle whilst competing at pembrey racing circuit in carmarthenshire , west wales . the mother-of-one was airlifted to the university hospital of wales in cardiff following the accident on september 14 , and doctors spent 10 days trying to save her . her boyfriend marc mccullough , 25 , who had been cheering her on at the ng road racing event , said : ` kara was so badly injured she lost her fight . '<doc-sep>by . tom worden in barcelona . published : . 19:28 est , 16 september 2012 . | . updated : . 19:28 est , 16 september 2012 . a british holidaymaker is fighting for her life after a quad bike accident in spain . lisa darlington , 45 , is in a critical condition with serious head injuries after falling from the vehicle on the island of ibiza . police said she was riding as a passenger on the quad , being driven by her son danny , 21 . crash : the accident happened on a road near cala llonga , a popular beach resort on the island 's south east coast , at around 9pm last thursday . a police source confirmed local reports that he had been arrested for driving the vehicle without a licence . he is thought to have lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a stone wall . the accident happened on a road near cala llonga , a popular beach resort on the island 's south east coast , at around 9pm last thursday . mrs darlington was taken by ambulance to hospital where she underwent emergency surgery . it is understood she is being kept in a drug-induced coma in intensive care . her son was taken to the island 's can misses hospital with minor injuries but was released the same day . the accident is being investigated by the civil guard 's traffic department . a police source said : ` it appears he lost control and his mother was very seriously injured as she came off the quad bike and banged her head . quad biking : lisa darlington , 45 , is in a critical condition with serious head injuries after falling from the vehicle on the island of ibiza -lrb- file picture -rrb- . ` we 're still investigating what made him lose control . ' he is said to have rented the quad bike using a provisional uk driving licence , when a full licence is required to drive the vehicle on a road . danny appeared before an investigating magistrate and was released on bail . he went straight from the court to be at his mother 's bedside in hospital . ` it appears he lost control and his mother was very seriously injured as she came off the quad bike and banged her head ' police source . he has not been charged with any offence . it is the fourth quad bike accident on the island already this month and the sixth since june . on september 9 a british couple , aged 64 and 52 , were run down by a quad bike in the party town of san antonio . they were struck as they crossed a busy road at a crossing point at 3pm . the 52-year-old woman suffered multiple injuries while both the man 's legs were injured . and in july a french woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries after falling from a quad near cala jondal .<doc-sep>a boyfriend went out for a ride on his motorkbike to ` clear his head ' after a row with his girlfriend - and was killed in a horror smash . steel worker gareth davies , 27 , jumped on his powerful kawasaki zx motorbike and sped off after falling out with his girlfriend . an inquest heard how the last conversation he ever had with girlfriend natalie smith , 26 , was an argument at a local pub . steelworker gareth davies , pictured , died after his high-powered kawasaki motorbike crashed in april . mr davies lost control of his power bike and swerved into a parked car , suffering multiple injuries . he died at the scene . he had been at the pub near his home in aberdulais near swansea , south wales , when the row began . neath port talbot coroners court heard he was seen arguing with ms smith as they left the pub in april last year .<doc-sep>` box-tick ' culture : whitehall sources said the report would identify a culture of ` metrics and league tables ' in the way hospitals are judged -lrb- file picture -rrb- . john moore-robinson : misdiagnosed in hospital . the parents of one of the youngest victims of the stafford scandal are calling for a new inquest because they believe staff covered up their mistakes . john moore-robinson , 20 , died in 2006 from major internal bleeding which was not picked up by doctors in stafford hospital 's a&e unit . he had fallen off his mountain bike and ruptured his spleen . but he was diagnosed with a few fractured ribs and sent home in a wheelchair with a sick bucket . he died hours later at his home in coalville , leicestershire . at an inquest in 2006 , the coroner returned a narrative verdict meaning no one was blamed . but it has since emerged that the coroner did not see a vital report . the report , by consultant ivan phair , concluded that the death was ` avoidable ' and that there was a ` high probability that the level of care delivered to mr moore-robinson was negligent ' . mr moore-robinson 's parents , janet and frank , are seeking to overturn the verdict and want a new inquest . mr moore-robinson told bbc newsnight : ` had john died as a result of the accident i could have accepted it as his injuries were so serious . but john needed care and the a&e department at stafford was in meltdown . ' lawyers representing the trust deny there was a cover-up .

<t> peter mills-coles was playing on his friend 's bike in borehamwood . </t> <t> friends were taking it in turns to ride around corner and down hill . </t> <t> he was found by a neighbour who heard the crash from his garden . </t> <t> he was taken to hospital but doctors were unable to save him . </t> <t> post-mortem showed he suffered internal bleeding . </t> <t> coroner records peter 's death on may 19 had been an accident . </t>

peter mills-coles died from major internal injuries after falling off his bike<T>

the mansion of music industry guru graham hutchinson , has been sold for $ 8.2 million to a chinese buyer years after it was first listed . the two acre maryland avenue property at carrara , on the gold coast in queensland is a spectacular waterfront property , equip with seven bedrooms and six bathrooms . offered as two lots , listed to buy both or one , the property includes a pool , pontoon , helipad and tennis court . 30-32 maryland avenue , carrara , owned by music industry guru graham hutchinson , sold for $ 8.2 million to a chinese buyer . the prestigious property has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms and absolute water views . the ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring australia and were in queensland including elton john and fleetwood mac . critton astras at realty special projects confirmed it was sold to prosper holdings pty ltd , which is associated with stanley chan and while quoted as been sold for $ 7.16 , he said it actually went for $ 8.2 million . he says the ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring australia and were in queensland .<doc-sep>` for the last 20 years , he 's had russian acts like the russian ballet stay there , had celebrities like fleetwood mac , elton john , ' he said . ` it was known as the celebrity estate . ' mr critton says the property , which was listed with a number of real estate agencies , has been on the market for around three years and has been kept in immaculate condition . the views are stunning at the carrara property on the gold coast , and the property includes a pontoon , pool and even a helipad . critton astras at realty special projects confirmed it was sold to prosper holdings pty ltd , which is associated with stanley chan . ` he kept it in show style and as the market picked up in the last 18 months , graham was looking for the right buyer for his property which he believed was very unique , ' he said . ` he was a very educated owner , he has a lot more knowledge than a lot of real estate agents in queensland . ' he believes the sale of property could be the second highest for 2014 behind 60 admiralty drive , paradise waters , which sold for $ 8.7 million , reported by the gold coast bulletin .<doc-sep>mr critton says about eight years ago , graham purchased the run down property and in the last couple of years spent over $ 1 million redeveloping it . ` graham moved to the sunshine coast , he has two boys , family , grandchildren and he wanted to spend time with them , ' he said . the carrara property owned by music industry guru graham hutchinson had absolute water views . the ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring australia and were in queensland including elton john and fleetwood mac . the two acre property had a whopping seven bedrooms and six bathrooms as well as a pool , tennis court and pontoon out the back . ` chinese buyers have been looking at properties in this area because it 's close to amenities , safe , central , on the water and is large parcels of land . ' ` the chinese have a good eye and look at the value of the property and compare , they definitely know their markets in sydney and melbourne and also brisbane . ' it 's believed there has suddenly been some movement in prestige properties in the area after several years of the market staying stagnant .<doc-sep>the real estate agent says another chinese buyer has just signed a contract for a $ 4.5 million property on similar acreage but on a smaller block in the area , but the house will most likely be knocked down and redeveloped . the carrara property sold for $ 8.2 million to a chinese investor has seven bedrooms . critton astras at realty special projects says the chinese have a good eye and look at the value of the property . mr critton says in the last two weeks he has also been contracted to sell a variety of villas , studios and eco cabins at the popular couran cove resort , on stradbroke island . the development by an american billionaire , which cost $ 150 million went into receivership two years ago and brisbane businessman , craig dowling picked up the resort for a steal of less than $ 10 million . the last couple of years have been spent redeveloping the resort and a number of residences are now up for sale . ` villas are from $ 200,000 , ' said mr critton , ` on the water , overlooking the marina . ' ` you can only get there by boat but i 've been contracted to market and sell them , which for that price you would n't be able to get land almost anywhere . '<doc-sep>a multi-million-dollar penthouse that overlooks one of australia 's most iconic beaches is on the market after its russian owners , who bought it eight years ago , have decided to sell up . the circle on cavill penthouse on queensland 's gold coast overlooks the crystal waters of surfers paradise and offers up an almost 360-degree view of the popular tourist destination . there are no estimates of what the property will go for when it comes up for auction on july 17 , but the gold coast bulletin reports russian businessman sergey katsiev and his partner , liudmila , bought the apartment in 2006 for $ 5.45 million . the surfers paradise apartment sold back in 2006 for $ 5.45 million and was bought by a russian businessman and his wife . the circle on cavill penthouse - on the corner of cavill avenue and the gold coast highway - is on the 48th floor . mr katsiev is listed as on forbes ' billionaires list and he has an estimated net worth of $ 1.6 billion . the business magazine said the 56-year-old got his start in tobacco after the soviet union disbanded . in 2006 , tobacco products importer mercury tobacco corporation - then owned by his partner igor kesaev - was incorporated into katsiev 's megapolis , leading to the creation of the nation 's largest player in the tobacco products industry . the katsievs have two children - but it is believed the businessman and his family rarely visited the property . the penthouse towers over surfers paradise and takes up the entire 48th floor - which spans 669 sq m - with high ceilings and large windows to take in the unrivalled views . sergey katsiev and his partner , liudmila , are selling up the apartment that has a modern fitted kitchen . it boasts almost 360-degree views of the coastal city in queensland . one of the four ensuite bathrooms -lrb- left -rrb- fitted out with ceiling-to-floor windows -lrb- right -rrb- will give future owners unrivalled views of the gold coast waters . its lavish surroundings match the apartment 's luxurious interior . the house is decked out with italian carrara marble floors and benchtops in the kitchen , which is fitted with miele appliances and an open floor plan . the lucky new buyer or buyers will have the privilege of enjoying a bath with a view in one of penthouse 's four ensuite bathrooms that boasts stunning ocean views . but the show-stopping feature of the home is the private 15-metre swimming pool - complete with a spa and 10-person sauna - which acts the centrepiece of the outdoor entertainment deck , and offers night views of the bright lights of the coastal city . the website of exclusive real estate agent ray white prestige gold coast said this was the first time it had been listed on the market , with the gold coast bulletin reporting it had previously been bought off plan . high ceilings and carrara-marbled floors are some of the features of the penthouse that make it so lavish . a private 15-metre pool , a 10-person sauna and spa are some of its stunning features . ray white 's apartments specialist tolemy stevens told the queensland-based newspaper that the penthouse had already attracted interest from people in australia and outside of it . mr stevens said a recent viewing of the home brought 18 lots of prospective buyers , and seven people had contacted him by email about the property . it was also performing well online , with 1,000 clicks within its first week of listing . the future owner will have access to the penthouse from a private lift foyer , four car spaces along with storage space , cctv , ducted air-conditioning , electronic blinds and c-bus - a central system that controls the lighting and other electric fixtures of a home . the circle on cavill penthouse is scheduled to go under the hammer on july 17 at 11am . it takes up a whole floor - 669 square metres - and has its private lift foyer , four car spaces along with storage space , cctv , ducted air-conditioning and electronic blinds . ray white prestige will put the apartment under the hammer on july 17 from 11am .<doc-sep>an exceedingly opulent seaside resort in southern california has sold for a record-breaking $ 360million -lrb- # 240million -rrb- . the price tag for the the montage laguna beach in california was so high that it works out at $ 1.4 million -lrb- # 930million -rrb- per room . in fact , only the four seasons resort hualalai in hawaii and the waldorf astoria in new york sold for more per room in the us . a luxurious seaside resort in southern california - the montage laguna beach - has just sold for a shattering $ 360 million -lrb- # 240 million -rrb- . the opulent property caters more to the health and wellness crowd , with its spa facilities and pool sitting atop 50-foot bluffs . the impressive sunburst pool overlooks the stunning crystal clear ocean waters and are surrounded by plenty of luxury sunloungers . hotel consultant alan reay of atlas hospitality told the la times the hotel ` shattered the price barrier for california hotels by a wide margin ' after the luxurious property was snapped up . in california , the closest any property has come was the historic hotel coronado in san diego county , which sold for more than $ 1million -lrb- # 660,000 -rrb- per room . chicago real estate investment trust strategic hotels and resorts inc. bought the montage from ohana real estate investors of redwood city , though montage hotels & resorts will stay on as operator . the craftsman-style hotel , which opened in 2003 , sits on a 50-foot seaside bluff along the south coast highway in laguna beach on some of the most sought-after real estate on the west coast . the real estate in laguna beach , california , which sits along the south coast highway , is some of the most sought-after in the world . the lobby lounge offers sweeping , panoramic views of the pacific ocean from its impressive floor-to-ceiling windows along one full wall . the craftsman-style hotel opened in 2003 and boasts easy access to the beach , with 250 ocean-front guestrooms available . each room goes for about $ 900 per night for guests , but when it comes to this high-profile purchase , each room actually comes to $ 1.4 million . the ocean surf king bungalow suite -lrb- pictured -rrb- is comprised of several rooms and a large terrace from which to enjoy evening sunsets . the catalina suite has a view that is not to be missed ! guests can relax on their wicker sun lounger and enjoy unobstructed ocean views .<doc-sep>i 've spent a decade visiting the most famous vineyards around the world . for sheer beauty , the winelands of south africa come top of the list . whether you 're looking for stunning views or a great place for the kids , here are my top 10 recommendations . for the stunning location . there 's a touch of lost paradise about creation wines which lies in the hemel-en-aaarde -lrb- heaven and earth -rrb- valley near hermanus . you drive up an 18-kilometer dirt road to reach the farm , set high on a mountain plateau . surrounded by vast skies and near the atlantic , winemaker jc martin aims to make elegant wines . his syrah , grenache and pinot noir are particularly good and best appreciated in the restaurant with its floor to ceiling windows . a food and wine matching menu with canapés costs r125 -lrb- $ 12 -rrb- and you can even try wine with chocolate -lrb- r90 / $ 8 -rrb- . creation wines , hemel-en-aarde road -lrb- r320 -rrb- hermanus ; +27 28 212 1107 . for the food . la colombe restaurant at constantia uitsig winery is both classy and laid back . request a table outside in the courtyard and you can spend an idyllic afternoon eating french/asian fusion and trying wines from the well selected list . the tasting menu -lrb- with wine r950 / $ 90 or without r650 / $ 61 -rrb- features dishes like rhubarb-dusted foie gras ballotine and karoo lamb with braised neck spring roll . constantia uitsig winery , spaanschemat river road constantia ; + 27 21 794 2390 . for the hippie vibe . you 'll need to be a confident driver to navigate the steep , rocky route down to upland estate . it lies in a hidden valley in the lesser known wine region of wellington . there 's a hippie feel to the estate , which is farmed organically by edmund oettle . there 's an artist 's studio , a shower room made from recycled wine bottles , hens and dogs running around . the estate makes some of the most elegant , long-lived cabernet sauvignon you 'll find in sa . upland estate , blouvlei road outside wellington ; +27 82 731 4774 ; visits by arrangement only .<doc-sep>by . belinda robinson . this stunning property is ranked as america 's most expensive home and is up for sale in florida for an eye-watering $ 139 million -- for anyone who can afford it . the palatial 60,000 square feet home in hillsboro beach , florida boasts incredible décor and is decked out in gold tones , marble pillars and crystal chandeliers . it is officially the most expensive home publicly listed for sale in the united states , according to retail experts and is being listed by coldwell banker residential real estate . driveway : le palais royal , the most expensive palace in the u.s. , hits the market in florida for $ 139 million . marble : the palatial house is decked out in gold tones , marble pillars and crystal chandeliers . stately : visitors who enter through a vaulted foyer , can view the residence centers on a sweeping , $ 2-million staircase cased in steel-iron and gold leaf . the house , which is currently under construction , is known as le palais royal and draws inspiration from the palace of versailles with gold leafing , stone walkways , balconies and six fountains . its opulent features include : an imax home theater , a 1,300-gallon aquarium and a subterranean garage with parking for 30 vehicles . visitors who enter through a vaulted foyer , can view the residence on a sweeping , $ 2 million staircase cased in steel-iron and gold leaf . and it does n't stop there . the second-floor presidential suite comes complete with private outdoor terrace with a plunge pool . view : le palais royal has the most stunning ocean views from many of its windows . french : the magnificent , french-inspired beaux arts masterpiece sits on florida 's atlantic coast . decor : its opulent features include this beautiful dining room with palm trees outside the windows . there are three additional master suites and sport jacuzzis all with ocean views throughout the property . it also has 11 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms . ocean view : the estate 's pool is close to a private beachfront where owners can relax and enjoy the house . parking : along with a pool , le palais royal boasts a 492-foot private dock that can accommodate up to a 185-foot mega yacht . the house has an infinity pool with led lighting , water slide , fire pit and swim-up bar set beneath a 12-foot cascading waterfall which also features a jacuzzi on top of it . designed for year-round enjoyment , an entertainer 's courtyard includes a summer kitchen , a pizza oven , an outdoor lounge and an entrance to an indoor spa and massage rooms . for owners who have to park their yacht somewhere , le palais royal has the perfect solution - a 492-foot dock capable of accommodating seafaring vessels up to 185 feet in length . leisure : designed for year-round enjoyment , an entertainer 's courtyard includes a summer kitchen , a pizza oven , an outdoor lounge and an entrance to an indoor spa and massage rooms . waterfall : the house caters for leisure time with an infinity pool that has led lighting , water slide , fire pit and swim-up bar set beneath a 12-foot cascading waterfall which also features a jacuzzi on top . relax : the house comes with this pool and four acres on millionaires mile which includes 465 feet of private beachfront . occupying four acres on millionaires mile , the estate also includes 465 feet of private beachfront and is slated for completion in 2015 . the $ 139-million price tag tops the beverly house , the one-time home of publishing magnate william randolph hearst that reentered the market at $ 135 million this year . however , the manor , a holmby hills estate formerly owned by candy and aaron spelling and currently occupied by formula one heiress petra ecclestone , is currently being shown off market for $ 150 million . home entertainment : this is certainly one way to enjoy an evening at home with this incredible structure that houses a television in it along with two marble statues on each side . walkway : the house , which is currently under construction has gold leafing , chandeliers stone walkways and balconies . opulent : there is an incredible amount of attention to detail in le palais royal 's interior . welcome home : william p.d. pierce of coldwell banker residential real estate has the listing for the highest-priced palace in the u.s. market .

<t> mansion of music industry guru graham hutchinson has sold for $ 8.2 million to a chinese buyer . </t> <t> the carrara , gold coast property , has seven bedrooms , a pool , pontoon and helipad . </t> <t> it was primarily used as a celebrity guest house , including the likes of elton john and fleetwood mac . </t> <t> mr hutchinson spent over $ 1 million redeveloping the property to immaculate condition . </t>

he 'll be dancing on the ceiling ⁇ stunning gold coast estate owned by music guru , which has hosted some of the world 's most famous bands , sells for $ 8.2 million<T>

dubai international announced it is set to clock up more than 71 million passengers by the end of the year and could overtake the current busiest airport in the world - heathrow . passenger traffic at dubai international rose 5.7 per cent in october putting the airport on track to eclipse the 71 million passenger mark according to the latest traffic report issued by operator dubai airports . passenger traffic in october totalled 5,989,007 compared to 5,667,698 recorded in the corresponding month last year , an increase of 5.7 per cent . year to date traffic rose 6.1 per cent to 58,411,554 compared to 55,046,863 recorded during the same period in 2013 . passenger traffic at dubai international rose by 5.7 per cent in october compared to the same month in 2013 . passenger numbers for dubai international airport are projected to reach 78.4 million in 2015 . ` we are on track to exceed 71 million passengers by year-end which is a remarkable number when you consider we lost the services of one or our runways for almost three months , ' said paul griffiths , ceo of dubai airports . ` we are neck-and-neck with london heathrow in our race for the number one position coming down the home stretch . it is sure to be a photo finish . ' dubai airports estimate passenger numbers are projected to reach 78.4 million in 2015 and 103.5 million by 2020 . the indian subcontinent was the top market in terms of growth in overall passenger numbers -lrb- +121,669 passengers -rrb- closely followed by western europe -lrb- 113,032 passengers -rrb- , asia -lrb- +73,675 -rrb- and africa -lrb- 31,405 -rrb- . dubai international estimate that they will eclipse 71 million passengers by the end of 2014 . in terms of percentage growth eastern europe -lrb- +22 per cent -rrb- was the strongest market followed by asia -lrb- 15.4 per cent -rrb- while declines were recorded in russia & cis -lrb- -8.2 per cent -rrb- , aggc -lrb- -3.7 per cent -rrb- and middle east -lrb- -3.2 per cent -rrb- . around 72.3 million passengers travelled through heathrow last year , with 191,200 passengers arriving or departing every single day . a recent study has shown that aviation will account for more than a third of dubai 's economy by 2020 , as the gulf emirate has become a major international travel hub . oil-poor dubai has spent years trying to diversify its economy with core sectors now including trade , transport and tourism . aviation contributed 27 percent - or $ 26.7 billion -lrb- 21.4 billion euros -rrb- - to dubai 's gross domestic product in 2013 , oxford economics said in a report for emirates airline and dubai airports . number of terminals - 5 . number of runways - 2 . total passenger destinations served by dubai international - 180 . number of airlines - 82 . number of passengers arriving and departing in 2013 - 72.3 million . cargo tonnage in 2013 : 1.42 million metric tonnes . number of terminals - 3 . number of runways - 2 . total passenger destinations served by dubai international - 239 . number of airlines - 105 . number of passengers arriving and departing in 2013 - 66.4 million . cargo tonnage in 2013 : 2.44 million metric tonnes . heathrow airport remains the world 's busiest , but is dubai international set to take the crown ? the report said the sector would grow to contribute # 33.9 billion -lrb- $ 53.1 billion -rrb- -- equivalent to 37.5 per cent of gdp -- by 2020 . ` between now and 2020 the contribution of the aviation sector to dubai 's economy is expected to grow at a faster rate than the economy as a whole , ' the global research firm said . an increase in passenger numbers and expansion of dubai 's existing airport capacity will help to drive this growth , the report said . dubai international airport is the busiest airport in the middle east . it served 66.4 million passengers in 2013 , and is expected to host more than 100 million in 2020 . also ranked among the world 's busiest airports , dubai international has established itself as a major hub linking the west with asia and australasia . the emirate opened its second passenger airport in october 2013 . when complete , al-maktoum international will handle 120 million passengers annually . government-owned emirates airline , which is based at dubai international , carried 44.5 million passengers in 2013 , compared with 39.4 million the previous year . the airline operates the world 's largest fleets of airbus a380s and boeing 777s , and flies to 146 destinations in 83 countries .<doc-sep>sir howard 's commission says an extra runway at heathrow or gatwick will cost billions of pounds more than predicted - pictured is heathrow 's terminal 5 . during a q&a session with veteran bbc broadcaster john humphrys at the airport operators association annual conference in london , mr walsh said he had already planned ba 's future on the basis that neither heathrow nor gatwick will expand . he said : ` growth in the uk will be constricted . heathrow is full . but my business does n't just relate to heathrow . we will continue to grow . not all of that growth will be at heathrow . ' he said that because ba was part of iag , with sister spanish airline iberia based in madrid , they had the flexibility to expand abroad . mr walsh said that the gulf state of dubai was expanding its airports massively . ` next year they will overtake heathrow as the busiest airport in the world , ' he said . dubai international currently has two runways . in the first three months of this year it overtook heathrow as the busiest airport in the world , before falling back because of work on its runways . mr walsh said dubai 's airport -lrb- pictured -rrb- will soon overtake heathrow ` as the busiest airport in the world ' mr walsh added : ` once the work has been completed they are expected to overtake us by quarterly passenger traffic early next year . that will become permanent . ' and dubai said in september that it planned to invest # 20 billion in a mega-hub airport in the desert to accommodate 240 million passengers a year , dwarfing the 72 million passengers that heathrow serves . mr walsh said dubai had support from politicians and business leaders with ` vision and real aspiration ' . he pointed out that the terms of sir howard 's airport commission consultation was to ensure that the uk remained only as the major hub ` in europe ' .<doc-sep>politicians were yesterday accused of squandering 350 years of british transport supremacy after dubai overtook heathrow as the world 's busiest airport . dubai international airport has carried more international passengers than heathrow for three months in a row , according to the latest figures . the quarterly results from the airports reveal that dubai is also well on course to overtake heathrow 's passenger numbers for the whole of this year -- which would put an end to a 350-year period in which britain has been home to either the world 's busiest port or airport . second place : heathrow -lrb- pictured -rrb- is no longer the world 's no1 airport after quarterly figures revealed dubai hosted more passengers . the changing of the guard was seized upon by the bosses of heathrow and british airways , both of whom have been campaigning for a third runway at europe 's busiest airport . willie walsh , chief executive of british airways ' parent company iag , blamed dithering politicians for allowing heathrow to be knocked into second place . ` we have squandered our no 1 world ranking through a total lack of political vision for britain , ' he said . ` this country has no aviation policy . ' mr walsh predicted in 2012 that heathrow would be overtaken by dubai , blaming political indecision . surge : statistics from both airports showed that dubai -lrb- pictured -rrb- hosted 18million international passengers between december 2013 and february 2014 , compared to 14.9 million at heathrow . yesterday , the irish boss , who has said he does not believe british politicians will ever agree on a third runway at heathrow , warned that the delay was hurting the economy . ` this is n't just about aviation , this is about connecting the uk to the world . it will cost british jobs , growth and reputation . '<doc-sep>dubai has overtaken london 's heathrow as the world 's busiest international airport as the gulf city emerges as a major hub for long-haul flights between asia and the west . dubai international airport said 70.5 million international passengers streamed through its terminals last year , a six per cent increase over the 66.4 million travellers it handled in 2013 . now that it has passed heathrow for the first time on a full-year basis , the world 's top international travel hub said it expects a further surge in traveller numbers in 2015 . dubai international airport said 70.5 million international passengers streamed through its terminals last year . dubai international has seen steady growth while emerging as a major hub for long-haul flights . heathrow narrowly lost its crown , reporting 68.1 million international passengers in 2014 . but it remains ahead of dubai in terms of overall passengers when domestic flights are factored in . with domestic flights included heathrow topped out at 73.4 million passengers in 2014 , about three million more than dubai . but heathrow has struggled to grow and is competing with gatwick airport for the right to build a new runway . a heathrow spokeswoman said : ` britain has benefited from being home to the world 's largest port or airport for the last 350 years . but lack of capacity at heathrow means we have inevitably lost our crown to dubai . ' dubai international ceo paul griffiths said the airport will handle a record 79 million passengers in 2015 . dubai international 's annual capacity will increase to 90 million passengers when a new concourse opens . dubai international airport 's surge in traffic reflects its rapid expansion and the efforts of luxury gulf carriers emirates , etihad and qatar airways to seize a significant portion of travel between the west , asia and australasia , and lure customers with the introduction of wider-bodied aircraft , including the world 's largest fleet of airbus a380 superjumbo jets . dubai serves as the base for emirates , the largest carrier in the middle east . flights to and from western europe saw the biggest passenger growth in dubai , followed closely by destinations in the indian subcontinent , asia and north america . in a statement dubai airports chairman sheikh ahmed bin saeed al-maktoum said : ` this historic milestone is the culmination of over five decades of double-digit average growth . ` the shared goal is to make dubai a global centre of aviation and we are nearing that goal . ' heathrow has struggled to grow and is competing with gatwick airport for the right to build a new runway . when domestic flights are factored in hartsfield-jackson atlanta international airport remains the busiest . paul griffiths , the airport 's ceo , said dubai international will handle a record 79 million passengers in 2015 . the airport 's traffic grew last year even though it had to redirect flights to the city 's second airport , al-maktoum international , while it overhauled its side-by-side runways for nearly three months . al-maktoum international opened in 2013 and will have a capacity of 120 million travellers when completed in 2022 . dubai international plans to boost its annual capacity to 90 million passengers this year with the opening of a new hall for arrivals and departures as part of a $ 7.8 bn expansion plan -lrb- approximately # 5bn -rrb- . the airport and emirates are owned by dubai 's government . while dubai is tops for international travel , hartsfield-jackson atlanta international airport remains the busiest passenger airport overall .<doc-sep>emanuel said the victory comes from chicago being `` the top metro area for foreign direct investment '' and its `` record growth in international tourism . '' so , how do you define the world 's `` busiest '' airport ? what 's the definition of `` busy ? '' webster 's makes it pretty simple : `` actively doing something . '' from a traveling consumer perspective , traditionally , passenger traffic has been the key stat when talking about the `` busiest '' airports . that 's because the faa takeoff and landing stats include military and other noncommercial flights . for example , an airport that includes a hub for a cargo delivery outfit -- such as ups airlines in louisville , kentucky -- is going to have more takeoffs and landings that do n't include passengers . although 2014 global stats are pending , year-to-date figures suggest that atlanta will still be the busiest airport in the world based on passenger traffic , according to airports council international . in 2013 , aci said beijing ranked no. 2 in passengers , with 83.7 million . london 's heathrow ranked no. 3 in 2013 , but aci says dubai is poised to surpass heathrow in international passengers in 2014 . the rising passenger traffic at dubai 's airport shows how aviation 's `` nucleus '' has moved eastward in the past decade , resulting in double-digit growth rates , said dr. rafael echevarne , aci economics director . airlines , he said , are scheduling more fights out of dubai that use wide-body , long-haul planes that carry more passengers . as for airport takeoffs and landings in 2013 , it ranks globally like this -lrb- after atlanta and chicago -rrb- : . 3 . los angeles ; 696,443 . 4 . dallas-fort worth ; 678,059 . 5 . denver ; 582,653 . 6 . beijing ; 567,759 . meanwhile , these new numbers appear to be throwing more fuel on the fire in the rivalry between atlanta hartsfield-jackson and chicago o'hare . `` we 'll let them hold the mantle this year , '' said mccranie . `` we 'll come back swinging next year , and we 'll see what happens . ''

<t> dubai airports reveals 6.1 % year-on-year increase in passengers . </t> <t> passenger numbers projected to reach 78.4 million in 2015 . </t> <t> last year heathrow had 72.3 million passengers pass through airport . </t>

dubai could overtake heathrow to become world 's busiest airport by end of 2014 with passengers exceeding 71million<T>

there is a speech which george osborne hoped to deliver today which will have to remain in the treasury drawer for a few years yet . it is the one where the chancellor declares that the deficit has been eliminated and the government is raising more in tax than it spends . in 2010 mr osborne confidently declared that he would balance the books by 2014-15 , but today he was forced admit that borrowing remains stubbornly high and balancing the books is still a long way off . in june 2010 , the office for budget for responsibility predicted that in 2014-15 borrowing would fall to just # 37billion , but it has remained high at around # 100billion and is not expected to return a surplus until 2018-19 . in 2010 george osborne remained confident that borrowing would fall sharply , but in 2011 and 2012 a deterioration in the economic picture meant the prospect of balancing the books slipped further into the future . in 2010 , the office for budget responsibility predicted that borrowing would be just # 37billion in 2014-15 . instead it will be # 91.3 billion , which is still # 5billion higher than the obr predicted in march this year . while there are record numbers of people in work , many are in low paid jobs . these workers have benefitted most from the coalition policy of not paying income on the first # 10,000 of earnings . but it means the treasury is raising less than expected from taxes to offset spending . four years ago in june 2010 mr osborne boasted that he would have ` eliminated ' the deficit by 2014-15 . ` we have set the course for a balanced budget and falling national debt by the end of this parliament , ' he predicted in the coalition 's emergency budget . instead borrowing has remained stubbornly high , and barely changed in the last 12 months . revealing that the deficit has been halved over this parliament , mr osborne said the obr now forecasts the deficit will fall slightly from # 97.5 billion last year to # 91.3 billion this year - rather than the # 86.4 billion previously expected . mr osborne will boast that the economy is now growing strongly , and faster than most other countries . but its has failed to keep pace with the predictions made in 2010 . national debt as a proportion of the economy -lrb- gdp -rrb- was supposed to start falling in 2013-14 , but has instead been rising and is not expected to peak until next year .<doc-sep>borrowing for 2015-16 is expected to fall to # 75.9 billion , worse than the # 68.3 billion previously expected . but the outlook for 2016-17 of a # 40.9 billion shortfall is better than the # 41.5 billion previously set out . for 2017-18 expected borrowing is likely to be # 14.5 billion , an improvement on the previously pencilled-in # 15.8 billion . mr osborne told mps that by 2019-20 the uk will be spending # 23billion less than it raises in tax . ` out of the red and into the black for the first time in a generation - a country that inspires confidence around the world because it seeks to live within its means , ' he added . it still means that the country will not be in a position where it is spending less than it raises in tax , until 2018-19 - a decade after the financial crash . the obr said : ` despite stronger growth , we have revised up our estimate of the budget deficit this year . ` in headline terms , the uk economy has outperformed our march forecast . ` but wage and productivity growth have once again disappointed , while national income and spending have outperformed most in those areas that yield least tax revenue . ' several times mr osborne claimed that he had brought the british economy back from the brink over the last four years . the chancellor used his autumn statement to plead for time to ` finish the job ' , warning a change of course now would ` squander ' prosperity . four years ago the obr hoped for strong growth in pay , but low wages have persisted and have only just started to outstrip inflation . he revealed growth in this year is now expected to hit 3 per cent , up from 2.7 per cent forecast in march this year . and he told mps that under the coalition , britain has created 1,000 jobs every day since 2010 . but in future years , growth is forecast to be lower than previously thought .<doc-sep>the obr now it forecasts growth of 2.4 per cent in 2015 , 2.2 per cent in 2016 , then 2.4 per cent , 2.3 per cent and 2.3 per cent in subsequent years . unemployment has also fallen sharply , dropping to just 6 per cent for the first time since autumn 2008 . pay is also rising faster than the cost of living for the first time in five years . average earnings are 1.3 per cent higher than a year ago , compared to inflation running at 1.2 per cent , with workers in the private sector enjoying even higher pay rises . the obr predicts wages will rise by 1.8 per cent this year , 2 per cent next year and 3.1 per cent in 2016 . employment has surged above expectations , breaking through 30million a year earlier than expected . latest figures show there are 30.8 million in work , a figure which was not expected to be reached until 2016 . with total debt still rising to the vicinity of # 1.4 trillion , mr osborne is set to have borrowed more in five years at the treasury than labour chancellors did in 13 . time and again the chancellor has seen the economic forecasts shift , with hopes of balancing the books drifting further into the future . britain will still not be back in the black , spending less than it raises in tax , until 2018-19 , a decade after the financial crash . labour 's shadow chancellor ed balls said : ` it 's all here in black and white , hard evidence from the budget for responsibility that the chancellor 's borrowing targets are all in tatters . ` we all know he 's changed the way he styles his hair but he ca n't brush away the facts . people are worse off and he 's failed to balance the books in this parliament . ` i 've got to say , for all his strutting , for all his preening , for all his claims to have fixed the economy , he promised to make people better off , working people are worse off . ` he promised we were all in this together and he cut taxes for millionaires . he promised to balance the books in this parliament and that commitment is now in tatters . every target missed , every test failed , every promise broken . '<doc-sep>for three years the lib dems have been resisting tory attempts to freeze benefits , and now mr clegg says the conservations are becoming merciless and ` wielding the axe ' at those who are living in poverty . his comments follow a speech by george osborne , where he said the rich should n't have to pay any extra to reduce of the deficit . at the conference mr clegg , right , pledged an extra # 1 billion in funding for the nhs . mr clegg , seen here meeting candidates , said he hoped to retain his party seats by securing the middle ground between the views held by george osborne and ed miliband . he said the tories need restraining , and if they get into government on their own the ` poor will get poorer ' and there will be cuts to essential services like the police , social care and public services - because they wo n't use taxation . mr clegg said he felt let down by the tories who had almost ` muted ' almost out of recognition and now did n't stand for any of the things he thought united them as a coalition . they were in a ` blind panic ' over ukip , he said . the betrayal and division between the parties became very personal and public this week when theresa may accused mr clegg of putting children 's lives at risk by blocking the snooper 's charter . while once the parties were allies , they were now political enemies . mr clegg and mr cameron were never best mates , he said .<doc-sep>wily : chancellor of the exchequer george osborne . the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ' was the famous exhortation delivered to the american people by franklin d. roosevelt when he became us president in 1933 . his opponent in the preceding election , the hapless herbert hoover , had spent much of the campaign insisting that the only real problem with the economy was a lack of confidence . of course , fdr 's catchphrase and hoover 's analysis actually amounted to saying the same thing in different ways . but roosevelt went on to become the longest-serving president yet and hoover is regarded as one of the great failures of us politics . george osborne seems to have learnt directly from the roosevelt playbook . every word of his autumn statement was laced with tactical electoral calculations and a determination to limit labour 's room for manoeuvre to virtually zero . in many areas , the chancellor has stolen the opposition 's clothes and is daring them to criticise him for putting them on . an objective assessment of the coalition 's strategy would point to the stark failure to reduce the vast budget deficit . this now appears to be stuck , for the time being at about # 90 billion -- meaning that the government is overspending by around # 1,500 for every man , woman and child in britain , every year . the government 's declared intention was to eliminate this deficit by the time of the next general election . osborne has missed that target by several country miles . tax receipts have been lower than expected . and despite all the sound and fury about ` the age of austerity ' , overall government spending is down by only a fraction in real terms . in normal circumstances , you might think that the governing party would expect to be hounded from office in the upcoming election . osborne is having none of such talk . instead , he is displaying the hide of a rhino and the cunning of a fox . shadow chancellor ed balls will point across the dispatch box and rage about how the deficit is far greater than the tories promised . but the unspoken truth is that the coalition have long since abandoned their plan to get spending under control . instead , they have basically adopted the much slower , much less ambitious target proposed by the labour party at the last election -- to close off the deficit in about ten years rather than in only five . sure , the deficit is much higher than osborne initially planned -- but is n't this just what the opposition wanted ? scroll down for video . they insisted that the more responsible plan was to get the deficit to come down gradually , not rapidly . that is exactly what is happening . so what are the labour party complaining about exactly ?<doc-sep>business leaders will today call for ` bold moves ' from ministers to unleash growth in 2013 -- including investment in infrastructure and an assault on red tape . john longworth , of the british chambers of commerce , will say the government risks doing ` too little too late ' to bolster the economy and get young people into work . cutting defecit ? : george osborne will struggle to cut government borrowing and get national debt under control . ` we need a clear , agreed and long-term push to improve britain 's business environment before we reach a point of no return -- leading to decades of stagnation and further decline , ' he will add . city economists are predicting growth of only 1.1 per cent in 2013 and 1.7 per cent in 2014 , followed by 2 per cent in 2015 and 2.1 per cent in 2016 . that is far weaker than expected by the treasury and will leave george osborne struggling to cut government borrowing and get the ballooning national debt under control . the office for budget responsibility , the government 's official forecaster , last month predicted growth of 1.2 per cent in 2013 and 2 per cent in 2014 , followed by 2.3 per cent in 2015 and 2.7 per cent in 2016 . erik britton , of financial research group fathom consulting , said the forecasts were too optimistic . ` the outlook for growth is very weak . bumping along the bottom is the order of the day , and double , triple , quadruple , and n-tuple dips are the likely corollary , ' he added . such an outcome would wreak havoc with the chancellor 's plans to cut borrowing , having inherited a record deficit of # 159billion from labour . borrowing fell to # 142billion in the coalition 's first year in power and again to # 121billion last year but the decline has not been as fast as mr osborne predicted . he now hopes to cut the annual deficit to # 31billion by 2017-18 -- but this will require yet more austerity and could prove optimistic if the recovery does not live up to the treasury 's expectations . the cebr warns that the deficit will be around # 75billion in 2017-18 and the chancellor will borrow almost # 100billion more than expected between now and then -- pushing the national debt to ever more dangerous levels .<doc-sep>by . gerri peev . published : . 11:14 est , 14 march 2013 . | . updated : . 19:53 est , 14 march 2013 . george osborne 's name has a ` toxic ' effect on voters when it is attached to the tories ' economic strategy , a poll has found . the public largely backs the coalition 's strategy to reduce the deficit and cut spending -- until the policy is attributed to the chancellor himself , the survey suggests . when researchers from ipsos mori asked voters if they agreed that deficit reduction should be the priority -- the coalition 's strategy -- 52 per cent agreed . days before next week 's budget , a new poll reveals voters are more supportive of the government 's economic plan until they find out george osborne is the architect . just 41 per cent backed kickstarting ` growth ' through increased spending and temporary tax cuts , a plan favoured by labour . however when voters were told mr . osborne was the author of the policy to tackle the deficit , support for . the strategy plunged to 37 per cent . even among conservative supporters , . backing for the flagship deficit reduction policy dropped by five points . when told it was mr osborne 's idea . and when informed that labour 's ed . balls , shadow chancellor , was behind a separate argument for more . spending , 53 per cent swung in behind the strategy , a lead of 16 points . pollsters questioned 1,009 voters between march 9 and 11 . mr osborne has emerged as the least popular chancellor since the 1990s . the ipsos/mori survey showed how voters had different reactions to the two economic policies when they were told that mr osborne and labour 's ed balls were responsible . overall , labour 's poll lead has grown . to 13 points since last year 's ` omnishambles ' budget where mr osborne . had to ditch ill-conceived policies such as taxes on caravans and . pasties . labour has the support of 40 per cent and the tories 27 per . cent , their lowest since january 2003 . conservatives are privately warning . that next wednesday 's budget could be mr osborne 's last as chancellor if . he delivers a repeat of last year 's disaster . yesterday grant shapps , the tory party . chairman , tried to reprise the spirit of the thatcher government , .

<t> in 2010 , osborne boasted he would have ` eliminated ' the deficit by 2014-15 . </t> <t> but new figures show britain will borrow around # 91billion this year . </t> <t> treasury is raising less in income tax than thought earlier this year . </t> <t> economic growth has been strong but failed to match 2010 forecasts . </t> <t> pay rises have also been well below expectations four years ago . </t> <t> but employment has soared above 30million much sooner than expected . </t>

how george osborne hoped to have almost cleared the deficit by now<T>

earlier this year globally acclaimed artist guo jian was exiled from china . his arrest came after police forced the 42-year-old to destroy his most iconic work , an apocalyptic diorama of tiananmen square which he slathered with ground pork meat . jian , chinese born but a naturalised australian , returned to sydney in june after being detained for two weeks in beijing , and he is now working on his first post-exile exhibition in new york . guo jian 's artwork ` the square ' is a huge diorama of the beijing landmark tiananmen square which he slathered with ground pork meat . jian , -lrb- l -rrb- , walks to a police car in his from his studio in beijing after he collecting his personal belongings . 20 police arrived to his studio in the middle of the night and forced him to smash the controversial artwork . the remains of the artwork , which police forced the 42-year-old to destroy with a hammer . recalling the night of his arrest , the artist said he feared for his life when a mob of 20 police arrived at his studio in eastern beijing to question him over the artwork . ' i was terrified . it was the middle of the night and nobody else was there ; i thought they were going to make me disappear , ' he said . ` they forced me to smash the sculpture with a hammer and filmed me doing it . there was at least 20 of them , so i could hardly say no . ' jian says ` the square ' represents the rapid urbanisation of china , a process which frequently sees cultural landmarks demolished .<doc-sep>' i wanted to show that nothing was safe if we continue down this road , not even the strongest symbols of chinese culture . the meat was a sign that everything will go rotten ' he said . but he says the chinese government did not take kindly to his interpretation of the beijing landmark . chinese-born australian artist guo jian is greeted by friends as he arrives at sydney airport in june , after being exiled for five years from china . jian is adamant that it was the international coverage of ` the square ' that sparked his exile from china , while the chinese government claims it was due to ` visa irregularities ' tiananmen square was the site of a notorious massacre jian himself witnessed in 1989 , which saw the chinese military open fire on thousands of pro-democracy protesters , killing an undisclosed number . jian 's arrest came days before the 25th anniversary of the event , a time when the chinese government was arresting scores of activists and artists in what could be viewed as a crackdown on dissent . a spokeswoman for the department of foreign affairs told the australian jian had been deported , ` reportedly due to visa irregularities ' . but jian is adamant his visa was legitimate , and instead insisted that it was the international coverage of the artwork by news services such as the new york times and the bbc that sparked the ordeal . ' i think ` the square ' was the last straw . even though it never left my studio , the government had been watching me for a long time , even in australia , ' he said . ` when the artwork gained exposure they decided to draw the line . '<doc-sep>jian says he has no regrets about the artwork , despite being separated from his family over the ordeal . jian says he has been blacklisted by the government and would be harshly monitored by government officials if he ever returns . when he arrived at prison , jian says he was interrogated for five hours before being taken into a squalid cell . ` there was one toilet between fifteen men , and the bedding they gave me probably had n't been washed in years , ' he said . but he says the worst of the experience was psychological . ` the worst of it was the mind games . they threaten you and film you all the time to make you paranoid . they never beat me , but they did -lrb- beat -rrb- some inmates . ' jian spent his two weeks in jail speaking to other prisoners and learning their stories . when the short sentence was up , he was whisked to the airport and told he could not return for at least five years . ` at first i was annoyed because they lied until the last minute . i have been dislodged from my family . but when i look at what is going on with the chinese government cracking down on artists and activists , i feel like it would be too dangerous for me to return now . ' jian says he has been blacklisted and would be harshly monitored by government officials if he ever returned . however he told abc he has no regrets about making ` the square . '<doc-sep>` this make me feel more strong and it gives me the strength to do my art , and also i feel that i should keep going , to make people to know i 'm still standing , even after these things happen to me , nothing can really knock me down . ' jian says the experience gave him the strength to continue his art and show people ` nothing can knock me down ' jian -lrb- second from left -rrb- filming a documentary for his newest exhibition #surrender , which he describes as ' a grassroots cry for non-violence ' instead , jian is now working on his first post exile exhibition , a multidimensional project titled #surrender . jian says the message is ' a grassroots cry for non-violence . we are living in an era of immense violence , ' he said . ` between isis , ukraine and gaza , there is a real militarism resurgence . i feel we need an anti-militant resistance . ' the multimedia exhibition features a war memorial and a documentary about its creation . the exhibition is set to open in early february 2015 , and continue through march . guo jian is raising money for the #surrender project with a kickstarter page .<doc-sep>hong kong -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a chinese-australian artist who covered a diorama of tiananmen square in ground pork is to be deported from china , according to australia 's department of foreign affairs and trade -lrb- dfat -rrb- . guo jian was taken into custody last weekend , a day after the financial times published an interview with the artist , and photos of his latest work . the piece , called `` the square , '' shows the beijing landmark covered in 160 kilograms of ground meat . in the accompanying ft article , guo was highly critical of the actions of the people 's liberation army -lrb- pla -rrb- on june 4 , 1989 , when troops opened fire on civilians around tiananmen square , killing hundreds if not thousands of people . `` the army is regarded as a loveable institution . but at tiananmen i realized it 's not , they will kill you if ordered to , '' he was quoted as saying . ` visa-related ' matter . according to a dfat spokesman , consular officers visited guo in beijing on june 5 . they said chinese authorities said guo was being held on a `` visa-related matter '' and would be deported after 15 days ' detention .<doc-sep>by . sally lee . a chinese-born australian artist has reportedly been arrested in china following his recent media interview about the student-led protest and military crackdown in june 1989 , also known as the tiananmen square massacre . although australian authorities are yet to confirm whether guo jian has been detained by police , it is believed the 52-year-old made contact with friends via text message to inform them that he 'd been taken from his home in eastern beijing on sunday night . the former soldier has also caused a stir with his latest art work - a diorama of tiananmen square covered in 160kg of minced pork . chinese-australian artist guo jian reportedly contacted friends by text message to inform them that he had been arrested by police in beijing and will be detained until june 15 . the alleged arrests follows the former soldier 's recent media interview about the student protest and military crackdown 25 years ago at beijing 's tiananmen square . the alleged arrest comes after a profile of guo , a former protester in china 's 1989 pro-democracy movement , appeared in the financial times newspaper on may 30 in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the military crackdown on the student protest centered around the large city square . the article also featured images of his latest installation ` the square ' covered in ground meat - which had turned a greyish green hue due to the hot weather - was created by the artist as he ` wanted to do something privately to mark the anniversary ' . guo was also highly critical of the people 's liberation army 's actions during the 1989 incident . ` the army is regarded as a loveable institution . but at tiananmen i realised it 's not , they will kill you if ordered to . and how do they build up this machine ? in part , they use women , ' he said in the interview .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- prominent chinese-australian artist guo jian has arrived in sydney after being deported from china where he was held by police for 15 days following his comments on the 25th anniversary of the tiananmen square military crackdown . guo arrived at sydney airport early tuesday morning and told awaiting media that he was `` happy to be back here . '' chinese-born guo , 52 , previously lived in australia for nearly two decades . he returned to beijing in 2005 to live and work .<doc-sep>prominent chinese-australian artist guo jian has been detained by chinese authorities ahead of the 25th anniversary of the tiananmen crackdown , according to friends . his arrest came soon after the artist was profiled in a financial times article , which featured his latest installation -- a diorama of tiananmen square covered in ground meat . in the article , guo was highly critical of the people 's liberation army 's -lrb- pla -rrb- actions during the 1989 incident , in which he served in the late 1970s . guo was taken from his home in eastern beijing on sunday night , and contacted friends by text message to let them know that he had been arrested . friends contacted by text message . artist melanie wang told the sydney morning herald she called guo after receiving a text message and he told her he 'd been taken to a detention center . he said officers said he 'd be released in 15 days . guo was an active participant in the 1989 demonstrations , which lasted weeks and culminated in pla troops opening fire on a largely student crowd which had occupied the central beijing landmark . guo , it was revealed in the ft 's `` lunch with the ft '' article , published on may 30 , also took part in a hunger strike at the time of the student protests .

<t> guo jian was forced to smash his most iconic artwork . </t> <t> he feared for his life when 20 police arrested him in the middle of the night . </t> <t> the chinese government alleged he was banished over ` visa irregularities ' </t> <t> but the artist is adamant it was because of his sculpture ` the square ' </t> <t> jian is raising funds for a new project in new york called #surrender . </t>

guo jian exiled from china over sculpture of tiananmen square in pork meat<T>

a django unchained actress is claiming she was ` handcuffed and detained ' by police after being mistaken for a prostitute as she kissed her white husband . daniele watts , who played slave coco in the award-winning film , posted the news on her facebook page on 2 september and said her arm was cut when she was handcuffed . watts and her husband brian james lucas claim that they were kissing on a hollywood street when police were called and they were asked to show their id card to which watts refused . scroll down for video . django unchained actress daniele watts is claiming she was ` handcuffed and detained ' by police after being mistaken for a prostitute as she kissed her white husband . she posted this photo of the alleged september 2 incident on facebook . watts and her husband brian james lucas claim that they were kissing on a hollywood street when police were called and they were asked to show their id card to which watts refused . watts posted the news on her facebook page and said her arm was cut when she was handcuffed . watt 's husband wrote : ` so they handcuffed her and threw her roughly into the back of the cop car until they could figure out who she was . in the process of handcuffing her , they cut her wrist ' watts wrote on her facebook page : ` today i was handcuffed and detained by 2 police officers from the studio city police department after refusing to agree that i had done something wrong by showing affection , fully clothed , in a public place . ' she also posted a photo of crying as she stood in the street wearing patterned shorts , a t-shirt with ` new york ' written on it and running shoes with a policeman next to her . watts , who plays martin lawrence 's daughter on the new fx comedy partners , continued : ` when the officer arrived , i was standing on the sidewalk by a tree . watts and her husband pose for a photo on her facebook page . he posted the social media network that he thought that the person who called the police had decided they looked like a prostitute and a client . the pair both wrote about the alleged incident on their respective facebook pages .<doc-sep>' i was talking to my father on my cell phone . ' i knew that i had done nothing wrong , that i was n't harming anyone , so i walked away . ' a few minutes later , i was still talking to my dad when 2 different police officers accosted me and forced me into handcuffs . ` as i was sitting in the back of the police car , i remembered the countless times my father came home frustrated or humiliated by the cops when he had done nothing wrong . ' i allowed myself to be honest about my anger , frustration , and rage as tears flowed from my eyes . the actress in her role as house slave coco quentin tarantino 's 2012 film django . ` the tears i cry for a country that calls itself ` the land of the free and the home of the brave ' and yet detains people for claiming that very right . separately her chef husband posted on his facebook page that he thought that the person who called the police had decided they looked like a prostitute and a client . he wrote : ` from the questions that he asked me as d was already on her phone with her dad , i could tell that whoever called on us -lrb- including the officers -rrb- , saw a tatted rawker white boy and a hot bootie shorted black girl and thought we were a h * -lrb- prostitute -rrb- & a trick -lrb- client -rrb- . ` what an assumption to make !!! because of my past experience with the law , i gave him my id knowing we did nothing wrong and when they asked d for hers , she refused to give it because they had no right to do so . ` so they handcuffed her and threw her roughly into the back of the cop car until they could figure out who she was . in the process of handcuffing her , they cut her wrist , which was truly not cool !!! ' an lapd public information officer said there was no record of the incident as watts was not arrested or brought into the station for questioning , according to the chicago tribune .<doc-sep>actress daniele watts , who played the slave coco in django unchained , and her boyfriend have formally been charged with lewd conduct , one month after claiming los angeles police racially profiled her and cuffed her because she is black . watts maintains that she and boyfriend brian james lucas were only kissing in her car , parked outside the cbs studio center , when police approached them on september 4 . however , witnesses told police that the two were having sex in public and the lapd stepped in to investigate the claims . scroll down for video . charged : actress daniele watts -lrb- right -rrb- and boyfriend brian james lucas have been charged with lewd conduct after a witness called police last month to report them having sex in a parked car . watts maintains that she and her boyfriend were only kissing . a witness snapped this picture of the couple before police broke up the public display of affection . watts was cuffed when she refused to show a responding officer her identification . she was later released without charge .<doc-sep>the django unchained actress who claimed she was harassed by lapd officers who unfairly arrested her when she was making out with her boyfriend appears to have been doing a lot more than just kissing . pictures obtained by tmz show daniele watts straddling her boyfriend brian james lucas in his car while the couple steady themselves with their hands on the car sunroof . eyewitness accounts suggest that watts was grinding on top of her boyfriend with her shirt pulled up and her breasts exposed . an eyewitness who saw the couple as he worked in a nearby office told tmz that lucas was sitting in the passenger seat with his feet on the curb and watts was straddling him and rocking back and forth . scroll down for videos . pictures obtained by tmz show daniele watts straddling her boyfriend brian james lucas in his car while the couple steady themselves with their hands on the car sunroof . an eyewitness in a nearby offfice building said lucas was sitting in the passenger seat with his feet on the curb and watts was straddling him and rocking back and forth . eyewitness accounts suggest watts was grinding on top of lucas with her shirt pulled up and her breasts exposed . someone from the office went down and asked the couple to stop because everyone in the office could see them but they continued . the eyewitnesses said lucas then began ` horizontally bongoing her boobs back and forth ' . he added that watts eventually reached into the center console , grabbed a tissue , wiped him down and then herself and tossed it on the grass . watts has insisted that she did nothing wrong before officers questioned and detained her - despite accounts from witnesses saying she and her partner were having sex in public . she claimed she was ` handcuffed and detained ' by police after being mistaken for a prostitute as she kissed her white husband . meanwhile the los angeles police officer who detained her has spoken out to defend his actions and said he never suspected her of being a prostitute .<doc-sep>the django unchained actress who accused police of racially profiling her for kissing her boyfriend in public has refused to apologize - despite calls from civil rights activists . daniele watts claimed she was harassed by the los angeles police department , who arrested her as she made out with brian james lucas in a car parked on the street last week . however , police maintained there was no racial element to the incident , prompting civil rights experts to accuse the actress of ` crying wolf ' to cover her own back . but despite the backlash , watts last night refused to apologize for her comments in a statement . scroll down for videos . ` crying wolf ' : daniele watts is pictured sobbing next to an officer from the los angeles police department , who arrested her as she made out with her boyfriend , brian james lucas , in a car parked on the street last week . couple : police maintain there was no racial element to the incident , while civil rights experts have accused the actress of ` crying wolf ' to cover her own back . above , watts is pictured with lucas before the incident . although she made no mention of race in the document , sent via her publicist , watts maintained that she was not obligated to present identification to police . she said : ` it is a constitutional right that we do not have to present id to any member of law enforcement unless we are being charged with a crime . ' watts and lucas were questioned last week by officers investigating a report of lewd conduct . watts , who is black , refused to provide identification and was briefly handcuffed until police identified her .<doc-sep>the los angeles police department is launching an internal investigation into the arrest of a django unchained actress who claims she was stopped by cops who thought she was a prostitute . daniele watts ' boyfriend brian lucas filmed her crying as she was handcuffed and questioned by police for simply kissing her partner in public . police also questioned lucas and asked him questions like ` do you really know her ? ' - seemingly insinuating that watts was soliciting . the couple described the humiliating incident to buzzfeed , saying they were kissing in lucas ' car outside the cbs studio center in studio city on thursday when someone in a nearby office walked by and told them to stop . ' a caucasian guy in a business suit comes downstairs and says , ` can you guys stop putting on a show ? i have people who are trying to work up there , ' '' watts told abc 7 . humiliating : django unchained actress daniele watts -lrb- left -rrb- was stopped by police in los angeles last week after she was reported for kissing her boyfriend brian lucas -lrb- right -rrb- . she claims police thought she was a prostitute . the los angeles police department has long been accused of using racial profiling in their arrests . a 2008 study conducted by yale economist professor ian ayres found that blacks are three times more likely to be stopped in l.a. than whites . the study also found that of 1,200 complaints of racial profiling over a five-year period , none of the officers were actually found guilty of the charge and disciplined . and this is n't the only time in recent weeks that the lapd has been accused of racial profiling . last month , a black film and television producer was arrested on his way to an emmy party and held for six hours by police who thought he was a robbery suspect . the producer , 51-year-old charles belk , was later released when officers realized he had nothing to do with the crime . last year , the lapd launched a program to address these complaints , bringing officers and the citizens who accuse them of profiling together for mediated talks . officers who participated in the so-called ` community-employee education pilot program ' are rewarded by having the internal investigation into the incident dropped . watts says she was fully dressed and only kissing when police were called to the scene , and asked for the couple 's identification . lucas handed police his id , but watts refused and started walking away from the scene . ' i did n't have the stomach for someone on a power trip when i knew i had n't done anything wrong , ' watts told buzzfeed . that 's when police stopped and handcuffed her , bringing her back to the scene where the couple was questioned . lucas found the kinds of questions troubling . ` how do you know her , what relationship , they were questions that quite frankly made me feel like that they were questioning me being like the client of a prostitute , ' lucas said . ` he did n't say anything ever about that , i just felt that energy from it . ' watts was eventually let go after providing photo id . while the lapd initially refused to comment on the incident , since there had been no official arrest , they have since released a statement saying they are investigating . they said two officers were dispatched to the scene on a report of ` indecent exposure ' and briefly detained the two individuals .

<t> daniele watts played slave coco in the oscar-winning 2012 film . </t> <t> watts and husband brian james lucas claim that they were kissing in hollywood when police were called . </t> <t> watts claims her wrist was cut when police handcuffed her . </t> <t> says she was put in a police car after refusing to show her id . </t>

moment django unchained 's daniele watts handcuffed for kissing white boyfriend<T>

the transgender son who sparked a social media storm after his parents placed an amended birth notice in the newspaper says the moment he told his mother he was a boy was nothing special . kai bogert , 19 , said his mother accepted it with little fanfare and he described the event as ` extremely boring ' and ` dull ' . ` she said `` oh you 're trans '' and i said `` yeah '' and she went `` oh cool '' , got up , gave me a hug and again went back to playing world of warcraft , ' kai told the today show . scroll down for video . this ` birth ' announcement appeared in tuesday 's edition of queensland paper , the courier mail . brisbane 's kai bogert is 19 years old and was born elizabeth anne bogert in 1995 . kai 's mother yolanda bogert , who put the notice in the december 2 edition of the courier mail to correct their ` mistake ' at announcing the birth of their daughter , agreed . ` it was n't a big deal it was n't anything , ' ms bogert said . ` the social media hype 's gone crazy but the moment itself was n't very big . ' ms bogert said she placed the ad because she wanted to celebrate kai 's revelation . ` somehow it just seemed like this big moment for him needed something to market , something he could keep , ' she said . the 19-year-old , from brisbane , born elizabeth anne now identifies as a man and goes by the name of kai bogert . ` in 1995 we announced the arrival of our sprogget , elizabeth anne , as a daughter , ' the loving message read . ` he informs us that we were mistaken . oops ! our bad . we would now like to present , our wonderful son -- kai bogert . loving you is the easiest thing in the world . ' a tweet of the notice has gone viral on twitter , attracting almost 2,000 retweets in just eight hours . ` in 1995 we announced the arrival of our sprogget , elizabeth anne , as a daughter , ' the loving message read . kai bogert , 19 , said his mother accepted his announcement with little fanfare . but the proud parents could not resist poking fun at the teenager and added : ` tidy your room . ' on the today show kai said he was hoping for an appearance on the ellen degeneres show , and would tidy his room is ellen asked him to . placing the ad in the paper seemed like a ` no brainer ' for ms bogert . ' i needed to show my son i support him 100 per cent and wanted to let the world know that , ' she told the courier mail . ` it is all very new to us . kai just told me a few days ago that he no longer wanted to live as a girl . ' ms bogert said there was always ` something different ' about kai who at first showed little signs but then later on it became more evident . shocked about his mum 's openness , kai said he was happy with what she had done . mr bogert is yet to undergo a gender re-assignment procedure . ` this last week has changed everything for me . i am still me but i am more me than i was a few days ago and feel free , ' kai told the courier mail . within eight hours of twitter user lisa dart sharing a photo of the notice , it had been retweeted almost 2,000 times and favourited almost 1,800 times . it attracted messages of support , including one from ms dart who wrote : ` best birth announcement ever . today 's cm . what a wonderful family . ' the announcement also warmed the heart of aunty miche who said : ` parentin , ur doin it rite -lrb- sic -rrb- . ' while goldie pwn wrote : ' i wan na be this cool a mom when i grow up . ' a gushing king k said : ` how cute is that !!!! ' kai is yet to undergo a gender re-assignment procedure and has not yet had any hormones .<doc-sep>a transgender couple are preparing to tell their children when they get get older that their father actually gave birth to them and the person that they call their mother is in fact their father . bianca and nick bowser are a happily married couple and live in kentucky with their two young sons . nick , 27 , was born a girl , called nicole , but for the last seven years has lived as a man . bianca , 32 , who is a drag artist , was born as a boy called jason , and transitioned to live as a woman 11 years ago . scroll down for video . a transgender couple are waiting for their children to get older before telling them that their father gave birth to them and the person that they call their mother is actually a male . pictured : nick bowser , who gave birth to their two sons with his partner bianca . bianca and nick bowser are a happily married couple and live in kentucky with their two young sons , kai , now three , and pax , almost one . nick fell pregnant with kai in 2010 , but struggled to cope with living as a man with a baby bump . the transgender couple still have their original sex organs because they can not afford reconstructive surgery . the cost of male to female surgery can range from # 4,000 to # 15,000 , while female to male surgery can exceed # 30,000 . and they insist their children , kai , now three , and pax , almost one , will be fine because their upbringing will be loving , supportive , secure , and perfectly ` normal ' . bianca , 32 , who is a drag artist , was born as a boy -lrb- left -rrb- called jason , and transitioned to live as a woman 11 years ago -lrb- right -rrb- . nick , 27 , was born a girl , called nicole , -lrb- left -rrb- but for the last seven years has lived as a man -lrb- right -rrb- . bianca said : ` the kids currently have no idea . it 's not like strangers ever guess in restaurants or at the shops . ' i do n't know when we will start to tell them , maybe when kai is around six , but they will need to be old enough to understand . ` it is important they know because it 's a big secret to keep from your children and if they found out another way they could hold huge resentment .<doc-sep>a couple who are raising two sons will one day have to sit their children down and tell them that it was their father who gave birth to them . and the surprises wo n't stop there for the two boys - they 'll also learn that their mother is really their biological father . the unconventional family set up is due to the parents , bianca and nick bowser , both changing gender - but using their original sex organs in order to have children of their own . scroll down for video . transgender romance : bianca and nick bowser both changed sex before starting a family together . bianca , 32 , was born as a boy called jason , while her husband , nick , 27 , was once a girl named nicole . the couple from kentucky , in the u.s. , who married in 2011 , say they have no intentions of hiding their pasts from their sons , kai , three , and pax , one . bianca explained to holly willoughby and phillip schofield on today 's this morning : ` it 's always something that i have looked forward to , telling our children . ` it 's nothing we are ashamed of so i have no dread telling our children where we came from or how we previously lived our lives . ' nick added : ` we will tell them when they are ready , when they start asking questions about me being pregnant and about the old family pictures they may see of me dressed as a girl and bianca as a boy . conflicting time : nick said being pregnant was difficult because his body was ` the ultimate version of female ' while his mind was telling him he 's male . happy family : the couple will be open with kai , right , and pax about their pasts .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 08:48 est , 10 october 2013 . | . updated : . 09:43 est , 10 october 2013 . pleased : the mother of a 6-year-old child who received an amended birth certificate looks at the new id with the change in gender of her child . argentina has granted a female identification card to a six-year-old boy who has been dressing like a girl for two years . lulu . was born a boy named manuel , but the young child has never identified . as such and has referred to herself as a girl all her life . on wednesday , he received an amended birth certificate and a new id with the change in gender . it 's the first case of a gender . change on a document for a minor in argentina since the approval of the . country 's groundbreaking gender-identity law last year . the law lets people change their names and sexes on official documents without first getting approval from a judge or doctor . her mother gabriela says her child 's new name is luana . after receiving the documents , she thanked those who , in her words , . ` trusted the identity of my daughter ' and ` respected her rights . ' she has now been given new registration papers by the buenos aires provincial government , listing her as a girl . according to her mother gabriela , lulu . chose the gender as soon as she first learned to speak and has insisted . on being called lulu since she was just four years old , local media . reported . support : cesar cigliutti , president of the argentine homosexual community , right , kisses mother gabriela . last year , . argentina put in place liberal rules on changing gender , allowing people . to alter their gender on official documents without first having to . receive a psychiatric diagnosis or surgery . the term transgender refers to people who identifies with a different gender to that which he or she was born as . the . term transgender includes those who refer to themselves as transsexual , . trans , genderqueer etc. as well as both those who go through gender . reassignment surgery and take hormones and those who simply see . themselves as a different gender but do not want to go through any form . of therapy or physical change . princess dreams : at the age of six , lulu , a transgender girl from buenos aires , argentina , has had her new identification granted by authorities . identifying . as a different gender as the one which you were born into is called . gender dysphoria and in order to legally change identity in many . countries , a psychological diagnosis of gender dysphoria is needed . with the passing of the . gender recognition act in 2004 , british transgender are allowed to . apply to the gender recognition panel for legal recognition of their . acquired gender . life as lulu : little lulu is now officially recognised as a boy by the buenos aires provincial government . just herself : lulu has been referring to herself as a girl since she could speak and never identified with ` manuel ' or being a boy .<doc-sep>by . james nye for mailonline . rachel pepe has been told by thorne middle school in new jersey that she will only be allowed back to school if she dresses as a boy and accepts being called brian , the name on her birth certificate . a 13-year-old transgender middle school girl from new jersey claims her school is refusing to allow her back for the new academic year unless she returns as a boy . rachel pepe transitioned to a girl over the summer , but thorne middle school in middletown has said that they want her to return as a teenage boy and that they will address her as brian , the name on her birth certificate . thorne middle school is also demanding that pepe dress as a boy and claims it does n't have the resources to provide bathroom facilities for her . angela peters , rachel 's mother , told the asbury park press ; . ` he was going to school last year as brian , ' adding that the . transgender teen ` developed stress-related seizures , depression and . panic attacks ' . ` how can i send her back as rachel ? and i am not sending her back as brian because the depression will start again . indeed , . her mother said that pepe was desperately depressed and bullied by .

<t> brisbane 's yolanda bogert and guy kershaw put classified in on tuesday . </t> <t> according to the ad , the 19-year-old man was born elizabeth anne bogert . </t> <t> within eight hours , the announcement had gone viral on social media . </t> <t> it attracted almost 2,000 retweets and almost 1,800 favourites on twitter . </t>

birth notice boy kai received laidback reaction from mother when telling her she was transgender<T>

australians are set to spend big on this year 's christmas groceries , with the average expenditure figure doubling since 2012 . an estimated $ 1.3 billion is expected to be spent on festive produce with a family bill of about $ 341.90 , according to a survey by supermarket chain aldi . while popular products for modern aussie families still remain to be prawns and a leg of ham , it is believed food options have become more lavish in recent years . australians are set to spend big on this year 's christmas groceries , with the average expenditure figure doubling since 2012 . while popular products for modern aussie families still remain to be prawns and a leg of ham , it is believed food options have become more luxurious in recent years . a smorgasbord if more modern delicacies such as lobster tails and luxury salads are becoming customary staples on the christmas table . almost half of the 1,000 surveyed mums - 43 per cent - say food options have become more up market compared since 10 years ago . the survey also reveals social and food occasions are becoming more popular while the significance of gifts is on the decline . as a result , aussie are spending more during the christmas season as they 're celebrating over a longer period of time compared to a decade ago . they include picnics at carol singing events , family gatherings at the beach and decorating the house or tree . back in 2012 , christmas celebrations were shorter and families spent an average of $ 170 . most mothers said they try to save money by keeping an eye out for special deals and stocking up during the weeks before christmas . but there are distinct trends for being thrifty , as most mothers say they save money by keeping an eye out for special deals , stocking up during the weeks before christmas or by doing the christmas shop gradually . this comes after a global christmas survey of over 12,000 people by groupon showed that 35 per cent of australians admitted they buy gifts out of pure obligation . the average australian will not only purchase at least three obli-gifts this christmas season , but they 'll spend about $ 150 doing so , amounting to $ 855 million worth of obli-gifts being received across the country . at least 57 per cent of australians , most of them no doubt on the receiving end of an obli-gift , admitted to re-gifting an unwanted present . meanwhile , about 55 per cent of respondents who forgot someone on their present list , confess that they prefer to lie , with the most popular excuse being that the receivers non-existent present had been bought online , with the post office copping the blame .<doc-sep>australians will each spend about $ 37 less this festive season than they did last year as they worry about job security . a commbank survey of 1,000 australians found people will on average fork out $ 1339 this christmas , mainly on gifts , vacations and on boxing day sales . compared to last year 's survey , consumers will spend about $ 37 less per person , commonwealth bank economist diana mousina says . ` it is an indication consumers will spend less which means it could be a worse christmas than what we saw last year , ' she told aap . sales are expected to be down this festive season as australians are increasingly concerned about the cost of living , job security and the economy . australians will each spend about $ 37 less this festive season than they did last year as they worry about job security , the economy and their persopnal finances . ` the consumer sentiment numbers continue to be pretty poor . the majority of consumers are pessimistic about their personal finances and the outlook of the economy , predominantly the major concern being unemployment . ` people are worried about losing their jobs . ' a total of almost $ 18 billion is expected to be spent on gifts , food and vacations this christmas . the majority of the festive budget will go on gifts -lrb- totalling $ 7.6 billion -rrb- followed by vacations -lrb- $ 4.6 billion -rrb- , the survey shows . spending will differ among the states with the biggest spenders expected to be new south wales where the average person is estimated to splash out $ 1339 , mainly on gifts , vacations and boxing day sales . queenslanders on the other hand , are the thriftiest . they are expected to fork out an average of $ 779 , largely because they spend much less on vacations , eating and drinking out and on entertaining family and friends than those in the other states . the vast majority of aussies -lrb- 72 per cent -rrb- will purchase gifts from stores , while 28 per cent will shop online . spending will differ among the states with the biggest spenders expected to be new south wales where the average person is estimated to splash out $ 1339 . the majority of the festive budget will go on gifts -lrb- totalling $ 7.6 billion -rrb- followed by vacations -lrb- $ 4.6 billion -rrb- . 1 . all things frozen - frozen ice skating dolls , frozen costumes and frozen royal sister dolls : from $ 49 ; .<doc-sep>2 . cartoon-themed toys such as despicable me , lego , transformers and peppa pig : from $ 10 - $ 50 ; . 3 . furreal friends gogo my walkin ' pup : from $ 100 ; . 4 . ride on cars : from $ 300 ; . 5 . leapfrog leap pad 3 : from $ 150 ; . 6 . transformers age of extinction stomp and chomp grimlock : from $ 120 ; . 7 . nerf weapons : from $ 20 ; . 8 . kidizoom smart watch : from $ 90 ; . 9 . my friend cayla dolls : from $ 100 ; . 10 . uptown espresso kitchen : from $ 150 . although australians may be spending less at christmas , they still spend on average five times more time preparing for christmas than they do celebrating the actual event , a paypal study revealed . shopping website ebay have predicted the top 10 bestselling toys this christmas . disney 's frozen-themed collectables unsurprisingly are the most in demand . frozen - the 2013 disney film which is famous for its chart hit let it go - is the highest-grossing animated movie of all time with global ticket sales of $ 1.3 billion . a new paypal study , conducted by galaxy research , reveals that australians will spend an average of 46 hours - almost two whole days - prepping for christmas but only spends eight hours celebrating the actual day . the research also shows the average australian buys 11 christmas presents for family and friends but one in five are looking to buy more than 20 presents this season . the most sought after toys this christmas are predicted to be frozen-themed toys . the research also shows the average australian buys 11 christmas presents for family and friends .<doc-sep>10 . uptown espresso kitchen : from $ 150 . frozen - the 2013 disney film which is famous for its chart hit let it go - is the highest-grossing animated movie of all time with global ticket sales of $ 1.3 billion . consequently predictions by ebay 's trend-watcher suggest that among the highly sought after toys this christmas will be frozen-themed ice skating dolls , costumes , royal sister dolls which all retail from $ 49 . second on the list include cartoon-themed toys such as despicable me , lego , transformers and peppa pig . these all range from $ 10 to $ 50 . next in line is electronic puppy furreal friends gogo my walkin ' pup which retails from $ 100 . others include replica toy cars , learning tablets , smart watches and an interactive play kitchen for kids . a new paypal study , conducted by galaxy research , reveals that australians will spend an average of 46 hours - almost two whole days - prepping for christmas but only spends eight hours celebrating the actual day . the research also shows the average australian buys 11 christmas presents for family and friends but one in five are looking to buy more than 20 presents this season . highly sought after toys this christmas will include frozen-themed ice skating dolls , costumes , royal sister dolls which all retail from $ 49 .<doc-sep>chief executive of the uk 's fourth largest supermarket chain morrisons dalton philips said that his company 's stores will see 2.5 million customers through their doors in six hours between 10am and 6pm - the current sunday trading limits . he said : ` we 're not asking for 24 hour shopping - we 're only asking for an extra two or three hours . ' a spokesman for the department for business , innovation and skills said that the government will not be giving in to the retailer 's pleas . splurge : but researchers found presents only account for around half of the christmas spend . parents are spending an average of # 1,056.82 on their christmas shopping this year - working out as a hefty five per cent of their salary , a new study has revealed . leading online retailer littlewoods.com worked out that the combination of buying gifts for every member of the family and immediate friends was almost doubled by the ` christmas shopping experience ' outlays such as parking , visiting santa and food and drink . their poll showed the average parent intends on spending # 551.28 on christmas presents this year , one third of which being allocated to their children and a further sixth to their own parents . . but despite the average present spend totalling # 551.28 , it is in fact eight per cent down on last year - which a similar poll in 2011 calculated as being # 592.26 . yet littlewoods.com found the presents ' cost was only half of the christmas spend - as 93 per cent of parents do not even factor into their budget the expense of impulse buys , travel , parking and petrol , and food and drink while out on the high street , which worked out as an additional # 505.54 .

<t> in 2012 the average australian family spent about $ 170 . </t> <t> it is believed aussies are spending more as they 're celebrating christmas longer . </t> <t> food options are also seen to be more lavish compared with 10 years ago . </t> <t> prawns and a leg of ham remain to be popular items bought for christmas feasts . </t> <t> but modern delicacies such as lobster tails and luxury salads are also increasingly popular . </t>

australians set to spend $ 1.3 billion on christmas groceries this year , with the average family bill totalling $ 341.90<T>

a string of car bomb attacks across iraq killed at least 37 people and wounded dozens more , iraqi officials said . three of the attacks targeted shi'ite districts in the capital , baghdad , while the fourth targeted a kurdish neighborhood in the oil-rich northern city of kirkuk . police officials said the first attack targeted a line of small restaurants in the shi'ite district of sadr city on thursday night , killing 11 people and wounding 25 others . scroll down for video . carnage : iraqis inspect the aftermath of a car bomb explosion in the shi'ite enclave of sadr city in baghdad . the blasts come as shi'ite militia and kurdish peshmerga fighters battle sunni militants from islamic state . the first attack targeted a line of small restaurants in sadr city , killing 11 people and wounding 25 others .<doc-sep>bombs in the iraqi capital baghdad targeted mostly shi'ite muslim and kurdish neighbourhoods , police said . minutes later , a second car bomb blast near an outdoor market in the same district killed seven people and wounded 21 others . later on , a bomb exploded near a restaurant in baghdad 's shi'ite northern neighborhood of shaab , killing three people and wounding 12 others . ` it 's a busy street with restaurants and shops , there is great destruction , ' a kirkuk police colonel said , adding that a suicide car bomb was used . in the oil-rich city of kirkuk , a car bomb attack near a cafe killed 16 people , said deputy chief of the kirkuk police , maj. gen. torhan abdul-rahman youssef . iraq sees near-daily bombings and other attacks mainly targeting shi'ite neighborhoods and security forces . people walk past at the wreckage after a car bomb attack in baghdad 's sadr city .<doc-sep>friends and relatives take the body for burial of ali hashim , 30 , who was killed in a blast in baghdad . an armed iraqi walks behind the vehicle carrying the coffin of one of the victims of a bomb attack in the baghdad shi'ite suburb of sadr city . the blast took place in a kurdish district in the city , 290 kilometers -lrb- 180 miles -rrb- north of baghdad . medics in a nearby hospital confirmed the causalities . all officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media . iraq sees near-daily bombings and other attacks mainly targeting shi'ite neighborhoods and security forces . the attacks are often claimed by the sunni extremist islamic state group which seized much of northern and western iraq in a summer offensive .<doc-sep>destroyed : a fourth blast targeted a kurdish neighbourhood in the oil-rich northern city of kirkuk . iraqis inspect the site of a suicide bomb attack that hit the shorja district in kirkuk , killing 16 people . the disputed oil hub of kirkuk , about 240 kilometres -lrb- 150 miles -rrb- north of baghdad , is an ethnically mixed city which lies outside the recognised autonomous kurdish region but is currently under the full control of the kurdish peshmerga forces . the last major bomb attack in kirkuk was in august when triple blasts , including two targeting the kurdish security forces , left 38 dead . violence has increased in the kirkuk region in recent weeks as isis fighters are being squeezed out of some of the positions they had held in the east of the country since june . emergency workers and pedestrians walk past the scene of a bombing that targeted a cafe in kirkuk .<doc-sep>they say they have set up checkpoints on roads and conducted house raids . it follows the militant group issuing an edict to change the school curriculum , scrapping classes in civics , history , fine arts and music . a man surveys the damage at the site of a car bomb attack in downtown kirkuk , a mainly kurdish area in northern iraq . the bomb , attached to a motorcycle , went off near a shop selling firearms in central kirkuk , killing eight people and wounding 22 . isis took the iraqi cities of mosul , in nineveh , and tikrit in june and has announced an islamic caliphate in areas it controls in iraq and syria . the news of the police force comes as france launched four airstrikes on northern iraq killing dozen of isis fighters . at the same time car bombs , some of them claimed by islamic state , in the majority kurdish city of kirkuk in the north killed eight people , security sources said . french president francois hollande said fighter jets ` entirely destroyed ' the complex in what were france 's first airstrikes in iraq after he agreed to bolster baghdad 's offensive against the insurgency . an iraq military spokesman said four french airstrikes hit the town of zumar , killing dozens of extremist fighters . car bombs , some of them claimed by islamic state , have been a near daily occurrence in the capital of iraq baghdad and elsewhere in the country . president hollande also added rafale jets hit ' a logistics depot of the terrorists ' near the city of mosul , which has been held by islamic state for more than three months . it promised more operations in coming days .<doc-sep>baghdad -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- at least 29 people were killed and more than 120 others wounded in a dozen car bomb explosions in baghdad and kirkuk on wednesday , police said . in baghdad , 10 car bombs exploded in the predominately shiite neighborhoods , killing 24 people and wounding 110 others wednesday evening . the 10 car bombs exploded within two hours in the baghdad communities of kadhimiyah , sadr city , saidiya , mashtal , baghdad al-jadida , al-husseiniyah and zafraniyah . two car bombs exploded in the oil-rich and ethnically mixed city of kirkuk , about 240 kilometers -lrb- 149 miles -rrb- north of baghdad . the blasts killed five people and wounded 10 others wednesday morning , police said . these attacks came amid growing tensions between sunnis and shiites , especially after an incident in hawija in kirkuk province , where iraqi security forces raided a site used by sunni protesters to demonstrate against the shiite-led government . a clash between security forces and gunmen last month killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 85 others . sunnis , who comprise a minority of iraqis , had clout during the saddam hussein era but have been politically marginalized since his overthrow . shiites , who make up a majority of iraqis , now dominate the government .<doc-sep>baghdad -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a series of attacks in iraq killed at least 18 people and wounded dozens wednesday , police said . a car bomb exploded outside a popular restaurant in hafriya about 35 km southeast of baghdad on wednesday afternoon , according to police and health officials . at last three people were killed and 15 others were wounded , officials said . hafriya is a predominately shiite district located in wasit province . a car bomb targeting a security convoy exploded near two hotels in central baghdad , killing a person near the scene of the blast and wounding seven others . in kirkuk , at least nine people were killed -- including five iraqi soldiers -- and 31 people were wounded when three car bombs exploded in and around the ethnically mixed , oil-rich city north of baghdad .<doc-sep>by . kieran corcoran for mailonline . terrorists have struck behind the front lines in iraq 's capital , baghdad , and the kuridsh-controlled city of kirkuk , killing almost 50 people . three bombs in kirkuk , to the north of iraq , killed 19 civilians while blasts in baghdad killed eleven people . between them the bombings also wounded 136 people in the two cities . scroll down for video . destruction : rescuers dash from the scene of car bombings in kirkuk , part of kurdish-controlled iraq . deaths : 19 people were killed in the northern city - above one of the victims is carries away . wrecked : the bomb caused large amounts of damage in the city , which is a kurdish seat of power .

<t> three blasts in capital kill at least 21 civilians and wound dozens of others . </t> <t> fourth explosion in the disputed oil hub of kirkuk kills a further 16 people . </t>

baghdad and kirkuk are both hit by car bombs with dozens killed<T>

a new jersey man was convicted of murder on thursday for bludgeoning his wife with a frying pan then strangling her , apparently after they argued over the dire state of their finances . former securities salesman patrick allen had been trying to hide the family 's financial difficulties from his wife , kimberly , before the argument that led to her death in 2011 , prosecutors said . allen , 47 , of middletown , had been concealing the fact that they were about to lose their home to foreclosure , prosecutors said . convicted : patrick allen sits in judge john t. mullaney 's courtroom where he was found guilty on thursday of murdering his wife with a frying pan in 2011 . he also had more than $ 600,000 in debt , between two mortgages on the family 's house and $ 25,000 in credit card debt , they said . prosecutors claimed an argument ensued when his wife learned of the situation and allen killed her while the couple 's two children were at school . monmouth county assistant prosecutor maria franceschini said she was pleased with the verdict . ` it 's been a long trial , ' she said . in her closing statement wednesday , she picked up the frying pan wrapped in plastic and swung it to show jurors how allen struck his wife over the head . she then showed jurors autopsy photos showing the result of kimberly allen being struck by the frying pan . allen 's attorney argued his client was about to come into some money that would have held off the foreclosure . he also claimed a mistrial should have been declared in the case because prosecutors on the eve of trial said they would not use interview footage of allen , but changed their minds mid-trial and showed the footage to jurors . the lawyer said he would consult with his client about a possible appeal . the victim 's sister , barbara stauff , held back tears as she thanked jurors and prosecutors for ` countless hours over the past three years ' analyzing the evidence , the asbury park press reported . allen was convicted of first-degree murder and other counts . he is scheduled to be sentenced jan. 29 . the tool : in this photo taken on tuesday , 4 , assistant monmouth county prosecutor maria franceschini swings the frying pan that was used in the murder of kimberly allen by her husband patrick allen .<doc-sep>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 .<doc-sep>by . associated press . and peter rugg . a new jersey man who said he was high on drugs and hearing voices when he fatally beat an elderly man with a sauce pan has been convicted of murder . the record reports that a bergen county jury deliberated for about 90 minutes tuesday before convicting 22-year-old edwin estrada , of cliffside park . he also was found guilty of weapons offenses , burglary , robbery and credit-card theft charges . edwin estrada is led out of the courtroom after he was found guilty of murder in the fatal beating of an elderly man with a sauce pan . prosecutors say estrada attacked and robbed 88-year-old vincent leuzzi in the victim 's fairview home in july 2010 . estrada claimed he was not legally responsible for the murder because he was high on pcp and marijuana and was urged on by the voice of the devil . leuzzi died of blunt force trauma caused by at least nine blows . north jersey reports he now faces possible life in prison and a minimum of 30 years . an . expert witness for the prosecution testified estrada fabricated his . claims , and that they were at odds with his presence of mind later that . day to go shopping and get dinner before leaving town . ' i tend to agree with the state 's psychiatrist that it was a manipulation and not true , ' said leuzzi 's stepdaughter filomena mazzone . defense attorney john pieroni said the appeal process could take years . ` i 'm . greatly disappointed , ' he said . ` it 's clear that the jurors did not in . my opinion properly consider the psychiatric testimony as to diminished . capacity . '<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a man arrested in connection with the death of 28-year-old betty williams , whose body was found in a suitcase , has confessed to bludgeoning her with a frying pan and strangling her with an electrical cord , authorities said tuesday . hassan malik , 55 , was arraigned tuesday on one count of second-degree murder , according to manhattan district attorney spokeswoman joan vollero . malik said he was acting in self-defense , vollero said . shortly after williams ' body was discovered , police released a surveillance video that showed a man dressed in a dark knit hat and leather jacket , pulling a suitcase that contained williams ' body near a stoop in east harlem , new york .<doc-sep>the freak accident came nearly a decade after sword , the managing director of a . new jersey-based investment bank founded by his father , survived being stabbed . after answering the door to a distressed stranger at his home , the times of . trenton reported . jelani manigaul , a 24-year-old senior at the university of maryland , smashed . his car into a tree near the home in january 23 , 2003 , just 24 hours after he . told a psychiatrist he believed he was having a breakdown . he entered the house , stabbed sword in his upper chest and shoulder before he . was smacked across the head with a frying pan , reports noted . stumbling from the house , manigault came face-to-face with police responding to . the 911 call from sword 's wife . he reportedly slit his wrists twice before . saying ` kill me ' and refusing to drop the knife . he was fatally shot by police . sword , who suffered a collapsed lung , underwent surgery and fully recovered . yet it left him with a renewed zest for life and more appreciative of time . spent with his family , including his wife martha and their three children , . gretchen , hope and will , friends told businessweek .

<t> patrick allen had been trying to hide the family 's financial difficulties from his wife , kimberly , before the argument that led to her death in 2011 . </t> <t> allen , 47 , of middletown , had been concealing the fact that they were about to lose their home to foreclosure , prosecutors said . </t> <t> he also had more than $ 600,000 in debt , between two mortgages on the family 's house and $ 25,000 in credit card debt . </t>

new jersey man convicted of beating wife to death with frying pan<T>

bryan kryscio who is accused of stealing an ambulance from a hospital and then telling police he took it to drive to a strip club . a man who is accused of stealing an ambulance from a hospital in michigan told police when he was arrested that he took the vehicle so he could drive to a strip club . bryan kryscio was arrested on sunday after he was found behind the wheel of the emergency vehicle when police pulled him over . but when they asked him why he took the ambulance he told them he was on his way to a pole dancing club . earlier in the evening , officers had been called to mclaren oakland hospital in pontiac , after reports that an ambulance was taken after it was left outside unlocked with the engine running . according to foxdc.com , emergency workers were returning a stretcher to the ambulance when they saw it being driven off . one of the ambulance workers had left their cell phone inside and officers were able to use it to trace the vehicle to sterling heights , 14 miles away . krysico , who is homeless and said to have mental health issues , was then found behind the wheel and immediately arrested . when officers then asked him why he took the ambulance , he told them he was on his way to the ` booby trap ' , a topless bar in detroit to see pole dancing , even though the club has been closed for years . police confirmed that even though the ambulance had been taken there was n't any damage and it was returned to the emergency services . undersheriff mike mccabe of oakland county police told the detroit free press : ` the caller advised that the ambulance was not locked and that a cellular phone had been left inside . ` the medication box , ems radio and ekg monitor were all intact . ' officers had been called to mclaren oakland hospital in pontiac , michigan , pictured , earlier in the evening after staff reported the theft of an ambulance . police also added that he has convictions for robbery in florida , as well as breaking and entering , trespassing and possession of marijuana convictions in michigan . kryscio , 50 , was arraigned yesterday on a charge of unlawfully driving away an automobile and is currently being held at oakland county jail . he is scheduled to appear at pontiac district court later this month .<doc-sep>the club , once known as club harem and club rio , was annexed by winter park a decade ago . adult entertainment establishments would normally be prohibited on the zoned land , but the gentleman 's club was grandfathered in when the property was annexed into the city in 2004 . a man named john prevatt and his two sisters inherited the land about 50 years ago and leased it to a man who built the ` booby trap ' . other land operators tried to make the structure less titillating by painting it white and adding a dome in between the two other structures .<doc-sep>a florida adult entertainment club shaped like breasts is getting a major reduction next month . the city of winter park bought the jiggle joint currently called christie 's cabaret but nicknamed the ` booby trap ' for $ 990,000 this week and they plan on demolishing the structure . winter park planning manager jeff briggs told the orlando sentinel that the city council wanted the ` heinous ' structure removed as soon as possible . bye bye boobies : the city of winter park bought the club nicknamed the ` booby trap ' for just under $ 1 million and they plan to tear it down next month . briggs said that buyers have expressed interest in buying the land from winter park once the joint is gone and said the city will do what it needs to sell .<doc-sep>it 's one of the comedy periods in a child 's development - the moment that they start learning to talk . the earnest faces as your son or daughter attempt conversation , with their interpretation of what an object should be called . but for any new parents out there , there is now a new handy dictionary available to explain any confused toddler vocabulary . parenting website mumsnet has compiled a handy list of words kids say , including ` booby trap ' for bra -lrb- left -rrb- and ` the hello ' for telephone -lrb- right -rrb- . the parenting website mumsnet have compiled a list of some of their users ' favourite phrases , from ` the hello ' , describing a telephone , to 'em pty poos ' for farts . so if you 've always wondered what your child meant when they were referring to ` the very back of the outside , ' or requesting a ` chocolate hotdog ' , then they have the answer . we 've rounded-up some of our favourites from the bunch , including ` clip clops ' for heels , and ` eye bubble ' for glasses . read on to find out what your toddler is talking about : . 1 . the hello - telephone 2 . pastry powder - flour . 3 . cheese it - taking a photo 4 . walker-helper - crutch . 5 . cow biscuit - beefburger 6 . man spray - aftershave . 7 . go-this-way go-that-way - remote control 8 . cat garages - cat carriers . 9 . newden - opposite to olden 10 . ladyfish - mermaids . 11 . bird hair - feathers 12 . empty poos - farts . 13 . pardon-mes - hiccups 14 . spanner for beans - tin opener . 15 . bee polish - fly spray 16 . the very back of outside - horizon . 17 . lots of windows shed - greenhouse 18 . ghost broccoli - cauliflower . 19 . orange yawn - sick 20 . bum paste - sudocream . 21 . helidoctors - air ambulance 22 . clock of wake up - alarm clock . 23 . bracelet clock - watch 24 . chicken flakes - kellogg 's cornflakes . 25 . doctor leaf - dock leaf 26 . chocolate hotdog - eclair . 27 . fizzy arm - pins and needles 28 . sunday cake - yorkshire pudding . 29 . moon looker - telescope 30 . clip clops - high heels . 31 . booby trap - bra 32 . leg elbow - knee . 33 . bounceline - trampoline 34 . eye bubble - glasses .<doc-sep>on resident said : ' i think it 's a bad idea . someone could get hurt . ' another added : ' i can understand why he would want to do it but people could get hurt and that is not acceptable ' . the homeowner refused to be interviewed on camera but told the channel they felt the victim was being punished . pevely city council have put together an ordinate to stop residents setting up similar booby-traps as a result . prevention : police chief ron weeks has drawn up a ` booby-trap ordinate ' to stop residents setting up the ` dangerous ' devices .

<t> police were called after an ambulance was stolen from a michigan hospital . </t> <t> was tracked down with 50-year-old bryan kryscio found behind the wheel . </t> <t> the homeless man was arrested and then driven to the nearest jail . </t> <t> on the way he told officers he was driving vehicle to a strip bar . </t> <t> explained that he wanted to go see pole dancing at the ` booby trap ' club . </t> <t> was charged with unlawfully driving away an automobile and is being held in jail . </t>

michigan man bryan kryscio stole ambulance to get to strip club booby trap<T>

shannon kepler , who was charged with murder in the shooting of his daughter 's boyfriend , retired last month and collected a pension payout of $ 160,000 . a police officer charged with first-degree murder over the off-duty shooting of his daughter 's boyfriend in august , retired last month and collected a lump sum pension payout of $ 160,000 . the oklahoma state police pension and retirement board approved shannon kepler 's request to retire and collect his pension on november 19 . kepler , 54 , was formally charged on august 18 by tulsa prosecutors with the august 5 killing of 19-year-old jeremey lake , who was dating his daughter lisa . he was also charged with one count of shooting with intent to kill because prosecutors said he shot at his daughter during an alleged confrontation . kepler pleaded not guilty and was released from jail on a $ 825,000 bond . he was suspended without pay at the time of the shooting - but is now eligible to collect both the lump sum , and begin drawing his monthly pension . his retirement officially began on november 1 . kepler chose to participate in the state 's deferred option pension plan in 2010 . this allowed him to collect approximately four years ' worth of monthly pension payments , plus interest , in a lump sum on retirement , the tulsa world reports . records show his monthly pension is $ 2,947 , and the plan has a minimum interest rate of 7.5 per cent , bringing the lump sum total to approximately $ 162,000 . a 2011 state law was introduced to close a loophole that allowed some government employees to collect pensions even if they were convicted of felonies .<doc-sep>jeremey lake , 19 , was allegedly shot dead by the father of his girlfriend , lisa kepler , 18 , on august 5 . the law bars police officers and other municipal workers from collecting retirement pay if they plead guilty , no contest , or are convicted of a felony for bribery , corruption , forgery , perjury or ` any other crime related to their office or employment ' . steven snyder , executive director of the police pension and retirement board , told tulsa world that kepler would forfeit his monthly pension if convicted of a felony not resulting in a deferred sentence , but gets to keep his lump sum payment . kepler 's attorney , richard o'carroll , argues that he believes the law allows kepler to keep his monthly payments as well . kepler 's wife , gina kepler , 48 , also a tulsa police officer , surrendered to authorities with him the morning after the shooting . she was arrested along with her husband on a complaint of being an accessory after the fact of murder , but was not charged because prosecutors said there was n't evidence to support it . kepler 's wife , gina , 48 , also a police officer , was not charged as an accessory after the fact of murder . she too is on leave from the police , but with pay according to a spokesperson for the department . the keplers ` are solid folks ' who ` did everything they knew to protect their daughter , ' o'carroll said . the daughter , lisa kepler , was among three sisters whom the keplers adopted from a troubled home . lisa kepler , 18 , has said that her parents had kicked her out of their home in late july .<doc-sep>she met lake while he was volunteering at the shelter where she was staying . he offered her a place to stay at the home he shared with his aunt , kepler said . the young couple were walking to lake 's aunt 's house on august 5 when her father turned up in his car . she said that he asked what she was doing in the neighborhood . when she walked away , lake tried to introduce himself . the police officer then shot lake two or three times , fled in his vehicle and later turned himself in , court records show . lisa started to run and was shot at -- but the bullet missed her , authorities said . the police officer fled in his vehicle , but later turned himself in . in an interview , lisa kepler told nbc that lake was her ` everything ' . she told tulsa world : ' i really hope they rot in prison for a very long time . ' lisa kepler -lrb- left -rrb- turned her parents in after she watched them allegedly shoot her new boyfriend , 19-year-old jeremey lake , dead in a tulsa street .<doc-sep>by . associated press . and mailonline reporter . a tulsa police officer has been charged with first-degree murder in the off-duty shooting death of his daughter 's boyfriend earlier this month . tulsa prosecutors formally charged shannon kepler monday with the aug. 5 killing of 19-year-old jeremey lake , who was dating his daughter lisa . kepler , 54 , was also charged with one count of shooting with intent to kill because prosecutors say he shot at his daughter during an alleged confrontation in which lake was killed . kepler 's wife , gina kepler , 48 , was not charged monday because prosecutors said there was n't evidence to support it . she 'd been arrested along with her husband on a complaint of being an accessory after the fact of murder . shannon kepler , 54 , has been charged with .<doc-sep>by . alex finnis for mail online . jeremey lake 's mourning father carl morse says he is willing to forgive shannon kepler , the off-duty police officer who killed his son . the father of 19-year-old jeremey lake , who was shot dead by his new girlfriend 's policeman father , has said he must forgive his son 's killer after an open casket funeral was held for the tragic boy . ' i have to forgive this guy who did this to my son , i ca n't do it overnight , but i have to forgive him , ' said father carl morse to his extended family at the end of the service . the tulsa , oklahoma funeral was attended by around 100 people yesterday , after mr lake was killed by off-duty police officer shannon kepler , 54 , on august 5 . mourners flocked to dawson freewill baptist church as one man told newson6.com : ` jeremey was loved by many , many , people . ' mr lake 's aunt , pam wilkins , said : ` no attorney , no amount of money could get -lsb- kepler -rsb- out of trouble , he will pay . ' the young man was shot as he walked down the street with his girlfriend lisa kepler , 18 , who allegedly saw her father shoot him dead .<doc-sep>first-degree murder in the shooting death of his daughter 's boyfriend . his wife gina , 48 , was arrested for being an accessory to the murder but . she wo n't be charged . lisa kepler -lrb- left -rrb- turned her parents in after she watched them allegedly shoot her new boyfriend , 19-year-old jeremey lake , dead in a tulsa street . jeremy lake , 19 , was shot dead on aug. 5 . shannon kepler 's defense attorney said he would save his comments on the charges for tuesday , when his client is scheduled to be arraigned in district court . lisa kepler , 18 , has said that her parents had kicked her out of their home late july . she met lake while he was volunteering at the shelter where she was staying . he offered her a place to stay at the home he shared with his aunt , kepler said .<doc-sep>the young couple were walking to lake 's aunt 's house on tuesday when her father turned up in his car . she said that he asked what she was doing in the neighborhood . when she walked away , lake tried to introduce himself . the police officer then shot lake two or three times , fled in his vehicle and later turned himself in , court records show . lisa started to run and was shot at -- but the bullet missed her , authorities said . the police officer fled in his vehicle , but later turned himself in . in an interview , lisa kepler told nbc that lake was her ` everything ' . she told tulsa world : ` i really hope they rot in prison for a very long time . ' jeremey lake 's grieving father , carl morse , says he is willing to forgive shannon kepler , the off-duty police officer who killed his son . photographs of jeremey lake are displayed at the dawson freewill baptist church during his funeral in tulsa .

<t> tulsa police officer shannon kepler , who shot dead jeremey lake , 19 , while off-duty can collect his lump sum retirement check . </t> <t> kepler , 54 , is charged with first-degree murder and shooting with intent to kill for also firing at his daughter in august . </t> <t> he is out on bail and suspended without pay , but is now eligible for monthly pension payments of almost $ 3,000 unless he is found guilty . </t> <t> kepler 's police officer wife , gina , 48 , was arrested but not charged as an accessory after the fact of murder but was suspended with pay . </t> <t> couple 's daughter , lisa kepler , 18 , said she hopes her parents rot in jail . </t>

shannon kepler , charged with murdering jeremey lake , gets $ 160k lump sum retirement check<T>

this is the terrifying moment a flyaway stroller tumbles onto train tracks with bystanders scrambling to rescue the infant . cctv footage captured at diamond creek station in melbourne , australia , shows the unidentified 18-month-old girl slowly rolling away from her grandfather , who stands distracted at a ticket machine with his back turned . she then reaches the platform edge and plummets headfirst . caught on camera : this is the terrifying moment a flyaway stroller tumbles onto train tracks with bystanders scrambling to rescue the infant . on the move : cctv footage captured at diamond creek station in australia shows the unidentified 18-month-old girl slowly rolling away from her grandfather , who stands distracted with his back turned . potentially fatal : she then reaches the platform edge and plummets head-first . lucky escape : the accident left her with a minor fracture to her nose . her grandfather is seen panicking as he turns around and realizes what 's happened . he manages to get down to the tracks before several others join him in the rescue effort .<doc-sep>the stroller and little girl are eventually hauled back to safety before any traffic approaches . all in a flash : her grandfather is seen panicking as he turns around and realizes what 's happened . quick action : he manages to get down on to the tracks before several others join him in the rescue effort . nailbiting : the stroller and little girl are eventually hauled back to safety before any traffic approaches . in safe hands : the toddler remains in a stable condition at royal children 's hospital . phillip evrall , who saw the accident unfold just before 11.30 am on wednesday , told nine news the girl suffered a ` serious injury ' around her eye-socket and was bleeding from her nose after hitting a steel rail . ` we were concerned that the child might be losing consciousness so we tried to keep her awake and alert , ' he added . the toddler remains in a stable condition at royal children 's hospital with a minor fracture to her nose . faulty brakes on the stroller are being blamed for the incident .<doc-sep>during the clip , the woman can be seen standing next to the stroller on the platform . scroll down for video . the stroller can be seen on the platform before it starts to roll away from the mother . runaway pram : the pushchair topples over the side with the baby still inside . baby on the tracks : according to septa controllers an oncoming train was only a station away . but in a split second , the pushchair rolls towards the eastbound tracks and topples over the platform . with no thought for herself , the mother leaps onto the tracks and lifts the baby to a man waiting on the platform . according to septa controllers , an oncoming train was only a station away . luckily another woman waiting on the platform alerted staff just in time to stop the train .<doc-sep>brave : the distraught mother leaps onto the tracks to save her baby . scott sauer , director of system safety for septa , told nbc10 : ` what it looks like to us is that the mother became distracted by something , did n't apply the brake on the stroller and the stroller was able to move off the platform and onto the tracks . ' if controllers had not been alerted , the mother and baby would have had less than a minute to get to safety . sauer described the video clip at a news conference as ` gut-wrenching ' . he said : ` with the stroller moving at such a slow rate of speed , you want to call out to someone . ` somebody grab the stroller ' . the child was treated at children 's hospital of philadelphia and is believed to have suffered a cut on her forehead . according to police , no charges will be made but they encouraged people to remember to lock brakes especially when waiting on train platforms .<doc-sep>by . tara brady . published : . 06:28 est , 16 may 2013 . | . updated : . 08:35 est , 16 may 2013 . this is the terrifying moment a baby 's stroller rolls away from a mother on a subway platform throwing a 14-month-old girl onto train tracks . the heart-stopping footage was captured at 56th street septa station in west philadelphia .<doc-sep>by . mia de graaf . published : . 13:45 est , 27 january 2014 . | . updated : . 16:42 est , 27 january 2014 . this is the moment a woman fell under a moving train and survived . the australian woman was captured on cctv sitting on the platform arguing with a man before hurling herself onto a freight train as it passed . but losing her balance , she fell through the gap between carriages and lay motionless on the ground as the train , weighing thousands of pounds , ploughed over her . scroll down for video . dangerous : the woman and man , sitting alone at 11pm , edge towards the moving train in new south wales . leap : footage shows her stop smoking to launch herself onto an open space on the train . shocking : the woman leaps onto a moving freight train as it rattles through springwood station in australia . it powered through the springwood station , in the blue mountains of new south wales , at 15-20mph . the woman and man had been deep in discussion as it began to pass just after 11pm on december 28 , 2013 . but suddenly she stands up , walks to the edge and - cigarette in hand - jumps on . incredibly , moments after the train had passed , the woman rolls over and stands up . lost balance : but as she jumps she loses her footing and tumbles towards the gap in the carriages . lands : she falls onto the train , with her leg still visible and her friends still looking on calmly . disappeared : the man visibly gasps as she disappears from sight and the 20kmph train powers on . bleeding , she stumbles towards the edge and can not muster the strength to pull herself up to safety . later footage , revealed today , shows the woman lying on the platform being treated by paramedics . viewers of the video - which has now gone viral - have questioned what the man was doing on the platform . officers have blasted the act . lucky to be alive : the woman lies motionless on the tracks as the train powers away . stumble : she heaves herself , bleeding , to the edge but struggles to find the strength to lift herself up . treated : later the footage shows her being treated by paramedics . it is believed she received stitches in her head and back but was discharged from hospital the same day . ` this girl has probably learned a lesson the hard way , she could have been killed or seriously injured , ' detective inspector mick bostock told 7news . ` it 's an offence for someone to touch a passing train or attempt to touch a passing train , so to actually try and jump on a moving goods train is very reckless and i would n't recommend it . ' it is believed she had stitches in her head and back before being discharged from hospital the same day .

<t> a little girl was in her stroller when it rolled off a train platform and onto the tracks in melbourne . </t> <t> one witness says the buggy tipped over at diamond creek before 11.30 am . </t> <t> the toddler suffered head injuries and a minor nose fracture . </t>

stroller at diamond creek with girl sitting inside tumbles onto train tracks in video<T>

the british businessman on trial for murdering his fiancee at a five-star hotel in paris , had allegedly crashed his mercedes into her house , and beat her up , just one month earlier , a court heard today . ian griffin , 45 , drove his car into the # 3million home of kinga legg , 36 , in oxshott , surrey , just weeks before she was found dead in a hotel room in the french capital in 2009 . mr griffin has been protesting his innocence in court , claiming polish-born ms legg died by accident after she tried to jump on him and ended up injuring her head when he kicked her off . on trial : british businessman ian griffin , 45 , leaves the criminal court in paris during a break in his trial for the 2009 murder of his fiancee kinga wolf , 36 . but jane carrigan , a friend of ms legg 's , told paris assizes : ` on one occasion kinga phoned me to say she has been badly beaten by ian , and was in the bath trying to recover . ' ` she told me that he had driven his mercedes through the front door of the house , then he beat her and left . this was approximately one month prior to her death . ` i was so worried about her , i asked her to contact the police and an ambulance to see what state she was in , because the next time she may be dead . she said no . the next thing i heard , she was dead . ' griffin had caused # 30,000-worth of damage to ms legg 's house in oxshott but he eventually moved in with her . ms legg 's lifeless body was covered in almost 100 bruises , and she had a fatal head injury , when it was found in the bath of the # 1000 room in the bristol hotel in may 2009 . accused of murder : ian griffin is pictured with current fiancee tracey baker , who appeared on dragon 's den . when griffin found ms legg 's body , he said he did n't realise she was dead at first , and put her in a bath to warm up while he placed a ` do not disturb ' sign on the door and cleaned the room . mr griffin , 45 , drove his car into the front door of ms legg 's # 3million home in oxshott , surrey , just weeks before she was found dead in a hotel room in the french capital in 2009 . ms carrigan , who was with ms legg when she first met griffin in a cheshire wine bar in the 1990s , said her friend was unlikely to have attacked anyone . ` kinga was not aggressive . in all the years i 've known her , i 've never seen her hurt anyone . she was one of the kindest , most generous people i have ever met . ' ms carrigan said griffin was drinking up to three bottles of wine a day and she had seen legg give him # 20,000 to spend , and a credit card . guillaume trayard , the barrister representing ms legg 's polish family , said : ` did this love she had for griffin place her under his power and grip ? ' , and ms carrigan replied : ` yes ' . in turn , griffin told the court he was sleeping with other women , and ms legg became abusive on drink and medication . ` kinga would drink at nine o'clock in the morning , ' said griffin . ` in our lives , kinga would open a bottle of champagne at any time of the morning . ' asked why he had n't left ms legg following earlier fights , griffin said : ` when you love somebody , and get on really well , and some of it was my fault , you do n't . ' referring back to his regularly physical arguments with ms legg , griffin said : ` kinga would throw herself on top of me , and i would kick back with my feet .<doc-sep>` if kinga jumped on me , i kicked out and she would land on her back , that would always happen . ` it would always start when she ran at me , and i would kick her off . i 'm only going on history , i do n't know what happened on the night . historically , she would fall back on the table or on to a tv . ' griffin says he argued with ms legg in the bedroom of the five-star bristol hotel , paris -lrb- pictured -rrb- , but blacked out . when he woke he claims he found blood on the sheets , but had no memory of attacking ms legg . the prosecutor , philippe courroye , interjected at this point and , holding up a picture of kinga 's dead body lying in the smashed up hotel room , said : ` this is n't history , she died from trauma to the head . ' mr courroye also asked griffin to explain how ms legg ended up with so many defensive wounds , and griffin said : ` i ca n't tell you . i do n't know if they were her jumping on me , or me jumping on her . i ca n't remember ' . griffin , a former rugby player , is 6ft1in , and weighs more than 14 stone . he said ms legg was 5ft8ins , and weighed eight , but said she was ` incredibly strong , she had a six pack because she took slimming tablets and was very sporty ' . asked why he had begun cleaning up the room when he woke up , rather than attending to ms legg 's dead body , griffin said : ` it 's hard to people to understand . it sounds stupid but all i focused on was the cleaning of the room . ` i thought `` oh my god , there 's blood on the floor '' but that was why i was so desperate . i did n't know what to do . ' ms legg was later found floating in the bathtub of the couple 's # 1,000-a-night room with almost 100 bruises covering her body -lrb- file picture -rrb- . griffin said ms legg was used to attacking lovers , explaining : ` kinga did it to her last boyfriend . i 'm not the only one . i realise things went too far , for too long . i 'm terribly sorry , but it was n't me . kinga was angry because i was leaving her . ' the prosecutor , mr courroye , again held up pictures of the bristol room , saying : ` she did this alone ? ' griffin replied ; ` no , but we were getting married . she was the most important person to me . i would n't have done this . ' ms legg wrote an email in april 2009 , a month before her death , accusing griffin of being the violent one , saying : ` i never had anyone who beat me , who threw me down on the ground , i 'm afraid . ' griffin insists his memory had blacked out when the couple return to their room at the bristol following an argument in a restaurant about his poor sex drive , and he only recovered it after her death . he said he first met ms legg in a cheshire wine bar ` around 20 years ago ' , and then the couple renewed their relationship in sandbanks , bournemouth , in 2008 . at the time of the death , they had been dating for 12 months , and lived together in ms legg 's mansion . griffin said : ` we were like twins , we worked together , we had a fantastic time 95 per cent of the time . ` she was somebody i just wanted to be with . when you meet someone who is special and makes you feel alive , you just want to be with her , but there were problems . ' griffin 's trial is expected to end on friday . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .<doc-sep>arrest : jeremy bryant , 29 , allegedly chased his girlfriend through the neighborhood with a sword . a man has been arrested after beating up his girlfriend , chasing her with a sword , cutting her and then forcing her into his car , police have said . jeremy bryant , 29 , remains in jail following the allegedly violent incident in winter garden , florida at 10pm on sunday . authorities said that bryant was attacking his girlfriend in their home when she escaped and ran to a neighbor 's house for help . bryant then allegedly picked up a propane tank and smashed it through the neighbor 's car window before running to their home and smashing down the front door , clickorlando reported . once inside , he beat up his girlfriend and attacked the resident , police said .<doc-sep>the devastated mother of the millionaire polish woman allegedly murdered by a british businessman in a paris hotel room today demanded : ` why did she have to die ? why did n't they just separate ? ' halina wolf broke her silence about the death of kinga legg , whose corpse was found in a bathtub of a # 1000-a-night room at the world famous bristol in may 2009 . ian griffin , 45 , is on trial this week in the french capital for killing the 36-year-old , and faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty . scroll down for video . halina wolf broke her silence about the death of kinga legg -lrb- pictured -rrb- , whose corpse was found in a bathtub of a # 1000-a-night room at the world famous bristol in may 2009 . ian griffin , 45 , is on trial this week in the french capital for killing the 36-year-old , and faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty . accused of murder : ian griffin is pictured with current fiancee tracey baker , who appeared on dragon 's den . but , speaking from her home village of tlokinia , west poland , ms wolf told mailonline : ` for the last five years we have been asking why she had to die . every day we ask why . why did it have to be her ? we just do n't understand it . ' wiping tears from her eyes , she said : ` it has been a terrible five years . and now it is all coming back again . all the tragedy and painful memories . we are furious that the trial has taken so long to come about . ` in poland he -lrb- griffin -rrb- would have been held in custody the whole time . but this man has been living freely in cannes while we suffer here . he has been having his millionaire lifestyle . ' griffin , who denies the charge , fled the scene of the alleged murder , leaving a ` do not disturb ' scene on the couple 's door , and driving back to england in a porsche 911 sports car . ms legg is pictured here singing carols , aged 10 , at her local church in her hometown of tlokinia . ms legg ran a successful firm exporting more than 300 million tomatoes a year from poland to major companies such as mcdonald 's , tesco and carrefour . the businessman , who is originally from warrington , was arrested five days later in woodland outside macclesfield , where he had been camping in a tent . a long extradition process meant he did not return to france until 2011 , where he was initially locked up in some of the country 's toughest jails . but -- to the fury of ms legg 's family -- griffin was controversially released on bail with an electronic tag in 2013 after complaining of extreme ill health . he not only moved into a series of luxury homes across france -- including a villa in cannes and a luxury home in a salubrious paris suburb -- but settled down with tracy baker , an old flame . griffin told the paris assizes he had regularly slept with ms baker , 34 , behind ms legg 's back , and last summer had his first child with her . it is common for murder trials in france to take many years to get to court , but it is practically unheard of for alleged murderers to be allowed home . in response to griffin 's case , which started on monday , mrs wolf said she was deeply unimpressed by the defendant 's often repeated claim that he ` ca n't remember ' how her daughter died , but that he guessed it must have been ` an accident ' . griffin told the court he could remember arguing with ms legg before her death , but ` blacked out ' when they were back in their room in the bristol . the home of jan and halina wolf , kinga legg 's parents . halina has spoken of her heartache over the death of her daughter . the church kinga used to go to when young , and on her trips back to poland . honoured : kinga legg 's gravestone in the village of tlokinia , central poland . the accused said he went into ' a black hole ' around the time of ms legg 's death , and suffered ` from memory loss ' . ` people ca n't remember what happened , ' said the incredulous mrs wolf . ` witnesses , him , no one . ' mrs wolf said the couple ` could have separated ' . the couple had a tempestuous relationship . the court has heard that a month before she was found dead , griffin had attacked her . kinga 's friend jane carrigan said : ` on one occasion kinga phoned me to say she had been badly beaten by ian , and was in the bath trying to recover . ' she said kinga had claimed that griffin had driven his mercedes through the front door of their # 3m house in oxshott , surrey , ` beat her then left ' . the court had previously been told that on the night of her death both had argued and that kinga had allegedly been upset at griffin 's failure to have sex with her . also , the court heard that kinga was prone to drunken fits of jealousy that could be ` very , very violent ' when she learnt he had been unfaithful . but , when asked why they had not split up , griffin told the court : ` when you love somebody , and get on really well , and some of it was my fault , you do n't . ' ms legg , who was briefly married to an english civil servant but still sometimes used the surname woolf , first moved to britain in 1995 . she completed a course in international trade at the university of central lancashire and -- according to friends in poland -- always dreamed of marrying an ` english gentleman ' . ms legg ran a successful firm exporting more than 300 million tomatoes a year from poland to major companies such as mcdonald 's , tesco and carrefour . her company , vegex , had a uk base at the oxshott executive mansion she rented with griffin . the fruits of her massive business success included renting a # 10,000-a-month yacht called overdraft moored at port leucate marina in the south of france . this is the # 1.2 million yacht - overdraft - kinga legg had booked to sail for a month but never set foot on . mr griffin , 45 , drove his car into the front door of ms legg 's # 3million home in oxshott , surrey , just weeks before she was found dead in a hotel room in the french capital in 2009 . she and griffin were on their way down to the riviera to stay on her before the fateful night at the bristol . ms legg first met griffin in a cheshire wine bar in the late 90s when -- sitting with a friend -- the entrepreneur sent over a bottle of champagne . they met again in 2008 in sandbanks , bournemouth , and , within a year , were engaged to be married . an ex-boyfriend now working in a hotel in kalisz , close to where ms legg grew up , and who asked to be identified only as tomek told mailonline : ` kinga was n't really interested in local boys . ' i would n't say she looked down on us but coming from the richest family in the area she clearly had her eyes on bigger fish . ' at the time of her death , a polish newspaper reported rumours that she had a secret love child . but a friend of the family rubbished the claims . the local government worker said : ' i can tell you 1000 percent she never had a secret pregnancy or secret baby . ' ms legg moved to the uk after meeting peter legg when he was visiting poland . legg was there as a member of the local town twinning committee for preston town hall , which is twinned with kalisz in west poland , where kinga was trying to interest businessmen in market garden produce . after returning to the uk , he and kinga exchanged romantic letters for six months before she moved over to join him . ms legg was found floating in the bathtub of the couple 's # 1,000-a-night room with almost 100 bruises covering her body -lrb- file picture -rrb- . they married soon afterwards at blackpool registry office but divorced in 2003 after she had a brief fling with cheshire hairdressing and property tycoon harry gaynon . the year before she had also met her next husband , eric kilby , the chief executive of crown wallpapers , while they were both working for tycoon trevor hemmings , whose interests include littlewoods pools , blackpool tower and centerparcs . kinga was working in the marketing department while he was running crown wallpapers , as well as being a director of one of hemmings ' finance companies . a married dad of two , he left his wife of 13 years and his two sons , and he and ms legg quickly became part of a moneyed crowd on cheshire 's social circuit . they married three years later in 2006 at a 14th century church in the village of opatowek , poland , next to where kinga grew up , and built a house there . this week , locals in her home village said the house had been sold . after meeting griffin again in 2008 , ms legg left mr kilby broken-hearted by moving in with the smooth-talking entrepreneur who is now in court . mrs wolf said that she and ms legg 's father , jan wolf , were asked to attend the paris trial , but had refused because of his poor health . she said : ` he has a weak heart . he has been having heart problems ever since this happened . ` we were worried that if he went he would have a heart attack because of the stress of having to relive what happened that terrible night . it 's very difficult . ' just up the road from the family home where kinga grew up is the little roman catholic church she used to visit as a child , and during her return trips to meet her parents and brother marek . fitness fanatic : mr griffin posted this picture of himself on a social media site , explaining how he liked to keep in shape . in the small cemetery where she was laid to rest her grave is one of the largest . nearly 12ft wide the grave has five wreaths and seven glass candle holders . to the left is a small photograph of ms legg above a simple inscription from polish poet franciszek dionizy kniaznin . it read : ` in different ways the heart demands . in different ways the mind thinks . in different ways the world sees . in different ways fortune rules . ' sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .<doc-sep>-rcb- -rrb- ; . view comments . a retired nasa employee allegedly drove 250 miles to seek out and kill her husband 's lover after he said he would n't leave her . shannon o'roark griffin , 52 , drove nearly four hours from her home in lyons , kansas to the house of psychiatrist irina puscariu in gladstone , missouri . she then knocked on the door before entering and shot ms puscariu three times , say police . o'roark griffin and her husband roscoe . griffin , who was a retired army colonel , were undergoing couple 's . therapy because of problems in their marriage . scroll down for video . not-so-happy couple : shannon o'roark griffin and her husband roscoe griffin were in couples therapy at the time of the murder and he wanted a divorce . ` it 's destroyed two families , ' ms puscariu 's ex-husband gene franklin said . calling it ` the biggest personal loss in my whole life , ' mr franklin said that he and ms puscariu 's mother aneta are both trying to handle the ` unspeakable loss ' . done with the marriage : roscoe griffin , 62 , wanted a divorce . mr griffin wanted a divorce and his wife did not see that as a solution . court documents state that the pair were at one of such sessions friday morning when mr griffin , 62 , said that ` he would not give i. puscariu up ' .<doc-sep>dragons ' den star and businessman duncan bannatyne has reportedly dropped out of a # 60,000 deal after it was revealed to be linked to a british millionaire being investigated for murder . mr bannatyne , 65 , had pledged the sizeable investment to tracy baker on tuesday 's nights dragons ' den in return for a 35 per cent stake in her franchise of um!brands tech business -- a stick and peel glue-type product to help mount household items . however , the scottish entrepreneur has now apparently decided he wants ` nothing more to do with it ' , after it was revealed ms baker is the fiancé of 45-year-old ian griffin who is accused of killing a former girlfriend . scroll down for video . dragon duncan bannatyne -lrb- above -rrb- appeared to like ms baker 's business plan and pledged # 60,000 in funding . however , he has now pulled out of the deal after it was linked to ian griffin - a businessman accused of murder . ian griffin , 45 , -lrb- right -rrb- who faces trial for murder , is the fiancé of businesswoman tracy baker -lrb- left -rrb- . griffin -lrb- right -rrb- , from chesire but who now lives in cannes , is accused of murdering his former girlfriend kinga legg , 36 -lrb- left -rrb- . she was found dead n the bathroom of their # 1,000-a-night suite at hotel in paris , france in 2009 . mr bannatyne 's alleged u-turn comes after griffin boasted that he was linked to ms baker 's business idea - telling friends on facebook he had ` won dragons den ' with the idea . griffin , originally from cheshire but who now lives in cannes , france , allegedly killed his then girlfriend kinga legg , 36 , during a trip to paris in 2009 . the polish businesswoman , who ran a successful firm exporting more than 300 million tomatoes a year to major companies such as mcdonald 's and tesco , was found dead in the bathroom of their # 1,000-a-night suite at the hotel bristol . griffin fled the scene and was found two weeks later in woodland near chelford , macclesfield , less than 15 minutes from his parents ' cheshire home .

<t> ian griffin , 45 , on paris holiday with fiancee kinga legg , 36 , in 2009 . </t> <t> told court she took antidepressant pills from him to ` become intimate ' </t> <t> she then loudly demanded sex during dinner sparking a row , he claims . </t> <t> says argument continued in bristol hotel where ms legg 's body was found . </t> <t> claims to have no memory of fight saying he blacked out beforehand . </t>

ian griffin ` drove mercedes into front door of girlfriend 's home and then beat her '<T>

the cost to arizona taxpayers for jodi arias ' defense now tops $ 2.7 million , and the figure will keep rising as her penalty phase retrial continues in a phoenix courtroom . maricopa county spokeswoman cari gerchick released thursday the amount billed so far by arias ' two court-appointed attorneys after the former waitress was unable to pay for her own defense . the figure is up more than $ 200,000 from the one released in late september . scroll down for video . on trial this week : the cost to arizona taxpayers for jodi arias ' defense now tops $ 2.7 million , and the figure will keep rising as her penalty phase retrial continues in a phoenix courtroom . prosecutors have declined to provide their costs to try the case . arias was convicted last year for brutally murdering her ex-boyfrined , travis alexander , in 2008 but jurors deadlocked on her punishment . during the murder , alexander suffered nearly 30 knife wounds to his body , was shot in the head and had his throat slit so deeply he was almost decapitated . arias initially denied any involvement - even calling alexander in the days after the killing and leaving friendly messages on his voicemail . under supervision : arias stands next to her attorney , jennifer willmott , during the sentencing phase at her trial at maricopa county superior court in phoenix on thursday , december 4 . ongoing case : arias was convicted of murder last year in the 2008 killing of ex-boyfriend travis alexander but jurors were unable to agree on a sentence . but two years after her arrest , she eventually admitted to killing him - but said it was in self-defense . she said she recalled alexander attacking her in fury for dropping his camera after a day of sex at his home . a new jury is now deciding her whether to sentence her to life in prison or death for the killing of alexander . an appeals court decision last week overturned a ruling that closed the courtroom as arias ' first witness testified . her lawyers previously said the witness would testify only in a closed courtroom . some of the testimony in question was conducted in private . the arizona republic and three phoenix tv stations - kpnx , kpho and ktvk - protested the closure and ultimately succeeded in getting the ruling by maricopa county superior court judge sherry stephens thrown out . flashback : two years after her arrest , aris -lrb- right -rrb- eventually admitted to killing her ex-boyfriend alexander -lrb- left -rrb- - but said it was in self-defense . the arizona court of appeals suggested in its ruling last week that the previously unidentified witness might have been arias herself , though it remains unclear . the news organizations are now urging stephens to release a transcript of the oct. 30 testimony . the arias case has been marked by secrecy since the conclusion of the first trial , where salacious and violent details about arias and alexander were broadcast live around the world . since then , the judge has held one secret hearing after another and barred the broadcast of footage from the sentencing retrial until after a verdict is reached . arias ' lawyers had argued that daily broadcasts of the trial would lead to defense witnesses backing out for fear of being harassed or threatened .<doc-sep>jodi arias ' legal defense has cost arizona taxpayers more than $ 2.5 million - and the bill will continue to rise as prosecutors try for a second time to convince a jury to sentence her to death . arias was convicted last year of brutally murdering her ex-lover travis alexander , but the jury could not agree on whether to sentence her to death . prosecutors called for a second jury to re-examine arias sentence . jury selection began on monday . scroll down for video . big bucks : it was revealed today that kirk nurmi -lrb- right -rrb- and his co-counsel jennifer willmot -lrb- center -rrb- have billed the state of arizona more than $ 2.5 million for the legal defense of their client jodi arias -lrb- left -rrb- . arias -lrb- left -rrb- , seen here before her conviction for first-degree murder , put her arm around defense lawyer jennifer willmot .<doc-sep>the costs , funded by arizona taxpayers , are being used to pay for court-appointed attorneys , expert witnesses and other legal bodies , according to officials . they are predicted to only rise as arias awaits a second panel of jurors to decide her sentence . expensive : jodi arias 's legal bills have surpassed a staggering $ 2million - and are expected to only increase . in may , arias was convicted of brutally stabbing and shooting to death her ex-boyfriend , travis alexander , who was found dead in a pool of . blood in the shower of his home in mesa , arizona , in 2008 . however , the jury failed to reach a verdict on her sentence , according to usa today . now , a retrial of the penalty phase , featuring a new panel of jurors , has been set for march 17 - with arias facing either life in prison or the death penalty . the former waitress has been held in a jail in maricopa county since her conviction , while her legal bills have continued to mount .<doc-sep>left for days : alexander was here , in this shower , for around five days before friends found his decaying body . arias left the body of her ex-boyfriend travis alexander in his shower where friends found him days later at his suburban phoenix home . crime scene pictures from the first trial -lrb- pictured -rrb- revealed the brutal nature of the killing . at her last trial , she testified for 18 days , describing for jurors an abusive childhood , cheating boyfriends , dead-end jobs , a shocking sexual relationship with alexander , and her contention that he was physically abusive . her first trial drew a global following and inspired spectators to wait in line in the middle of the night to get a coveted seat in the courtroom . the cost to arizona taxpayers for jodi arias ' defense now tops $ 2.7 million and the figure will keep rising as her penalty phase retrial continues .<doc-sep>by . sophie jane evans . published : . 04:24 est , 28 january 2014 . | . updated : . 05:03 est , 28 january 2014 . jodi arias 's legal bills have surpassed a staggering $ 2million - and are expected to only increase .

<t> a maricopa county spokeswoman released thursday the amount billed so far by arias ' two court-appointed attorneys . </t> <t> she was unable to pay for her own defense . </t> <t> the figure is up more than $ 200,000 from the one released in september . </t> <t> arias was convicted last year for murdering ex-boyfrined , travis alexander , in 2008 but jurors deadlocked on her punishment . </t>

jodi arias ' legal bills set taxpayers back more than $ 2.7 million<T>

foreign minister julie bishop has reportedly argued with the prime minister after reading media reports that a male colleague would ` chaperone ' her to the united nations climate change conference next week . ms bishop supposedly confronted tony abbott this week after reading in the sun-herald that he had personally requested trade minister andrew robb to chaperone her to the international summit in lima , peru . ` julie went bananas at the pm , ' a source told the australian financial review . scroll down for video . foreign minister julie bishop reportedly confronted tony abbott this week after reading media reports that trade minister andrew robb would ` chaperone ' her to a climate change summit in peru . the foreign minister was not consulted about mr robb shadowing her and is said to have confronted him over the matter as well .<doc-sep>it comes amid suggestions that mr robb , who is below ms bishop in the cabinet ranks , was being sent to peru to ensure australia was n't over-committing on its climate change policy promises . ` it 's like they do n't trust julie , ' a source told the newspaper . mr robb , who is currently in china , is being sent to the climate change summit over environment minister greg hunt . ms bishop supposedly confronted tony abbott this week after reading he personally requested the trade minister accompany her to peru next week . the foreign minister was not consulted about mr robb shadowing her at the united nations climate change conference and is said to have confronted him over the matter as well . the sun-herald reported on sunday that mr robb would ` chaperone ms bishop so he can factor in the economic impacts of any new targets australia considers ' .<doc-sep>mr robb was instrumental in triggering the end of malcolm turnbull 's leadership when he turned against the former leader in 2009 and criticised carbon pricing . when contacted by daily mail australia on thursday , ms bishop 's office would not be drawn on the exchange with mr abbott . but the foreign minister told reporters on wednesday it was important for both mr robb and herself to attend . ms bishop , pictured here with fitness guru michelle bridges , reportedly went ` bananas at the pm ' ms bishop stepped out at the melbourne cup races last month , fueling speculation that she was in a relationship with businessman david panton .<doc-sep>` this has significant economic impacts , so both the trade minister and foreign minister will be there , ' she said . ` we will most certainly be involved in the conversation about post-2020 targets , that 's what the lima conference is all about in the lead up to the paris conference next year . what i 'll be particularly interested in is hearing from the major emitters as to their targets and whether they 'll be binding targets . ` it 's all very well for australia to be lectured by countries that wo n't meet their kyoto targets and refuse to be committed to binding targets , but we will most certainly be involved in the conversation as to what is do-able , economy-by-economy , country-by-country , that 's why both andrew robb and i will be there . ' when contacted by daily mail australia on thursday , ms bishop 's office would not be drawn on the exchange with mr abbott . ms bishop told reporters on wednesday is was important for both mr robb and herself to attend to international climate change summit .<doc-sep>colleagues : julie bishop took issue with tony abbott 's decision to ` chaperone ' her at the united nations conference and now there are claims she is at odds with his chief of staff , peta credlin . target : prime minister julia gillard , pictured here , rounded on mr abbott in her famous ` misogny ' speech . mr abbott continued his official duties on sunday morning , attending the launch of the national coastal safety report , despite admitting last week that the government had been performing in a ` ragged ' way recently . the prime minister was still convinced of the ability of his office , however , and said that it remained a solid force . ` this is the same office which ran a very effective opposition , it 's the same office which has got an enormous amount done this year sometimes under very difficult circumstances , ' he said . mr abbott is no stranger to accusations of sexism , having been famously savaged by then prime minister julia gillard when he was opposition leader . ' i will not be lectured on sexism or misogny by this man , ' ms gillard said of mr abbott 's perceived attitudes to women in a speech that soon went viral . ' i should n't have done it , karl ' : mr abbott later apologised after he winked at a radio presenter when a caller announced she was a sex worker . mr abbott 's appearance at a 2011 anti-carbon tax rally in front of signs reading ` ditch the witch ' and ` julia is bob brown 's b **** ' was similarly controversial . and in may , mr abbott was forced to apologise after he winked at abc radio presenter jon faine when a talkback caller announced she was a sex worker . late last week , the australian financial review reported that ms bishop ` went bananas ' at mr abbott when she was not consulted about a plan for a male colleague to ` chaperone ' her to a climate change conference in lima , peru . it was claimed trade minister andrew robb was accompanying ms bishop to ensure australia did not over-commit on his climate change policy promises . the bust-ups have overshadowed a significant announcement in lima by ms bishop that australia will contribute $ 200 million to a global fund to help poorer nations tackle climate change .<doc-sep>mr abbott 's claims of sexism has already set the twittersphere tittering as the prime minister has long been targeted by critics over his apparent ` women problem . ' some commentators have alleged that mr abbott 's comments were made to distract from the decline in popularity of his leadership . colleagues : julie bishop took issue with tony abbott 's decision to ` chaperone ' her at the united nations conference and now there are claims she is at odds with his chief of staff , peta credlin . target : prime minister julia gillard , pictured here , rounded on mr abbott in her famous ` misogny ' speech . mr abbott continued his official duties on sunday morning , attending the launch of the national coastal safety report , despite admitting last week that the government had been performing in a ` ragged ' way recently . the prime minister was still convinced of the ability of his office , however , and said that it remained a solid force . ` this is the same office which ran a very effective opposition , it 's the same office which has got an enormous amount done this year sometimes under very difficult circumstances , ' he said . mr abbott is no stranger to accusations of sexism , having been famously savaged by then prime minister julia gillard when he was opposition leader . ' i will not be lectured on sexism or misogny by this man , ' ms gillard said of mr abbott 's perceived attitudes to women in a speech that soon went viral . ' i should n't have done it , karl ' : mr abbott later apologised after he winked at a radio presenter when a caller announced she was a sex worker . mr abbott 's appearance at a 2011 anti-carbon tax rally in front of signs reading ` ditch the witch ' and ` julia is bob brown 's b **** ' was similarly controversial . and in may , mr abbott was forced to apologise after he winked at abc radio presenter jon faine when a talkback caller announced she was a sex worker . late last week , the australian financial review reported that ms bishop ` went bananas ' at mr abbott when she was not consulted about a plan for a male colleague to ` chaperone ' her to a climate change conference in lima , peru . it was claimed trade minister andrew robb was accompanying ms bishop to ensure australia did not over-commit on his climate change policy promises . the bust-ups have overshadowed a significant announcement in lima by ms bishop that australia will contribute $ 200 million to a global fund to help poorer nations tackle climate change .<doc-sep>recent polls underscore her increasing popularity , with julie bishop 's approval rating as preferred liberal leader more than doubling in the past five months , second only to malcolm turnbull . the reports of this latest rift come after a week of high drama for the government front-bench , including a widely-reported argument between julie bishop and the pm himself after she read media reports that a male colleague would ` chaperone ' her to the united nations climate change conference in lima , peru . two reported bust-ups in the past week with the pm 's office . julie bishop took issue with tony abbott 's decision to ` chaperone ' her at the united nations conference and now there are claims she is at odds with his chief of staff , peta credlin . the foreign minister was not consulted about the plan for andrew robb , who is ranked below ms bishop in the cabinet , to shadow her and confronted tony abbott on the matter , reports said . it was further claimed that he was being sent to peru with the deputy liberal party leader to ensure that australia did not over-commit on its climate change policy promises . the bust-ups have overshadowed a significant announcement in lima by ms bishop that australia will contribute $ 200 million to a global fund to help poorer nations tackle climate change . prime minister abbott said it was fair and reasonable for the government to pledge a contribution despite having ruled it out at the g20 summit in brisbane . ` we 've seen things develop over the last few months , ' he told reporters in melbourne . australia 's commitment would contribute to emission reduction projects in the region , mr abbott added . health minister peter dutton , was not buying into the drama around julie bishop and peta credlin , on wednesday . ' i see two highly competent people who are very effective at their job and serving their nation well , ' he said . julie bishop enjoys strong support from within cabinet but there are some mps who claim her increasing profile is undermining the prime minister . causing further consternation were revelations that the pm initially had no plans to send any of his ministers to the global climate negotiations in peru , where up to 200 other countries would be . ms bishop will talk international climate policy ahead of next year 's 2015 paris conference , which is being held to achieve a universal agreement on climate change , from all the nations of the world . mr abbott last week admitted the government had been performing in a ` ragged ' way in recent days . the foreign minister has scored impressive wins at home and abroad in 2014 and has won support with her influence in the unanimous resolution of the un security council to demand access to the crash site of mh17 .<doc-sep>` they 're like two siamese fighting fish in the same tank , ' a senior coalition source told the australian newspaper on tuesday . the foreign minister has reportedly decided not to take any orders from ms credlin and other senior cabinet members are concerned mr abbott 's chief aide wields too much power . but mr abbott today said if people had a problem with his office they should bring the complaints to him . man 's man : mr abbott is pictured on thursday with visiting ukrainian president petro poroshenko . ' i should n't have done it , karl ' : mr abbott later apologised after he winked at a radio presenter when a caller announced she was a sex worker . controversy : mr abbott 's appearance in front of these signs at a 2011 anti-carbon tax rally was also a major topic of criticism . target : prime minister julia gillard , pictured here , rounded on mr abbott in her famous ` misogny ' speech . we are a place where opposition leaders , prime ministers , ministers and shadow ministers should be judged on their record , should be judged on their deeds , not on their gender and , frankly , as the father of three daughters i want them to be judged on what they do . i do not want them to be judged favourably or unfavourably on the basis of their gender and i think it 's time that everyone in the parliament moved on from this gender card which so many members of the government have been playing . source : doorstop press conference , 10 october 2012 . ` this is the same office which ran a very effective opposition , it 's the same office which has got an enormous amount done this year sometimes under very difficult circumstances , ' he said . there has been growing speculation of disunity in coalition ranks recently . late last week , the australian financial review reported that ms bishop ` went bananas ' at mr abbott when she was not consulted about a plan for a male colleague to ` chaperone ' her to a climate change conference in lima , peru . it was claimed trade minister andrew robb was accompanying ms bishop to ensure australia did not over-commit on his climate change policy promises . the bust-ups have overshadowed a significant announcement in lima by ms bishop that australia will contribute $ 200 million to a global fund to help poorer nations tackle climate change . mr abbott last week admitted the government had been performing in a ` ragged ' way recently . this week , he watered down his plans to introduce a gp co-payment , canning his initial policy of introducing a $ 7 fee for most australians when they visit the doctor . colleagues : julie bishop took issue with tony abbott 's decision to ` chaperone ' her at the united nations conference and now there are claims she is at odds with his chief of staff , peta credlin . one front-bencher says julie bishop is unhappy at the level of control peta credlin as the pm 's chief of staff . the foreign minister 's office denies the claims .

<t> julie bishop reportedly confronted tony abbott following claims he requested the trade minister to ` chaperone ' her next week . </t> <t> andrew robb will shadow ms bishop in peru for the united nations climate change summit . </t> <t> foreign minister was not consulted about it and went ` bananas at the pm ' </t> <t> it has been suggested mr robb was being sent to peru to ensure ms bishop did n't over-commit australia on its climate change policy . </t>

julie bishop ` goes bananas ' at tony abbott after reading andrew robb would be ` chaperone '<T>

the brother of honeymoon murder victim anni dewani today made an emotional appeal for her husband to be forced to ` tell the world ' how she died . with his sister 's photograph pinned to his jacket , anish hindocha , 25 , said shrien dewani should not be allowed to ` walk away ' without revealing in his own words how she met her death . dewani , who has been on trial since early october accused of his wife 's murder , has lodged a bid to be freed next week claiming there is insufficient evidence against him for the trial to continue and the charges should be thrown out . judge jeanette traverso will deliver her decision on monday on whether she agrees that dewani has no case to answer or whether there is enough evidence for the case to continue . despite glaring variations in his version of events leading up to , and after , his wife 's fatal shooting two weeks after their wedding , dewani is next week widely expected to be cleared of having any hand in it . but anish , who has been supporting his parents in cape town since the first day of the trial , said : ` it would be a terrible development to what has been a four-year wait , if we and the people of south africa are not afforded the full story . ' scroll down for exclusive video . ` give us the full story ' : shrien dewani 's brother anish hindocha -lrb- pictured , left , with his sister ami denborg , centre , and parents vinod and nilam hindocha , behind , at a court hearing last year -rrb- made an emotional appeal for her husband to be forced to explain how she died . he said dewani 's counsel francois van zyl had told the court repeatedly that the accused would explain to the court his version of events . anish said : ` the phrase `` my client will tell the court '' has become like a mantra to the judge , media and members of the public who have attended the western cape court . ` shrien dewani has insisted all along that he would clear his name and his legal team have promised the court since the trial began dozens of times that he would help the court with his own version of events . ` well , let 's have him `` tell the court '' then . that has been his pledge throughout the trial . ` it would be wrong for him to walk away from south africa without explaining himself what happened on the night of anni 's murder in this country . ' intention : the parents of murdered honeymoon bride anni dewani , vinod and nilam hindocha , say they will sue their accused son-in-law shrien dewani for not disclosing his bisexuality before marrying their daughter . accused : shrien dewani -lrb- left -rrb- is charged with five counts relating to the kidnapping and murder of his wife of two weeks , anni , -lrb- right -rrb- in a carjacking during their honeymoon to cape town in november 2010 . he said anni 's family had been overwhelmed with support from well wishers who clearly wanted a full trial to be conducted . ` the people here have been , overall , fantastic in their support of us as anni 's family . ` we can not thank them enough for the warmth they have shown us and we really appreciate it . thousands of messages arrive through social media and other means and they mean a lot . ` but they also show that south africa , after spending a vast amount of money , time and expertise on bringing shrien dewani to trial , is demanding the full story . unaware : nilam hindocha , who is recovering from stomach cancer , said : ` if i knew shrien was gay or bisexual i would never have allowed anni to get married ' back in court : speaking for the first time since the trial began , vinod hindocha -lrb- pictured -rrb- said he intends to pursue the civil action against dewani in london , but stressed it was not financially motivated . version : anni 's parents said they will struggle to find closure if they do not hear shien dewani -lrb- pictured earlier in the trial -rrb- giving evidence in court . ` if the full facts are not given and by that i mean shrien dewani telling the court his version , than anni 's death will remain on the conscience of south africa forever . ` it will also mean a lifetime of further torture for me and my family , particularly my parents . ' anni 's parents revealed to mailonline earlier this week that they were unaware of their son-in-law 's secret trysts with male prostitutes , including one called leopold leisser , which he confessed to on the first day of the trial while also admitting he was bisexual . they declared they would not have agreed to the marriage and anni herself would have walked away if the facts of his sexuality and meetings with male prostitutes had been revealed . they are also set to examine taking legal action against him once the criminal case has been completed .<doc-sep>anish added : ` there have been reports that we as a family are planning to take legal action of our own and sue shrien dewani after this murder trial is over . ` this is not the right time to discuss this . however , our motivation is not , and never has been financial . we just demand the truth . ` and we do that with heavy hearts after such a long time . ' anni , who had been married less than a fortnight after their # 200,000 wedding , died from a single gunshot to the neck as she was driven through khayelitsha , part of a run-down suburb , with her husband in a taxi in november 2010 . dewani was released unharmed , claiming he was pushed through the passenger rear window , but his wife was found dead the next day . support : ani 's sister ami denborg -lrb- right -rrb- also said she wants the south african trial judge to ensure that shrien dewani explains his side of the story on how his wife anni -lrb- left -rrb- was killed in november 2010 . trouble : shrien dewani -lrb- right -rrb- told anni -lrb- left -rrb- he had fertility problems . the cape town murder trial has since heard how he went to thailand for kick-boxing to help boost his testosterone levels . three men were later jailed for the car jacking , but the trio said the murder was planned and two told the trial they were hired by dewani , a wealthy businessman from bristol . the third has died from a brain tumour while serving his life sentence . taxi driver zola tongo said dewani had offered him # 1,400 to help organise the hit and enlist gangsters to carry out a staged hit on anni . dewani , 34 , was arrested soon after an extradition order was granted to take him back to south africa to face trial . but he fought against his removal from britain through the courts and was assessed as suffering from post traumatic shock and other mental health issues for three-and-a-half years . in the dark : mr and mrs hindocha -lrb- pictured in cape town last week -rrb- revealed they were totally unaware that dewani was bisexual and slept with gay prostitutes until details of his secret sex life were emerged in court . claims : police say dewani -lrb- striped shirt -rrb- masterminded the murder of anni -lrb- right -rrb- , but he denies the charge accusing the three killers of concocting a yarn to reduce their own prison terms of at least 25 years . shrien dewani told the cape town court that he had hired a london prostitute , who went under the name the german master -lrb- pictured -rrb- , for sexual liaisons . he was returned in april by a private charter plane and is being detained in a secure hospital wing . he denies any involvement in the murder and insists he has been set up by the killers and was deeply in love with his wife . mr leisser and a senior scotland yard officer were banned by the judge from revealing details of dewani 's homosexual activities as they were about to give the evidence from the witness box . anish added : ' i fully expect the south african trail against shrien dewani to continue and for his application to end the case to be rejected . ` we have been made aware that there has been a petition against the judge in the this case and we would like to point out that it has nothing to do with our own case for justice and the full story we want . ' he made a direct plea to the court to hear the full evidence available and for the defence to put is case . he added : ` please allow us the opportunity to demand justice for my sister . please allow us the full story . ` we do n't want to return to our homes in the uk and sweden carrying any doubts at all about whether anni 's murder received a fair and proper hearing in south africa . ` we have been promised it for four painful years which have devastated our lives . i worry about my parents health and they need this closure . ` my message is simple . do n't let shrien dewani walk away without giving us , south africa and people all over the world the full story . ` let the law take its full and proper course . ' millionaire businessman shrien dewani -lrb- pictured arriving at court earlier in the trial -rrb- is said to have already packed his bags in the expectation that a judge will find in his favour over his claim that he should walk free because of a lack of evidence without being forced into the witness box and cross-examination .<doc-sep>fake : sneha mashru , pictured right , best friend of anni dewani , left , told the court the dewanis were pretending to be in love . shrien and anni dewani pretended to be in love at their lavish indian wedding , anni 's best friend and cousin this morning told dewani 's murder trial . ` anni told me that shrien and her had decided to act for the wedding ' , sneha mashru told shrien dewani 's south african murder trial . ` she said `` sneha , do we look happy together ? '' because me and shrien - we are acting ' . the revelation came as sneha mashru - anni 's best friend - was asked about the previous day 's witness testimony in which she laid out her suspicions anni 's husband . sneha disputed the defence 's suggestion that she may not have known everything about her best friend 's life - and rejected as misleading a doctor 's medical record which shows how anni and shrien had been trying for a baby . ` if anni was trying to fall pregnant then she would have told me ' , sneha - who is anni 's paternal cousin - told shrien dewani 's murder trial . ` also i know for a fact that shrien and anni 's sex life was not good because shrien was having problems getting an erection . ' anni dewani was shot dead on her honeymoon on the evening of 13th november , 2010 when the taxi she and her husband shrien were travelling in was hijacked as it passed through the dangerous cape town township of gugulethu . while four south africans - including the taxi 's driver - have so far been convicted of carrying out the hijack , the country 's police force has accused shrien dewani , a businessman from bristol , of arranging and paying for his wife 's murder . dewani denies the allegation . giving witness evidence for a second day , sneha mashru was challenged on her claims that dewani had acted ` strangely ' on his return from south africa . ' i expected him to behave more grieving ' , sneha told the court . ' i wanted to see the sadness in him . i could n't see the love . ' dewani 's lawyer , francois van zyl , countered that shrien dewani will not deny that he is a ` perfectionist , calculating , controlling ' person . not so happy : mrs mashru claims that anni dewani told her the she and shrien had decided to ` act in love for the wedding ' in 2010 -lrb- pictured -rrb- . killing : anni dewani , nee hindocha , was shot dead on her honeymoon on the evening of 13th november , 2010 . testimony : swedish mrs mashru told cape town 's high court that she knew the dewanis ' sex life was not good because shrien was having problems getting an erection . dewanis ' actions , his lawyer said , `` are in keeping with his perfectionist traits '' . sneha mashru did not demure . cape town 's high court also heard this morning from sgt cornelius mellet , one of the first police officers to talk to mr dewani after the hijack . sgt. mellet said he had been surprised to notice that shrien dewani 's ` appearance was clean ' after the november 2010 incident . ` in my experience -lsb- ... -rsb- this person was someone who was in a robbery , but without a struggle taking place ' , sgt. mellet told the court . accused : shrien dewani arrives at the western cape high court ahead of the trial on monday . cold : anni 's best friend , mrs mashru told the court yesterday that she did not feel dewani grieved . asked to elaborate , the policeman said : ' i am a married man who has been married for many years and i would have been very worried if my wife has disappeared . ` it was strange for me that mr dewani did not enquire what the police were doing within their powers to get hold his wife . ' under cross examination , however , sgt. mellet confirmed that he did not provide the detectives investigating anni 's murder with this information until almost a year after anni 's murder . mellet 's first official statement on his interaction with mr dewani , it was revealed today , was taken on the 12 october 2012 - just under eleven months after anni 's death , . furthermore , sgt. mellet conceded that he had no written notes of dewani 's allegedly suspicious words or actions - and that the only notes he does have contain no reference to dewani having acted strangely at all . the case continues .<doc-sep>murder suspect shrien dewani appeared in a south african court today ahead of his long-awaited trial for allegedly killing his wife on their honeymoon . dewani , a 35-year-old from bristol , was travelling in a taxi with his wife anni , 28 , through a poor township in south africa in 2010 when their vehicle was hijacked . he was soon released unharmed , but his wife was found dead the next day with a gunshot to her neck . court appearance : shrien dewani was pictured today at a court in cape town ahead of his murder trial . trial : dewani will appear in court on october 6 for his full trial over the murder , which took place in 2010 . dewani , a millionaire businessman , faces a full trial in cape town starting on october 6 . he is accused of hiring hitmen to stage the abduction . he denies any involvement in the killing . three men have already been convicted of hijacking , murder and robbery charges in connection with anni 's death and are serving prison sentences .<doc-sep>by . simon tomlinson . published : . 09:42 est , 22 october 2013 . | . updated : . 11:30 est , 22 october 2013 . honeymoon murder suspect shrien dewani has won a further hearing in his legal battle against extradition . a panel of three high court judges - headed by the lord chief justice lord thomas - ruled today there are outstanding legal issues the court must decide . dewani , 33 , is fighting removal to south africa to face trial over his wife anni 's death until he has recovered from mental health problems , including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder . scroll down for video . standing together : anni dewani 's family -lrb- l-r -rrb- - mother nilam hindocha , brother anish hindocha , sister ami denborg and father vinod hindocha - outside the high court after shrien dewani was granted another extradition hearing .<doc-sep>although he has already admitted his role in anni 's murder , qwabe , 27 , yesterday appeared in court as a witness against xolile mngeni , who is alleged to be his partner in crime . accused : xolile mngeni -lrb- black jacket -rrb- and mziwamadoda qwabe -lrb- striped shirt -rrb- appear in the cape town high court , on february 10 , 2012 . happy couple : shrien and anni dewani on their wedding day . swedish-born anni was murdered in november 2010 and the convicted assassin has said mr dewani ordered her death . deadly weapon : the semi-automatic handgun used to killl anni dewani . qwabe used his court appearance yesterday to point the finger of blame for anni 's death at shrien dewani . while admitting that he never spoke directly to the british businessman , the south african recalled being told that the murder was shrien 's idea . confession : mziwamadoda qwabe is testifying against his alleged partner in crime . ` there is a husband who wants his wife killed and it must look like a hijacking , ' qwabe recalled being told . he went on to say how the hijack and murder plan had initially faltered when the two hijackers failed to be at the agreed rendezvous point on time . it was shrien , qwabe claimed in court , who nonetheless insisted that the ` job ' should continue . ` the husband wants the job to be done that same night , ' qwabe recalled being told . anni , 28 , and her husband were . hijacked on the fifth day of their honeymoon as their taxi drove through . gugulethu township outside cape town . after stealing all their valuables , the .

<t> anish hindocha makes emotional appeal for businessman to testify at trial . </t> <t> insists it would be ` terrible ' if he left south africa without giving ` full story ' </t> <t> he said : ` if facts are n't given , it will mean a lifetime of torture for our family ' </t> <t> dewani 's bid to have murder charge thrown out appears likely to succeed . </t>

anni dewani 's brother begs court to force shrien to give ` full story ' of her death<T>

it must have seemed like such a good idea at the time to the european team 's brains trust , pairing the plucky local hero with the seasoned campaigner who can transform himself into superman once every two years . unfortunately , nine holes later , stephen gallacher and ian poulter seemed to be going through some sort of conscious uncoupling , as they fell four behind the youngest ever partnership to take to the course for an american ryder cup team . it was an example of anglo-scottish collaboration that would have appealed more to alex salmond than the better together campaign , and by the 14th green they were shaking hands with young tyros jordan spieth and patrick reed . europe 's ian poulter assesses his options during the first day of the 2014 ryder cup on friday . ian poulter comes out of a bunker on the third on friday but could ultimately do little to help europe . afternoon foursomes scores . 1315 : jamie donaldson and lee westwood vs jim furyk and matt kuchar - europe 2up after 18 . 1330 : justin rose and henrik stenson vs hunter mahan and zach johnson - europe win 2 & 1 . 1421 : rory mcilroy and sergio garcia vs jimmy walker and rickie fowler - a/s after 18 . 1436 : victor dubuisson and graeme mcdowell vs phil mickelson and keegan bradley - europe win 3 & 2 . morning fourballs scores . 0735 : justin rose and henrik stenson vs bubba watson and webb simpson - europe win 5 & 4 .<doc-sep>0750 : thomas bjorn and martin kaymer vs rickie fowler and jimmy walker - a/s after 18 . 0805 : stephen gallacher and ian poulter vs jordan spieth and patrick reed - usa win 5 & 4 . 0820 : sergio garcia and rory mcilroy vs keegan bradley and phil mickelson - usa 1up after 18 . this looked like an example of modern sport 's tendency towards paralysis by analysis . paul mcginley and his five vice-captains must have looked at this from a hundred different angles , and still managed to come up with a combination that simply did not work . factors such as gallacher feeling the pressure in this elevated company before a crowd that yearned for him to succeed , and of poulter arriving here with desperately little form appeared to weigh heavily . as spieth ventured afterwards , it was a major morale booster for the americans to take down the local specialist and the man who has caused them so much misery in recent editions . poulter even offered an unlikely note of introspection afterwards as he explained that the plan was always for him to sit out the afternoon foursomes instead of trying to play five matches . ` not many people have been able to play five and the reason is it 's very tiring , ' he said . ` i 'm 38 , we 've got some younger pups on the team that might be able to do it better than i can . ' poulter should not be written off as three times before he has lost his first match before coming back to wreak damage . but he has never lost one as heavily as this , unable to contribute so much as a birdie in the course of a 5 & 4 defeat . by the time the euro pair slightly revived after the turn , the huge galleries recognised the match as a lost cause and could not muster much in the way of support . ian poulter was unable to salvage anything for europe on friday morning , losing a tough 5 & 4 against usa . 7.35 am : justin rose and henrik stenson v bubba watson and matt kuchar .<doc-sep>7.50 am : jamie donaldson and lee westwood v jim furyk and hunter mahan . 8.05 am : thomas bjorn and martin kaymer v patrick reed and jordan spieth . 8.20 am : rory mcilroy and ian poulter v jimmy walker and rickie fowler . many duos would have struggled against the americans who , despite being the first us partnership both aged 25 or below , went round the first 11 holes in six under par , playing with the absence of fear that youth can bring . ` when you 're playing against guys who are rolling putts in then they are going to be very hard to beat , ' said poulter , who pointed out how they dovetailed . ` they ham-and-egged very well . obviously my record has been pretty good and has taken a dent . but this is a team game , not just about singling one or two guys out . ' you would need a heart of stone not to feel for gallacher , who was followed round by his ryder cup legend uncle bernard , lending his vast experience to his radio commentary duties . his nephew admitted afterwards : ` your first ryder cup there 's a bit of excitement and you do n't know what to expect . it took me maybe about five or six holes to get into it . i was a bit out of rhythm . it was a special reception on the first tee , something that i will definitely remember for the rest of my life . ' that was short-lived as he pushed his tee shot wide towards the huge corporate construct and then watched as poulter missed an easy two-footer on the first green . no amount of adrenaline could get either player going after that , and it may have been that poulter was so pre-occupied with discovering any kind of form for himself that he was unable to give his rookie partner the benefit of his experience . europe 's self-styled ` postman ' will want to improve his delivery on saturday . europe 's ian poulter will want to improve his delivery on saturday to live up to his self-styled ` postman ' name .<doc-sep>jamie donaldson sticks his tongue out as he celebrates with his team europe teammates at the ryder cup . the 2014 ryder cup celebrations got into full swing after europe emerged 16 1/2 -11 1/2 winners against usa . jamie donaldson still could n't believe that europe had won the 2014 ryder cup on monday morning either . ian poulter was very much a part of the sunday night celebrations , too , admitting he felt ' a little worse for wear ' on monday morning as he made his way to the airport after staying up until 4am . still , fowler and watson 's way of dealing with the defeat may be more harmless than what usa teammate mickelson did in the aftermath . mickelson , asked about usa captain watson , said : ` there were two things that allowed us to play our best that paul azinger -lrb- the 2008 captain -rrb- did . ` first , he got everybody invested in the process . he got everybody invested in who they were going to play with , who the picks were going to be , who was going to be in their `` pod '' , when they would play , and they had a great leader for each pod . we hung out together . europe 's ian poulter was very much a part of the sunday night celebrations , too , staying up until 4am . ian poulter is covered in champagne as the celebrations get going after europe win the 2014 ryder cup . ian poulter makes his way to the airport after enjoying a night of celebrations with his european teammates . ` the other things that paul did really well was he had a game plan for us - how we were going to go about doing this , how we were going to go about playing together , if so-and-so is playing well , if so-and-so is not playing well . ` those two things helped us bring out our best golf . we use that same process in the presidents cup and we do really well . ` unfortunately we have strayed from a winning formula for the last three ryder cups and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula that helped us play our best . ' asked if he believed his comments were disloyal to watson , he replied : ` i 'm sorry you 're taking it that way . i 'm just talking about what paul azinger did to help us play our best . ' phil mickelson was clear and specific in his criticism of american ryder cup captain tom watson on sunday . mickelson -lrb- centre -rrb- looks despondent after europe collect the ryder cup trophy against usa on sunday .<doc-sep>not many people manage to steal the spotlight from ian poulter during the ryder cup , but lee westwood managed to upstage his teammate with a well-timed photobomb at gleneagles . the former world no 1 crept up behind poulter and his wife katie ahead of the official opening ceremony to play the prank while europe 's talisman looked ahead none the wiser . the relaxed nature of europe 's finest should stand them in god stead to retain the trophy when hostilities against the usa resume on friday . lee westwood photobombs teammate ian poulter and wife katie ahead of the ryder cup opening ceremony . poulter acknowledges the support as europe 's players are introduced during the opening ceremony . when it comes to the competition , poulter is renowned as mr ryder cup or the postman -lrb- because he always delivers -rrb- as the 38-year-old seems to grow in stature during the trans-atlantic battles . the englishman has been europe 's leading points scorer in the last three meetings and was the team 's inspirational talisman who sparked the miracle at medinah two years ago . for that reason , us team captain tom watson has identified him as the statement scalp to chase - a comment that poulter regards as a compliment .<doc-sep>by . david kent . ian poulter and lee westwood may be gearing up for the start of the 143rd open championship at royal liverpool on thursday , but the englishmen looked in high spirits during a practice round . the pair joked with each other and their caddies on monday , and it may be down to westwood being taught how to navigate instagram by the more experienced poulter . poulter took to twitter to announce the news , saying : ' @westwoodlee has just joined instagram westwood_lee . he promises to be interesting . ' scroll down for the full start times on thursday of the open at royal liverpool . demonstration : ian poulter may have been giving lee westwood tips on how to use instagram . this is how it 's done : westwood -lrb- left -rrb- and poulter were practicing on day two before the open starts . high spirits : poulter and westwood laugh with caddie terry mundy during the practice round in liverpool . joker : poulter took to twitter to announce westwood joining instagram , promising ` to be interesting ' trio : westwood , his son and poulter were snapped in this selfie at royal liverpool during practice . the team : westwood uploaded this photograph to instagram after his son convinced him to join . giving in : westwood said his son convinced him to join the social networking website . the open starts on thursday , and sees poulter tee off at 9.37 am with westwood at 2.38 pm . the latter , though , may be under added pressure after europe 's ryder cup captain paul mcginley urged the 41-year-old to up his game in liverpool . ` we all know lee has the pedigree , ' said mcginley . ` if you look back at the ryder cup since 1997 , he has been the one constant pillar of all our success during that time . ` i 'm a huge fan , and i 'm certainly not looking to rip up the template . but i have to justify every decision i make , so he has to show me some form . ' hit and miss : europe 's ryder cup captain paul mcginley says westwood must ` show me some form ' 6.25 am : david howell -lrb- eng -rrb- , david duval -lrb- usa -rrb- , robert krlsson -lrb- swe -rrb- . 6.36 am : dawie van der walt -lrb- rsa -rrb- , cameron tringale -lrb- usa -rrb- , masanori kobayashi -lrb- jpn -rrb- . 6.47 am : chris wood -lrb- eng -rrb- , matt jones -lrb- aus -rrb- , bernd wiesberger -lrb- aut -rrb- . 6.58 am : erik compton -lrb- usa -rrb- , kim hyung-sung -lrb- kor -rrb- , marc leishman -lrb- aus -rrb- . 7.09 am : koumei oda -lrb- jpn -rrb- , ben martin -lrb- usa -rrb- , anirban lahiri -lrb- ind -rrb- .<doc-sep>so much for being a two-man team . the americans had talked endlessly in the build-up about targeting rory mcilroy and ian poulter , as if taking down those two would lead naturally to the ryder cup heading back across the atlantic . the wisdom of that theory was rather shot to pieces on a fascinating first day , as any number of fearless europeans stood up to be counted to turn a one-point deficit at lunch into a handy 5-3 advantage . an out-of-sorts mcilroy contributed just a half point and poulter suffered a rare defeat , so to that end the american plan might be said to have worked . europe 's sergio garcia -lrb- left -rrb- and rory mcilroy react after an incredible putt on the 17th hole during their foursomes match on day one of the 40th ryder cup . europe 's sergio garcia -lrb- left -rrb- reacts after rory mcilroy sink a putt during their foursomes match against rickie fowler and jimmy walker of the usa on friday . rory mcilroy and sergio garcia celebrate on after seeing off the threat of jimmy walker and rickie fowler to nick a halve for europe against usa on friday . usa 's rickie fowler shakes hands with rory mcilroy of europe as they halve their match during the afternoon foursomes of the 2014 ryder cup . europe 's justin rose -lrb- right -rrb- raises his hat to the crowd as he and henrik stenson won their foursomes match on the first day of the 2014 ryder cup golf tournament . team europe 's justin rose celebrates his and henrik stenson 's 2 & 1 victory in the afternoon foursomes against usa 's hunter mahan and zach johnson . justin rose and his wife kate share a kiss on the 17th green after he won his foursomes 40th ryder cup match at gleneagles to help europe take their 5-3 lead . victor dubuisson of france was impressive for team europe against the usa at the 2014 ryder cup as he and graeme mcdowell emerged with a 3 & 2 victory . the lead achieved on a rollercoaster day at gleneagles as europe and usa traded the advantage between the morning and afternoon sessions in the 2014 ryder cup . victor dubuisson and graeme mcdowell won 3 & 2 against usa 's phil mickelson and keegan bradley to make it 5-3 to europe against usa at the 2014 ryder cup . europe claimed a 5-3 lead after the first two sessions of the 40th ryder cup , despite their star trio of rory mcilroy and sergio garcia contributing just halves . graeme mcdowell -lrb- left -rrb- of europe celebrates victory with victor dubuisson on the 16th green during the afternoon foursomes of the 2014 ryder cup at gleneagles . graeme mcdowell of northern ireland celebrates on the 16th green after beating phil mickelson and keegan bradley with europe teammate victor dubuisson . afternoon foursomes scores . 1315 : jamie donaldson and lee westwood vs jim furyk and matt kuchar - europe 2up after 18 . 1330 : justin rose and henrik stenson vs hunter mahan and zach johnson - europe win 2 & 1 . 1421 : rory mcilroy and sergio garcia vs jimmy walker and rickie fowler - a/s after 18 . 1436 : victor dubuisson and graeme mcdowell vs phil mickelson and keegan bradley - europe win 3 & 2 . morning fourballs scores . 0735 : justin rose and henrik stenson vs bubba watson and webb simpson - europe win 5 & 4 . 0750 : thomas bjorn and martin kaymer vs rickie fowler and jimmy walker - a/s after 18 . 0805 : stephen gallacher and ian poulter vs jordan spieth and patrick reed - usa win 5 & 4 . 0820 : sergio garcia and rory mcilroy vs keegan bradley and phil mickelson - usa 1up after 18 . trouble is , when those two faltered , there to take up the slack was graeme mcdowell and lee westwood and their wonderful rookie partners , victor dubuisson and jamie donaldson . most of all , there was the prodigious gifts and warrior instincts of justin rose and his swedish partner henrik stenson . rose 's partnership with poulter might have been broken up but the former is fast compiling a ryder cup record of which the latter would be proud . the two points he contributed on friday with stenson takes his overall record to eight victories from 11 matches spread over three ryder cups . rose is one of those mr dependables who could play with anyone . he has taken over the role of largely unsung hero westwood used to play . here in the tricky breezy conditions he was immense and the competitor in stenson rose to the challenge of being an able partner . average by his standards in the morning , the swede was at his awesome best following the break . as ever , the first day of this 40th edition had plenty that intrigued and lots to analyse ; plenty to keep fans of the sport and beyond in rapt conversation at the 19th hole . at its heart lay an astonishing decision from american captain tom watson that sucked all the momentum built up by the visitors in the morning and left them crestfallen at the finish . the story at half-time was that europe had somehow contrived to lose yet another series despite winning one match comfortably and leading two more with just the final three holes to play . they would lose one and halve the other to concede the first series by a point . that took their record to two wins out of the last 12 series of fourballs and foursomes . team europe 's graeme mcdowell -lrb- right -rrb- of northern ireland lines up a putt on the seventh green during the foursomes matches at gleneagles . team europe 's lee westwood and jamie donaldson line up a putt on the 18th green during the foursome afternoon match on the first day of the 2014 ryder cup . inevitably there were grumblings but any questions about some of the pairings and why a natural front man like mcilroy was stuck in the anchor match became a faded memory thanks to watson 's howler . comfortably the best golf in the morning was played by the youngest american partnership in ryder cup history -- 21-year-old jordan spieth and 24-year-old patrick reed . to be fair , it was a watson masterstroke to pair them together , for they did n't just take down poulter and local hero stephen gallacher -- they wiped the floor with them . the two rookies were full of it afterwards and rightly so . they were the talk of the glen . the americans present were buoyant . who would the new american dream pairing be taking on in the afternoon ? they were benched . world number one rory mcilroy and sergio garcia -lrb- pictured -rrb- turned their fortunes around to salvage a halve after losing their morning session on friday . ian poulter during his game on friday morning against patrick reed and jordan spieth as him and stephen gallacher lost 5 & 4 in the morning session . keegan bradley of the usa reacts after his putt on the 11th green during the afternoon foursomes of the 2014 ryder cup on the pga centenary course at gleneagles . team europe 's sergio garcia -lrb- right -rrb- of spain and rory mcilroy of northern ireland talk during the foursomes matches against jimmy walker and rickie fowler . sportsmail 's graphic shows why it is good europe started brightly against usa . naturally , they could not believe it . who could ? they pleaded with their captain . ` they 're very upset with me right now , ' admitted watson . they were not alone , among those with american interests at heart . and so the momentum shifted . donaldson and westwood were majestic in beating the noted foursomes players , jim furyk and matt kuchar , on the final hole . poor mickelson , now 44 and with an arthritic condition , looked like a man who could hardly believe he was being sent out again , and played tired golf -- who would have thought that ? -- in losing to mcdowell and dubuisson . even america 's only half point in the afternoon must have felt like a loss as world no 1 mcilroy and world no 3 garcia came back from two down with two to play . what a start we had to proceedings . it is an incredible logistical exercise to get 50,000 people on to a golf course situated in the middle of nowhere for a 7.35 am start but the hardy ryder cup regulars , as ever , were up for it . the park-and-ride car parks started filling up at 5am and by the time the gates opened at 6am , there were thousands waiting to make the mad dash for the best seats in the 3,000-capacity grandstand around the first tee . by 6.15 am , some 45 minutes before the sun started peeking above the ochil hills , there were no unoccupied seats at all . daylight revealed a magnificent landscape , with spectators occupying every possible vantage point -- and soon the songs began . ` ten-six , and you still ca n't win , ' was one chant , a reference to the epic turn of events at medinah . bubba watson was first out for america and when he cupped his hand to his ear the thrilled crowd knew what that meant . so it was he boomeranged the ball in trademark fashion to a deafening ` ole ' accompaniment . that , however , was as good as it got for the masters champion and his hapless partner webb simpson . a special reception was afforded poulter and local hero , stephen gallacher . poulter pounded his chest , the frustrated footballer to the end . it looked as if the occasion was too much for gallacher , while poulter lost for the first time in eight ryder cup matches . curiously , all four of his defeats have come on the opening day . just a minuscule contribution in points terms from mcilroy and poulter , then , but no matter . to american chagrin , this was the day european golf displayed all its considerable strength in depth . rory mcilroy of europe and sergio garcia talk during a press conference after the afternoon foursomes of the 2014 ryder cup on the pga centenary course . rory mcilroy of europe puts his arm around sergio garcia during their post-win press conference after the afternoon foursomes of the 2014 ryder cup on friday . usa captain tom watson congratulates patrick reed after he and jordan spieth beat ian poulter and stephen gallacher in the morning session on the first day . rory mcilroy had a tough morning against keegan bradley and phil mickelson but fared better against jimmy walker and rickie fowler in the afternoon . henrik stenson put in a good shift for europe , beating bubba watson and webb simpson 5 & 4 then hunter mahan and zach johnson 2 & 1 with teammate justin rose .

<t> ian poulter and stephen gallacher lost against usa 's jordan spieth and patrick reed 5 & 4 on friday morning on the 2014 ryder cup opening day . </t> <t> europe duo fell four behind the youngest ever partnership to take to the course for an american ryder cup team . </t> <t> rory mcilroy and poulter partnered for saturday morning 's fourballs against usa 's jimmy walker and rickie fowler . </t>

europe 's ian poulter 's nightmare ryder cup start must quickly change against usa<T>

a council which has been forced to slash millions from its budget spent # 17,000 on an extravagant ceremony to switch on its christmas lights . crawley borough council has been forced to make savings of # 7.3 million from its budget during the last five years - cutting services for residents . but the council decided to spare no expense when it hired barriers , bouncers and put up a stage , as well as organised a fireworks display and street entertainment for the switch-on event , which cost # 16,882 . crawley council spent # 17,000 on an extravagant christmas lights switch on event , which residents branded a shambles and criticised as the council has slashed millions off its budget in the last five years . it also drafted in stephen mulhern , the presenter , for the event - but residents complained it was a waste of money , with bad decorations and a poor fireworks display . steve burbidge was at the event with his daughter and said : ` all i can say is it was unbelievable .<doc-sep>` my daughter asked me when they were putting the lights on - but they already had . ' another resident , who asked not to be named , said : ` it was a joke - we could n't see the fireworks and the decorations themselves are dreadful . ` it was a shambles and an embarrassment . spending # 100 on the event would have been too much , let alone # 17,000 . ' last year crawley borough council announced it would close 22 playgrounds which were under used and cost too much to maintain . this was reduced to four after a backlash . stephen mulhern -lrb- holding microphone -rrb- was drafted in to turn on crawley 's christmas lights , while the council also spent thousands on a stage , bouncers , barriers and decorations - which residents said were rubbish . people said they were unable to see the town 's expensive fireworks display because of the barriers they used .<doc-sep>the council merged community wardens and civil enforcement officers , which it claimed saved # 50,000 . the taxpayers ' alliance also criticised the council for trying to create festive cheer by spending money . andy silvester said : ` it 's easy to sound like the grinch but at a time when we 're struggling to pay for social care and children 's services , every penny of unnecessary spending has to be questioned . ` it 's a small figure in the grand scheme of things , but this money could have been spent better . ` festive cheer is n't created by councils , no matter how hard they try . ' a council spokesman described the switch-on as ' a great event ' which attracted 2,500 people into the town centre , and added : ` the economic benefit to the town was almost certainly higher and feedback from local organisations , was extremely positive . '<doc-sep>mr lightfoot said of the plans : ` we are concerned as we have dry-stone walls , a fountain and a rockery and an adjacent main road . our concern is that it is just totally unsafe and unsuitable . ` as far as i know the christmas lights committee has not scheduled another place to hold the switch-on . ' the christmas lights , which cost # 3,000 to install and maintain , were due to be lit on november 24 but they are now likely to be switched on without an official event . mr badham said : ` if the parish council does n't want to co-operate , then we will just turn the lights on without the event . ` the council is supposed to be . working with the community , not having all this in-fighting . ` they have . also given us nothing in terms of cash . ` it 's truly a highlight of the year in the village - it 's a delightful event . ` it 's . all about the community , it 's all about the children and for those . children who come , it 's absolutely wonderful and marks the start of . christmas . ' health and . safety guidelines for public events state that organisers need to have . crowd management , planning for emergencies and event stewards . village highlight : the ceremony is a special time of year for bishop 's cleeve when the lights , which cost # 3,000 to install and maintain , are switched on in november .<doc-sep>by . alex ward . published : . 06:28 est , 11 july 2012 . | . updated : . 02:39 est , 12 july 2012 . a local authority has been criticised after spending nearly # 630 to translate a local housing newsletter into urdu for one person . crawley borough council converted its 12-page quarterly homelink into the language spoken in pakistan and india after a single resident complained they could n't read it in english . details of the # 627.60 payment were released this week by the tory-run council in west sussex . pricey production : translating the spring edition of the crawley borough council 's magazine into urdu for one resident cost # 627.60 . a council spokesman confirmed that just one copy of the translated newsletter was printed . it immediately sparked anger among other local residents , who received the original newsletter in april and may which was sent to 8,107 council tenants . peter innes , 43 , said today : ` how can the council justify spending # 630 on translating a magazine for just one person ? ' ` the magazine is routinely just put in the bin by tenants and the advice in it is usually less than enlightening , so to my mind it is just a total and utter waste of money . ' losing their marbles : the crawley borough welcome many cultures and interests to their town like the marble world championships in 2006 -lrb- pictured -rrb- but translating for one resident is too much . ` unjustifiable ' spend : crawley residents complained about the translation done by crawley borough council as a waste of money for their town -lrb- pictured -rrb- . another local claire sanders , 29 , . said : ` it 's all very well translating the magazine into another . language , but where does it end ?<doc-sep>eight people have been injured after a stray firework fell into a crowd during a christmas lights switch on by eastenders actor steve mcfadden . mr mcfadden , who plays phil mitchell in the soap , turned up to switch on the festive illuminations in salisbury in wiltshire . the fireworks , which cost # 4,000 , were fired from the roof of the city 's guildhall to mark the end of the event , which was attended by up to 14,000 people . scroll down for video . paramedics treated eight people in salisbury city centre after a stray firework fell into a crowd during a christmas lights switch on . the fireworks , costing # 4,000 , were set off from the city 's guildhall , pictured , to mark the end of the ceremony . just before the stray firework hit the crowd eastenders actor steve mcfadden , who plays phil mitchell in the soap had turned on the city 's christmas lights . the fireworks were to mark the end of the event attended by mr mcfadden , pictured , which has attracted around 14,000 people . however , one firework malfunctioned causing debris to fall to the ground in queen street and new canal , where the crowds had gathered . eight people had to be seen by paramedics , with five treated for minor injuries at the scene , and one woman taken to hospital as a ` precaution ' , after she was bumped on the head . an eight-year-old girl also suffered a 4cm facial burn in the incident . one of the victims , brett bowles , told the bbc he was hit by pieces of firework at the beginning of the display . he said : ' i had my daughter in my arms watching the fireworks . ` the first few had gone over and then suddenly it felt like someone had thrown a bottle , which hit me in the side of the head . as the stray fireworks began to fall among the crowd , safety stewards moved people back to a safe distance . salisbury city council say the fireworks had been provided by a professional firm and had been due to last between six and eight minutes . ` then i looked down on the floor and there were some old firework remains there and the blood just pouring from my head . ' fellow spectator hannah austin claimed she avoided more than one falling fireworks at the festive ceremony . she said : ` it was n't just one stray firework , i was in the ` backstage ' area directly in front of the guildhall and avoided about seven coming straight down towards me . ` luckily only one hit the audience , although this should not have happened either . ` there were cardboard tubes everywhere after the event . ' but the malfunctioning firework fell to the ground in between queen street and new canal , causing debris to fall . the stray firework bumped one woman on the head and she was taken to hospital as a precaution . an eight-year-old girl also suffered a 4cm facial burn . a spokeswoman for salisbury city council said that the display had been provided by a professional firm and had been due to last for between six and eight minutes . she explained : ` salisbury city council are today beginning to conduct a full investigation into an incident that occurred at the salisbury christmas lights switch on event on thursday 20 november . ` during the firework part of the event , at approximately 7.05 pm , it would appear that a firework malfunctioned . one of the victims who was struck by the fireworks likened the blow to his head as being struck by a bottle . salisbury city council has been running the christmas lights switch on event , which featured the fireworks since 2009 . ` this resulted in debris falling to the ground in queen street and new canal . st john ambulance , who were present throughout the event , saw eight people . ` one person was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure . ` the council apologise for any distress this incident caused and are currently carrying out a full investigation with all involved . ` the christmas light switch on was a really good event until that moment and everyone was having a fabulous time . ` we do n't think we 've ever seen the square so packed . ' security staff quickly moved revellers away from the affected area into a clearance zone , she added . salisbury city council has been running the event since 2009 .<doc-sep>by . rob cooper . published : . 08:46 est , 24 december 2013 . | . updated : . 09:39 est , 24 december 2013 . councils have blown thousands of pounds recruiting x-factor cast-offs and z-list reality television stars to switch on their christmas lights this winter . former talent show winner matt cardle was paid # 5,000 to switch on basildon 's christmas lights last month . he also signed a deal believed to be worth # 4,000 to switch on the lights in south ayrshire - but missed his flight up to scotland because he was ` stuck in traffic ' . as a result , he got paid nothing . scroll down for video . ` star ' : mark wright from towie was paid # 7,000 for one hour of work switching on the christmas lights in perth . he turned the lights on and signed autographs before flying home . organisers had to scramble in former britain 's got talent winner jai mcdowall as a last minute replacement . fortunately , he had plenty of time on his hands after being ditched by his record label . councils across the country have blown . # 1.8 million since the general election in may 2010 hiring celebrities , a . mailonline investigation under the freedom of information act has . revealed . south tyneside council spent # 285,600 alone hiring celebrities for free concerts in an effort to give the area a boost over the last three years . local authorities . have blown taxpayers money to hire stars to turn up at cheesy staff . awards ceremonies , sports centre opening ceremonies and public events . the figures were branded ` astonishing ' by critics as they have come at a time when budgets have been slashed . the . total spend could be far higher as 98 out of 434 councils surveyed by . the mailonline failed to provide a response to the request . payday : former x-factor winner matt cardle was paid # 5,000 to switch on the christmas lights in basildon last month . in perth , z-list towie ` star ' mark wright was given # 7,000 plus # 132 for flights and # 150 for travel - all for just one hour of work . he turned on the christmas lights but decided he was too ` tired ' to meet hundreds of fans who queued outside a restaurant . instead , his team invited just 30 people at the front of the queue along to the three-star mercure hotel in perth where he spent half an hour signing autographs before swiftly flying home .

<t> crawley borough council spent # 17,000 on lavish christmas lights event . </t> <t> it hired bouncers , barriers and even paid for fireworks for the switch-on . </t> <t> but residents said decorations were rubbish and event a waste of money . </t> <t> extravagant spending follows council saving # 7m from budget in 5 years . </t>

crawley borough council blasted for ceremony to switch on christmas lights that cost taxpayers ⁇ 17k<T>

a harbourmaster says britain 's ports are being littered with sunken boats which are being bought online by drunk amateur sailors . captain paul thomas has spent the past year clearing out all abandoned vessels from fowey harbour in cornwall at a cost of thousands of pounds . he believes that would-be sailors are getting carried away after a few drinks and impulse buying second-hand fishing vessels through online auction site ebay . captain paul thomas pictured , believes that too many amateur sailors are buying boats online using services like ebay without actually realising the additional costs associated with keeping a vessel seaworthy . many boats , such as this one in fowey harbour in cornwall are being left to rot by their owners .<doc-sep>fowey is an incredibly popular destination for boaters with a sheltered harbour and excellent mooring . the hidden costs incurred with a boat such as mooring rates , maintenance and insurance , then scare the new owners who abandon their boats to rot in the harbour . in the past week the authorities have rounded up a catamaran , a fishing boat , a yacht and other miscellaneous vessels that had been abandoned and fallen into disrepair . when an abandoned vessel is identified a notice is issued to the owner , informing them they are required to either repair or remove the vessels . if this is not done , the authorities assess the vessel , before selling it off if it is still sea-worthy , or scrapping it if it is too damaged .<doc-sep>captain thomas said : ` it 's one of the plagues of harbour masters . ` people can be seduced into buying a boat really easily , often late at night and maybe after a few drinks , but buying it is the easy part - then there is mooring it , maintaining it and insuring it . ` they do n't realise how expensive it is , ca n't afford it , and then we get left with the boats and the costs . ` it is time-consuming , and we have better things to do . leaving a boat to rot is simply marine fly-tipping and we 're not having it .<doc-sep>` people have a responsibility to the community , the environment and the harbour users . ` fowey is a beautiful place and we want it to remain that way . ` we do n't want derelicts making it look untidy and causing a possible environmental hazard . ' captain thomas said people were making ` impulse buys ' on ebay without knowing the true cost of ownership .<doc-sep>there are more than 400 entries in the latest guide , which acts as a bible for the uk 's hotel industry . its editors say the guide is independent and all the hotels and b&b s are recommended by readers , with anonymous inspections done by the editorial team . ' a georgian gem ' : guests are greeted with tea and cake at newforge house , the irish guest house of the year . family-friendly : fowey hall at fowey , cornwall , was named the best place to take the kids . the pear tree at purton was rated the top country hotel thanks to its ` dynamic mother-and-daughter duo ' nine other cesar awards were handed out . ` unstuffy and impeccable ' lords of the manor at upper slaughter , gloucestershire , won country house hotel of the year , while the pear tree at purton in purton , wiltshire , was the top country hotel thanks to its ` dynamic mother-and-daughter duo ' and ` superb cuisine ' . for families , fowey hall at fowey , cornwall , was rated the top place to take the kids . it served as the inspiration for toad 's stately home in the wind in the willows . with no signals for television , radio or wifi , scotland 's moor of rannoch hotel at rannoch station was named newcomer of the year .<doc-sep>the predicted deluge is down to warm , humid air moving in from europe which creates a risk of downpours when it mixes with cooler air over the uk . pictured : early morning swimmers enjoy the warm weather today at peterborough lido , cambridgeshire . despite warm weather in many parts of the country today , including at peterborough lido , cambridgeshire -lrb- pictured -rrb- , next week is likely to be ` slightly unsettled ' with some dry and bright conditions along with light showers . in cornwall , kayakers out for a paddle had an unexpected surprise when a pod of dolphins came within feet of them as they travelled along the fowey river . dolphins are regular visitors to the river fowey but karen wells-west , who runs encounter cornwall with her partner david johns , said it was incredible to see so many . karen wells-west said the pod of dolphins spotted in the river fowey , cornwall , today were very special . she said : ` it is unusual to see them that far up the river . they were just playing around the boats . it was very special ' in recent months , dolphins , basking sharks and barrel jellyfish have been spotted in huge numbers around the cornish coast . racegoers study the form in the bright sunshine at epsom racecourse today where temperatures are expected to reach up to 25c . some places could see between 20mm and 30mm of rain fall within an hour tomorrow morning but that did n't stop racegoers enjoying their day out at the epsom derby in surrey today -lrb- pictured -rrb- . the ` pimm 's bar bus ' was popular at the epsom derby in surrey today as racegoers quenched their thirst in the warm sunshine . anyone for a pimm 's ? racegoers queue up to get their hands on a summer tipple as the epsom derby gets underway in surrey . entertainers performed to the crowds at the investec ladies day at epsom downs racecourse in surrey today . racegoers are set to enjoy a fine day of racing before heavy rain sets in overnight . mr . williams added : ` it is going to be one of those warm but humid days . where you could see some bright spells but also some heavy showers as . well . ' he said the . downpours will ease by sunday when there will be some ` good , dry and . bright spells ' , particularly in southern and eastern parts of the . country and only a risk of light rain in some areas . however , yet more rain is expected across the country on monday , although it will be brighter between the heavy showers . this is set to continue into next week , with some dry and bright conditions along with light showers , he added . this year has already seen record bad weather , with the wettest winter in more than 100 years in january and february . unsurprisingly , . scientists in reading have recorded the wettest first five months of . the year since records began in 1908 , when a total of 18inches -lrb- 457mm -rrb- . of rain fell on the berkshire town between january and may this year .<doc-sep>scallops war : the french fishermen were protesting about british ships fishing legally for the seafood -lrb- pictured -rrb- . surrounded : fishing trawlers from brixham harbour in devon were involved in the clashes . attack : anton bailey said he was surrounded by french fishing boats in international waters . ` none of our skippers could get away with it -- we 'd be locked up and legal action taken right away . ' but french fishermen have vowed to . take further action after officials in paris refused to cave in to their . demand for a ban on all fishing in the bay of seine , in a bid to stop . the ` pillage ' of the cash-rich stock . based in small ports on the normandy . coast , the fishermen are within easy range of the channel ferry ports of . cherbourg , calais , le harve , dieppe and caen . paul francoise , of the calvados . fishing committee , said : ` we appealed to the french government to stop . all fishing vessels -- french and british -- from entering the seine bay , . but they said it was impossible . ` there will be further action . this will certainly mean strikes and blockades . the government must take notice . ' fisherman claude milliner said : . ` enough is enough . we are going to step up our action . instead of 40 . boats , we will be 120 . we have nothing to lose . now we are going to have . to fight to defend our livelihood . our english friends are pillaging .<doc-sep>passing the sentence at truro crown court in cornwall last month , judge graham cottle accused the skippers and their employers of ` systematic , repeated and cynical abuse ' of the limits imposed to protect british fish stocks . according to the latest figures compiled by the marine management organisation , british-registered fishing boats landed 606,000 tons of sea fish in the uk and abroad last year , worth # 719million . about a third of this -- 196,000 tons -- was landed overseas . critics say that even when foreign boats land their catch in british ports , the fish are loaded straight into lorries and taken abroad . the department for environment , food and rural affairs said : ` it is vital that britain continues to receive a benefit from all uk registered boats . we are reviewing the policy to ensure this remains the case . '

<t> captain paul thomas said people do not realise the cost of owning a boat . </t> <t> he said drunk people are buying boats on ebay before leaving them to rot . </t> <t> captain thomas said he has spent the year clearing abandoned boats . </t> <t> the fowey harbourmaster described the problem as a modern ` plague ' </t> <t> he added owners do not consider repairs , mooring fees or insurance . </t>

fowey harbourmaster says ports are ` littered with sunken boats '<T>

a u.s. production company has launched a desperate online search to help the father of a boy who penned a touching note about his son who suffers from cystic fibrosis . north carolina-based horizon productions received the letter from ` lee of australia ' asking for a dvd of the disney tv show kirby buckets for his son to watch while he is in hospital . but lee sent the letter to the wrong company , so horizon employee ben park posted a picture of the letter to reddit in an effort to track the right company down and get a dvd to lee 's son . lee , who lives in a caravan park brisbane , wrote that his son has limited opportunity to move around because of his illness . scroll down for video . the touching note a brisbane father wrote to try to get his son , who suffers cystic fibrosis , a tv show dvd . lee 's son wants to watch the disney tv show kirby buckets -lrb- pictured -rrb- while he is in hospital . he added that his son has seen clips of the show online . no dvds have been officially released yet and the show is available on itunes in the u.s. but not australia . ` he gets really ill at times and spends time in hospital he loves the show and he watched a trailer on youtube , ' lee wrote . ` we are waiting for a double lung transplant which will make his life a lot better . ` we have what we call a happy wall in the ward at hospital where kids and parents put names on smiling faces of people and companies who make the children forget about their illness and smile and laugh awhile so could you help us by sending us a copy of `` kirby buckets '' . ' lee , who lives in a caravan park brisbane , said his son has limited opportunity to move because of his illness .<doc-sep>mr park , 29 , said he received the letter last month but decided to post it online on thursday -lrb- wednesday us time -rrb- because it had stuck with him . ben park , 29 , said he received the letter last month but decided to post it online on thursday . ` more and more as i read through it , it seems like a desperate plea from a father trying to bring some amount of joy into his son 's life , ' he told daily mail australia . ' i felt what he felt because i just had my first child - a boy - in the summer and i just wanted to do whatever i could do to help this father . ` he 's in pain seeing his child go through this , especially through the christmas holiday . ' mr park added that he was able to contact the owner of titmouse animation , which does the cartoons for the show , but said he had not heard back from the show 's producers . ` he said that he would forward it on to the showrunners of `` kirby buckets '' , ' mr park said . ` showrunners can be extremely busy so i do n't know if this letter will actually reach them or not . ' mr park clarified that : ` this is n't a marketing scheme or a grab for karma . ' people who suffer from cystic fibrosis develop an abnormal amount of excessively thick and sticky mucus within the lungs , airways and the digestive system , according to cystic fibrosis australia . ` the mucus causes impairment of the digestive functions of the pancreas and traps bacteria in the lungs resulting in recurrent infections which lead to irreversible damage , ' the organisation 's website states . lee sent the letter to the wrong company , so horizon posted a picture of the letter to reddit .<doc-sep>miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- one of two men charged with killing the crew of the joe cool charter fishing boat last year has agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder , a victim 's relative said . kirby archer is expected to plead guilty in exchange for prosecutors dropping the death penalty . kirby archer is expected to change his plea to guilty in exchange for a prosecutors ' agreement not to seek the death penalty against him , according to jeff branam , an uncle of slain boat captain jake branam . he said prosecutors told the victims ' relatives about the plea deal . the u.s. attorney 's office in miami , florida , declined to comment . court documents filed friday show that archer is scheduled to change his plea at a hearing thursday .<doc-sep>for most people , kirby vacuum cleaners are nothing more than a household necessity . but for dylan greene , who has autism , they are his greatest passion - and have been for 12 years . so , for his 14th birthday , the teenager 's mother decided to do something extra special to celebrate . jodie greene , from chesterfield county , virginia , sent an email to the kirby company - the cleveland-based makers of the kirby vacuum - explaining how her son had never been into ` normal ' toys . heartwarming : on his 14th birthday , dylan greene -lrb- right -rrb- , who has autism , was treated to a kirby vacuum cleaner demonstration by the firm 's salesman al archie -lrb- left -rrb- at his home in chesterfield county , virginia . birthday wish : dylan -lrb- center -rrb- poses with his sister , mr archie and a vacuum-themed cake after the demo . in it , she wrote : ' i am reaching out to you in hopes for an answer to an unusual request for my son who is autistic . he has always been obsessed with vacuum cleaners . his favorite is the kirby . ` he spends hours every day watching videos on his tablet about different kirbys . when he is n't watching videos , he is talking about them . i really would love to get a demo done for him for his birthday . i am writing to you in hopes that you can get me in touch with a way to get him this demo . ' the mother-of-two went on to explain that she did not intend to buy a kirby - but hoped she may be able to pay a flat fee or host salesmen who needed to conduct practice demos for training purposes . ' i do not want anything free , but as the mother of a special needs child , it is so hard to find things to make my son happy , ' she said . ' i know that having this demo done would just be so awesome , and it would warm my heart to see him so excited to experience that . ' ecstatic : later in the day , mr archie - who has been selling vacuums for the kirby company for a quarter of his century - presented a joyful dylan with his best gift of all : a brand new kirby vacuum cleaner -lrb- pictured -rrb- .<doc-sep>whether australians are partying it up on a beach or planning the wedding of their dreams in sun-soaked thailand , when troubles arise , they always turn to the australian embassy . given the fact that three australians die in thailand every 72 hours , the embassy staff are constantly on call and nothing is off limits , making it one of the busiest embassies in the world . for the first time ever , australian tv cameras have been granted permission to film inside the australian embassy in thailand as they deal with the thai authorities and rogue australians . the cameras captured everything from scam-artist love-rats to dream holiday bust ups and passport dilemmas . the team of ten australians who work at the embassy , along with nine others , endure the gruelling task of monitoring the activities of australian holiday-makers . scroll down for video . matt and his partner wayne pose with their sons jaxon and logan . the couple hired a surrogate in thailand to have their babies , now they must face the horrific realisation that they may not be able to bring their boys home . jaxon and logan were born to a surrogate mother in thailand . their parents must now secure australian passports for them . following five years of discussions and negotiations with thai diplomats , channel 9 has finally gained access to the australian embassy in thailand in their four-part series the embassy : bangkok . dramatic scenes unfold as the show follows characters from the embassy dealing with problem aussies . ` australians are travelling more than ever . we 've never looked inside an actual embassy from the perspective of the people who deal with the consequences and what it means for australians , ' executive producer laurie critchley told daily mail australia . ` it 's really exciting it 's the first time it 's happened in australia , ' she said . a group of drunken aussies end up embroiled in a fist-fight with thai bouncers at a nightclub . things turn ugly and the embassy is called to clear up all the drama . a group of four australians who seem to have indulged in one too many thai buckets need the assistance of the embassy . after a vicious punch-up , the embassy has to persuade the gang to do the right thing before they wind up in jail .<doc-sep>a letter penned by marshall , which was sent to the adelaide advertiser before being handed over the police , claimed that his grandfather had abducted the girls and that marshall had been present as a young boy . while police have previously labelled the confession ` fantasy ' , hunt 's house has been visited several times since 2012 in relation to the girls ' disappearance . detective inspector greg hutchins , who is leading the investigation , said this morning that police ` could n't rule out that he was involved ' . the girls disappeared from the iconic adelaide oval more than 40 years ago , during an sanfl game which they were attending with their families . joanne , aged 11 , and kirste , aged 4 , went to the bathroom during the game and were never seen again . since that date , police investigators have followed more than 2000 lines of inquiry , and the south australian government has offered a million dollar reward for information leading to the conviction of the person responsible for their disappearance and likely murder . suzie ratcliffe , who was born a year after her sister joanne disappeared , made an impassioned plea for information via a social media campaign in 2012 .

<t> u.s. production company horizon launched an online search for ` lee ' </t> <t> lee lives in a brisbane caravan park with his son who has cystic fibrosis . </t> <t> he wrote a letter asking for a dvd of his favourite show ` kirby buckets ' </t> <t> but lee sent it to the wrong company so they posted it online to help track down the right people and get the tv show to lee 's son . </t>

search for australian father who penned plea to kirby buckets makers<T>

a man who says he suffered a serious heart condition after wearing a donkey kong ape costume is suing nintendo . parker mills was hired to play the ape character for the launch of a nintendo 3ds game at los angeles zoo in california . but he filed a lawsuit against the video games firm at los angeles county superior court claiming that the job ended up damaging his health . scroll down for video . a man hired to wear a donkey kong ape costume is suing gaming giant nintendo over claims that it left him with a heart condition . the image above is a file picture . his attorney , tyler barnett , said he was hired for the role in may last year for the launch of ` donkey kong country returns 3d , ' the los angeles times reports . mills claims he was denied breaks while talking to zoo guests and did not get a required ice pack to cool him . his lawsuit says a company ambassador hired to escort mills did not provide proper oversight . his attorneys say mills suffered a tearing of his aortic walls and now has a permanent heart defibrillator . parker mills was hired to play the ape character for the launch of a nintendo 3ds game at los angeles zoo in california . pictured is a how donkey kong appears in the ` donkey kong country returns ' game . donkey kong , based on the adventures of a gorilla character , has featured in a series of video games over the last three decades . the times reports that nintendo last year publicised the launch event as a chance for fans ` to take pictures with the costumed donkey kong character around the zoo . ' a call seeking comment from nintendo representatives was n't immediately returned . donkey kong , based on the adventures of a gorilla character , has featured in a series of video games over the last three decades .<doc-sep>ever wanted to see who would win in a fight between nintendo 's mario and sega 's sonic ? now you can in super smash bros. . brawl , a cartoon fighting game for the nintendo wii . ` brawl ' lets you pick your favorite video game character and spar against your best friend over the internet . as with the previous games in this popular series - 1999 's super smash bros. on the nintendo 64 and 2001 's super smash bros. . melee on the nintendo gamecube - this new wii brawler lets you duke it out with and against popular nintendo mascots such as mario , link , pikachu , donkey kong , bowser , wario and zero suit samus , each with their own unique moves , abilities and special power attacks .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it has n't been a blockbuster year for nintendo , the video-gaming company that brought us `` donkey kong , '' `` super mario bros. '' and the wii . sales of the wii u , nintendo 's latest gaming system , have been soft and the company has struggled to get enough top-tier games in front of the players clamoring for them . and while microsoft and sony have made headlines at e3 , the video game industry expo underway this week in los angeles , nintendo has kept a lower profile , forsaking its usual splashy keynote in favor of a smaller news conference . but satoru iwata , president and ceo of nintendo , believes the company can rebound by focusing on wii u games . in an interview this week for cnn , iwata admitted the company made missteps with the introduction of the wii u . but he remains convinced a strong lineup of upcoming wii u software will get gamers excited about the living-room console . he just needs them to play it . `` those people who have already purchased the wii u and are enjoying wii u , they have already realized the value of the wii u , and i understand that they are highly appreciating the entertainment experiences provided by wii u , '' iwata said through a translator . `` but the fact of the matter is wii u has yet to prove what is so unique -lrb- about it -rrb- , unlike how ... with a first glance , people were able to understand how different wii was . '' at e3 , nintendo 's booth on the trade-show floor offered people a hands-on experience with six new wii u titles : `` pikmin 3 , '' `` super mario bros. 3d world , '' `` legend of zelda : wind waker hd , '' `` donkey kong country : tropical freeze , '' `` bayonetta 2 '' and `` mario kart 8 . '' nintendo is letting fans demo four of these games -- `` donkey kong country : tropical freeze , '' `` super mario 3d world , '' `` mario kart 8 '' and `` legend of zelda : wind waker '' -- at select best buy stores in north america this saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. players can also visit the nintendo world store in new york to try out the new titles . nintendo faces increased competition from microsoft and sony , both of whom have new consoles -- the xbox one and playstation 4 , respectively -- coming out this fall in time for the holiday season . to compete , iwata believes nintendo needs to get the games into as many people 's hands as possible so more gamers can understand the value of the wii u.<doc-sep>hiroshi yamauchi , who built nintendo from a small playing-card company into a global video-gaming empire before buying the seattle mariners , died thursday in japan . he was 85 . yamauchi took over the company from his ailing grandfather as a university student in 1949 and ran it until 2002 -- a remarkable span of 53 years . he guided nintendo from its pre-electronic days as a maker of children 's games through its emergence as the creator of hugely popular video-gaming platforms such as the nintendo entertainment system , the game boy , hit games such as `` donkey kong , '' and iconic characters such as mario , the mustachioed italian plumber .<doc-sep>the next bond film , which is codenamed bond 23 , is scheduled to open in theaters on november 9 , 2012 . `` goldeneye '' was neither the highest grossing nor the most memorable bond movie . but the `` goldeneye 007 '' game resonates with many people , even today . in the late '90s , the four-player shooting game was part of a nightly ritual at many college dormitories and after-school meet-ups . rare , which created `` donkey kong country '' and was later acquired by microsoft , developed the cult classic , and nintendo published it exclusively for the nintendo 64 console .

<t> parker mills hired to wear donkey kong suit at nintendo video game launch . </t> <t> but the worker claims that playing the part ended up damaging his health . </t> <t> according to a lawsuit , mills says that he was left with serious heart condition . </t> <t> claims he was denied breaks while talking to guests during launch at los angeles zoo . </t>

la man hired to wear donkey kong suit sues nintendo as it damaged his health<T>

found : a body thought to belong to ypsilanti resident brian martin , was found monday in putnam county . police have found a body believed to be a man who was likely bludgeoned to death by his lover and her husband in june . a body thought to belong to brian martin from ypsilanti , michigan , was found monday in putnam county , ohio , according to the report by wxyz . police believe couple robert and desirae strauss , bludgeoned the 54-year-old to death in their toledo home . martin is thought to have had an affair with desirae strauss , 36 , and may have believed he was the father of her children . robert and desirae have five children , ages 11 , 10 , eight and twins born in april . martin , a father-of-two , went missing after coaching a softball game in holland , ohio . a friend of the couple handed evidence to police that she said showed that desirae had been having an affair with martin for the past few years . trisha curtis said after she heard of their arrest she remembered desirae had hidden letters from martin in her van because she did n't want her husband to find them . ' i went searching for it because i remembered she stuck something in there , ' she told 13abc . accused : robert -lrb- left -rrb- and desirae strauss , 36 , were indicted by a lucas county grand jury in july on charges of aggravated murder , murder , tampering with evidence and grand theft of a motor vehicle . affair : martin may have believed he was the father of her children . desirae gave birth to twins -lrb- pictured -rrb- born in april . ' i sat there and cried over it . i did n't know what i should do . ` me and my husband talked about it and we decided that was the best thing to do . '<doc-sep>` it 's tearing me up . i 've been crying almost every day about it . i 've been worried about the kids . ' martin 's daughters rachel and andrea said they have mixed emotions after hearing the news that police believe their father 's body has been found , reports 19 action news . family : martin with one of his daughters . they said they have mixed emotions after hearing the news that police believe their father 's body has been found . waiting : martin with his daughters rachel and andrea - they have been waiting for five months for news of their father 's whereabouts . grief : ` we just really want to bring him home and give him a proper burial , because he did n't deserve to have any of this happen to him and he did n't deserve to you know , be put somewhere , ' said daughter rachel martin . ' i think that was a lot of our feelings recently . we just really want to bring him home and give him a proper burial , because he did n't deserve to have any of this happen to him and he did n't deserve to you know , be put somewhere , ' said daughter rachel martin . ' i think when i saw the call come up on my phone i knew that it was probably the news that they found my dad . i think it 's mixed emotions . it 's still something that i ca n't really organize in my head right now . ' the strausses were indicted by a lucas county grand jury in july on charges of aggravated murder , murder , tampering with evidence and grand theft of a motor vehicle . the lucas county coroner 's office will make the official identification . on her facebook page desirae has posted several pictures of her children . one of them shows her three older children next to a ` tree where me and rob got married 12 years ago . ' next to a photo of her during her most recent pregnancy she wrote : ` i 'm 36 , definitely a suprise !! lol but were super excited and the kids ca n't wait . ' scene : police believe the couple bludgeoned the 54-year-old to death in their toledo home -lrb- pictured -rrb- . .<doc-sep>discovery : the body was found in the alley near between zoo bar , where the 18-year-old was , and a burger king . warning : a sign on a door above a stairwell tells people to keep . there is believed to footage of the missing student climbing an external stairwell which leads up to the roof . police officers stand in an alleyway off charing cross road , close to leicester square in central london , after the body was found . no entry : a police officers blocks the entrance to an alleyway in central london after a body was found . the body is believed to be that of missing irish student patrick halpin . emergency response teams line up in leicester square after a body , believed to be that of missing irish student patrick halpin , was found nearby . the body believed to be that of patrick halpin was found in leicester square just as celebrities were leaving premiere of cuban fury . investigators think patrick may have fallen from this rooftop . mr halpin was last been scene leaving zoo bar to get some food . he was wearing only a t-shirt and jeans , despite freezing temperatures . error : yesterday patrick halpin 's family were mistakenly informed that the teenager had checked in for his flight home to ireland . they later found out that the airline had made a mistake . earlier yesterday , the family were mistakenly informed that the teenager had checked in for his flight home to ireland . his father , paddy , and sister regina , 22 , are said to have rushed to the airport only to find that the airline had made a mistake . last night a police spokesman said : ` enquiries are underway to establish the identity of the deceased . '<doc-sep>by . arthur martin . last updated at 3:21 pm on 6th january 2012 . investigation : the body could be that of latvian alisa dmitrijeva , 17 , from wisbech , cambridgeshire . she vanished last august . the body found on the queen 's estate at sandringham could be a girl as young as 15 , police said yesterday . and fears were growing that it could be a 17-year-old student missing in the area since last august . a murder investigation was launched after the remains were discovered by a dog walker in a copse close to where the royal family had gathered for their boxing day shoot . yesterday police described the body as . that of a white woman , aged between 15 and 23 . the body had been lying . on the norfolk estate for between one month and four months . detectives are examining missing person cases to see if they can find a match . these include the disappearance of alisa dmitrijeva , 17 , who went missing shortly after midnight on august 31 last year . she was last spotted in a green lexus gs800 car in the centre of king 's lynn , about ten miles from where the body was found . the 5ft 6in latvian-born student was reported missing a week later by a . relative . detectives said she often stayed with friends for several . days , but previously had always remained in touch with her family while . she was away . scroll down for video . sandringham house where the queen resides , and circled , where the woman 's body was found . grim discovery : police guard the entrance to woods where a body was found on the sandringham estate . police say the circumstances suggest that the woman was murdered and are now looking at cold case files across the country .<doc-sep>by . martin robinson and hugo gye . published : . 10:53 est , 13 may 2013 . | . updated : . 13:47 est , 13 may 2013 . police unsuccessfully searched the loft where tia sharp 's body was hidden twice but only discovered her on the third attempt . the officer in charge of the hunt today apologised for his force 's incompetence and admitted that the first two searches were ` really just a look round ' . tia 's body was found wrapped in a sheet and layers of plastic in the loft of her grandmother 's home on august 10 last year , a week after she went missing . it was only when detectives noticed a . smell of decomposition in the upstairs of christine bicknell 's house . that tia was finally found . killer : stuart hazell , pictured being arrested in august , hid tia sharp 's body in the loft of his house . hunt : police outside the house where tia 's body was found after it had been missing for a week . a total of 80 officers were involved in the search effort , and were given access to more than 800 hours of cctv footage . ` the early searches were really just a look round , they were not deep searches , ' detective chief inspector nick scola said outside the old bailey today after stuart hazell pleaded guilty to tia 's murder . he apologised for not finding the 12-year-old 's body earlier , but said that if she had been discovered it ` would not have made any difference ' to her fate . hazell is due to be sentenced tomorrow , having changed his plea after months of protesting his innocence . unsuccessful : police used sniffer dogs to comb the woods near new addington but did not find tia . searching : officers rifled through bins outside the house where tia 's body was hidden all along . a police constable first went into the loft on august 4 , climbing up on a stool balanced on a chair . he said : ' i was searching for a missing . girl and from what i could see the loft seemed very clear . i thought , . `` she is not hiding in here . '' ' the following day a specialist team came in , and one officer said he would have recognised the smell of a decomposing body if it had been apparent . his colleague said he took about 25 minutes to search the loft , including moving around black bags which the team believed were too light to contain anything significant . apology : detective chief inspector nick scola , pictured outside the old bailey , admitted the met 's mistakes . victim : hazell murdered tia at his home in south london last august . later , a search dog was brought to the . house in new addington , south london , and indicated that there was . something above one of the bedrooms , but the animal was too large to . take into the loft so the officers ignored the warning . on august 10 a detective noticed the smell of decomposition in the house , which ms bicknell mistakenly thought was cat faeces . another dog also indicated that something might be in the loft of the house , and tia 's body was found during a more thorough search . detective constable daniel chatfield , who found tia 's body as he and a crime scene manager searched the loft , said : ` the loft was extremely confined , it was very hot and quite chaotic , so there were a lot of boxes and bags around the hatch entrances which needed to be moved in order to search further into the loft . ` after about 10 minutes my colleague mr langley had alerted me to what he believed to be the body of tia . ' in the wake of tia 's death , scotland yard apologised to her family that it had taken so long to find her .<doc-sep>by . martin robinson . hacker : glenn mulcaire said today that he believed he had the ` blessing of police ' when he intercepted voicemails from milly dowler 's phone . hacker glenn mulcaire believed he had ` the blessing of the police ' to legally hack the voicemails of missing schoolgirl milly dowler , the old bailey heard today . mulcaire , who was paid # 100,000-a-year by the news of the world , says he believed the tabloid was trying to find the 13-year-old using her mobile and pin number given out by surrey detectives . arguing why he should not be jailed when he is sentenced along with andy coulson and three others on friday , mulcaire thought he was the police 's ` lead eye ' and did not believe hacking voicemails was illegal . ` he understood the objective was to find miss dowler , who by then had been missing for over two weeks ' , said gavin millar qc . ` he was led to believe his work on the case had the blessing of the police and he was fortified in the belief because he was working for a large news orginisation . ` his taskers , he was aware , had close connections with the police , and they had provided him with milly 's mobile number and pin number he believed had been provided to them by police officers . ' mr millar added : ` he believed he acted with lawful authority in intercepting the answerphone of milly dowler with the full knowledge and authority of the police . ` he believed he had been appointed lead eye , and was proud to be so highly regarded by hiis taskers and the police . ' mulcaire was tasked on the dowler hack by chief reporter neville thurlbeck , and named news editor greg miskiw and another executive . ` he was not aware of any suggestion a story would be published in connection with the interception of milly dowler 's voicemails ' , he added . ` he thought the information would be given to the police . ' the court heard that former editor andy coulson and three of his most senior staff ` utterly corrupted ' the news of the world at the highest level and presided over phone hacking on an industrial scale .

<t> brian martin , 54 , went missing in june in holland , ohio . </t> <t> police believe couple robert and desirae strauss , 36 , bludgeoned martin to death in their toledo home . </t> <t> martin was a former lover of desirae and may have believed he was the father of her young children . </t> <t> desirae strauss gave birth to twins in april - she has three other children . </t>

police find body believed to be that of missing brian martin<T>

plans to make one of heathrow airport 's runways more than four miles long in a move campaigners say will cut night-time noise over london have gone on show to the public . the so-called ` heathrow hub ' plans will see the northern runway at the west london terminal doubled in size and divided into two - with a 650-metre ` safety zone ' in the middle - allowing planes to use either end at the same time . the proposal - which would see the m25 diverted into a tunnel beneath the super-sized landing strip - is an alternative to plans to build entirely new runways either at heathrow or gatwick airports . organisers of the third option - which say it could be finished by 2023 - have shown off their plans in an advert taken out in national newspapers over the past week . scroll down for video . an aerial view of how heathrow 's new 6,800-metre runway - which would be divided into two separate landing/take-off strips - would look . the idea has been put forward as an alternative to building entirely new runways at either heathrow or gatwick to boost airport capacity . the artists ' impressions of the plan show the runway extending way out to the west of the airport , north of a proposed terminal six , which would be built next to the current terminal five .<doc-sep>those behind the campaign say it would cut the noise of flights over london by shifting early morning flights to the new section of tarmac , meaning planes land and take off two and half miles further away from the capital . they claim the scheme would bring in the economic benefits of further airport expansion at a lower cost , requiring less land and with reduced disruption . former concorde pilot jock lowe , the leader of the heathrow hub concept , said : ` our proposal would cost billions of pounds less than heathrow airport 's plan to build a third runway and the latest airports commission report said it expects our expansion plan to boost the uk economy by up to # 214bn and to create as many as 163,000 new jobs nationwide -- double the benefits offered by expanding gatwick . ' as well as the huge runway , the scheme also includes plans for better rail access to the site . campaigners behind the plan say early morning flights could be shifted two miles west , meaning planes fly 800ft higher , thus reducing noise for west london residents living underneath the flight-path . noise maps show how extended runways would mean the sound of planes would be less disruptive in built-up areas to the east of the airport . the plans were unveiled to the public after the government 's airports ` tsar ' sir howard davies , whose commission is evaluating the three schemes , warned all of them would cost more than they claim .<doc-sep>his commission calculated that an entirely new runway to the north-west of heathrow would cost around # 18.6 billion as opposed to heathrow airport ltd 's estimate of # 14.8 billion . a new runway at gatwick , estimated by gatwick airport ltd to cost # 7.4 billion , would cost an estimated # 9.3 billion . the third shortlisted option - an extension of the existing northern runway at heathrow - would cost # 13.5 billion - higher than the # 10.1 billion estimated by heathrow hub . davies will deliver his final report on which scheme should go ahead in summer 2015 . organisers say early-morning flights will be told to land on the western end of the new runway , cutting noise to nearby homes in west london . as well as plans for extending the runway , the ` heathrow hub ' campaign wants to connect the airport to hs2 rail link planned for the uk . the plan is being put forward by a consortium including former concorde pilot jock lowe , who says it would be cheaper than other plans .<doc-sep>the gatwick connect service is already in operation and allows passengers to travel on a combination of independently operated flights and transfer through gatwick without having to transport their bags through the airport or check-in twice . a spokesman for the airport said : ` an expanded gatwick would be the world 's most efficient two-runway airport - flexible and responsive to meet the changing needs of passengers and airlines . the airport commission is due to rule on the best way to maximise the south of england 's air capacity and is currently considering the possibility of a second runway at gatwick or a third at heathrow . ` the plans demonstrate how queues will be eliminated , passenger transit through the airport will be sped up . ' plans to expand heathrow airport have also gone on display . among the options being considered are building an entirely new , third runway . however , separate plans have also been submitted by heathrow hub , an independent proposal campaigning to double the size of heathrow 's existing northern runway to more than four miles , and allowing planes to use either end at the same time . those behind the campaign say it would cut the noise of flights over london by shifting early morning flights to the new section of tarmac , meaning planes land and take off two and half miles further away from the capital . plans for new runways at heathrow and gatwick are currently being considered by the airports commission for expanding uk airport capacity . the commission , led by businessman sir howard davies , is due to issue its final report over the summer .<doc-sep>heathrow claims the extra runway would be up and running by 2025 . a second heathrow plan calls for an existing runway to be extended to allow more flights . but britain 's second busiest airport , gatwick , has urged the government to ditch heathrow from its plans . it says a second runway at the airport would be cheaper - at # 7.8 billion - and would not need any government subsidy . boris johnson has urged the government commission to add a giant four-runway thames estuary airport to its shortlist , but this is likely to be rejected . a final recommendation on britain 's next runway will be made after the 2015 general election . but london mayor boris johnson dismissed . both airport 's plans . his chief airport adviser said heathrow 's bid was ` lunacy ' while gatwick 's bid for a second runway was a ` humongous red herring ' . under heathrow 's # 15.6 billion proposal , which needs a # 1.2 billion taxpayer-funded government top up , the airport would build a third runway by 2025 . it claims the new runway would boost the uk economy by # 100billion and create 100,000 jobs . a third runway would take the number of annual flights out of heathrow up from the current 472,000 to 740,000 - with 40 new daily routes around the world . but to make the runway possible , a new 600 metre tunnel will be needed on the m25 . the motorway will also need to be widened to seven lanes in each direction .<doc-sep>` we 're a little surprised that none of the architects thought it worthwhile to have a little chat , ' mr deakin told the guardian . the plans by architects foster and partners were revealed in january and would make the airport the biggest in britain . busy : the four-runway airport in the thames would be capable of handling 150 million passengers a year , but there are concerns about airspace congestion . mr deakin said that the majority of flight paths criss-crossed the direct spot where the estuary airport is planned . this would lead to more traffic jams in the air . planes arriving and departing airports . must follow strict flight paths . if the skies are congested the planes . must circle before there is a slot in the sky . he added that in addition to the risk of planes being hit by birds in the wetands , there would also be competition for air space from amsterdam 's schiphol airport . more flights would then be forced to circle overhead for longer . mr deakin said that even though the estuary airport was possible it would go against plans in the aviation industry to conserve fuel by shortening flight times . he called for a third runway to be built at heathrow . ` the single biggest thing we could do to reduce co2 in the uk is to build a third runway at heathrow , ' he said . ` heathrow holding is not about airspace - it 's about lack of tarmac . i 'm very confident that -lrb- a third runway -rrb- would eliminate all the holding patterns in one go . ' vital : george osborne has reportedly claimed that expansion of heathrow airport , pictured , is key to britain 's economic future . controversial : the plans for a third runway have been met with constant strong opposition from local residents near the proposed site . the coalition agreement signed between the conservatives and liberal democrats in 2010 banned any extra airports . however , there is growing pressure from baa , the flight industry and from tory ministers for britain to increase its air capacity . david cameron has even signalled his intention to increase the number of flights coming in and out of the uk either by expanding heathrow or building anew airport .<doc-sep>talks between us and british officials have already started to allow the four million britons who go there every year to be cleared for entry at the uk airport they leave from . american dream : four million britons go to the us every year but the plans could increase that number . meanwhile the government is still to set out its plans to solve the lack of runway space in south-east england - where the majority of people fly from . the controversial plans to add a third runway at heathrow or boris johnson 's idea of a huge new airport in the thames estuary remain the two main options . critics say the lack of a decision will damage the british economy , and it is claimed the coalition is split over the issue .

<t> three competing schemes to boost airport capacity in britain being looked at by a government commission . </t> <t> two involve entirely new runways being built at gatwick or heathrow ; third involves extending heathrow runway . </t> <t> plans for third scheme go on show to public ; with artists ' impressions showing the huge runway going over m25 . </t> <t> campaigners say the scheme will reduce night-time noise over west london and be cheaper than other plans . </t>

plans for four and half mile runway at heathrow go on show<T>

a former university of wisconsin football player and his twin brother are charged in federal court with one in a string of november robberies at five businesses . jack ikegwuonu and his brother , william , were charged tuesday in u.s. district court with armed robbery and gun possession . they 're also charged in dane county court with several counts of retail theft for allegedly stealing merchandise from wal-mart stores in madison and sun prairie throughout september and october . the brothers were arrested last week after an armed robbery at a dry cleaning business in middleton . they told police they committed all five armed robberies to help support their heroin use , according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint in federal court .<doc-sep>brothers : jack ikegwuonu , left , played for the badgers and was drafted by the eagles , though he was only active for one regular-season nfl game . brother william , right , played for northern illinois university . the brothers ' arrests took place after police observed an suv 's movements following the armed robbery with a gps device , madison police said in a release . the device was earlier placed on the vehicle via a warrant . ' -lsb- the suv -rsb- had been initially identified through surveillance images as the probable getaway vehicle in recent armed robberies , including two that took place on state -lsb- street -rsb- , ' the release said . a gun , along with money ` and other evidence ' was recovered from the vehicle , madison police said .<doc-sep>jack and william ikegwuonu are suspected in four other armed robberies in the area between november 13 and 21 , and u.s. attorney john vaudreuil said they could face more charges when the case is taken to a grand jury . madison police said in the release ` the investigation indicates much of the money taken during the commission of these crimes was being used to purchase heroin . ' the retail theft charges in dane county circuit court include a felony and misdemeanors . a judge entered not guilty pleas to the misdemeanor charges on the brothers ' behalf as they stood mute in court tuesday .<doc-sep>appearance : jack ikegwuonu was active for one regular-season nfl game during the 2009 season with the phildadelphia eagles . he is seen here at training camp in august 2009 . lisa goldman , the attorney representing the ikegwuonus , declined to comment to the associated press . jack ikegwuonu played for the badgers as a cornerback from 2005 to 2007 . he was drafted by the philadelphia eagles in 2008 and was active for one regular-season nfl game during the 2009 season . william ikegwuonu played football for northern illinois university in dekalb .<doc-sep>works : kray 's painting tree studies , which is also going up for auction , has been seen before . miss flynn added : ` everyone is mildly intrigued by the kray brothers and twentieth century art is very popular at the moment . ` the pieces are expected to go at around # 300 to # 500 each but i would not be surprised if they went for more . ' kray and his twin brother ronnie became kingpins of organised crime in london during the 1950s and 1960s with their mob called ` the firm ' . they were involved in armed robberies , arson , protection rackets and the murders of jack ` the hat ' mcvitie and george cornell and both jailed for life in 1969 . reggie was released from prison on compassionate grounds in 2000 and died eight weeks later from cancer aged 66 . his brother died five years earlier age 61 . gangsters : reggie kray and his twin brother ronnie became kingpins of organised crime in london during the 1950s and 1960s with their mob called ` the firm '<doc-sep>living in the new forest , which covers 220 square miles and was the . former hunting ground of king william i. resident peter young also said he is considering the security in his home : ` it 's shocking that it 's happened so close to us . ` we have taken every precaution but it does n't mean we 're not worried . ' and . liz black , who lives nearby , said : ` you are always hearing about . burglaries at this time of the year but never armed robberies . ' i was surprised when i heard in was armed . it just does n't happen here . ' lymington . mayor , councillor jacqui england , said : ` nothing like this has ever . happened around here before -- it just illustrates the shocking times in . which we live . ` i 've been told about one household where the occupants are double-locking the doors . the person doing this is in a bad frame of mind . he 's not just mr opportunist . ' two men , aged 48 and 44 , have been arrested and released on bail in connection with the kidnappings but nobody has been charged . a third man , 44 , remains in police custody today and is being questioned in connection with the three armed robberies . sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons .<doc-sep>by . james gordon . a couple of bank robbers apparently showed off their ill-gotten gains by posing with the loot on facebook . marcus kalani watson and rogussia eddie allen danielson from hawaii posted pictures of themselves holding thick wads of cash just days after they 're accused of commuting armed robbery , police say . watson , 19 , who goes by the name kiki seui , was indicted by the fbi as the ` mastermind ' of the series of armed robberies targeting oahu banks and a recycling center . kalani watson aka kiki seui posts himself on his facebook account with wads of cash two days after allegedly robbing a reynolds recycling center of $ 500 . rogussia eddie allen danielson who goes by eddie danielson , posted himself on facebook june 12 with cash he allegedly stole during bank robberies , an fbi affidavit said . however , watson posted a picture himself holding two thick wads of cash and made it his cover photo on facebook , two days after his first alleged armed robbery at a recycling center in april . according to an affidavit , wearing a black ski mask and brown hooded jacket , watson brandished a black semi automatic pistol , and pointed a gun at both employees . scared for their lives , or at the very least getting injured , the employees handed over more than $ 500 in cash . the following month , watson allegedly robbed the wahiawa branch of american savings bank walking away with nearly $ 7,000 . kalani watson aka kiki seui was indicted by the fbi as the mastermind of a series of armed robberies in which he targeted oahu banks and a recycling center . police say the men went on a crime spree in april and may . surveillance pictures showed the heavily armed , masked men terrorizing bank tellers while stealing tens of thousands of dollars . he is then accused of boarding a city bus and watching as the police sped to the scene . he then apparently spent the money on a lexus and root canal . less than two weeks later , watson got together with danielson , 19 , to allegedly rob another american savings bank . they allegedly entered wearing masks and holding a shot gun . this time it is alleged they got away with almost $ 22,000 . both the crooks posted photos of themselves on facebook , fanning out the cash they stole .<doc-sep>the notorious armed robber had a history of absconding since being jailed in 1984 for nine years following a series of shop raids . in 1988 he escaped while on a hospital visit and went on to commit nine break-ins . in 1989 he was jailed for 16 years for break-ins and robberies , reduced to 11 years on appeal . three years later , while on a day release to an optician , he went on the run again and went on to commit several armed robberies . and in 1993 he was jailed for a further seven years and in 2002 given the 13 life sentences , with a minimum term of eight years . last summer he was transferred to open conditions , but was returned to a proper prison in december after concerns were raised about his behaviour . in february his probation officer approved his return to an open prison before he disappeared on may 3 . philip davies , the conservative mp for shipley , west yorks , said people would be ` shocked ' that murderers were serving sentences in prisons where ` they are basically free to ... walk out of the gates ' .

<t> jack ikegwuonu and his brother , william , were arrested last week after an armed robbery at a dry cleaning business in middleton . </t> <t> they are suspected in four other armed robberies in the area between november 13 and 21 . </t> <t> the brothers told police they committed all five armed robberies to help support their heroin use , according to an affidavit . </t> <t> jack ikegwuonu played for the badgers as a cornerback from 2005 to 2007 , and william played for northern illinois university in dekalb . </t>

jack ikegwuonu and brother william admit series of armed robberies<T>

consultant cardiologist dr kevin beatt -lrb- pictured -rrb- was sacked after he blew the whistle on hospital conditions following a patient 's death . a renowned heart specialist who raised the alarm over a hospital 's failings was unfairly dismissed in a calculated attempt to damage his reputation , a tribunal has ruled . consultant cardiologist dr kevin beatt has won a two-year legal battle with croydon health services nhs trust , which sacked him in september 2012 after he raised the alarm about staffing shortages , ` appalling ' equipment and workplace bullying . he voiced his concerns following the death of heart patient gerald storey , 63 , at croydon university hospital in june 2011 . it was a routine angioplasty , an inquest heard in 2013 , but a senior nurse had been suspended hours earlier - without dr beatt 's knowledge - and her absence contributed to the patient 's death . dr beatt , a renowned specialist who led the hospital 's well-regarded department for interventional heart procedures from 2007 , should have been afforded protected whistleblower status but instead lost his job in a case he claimed provided a damning demonstration of the trust 's attempts to cover up failings . the trust argued it dismissed him ` for making unsubstantiated and unproven allegations of an unsafe service ' , but the employment tribunal ruled there was ` no consistent evidence ' of gross misconduct and chief executive john goulston , whose evidence it criticised as inconsistent , had ` failed to carry out a fair process ' . between 2008 and his dismissal , dr beatt raised a catalogue of concerns about inadequate equipment , bullying and harassment of junior employees , removal of key staff , a lack of competent nurses and the failure to properly investigate serious incidents . in january 2010 he voiced serious fears to medical director tony newman-sanders that the cardiology unit 's radiation equipment , then the oldest in use in the country , was putting patients and staff at risk . he was accused of fabricating his concerns so he could treat patients elsewhere , but six months later the machinery was condemned and replaced after breaking down during an operation . dr beatt voiced his concerns following the death of a heart patient at croydon university hospital -lrb- pictured -rrb- . the friction came to a head in july the next year , when a 63-year-old patient died during a routine procedure after a senior nurse was suspended without dr beatt 's knowledge . dr beatt , who was left for 20 minutes without a nurse with even basic familiarity with the operation , described the suspension as ` the most overtly reckless act ' he had witnessed in his career . the trust claimed dr beatt 's criticisms were ` vexatious ' and calculated to ensure sister jones 's restoration , and in september 2011 began disciplinary proceedings that culminated in his sacking . the tribunal found there was ` no evidence ' dr beatt had an ulterior motive and that ` extremely damaging ' and ` entirely false ' allegations were levelled at him during an investigation into mr storey 's death . those included claims by dr asif qasim , the hospital 's clinical lead for medical specialities that mr beatt was mentally unstable . employment judge gill sage , who chaired the tribunal , added she believed a ` misleading ' press statement about mr beatt 's dismissal , issued following the inquest 10 months later , had been ` calculated and was likely to cause damage to his reputation ' .<doc-sep>speaking after the tribunal 's ruling , dr beatt said : ` essentially they ignored some of the statements made to the serious untoward incident report and submitted their own version . ` there 's no doubt in my mind that , if things have gone badly wrong , instead of saying things have gone badly wrong , they try to cover it up . ` at the end of the day it is in order to misrepresent events to the patient and their relatives . ' he added the legal battle and the trust 's decision to refer him to the general medical council had taken ' a very considerable toll ' on him and left him unable to find work within the nhs . he said : ` that 's why they do it . they do it because it will prevent me from getting a job and that will prevent me from pursuing them in court because i wo n't be able to afford the costs . ' dr beatt said he believed the trust had spent ` more than # 100,000 ' fighting his case , which he was only able to pursue because his lawyers linklaters agreed to work pro bono . a spokesman for croydon health services nhs trust said it would appeal the ruling . he added : ` we are clearly very disappointed with the tribunal 's decision . ` we take all concerns about patient safety extremely seriously , as well as allegations of bullying against any of our employees . ` it is everyone 's responsibility at chs to uphold great care for patients , and for our staff to know that they will be listened to and supported . ' gerald storey , 63 , was having a cardiac operation to widen obstructed arteries at croydon university hospital on june 9 , 2011 when it was discovered the specialist nurse would not be coming . an inquest held last year found complications developed as the operation proceeded , and mr storey then suffered cardiac arrest and died . senior nurse lucy jones had been suspended moments earlier over claims she had harassed and bullied staff and failed to respond to written management requests . dr beatt told the inquest if he had known he would not have done the operation and he believed her suspension and management 's failure to tell him directly contributed to mr storey 's death . he also said the theatre ` descended into chaos ' as complications emerged . coroner dr roy palmer ruled sister lucy jones 's absence had contributed to gerald storey 's death .<doc-sep>today , for the first time in 13 years , whistleblowing consultant cardiologist dr raj mattu can look to the future with a glimmer of hope . after more than a decade of ` torture ' - during which he says nhs bosses ` tried to silence me , destroy my reputation and erase me from the face of the earth ' - his good name was this week dramatically restored . bullied and then sacked by his nhs bosses after exposing the avoidable deaths of patients at his coventry hospital , the 54-year-old heart specialist was vindicated on thursday after a david-and-goliath battle thought to have cost taxpayers # 10million . vindicated : dr raj mattu with his wife sangeeta . suspended in 2002 after he exposed the fact that two patients had died in overcrowded bays at his hospital , dr mattu fell victim to what he described as a ` heinous ' smear campaign . he was reinstated in 2010 , only to be dismissed a year later as he lay seriously ill in hospital . but his name was finally cleared this week when an employment tribunal found that dr mattu had been unfairly dismissed . in a landmark judgment , the tribunal ruled that dr mattu had been targeted specifically by hospital managers because he 'd blown the whistle on dangerous practices . this is dr mattu 's first in-depth newspaper interview since his name was cleared , and what he reveals is a shocking indictment of the way the nhs is managed and the way it treats staff who speak out on behalf of patients . he is now seeking a meeting with health minister jeremy hunt , but has this stark warning for any other health professional thinking of blowing the whistle to protect their patients . ` do n't do it , because the way i have been treated is nothing short of an outrage and a scandal , ' said dr mattu , a once world-renowned specialist who is now unemployed and doubts his medical career will ever recover . ` instead of listening to me , embracing what i said and working with me to improve conditions for patients , trust managers tried to destroy me . it was a form of torture . ` they stopped at nothing to change the focus from the patients - who were at the heart of my concerns - onto false claims about this allegedly `` bad doctor '' who needed to be removed . ` they tried to shut me up and sideline me . i was marched from my office in broad daylight in front of my staff , colleagues and patients sitting in my waiting room .<doc-sep>dr raj mattu , pictured with his wife sangita , was sacked after blowing the whistle on shocking standards of care . a tribunal has now cleared him of any wrongdoing after a 13-year battle at a cost of # 10million . the cardiologist sacked after blowing the whistle on shocking nhs failures was wrongly accused of sexual misconduct , fraud and assault as part of a decade-long intimidation campaign aimed at forcing him to drop his unfair dismissal case . the leading heart surgeon -- who spoke out against dangerous overcrowding in nhs hospitals - has detailed the extraordinary bullying he suffered as his bosses attempted to blacken his reputation . instead of listening to his concerns over the shocking standards of care on the wards , bosses first suspended , then sacked him and then spent millions of pounds of taxpayers ' money pursuing him through an employment tribunal . they also submitted more than 200 false allegations about him to the general medical council -- all of which , he says , were rejected . dr raj mattu was cleared of any wrongdoing yesterday -- after a 13-year battle thought to have cost the taxpayer # 10million . incredibly , it emerged his bosses also spent . thousands of pounds of public money hiring private investigators to look . into the affairs of the heart specialist , and on employing a pr agency . to deal with potentially damaging media fallout from the case . dr mattu said immediately following his decision to blow the whistle , the hospital 's head of security was asked to monitor his movements to start building a dirt file that could be later used to discredit his reputation . he says he believes the nhs wanted to ` try and find as much information to use against me as possible ' . ` i was accused of fraud , i was accused of sexual impropriety , assaults , not doing my duties and so on , ' he told the bbc . ` unfortunately that is .<doc-sep>a common practice of many managers within the nhs , this denial of what the . primary reason is as to why you are targeted . ` it is very hard to believe that it is sheer coincidence that , having never faced , from 1979 to 2001 , any allegations or complaints , that suddenly i should have become so altered in my nature and personality that suddenly more than 200 allegations were justified . ' i just find it quite difficult to overcome the fact that there is always this attempt to put forward a plausible alternative when the real reason at the heart of why all these allegations were suddenly mustered up is the fact that i had whistle blown , spoken out as an advocate for the patients and was not prepared to accept what was in the best interests of the managers . ' after the 13-year ` david and goliath ' battle , a tribunal yesterday found the surgeon had been unfairly dismissed . and , . in a landmark judgement , the tribunal ruled he had been targeted by . hospital managers specifically because he blew the whistle . ` i 'm absolutely relieved that one of the things that has come out of this case that i have won is that i have been vindicated for what i did , because one of the other key findings of the tribunal is that they found that i had not caused or contributed to towards my dismissal , ' dr mattu said . 'em otionally it has been very draining . i have mixed emotions over the judgement : i am relieved that i have won the case , i am also pleased that my detriments have been recognised by the employment tribunal . ` but the saddest thing out of all of this for me is that the people who have lost out the most are the patients and the public because for 13 years the trust management have prevented me from looking after patients . ` they have also , in the way they have treated me , discouraged any further whistleblowers in the nhs from coming forward and risking having their career and livelihood destroyed . ' last night the health secretary , mps and patients groups condemned dr mattu 's unacceptable treatment and the outrageous use of public money . charlotte leslie , a tory member of the commons health select committee , said : ` the fact that an individual , who has done their best to raise their concerns about patient safety , should have cost the nhs this amount of money is absolutely sickening .<doc-sep>by . julian robinson . legal action : gillian stokes , 44 , is suing shrewsbury school , claiming she was unfairly dismissed - after she accused a female member of staff of sexually assaulting her . a tuck shop lady is suing a prestigious independent school claiming she was unfairly dismissed - after she accused a female member of staff of sexually assaulting her . gillian stokes , 44 , was sacked from her job at shrewsbury school , whose famous former pupils include charles darwin . she has taken the # 30,000-a-year school to an employment tribunal claiming she was unfairly dismissed after she was fired in may 2013 . the . hearing , in birmingham , was told ms stokes had worked at the school for . 17 years before she was sacked following a ` breakdown of trust and . confidence ' . the . tribunal also heard that days after she was fired , ms stokes sent an . email to all 750 students at the school claiming she had been sexually .

<t> consultant cardiologist dr kevin beatt has won a two-year legal battle . </t> <t> blew the whistle over conditions at croydon university hospital in 2011 . </t> <t> raised concerns over staffing shortages , poor equipment and bullying . </t> <t> but dr beatt was then sacked by croydon health services nhs trust . </t> <t> damaging allegations against him included claim he was mentally unstable . </t> <t> trust say they are ` disappointed ' with tribunal 's decision and will appeal . </t>

tribunal finds whistle-blowing heart consultant was unfairly dismissed<T>

a lesbian couple claim they were told to stop kissing one another in a fashionable london eatery by the manager because it is a ` family restaurant ' . lydia cawson , 29 , said that she and her partner rubyyy jones went to canteen at the royal festival hall on the south bank in london for dinner during a break from work . ms cawson said she had moved to sit next to her partner on the bench seats to console her after ms jones became upset , when a woman they believe was the manager approached them and told them to ` stop what you are doing ' because they were in a ` family restaurant ' . scroll down for video . lydia cawson , 29 , left , said she and partner rubyyy jones , 30 , right , were ordered to stop kissing during a meal at the royal festival hall . ms cawson , a costume designer , said in an interview with london live : ` we were really shocked by this challenge because we did not feel we were being overly affectionate . ` yes , it was an intimate moment but again , -lsb- i was -rsb- consoling her and it was just a simple , sort of loving reaction basically . ` the second comment , that it was `` a family restaurant '' made me feel well , why does that matter ? ` is it because children were present ? not that there were any children present at that time .<doc-sep>` and why should it matter if it is a family restaurant ? ' ms cawson explained the couple had experienced a stressful week , including moving house and ms jones , a performer , was upset . lydia cawson -lrb- pictured -rrb- says she and her partner were out for dinner when they were told to stop kissing by a member of staff because it is a ` family restaurant ' she said : ` rubyyy was upset so i moved on to the same bench as her , we had previously been sitting opposite one another . i consoled her , kissed her on the cheek and gave her a light peck on the lips as well and just had my arm around her . ' i did not notice any adverse reaction in the restaurant . then a lady came over to us , we do n't know for sure but we are pretty sure it was a manager , and that 's when she said it . ` she did not apologise . rubbyy challenged her and said `` is it a family restaurant or a homophobic restaurant ? '' ' the staff member said no but gestured for the pair to sit apart from one another , ms cawson said .<doc-sep>she added they paid their bill but left feeling ` incredibly angry ' and that canteen has since apologised for the incident . dominic lake , co-founder of canteen , said : ` everyone is welcome at canteen , whether gay , straight , old or young regardless of sexuality . ` we are horrified at the thought of being labelled anti-gay - half of our team are gay . ` we take any such claims incredibly seriously and we have investigated this incident in depth . the canteen restaurant at the royal festival hall where the women were allegedly told to stop kissing . ` in this case members of the team made a reluctant decision because they considered that the behaviour of the two people - rather than who the people were - might make others in the restaurant feel uncomfortable . ` this would have been the same whether it was two women , two men or a man and a woman . ` at canteen , we pride ourselves on being a modern , equal opportunities , open and accessible business ; we want everyone to feel welcome in our restaurants and we are sad and very sorry if ms cawson and her partner felt otherwise . '<doc-sep>by . mark duell . last updated at 9:17 pm on 17th june 2011 . the girls said it ruined their whole evening and was entirely uncalled for . young lesbian couple taylor campione and kelsi culpepper were told off by a security guard for kissing each other at a baseball game last month . he told them to ` adhere to the ten commandments ' after seeing them kiss during a minnesota twins v los angeles angels game at target field . re-enactment : young lesbian couple taylor campione and kelsi culpepper were told off by a security guard for kissing each other at a baseball game . the minneapolis couple arrived late to the game and miss culpepper gave miss campione a quick kiss before she entered a bathroom . but a security guard wearing a twins hat immediately walked over , shaking his head and saying ` you ca n't do that ' , reported citypages . miss campione replied that she ` can kiss whoever i want to ' , but the guard hit back by saying : ` well , we do n't play grab ass here ' .<doc-sep>a gay couple were forced off a bus after the driver branded them ` not real men ' as he delivered a tirade of homophobic abuse after he spotted them kissing . jack james , 23 , had been travelling through london on his way home from work when he was ordered off the bus after his partner gave him a light kiss . he said the driver of the london bus told the couple it was disgusting and kicked them off , saying ` my bus , my rules . ' the abuse is the latest in a series of homophobic incidents , and follows a mass kiss-in staged in sainsbury 's in brighton last month , after a lesbian couple claim they were asked to leave because they were spotted kissing . scroll down for video . the gay couple were asked to leave the number 89 bus as they travelled through blackheath , south london . the abuse is the latest in a series of homophobic incidents as protesters staged a kiss-in in earlier this month -lrb- above -rrb- after a lesbian couple were asked to leave a sainsbury 's store in brighton allegedly for kissing .<doc-sep>a lesbian couple has staged a kissing protest outside the home of the duggar family , the stars of tlc 's 19 kids and counting , who are well known for their conservative christian values and intolerance toward homosexuality . texas couple tandra barnfield and samantha muzny say they are big fans of the reality show but are unhappy that patriarch jim bob , his wife michelle and their clan so publicly oppose their wish to get married . the gay couple , who have three children , were visiting relatives in tontitown , arkansas , on saturday when they decided to stop and have a photo taken of them kissing outside the duggar 's home . scroll down for video . texas couple tandra barnfield and samantha muzny say they are big fans of the reality show but are unhappy about the duggar family 's intolerance toward homosexuality . ` my cousin lives just a few doors down from the duggars . when we saw the house , it just lit a fire underneath us , ' barnfield told radar . ` i said , `` let 's go make out ! '' my sister took the photo . ' despite one of michelle 's own sisters being in a lesbian relationship , the family have been very public about their feelings about homosexuality . in november the duggars deleted photos of same-sex couples kissing from their official facebook page after they had asked people to share photos , while oldest son josh recently led an arkansas rally protesting against gay marriage . ` i want to get married to my girlfriend . and the duggars are fighting my right to do so , ' said barnfield . ` it upsets me . if you wo n't let me get married , i 'm going to make out with my girlfriend in front of you . ' despite the couple 's frustration with the duggars ' stance on gay marriage , they say they are long-time fans of the hit show . ` we love the duggars , we watch their show all the time , ' said barnfield . ` i also have morals and love god . they sit there and say they love everybody too , but then they fight against my rights . ' big love : the duggar family is a part of an evangelical christian movement that urges women to have as many children as god gives them . ` they marry off their daughters to men very young . i do n't protest their lifestyle ! ' the couple live with their children just outside houston and are hoping that the law in their state changes soon so they can go ahead and tie the knot . the relationship between michelle duggar 's older sister evelyn ruark , 63 , and her partner sharon callahan , 52 , has never been mentioned on 19 kids and counting .<doc-sep>an oil painting by a famous welsh artist was stolen from the royal festival hall -- but nobody noticed for more than a week . sir kyffin williams ' work , landscape at llanaelhaearn , vanished from a secure room at the london venue at the end of september . it was not reported missing until october 6 when a member of staff found its smashed frame in a toilet cubicle . stolen : landscape at llanaelhaearn by sir kyffin williams , whose works now fetch up to # 50,000 .

<t> lydia cawson , 29 , and partner rubyyy jones went to canteen for meal . </t> <t> ms cawson gave ms jones ' a peck ' on the lips when she became upset . </t> <t> member of staff approached and told them to ` stop what you are doing ' </t> <t> restaurant has launched an investigation and apologised to the couple . </t>

lesbian couple told to stop kissing by staff at canteen at royal festival hall<T>

this is the astonishing moment a brooklyn nets fan was carried out by security guards -- amid claims that he attacked another supporter with his prosthetic leg . the man removed his prosthetic limb before hitting another fan in the upper deck of the arena , according to a pair security guards at madison square garden , new york . video shows how he was hauled from his seat and physically removed by two members of staff amid fears the situation could escalate . scroll down for video . a ` super fan ' was carried out of madison square garden without his prosthetic leg as stunned supporters watched on .<doc-sep>video footage shows the moment he was hauled from his seat and physically removed by two members of staff . the drama unfolded with around five minutes to play in the third quarter of brooklyn 's 98-93 win over the new york knicks . the drama unfolded with around five minutes to play in the third quarter of brooklyn 's 98-93 win over the new york knicks . the new york daily news quotes a staffer as saying : ` they grabbed him and pulled him out . i do n't know if he was arrested but they got him out of there so he did n't start a riot . ' afterwards , the man was named on social media as nets ` super fan ' jeffrey gamblero , according to the daily news website .<doc-sep>the report says some eyewitnesses dispute the version of events given by garden security and that he did not attack anyone . after the incident , the man was named on social media as nets ` super fan ' jeffrey gamblero . the incident unfolded in the upper deck at madison square garden while the game was going on . new york knicks guard jose calderon , left , of spain drives around brooklyn nets forward kevin garnett , right . one unidentified fan is quoted as saying : ` i saw what happened . he did n't deserve to be thrown out . he was just into the game . '<doc-sep>video posted online by @jeigs , new york comedian jesse eigner , showed how the fan , who was dressed in brooklyn nets clothing , was carried away from his seat without his prosthetic leg while stunned supporters watched on . a knicks spokesman said : ` an unruly fan was ejected after msg security received multiple complaints from fans sitting in that area . ` the fan was warned multiple times before being removed . he will not be permitted back into madison square garden . ' mailonline has attempted to contact mr gamblero for comment this morning .<doc-sep>a brooklyn nets superfan who had to be carried out from a game amid claims that he attacked another supporter with his prosthetic leg earlier this month , has died . jeffrey vanchiro , 38 , died after falling from a window on the second floor of his father 's house in flushing , queens , on saturday night . mr vanchiro , a former professional poker player also known as jeffrey gamblero , allegedly jumped from the building in a disorientated state . scroll down for video . tragedy : brooklyn nets superfan jeffrey vanchiro , 38 , died after falling from a window on the second floor of a residential property in flushing , queens . mr vanchiro had become known fellow nets fans for his dedication to the team , unique outfits and dancing during games . his fiance said that mr vanchiro had behaved erratically since being ejected from the nets vs. knicks game at madison square garden on december 2 . ` after that , he was a completely different person , ' kristi evans told the new york times . ` he was paranoid . he was erratic . he was frightened . he was horrified . he was a bit delusional . ` he was having a lot of trouble sleeping . he could n't sleep at all . when he would sleep , or try to sleep , it would only take about 10 or 15 minutes before he would jump up screaming covered in sweat . ' a fellow fan filmed mr vanchiro being carried out of madison square garden without his prosthetic leg during a nets vs knicks game earlier this month . footage shows the moment he was hauled from his seat and physically removed by two members of staff . his fiance said mr vanchiro had behaved erratically since being ejected from the nets vs. knicks game at madison square garden on december 2 . according to witnesses , mr vanchiro had been ejected from the venue after removing his prosthetic limb and using it to hit another fan in the upper deck of the arena . video shows how he was hauled from his seat and physically removed by two members of staff amid fears the situation could escalate . the drama unfolded with around five minutes to play in the third quarter of brooklyn 's 98-93 win over the new york knicks . the new york daily news quotes a staffer as saying : ` they grabbed him and pulled him out . i do n't know if he was arrested but they got him out of there so he did n't start a riot . ' the report says some eyewitnesses dispute the version of events given by garden security and that he did not attack anyone . after the incident , the man was named on social media as nets ` super fan ' jeffrey gamblero . one unidentified fan is quoted as saying : ` i saw what happened . he did n't deserve to be thrown out . he was just into the game . ' video posted online by @jeigs , new york comedian jesse eigner , showed how the fan , who was dressed in brooklyn nets clothing , was carried away from his seat without his prosthetic leg while stunned supporters watched on . a knicks spokesman said : ` an unruly fan was ejected after msg security received multiple complaints from fans sitting in that area . ` the fan was warned multiple times before being removed . he will not be permitted back into madison square garden . '<doc-sep>-lrb- rollingstone.com -rrb- -- jay-z will launch his new youtube channel saturday night with a live stream of the last concert of his eight-show run at barclays center in brooklyn , usa today reports . the rapper 's life + times channel , an offshoot of his pop-culture site by the same name , comes as part of a push for original programming by youtube , which is owned by google . jay-z represents brooklyn at first barclays center show . it 's the latest brand expansion for jay-z , who co-owns the 40/40 club in manhattan , owns a minority share in the brooklyn nets basketball team , has a stake in the rocawear clothing line , serves as co-brand director for budweiser select and was executive producer of the new video game `` nba 2k13 . '' for life + times , jay-z partnered with iconictv , a company that will run the channel like a television network with video content including a brooklyn nets series called `` the road to brooklyn , '' the fan-interaction show `` roc nation check-in '' and `` well dunn with jourdan dunn , '' about the british supermodel .<doc-sep>when given the proposition of watching just three sports for the rest of his life , the 28-year-old 's first two answers were a no-brainer : ` football and track and field . ' ' -lrb- and -rrb- i love the nba , so i 'd have to pick that . ' an avid sports follower the jamaican is a huge fan of the nba , but in contrast to his football loyalties , boltis open to change when it comes to which team he backs . bolt said he is a big follower of the nba and that his favourite player is brooklyn nets ' kevin garnett . ' i basically support whichever team kevin garnett is playing for , so right now it 's brooklyn nets . ` he 's a legend , but i hope he 's gon na retire soon because i need to support a better team ! '<doc-sep>after helping the brooklyn nets to relocate from new jersey to his hometown borough this season , jay-z announced friday that he will be selling his stake in the pro basketball team . earlier this month , the rapper and entrepreneur launched roc nation sports , a joint-venture sports management agency with creative arts agency . national basketball association rules stipulate that agents ca n't both represent professional athletes and have a stake in a team . for jay-z to move forward as an agent , he had to relinquish control of the sports franchise . jay-z , whose real name is shawn carter , explained his departure in the following statement : . `` being a member of the nets organization surpassed some of my greatest ambitions . it was never about an investment ; it was about the nets and brooklyn . my job as an owner is over but as a fan it has just begun . i 'm a brooklyn net forever . it 's been an honor to work with mikhail prokhorov , dmitry razumov , christophe charlier , onexim sports and entertainment , brett yormark and all the wonderful people involved in making the nets first class . my sincerest thanks goes to bruce ratner , who first introduced the idea of moving the nets to brooklyn . a thank you and deepest appreciation goes to the fans . you are the lifeblood of any team . '' the statement continued : `` the nets have made their mark on the nba and as they enter a new era , roc nation does as well ; as we embark on roc nation sports . our newest endeavor is committed to building the brands of professional athletes as we have done for some of today 's top music artists . for roc nation sports to function at its full potential , nba rules stipulate that i relinquish my ownership in the brooklyn nets . it was a tough decision but as i stated earlier , it 's not about ownership . congratulations to the nets on a great season and making the playoffs ! i will always be a brooklyn net . '' roc nation sports signed new york yankees all-star second baseman robinson cano as its first client .

<t> man is carried out of madison square garden without his prosthetic leg . </t> <t> security guards acted amid reports of ` multiple complaints ' from fans . </t> <t> happened at madison square garden during brooklyn net 's win over new york knicks . </t> <t> it has been claimed that he may have used prosthetic leg to hit another fan . </t> <t> but some eyewitnesses dispute this and say he did not attack anyone . </t> <t> man later identified on social media as nets ` super fan ' jeffrey gamblero . </t>

brooklyn nets fan ` attacks fan with his prosthetic leg '<T>

britain is to lead europe 's ambitious mission to try to find life on mars , it emerged today . the european space agency 's -lrb- esa 's -rrb- ruling council has put uk experts in charge of sending a rover vehicle to the red plant . through the uk space agency , the government is devoting # 47.7 million to exomars , almost as much as its # 49.2 million contribution to the international space station . britain has been chosen to lead europe 's mission to search for life on mars which will be lead by the exomars rover , featured here in an artist 's impression . chancellor george osborne made the surprise announcement in the commons that britain had been awarded the ` lead role ' in the 2018 exomars mission . central to the mission will be a hi-tech british-built rover that will navigate itself across the martian deserts . the rover , being tested in a sandy ` mars yard ' at airbus defence and space in stevenage , will use a two metre -lrb- 6.5 foot -rrb- long drill to extract samples from deep below the surface of the red planet and analyse them for signs of life . airbus defence and space spokesman jeremy close said : ` from our point of view , the decision is fantastic news . this is a flagship project not just for the uk but for europe . it will be europe 's first interplanetary rover . '<doc-sep>the european space agency 's -lrb- esa 's -rrb- ruling council has put uk experts in charge of sending a rover vehicle to the red plant . he said the 150-strong stevenage team had come on ` leaps and bounds ' developing the rover 's cutting edge technology . a key feature of the exomars rover will be its autonomous navigation system , giving it an ability to think for itself as it travels from one exploration site to another . mr close added : ` the thing it 's going to do which the american rovers are not doing is look for life . it will actually have life-detecting technology . if it 's in the right place and life is there , the rover will find it . ' scientists believe that while the exposed surface of mars is irradiated and dead , primitive life could survive in deeper layers underground . the esa decision means that final fitting and testing of the rover 's scientific instruments will now take place in stevenage and not in italy , as had previously been proposed . the rover is being tested in a sandy ` mars yard ' at airbus defence and space in stevenage -lrb- pictured -rrb- . base : the 150-strong stevenage team had come on ` leaps and bounds ' developing the rover 's cutting edge technology , it was said .<doc-sep>` from supplying the first nut and bolt to when it 's ready to be put on a rocket and sent to mars , all that work will now be done in stevenage , ' said mr close . the announcement comes hard on the heels of esa 's hugely successful rosetta mission to land a probe on a comet more than 500 million miles from earth , in which british scientists played a big part . news of the mars mission was mr osborne 's cue to deliver a joke aimed at labour . to loud guffaws , he said : ` we have often gazed on the barren wastelands of the red planet and long given up hope of finding intelligent life there . but signs of any life at all would be an advance . ' a total package for the uk space sector worth more than # 200 million has been promised by the government including # 55 million in new resource and capital funding for the next year . the treasury pointed out that every pound of public money spent on space exploration produced a # 10 return for the uk economy . britain 's leadership of the exomars mission would create more than 200 new jobs and ` vital spin-off technologies ' . more than # 130 million has also been pledged for new satellite telecommunications technology which will be matched by industry . the uk space sector is worth # 11.3 billion to the uk economy and directly employs a workforce of 34,300 .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- life on mars ? that 's the question facing the nasa team responsible for putting together the objectives for 2020 rover mission to mars . `` we 're still on the quest to answer the grand question : is there life somewhere else in the universe ? '' john grunsfeld , nasa 's associate administrator for science , told reporters tuesday in a teleconference . previous missions to mars have found definitive signs that water once flowed in a crater and rock samples that show signs of clay minerals . `` we really needed to go back to the surface , and go to the next stage . ... did mars ever have life ? '' grunsfeld said as he previewed a 160-page report prepared by the mars 2020 science definition team , a group assembled by nasa to outline the objectives of the mission . the 2020 rover mission to mars is considered essential to meeting president barack obama 's challenge to send a manned mission to the planet in the 2030s . among the objectives of the 2020 rover mission will be the search for signs of life , the collection of samples to possibly be returned to earth and testing technology that may allow for a manned mission to mars . astronauts would face high radiation on mars trip . `` we want to be able to seek signs of life : had life been there , did it leave a mark ? '' said jack mustard , a member of the development team and a chair and professor of geological sciences at brown university . as part of the preparation for the mission , nasa plans to conduct an open competition . it is planned by nasa for the space technology and scientific instruments that will be carried by the rover and used in the mission , according to the report . in addition to the 2020 mission , nasa is scheduled to launch the mars atmosphere and volatile evolution mission in november 2013 . that mission is set to explore the compounds of the martian atmosphere , which scientists say will offer a glimpse into the planet 's climate and habitability . in 2016 , a collaboration between the european space agency and russian federal space agency is expected to launch an exomars trace gas orbiter -- a mission to map methane and other gases on mars . the european and russian space agencies plan to launch the exomars rover in 2018 . `` what we have over the next 10 years is a very comprehensive series of international missions to mars , '' said jim green , director of nasa 's planetary science division in washington . researchers : newly found planets might support life .<doc-sep>the european space agency is working with the russians on an exomars rover that is due to start its mission in 2018 . but private companies are also proposing trips to the red planet -- and some of them are only one-way . the mars one project wants to colonize earth 's neighbor , beginning in 2022 and the inspire mars foundation wants to launch a man and a woman on a 501-day round-trip in 2018 without ever touching down . is india 's mars mission fueling asian space race ? explore mars discoveries with cnn 's interactive map . more on future mars missions . cnn mars full coverage .<doc-sep>two other such walks are scheduled for friday and february 22 , according to igor ushakov , director of the moscow-based institute for biomedical problems , the main organization coordinating the project . organizers at the european space agency and russia 's institute of biomedical problems hope the project will shed light on the physical and psychological effects of the long isolation that future mars astronauts will experience . `` this study is not useful only for mars , but also for life on earth , '' urbina , 27 , said in a news release when the mission began last year . the researchers communicate with mission control via the internet , with occasional disruptions and a 20-minute delay to imitate the effects of space travel . they are performing tasks similar to astronauts at the international space station , such as maintenance and scientific experiments , but for a longer period of time .<doc-sep>atlanta , georgia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in an attempt to re-create the experience of a manned mission to mars , an international team of researchers will lock themselves up in a windowless capsule for about a year and a half -- time required for a round trip to the red planet . starting thursday , an all-male `` crew '' of six -- three russians , a frenchman , an italian-colombian and a chinese -- will spend 520 days in the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of a special facility in moscow and will follow a strict regimen of exercise and diet . organizers at the european space agency and russia 's institute of biomedical problems hope the project will shed light on the physical and psychological effects of the long isolation that future mars astronauts will experience . `` this study is not useful only for mars , but also for life on earth , '' 27-year-old diego urbina , the italian-colombian participant , said in a news release . the researchers will communicate with mission control via the internet , with occasional disruptions and a 20-minute delay to imitate the effects of space travel . they will perform tasks similar to astronauts at the international space station , such as maintenance and scientific experiments , but for a longer period of time . they will follow a seven-day week with two days off , except when special and emergency situations are simulated . the latest isolation test is the last and longest part of the mars500 experiment that began in 2007 . the first phase was a 14-day simulation that mainly tested the facilities and operational procedures . the second phase followed in 2009 , when four russian and two european crew members were shut into the facility for 105 days . missions to the red planet have thus far been unmanned . in january , nasa told cnn radio that the agency was close to a deal to merge its mars program with the european space agency 's , a big step toward manned missions . in the meantime , nasa is preparing for the launch of its newest robotic space exploration vehicle , the mars science laboratory , late next year . it weighs roughly one metric ton and is about the size of a small automobile .

<t> european space agency 's ruling council has put uk experts in charge . </t> <t> uk government to give # 47million to the exomars 2018 mission . </t> <t> british-built rover will navigate itself across the martian deserts . </t> <t> it is being tested in a sandy ` mars yard ' at airbus defence and space . </t>

britain to lead european space agency mission to find life on mars<T>

families with children will save hundreds of pounds on the cost of their holidays after george osborne axed taxes on flights today . the chancellor abolished air passenger duty on all flights for children under the age of 12 . mr osborne 's autumn statement announcement is a major boost for families who are hit by higher holiday costs during term time . at the moment a family of four pays # 52 in flight taxes for a ticket to europe - of which # 26 is for children . the # 50million tax break cuts # 138 from the price of a family of four 's holiday to north america -- and almost # 200 for a family of four travelling to australia . it will also reduce the cost of a family holiday to spain by # 26 . the tax currently adds between # 13 and # 97 to the cost of a flight , depending on how far the final destination is from london . a campaign in parliament calling for the measure to be included in the autumn statement has widespread support . mr osborne said : ` we 're going to require airlines to list the charges separately from taxes on tickets . ` but i also want to reduce the cost of those tickets for families directly . ` from may 1 next year , air passenger duty for children under 12 will be abolished . and i 'll go further . from the following year , we 'll get rid of air passenger duty for children under 16 altogether . ' david cameron reportedly lent his support to the idea at a meeting of conservative mps in october . he is quoted as having said : ` i really like this one . i have three children under 10 myself . ' tory mp andrew bridgen , who has led the campaign to scrap the tax , said scrapping air passenger duty on children 's flights was a ` no brainer '<doc-sep>tory mp andrew bridgen , who has led the campaign to scrap the tax , said the tax cut was a ` no brainer ' . he added : ` it 's got cross-party support and it 's not expensive . i do have a habit of getting what i want from the government . ' around three millions flights are taken by under 12s every year , mr bridgen said . but he said the treasury will lose just 1.6 per cent of the # 3.2 billion it rakes in from air passenger duty every year . mr osborne 's announcement will ease the pressure on families stung by exorbitant travel costs during school holidays . at the moment a family of four pays # 52 in flight taxes for a ticket to europe - of which # 26 is for children . the duty adds # 138 for two children 's tickets to north america , # 170 to the caribbean and # 194 for flights to australia or new zealand . mr osborne last year announced that the two higher air duty tax bands would be scrapped in april 2015 -- with all flights over 2,000 miles charged at the same rate . it meant that flights to the west indies , south america , india , china and australia will all be charged the same tax as a flight to new york . all long haul flights will , from next year , will be charged # 71 extra per ticket . but the system could be scrapped in scotland after the government handed holyrood complete control over air passenger duty . the announcement has infuriated labour mps in northern england who fear regional airports will lose business to scotland . labour politicians said the move was a ` kick in the teeth ' for northern constituencies , which would have a ` crippling ' impact on airports in the region as airlines divert flights to scottish locations to take advantage of lower taxes .<doc-sep>the snp made the abolition of the duty part of their business pitch for independence . ed balls and fellow frontbenchers admitted the change would cause ` uncertainty and risk ' for regional airports . the airports themselves called for the treasury to commit to fresh protections . frank field , the birkenhead mp and former welfare minister , said fellow labour mps would join forces with southern tory rebels to bring down the smith proposals unless the devolution of apd was dropped . ` the idea is we are trying to build up northern airports not cripple them . this proposal cripples them . this will reinforce the london bias , ' mr field said . willie walsh , chief executive of british airways 's parent company iag , said people would be ` rushing across the border ' as a zero rate would make it # 276 cheaper for a family of four to fly to the us . search and rescue and air ambulance charities are to get vat refunds and more government cash following lobbying by prince william . in today 's autumn statement , the chancellor will announce vat breaks for the sector from april , alongside # 7.5 million extra support for air ambulances . the tax refunds will be worth # 25million over five years . the duke of cambridge is said to have been angry at pressure on air-sea rescue services . as a helicopter pilot at raf valley in anglesey , he has helped out with mountain rescue , coastguard and air ambulance services . david cameron revealed at prime minister 's questions in 2011 that the prince had urged him to do more to support the services , many of which are run by charities . today 's measure will mean all 150 search and rescue and air ambulance charities will be able to apply for vat refunds on all their search and rescue activities as of april 1 . hospices are to get vat refunds worth millions of pounds a year . after a long campaign by the hospice movement , george osborne will agree today that they should receive an annual grant to cover their vat costs . currently , nhs organisations are able to recover vat on non-business supplies such as catering , laundry , staff training and vehicle and maintenance costs . but hospices do not enjoy the same advantages -- meaning they are unfairly disadvantaged and face large vat bills . mr osborne will say today that the vat refund is expected to be worth # 4million a year to the sector , though if it is more the bill will still covered . ` hospice charities provide vital support services for the nhs and its patients and we want to support their work , ' said a government source .<doc-sep>summer holidays in 2015 could cost just half as much as they did this year thanks to low oil prices and the global upturn . some airfares for next year have already been slashed by up to half - and experts say the discounts will even cover the easter and summer holidays , which is expected to be warmly welcomed by parents . experts say a combination of the current strength of the pound , the government 's decision to scrap air passenger duty for children and falling oil prices reducing airlines ' fuel costs all mean the savings could last well into the summer . scroll down for video . some airfares for next year have already been slashed by half thanks to low oil prices and the global upturn . people are expected to start booking their holidays for 2015 as early as boxing day . bargains available include huge savings on winter breaks to florida , mexico and greece , and easter flights to spain being cut to almost half price compared to this year 's prices . other savings include # 50 flights to prague , barcelona , morocco , portugal and prague . the international air transport association -lrb- iata -rrb- has said lower oil prices and stronger worldwide financial growth are the main reasons for the savings . bargains include huge savings on winter breaks to florida , mexico and greece and easter flights to spain . they say consumers will benefit ` substantially ' from the stronger industry performance as lower industry costs and efficiencies are passed over to holidaymakers in the form of savings . after adjusting for inflation , average return airfares excluding taxes and surcharges are expected to fall by 5.1 per cent compared to 2014 prices . the savings come just weeks after george osborne announced in the autumn statement that families with children will save hundreds of pounds on the cost of their holidays after he axed taxes on flights . the chancellor abolished air passenger duty on all flights for children under the age of 12 . mr osborne 's autumn statement announcement is a major boost for families who are hit by higher holiday costs during term time - and if deals do cover the school holidays in 2015 parents can expect to make substantial savings . joel brandon-bravo , uk managing director of travelzoo , has said low air fare prices mean people can expect competitive deals and offers in 2015 . the # 50 million tax break cuts # 138 from the price of a family of four 's holiday to north america -- and almost # 200 for a family of four travelling to australia . from may 1 , a family of five flying to florida could save # 213 , or # 71 for each child under 12 . it will also reduce the cost of a family holiday to spain by # 26 . the tax currently adds between # 13 and # 97 to the cost of a flight , depending on how far the final destination is from london . joel brandon-bravo , uk managing director of travelzoo , told the sunday express : ` with the low air fare prices we are seeing for the new year , early 2015 is set to kick off with some great travel offers . ' tony tyler , iata 's director general and ceo said : ` the industry outlook is improving . the global economy continues to recover and the fall in oil prices should strengthen the upturn next year .<doc-sep>the huge sums spent on servicing the debt is equivalent to the total amount raised from council tax , fuel duty and stamp duty . chancellor george osborne used last week 's autumn statement to insist better-than-expected growth figures does not mean that the country is ` off the hook ' . but details of the rising debt interest reveals the impact on the tax bills on ordinary working people . someone earning # 40,000 paid # 708 towards paying interest on the nation 's debt , equivalent to six day 's take-home pay , the daily telegraph reported . people on # 100,000 paid # 2,487 or 10 day 's pay , while someone on a salary # 15,000 paid # 140 on interest , almost three days ' pay after tax . soaring national debt will see the charges rise markedly , with someone on # 40,000 expected to pay # 1,100 towards debt interest by 2018-19 . britain 's debt mountain will continue to grow . the uk economy is expected to grow by 1.4 per cent this year , up from 0.6 per cent forecast in march . as a result , the government will borrow # 9billion less than forecast .<doc-sep>by . rob cooper . published : . 04:14 est , 22 march 2012 . | . updated : . 04:20 est , 22 march 2012 . holidaymakers face a flight price hike from next month as air passenger duty soars by almost 10 per cent . the rise will see the tax on a family of four flying to florida increase to # 260 while a trip to australia will now be hit by # 368 in charges . flights to spain will also be hit by # 52 levies . the sharp increase in air passenger duty - dubbed the ` poll tax of the skies ' - will come into effect from april 1 . price hike : air passenger duty will soar by almost 10 per cent from next month - adding # 52 to the cost of a trip to spain for a family of four . airlines said george osborne 's tax grab will be a major blow to british tourism in the olympic year as the levy is also paid on all flights into the country . the chancellor was accused of burying bad news because the tax rise was not mentioned in his budget yesterday but appeared in papers released by the treasury later . from april next year the owners of private aircraft will also have to pay the charge . air passenger duty is banded according to the flight 's destination . holidaymakers travelling to europe will pay # 13 per ticket from next month , # 65 if travelling to the u.s. and # 92 for flights to australia . while air passenger duty stood at just # 5 for a european flight in 2005 and # 20 for all other destinations , from next month it will soar . the tax will now add # 92 to the cost of flights to australia - and # 13 for a european destination . britain has the highest air passenger duty in the world , and this table outlines how it will hit your flights . in 2005 the charge was just # 5 on all european flights and # 20 for all other destinations . the tax is expected to raise # 2.6 billion for the treasury in the current financial year . the 8 per cent hike coming into effect next month takes into account inflation and a deferred increase from april 2011 . travel . industry leaders last night joined together to slam the move , claiming .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- bolstered by a new poll that shows him leading in ohio and two other battleground states , president barack obama on wednesday made his ninth campaign trip this year to the buckeye state to attack republican rival mitt romney 's tax plan as unfair to middle-class americans . in ohio , swing state politics have real-life impact . obama cited a report issued wednesday by the urban institute-brookings institution tax policy center that concluded romney 's proposals for tax reform would end up providing large tax cuts to the very wealthy while increasing the tax burden on the lower and middle classes . `` he 's asking you to pay more so people like him can get a big tax cut , '' obama told more than 2,000 supporters in mansfield , the first of two ohio stops wednesday . `` we do not need more tax cuts for folks who are already doing really well . '' romney 's campaign challenged the veracity of the study and blamed the president 's economic policies for a still-lagging economy . `` president obama continues to tout liberal studies calling for more tax hikes and more government spending , '' romney spokesman ryan williams said in a statement . `` we 've been down that road before -- and it 's led us to 41 straight months of unemployment above 8 % . '' earlier , the romney campaign launched a potentially risky ad challenging the obama administration 's auto industry bailout , which is credited with saving general motors and chrysler . romney ohio ad hits obama over auto bailout . with just over three months until the november election , the race has become a contentious struggle to convince voters that the other guy will take the country in the wrong direction . the quinnipiac university/cbs news/new york times poll released wednesday showed obama leading romney in ohio , florida and pennsylvania , all of which are among the eight or so battleground states vital to either candidate 's chances for winning . poll : obama over 50 % in florida , ohio and pennsylvania . according to the survey , obama holds a 50 % -44 % lead in ohio and a 51 % -45 % lead in florida , which are considered toss-ups in november . the president is ahead 53 % -42 % in pennsylvania , which is rated `` leans obama '' on the cnn electoral map . `` if today were november 6 , president barack obama would sweep the key swing states of florida , ohio and pennsylvania and -- if history is any guide -- into a second term in the oval office , '' wrote peter a. brown , assistant director of the quinnipiac university polling institute , in a statement accompanying the survey 's release .

<t> chancellor abolished air passenger duty on flights for children under 12 . </t> <t> tax break cuts # 138 from the price of a family holiday to north america . </t> <t> family of four saves almost # 200 on flights to australia and asia . </t> <t> it will also reduce the cost of a holiday to spain for a family of four by # 26 . </t>

autumn statement scraps tax on children 's flights saving ⁇ 140 on trip to florida<T>

damaging leaks are the bread and butter of political reporting , but a leak of a different kind has got parliament aflutter . a thunderstorm over canberra has exposed a leak in the ceiling of the house of representatives chamber . speaker bronwyn bishop ordered a bucket and mop . ' i notice that our roof is leaking , ' she said .<doc-sep>' i realise leaking is a common problem for political parties . we may need a bucket . ' scroll down for video . an attendant looks up as he attempts to clean up water from a leak in the roof of the the house of representatives during question time at parliament house in canberra . a number of politicians found it quite comical as an attendant tried to clean up the water which was leaking from the roof .<doc-sep>treasurer joe hockey used it to attack labor , saying it exposed the dire state of infrastructure left by the previous government . the incident came just after agriculture minister barnaby joyce declared his support for more dams . the canberra times reported the nation 's capital was pelted with rain , hail , lightning and thunder as a severe thunderstorm passed through on wednesday afternoon . you 've missed a spot . politicians give direction to an attendant who is cleaning up water from a leaking roof at parliament house .<doc-sep>an attendant looks up as he attemps to clean up water from a leak in the roof of the the house of representatives during question time . it 's believed there were wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres and hour . the act state emergency service said it received a total of 25 calls for help since 2pm following the wet weather . actses and act fire & rescue responded to leaking roofs , as well as damaged trees and branches across a widespread area of canberra .<doc-sep>madam speaker bronwyn bishop proved she was not to be messed with yesterday afternoon after she suspended a record-breaking 18 mps from question time in canberra . the penultimate sitting of the parliament 's question time seemed to bring out the raucous side of the mps - all of whom represented the labor party - who were speaking out of turn and hurling comments down from the benches . all of the 18 mps were given their marching orders in the space of one hour , as ms bishop cut them off one at a time , naming and shaming them in front of their peers . madam speaker bronwyn bishop proved she was not to be messed with yesterday afternoon after she suspended a record-breaking 18 mps from question time . furious opposition mps blasted the labor members , claiming they were deliberately trying to evade question time for their own benefit . madam bishop noted that her list of suspended mps could have ulterior motives including many mps who had planes to catch and others who were eager to get back on the campaign trail . most of the mps ejected from parliament were possibly looking to return to their electorates for a three-day break before parliament resumes for its final sitting next week . labor mp graham perrett leaves the chamber of the house of representatives after being suspended by the speaker during question time at parliament house in canberra . cutting remarks from opposition leader bill shorten about madam bishop 's actions did not go down well . mr shorten said he believed the speaker had picked on the labor party , however ms bishop shot back and put him in his place and said she gave them their marching orders due to their unacceptable behaviour . ` simply to stand there and try and say that you all behaved like little angels and were picked on is pathetic , ' she said to mr shorten . labor mp nick champion looks less than impressed after he was ejected from parliament . 2:06 pm - ed husic .<doc-sep>` it 's . going to stay changeable through much of the week , and the weather will . improve towards the weekend , but temperatures will stay fairly average . for this time of year . ' after . some parts of britain saw warmer stormy weather on saturday and sunday , . temperatures will return to normal for this time of year , which for may . is between 8c -lrb- 46f -rrb- and 18c -lrb- 64f -rrb- . watch out : a met office yellow ` be aware ' weather warning for yorkshire today . today : rain . will continue across parts of england , although gradually easing . through the day . elsewhere it will stay cloudy , although some limited . brighter spells are possible , but also isolated showers . outlook for tomorrow to saturday : it . will slowly turn drier and brighter during thursday with rain . continuing to ease . bright or sunny spells and variable cloud follows on . friday and saturday , but also isolated showers . uk outlook for may 31 to june 9 : largely . cloudy but mainly dry conditions are expected through saturday although . a few showers may develop across western areas . through sunday , more . persistent rain across western areas is likely to push east through the . day , with sunshine and showers following . the rain may well turn heavy . for a time as it moves eastwards . whilst temperatures will be near . normal , it will feel cool with the rain . the weather is likely to stay . changeable thereafter with showers or longer spells of rain accompanied . by breezy conditions at times , particularly across western areas at . first . despite this , there will be some warmer , drier and sunnier spells . but with the risk of some chilly nights for the time of year . uk outlook for june 10 to june 24 : changeable . weather looks more likely than not to persist into mid-june . as such , . conditions would then be mixed with showers or longer spells of rain , . particularly for western areas , interspersed by some drier , brighter . periods for most parts of the uk . later in the month , there are signs . beginning to emerge of a change towards more settled conditions , at . least for the north of the uk . temperatures are likely to be near or . just below average during unsettled weather and near average or rather . warm during brighter , more settled spells . -lsb- source : met office -rsb- .<doc-sep>britain is facing a double whammy of bad weather with heavy rain and floods expected to be followed by a 90mph storm . last night flood alerts were in place on rivers across the country . good weather today could give the impression that the storms have gone away -- but the respite will be brief , with more rain and gales due from tonight . waterlogged : heavy downpours led to delays on the roads in and around glasgow . last night , more than two inches of rain fell on high ground in north ayrshire , with an inch descending on glasgow . in deep water : police clear leaves from drains on the north circular near to the junction of bishops avenue , london . flooded : officers reach over barriers with a shovel to clear drains on the north circular , london . the environment agency has issued more than 20 flood alerts for north england , the midlands , the south east and wales , and motoring organisations are urging drivers take extra care in wet weather . gale force winds , a high tide and stormy seas bring huge waves crashing into the promenade at aberystwyth on the west wales coast . the met office has also issued a number of severe weather warnings , for the central , tayside and fife , london and the south east , south-west scotland , lothian borders , the south west , strathclyde and wales . traffic gets caught out by surface water on the lewes road in brighton as heavy rain , high winds and stormy weather caused problems early yesterday morning . and more rain in areas still recovering from the storms earlier this week could lead to flooding and surface water on roads . the environment agency has more than . 20 flood alerts in place for the north , the midlands , the south west and . wales . the met office has issued severe weather warnings for rain in . the south west and wales tomorrow . forecaster juliet gardner predicted . showers on saturday with strong winds turning to gale force in the . evening , while sunday would see squally showers with local hail and . thunder . torrent : a man looks out over the fast flowing and swollen river ure at aysgarth falls , north yorkshire . stormy seas : waves crash onto the rocks below a house perched on top of chalk cliffs at tennyson down , freshwater on the isle of wight . flood : a driver makes his way along a flooded lane near thorpe in the derbyshire peak district . a lone walker battles the wind and rain on brighton seafront as the country prepares for strong winds and rain yesterday . sun breaks through thick cloud as on an empty brighton seafront at dawn today . the uk faces heavy flooding today as rain and 60mph wind continue to batter the country . short , heavy bursts are expected across much of the southern england , south wales and south-west scotland , along with thunderstorms and squally winds . the weather is expected to grow even . worse on monday with the arrival of the st jude storm -- named after the . patron saint of lost causes whose feast day falls that day . leon brown , . meteorologist at the weather channel , said the 90mph winds combined with . more than an inch of rain could bring down trees and cause structural . damage . the path of the storm is unclear but it is likely to hit wales and the south west first before touching most of the country . the storm is currently 5,000 miles . away over the gulf of mexico and mr brown said its predicted impact may . change as it nears britain in the next few days . the environment agency has issued more than 20 flood alerts for north england , the midlands , the south east and wales . a flock of starlings swarm through the darkening sky in gretna , scotland at dusk . fiona exon , 55 , from eden valley , cumbria , works for the institute for outdoor learning and was mesmerised by the starling formations in the sky . the wet weather will clear giving a day 's respite throughout tomorrow , before returning with another yellow weather warning for the south west of england and wales on friday . sunny : mild weather continues as warm air rolls in from the atlantic pictured is gllyngvase beach in falmouth , cornwall . red sky at night : sunset over the houses of parliament in westminster , central london today . autumnal : a woman jogs through autumn colours at jesmond dene , newcastle upon tyne .<doc-sep>miami -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- severe weather has damaged more than 50 homes in several florida towns , officials said , and schools in the florida keys were canceled wednesday because of heavy rain and frequent lightning . no serious injuries were reported . damage assessments were under way in plantation and sunrise , florida , after a suspected tornado swept through south florida about 10 p.m. tuesday . at the time , a tornado warning for the area was expiring , said joel gordon , battalion chief for the plantation fire department . gordon said about 25 homes were damaged in plantation . in sunrise , another 25 were damaged , with six classified as uninhabitable , according to city spokeswoman christine pfeffer . `` you 're in your house one minute and the next minute everything is moving , the house has shifted , '' said laila najm of plantation , who was home with her mother and dog when the storm hit . a tree fell on her home , causing the roof to leak , she said , and the house came off its foundation . windows were broken , debris and standing water littered her porch and the home lacked running water on wednesday . her car windows were broken as well .

<t> australian mps were forced to deal with a leak at parliament house . </t> <t> speaker bronwyn bishop called for a mop and bucket . </t> <t> the nation 's capital was pelted with rain , hail and lightning as a severe thunderstorm passed through wednesday afternoon . </t>

there 's a leak in parliament ⁇ stormy weather stops mps during question time as rain starts seeping through the roof of the house of representatives<T>

critics of uber have attempted to crash the taxi app in any way they can , one of which is getting drivers to rate passengers just one star and thereby making the rating system meritless . a daily dot journalist named nimrod kamer was fed up with uber 's privacy issues , their desire to dig up dirt on journalists , and their assault allegations . kamer decided to shake uber 's rating based system so that he could cause chaos for the popular app and fuel the anti uber revolution . scroll down for video . amused : when drivers heard journalist nimrod kamer 's request for them to rate him one star they were very hesitant because they did n't one a low rating for themselves .<doc-sep>disbelieving : this uber driver laughs in disbelief when nimrod kamer asks him for just one star . the man with the plan : journalist nimrod kamer believes that by asking for a one star rating he inspire others to take suit who will then overthrow uber 's rating based system . uber demands that both drivers and passengers rate each other anywhere between one and five stars with five being the best and one being the worst . kamer believes that if passengers ask drivers to rate those , just one star that it , ` will throw the drivers off-guard , mixing up the system , and sparking total anarchy . ' kamer explains that since drivers need high scores to stay employed that they might be afraid to give a passenger one star in fear of getting one themselves .<doc-sep>when kamer visited new york in november he got 15 different drivers to rate him one star and ended up with an average rating of 1.8 . kamer told business insider that he ` is the first one to get a 1-star average , but it does n't mean i 'm a bad passenger , it just means i convinced fifteen drivers to give me a low rating . an uber driver with a rating below four stars runs the risk of losing his position with the company . kooky idea : colorful british journalist nimrod kamer visited new york in november he got 15 different drivers to rate him one star and ended up with an average rating of 1.8 . rating based system : uber demands that both drivers and passengers rate each other anywhere between one and five stars with five being the best and one being the worst .<doc-sep>uber said fohounhedo was driving under an account created in his wife 's name in violation of uber 's rules prohibiting account sharing . prosecutors said he used his own photo and phone number on the account . uber driver maxime fohounhedo was also charged with sexually assaulting a female passenger in chicago in the last month . uber spokeswoman jennifer mullin could n't immediately explain how that discrepancy could have been missed during the application process or despite what she said were uber 's ` regular re-checks ' of driver photos . ` we do our best to send drivers though our background check process , which far exceeds what 's expected of taxis , ' she said . ` but there is also a responsibility for the rider to make sure that when they get into an uber that they 're checking the license plate and they 're checking the driver 's face and making sure all that matches up . ' in this case , though , such scrutiny by the rider might not have helped because fohounhedo 's own photo would have showed up on the user 's smartphone , mullin acknowledged . the uber app allows smartphone users to search for rides from regular taxis , limos and private individuals such as fohounhedo who use their own vehicles in an arrangement known as ride-sharing .<doc-sep>by . victoria woollaston . would you be willing to share a taxi with a stranger , if it meant cutting the cost ? that 's the idea behind uberpool , the latest scheme from taxi firm uber , which lets users share a journey with another person who is requesting a ride along a similar route . cars are booked in the standard way , but if there is a match , the app will notify the user of the other rider 's first name . at the end of the journey , the fare is then split between both passengers . uberpool -lrb- screengrab pictured -rrb- lets users share rides and fares with strangers travelling on the same route . cars are booked in the standard way , but if there is a match , the app notifies the user of the other rider 's first name . the driver will then collect the first passenger , before collecting the second . ` since the early days of uber , we 've been excited about the idea of providing transportation so inexpensive and reliable , people can actually sell their cars , ' explained the company in a blog post .<doc-sep>trust is , supposedly , the new currency of the sharing economy . it drives , to excuse the pun , data intensive sharing companies like uber , the controversial transportation sharing startup now valued at $ 19 billion . uber drivers get reviewed and are dismissed if they score badly and are considered untrustworthy . even uber users get scored by drivers and might not get picked up if they are n't well reviewed . everyone gets rated on uber . everyone , that is , except senior uber executives themselves . last friday night , at a dinner party set up by uber as an off-the-record briefing , at manhattan 's exclusive waverly inn bistro , emil michael , the company 's vice president of business , proposed a dastardly scheme to compromise one of uber 's leading media critics . michael suggested that uber use its vast collection of consumer data to `` dig up dirt '' on sarah lacey , the founder of the silicon valley news site pando . over a dinner attended by leading technology pundits , michael suggested that uber could spend `` a million dollars '' to hire a crack team of researchers and journalists . this investigative team might , he said , snoop into the personal and family life of a critic like lacey who has relentlessly exposed many of uber 's creepiest features -- particularly what she calls the `` asshole '' misogyny of its ceo , travis kalanick . earlier this week , michael 's outrageous and perhaps even criminal idea was leaked by the buzzfeed editor-in-chief ben smith , who attended the dinner . this , of course , has generated a massive storm of outrage amongst the technorati . peter thiel told cnn that uber was the most `` ethically challenged '' company in silicon valley . while the guardian 's dominic rushe rhetorically asked whether uber is silicon valley 's `` worst company . '' all over social media , people said the same thing : emil michael was the ultimate creep ! the crowd had spoken . michael 's reviews were universally abysmal . he should be yanked , dismissed , fired .<doc-sep>uber customers will be able to listen to their own music when they call a car , thanks to a new deal with streaming music site spotify . the controversial car firm will allow people to link their spotify and uber accounts . when they get into the car , they can select a special uber playlist , or one of their own , and have it play through the car 's speakers - if the driver has opted it . users simply select music from any one of uber 's featured playlists or one of their own spotify playlists within the uber app . when the car arrives , the user 's tunes will be playing on the speakers . user 's can first link their spotify account via the uber app and request a ride .

<t> nimrod kamer was fed up with uber 's privacy issues , their desire to dig up dirt on journalists , and their assault allegations . </t> <t> kamer decided to shake uber 's rating based system so that he could cause chaos for the popular app and fuel the anti uber revolution . </t> <t> kamer believes passengers asking for one star ` will throw the drivers off-guard , mixing up the system , and sparking total anarchy ' </t>

uber user nimrod kamer wants to beome worst rated passenger<T>

the fbi are hunting a bank robber they have dubbed the ` chit chat bandit ' as he continues to chat up the tellers while stealing from them . the man has now targeted two banks in the san diego area in two days and on both ocassions has fled the scene on the crime on a bmx-style bike . investigators say even as the cash is being handed over , he continues to chat to the female tellers to lull them into a false sense of security and to make it look as though he is a regular customer . the man dubbed the chit chat bandit , who is being hunted by the fbi after robbing two banks in the space of two days in the san diego area . the man was first captured on cctv on wednesday , november 26 , when he entered the wells fargo bank on girard avenue in la jolla , california . he then walked over to the counter and handed the female teller a note demanding all of the money in her cash drawer .<doc-sep>the robber also made a verbal demand for cash before engaging in small talk with her so he appeared like a normal customer . then two days later after thanksgiving , he targeted another wells fargo branch inside the vons store on camino canada in el cajon . again he walked over to the counter and demanded money from the teller , and while she was collecting it , he also asked another employee for money . in the first robbery , the man targeted the wells fargo bank on girard avenue in la jolla , california , pictured , where he demanded money from the teller but continued to chat her up while robbing the branch . he carried on talking to them while he was given the cash and then exited the store before making his getaway on a small green bmx bicycle . no injuries have been reported at either of the robberies and no weapon has been displayed .<doc-sep>the fbi are now chasing down the man and are offering a $ 1,000 cash reward . he is described as white , in his mid-thirties of around 170 pounds and approximately five foot ten inches tall with a slender build and blonde with facial hair . in the first robbery he was wearing dark sunglasses , an orange reflector vest with a long-sleeved , dark tan shirt underneath . in the second raid he wore a dark baseball cap , dark shirt and light coloured pants . anyone with information is asked to contact the fbi .<doc-sep>the alleged ` good grammar bandit ' ` good grammar bandit ' : fbi officials claim this man robbed four colorado banks in the last week and handed the tellers perfectly typed demand letters . suspect : fbi officials say these surveillance photos capture a man entering four banks and making off with an undetermined amount of cash . not a literary criminal : the fbi have dubbed this suspected bank robber the ` good grammar bandit ' for leaving perfectly typed , spelled and punctuated demand notes .<doc-sep>by . sarah johnson . and laura pullman . the so-called plain jane bandit who is believed to have carried out six bank heists and two attempted robberies since july 12 has been arrested . sylvia helen garcia , 38 , was caught near her downey , california home on thursday night after the fbi reportedly received multiple tips about her . the plain jane bandit last struck on tuesday but fled before getting any money , reported abc news . plain jane bandit arrested : sylvia helen garcia , 38 , who is believed to be the plain jane bandit responsible for robbing six banks in southern california since july 12 , was arrested thursday night . captured : the arrest comes after a $ 10,000 reward for any information on the bank robber was offered by u.s. bank . the arrest comes after u.s. bank officials offered a $ 10,000 reward for information leading to the womanâ $ ™ s capture and conviction . garcia allegedly began her crime spree on july 12 with two robberies , one unsuccessful , in the city of moreno valley . the fbi confirmed that the suspect struck three other u.s. bank branches in buena park , whittier and santa fe springs . the string of robberies began with the . first one on july 12 in santa fe springs and the next bank hit was in . whittier on july 19 . then , on july 23 , fbi officials said . that the plain jane bandit had struck a chase bank branch and a u.s. bank branch in moreno valley . tip offs : witnesses previously described the ` plain jane bandit ' as a hispanic female with a scar near her right eye . busted : the bank robber -lrb- pictured -rrb- indicated to bank employees that she had an accomplice waiting outside . notorious : garcia allegedly robbed banks in various locations -lrb- pictured -rrb- in southern california during a three week crime spree . the next heist was on july 24 at a u.s. bank branch in a grocery store in the city of wildomar . garcia is also believed to have robbed . another u.s. bank in the city of buena park on tuesday before hitting . the branch in wildomar . during each robbery , the woman has . made demands , in writing and verbally , and said an accomplice was . waiting for her outside , reported abc news . however , the accomplice was . never seen . investigators chose her nickname based on the statement of a witness who described her as â $ ˜plain janeâ $ ™ . witness reports described the robber . as a hispanic female , 35 to 40 years old , about 5 feet 5 inches tall and . weighing about 160 to 180 pounds . the robber was also linked to a . silver , four-door car with a sunroof . she did not wear a disguise for any of the robberies .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a southern california bank robber dubbed the `` geezer bandit '' has struck again , possibly knocking off his 11th bank , the fbi said . the suspect held up a bank of america branch in temecula on thursday . `` during -lrb- the -rrb- robbery , the robber approached the victim teller and presented a demand note for cash , '' a statement from the fbi said . `` the robber carried a leather case which contained a small caliber pistol that he threatened to use , if the teller did not comply with his demands . ''<doc-sep>the fbi believes the suspect is responsible for robbing 10 banks in san diego county and one in riverside county . the `` geezer bandit '' has carried a weapon in at least two of the robberies and should be considered dangerous , authorities said . `` in these types of crimes , the potential for violence is significant , '' april langwell , spokeswoman for the san diego office of the fbi , said in may . `` the last thing we want to happen is an employee of the bank or a customer to be injured as a result of one man 's greed . ''

<t> the man targeted two banks in the san diego area in the space of two days . </t> <t> has been dubbed the ` chit chat bandit ' as he chats up the female tellers . </t> <t> on both occasions he takes cash from the banks and flees on a bmx bike . </t> <t> the fbi have now released cctv images in a bid to hunt down the robber . </t>

fbi chasing san diego bank robber the ` chit chat bandit ' who chats up female tellers<T>

a prostitute and her unemployed partner , arrested over the murder of a gold coast man after luring him with an online advertisement for sex , have faced court . 33-year-old mother of three , peta lorang-goubran , and her 28-year-old partner mark dayney were arrested on wednesday over the murder of gold coast man mark emanuel spencer , found bludgeoned to death on october 1 . mr spencer , 37 , sustained severe head injuries at his coomera home in what police have described as a targeted attack . the couple have been remanded in custody after appearing at the southport magistrates court on thursday . mark emanuel spencer was found bludgeoned to death at his gold coast home on october 1 . mr dayney reportedly blew a kiss to supporters as he was led from the dock at the southport court on thursday ; one person in the room telling him to keep his ` chin up ' . the court heard dayney was on bail when accused of participating in the murder , though his lawyer said the breach of bail charge against his client would be contested . ms lorang-goubran wept in the dock during her brief appearance . detective superintendent dave hutchinson said mr spencer had replied to an advertisement for sex on the classified website craigslist , falling victim to the couple 's ploy . ` they had a plan together to go to the client 's residence and actually rob that person , ' he told reporters on the gold coast . detectives found a bloodied tennis racquet and broken baseball bat at the scene . police claim he had replied to an advertisement for sex on the classified website craigslist , which was part of his killers ' ploy to rob him and a number of other victims . detectives found a bloodied tennis racquet and broken baseball bat at the alleged murder scene . police were unable to speculate how often similar sex-related robberies occur through classified sites like craigslist - but note the likely embarrassment of victims means perpetrators of such crimes are less-likely to be caught out .<doc-sep>` it is quite apparent that victims would be reluctant to report the matters to police and the offenders probably count on this being the case , particularly if drugs are also stolen , ' det supt hutchison told daily mail australia . he said one other victim has been positively identified , as well as a number of other people who had communicated with ms lorang-goubran via email and text messages but who never actually met up with her for various reasons . det supt hutchison is urging other victims to come forward to police . ` we would still like to speak to anyone who responded to any craigslist advertisement for sexual services who were subsequently victims of robbery , ' said det supt hutchison . ` the manner in which these transactions occur creates significant risks for the ` client ' as is the case with any online interactions where the identity , history and background of the other party is not known and can not be validated , ' det supt hutchison said . there have been a number of similar craigslist related crimes in the united states in recent years , including one case in which a newly-wed couple created an escort ad on the site to lure a married engineer so they could kill him ` for the excitement ' of it . they were sentenced to life in prison . police are pictured outside the 37-year-old 's home in coomera , following his murder . mr spencer 's body was found on the back porch of his home . a 33-year-old mother of three and her 28-year-old partner were arrested on wednesday over his murder . mr spencer reportedly knew ms lorang-goubran but was n't aware she was the prostitute responsible for the advertisement . the pair have been charged with murder and robbery with violence over mr spencer 's death , as well as charges relating to a robbery in holmview , south of brisbane , the night before the murder . a friend of mr spencer , tim stewart , said it was tough to face the father-of-two 's alleged killers in the courtroom on thursday . ' -lrb- i 'm -rrb- very angry , ' mr stewart told reporters when asked to describe his emotions . ` he -lrb- mr spencer -rrb- was a great person , beautiful kids , and he 'll be truly missed . ' the matter will return to court on february 20 . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .<doc-sep>a wooden tennis racquet could have been used as the murder weapon to kill father of two mark emanuel spencer last month . mr spencer , 37 , was found bashed to death by his house mate on the back patio of his coomera home , on the gold coast , with head injuries early morning on the first of october . the gold coast bulletin reported a vintage tennis racquet was found near mr spencer 's body , covered in his blood . scroll down for video . mark emanuel spencer was found with head injuries on the back patio of his coomera home - the gold coast - on october 1 . the father-of-two , aged 37 , was found with head injuries early in the morning last month . it was reported that a vintage tennis racquet was found near mr spencer 's body , covered in his blood .<doc-sep>by . joel christie . a seattle man who was recently released from prison for offering to pay an undercover police officer for sex with a 13-year-old girl has been caught by the same detective for a near-identical crime . thomas rutledge spencer - who also goes by the name howard kivley - finished a three and a half year sentence for attempted child molestation earlier this year . now king county prosecutors claim the 65-year-old placed an advertisement online expressing his desire for a ` daddy-daughter ' sexual arrangement with a young girl , according to seattle p-i . spencer is alleged to have sent several graphic emails to an undercover detective in which he offered to pay $ 50 for sex with a 15-year-old girl . re-offender : thomas rutledge spencer , 65 , was allegedly caught trying to pay to have sex with a child straight after serving a three and a half year prison sentence for the same crime .<doc-sep>a 64-year-old florida man was arrested friday after bringing his family to meet a 14-year-old girl he 'd be grooming for months to join them in group sex . cliff oshman , of daytona beach , went to a local grocery store to meet the young girl , wife and young daughter in tow , only to find out ` she ' was an undercover cop -- the depraved man was arrested and charged with multiple offenses . mr oshman initially made contact with the undercover officer through an ad placed online looking for someone willing to have sex with his family . he and the police officer chatted for seven months before agreeing to meet , according to the orlando sentinel . the perverse patriarch 's original online ad ` was looking for someone to add to his cozy family and that the age of the person did not matter , ' said an arrest report reviewed by mailonline . an undercover cop responded , posing as a 14-year-old girl , and was subjected to chats from march until this week about mr oshman 's desire to have a sexual relationship with a young girl , according to the arrest report . even worse , his family was in on the scheme . ` the wife and daughter were given a ride to the police department and during that ride -lsb- his wife -rsb- told detectives that the defendant and she were supposed to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex , ' the arrest report said . reading like a chat log from nbc 's ` dateline : to catch a predator ' television series , the deranged man wrote about his impulses and fantasies , but also expressed concern over being caught .<doc-sep>in october 2010 he was caught responding to an ad posted by the same detective , who was posing as a parent attempting to pimp out a 13-year-old child . two hours after the detective posted the ad , spencer was in contact offering to pay for sex with the child . he sent hundreds of emails to the detective graphically describing what he hoped to do to the child . spencer was arrested after meeting with the detective . he failed two polygraph tests when asked whether he 'd molested children . spencer was jailed and ultimately convicted , but he was released after serving the minimum term of 40 months , despite an evaluator ruling him unfit for post-release treatment . now he is accused of advertising himself as a man looking for a mother willing to let him have sex with her daughter .

<t> mark emanuel spencer was found bludgeoned to death at his gold coast home . </t> <t> police claimed he had replied to an advertisement for sex on the classified website craigslist , which was part of his killers ' ploy to rob him . </t> <t> a 33-year-old mother of three and her 28-year-old partner were arrested on wednesday over his murder and have been remanded in custody . </t> <t> the couple used the likely embarrassment of their robbery victims as a way to ensure their ploy could continue , police claim . </t>

police claim murdered mark emanuel spencer responded to online sex ad<T>

a scuba diver who found a wedding ring on the sea bed while on holiday in mexico has launched a facebook campaign to reunite it with its owner . daniel roark from gloucester , massachusetts had been diving off the coast of playa del carmen , earlier this year when he came across the gold ring . he believes it must be a wedding band and it is engraved with the name jessica on the inside , with the date of 16 02 13 and the letters tyyjcem . scroll down for video . daniel roark , who was scuba diving off the coast of playa del carmen in mexico earlier this year when he found a wedding ring on the sea bed .<doc-sep>the gold wedding band has the name jessica engraved inside it along with the date of 16/02/13 and the letters tyyjcem . thinking it could be a meaningful piece of jewellery , he has started a campaign on social media to track the owner . and now the appeal has gone viral with his post on facebook being shared almost 120,000 times , creating the hashtag #thelostweddingband . writing on facebook with a picture of the ring , he explained : ` ok , so while scuba diving around playa reef , playa del carmen last week , i happened to find this ring . ` unfortunately there is no way for me to know whether it was lost or intentionally thrown into the ocean .<doc-sep>` assuming it was not the latter , i 'd like to find the owner so i can send it to them . mr roark is desperate to reunite the ring with its owner but despite his high-profile campaign , nobody has yet come forward . mr roark had been scuba diving while staying at playa reef in the mexican resort , pictured , when he came across the ring . ` if you know a couple who was married on february 16th , 2013 , who lost a wedding band -lrb- likely while diving -rrb- near playa del carmen mexico , please have them contact me at thelostweddingband@yahoo.com . ` if not , please take a second to share this . let 's make some social media magic happen ! '<doc-sep>but despite the high-profile campaign , the owner has yet to come forward and mr roark is keen to find the owners soon . in another post he added : ` i 'm shocked at how much support the search for the wedding band owner has received ! ` sadly the owner has not been found yet , but my hope for humanity was certainly restored ! ` always remember , even in this crazy world , there are a lot of kind people . '<doc-sep>the owner of a wedding ring recovered off the coast of mexico has been found after a facebook campaign led by the young man who discovered the ring . on saturday , daniel roark , 21 , posted to his facebook wall that the search he began in september had finally located the owner , martin castillo of nuevo laredo . a commercial and recreational diver from gloucester , massachusetts , roark found the gold band while diving off the coast of playa del carmen on the yucatan peninsula . scroll down for video . daniel roark , who was scuba diving off the coast of playa del carmen in mexico earlier this year when he found a wedding ring on the sea bed . found : a cousin of jessica garza -lrb- center -rrb- messaged roark to tell him the ring belonged to her husband martin castillo , who had lost it during their honeymoon in february 2013 . the ring bore an engraving with the name jessica , as well as the date 16 02 13 and the acronym tyyjcem . roark now knows that ` jessica ' is castillo 's wife jessica garza , and the date that of their wedding last year .<doc-sep>mr roark had been scuba diving while staying at playa reef in the mexican resort , pictured , when he came across the ring . ` we had no idea that someone was looking for us , ' castillo said . ` you have no idea what this means . ' roark found the ring along a reef off the coast of mexico , more than a year and a half after it had gone missing . thinking it could be a meaningful piece of jewelry , roark started a campaign on social media to track the owner . and now the appeal has gone viral , with his post on facebook under the hashtag #thelostweddingband being shared over 200,000 times . writing on facebook with a picture of the ring , he explained : ` ok , so while scuba diving around playa reef , playa del carmen last week , i happened to find this ring . ' ` unfortunately there is no way for me to know whether it was lost or intentionally thrown into the ocean . '<doc-sep>by . joel christie . it just goes to show that engraving jewellery is not just sentimental , but smart . a california couple have been reunited with the wedding they lost two years ago - and it 's all thanks to the message that was scrawled on the inside of the band . and facebook , of course . jenna birchim was at ellwood beach in ojai with her family when what she thought was a bottle cap that had washed up on the rocks was actually a ring . ojai couple sarah and greg lindsay -lrb- right -rrb- were reunited with a wedding ring they lost at ellwood beach two years ago , after jenna birchim -lrb- left -rrb- found it washed ashore and put a photo on facebook . the power of social media : it took just four days for jenn birchim to track down the owner of this ring after she posted it on her facebook page . the ring was lost here , at ellwood beach in california , close to santa barbara , two years ago and found recently . as she inspected it , birchim found an inscription that said ` my love , my life , my lobster ' . she thought that meant it belonged to a fisherman , but either wat , it might be just be enough to try and find its rightful owner . birchim put a photo of the ring on facebook , which was subsequently shared over 25,000 times . one of the people that came across worked with a woman named sarah lindsay . sarah knew straight away the ring belonged to her husband , greg , because it was her message engraved on it . they had lost the band at the same beach two years prior . ' i thought it was somewhere in the pacific , ' greg told keyt . ` there 's no way , i thought after losing it , there 's no way it would come back on shore . ' amazingly , the picture had only been on facebook four days before sarah lindsay came across it . this is the moment jenny birchim reunited sarah and greg lindsay with the lost wedding ring . greg and sarah lindsay are expecting their first child together in august . they said it 's ` unbelievable ' to have found their lost wedding ring two founds after it was displaced . on saturday , birchim met with the lindsays to give them back their ring . ` totally resorted my faith in humanity , ' greg said . ' i was like wow , there are still honest good people out here like jenn , to be able to do the right thing . so it was pretty cool . ' but hang on , what does ` my lobster ' mean ? turns out it is a nickname sarah and greg have for each other , based on an episode of friends . in the show phoebe explains that lobsters fall in love and mate for life , and ross pronounced rachel his lobster .<doc-sep>a huge online search is underway to find the owner of a missing wedding ring found in a premier league car park in 2012 . an army of 100,000 people have now joined the hunt , ahead of the owner 's 25-year wedding anniversary next year . the search , led by sunderland fan clare owens , began after the latter found the engraved ring in the club car park at the stadium of light . sunderland fan clare owens began the search in 2012 , and there are now 100,000 people involved . the ring has engraving on the inside showing that the couple 's 25-year anniversary is next june . the black cats were playing host to norwich city in the fixture on february 1 , 2012 , and it is unclear whether the ring belongs to a supporter of the home or away side . there has been a huge response since the incident , and now over 100 countries are involved in the search for the ring . next year will mark the 25th wedding anniversary of the unknown couple , shown by the engraving on the inside of the jewellery . the inscription , ` aj á sc 16-06-1990 ' is the only clue to revealing the owner , but nobody has come forward to claim it as their own . the search is now being ramped up to find the missing owner ahead of their big anniversary date . the ring was found on the floor of the stadium of light car park at sunderland . engraving on the inside of the ring shows the date ' 16-06-90 ' , with the letters ` aj á sc '

<t> daniel roark from massachusetts had been scuba diving in mexico . </t> <t> while underwater he came across a gold wedding band on the sea bed . </t> <t> ring is engraved with the name jessica inside and the date of 16/02/13 . </t> <t> brought it to the surface to try to reunite it with its rightful owner . </t> <t> has started a facebook campaign so he can track down who it belongs to . </t> <t> appeal has gone viral with his facebook post being shared more than 120,000 times . </t>

scuba diver who found wedding ring launches facebook campaign to find owner<T>

one tasteless person had already starting trying to cash in on the funeral of phillip hughes , before proceedings had even finished . an order of service booklet , from hughes ' funeral service at his home town of macksville on wednesday appeared on ebay , midway through the service . on ebay as ` phillip hughes australian cricket funeral service program ' it was put up for auction with the starting bid of 99 cents with the location as macksville . the listing also included a number of photos of inside the booklet and had a selling time of seven days . scroll down for video . this is the listing that went up on ebay of the phillip hughes funeral service booklet . it has now been taken down by the trading site . a large procession of mourners is seen on wallace street at the completion of the funeral for australian cricketer phillip hughes , in macksville . the program has now been taken down by ebay which was done a short time after it was listed for sale . ebay says ` they have been doing manual sweeps of the site a few times a day since friday and removing listings that appear to be profiting from the tragedy . ' ` these listings are completely inappropriate and we will continue to remove them should they appear again , ' said ebay spokesperson megan english . last week , when most of the nation was mourning the tragic death of the 25 year old , a number of callous ebay users also tried to cash in and begun listing various items connected to hughes on the popular trading site . ebay then decided to remove all phillip hughes memorabilia listings and said they were scanning the site in the days and weeks ahead to remove any offending items . the order of service for phillip hughes ' funeral which was on wednesday at his hometown macksville . cricket bats are seen at the live broadcast of australian cricketer phillip hughes ' funeral at the sydney cricket ground .<doc-sep>new south wales state premier mike baird says a planned state funeral for phillip hughes has been called off . hughes died aged 25 on november 27 , two days after being struck by a short-pitched ball from sean abbott during a domestic first class match at the sydney cricket ground . more than 5,000 people , including former australia team-mates and players from around the world , attended a funeral service in hughes ' hometown of macksville , new south wales last wednesday . tributes continued to be laid out for fallen cricket star phillip hughes at the adelaide oval on sunday . hughes died last month after being struck by a short-pitched delivery at the sydney cricket ground . the coffin of hughes is carried down the aisle during his funeral service in macksville last week . baird said on monday the planned state ceremony had been cancelled after consultation with hughes ' family and cricket australia . ` all parties felt that given the enormous outpouring of support at last wednesday 's funeral , that a state memorial service would no longer need to be held , ' baird said in a statement .<doc-sep>australian test cricketer ryan harris says he and his teammates were given ' a bit of closure ' following phillip hughes ' funeral service . it came as the australian test squad touched down in adelaide ahead of their first match since hughes ' death . ryan harris -lrb- centre -rrb- says he and his teammates were given ' a bit of closure ' following phillip hughes ' funeral service . hughes , 25 , died last thursday after he was struck in the neck by a cricket ball . his funeral service was held on wednesday . harris said some of his teammates had not even thought about playing since hughes ' tragic death last thursday after he was hit with a cricket ball in the neck . ' i know some guys have really struggled . some have n't even picked up a bat or ball yet since it happened , ' he wrote . ` they 're just not going to know , until they pick a bat or ball up , whether or not they 're going to be capable of playing . '<doc-sep>` all parties felt that given the enormous outpouring of support at last wednesday 's funeral , a state memorial service would no longer need to be held , ' new south wales premier mike baird said . ` last wednesday 's funeral in macksville was a wonderful service and a fitting tribute to phillip 's life and it was a privilege to be a part of it . sean abbott received warm embraces from his nsw team-mates ahead of a training session on monday . preparing to launch into action . sean abbott inspects the pitch prior to a training session for nsw . sean abbott was among the mourners at phillip hughes ' funeral last week . the young fast bowler is set to playing cricket for the first time since hughes ' death in a new south wales vs queensland game starting tomorrow . young fast bowler sean abbott in full flight . he sat out the resumption of grade cricket but is set to play again for new south wales on tuesday . abbott , who made his international debut in october , returned to training with nsw last tuesday and was among the more than 5000 mourners at hughes 's funeral the next day in the northern nsw town of macksville . hughes ' death sent shockwaves through the international cricket community , and senior australian players have conceded that returning to the playing field has been a challenge . there has been speculation abbott may be too traumatised by hughes ' death to make a full and effective return to the sport . abbott has been supported by all parts of the cricket community , including hughes ' family and australian captain michael clarke . sean abbott pictured after visiting phillip hughes in hospital after the batsman was fatally injured by a bouncer abott bowled during a south australia-nsw game last month . hughes ' former opening partner for australia , simon katich -lrb- left -rrb- was among the cricketers who were quick to console sean abbott after the phillip hughes tragedy . mourners singled out sean abbott at hughes ' funeral , offering words of comfort for the grieving fast bowler . legends of the game , including dean jones -lrb- left -rrb- , sought out sean abbott immediately after the accident and at the funeral to provide support . cricket nsw said all players , abbott included , were given the opportunity to decide when they want to return to playing . the scg wicket where hughes was struck has been retired by groundskeepers and will not feature again during australia 's summer of cricket . trauma experts say the impact of hughes 's death might not sink in for abbott for weeks . but they also say that returning to training and competition , if he 's surrounded by supportive team-mates , could help him recover quicker from any psychological damage . phillip hughes died on november 27 after suffering a head injury two days earlier while batting for his adopted state south australia against his home state new south wales two days earlier . the pitch on which phillip hughes was stricken by a bouncer will no longer be used this summer . hughes ' grieving south australian team-mates are also yet to decide if they will play tasmania in the next round of the sheffield shield . ' i would n't recommend -lrb- the players -rrb- stay away -lrb- from the sport -rrb- at all , actually , ' said michael burge , director of the australian college of trauma treatment . ` they just need to be taking into account that they may be a little bit awkward or not quite on their game as they were for a few weeks . ' sean abbott and his partner brier neill pictured in the procession through the streets of hughes ' hometown of macksville after the batsman 's funeral .<doc-sep>michael clarke was comforted as he cries with other mourners as the casket is driven away after the funeral service in the town of macksville . jason hughes scored 63 for mosman against sydney , the same number of runs his famous brother had made when he was fatally struck by a bouncer two weeks ago . the elder hughes was said by onlookers to to be emotional when walking out to bat for the first time since phillip died on november 27 , and also when he reached 50 . he apparently did not know the score he was on when he fell to the bowling of nathan sowter . sean abbott was greeted by a fellow mourner at the funeral of the batsman in his home town of macksville . mourners across the world paid tribute to the cricketer by placing their beloved cricket bats outside . tributes are seen in memory of australian cricketer phillip hughes outside the adelaide oval in adelaide . jason had been encouraged by phillip to move to sydney to play cricket and spoke at his brother 's funeral , thanking him for helping him develop as a person and a cricketer . ` you have given me confidence , strength , you supported me and gave me a strong desire to succeed , ' he said . there was also a tribute to phillip at the first test against india in adelaide , where his friend david warner looked heavenward during an on-field post-match interview to thank him for the win .

<t> the order of service booklet from phillip hughes ' funeral was listed on ebay before the proceedings had even finished . </t> <t> it was put up for a seven day auction , starting bid of 99 cents . </t> <t> the popular trading site took it down saying they remove listings that appear to be profiting from the tragedy . </t> <t> they have been doing manual sweeps of the site a few times a day since friday . </t>

tasteless ebay seller lists phillip hughes ' funeral order of service booklet for sale<T>

france has been ordered to pay thousands in compensation somali pirates who had attacked french ships , because the pirates ' human rights were disregarded when they were arrested . the french army took too long to bring the pirates before a judge when they apprehended the sea-faring criminals in 2008 , the european court of human rights ruled . france now has to pay between 5,000 and 2,000 euros -lrb- # 3,945 , and # 1,578 -rrb- to each pirate for ` moral damages ' . inlaws or outlaws ? france has been ordered to pay between # 1,578 - # 3,945 to each somali pirate for ` moral damages ' as well as from # 2,367 to # 7,100 to cover each pirate 's legal costs . they were also ordered to pay amounts varying from 9,000 euros to 3,000 euros -lrb- # 7,100 to # 2,367 -rrb- to cover the pirates ' legal costs . the echr said french authorities should have presented the pirates ` without delay ' to a judge when they arrived on the country 's territory after holding the men at sea . the somali pirates were apprehended on the high seas by the french army on two separate occasions in 2008 , and taken back to france for trial . in the ruling , the echr acknowledged the french were operating under ` completely exceptional circumstances ' - the arrest took place ` more than 4,000 miles from french territory - which explained the long detention without seeing a judge .<doc-sep>poor pirates : the european court of human rights ruled that france needs to compensate the pirates as the french army ` took too long to bring the pirates before a judge ' , during a 2008 arrest . the echr , located in strasbourg , eastern france , also noted that the somali authorities were ` incapable of fighting ' against the pirates . nevertheless , the court ruled that after their arrival on french soil , authorities were wrong to keep the pirates in custody for an additional 48 hours before bringing them before a judge . ` nothing justifies such an additional delay , ' read the echr verdict . this constituted a ` violation of their rights to freedom and security , ' the court ruled . pirate attacks off somalia have been slashed in recent years , with international fleets patrolling the gulf of aden and indian ocean , as well as armed guards being posted aboard many vessels . at their peak in january 2011 , somali pirates held 736 hostages and 32 boats , some onshore and others on their vessels .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the crew members of a north korean freighter regained control of their ship from pirates who hijacked the vessel off somalia , but not without a deadly fight , the u.s. navy reported tuesday . the uss james e. williams ordered pirates to give up their weapons , the navy says . when the battle aboard the dai hong dan was over , two pirates were dead and five were captured , the navy said . three wounded crew members from the cargo ship were being treated aboard the guided-missile destroyer uss james e. williams . the captured pirates were being held aboard the north korean vessel , the navy said . the bandits had seized the ship 's bridge , while the crew kept control of the steering gear and engines , the navy said . the koreans moved against the attackers after the williams -- responding to reports of the hijacking -- ordered the pirates to give up their weapons , according to the navy . when the crew members stormed the bridge , the deadly battle began . after the crew regained control , navy sailors boarded the dai hong dan to help with the injured . north korea and the united states have no diplomatic relations . watch why the u.s. helped the north koreans '' the incident took place about 70 miles northeast of the somali capital , mogadishu , the navy said . it is the second incident of piracy reported in recent days . a second u.s. navy destroyer was searching waters off somalia for pirates who hijacked a japanese-owned ship , military officials said . over the weekend , gunmen aboard two skiffs hijacked the panamanian-flagged golden nori off the socotra archipelago near the horn of africa , said andrew mwangura , a spokesman for the kenyan-based seafarers ' assistance program . the guided-missile destroyer uss arleigh burke has been pursuing the pirates after entering somali waters with the permission of the troubled transitional government in mogadishu , u.s. officials said monday . in recent years , warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates . two military officials familiar with the details confirmed the ongoing operation .<doc-sep>the german sailors captured the pirates and disarmed them , destroying the weapons , the ministry said . the german government in berlin later ordered the somali pirates released because they were not caught while harassing german interests , according to bbc . the karlsruhe joined the fight against the pirates on tuesday from djibouti , the defense ministry said . on wednesday a top japanese official said the country was considering sending vessels to join u.s. , russian , nato and indian vessels in the waters off somalia , a key shipping route that sees around 20,000 oil tankers , freighters and merchant vessels each year .<doc-sep>the somali pirates roaming the waters off the horn of africa push global trade costs up by billions of dollars per year and severely affect the economic activities of neighboring countries , a new world bank report has found . although hijackings in the region have dropped significantly since last year , piracy could still cost the global economy an estimated $ 18 billion annually , according to the `` pirates of somalia : ending the threat , rebuilding a nation '' report , launched thursday in the somali capital of mogadishu . read this : peace concert rocks mogadishu . the increased costs come as shippers are forced to change trading routes , sending fuel bills soaring , as well as pay higher insurance premiums and security bills for guards on board .<doc-sep>wary of previous hijackings near the somali coast , walder said the mv amiya scan had not been traveling within the country 's 12-mile -lrb- 20-kilometer -rrb- territorial limit when it was seized . there have been 24 attacks on ships near the somali coast and in the gulf of aden this year , said capt. pottengal mukundan , director of the international maritime bureau , which tracks pirate attacks . of those 24 , he said , seven have been successful hijackings . cyrus mody of the same bureau said that somali pirates seem to take ships `` purely for financial gain . '' in the seven cases this year , most were resolved with a ransom payment , mody said , adding that the pirates in somalia typically treat the crews on the hijacked ships well . mody added there are at least four distinct pirate groups in the country and it is difficult to tell which group is responsible for which hijacking . a draft resolution introduced to the u.n. security council last month would combat somali hijackings by allowing foreign governments to pursue pirate vessels into somalia 's territorial waters and make arrests . the resolution , sponsored by the united states , panama , france and britain , noted that somalia 's transitional government welcomes international assistance . maritime groups say they hope the resolution is adopted and expanded to other waters .

<t> france to pay compensation to somali pirates over 2008 arrests . </t> <t> army ` took too long to bring the pirates before a judge ' , echr rules . </t> <t> france to pay # 1,578 - # 3,945 to each somali pirate for ` moral damages ' </t> <t> also to pay from # 2,367 to # 7,100 to cover each pirate 's legal costs . </t>

france ordered to pay compensation to somali pirates<T>

a british expat has died of suspected hypothermia after he slipped and fell into a ditch while out shopping near his hilltop village in tuscany . stephen paul sorini-dixon , 71 , perished after getting stuck in the four foot gutter of icy water , investigators believe . it is thought that he slipped in the dark and was unable to climb out , remaining there all night , exposed to the icy stream of water . stephen paul sorini-dixon , 71 , slipped into a four-foot gutter of icy water near his home in a hilltop village outside tuscany , pictured , and it is believed he got stuck in the freezing stream after he became trapped -lrb- file -rrb- . the pensioner who moved to italy some years ago was found on sunday morning by a hunter who spotted his shopping trolley . the expatriate , who lived alone but has several children living in the uk , was last seen getting off a bus about a mile from his home after doing the shopping on saturday evening .<doc-sep>on the way home in the dark he fell off the road into a substantial ditch , police believe . he was stuck with his arms and legs above him , failed to clamber out of the slippery slope and spent the night in the icy water of the stream , scientific police said . the briton , nicknamed the englishman in the mountainous village , has several children who live in england but had lived in the area for years . the man ' s children were informed and are thought have travelled to italy to help with the funeral arrangements . more than 6,000 britons die abroad every year , averaging 100 a week , figures show . this is mostly down to the high number of elderly expatriates who live overseas , with the bulk opting to retire to the sunny climes of southern european countries such as spain and italy . the pensioner , who moved to the mountainous village in italy some years ago where he was nicknamed the englishman , was found the next morning by a hunter who had spotted his shopping trolley -lrb- file picture -rrb- .<doc-sep>most die in natural circumstances , but 10 per cent of all british people murdered were killed overseas , showing that crime also plays a part , official figures reveal . the statistics came as the foreign commonwealth office came under fire for not being sensitive to the needs of grieving families who requested consular help over the death of a loved one abroad . a damning report last month showed families had accused officials of being uncaring and unhelpful -- and even of failing to dress appropriately -- making their heartache even more traumatic . the criticisms came in a report by a cross-party panel of mps which ordered the foreign office to improve its services to bereaved families . mps also demanded an inquiry into claims some torture victims were failed by consular staff .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- what 's the best source of information for anyone planning a move overseas -- the internet , the bookstore or those carefully worded government travel warnings ? duh ! it 's the movies , of course . why would anyone do any research when everything they need to know about their new lives has been laid bare on the silver screen ? when cinema gets it right , it does a pretty good job of taking a hatchet to the expat dream of lounging around in exotic bars dressed in linen suits and panama hats . just as often , however , hollywood 's overseas adventures run into so much trouble it 's a wonder it is n't now languishing in the bowels of a dank foreign prison hoping that someone at the embassy might be able to put in a few calls . to help navigate the celluloid jungle , here 's our purely subjective list of the best and worst expat movies . best . 5 . ` the wages of fear ' -lrb- 1953 -rrb- . this brutal piece of black and white french cinema reeks of unwashed vests , but its depiction of nasty expat truck drivers worthlessly risking their grubby lives in the south american jungle is as explosive as the deadly nitroglycerine cargoes they 're paid to deliver . everyone is detestable , everyone dies and not even the dogs care . that 's how expat life should be . enlightening expat dialog . dick : `` when i was a kid , i used to see men go off on these kinds of jobs ... and not come back . '' 4 . ` straw dogs ' -lrb- 1971 -rrb- . `` wild bunch '' director sam peckinpah takes a double-barrel shotgun to all those smug , honey-hued films about rural expat life in this tale about repressed american mathematician david sumner -lrb- dustin hoffman -rrb- relocating to his wife 's cornish village . there are no hilarious misunderstandings with local plumbers , just thugs on tricycles . there 's no sun-kissed romance , just a marriage disintegrating into domestic violence . and there are no life-affirming friendships , just a cat getting throttled . the film 's brutality is a bit hard to stomach . the apparent need for a 2011 remake starring kate bosworth was also somewhat hard to stomach . enlightening expat dialog . henry niles : `` i do n't know my way home . ''<doc-sep>' i have to report every snake i capture , it 's a very regulated business but i love it , ' said ms baker known as the snake sheila . ms baker caught the snake that snuck into the morayfield home last week . ms baker became a snake catcher after painful divorce she decided to focus on the things that brought her happiness - one of them being snakes . about 10 years ago the serpant professional discovered her love for snakes when at australia zoo . ' i just fell in love , i felt so differently to everyone else getting a photo with the snakes , they all walked away saying ` yuck ! they feel so gross ' but i found them to be so beautiful and misunderstood . ' it was then that ms baker set in motion what would become her snake capturing business . not the face you want to see greeting you from the other side of the door . julia baker a british expat has become a snake catcher after falling in love with the reptiles she saw at australia zoo 10 years ago . ' i get to meet people and see so much incredible wildlife , it 's a dream for me , ' she explained , ' i particularly like educating people on snakes and converting them into snake lovers too . ' the uk - expat is keen to spread the word that snakes should n't be feared . ` they 're not dangerous . they will never chase a person , that 's just an urban myth , ' ms baker said , ` they wo n't attack unless they feel threatened . '<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 12:55 est , 25 november 2012 . | . updated : . 13:18 est , 25 november 2012 . a nine-year-old boy and his grandfather have died after falling through a frozen lake while ice-skating . gérard payeur , 64 , and his grandson , nicolas payeur , nine , were on a small lake on friday near the grandfather 's home in ascot . corner , outside sherbrooke , quebec . the boy 's grandmother , who jumped into the freezing water to save them , is in hospital suffering from hypothermia but is expected to survive . scroll down for video . gone too soon : nicolas payeur , nine , died on friday when he fell through thin ice with his grandfather in quebec . dave benneth , the boy 's uncle , told reporters he could n't understand why they went out on the ice so early in the season . nicolas 's family saw them plunge into the water and called emergency services who got the pair to a hospital late on friday afternoon . gérard died shortly after being admitted to the hospital . nicolas passed away early ion saturday morning . nicolas 's uncle dave benneth told reporters that he did not understand why gérard allowed the boy to go out on the ice when it was so thin .<doc-sep>his . cries for help went unheard but he could n't save himself due to the . extent of his injuries and was forced to wait until he was found . incredibly , in the early hours of the third search day a small amount of . debris was found at the side of a road by humberside police officers , . who launched a search of the immediate area . anthony . was found alongside the busy a614 later the same day , between east . cowick and thorne , lying in the water-filled ditch , conscious and . breathing . mr margrave was rushed to doncaster royal infirmary where he was sedated and placed on a ventilator in intensive care . he was suffering from hypothermia , a fractured spine , broken ribs and needed surgery to clear his airway . lucky anthony , who suffered . hypothermia , dehydration and severe injuries including a fractured . spine , has now spoken out from sheffield 's northern general hospital . about how lucky he is to be alive - and how he hopes to be back home .

<t> stephen paul sorini-dixon , 71 , got stuck in four-foot gutter of icy water . </t> <t> believed he was unable to climb out and spent night in freezing stream . </t> <t> pensioner found in morning by hunter who spotted his shopping trolley . </t> <t> retiree , known locally as the englishman , was last seen getting off bus . </t>

british expat dies of hypothermia after falling into ditch near his home in tuscany<T>

a north texas jury convicted a former public official thursday of capital murder in a revenge plot against a district attorney , his wife and a top assistant who had prosecuted him for theft and ruined his career , prosecutors said . eric williams now faces a potential death sentence after he was convicted in the 2013 murder of cynthia mclelland , the wife of slain kaufman county district attorney mike mclelland . testimony in the trial involved the deaths of both mclellands , and williams also is indicted in the death of assistant prosecutor mark hasse . guilty : eric williams makes his way into the courtroom before closing arguments in his trial at the rockwall county courthouse in rockwall , texas on thursday , december 4 , 2014 . legal battle : prosecutor toby shook -lrb- left -rrb- gives closing arguments during the eric williams capital murder trial as matthew seymour -lrb- right -rrb- , williams ' defense lawyer talks about a bullet shell as he gives his closing arguments . grief and anguish : wyvonne mclelland , mother of mike mclelland , gets emotional as the guilty verdict is read in the eric williams capital murder trial at the rockwall county courthouse in rockwall , texas on thursday . prosecutors took just three days to present their case against williams , whom they called a ` ruthless killing machine ' in closing arguments . his defense lawyers only made a closing argument and did not call witnesses . ` the case is so air tight , it sucked the oxygen , it sucked the energy out of any potential defense , ' prosecutor bill wirskye said in closing arguments . after the verdict , williams ' brother-in-law , zach bellemare , said the defense team ` was terrible . ' defense attorneys and prosecutors declined to comment outside of court . the mclellands ' bodies were found inside their rural home east of dallas in march 2013 . the couple had already changed to go to bed when williams charged into the home and opened fire . prosecutors say williams shot cynthia mclelland in the head , and he then shot mike mclelland and stood over his body , firing repeatedly . murdered : williams shot dead district attorney mike mclelland , his wife , cynthia , -lrb- left -rrb- and kaufman county assistant district attorney mark hasse -lrb- right -rrb- in 2013 .<doc-sep>forensics : james jeffress , forensic scientist explains his findings of connecting the shells found at the crime scene of the mclelland 's and the one found at a storage shed connected to eric williams . circumstantial : mark wild a latent fingerprint examiner with the texas department of public safety gives testimony about the tests he performed on fingerprints found on items in a storage unit . mike mclelland 's mother , wyvonne mclelland , wept as the verdict was read . their deaths occurred two months after a masked gunman killed prosecutor hasse outside a local courthouse building . williams was a former justice of the peace who lost his job and his law license after mclelland and hasse successfully prosecuted him for stealing three computer monitors from a county government building . williams was convicted in march 2012 , about 10 months before hasse was killed . ` my life has taken a drastic turn , ' williams told a probation officer at the time . ` he lost his sitting as a justice of the peace , he lost his law license , everything he worked for . the law was his life , ' bellemare said , adding that he believed williams was innocent . incriminating : photo of evidence collected at a storage unit connected to eric williams is shown on the screen during the trial of eric williams . expert : james jeffress , forensic scientist explains letters on one of the bullets found in a storage shed connected to williams . the case was built on circumstantial evidence against williams , and the weapon used to kill the mclellands has never been found . ` it 's a fantasy . it 's a guess . there 's no proof of it , ' defense attorney matthew seymour said in closing arguments .<doc-sep>but prosecutors showed jurors evidence from a storage locker he had a friend rent in secret . inside the locker was the suspected getaway vehicle , more than 30 guns and police tactical gear . a dive team that searched a local lake also found a gun believed to have been used to shoot hasse and a mask williams allegedly wore . scene : interior crime scene photo of the house shown during the eric williams trial that show the path of the bullets once he attacked . multiple wounds : gunshot wound evidence pertaining to mike mclelland during the eric williams capital murder trial . williams ' estranged wife , kim , has been indicted for capital murder , though her attorney has said she is cooperating with prosecutors . she did not testify in the trial . she 's accused of having driven the getaway vehicle after hasse 's killing . prosecutors also found a password in williams ' home to an account on the crime stoppers tips website used to send a partial confession . one message presented in court said , ` do we have your full attention now ? ' prosecutors decided to pursue the three murder charges individually , because if williams was acquitted in the death of cynthia mclelland , they then could try him in the slaying of mike mclelland . had prosecutors not won either case , they would bring williams to trial in hasse 's death . the trial was held in neighboring rockwall county due to the attention the case received in kaufman county . the sentencing phase begins monday .<doc-sep>jurors are deliberating the fate of a former justice of the peace convicted of killing a north texas district attorney 's wife in a revenge plot . prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for eric williams . he was found guilty earlier this month in the shooting death of cynthia mclelland . ex-judge eric williams is convicted of killing a north texas district attorney 's wife in a revenge for losing his job . his estranged wife kim williams said on tuesday that she assisted in the killing . today : special prosecutor bill wirskye asks kim williams , the estranged wife of eric williams , a few questions during the punishment phase of the eric williams trial at the rockwall county courthouse on tuesday . dead : eric williams is charged with killing district attorney mike mclelland -lrb- left -rrb- and convicted of killing his wife , cynthia -lrb- left , right -rrb- . he is also charged in the death of prosecutor mark hasse -lrb- right -rrb- . prosecutors say williams killed the three in a revenge plot after hasse and mclelland prosecuted him for the theft of county equipment . he lost his job and law license as a result . williams ' estranged wife , kim williams , testified before closing arguments tuesday that the couple 's mood after the mcclellands ' killing was ` happy , joyous . ' the estranged wife of a former texas justice of the peace testified that she was a ` willing participant ' in her husband 's revenge killings of a district attorney , his wife and a senior prosecutor . eric williams was convicted december 4 in the shooting death of cynthia mclelland . he is also charged , but has not been tried , in the deaths of kaufman county district attorney mike mclelland and assistant prosecutor mark hasse . kim williams is also charged in the slayings . she testified for more than two hours tuesday about her role in the murder plot . ` his anger was my anger , ' she said .<doc-sep>a north texas woman pleaded guilty tuesday to murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison after earlier testifying that she helped her husband gun down a district attorney , his wife and a top assistant in a revenge plot . kim williams appeared in court two weeks after her husband , eric williams , was sentenced to death for one of the three killings . she testified during eric williams ' sentencing hearing that she was a ` willing participant , ' driving the getaway car after the january 2013 shooting of prosecutor mark hasse and helping hide weapons after the march 2013 shootings of kaufman county district attorney mike mclelland and his wife , cynthia . scroll down for video . guilty : kim williams pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison after earlier testifying that she helped her husband gun down a district attorney , his wife and a top assistant in a revenge plot -lrb- file photo -rrb- . investigators have said the couple sought to avenge eric williams ' 2012 prosecution for stealing county-owned equipment . he was a justice of the peace at the time and the conviction cost him his job and law license .<doc-sep>a former justice of the peace in north texas has been sentenced to death for killing a district attorney 's wife in what prosecutors have described as a revenge plot that left three people dead . eric williams was convicted on december 4 of capital murder in the 2013 death of cynthia mclelland , who was slain along with her husband , kaufman county district attorney mike mclelland , in their home east of dallas . williams has been charged , but not tried , in the deaths of mike mclelland and prosecutor mark hasse . scroll down for video . eric williams has been sentenced to death for killing a district attorney 's wife cynthia mclelland in what prosecutors have described as a revenge plot that left three people dead .<doc-sep>a former justice of the peace accused of killing a north texas district attorney and his wife had a ` treasure trove ' of evidence in a storage shed , prosecutors said during opening statements monday . eric williams faces a possible death sentence for the 2013 slayings of kaufman county district attorney mike mclelland and the prosecutor 's wife , cynthia , at their home in forney , just east of dallas . williams also is charged with fatally shooting assistant prosecutor mark hasse two months earlier . brought to justice : eric williams , left , listens to testimony as he sits in court during his capital murder trial at the rockwall county courthouse in rockwall , texas , on monday , december 1 . prosecutor bill wirskye told jurors that the storage shed 's contents pointed to williams being the alleged gunman . wirskye also said 20 rounds were fired inside the mclellands ' home in less than two minutes . an investigator provided early testimony on what authorities discovered at the home , where the couple was dead and dressed in their nightwear . friends reportedly found the bodies of the da and his wife after going to their home on march 31 2013 , having not heard from them in almost 24 hours . they were found with multiple gunshot wounds . couple behind bars : former justice of the peace eric williams -lrb- right -rrb- and wife kim williams -lrb- left -rrb- were indicted on three capital murder charges . caught on camera : an exhibit photo is on display in the courtroom during the capital murder trial of eric williams , who faces a possible death penalty . expert 's verdict : texas ranger rudy flores explains a crime scene photo to the jury . authorities contend williams was upset because the prosecutors ' office had pursued charges against him in 2012 , saying he stole county-owned computer equipment .

<t> eric williams , 47 , found guilty of capital murder after a prosecutor called him ' a ruthless killing machine ' who had carefully plotted his crimes . </t> <t> prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for eric williams , 47 . </t> <t> charged with shooting dead district attorney mike mclelland , his wife , cynthia , and kaufman county assistant district attorney mark hasse in 2013 . </t> <t> mike mclelland 's mother , wyvonne mclelland , wept as the verdict was read . </t> <t> the jury , which took less than two hours to reach its verdict , will hear evidence monday in the sentencing phase . </t>

eric williams found guilty of shooting dead three in revenge<T>

european politicians will sit down for a special lobster and foie gras lunch today -- subsidised by british taxpayers . the european parliament restaurant is laying on a three-course christmas feast despite continuing austerity across the continent . meps , who earn around # 75,000 a year , can enjoy the lavish menu for just 20 euros -- which works out at less than # 16 . the european parliament restaurant is laying on a three-course christmas feast despite continuing austerity across the continent . for that price they can sample smoked duck breast and truffle oil , pheasant with foie gras and truffles , lobster au gratin with lemon sabayon or vegetable broth with quail eggs and smoked garlic . side dishes range from piped potatoes with chestnuts and chopped dried fruits , samphire flan , bundles of green beans , or an assortment of asparagus , mushrooms and cherry tomatoes , the evening standard has revealed . for those not wanting a hot meal , the salad bar offers a range of pâtés , meat , fish and charcuterie terrines . the meal is finished off with bûche de noël - christmas log - or fresh fruit salad . paul nuttall mep , ukip 's deputy leader , said the subsidised feast was ` a kick in the teeth for hard pressed families across the country ' .<doc-sep>the european parliament authorities defended the price of the meal as `` eminently reasonable '' . they stressed that the menu was a christmas special , therefore `` exceptional '' , and that it was being served in a canteen-like staff restaurant . there had also been a drive to push down `` substantially '' the costs to public funds of the catering services over the last two years . but animal rights groups have slammed the restaurant for serving foie gras . members of the european parliament can today sample smoked duck breast and truffle oil , pheasant with foie gras and truffles , lobster au gratin with lemon sabayon or vegetable broth with quail eggs and smoked garlic . a spokesman for the people for the ethical treatment of animals said : ` the scientific consensus on force-feeding is crystal clear : it 's cruel and should be banned . ` every animal-protection organisation in the world condemns the production of foie gras . ` the eu scientific committee on animal health and animal welfare has catalogued a long list of ways in which foie gras production is inherently abusive . '<doc-sep>british taxpayers may have to pay more money to brussels to cover the rising cost of pensions for eu civil servants and meps . this year the pension bill for eu officials jumped by more than seven per cent to # 1.3 billion . growing costs mean the eu now has a # 36 billion pension time bomb , with britain expected to pay a # 4 billion share . scroll down for video . the european parliament in brussels - british taxpayers may have to pay more money to cover the rising cost of pensions for eu civil servants and meps after the pension bill jumped by seven per cent to # 1.3 billion . the pension bill for eu officials jumped more than seven per cent to # 1.3 billion this year .<doc-sep>fluid feast : the liquid lunch , above , contains turkey gel , umami-rich gravy , carrot fluid gel , dehydrated brussels sprouts and potato-infused foam . for most of us , christmas is a time to ditch the diet . but jockeys have to forego all festive treats to stay light enough for winter races . so food scientist dr rachel edwards-stuart and bookmakers william hill have now created the first ever liquid christmas lunch -- containing just 294 calories -- for riders in the william hill winter festival at kempton park this weekend . the high-tech fluid festive feast contains turkey gel , umami-rich gravy , carrot fluid gel , dehydrated brussels sprouts , potato-infused foam and cranberry ` air ' . and it is served with an espresso-style shot of mince pie extract and a spoonful of powdered brandy butter -- an extra 38 calories .<doc-sep>dotted with insects and oozing with worms , at first glance this meal looks like it is ready for the bin . but the creepy-crawly festive feast is the creation of peter bickerton , who will be tucking into his insect-filled meal on christmas day . for the main course there is nut-roast filled with crickets served with brussels sprouts and locusts , and covered in mealworm vegetable gravy . scroll down for video . clockwise from left to right : locust mince pies , mealworm gravy , cricket nut roast , locust brussels sprouts and mealworm christmas pudding . peter bickerton believes his insect-inspired meal is a much more sustainable alternative to conventional christmas dinner . crunchy lunch : the main course is a nut roast filled with crickets and served with roasted potatoes . dessert will be a choice of mealworm christmas pudding or locust mince pies . mr bickerton believes his insect-inspired menu is a much more sustainable , protein-rich and healthy alternative to the conventional christmas dinner . the 25-year-old from from blackburn , lancashire , said : ` i 'm definitely going to be eating bugs this christmas . ` i 've never liked turkey - it 's dry , bland and boring .<doc-sep>by . sophie jane evans . life of luxury : ukip leader nigel farage is using taxpayers ' money to pay for a swanky penthouse suite in brussels , it has been revealed . ukip leader nigel farage has come under fire for using taxpayers ' money to pay for a swanky penthouse suite in brussels . the euro mp , who has previously criticised the european union for its wastefulness , is renting the luxury property in one of the most exclusive addresses in the belgian capital . it is thought to be worth a staggering # 500,000 - featuring two bedrooms , two bathrooms , a garage and a private cellar . it even boasts cleaners and a porter , while a balcony offers incredible views of brussels 's skyline . the 49-year-old sleeps in the taxpayer-funded suite , which is owned by a dutch diplomat , twice a month , according to the sun on sunday . this is despite him previously delivering vehement attacks on the eu ` gravy train ' - slamming the excesses of european politicans as wasteful and unnecessary . the suite , situated on the top floor of a 15-storey block , built in the 1930s , is within walking distance of the european union parliament and a number of posh bars and restaurants . it is owned by the family of dutch ambassador to the philippines , gijsbert anton boon von ochssee . today , jonathan isaby , chief executive of the taxpayers ' alliance , condemned mr farage 's use of taxpayer 's money to pay for the luxury accommodation in brussels . he told mailonline : ` after the public outcry over mps ' expenses back in 2009 , it is high time that meps were subject to the same scrutiny over how they are spending taxpayers ' hard-earned cash . speech : the euro mp , who has condemned the european union for its wastefulness , is renting theproperty in one of the most exclusive addresses in the belgian capital . above , mr farage at the ukip spring conference . ` meps . clearly need a place to stay when they are representing their . constituents in brussels , but they must make arrangements that offer . best value for taxpayers ' money . ` if . some meps are only staying overnight in belgium a couple of nights each . month , several questions are sure to pop into people 's minds : if they . are doing the job properly , should n't they be in brussels for more then . two nights a month , and if they are only staying overnight twice a . month , would n't it be cheaper to stay in a hotel ? ' last night , mr farage , who earns a hefty # 77,000 salary plus expenses , said he only stayed in the penthouse suite while working in brussels as an mep . denial : it comes as mr farage -lrb- left -rrb- has vehemently denied having sex with his aide annabelle fuller -lrb- right -rrb- . ' i do occasionally stay there , ' he said . ` the alternative would be a smart hotel ' . he added that he did not have a . rental deal in his name with anyone - and did not know whose name the . suite 's rental agreement was in . mr boon von ochssee was unavailable for comment . mr . farage is believed to have previously shared the apartment with former . ukip colleague , godfrey bloom , 64 , who reportedly moved out after losing . the party 's whip in september last year . it . comes as the euro mp has vehemently denied having sex with his aide . annabelle fuller , whom he was alleged to have been involved with . mr farage spoke out after it was claimed ukip press officer ms fuller was his ` former mistress ' , and he was using public funds to employ her and his german wife and # 25,000-a-year assistant , kirsten farrage , . he also dismissed claims that his 14-year marriage to mrs farage is in trouble as a result of recent headlines about his . so-called ` womanising ' . mailonline has contacted mr farage for further comment .

<t> meps , who earn around # 75,000 a year , can enjoy lavish menu for just # 16 . </t> <t> european parliament putting on special feast despite continuing austerity . </t> <t> subsidised menu slammed as a ` kick in the teeth for hard pressed families ' </t>

brussels lays on christmas feast for meps and you help pay for it<T>

could the george clooney effect have influenced britons ' choice of a winter break this christmas ? research has revealed that there has been an increase of 66 per cent in bookings for the italian city , which hit the headlines this autumn when film star and director clooney married amal alamuddin at the seven-star aman canal grande hotel . however , the rise in bookings could in part be attributed to venice 's dedicated christmas food market in the campo santo stefano , with stalls offering creamy-white almond stuffed nougat , fruit-filled panettone from verona and white truffles from alba . the christmas markets of venice - they offer charm and an exquisite array of gifts . george clooney married amal alamuddin in a lavish ceremony in venice . andy washington , expedia.co.uk md said : ` the christmas period is always an extremely popular time for travel , with brits getting away to visit traditional and non-traditional christmas markets in the uk , as well as europe for festive-filled breaks .<doc-sep>` with its central location venice is a great starting point to discover the north east of italy , whether exploring prosecco country or aristocratic villas near verona , padoa and vicenza , all within one hour distance by car . london remains the most popular for brits to visit this christmas , ahead of new york and paris . the table to the right shows the biggest percentage rises of visits to other cities . ` of course the clooney wedding effect may also be playing a part in the popularity of venice , with tourists looking to experience some of the city 's romantic magic . ' as excitement for christmas builds and christmas markets spring up across europe , expedia.co.uk has revealed the most booked christmas destinations , with london experiencing a 39 per cent increase in bookings for the festive season -lrb- 2013-2014 year-on-year -rrb- . germany and the netherlands have enjoyed 35 per cent rises respectively . the festivities at london southbank christmas market are the envy of the world and with bookings to london for the upcoming festive period rising by 39 per cent year-on-year , the capital once again promises to be an extremely popular destination .<doc-sep>but could the bright lights of venice be a favourite of brits as they want to see what all the fuss was about when george clooney married there this autumn . london 's christmas markets on the south bank are a popular stop-off for tourists around the world . this year it celebrates the spirit of charles dickens , creating a magical landscape resplendent with a christmas tree maze , showcasing 300 real blue spruce trees . the netherlands has seen bookings rise 35 per cent year-on-year for the festive season and hosts one of the oldest underground markets in europe . a visit to valkenberg 's ` christmas market velvet cave ' goes beyond decorations alone , as visitors will admire its cosy atmosphere and 18th century sculptures as they meander down a path marlstone . located beneath the impressive valkenburg castle , the velvet cave is truly breath-taking . for festive travellers looking for beautiful ambience this christmas , the royal christmas market at hohenzollern castle in stuttgart , germany -lrb- 35 per cent rise -rrb- is the perfect fit . the many market stalls will satisfy everybody 's glühwein and bratwurst fix .<doc-sep>venice , italy -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- george clooney , long considered hollywood 's most eligible bachelor , married british human rights attorney amal alamuddin saturday in a private ceremony in venice , italy , his publicist , stan rosenfield , told cnn . clooney arrived by motorboat at a star-studded bash at the aman canal grande venice resort , housed in the 16th-century palazzo papadopoli . `` george , auguri ! '' venetians could be heard offering their best wishes as clooney waved . `` auguri ! '' celebrities , paparazzi and the world 's media have been congregating in venice for the widely anticipated nuptials . the actor and his then-fiancã © e were photographed friday cruising the sun-dappled canals of venice ahead of their big day . clooney , 53 , and alamuddin , 36 , looked happy and impeccably glamorous as they were carried around the city in a motorboat appropriately named `` amore , '' or `` love , '' passing bemused tourists in gondolas as they went . the bride-to-be was dressed in a stylish black-and-white dress , while clooney wore a sharply tailored gray suit and white shirt with dark sunglasses . the first celebrity guests to arrive were also caught on camera in the city famed for romance , notably actor matt damon , american vogue editor-in-chief anna wintour and supermodel cindy crawford . `` i guess this is , as dean martin put it , ` that 's amore , ' the land of love , '' said a tourist visiting venice from canada , referring to the late crooner 's signature song . `` yes , my heart is broken but i 'm excited , '' his partner said with a smile . `` he has made the right choice , '' an italian woman said . `` because venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world . '' it 's not been confirmed exactly how the wedding weekend will play out . but a notice from the city authorities said that because of george clooney 's marriage the city hall area will be closed on monday from 12 p.m to 2 p.m. local or later if necessary -- presumably for a civil ceremony . paparazzi throng canal side . clooney revealed earlier this month at a celebrity charity event in tuscany , italy , that he and alamuddin would be tying the knot in venice . according to people magazine , clooney was receiving a humanitarian award at the black-tie gala , and said during his acceptance speech , `` i met my lovely bride-to-be here in italy , whom i will be marrying , in a couple of weeks , in venice , of all places . '' plenty of paparazzi , cameramen and photographers were on the docks facing the aman canal grande . others were going up and down the grand canal on taxi boats . power couple . the nuptials of clooney and alamuddin come hot on the heels of the long-awaited marriage of brad pitt and angelina jolie last month . the hollywood power couple went for a low-key ceremony at their estate in france , in which each of their six children had a part to play . clooney and alamuddin seem set to make more of a public splash with their event , although since they became engaged in the spring , they 've been largely protective of their relationship . when a daily mail report claimed that clooney and his lebanese future mother-in-law baria were at odds , clooney blasted the publication with a first-person piece in usa today , and then refused to accept the daily mail 's subsequent apology . cnn 's erin mclaughlin reported from venice , laura smith-spark wrote and reported in london , ray sanchez wrote and reported in new york , rachel wells reported from los angeles . journalist livia borghese contributed to this report .<doc-sep>exceptions for film stars were not mentioned in the new laws , however , so authorities are now looking into the claims that clooney was at the helm without a permit . if found to be true , the star of syriana and burn after reading would get off lightly ; his taxi driver , however , would face a fine . dressed up : the u.s. actors were also spotted dressed in black tie outfits in the water taxi . sandra bullock and george clooney attended the premiere and opening ceremony of the venice film festival together on wednesday . quoted in the telegraph , a town hall official played down the hype , saying : ` photos in the papers do not represent proof , so checks will be made . ' ` but if an offence was committed it would be an administrative offence punishable with a fine . and if it came to that , it would be the taxi owner , not clooney , who would be fined . ' read more here : george clooney in hot water over venice stunt .<doc-sep>arriving in his typical smooth style , the film star was pictured apparently at the helm of the boat , wearing sunglasses and a tee-shirt advertising his own brand of tequila . people have turned a blind eye to the alleged illegal driving of the water-taxi - all bar one . under investigation : george clooney is being investigated for allegedly driving a venice water taxi without a permit . authorities said checks will be made to establish of clooney was in command of the taxi as he attended the city 's films festival . venetian lawyer mario d'elia has reported the incident to authorities demanding that police take action against the star , according to the telegraph . piloting a city taxi in venice requires a professional licence by law ; mr d'elia has requested that mr clooney provides evidence he holds a licence , the paper said . photos of the film star in venice , with co-stars of his latest film ` gravity ' , appear to show clooney stood at the front of a gondola , behind the wheel , more than once . on one occasion he is wearing a grey tee-shirt with the logo of his own tequila on the front ; in another he is wearing pale blue shirt with an open collar and a dark blue blazer .<doc-sep>venice , italy -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- george clooney , the man long considered one of hollywood 's most eligible bachelors , followed up his private wedding to british human rights attorney amal alamuddin with a civil ceremony in venice , italy , on monday . clooney , 53 , and alamuddin , 36 , arrived at venice 's city hall -- the ca ' farsetti palazzo -- in a water taxi appropriately named `` amore , '' or `` love . '' venetian authorities stopped pedestrian and boat traffic in the area for the ceremony . clooney wore a gray suit and dark tie , while alamuddin was dressed in flowing cream trousers , a cream top with a blue border and a wide-brimmed matching hat . the couple spent about 10 minutes inside the venue before boating to their hotel , with well-wishers lining the canal . rai , italian state television , later reported that they had left venice on a private jet , heading for london -- leaving `` amore '' free for other visitors to the city . private ceremony .

<t> bookings for venice have risen by 66 % this year compared to 2013 . </t> <t> london still most popular destination for brits on a festive break . </t> <t> christmas markets around europe are a particular crowd-puller . </t>

george clooney factor sees more bookings to venice<T>

this is the moment a brazen thief calmly walked into a pensioner 's home and stole a ` substantial amount of money ' as the victim pottered around in the garden just yards away . cctv footage shows the burglar sneaking into the house through a side gate while the 89-year-old homeowner tends to the garden outside his property in the gorton area of manchester . the video , released by police today in a bid to help catch the intruder , then shows the offender casually walking out of the front door of the property after raiding the home for cash . scroll down for video . cctv footage shows the intruder sneaking into the house -lrb- pictured -rrb- through a side gate while the 89-year-old homeowner potters around outside his property in the gorton area of manchester at about 1pm on october 16 . the suspect walked through the side gate before entering the property and taking a ` substantial ' sum of cash . the 89-year-old homeowner was completely unaware of the incident , despite being just yards from the thief .<doc-sep>police said he made off with a ` substantial ' sum of money , despite the burglary taking place right under the nose of the homeowner . in the footage , the victim can be seen in his front garden , before the offender walks through a side gate to gain access to the property . the pensioner then moves to the side of the house as the intruder escapes through the front door . officers have now released cctv footage of the incident , in a bid to identify the man who they wish to speak to in connection with the burglary . pc rebecca rudden , of greater manchester police , said the burglary , which occurred at about 1pm on october 16 , was a ` targeted attack ' . she said : ` we believe a man may have been acting as a look-out at a nearby bus stop while another walked into the home . the homeowner , who was gardening at the time of the incident , can be seen in the far left of the frame tipping out some rubbish , while the thief calmly walks out of the front door -lrb- top -rrb- and down the drive onto the road .<doc-sep>the victim tips out his rubbish -lrb- far left -rrb- while the offender makes off -lrb- top centre -rrb- following the burglary . ` the victim was bent down gardening and did not see the man walk in . ` when he left , the 89-year-old was in the back garden and had not realised what happened . ' i would urge people to take a good look at the person in the image and if they recognise them , call police . ` this was a targeted attack against an elderly gentleman who had been saving and a substantial amount of money was taken . ' anyone with information should contact greater manchester police on 101 .<doc-sep>the victim was sat watching tv in her living room when the masked attacker broke in through a window , pulled her careline pendant from her neck and began shaking her while demanding cash . he stole her purse containing a small amount of cash and fled from the house on springfield road , kearsley , greater manchester . ` reprehensible ' : the thief broke in to the home of a vulnerable 92-year-old woman in kearsley , greater manchester , pictured , before demanding money . the woman was taken to hospital as a precaution and kept in for observations . police described the burglar as a ` desperate coward ' and said even fellow criminals will be appalled by the attack . they are now trying to hunt down the thief and have appealed for information about the incident around 9.20 pm on saturday night . defenceless : the burglar also ripped a 24-hour care alarm from the pensioner 's neck so she could n't call for help .<doc-sep>by . andy dolan . as she snoozes in the living room that should be her sanctuary , a pensioner 's security is violated in the most appalling way . these cctv images show hooded burglar patrick reid prowling around 68-year-old margaret woodward 's armchair as she sleeps , totally oblivious to the danger in her midst . but if reid felt invincible in the face of such vulnerability , he was deluded . scroll down to watch the video . creepy : burglar patrick reid is pictured approaching margaret woodward as she sleeps in an armchair . thief : hidden cameras set up by police showed reid taking mrs woodward 's handbag from the basket of her mobility scooter . after rifling through her handbag and the basket of her mobility scooter , reid set off an alarm as he was leaving . far . from cowering in her seat , mrs woodward struggled to her feet , grabbed . her walking stick and chased the intruder out of her flat . and . unknown to him , he had been caught on cameras installed by police after . previous raids on mrs woodward 's flat , leading to his capture soon . afterwards . the chilling . footage was released yesterday after the pensioner was awarded # 1,500 . for her ` pluck and courage ' in confronting reid , 51 . she was nominated by the judge who jailed him for the break-in -- the fifth time reid had allegedly targeted her . victim : mrs woodward was burgled by reid five times within a year and had # 900 stolen in total . heading out : reid casts an eye back at his victim as he prepares to walk out of the door with her handbag . alarm : the thief started running out of the flat as soon as mrs woodward 's burglar alarm went off .<doc-sep>genting casino , salford , where the 86-year-old victim had won # 1,000 before being mugged on way home . a pensioner who carried around her # 6,000 in life savings because she was afraid of being burgled was mugged on the way home from a casino . the 86-year-old woman 's bag , containing about # 7,000 , was snatched at 2.35 am shortly after she got out of a taxi on her way home from genting salford casino , greater manchester police said . along with her life savings , she was also robbed of her # 1,000 winnings by the suspect , described as a young man , about 5ft 4ins and skinny . the thief , who was wearing a black hooded jacket with the hood up , and black trousers snatched her white satchel bag from her shoulder in the swinton area of greater manchester , before running off . the . woman is believed to have sustained bruising to the arm and shoulder .<doc-sep>by . james tozer . a mugger who dragged a pensioner to the ground and snatched her handbag picked the wrong judge to throw insults at when he was brought before a court . stephen mann , 21 , called judge andrew hatton a ` kn ** head ' after being jailed for eight years for the cowardly attack on the 72-year-old and a knifepoint store robbery . the no-nonsense judge ordered the serial criminal to be hauled back from the cells -- and silenced him by adding another six months to his sentence . extended jail term : stephen mann -lrb- left -rrb- , 21 , was leaving the dock at liverpool crown court after being sentenced for two raids when he made the outburst to judge andrew hatton -lrb- right -rrb- . mann mugged the pensioner as she . walked along the street with her husband in wigan , greater manchester , . last october , grabbing at her handbag as she walked past then dragging . her to the ground and snatching it from her grasp . the drifter then ran off , leaving his victim with injuries to her arm , shoulder and chest . just .

<t> thief brazenly walked into house while 89-year-old homeowner was in yard . </t> <t> cctv footage shows intruder calmly leaving property through front door . </t> <t> he made off with ' a substantial amount of money ' in burglary on october 16 . </t> <t> manchester police hoping to identify man in footage after ` targeted attack ' </t>

manchester thief raids pensioner 's home as victim works yards away<T>

a former ira intelligence officer has claimed in a new book that members of the irish police force tipped-off senior republicans about a plan to arrest the entire organisation 's leadership in 1974 . kieran conway , who is now a barrister in the irish republic joined the ira in the last 1960s and claims that senior irish police officers colluded with the ira . mr conway 's book alleges that as well as members of the irish police force , an garda siochana , the provisional ira were also assisted by a top banker , a stock broker , a journalist as well as several mainstream politicians . kieran conway , pictured , claims the ira received tip-offs from the irish police force in advance of arrests . mr conway , who is now a barrister in dublin , joined the ira in the late 1960s served as an intelligence officer . mr conway told the guardian : ' i think that the army council had particular contacts with those in the security area which were n't even shared with me . we had contacts in the law offices of the states and contacts in the upper echelons of the guards . ' mr conway said much of the republican leadership was in talks with members of the protestant clergy in feakle , county clare . he said : ` take something like feakle , the place was raided and they -lrb- the leadership -rrb- got away . because a tip-off was received that the special branch were on their way to feakle and that tip-off came from within the gardai . ` it was n't just in 1974 and it was n't just concentrated in border areas like dundalk , it was some individuals but it was more widespread . ' mr conway 's allegations come as the police ombudsman in northern ireland reported that there was no evidence to suggest that the ruc had colluded with the ira in the murder of arthur rafferty in 1974 in belfast . the ombudsman said that while there had been failures in the police investigation , there was no evidence to suggest any form of cover-up . a review by the police ombudsman of northern ireland found no evidence of collusion between the ira , pictured , and the ruc over the murder of arthur rafferty who was shot in belfast on august 15 , 1975 . dr michael maguire of the police ombudsman 's office said : ` we have looked in great detail at all the available information and intelligence , both about the murder itself and about the various people family members thought were linked to it . ` we found no evidence that would indicate police knew about the planned attack beforehand and could have done something about it , or that anyone was protected from arrest or prosecution because they were a police informant . ' arthur rafferty was shot at newington street close to its junction with the limestone road in north belfast on august 15 1974 and died in hospital several weeks later . the ira claimed responsibility for the fatal attack . in a complaint to the ombudsman 's office , a member of the rafferty family alleged that police colluded with the killers by failing to investigate the murder properly in order to protect police informants within the ira . they also claimed police had destroyed the murder weapon , lost significant exhibits and failed to pursue the names of five suspects which had been supplied to them . dr maguire said : ` investigative failures are not in themselves automatic evidence of collusion . ` we did not find any evidence that police chose not to pursue relevant lines of inquiry or that information was withheld from the detectives investigating the murder . ' the ombudsman 's investigation found that 12 spent cartridges and a bullet head were recovered from the scene by the ruc and military personnel , as was a piece of card with writing on it which was attached to a coat hanger which was also found . the report said although detectives were able to speak with mr rafferty in hospital several times and to his wife , the interviews did not open up any new leads . mr rafferty 's family claimed that ruc officers protected the killers because they were informants in the ira . days after the attack , on september 23 1974 , it was revealed police had received a report that a rifle , ammunition and clothing had been found in a flat in newington street and that forensics had linked the weapon to mr rafferty 's murder and two other shooting incidents . a man was arrested in 1974 , but the ombudsman said there were no notes available to indicate whether or not this person was interviewed . three years later , in 1977 , police authorised the destruction of the rifle and ammunition which had been found . but in 1978 , a police search of a social club in belfast on an unconnected matter uncovered a handwritten document which appeared to be a debrief of mr rafferty 's shooting . the document made reference to the involvement of three people , two of whom were subsequently arrested and interviewed . in 2005 , a member of mr rafferty 's family provided police with names of people they believed were involved in the murder but police later recorded that there was nothing to link them to the killing . in 2007 , the same family member provided the police ombudsman 's office with the names of two people believed to be involved in the attack . the ombudsman said records indicated that one of the suspects was in prison at the time of the murder , while the other one was in police custody . dr maguire concluded that police did not manage the crime scene properly and that critical evidence had not been preserved or examined . similarly , he found no meaningful investigation into how police responded to the discovery of guns , ammunition and clothing . the ombudsman said there was no evidence that the person who reported this material to police was ever interviewed ; no rationale why police submitted the rifle and ammunition for examination but not the clothing , and no audit trail of what happened to any of these items .<doc-sep>three decades of violence over the question largely came to an end with the good friday peace deal in 1998 . the violent period known locally as the troubles was marked by a full-scale british military presence in the province and deadly bombings and shootings in northern ireland and britain . unionists and republicans committed terrible violence against each other and against perceived traitors in their own ranks . a handful of people who disappeared during the troubles have never been found . the queen arrived in northern ireland on tuesday for a two-day visit marking her diamond jubilee , 60 years on the throne . when a handshake is not just a handshake . she met mcguinness , now the deputy first minister of northern ireland , at an arts event in belfast . irish president michael higgins also attended the event . there were clashes between police and demonstrators late tuesday night ahead of the visit , police said . nine officers sustained `` minor injuries '' when they were attacked with `` missiles including 21 petrol bombs '' from a crowd of about 100 people , police said . there were also scuffles between pro- and anti-british groups in belfast tuesday night over an irish flag put up on a mountain overlooking the city in protest of the queen 's visit , the police service of northern ireland said wednesday . on tuesday , the queen was greeted in enniskillen -- the scene of a deadly ira bombing in 1987 -- by crowds lining the streets and waving union flags . she was greeted by secretary of state for northern ireland owen paterson , who accompanied her to a jubilee thanksgiving service at st. macartin 's cathedral , an anglican church , that was attended by more than 700 people . she also went to a smaller service at st. michael 's church in enniskillen , a catholic church . friday 's confirmation that the queen would meet mcguinness prompted wide reaction in the british media . the trip follows the queen 's visit to the republic of ireland in may of last year , which was seen as ushering in a new era in relations . the meeting has an added significance for the queen because of the killing of lord mountbatten . ira members have also killed police officers and soldiers in northern ireland , who serve in the queen 's name .<doc-sep>`` we acknowledge the pain felt by these families for nearly 40 years , and that members of the armed forces acted wrongly . for that , the government is deeply sorry , '' a spokesman for the ministry said thursday . `` we are in contact with the families ' solicitors and where there is a legal liability to pay compensation we will do so . '' however , the relatives of one of the victims -- 19-year-old william nash -- say they want the soldiers involved to be prosecuted for murder and will not accept the compensation . the relatives branded the british government offer `` repulsive '' and said they would not accept a payment `` under any circumstances . '' bloody sunday is widely accepted as fueling support for the ira -lrb- irish republican army -rrb- during the early years of what became known as the troubles -- 30 years of violence between pro-british and pro-irish forces . even the name of the city where it happened is disputed , with pro-irish nationalists calling it derry and pro-british unionists calling it londonderry . the ira , a republican paramilitary organization , is listed by the british home office as a proscribed terrorist group . the troubles claimed about 3,000 lives over a three-decade period , with 1972 the single bloodiest year . the pro-british ulster unionist party has called for ira victims to be compensated by the british government .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- on june 17 and 18 , the political world 's focus will be on northern ireland , where the group of eight summit will take place . although this is a region defined by its violent history , the summit is already proving to be one of the most complex and wide-ranging security operations northern ireland has ever seen . thousands of additional police officers are being brought in from england , wales and the republic of ireland to assist . during the 2005 event , which took place in scotland and was the last g8 summit in the uk , four al qaeda-inspired men detonated bombs on the london transport network , killing 52 people and themselves . although any kind of incident at or around the summit venue itself remains unlikely , there is the risk of a terrorist attack timed to distract from the event . but this year , unlike the 2005 attack , the focus is on a very different kind of group . if you thought northern ireland 's troubles were a thing of the past , you 'd be forgiven . a brutal terrorist campaign over 35 years that saw almost 4,000 deaths came to an end thanks to a hard-fought political process . what that took should not be underestimated . years of painstaking mediation and negotiation , risky moves by brave politicians on all sides and the crucial involvement of the u.s. saw hope prevail , despite the occasional setback that threatened destabilization . communities on both sides of the social and political divide cautiously welcomed the peace process and its negotiated settlements . the `` troubles '' seemed finally to be over . former paramilitaries agreed to lay down their arms , and once-sworn enemies eventually learned to share power . yet , peace in northern ireland is still described by many as fragile . in recent times , riots , gunfire and petrol bombs have returned to the streets . the `` flag protests , '' which defined the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 , have again highlighted the inherent divisions in northern irish society . the union flag , flown proudly over belfast city hall for so long , was lowered after a vote by the city council . some among northern ireland 's unionist community were outraged . protests escalated . but it is not the rioters and flag protesters who pose the most persistent threat to this fragile peace . another group watches from the sidelines . they are the `` dissident '' republicans , splinter groups that have grown in size and impact since the peace process saw the end of the provisional ira as we once knew it . the dissidents are responsible for a growing wave of low-level bombings , shootings and threats across the region . they insist that only armed resistance can force britain 's withdrawal from northern ireland and lead to a united ireland . while most people in northern ireland view the peace process as having brought stability , the dissidents reject it . though tactically proficient , the dissidents lack strategic acumen . on the surface , they are united by the idea of `` brits out , '' with aspirations to achieve a united ireland through violence and their disdain for the sinn fein leadership and the peace process that it has embraced . traditionally , dissidents have been split by local differences , ideological divergences , petty jealousies and competitive personalities . `` dissident republican '' came to describe a range of groups . one calls itself the real ira . then there 's the continuity ira and ã `` glaigh na hã ‰ ireann , gaelic for irish volunteers . there has been talk of a merger to unite the disparate factions . in july , the `` new ira '' was announced : a merger of the real ira , the derry-based republican action against drugs and other previously non-aligned republicans . but the continuity ira stayed aloof from the alliance . the new group 's members and supporters may number in the few hundreds , but it seems their ranks are growing . they have killed soldiers , police officers and most recently a prison officer . they continue to target northern irish police stations , with weaponry of growing sophistication . they shoot suspected inner-city drug dealers north and south of the irish border to help embed themselves in their communities while simultaneously undermining the police .<doc-sep>robinson and mike nesbitt , the ulster unionist leader , met monday to discuss political proposals to address widespread concerns across the community , and agreed to hold further talks tuesday . police said saturday that loyalist paramilitaries were behind some of the violence in belfast and elsewhere . the vote on the union flag followed a summer of heightened tensions between northern ireland 's catholic and protestant communities . riots in september left dozens of police officers injured . just more than a month ago , a prison officer was killed in a suspected dissident irish republican army attack , the first such attack in years . in recent days , a number of suspected dissident ira members have been arrested . the recent disorder follows more than a decade during which northern ireland has made steady progress toward lasting peace and stability . the majority of the island gained independence in 1921 , following two years of conflict . but six of the nine counties of the province of ulster chose to stay in the united kingdom , eventually becoming the country of northern ireland . in the late 1960s , the conflict between mainly protestant unionists , who want northern ireland to remain part of the united kingdom , and largely roman catholic nationalists , who want it to be reunited with the rest of ireland , exploded into a political and sectarian war , known as the troubles . the three decades of ensuing violence between loyalists and the ira claimed more than 3,000 lives , most of them north of the border . while the good friday agreement of 1998 effectively ended the conflict , distrust remains between catholics and protestants .

<t> irish police tipped-off the ira about planned arrests , a new book claims . </t> <t> former ira intelligence officer kieran conway makes the claims in a book . </t> <t> mr conway alleges top irish politicians and bankers also supported the ira . </t> <t> a separate probe found no evidence of collusion between ira and ruc . </t> <t> members of arthur rafferty 's family claimed the ruc covered-up his death . </t> <t> mr rafferty was murdered by the ira in belfast in 1974 in a gun attack . </t> <t> his family claims the killers worked as informants for the ruc in belfast . </t> <t> the police ombudsman of northern ireland found no evidence of collusion . </t>

rogue irish police officers colluded with the ira during the troubles<T>

eight primary school children were rushed to hospital and more than 20 were treated by paramedics after a lorry slammed into the side of their school bus as they travelled home from a carol concert . the 40-seater bus was pulling out of a side street across a busy road on tuesday afternoon when it was hit by a hgv , leaving the side of the coach crumpled and windows smashed . the incident took place as the pupils from st nicholas church of england middle school in pinyin , worcestershire , were travelling through pershore after attending a carol concert at pershore abbey . eight primary school children were rushed to hospital after a lorry slammed into the side of their school bus as they travelled home from a carol concert in pershore , worcestershire . the bus was pulling out of a side street across a busy road just after 3pm on tuesday when it was hit by a hgv , leaving the side of the coach crumpled and windows smashed . eight of the children and the driver were taken to hospital . one was taken on a spinal board after complaining of neck pain . the driver of the bus was also taken to worcester royal hospital . the other 19 children were checked over by medics at a private house nearby and were reunited with their parents at the school . three ambulances , as well as two rapid response paramedics , had been called to the scene . there was also a paramedic area support officer , a doctor and the air ambulance . the children , all between nine and 11 years-old , were travelling back to their school when the crash happened on the b4084 . the road was closed for the rest of the day and police were asking motorists to avoid the area where possible . parents were alerted to the incident by text messages sent from the school and the remaining uninjured students were taken back to st nicholas on a mini bus where they were reunited with their parents . an ambulance team were at the school briefing parents on a one-to-one basis on the aftercare of their children .<doc-sep>in a statement on its website , the school said that all the children from the school were ` doing well ' and were back in school today . the executive headteacher andrew best said there had been a special school assembly held this morning and that it was a ` blessing ' that no one was seriously injured . it said : ` the children , from our school , who were taken to hospital yesterday , with minor cuts and bruises after their bus was involved in a collision with a lorry in pershore , are all doing well and have been back in school today . ` nineteen other pupils were taken to a private house nearby , where they were assessed by local doctors before being transported back to school . an ambulance team were at the school briefing parents on a one-to-one basis on the aftercare of their children . ' mr best added that he wanted to thank the emergency services for their ` swift and very professional work ' . he said . ` everyone 's priority was to ensure that the children and staff involved received the best care possible . nine people - eight children and the driver - were taken to hospital , one on a spinal board after complaining of neck pain . ` we contacted all parents of injured children by telephone and maintained contact with other parents about the incident by text . ` the remaining uninjured pupils were taken back to school in our mini bus where they were reunited with their parents . ` and this morning we have held a special assembly in school for all children and staff about the incident . ` it was a blessing that no one was seriously injured yesterday , but it has been a big shock to us all . ` two counsellors are in school all day today , to talk to pupils affected and any parents are invited to come into school and discuss any issues as well . '<doc-sep>a spokesman for west midlands ambulance service said : ` we were called to reports of a large number of patients following a collision between a coach and a lorry . ` over 40 children and adults were on the coach at the time of the crash with the children believed to be between nine and 11 years old . ' a total of 27 school children were assessed away from the road side . ` one boy , complaining of neck pain , was treated at the scene and immobilised with a neck collar and spinal board . he was transferred to worcester royal hospital . ` three further children and the man who was driving the coach all received treatment at the scene for minor injuries and were conveyed to the same hospital . ` the remaining children were all checked over by the doctor and ambulance crews and were discharged on scene . ` the children were transported back to school on two separate minibuses , where a number of ambulance staff joined them to give advice to their parents who had come to collect them . ` the lorry driver was uninjured in the incident . ' the crash follows another school bus which overturned in hereford last month , while it was taking 53 pupils to school . the coach overturned and slid 10ft -lrb- 3.1 m -rrb- down an embankment on november 10 and students had to scramble out of windows to get free of the wreckage . west mercia police said no arrests had been made .<doc-sep>by . lizzie edmonds . published : . 06:08 est , 13 october 2013 . | . updated : . 09:53 est , 13 october 2013 . thirteen people have been taken to hospital , two with serious injuries , after a coach carrying passengers home after a work party in london collided with a tesco lorry . the crash took place on the a1 northbound carriageway between buckden and brampton , cambridgeshire , at 5.35 this morning . two people suffered serious injuries in the crash , which involved the articulated lorry and a redwing coach traveling to newcastle with two drivers and 45 passengers on board . crash : a coach carrying 47 people , pictured , collided with a tesco lorry , right , in the early hours of this morning on the a1 in cambridgeshire . damage : the front of the coach , which was traveling from london to newcastle , was completely smashed . collision : two people were seriously injured in the crash , which happened on the northbound a1 carriageway between brampton and buckden , cambridge . 11 others were taken to hospital with more minor injuries . the injured were taken to addenbrooke 's hospital in cambridge . another 11 people with less serious injuries were taken to hinchingbrooke hospital , cambridge . 29 passengers were assessed for injuries at the scene before being taken to a centre in st neots .<doc-sep>` we have got collision investigators working and will be working throughout the night . ' chris lucas saw two air ambulance helicopters landing on a playing field shortly after the crash . after the lorry and other vehicles were removed last night , workers started to clear up the debris this morning . wreckage remained at the scene this morning . those who arrived at the scene first described it as ` mayhem ' a service is being held at the local church this morning and those who witnessed the accident are being offered counselling . pictured : electricity workers at the scene this morning . mr lucas said : ` my children were coming home and as i opened the front door my neighbour said , `` oh my god there has been a crash '' . we did n't know at that point how bad it was . ` one thing that is really is concerning is that road is on the school pick-up run . weston all saints primary school is right next to it . ` it is a very tight community here and one of my children goes to that school . my thoughts go out to everyone involved . ' a spokesman for bath and north east somerset council confirmed that the school would be closed today at the request of police . ` due to the tragic accident on lansdown lane this evening , the police have asked that weston all saints primary be closed tomorrow , ' he said last night . a spokesman for the royal united hospital in bath said the three patients treated there had minor injuries . ` as a precaution , one adult male and one adult female are being kept in overnight , ' he said . ` the third person , an adult male , is being discharged . ' the dead girl is thought to have been walking with her mother and grandmother . there are fears she was a pupil at a nearby school which will be closed in the morning . pictures this evening show the scene of the crash is still cordoned off as police investigate what happened . a spokesman for south western ambulance service trust confirmed a woman was flown to southmead hospital in bristol . the woman remains in the critical condition this morning , the trust in charge of southmead hospital confirmed . don foster , the liberal democrat mp for bath , said : ` the community is in shock , both for the families of those killed and also those who have been injured . ` we are still waiting to get more details as to what the cause was . it is obviously devastating , tragic and awful , but until we know more we can not speculate . ' he confirmed that the council had imposed 20mph speed restrictions on parts of landsdown lane road to improve safety . he said : ` it is a road where we have put speed limits in and flashing lights because it is quite a steep hill coming down . there have been attempts by the council over the years to improve safety . ' a service of prayers will be held at all saints church , weston at 10am this morning . weston all saints primary school was closed today after it was used by police at the scene yesterday . air ambulance crews land at a school near the crash site shortly after the incident yesterday afternoon . the crash is a chilling echo of the tragic accident in which a bin lorry ran out of control and killed six people in glasgow in december . crowds of christmas shoppers looked on in horror as the lorry mounted a pavement and knocked down shoppers at lunchtime in one of the city centre 's busiest streets . erin mcquade , 18 , along with her grandparents jack sweeney , 68 , and his 69-year-old wife lorraine , all from dumbarton , died in the incident on december 22 . miss mcquade 's mother jacqueline , who had gone to withdraw money from a nearby cash machine , could only watch helplessly as her parents and daughter , a student at glasgow university , were mown down . primary school teacher stephenie tait , 29 , and tax worker jacqueline morton , 51 , both from glasgow , and gillian ewing , 52 , from edinburgh , were also killed . the driver of the lorry , who was later named as harry clarke , said that he had collapsed unconscious at the wheel before losing control of the truck . the 58-year-old , who is undergoing tests for a possible heart condition , stressed that he had no problems with his health before the crash . as an hgv driver , he had been subject to regular and thorough medical examinations , and there were no warning signs before he collapsed . he added that he thinks of the victims ` every minute of every day ' . ` i understand a lot of people want to know what happened that day . i wish i could tell you but i ca n't . i never had anything wrong with my heart until that day , ' he said . a source close to a police inquiry into the tragedy said that things happened so quickly that two workmates sitting behind mr clarke were left with no chance of taking the controls . the lorry crashed within seconds of his collapse .<doc-sep>twenty-two children were hurt by a knife-wielding man at a primary school in central china . min yingjun , 36 , stabbed an elderly woman before bursting into chenpeng village primary school in the henan province yesterday . seven of the students , aged between six and 12 years old , were taken to hospital , some with severed fingers and ears . a knife-wielding man injured 22 children on a rampage through a primary school in central china . security guards stand outside a school in central china where a knife-wielding man injured 22 children and an elderly woman as students were arriving for classes . hurt : primary school pupil zhang recovers in hospital following the brutal knife attack . concern : little zou can receives treatment at a hospital in central china 's henan province . police told the chinese government 's xinhua news agency that min was possibly ` mentally ill ' and is now in custody . min burst into the home of a 85-year-old woman before stabbing her with a kitchen knife shortly before 8am . he then continued the attack at the neighbouring school when he was overpowered by security guards , who have been posed across china following a spate of school attacks in recent years . yesterday , a guangshan county hospital administrator said there were no deaths , although two of the children were badly injured and had been transferred to better-equipped hospitals outside the county . primary school pupil wei jingru was also injured in the attack . a notice on the guangshan county government 's website said an emergency response team had been set up to investigate the attacks . it recent spate of school attacks in the country have raised concerns about copycats . little coverage was given to yesterday 's stabbing spree on state-run news channels . there were six similar attacks in just seven months in 2010 that killed nearly 20 people and wounded more than 50 . the most recent such attack took place .<doc-sep>six children are dead and around 25 have been injured after being trampled on a staircase during a panicked stampede at a primary school in southwestern china today . the tragedy occurred after some children punched two three metre mattresses causing them to fall on top of other young pupils , according to local newspaper yunnan information daily . in a terrified response , hordes of other children rushed out of harm 's way and charged down a nearby staircase - where many lost their balance and fell before being crushed under the feet of their classmates . scroll down for video . police officers form a perimeter fpr ambulances at kunming 's mingtong primary school in southwestern china today following a stampede which left six young pupils dead and 25 injured . a female relative of a victim cries as she is helped down a staircase in a hospital after today 's tragedy . the six who died were all in grade one and two at kunming 's mingtong primary school , meaning they were just six or seven years old . the city government said 25 injured students were taken to the hospital and all those with minor injuries have been released .

<t> bus was pulling out of side street onto busy road when it was hit by a hgv . </t> <t> vehicle was travelling through pershore , worcestershire , at 3pm yesterday . </t> <t> one child taken to hospital on spinal board after complaining of neck pain . </t> <t> children , aged between nine and 11 , attend st nicholas cofe middle school in pinyin , worcestershire . </t>

pershore primary school children taken to hospital after lorry slams into coach<T>

five of the bbc 's most senior bosses were handed jobs with pay totalling # 1.8million-a-year without the roles ever being advertised , it was revealed today . lord hall , who earns # 450,000-a-year as director general , did not have to apply for his job and then brought in several other executives in the same way . the majority of his senior management team are also graduates of oxford and cambridge , with critics saying it shows the bbc is run by ` an old boys ' network ' . lord hall was parachuted in after the jimmy savile scandal shook the corporation in 2012 but the director general job was not advertised . senior posts : director general lord hall was parachuted in in 2012 and then appointed former colleague anne bulford without advertising her post . controversy : a senior backbench mp has accused the bbc , based at broadcasting house in london , pictured , of being a self-serving old boys ' network . as a result of the savile scandal , helen boaden was forced out of her previous job , head of bbc news because she dumped the newsnight investigation into his abuse . she was appointed bbc radio chief instead on # 352,900 . lord hall 's former royal opera house colleague anne bulford was given the managing director for finance and operations on # 395,000 without the job being advertised . british employment law does not insist that businesses advertise jobs when they become available . but critics believe this can end up discriminating against those who may be suitable . or meaning that jobs can be handed out to friends or people from a particular group or background . the equality and human rights commission says : ` if an employer does n't advertise at all or advertises in a way that wo n't reach people with a particular protected characteristic , this might in some situations lead to indirect discrimination , unless the employer can objectively justify their approach . ` this is because not advertising or only advertising in a very limited way may stop people with a particular protected characteristic finding out about a job , which could count as worse treatment ' . and former cabinet minister james purnell was offered the # 295,000 job of director of strategy and digital have previously worked at the bbc as head of corporate planning from 1995 to 1997 under former director general lord birt , a friend of lord hall . tim davie was acting director general during the savile crisis and was then became ceo of bbc worldwide and director global , on # 400,000 , earning # 670,000 in total last year . it came after it emerged the bbc pays 11 of its most senior bosses twice as much as the prime minister and a further 80 executives take home more than david cameron 's # 142,500-a-year salary . conservative mp philip davies , who sits on the commons culture , media and sport select committee , said : ` the bbc is a self-serving old boys ' network . ` the bbc has recently said they have cut their senior management to the bone and there are no more savings to be made there but it 's only at the bbc where you could cut senior management to the bone and end up with more people paid more than the prime minister than before you started .<doc-sep>` it 's just extraordinary and goes to show how much fat there is . ` what the bbc should do is be cutting out all of these managers , most of who if they disappeared no one would notice , and start delivering some value for money to the licence fee payer . ' bosses : helen boaden was moved to director of radio in the fallout of the savile scandal while former labour mp james purnell was offered an unadvertised role . the bbc said today that it does sometimes not advertise posts to avoid expensive recruitment processes . the spokesman added that one in three of all executives are oxford or cambridge graduates , which is lower than some other sectors . she added : ` these appointments were widely reported on at the time . we appoint the best people wherever they come from . sometimes where people are uniquely suited to the role there is no need for a lengthy and costly recruitment processes . ' tony hall , director general - # 450,000 . took the top job at the bbc after being chief executive of the royal opera house . previously he ran bbc news and launched radio 5 , news 24 , bbc news online and bbc parliament . anne bulford , managing director for finance and operations - # 395,000 . lord hall appointed his former colleague to a top post at the corporation without the job being advertised . peter salmon , below right , director , england - # 387,900 . joined as a trainee in 1981 and rose to run bbc1 before taking his current role . helen boaden , below left , director , bbc radio - # 352,900 . as a result of the savile scandal , ms boaden was forced out of her previous job , head of bbc news , where she was in charge for seven years , after being criticised for her poor management skills . she was appointed bbc radio chief instead . james harding , below centre , director of news and current affairs - # 340,000 . former editor of the times newspaper , mr harding took over the post which was vacated by helen boaden . danny cohen , below right , director tv - # 327,800 . former bbc 1 controller was also in charge of bbc3 , where he commissioned snog , marry avoid and hotter than my daughter . defending his salary recently he said : ` the executives continue to be well-paid , but if we went to commercial organisations we 'd be paid roughly double ' . bal samra , commercial director - # 322,800 . also has the title of managing director tv . once claimed # 1,100 expenses on a ` thank you meal ' for 22 colleagues to mark the end of a project . ralph rivera , director , future media - # 309,000 . american-born executive is in charge of bbc interactive and bbc online . james purnell , below left , director , strategy and digital - # 295,000 . former labour mp and cabinet minister.he served as both culture and work and pensions secretary under gordon brown . mr purnell previously worked at the bbc as head of corporate planning from 1995 to 1997 under former director general lord birt . valerie hughes d'aeth , below left , director hr - # 295,000 . hr boss joined in august . alan yentob , below right , creative director - # 183,000 - plus # 150,000 for presenting role . last year yentob justified his own pay by saying he was ` valuable ' to the bbc because of his ` relationship with talent ' and ` understanding of the networks and the schedules ' .<doc-sep>general mark byford and marketing chief sharon baylay -- accounted for 20 . per cent of the bbc 's total spend . mr bacon said : ` this culture appears . to be one of mates , cronyism , slapping each other on the shoulder , . arranging for huge payoffs -- `` snouts in the trough are us '' , basically . ` most bbc employees are not like this . they work very hard and they do n't get big amounts of money . ` there 's this little super-stratum at . the top . . . they are a small number of people who have been gouging . the licence fee payer for quite a long time , and it 's a very big . problem . ' out : payments to ten top managers , including former director general george entwistle -lrb- pictured -rrb- and chief operating officer caroline thomson , totalled # 4.9 million . mr fry , who chairs the bbc trust 's . finance committee , insisted he had ` no power to intervene ' in the issue . under the rules of the bbc charter . but the committee 's chairman , labour . mp margaret hodge , said : ` i think , with the deepest regret , mr fry , you . failed . you failed . ' it emerged the bbc trust had been told . about two of the biggest payments , to mr byford -lrb- # 949,000 -rrb- and mrs . baylay -lrb- # 394,638 -rrb- , in a letter from mr thompson on october 7 , 2010 . lord . patten insisted the trust was not informed the payments were far in . excess of what the duo were entitled to , adding : ` if you call in due . course the previous director general of the bbc , i will be as interested . as you are in finding out why we did n't know . ' mr fry also appeared to lay the blame . at the door of mr thompson , who left to become chief executive of the . new york times and is expected to give evidence before the committee . ` before christmas ' . asked whether mr thompson had lied to . him , he said : ` all i can say is on the basis of the information provided . in the letter to the trust on october 7 , and the terms of that letter , . and what emerged subsequently , there is some disconnect . ' mr fry said he had ` particularly . unpleasant discussions ' with members of the bbc executive when the . payments were made , adding : ` i thought they were completely out to lunch . in regards to what they thought was acceptable pay in a public body . ' despite pressure from mps to recoup . some of the money handed out to staff , lord patten said lawyers had . advised him it would be ` impossible to claw it back ' . miss adams , who signed off mr byford 's . deal , said she felt ` uncomfortable ' with the generous sums , but added : . ` i just wanted to get him out of the door . ' accusing her of ` spouting hr . flim-flam ' , tory mp stewart jackson said : ` this is corporate fraud and . cronyism that you presided over . '<doc-sep>` i would like to draw your attention to the possibility that the pac was potentially misled , ' he writes . ` the bbc 's internal account paints a very different picture to that presented to your committee by mr thompson . far from the outcome of the payoff being essentially the result of negotiations between lawyers which the bbc was obliged to accept , the lawyer who drafted the compromise agreement which included the payoff was in fact taking her instructions directly from mr thompson himself . ' mr wilson added that this showed ` the practice of granting payoffs at the top of the bbc in recent years owed more to a culture of cronyism than standards of good practice ' , and that ` mr thompson 's suggested behaviour was inappropriate ' . a spokesman for mr thompson did not return calls last night . top bbc executives are spending tens of thousands of pounds of licence fee-payers ' money on ` champagne and seabass ' meals with each other at exclusive restaurants . the lunches and dinners -- described in bbc accounts as ` editorial meetings ' -- contributed to a total inter-executive wining and dining bill of more than # 30,000 last year . one # 155,000-a-year executive has managed to notch up a personal dining tally of more than # 11,000 over the past four years . gweneth williams enjoyed glasses of champagne , salmon and seabass . according to documents and receipts released by the bbc , there were 269 claims for executives dining with each other last year , which amounts to more than one for every working day . each claim cost more than # 100 on average . the biggest claimant was david holdsworth , the controller of english regions , who has spent # 11,050 on wining and dining since 2010 . the second most lavish spender was peter johnston , the # 152,000-a-year director of bbc northern ireland , who spent # 5,185 , while roger wright , the # 227,000-a-year controller of radio 3 , spent # 4,758 . receipts from some of these ` meetings ' show how convivial they can be . gwyneth williams , the # 183,000-a-year controller of radio 4 , enjoyed glasses of champagne billecart-salmon , chablis and seabass at an ` editorial/leaving lunch ' in may 2012 with mary kalemkerian , the former head of programming for radio 4 . ben gale , the former head of bristol factual , billed # 79.45 for a ` programme development meeting ' at a bristol restaurant which included a 31-day dry-aged fillet steak -- served on a lava rock heated to 500f -- costing more than # 28 with a sauce . and another meeting , between ken macquarrie and rhodri talfan-davies , the heads of bbc scotland and wales , was held at the royal dragon in soho , central london , where they enjoyed the peking set dinner and six asahi beers . the executives dined out at the restaurants even though they can choose from 166 meeting rooms at new broadcasting house . former head of bristol factual ben gale 's bill -lrb- left -rrb- and -lrb- right -rrb- former radio 4 controller gwyneth williams ' bill . figures show that since 2010 , the ` internal hospitality ' spend by top executives has risen from # 19,181 to # 30,350 -- an average of # 1,017 a year for those who submitted claims . the executives also received another perk : the bbc spent a total of # 7.8 million on paying tax bills incurred by employees on perks such as taxis and meals . last night , a bbc spokesman said : ` the bbc employs 20,000 people and this expenditure , released under our disclosure rules , equates to # 1.50 per person , per year . ` like many other uk businesses , the bbc pays tax on certain taxable benefits , such as the cost of ensuring staff can travel home safely late at night . '<doc-sep>half of all jobs at the bbc are only open to corporation insiders , according to newly uncovered official figures . thousands of vacancies at the state-funded broadcaster are never advertised publicly , meaning that only people who already work at the bbc are able to apply for them . bosses say the policy is necessary to avoid having to make too many staff redundant during a string of re-organisations - but recruitment experts warn that they could be ` restricting the talent base ' by failing to hire workers from outside . scroll down for video . insiders : this website advertises hundreds of jobs at the bbc which are only available to current employees of the corporation . the bbc has previously faced accusations of cronyism after it emerged that senior executives had been offered jobs paying six-figure salaries which had not been advertised on the open market . now figures obtained by mailonline show that across the corporation as a whole , half of all job vacancies are advertised only on an internal bbc forum - or not at all . between january 2013 and november 2014 , there were 6,766 vacancies at the bbc , of which only 3,498 - or 51.7 per cent - were advertised externally . the remaining 3,268 jobs were only advertised within the bbc , according to the data which were provided by the corporation following a freedom of information request . the bbc hires outsourcing giant capita to run its recruitment procedures , with jobs advertised via the publicly accessible bbc jobs website as well as other media outlets such as local and national newspapers . however , the site has an additional section which can be accessed only by users with an internal bbc log-in username and password , and contains many more job vacancies than the external sections . row : director general lord hall has been at the centre of controversy over the hiring of senior executives at the bbc . most jobs are initially advertised only in the internal section of the website , then advertised publicly if there is no suitable internal candidate , according to a bbc spokesman . the corporation says it has to prioritise insiders for jobs because of the hundreds of posts which have been eliminated over the past few years as a result of the licence fee being frozen by the government since 2010 . a spokesman told mailonline : ` as part of our drive to save # 1.5 billion the bbc is restructuring and cutting the number of posts we have - so when we do need to recruit priority consideration is given to internal candidates in order to save on redundancy costs . ' a union source suggested that this was nothing more than ` good hr practice ' - but an employment lawyer warned that closing off job opportunities could leave the bbc liable to discrimination claims if it can not prove that it has encouraged applications from all sectors of society . ` the biggest risk by not advertising externally is restricting the talent base , ' said philip pepper , a partner at midlands-based law firm shakespeares . ` you run the risk that you 're actually restricting your workforce - so you could risk a claim -lsb- for discrimination -rsb- . ` public authorities have a greater commitment to equality . they would generally offer the jobs externally as well as internally . ' however , mr pepper also said that organisations ` have a duty to avoid redundancy ' , adding that employers are less likely to face a claim from a laid-off worker if they can show that they have made a reasonable attempt to rehire him or her in a different job . official guidelines from the equality and human rights commission state that employers should consider advertising vacancies publicly in order to attract a diverse range of applicants . guidance based on the equality act 2010 reads : ` if an employer does n't advertise at all or advertises in a way that wo n't reach people with a particular protected characteristic , this might in some situations lead to indirect discrimination , unless the employer can objectively justify their approach . ` this is because not advertising or only advertising in a very limited way may stop people with a particular protected characteristic finding out about a job , which could count as worse treatment . ' headquarters : the bbc - based at broadcasting house , pictured - says its policy is down to the need to avoid redundancies while re-structuring the organisation . in recent months comedian lenny henry has led a campaign to increase diversity in the bbc and criticised managers for not giving enough ethnic minority broadcasters a chance to display their talents . in general , opportunities for private sector workers to move into the public sector are currently extremely rare - separately to the bbc 's hiring policy , the civil service has imposed a ` freeze on external recruitment ' which means that nearly all job vacancies are filled by candidates who are already civil servants . the bbc came under fire last year over the hiring of senior executives , many of whom apparently landed their high-profile jobs without having to apply for them . director general lord hall , who was hired in the aftermath of the jimmy savile scandal , appointed a number of managers , including his former colleague anne bulford and ex-cabinet minister james purnell , to positions which had not been publicly advertised . and in november , the bbc revealed to press gazette that several senior journalists had been hired to fill jobs which were not even advertised within the corporation . the organisation refuses to discuss the hiring of most of its best-known faces - such as economics editor robert peston and newsnight presenter evan davis - because they fall under the banner of ` talent ' and are therefore exempt from freedom of information laws .<doc-sep>by . alisdair glennie . published : . 17:49 est , 8 august 2013 . | . updated : . 02:13 est , 9 august 2013 . the bbc suppressed an independent review of its executive pay which found its top brass were paid up to three times more than their public sector counterparts . despite being warned four years ago that the pay of the director general and his lieutenants far outstripped what they might earn in equivalent jobs in the civil service , corporation bosses failed to take immediate action to curb top-level pay . a study by accountants pricewaterhousecoopers -lrb- pwc -rrb- for the bbc trust in 2009 found their basic salaries were instead on a par with the chiefs of aggressively profit-making ftse 100 companies , despite the fact they are paid with licence fee payers ' money . no action : despite warnings , corporation bosses failed to take action to curb top salaries . instead of risking embarrassment by publishing it in full , bbc bosses kept the report under wraps until it was released under freedom of information laws . last night , mps condemned the bbc for failing to publish the explosive findings earlier and said it illustrated a ` fill your boots at public expense ' culture at the top of the corporation . laying bare the true extent of bbc largesse , the newly released documents reveal : . last night conservative mp stephen barclay , who sits on the influential public accounts committee of mps , said executives would be asked to explain why the report was suppressed at its next hearing in september . the pwc report was commissioned by former bbc trust chairman sir michael lyons in april 2009 in response to widespread dismay at senior staff bonuses that year . instead of publishing the report , the bbc 's executive remuneration committee -- including mr thompson -- discussed its findings in private and never published it in full . review : the pwc report was commissioned by former bbc trust chairman sir michael lyons in april 2009 . at a meeting in july 2009 , the committee decided bbc pay should be aligned with executives in the commercial public sector meaning the bbc could justify paying its executives far higher salaries . yesterday a bbc spokesman justified the decision to benchmark its pay against the commercial public sector by saying the corporation needed to compete for talent with commercial media rivals . but tory mp stewart jackson , who also sits on the public accounts committee , said : ` there seems to have been a culture under the previous director general of `` fill your boots at public expense and the expense of the licence fee payer '' . the gravy train has finally hit the buffers . those responsible must be held fully accountable for it . ' a bbc spokesman said : ` a great deal has been done since 2009 to address issues around executive remuneration at the bbc . ` following this review , the senior management paybill has been reduced by more than 30 per cent , the director general 's salary has come down almost 33 per cent , while the ratio of director-general 's salary to median pay has fallen from 16.8 to 11 and bonuses have been permanently withdrawn from executive directors . '

<t> lord hall brought in as director general and appointed four other staff . </t> <t> critics said today that corporation ` is a self-serving old boys ' network ' </t> <t> bbc says not advertising jobs can help avoid ` lengthy and costly ' process . </t>

bbc failed to advertise five top executive jobs sparking claims of cronyism<T>

the city of cleveland 's police department is set to be overhauled after federal investigators concluded that officers use excessive and unnecessary force far too often and have endangered the public and their fellow officers with their recklessness . a two-year investigation by the justice department , released on thursday , found that cleveland police use guns , tasers , ` impact weapons , ' pepper spray and their fists in excess , unnecessarily or in retaliation . in some cases unnecessary force was ` in violation of the fourth amendment of the constitution , ' claimed the report . u.s. attorney general eric holder , right , appeared at a news conference thursday to announce the findings along with cleveland police chief calvin williams , left , and cleveland mayor frank jackson , center . officers also use excessive force on those ` who are mentally ill or in crisis , ' the justice department said . accountability , or the lack thereof , was a reoccurring theme of the report . of the period reviewed , 2010-2013 , the investigation found that officers were suspended on only six occasions for improper use of force . ` discipline is so rare that no more than 51 officers out of a sworn force of 1,500 were disciplined in any fashion in connection with a use of force incident over a three-and-a half-year period , ' the report said . more disturbing was an admission by investigators carrying out reports into the use of deadly force that they always sought to show the officer involved in the best possible light . ` deeply troubling to us was that some of the specially trained investigators who are charged with conducting unbiased reviews of officers ' use of deadly force admitted to us that they conduct their investigations with the goal of casting the accused officer in the most positive light possible , ' said the report . last week , hundreds of people blocked a cleveland freeway at rush hour to protest those killings and the fatal shooting of tamir rice , a black 12-year-old boy , by a white officer outside a cleveland recreation center .<doc-sep>cleveland mayor frank jackson and the u.s. justice department signed an agreement on thursday that said both sides will work toward the appointment of a court-appointed monitor to oversee reform . ` we understand the progress we seek will not come over night , ' attorney general eric holder said at a press conference to announce the findings . the justice department found a systemic pattern of reckless and inappropriate use of force by officers and cited concerns about search-and-seizure practices . jackson was among those who asked the department to conduct the inquiry . it also said officers frequently violated people 's civil rights because of faulty tactics , inadequate training and a lack of supervision and accountability . officers ' excessive use of force has created deep mistrust in cleveland , especially in the black community , the report concluded . ` we saw too many incidents in which officers accidentally shot someone either because they fired their guns accidentally or because they shot the wrong person , ' the report said . in november 2012 police officers fired 137 shots into a car killing 43-year-old driver timothy russell , left , and 30-year-old passenger malissa williams in the parking lot of a suburban middle school . the federal investigation was prompted by several highly publicized police encounters , chiefly the deaths of two unarmed people who were fatally wounded when police officers fired 137 shots into their car at the end of a high-speed pursuit in november 2012 . in that incident , the justice department said , police began chasing timothy russell and passenger malissa williams after officers and witnesses thought they heard a gunshot coming from their car as they drove by a court building . the report said it now appears that what they heard was the car backfiring .<doc-sep>more than 100 officers engaged in a chase of the two unarmed suspects in violation of division policy . after a 25-minute chase that reached speeds of more than 100 mph and ended in an east cleveland school parking lot , 13 officers fired 137 rounds hitting russell and williams more than 20 times each , the report said . ` the officers , who were firing on the car from all sides , reported believing that they were being fired at by the suspects . it now appears that those shots were being fired by fellow officers , ' the justice department wrote . a two-year investigation by the justice department , released on thursday , found that cleveland police use guns , tasers , ` impact weapons , ' pepper spray and their fists in excess , unnecessarily or in retaliation . the report comes amid inflamed tensions between police and residents in several cities where white officers have killed young blacks , including in new york city and ferguson , missouri . all those events have raised urgent national questions about the sense of trust between police and communities , holder said . last week , hundreds of people blocked a cleveland freeway at rush hour to protest those killings and the fatal shooting of tamir rice , a black 12-year-old boy , by a white officer outside a cleveland recreation center . cleveland police chief calvin williams has defended rice 's shooting , saying he reached for an air pistol that was ` indistinguishable from a real firearm . ' the justice department has opened civil rights investigations into the practices of some 20 police departments in the past five years , and it is reviewing both the ferguson police department and the chokehold death of eric garner , an unarmed black man in new york city . it 's also currently enforcing more than a dozen agreements to overhaul police department practices nationwide .<doc-sep>the report comes amid inflamed tensions between police and residents in several cities where white officers have killed young blacks , including in new york city and ferguson , missouri , -lrb- pictured above -rrb- . ` we have seen in city after city where we have engaged that meaningful change is possible , ' holder said . cleveland and the justice department will begin negotiating an agreement that will be submitted to a federal judge outlining the scope of reforms , to include the appointment of an independent monitor . a joint statement signed by city and federal officials said cleveland 's mayor , safety director and police chief ` will always retain full authority ' to run the police department . jackson said on thursday that the city disagreed with some of the facts and conclusion in the report , but he did not dispute the overall findings . the report notes that the justice department first looked at cleveland officers ' use of deadly force in 2002 and that an agreement was reached two years later on how such policies would be changed . there was no court order or independent monitor assigned then . the justice department began its investigation in march 2013 and reviewed nearly 600 use-of-force incidents - both lethal and not - that occurred between 2010 and 2013 . the report notes that cleveland police officials did not provide many of the documents sought by federal investigators . cleveland police chief calvin williams said the details of the 58-page report were difficult to hear . ` people of this city need to know we will work to make the police department better , ' he said .<doc-sep>the city of cleveland is hoping to hand over the investigation of a 12-year-old boy 's fatal shooting by police to an outside agency , as well as future investigations of all deadly use-of-force cases . michael mcgrath , the city 's safety director and its former police chief , has been in talks with cuyahoga county officials for the sheriff 's office to handle the inquiry , city spokesman dan ball told the northeast ohio media group on thursday . ` we would like a different , outside agency to handle all deadly use of force cases , ' ball said . for now , a cleveland police deadly force investigation team is collecting evidence and conducting interviews related to the november 22 shooting . under review : the investigation into the shooting death of 12-year-old tamir rice by a cleveland police officer could soon be handed over to an outside agency . ` the best way to do it is to have external eyes look at anything regarding use of force cases , ' cleveland mayor frank jackson said . the move follows a damning report from the u.s. department of justice , which lambasted the city for the way the department f trains officers in using deadly force , investigates uses of deadly force and disciplines officers for using force . rice was carrying an airsoft gun that shoots nonlethal plastic pellets when a rookie officer shot him in a cleveland playground . his mother , samaria rice , said her son was shot before he could respond to orders after the police pulled up next to him on a cleveland playground and a rookie officer fired within two seconds . rice said she wants the officer charged with murder and she called on authorities to make sure young officers do n't ` ignore the training . ' samaria rice has said her son tamir , 12 , was shot before he could respond to orders after the police pulled up next to him on a cleveland playground and a rookie officer fired within two seconds last month . rice said that when she tried to get close to her bleeding son , officers ` pushed me back , telling me to chill out or they were going to put me in the police car ' police say officers were responding to a call november 22 about someone possibly carrying a gun . tamir had an airsoft gun , which shoots nonlethal plastic pellets . they say tamir did n't respond to commands to raise his hands before officer timothy loehmann fired his weapon . they also meant to stop the patrol car farther from tamir but the vehicle slid on the grass , the cleveland police union has said . in an interview with the associated press on monday , rice she found out later that tamir was handed the fake weapon by a girl at the playground . she said police also put tamir 's 14-year-old sister in handcuffs as she rushed to help her mortally wounded brother that day .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- attorney general eric holder announced last week that the justice department 's civil rights investigation of cleveland 's police department found that it engaged in a `` pattern or practice '' of unreasonable and unnecessary use of force . coming on the heels of the death of 12-year-old tamir rice , who was shot and killed by a cleveland police officer , many have wondered if this conclusion and damning report proves anything about rice 's death . not directly . but this report does n't exactly help the public 's perception of the cleveland police , either . to many , the involvement of the federal government in investigating the killings of rice , michael brown , and eric garner are a welcome event . after all , federal law enforcement does not have the intimate working relationship that local state investigators likely have with the police force -- a relationship that could compromise an internal investigation . the federal government is designed as a limited government . there is supposed to be no general federal `` police power '' -- that is , no right of the federal government to regulate for the health , safety , or general welfare of the citizenry . the reality is , legislation and court decisions over the past century have gradually expanded the federal government 's control and review of local activities . in these cases , authority to review the practices of law enforcement agencies potentially violating federal rights comes from the violent crime control and law enforcement act of 1994 . and the doj is increasingly vigilant in enforcing these laws . in just the last five years , the civil rights division initiated more than 20 investigations of police departments , which it claims is more than twice as many investigations than were opened in the previous five fiscal years . it would seem that the modern doj has made civil rights a priority . -lrb- the cleveland police said in a statement they 've begun remedial measures and `` much more work is needed . '' -rrb- . the cleveland report itself is almost chilling in its detailed narration of specific instances of excessive police force . but that 's not all : the reported procedures , policies , and tactics are also equally as concerning . among the findings : . 1 . ` fool me once , shame on you . fool me twice ... '<doc-sep>`` it 's happening in every city , every town . it 's happening here in pittsburgh , '' julia johnson told cnn affiliate wpxi . `` police are racially profiling people . they are harassing people , '' she said . `` there is just no accountability and no justice for the victims . '' the demonstrations raise the question : if the way we police in america is wrong , as many suggest , then what 's right ? that 's the problem police and communities now face in the wake of three high-profile investigations that , collectively , have sparked a national conversation around changing the status quo . in ferguson , missouri , violence and chaos erupted after a different grand jury elected not to indict a white officer for killing a black teenager . a nearly two-year investigation by the justice department revealed a pattern of excessive force by police in cleveland . and in new york , officials are still in the midst of grappling with what to do in the wake of garner 's death . his encounter with officer daniel pantaleo was captured on video . another video shows the dying man lying on the street for more than six minutes as officers calmly wait for an ambulance , showing no sign of urgency . `` fundamental questions are being asked , and rightfully so , about how we respect peoples ' rights -- how we reduce the use of force in the relationship between police and community , in each encounter between police and community -- how we get it right , '' new york mayor bill de blasio said . the mayor said : `` this tragedy is raising a lot of tough questions . there 's tremendous resolve here in this city to answer those questions , to get it right . '' feds launch civil right investigation . pantaleo may not stand trial in garner 's death , but he 's not off the hook .<doc-sep>by . anna edwards . published : . 13:17 est , 28 august 2012 . | . updated : . 13:45 est , 28 august 2012 . a crime-scene officer has been accused of carrying out ` substandard ' work potentially undermining 90 criminal cases , including one that involved a death . the police watchdog has confirmed it is now conducting an investigation into the ` quality of work and qualifications ' of the 48-year-old man , who was employed by staffordshire police and cleveland police between 1996 and 2011 . a spokesman for the independent police complaints commission -lrb- ipcc -rrb- said the inquiry was examining 90 cases and investigating claims that the officer lied about his qualifications which involved an arson case . investigation : a scene-of-crime officer who worked at cleveland police has been accused of potentially undermining 90 criminal cases by carrying out ` substandard ' work . the watchdog is inspecting cases which . have raised concern in the cleveland police force area , including an . investigation into a death which has been reopened . the ipcc have notified families affected by the 90 cases in cleveland and confirmed the investigation began in february 2011 when the scenes-of-crime officer was suspended from duty . the unnamed employee , who resigned from his post last october , is currently on police bail after being arrested in may 2011 on suspicion of perverting the course of justice . major incident teams at both staffordshire and cleveland police have been working on the investigation , under the direction and control of the ipcc . in a statement , the ipcc said : ` the managed investigation is examining allegations that the man conducted sub-standard work , potentially undermining investigations into a range of incidents including suspicious deaths , and had lied about his qualifications when involved in arson investigations . ` the investigation has so far examined . all incidents that the man was involved with and narrowed the focus . down to 90 cases where concerns exist in the cleveland police force . area . allegations : a police station in staffordshire . the officer under investigation worked for the force between 1996 and 2002 .

<t> two-year investigation , released on thursday , found that cleveland police use guns , tasers , ` impact weapons , ' pepper spray and their fists in excess . </t> <t> in some cases unnecessary force was ` in violation of the fourth amendment of the constitution , ' claimed the justice department . </t> <t> of the period reviewed , 2010-2013 , the investigation found that officers were suspended on only six occasions for improper use of force . </t> <t> more disturbing was an admission that reports into the use of deadly force always sought to show the officer involved in the best possible light . </t>

cleveland police force to be overhauled after damning feds investigation<T>

there were nearly 6,000 victims of sexual assault in the u.s. military this year , up eight per cent from last year , according to a new study . the pentagon report , based on an anonymous survey and shared with the associated press , also found that retaliation remains an ongoing problem in stern military culture that emphasizes rank , loyalty and strength . indeed , 60per cent of the women who reported some type of unwanted sexual contact complained about social backlash from co-workers or other service members . scroll down for video . ongoing problem : there were nearly 6,000 victims of sexual assault in the u.s. military this year , up eight per cent from last year , according to a new study . senator kirsten gillibrand , d-n.y. , a leading advocate for improvements in protecting victims of sexual assault , pointed to the retaliation figures as troubling . ` for a year now we have heard how the reforms in the previous defense bill were going to protect victims , and make retaliation a crime , ' she said . ` it should be a screaming red flag to everyone when 62per cent of those who say they reported a crime were retaliated against - nearly two-thirds - the exact same number as last year . ' under fire from congress , pentagon leaders and the white house , the military services have launched programs to encourage reporting , provide better care for victims , step up prosecutions and urge troops to intervene when they see others in threatening situations . ` pending the report 's public release thursday , assuming news accounts are correct - reporting of assaults being up and incidents of assault being down are exactly the combination we 're looking for . ` i 'm sure there 's more work to do , and i 'm anxious to hear how victims feel about the services and support offered to them when they report an assault , ' said senator claire mccaskill , d-mo . in may , defense secretary chuck hagel declared sexual assaults as a ` clear threat ' to service members and he ordered a number of new initiatives , including the review of alcohol sales and policies . he said the review must address the risks of alcohol being used as a tool by predators to ply a victim with drinks before attacking . speaking out : in may , defense secretary chuck hagel declared sexual assaults as a ` clear threat ' to service members and he ordered a number of new initiatives , including the review of alcohol sales and policies . according to the new pentagon survey , some of that may be taking hold . officials said an overwhelming majority of those who filled out the survey said they took action to prevent an assault when they saw a risky situation . the services also created hotlines , plastering phone numbers and contact information for sexual assault prevention officers across military bases , including inside the doors of bathroom stalls . and they expanded sexual assault prevention training , hired victims ' advocates and response coordinators , and have tried to curtail drinking , which is often a factor in assaults . the new report comes as congress continues to press for an overhaul of the military justice system to change the way that sexual assault cases are handled . defense officials discussed the results with the white house on tuesday and were expected to release the reports publicly on thursday . the pentagon cites the spike in sexual assault cases as increased trust in the military justice system . according to the latest report , one in four victims of sexual assault reported the crime in 2014 compared to one in ten two years ago .<doc-sep>the issue received heightened attention from the obama administration and congress after last year 's report also showed a troubling jump in reported sex assaults . a serious problem . rep. niki tsongas , co-chair of the military sexual assault prevention caucus and the top democrat on the house armed services subcommittee for oversight and investigations , said the figures continue to indicate a serious problem . `` the rise in reporting is encouraging , possibly signaling that legislative and military changes from recent years are having a positive impact , '' she said in a statement . but tsongas added better reporting and other steps to address the issue `` does not obviate the simple fact that these heinous crimes continue to occur at an alarming rate , to both men and women . '' sex assault in the military has become a major concern for the pentagon . senate clears military sex assault prosecution bill .<doc-sep>in 2010 , women in the united states experienced 270,000 completed , attempted or threatened rape or sexual assaults , according to the bureau of justice statistics . overall , the world health organization estimates that the global toll of sexual or physical violence in women is 35.6 % , which is likely to be an underestimate . dr. margaret chan , the who 's director-general , described violence against women as a `` global health problem of epidemic proportions . '' why is this happening in india ? some observers say violent acts against women stem from the country 's largely patriarchal social setup . some blame pornography and bollywood for objectifying women , and a culture that values chastity . many women 's rights activists say the issues of violence and inequality start before birth . sex-selective abortions continue , despite being illegal in the country . the sex ratio in the 2011 census dwindled to 940 females to 1,000 males . parents prefer boys , because many do n't want to pay dowry -lrb- which is also illegal -rrb- . girls are seen as a burden , while boys are viewed as contributing to their families , advocates say .<doc-sep>the u.s. senate on monday voted 97 to 0 in approving modest reforms aimed at strengthening prosecution of sex assaults in the military . last week , senators blocked legislation that would have dramatically altered the way serious crimes in the military , like sexual assault and rape , are handled . the newly approved bill now goes to the house for consideration . sen. claire mccaskill said the changes adopted monday , which were designed to bolster a series of similar reforms adopted last year , mean the u.s. military has `` one of the most victim-friendly justice systems in the world . '' for months , the missouri democrat and former prosecutor was locked in battle with fellow democrat , sen. kirsten gillibrand of new york , over how to best reform sex assault prosecutions in the military . there has been a steep rise in reported cases in recent years . some 26,000 incidents of sexual assault and unwanted sexual contact were reported in 2012 alone , according to a pentagon study . gillibrand 's proposal , which was supported by a majority of senators but fell five votes shy of the 60 votes it needed to pass , would have removed commanders from deciding whether their subordinates should be prosecuted , leaving those decisions to military prosecutors . opinion : new women 's issues , new challenges .<doc-sep>a recent pentagon report showed that there were estimated to be 26,000 incidents of sexual assault and unwanted sexual contact in 2012 , and just over 10 % of those were reported . these concerns fueled a push championed by sen. kirsten gillibrand , a new york democrat , for legislation to remove military commanders from deciding whether most serious allegations of wrongdoing by their subordinates should be prosecuted . the responsibility would have been shifted to prosecutors outside the chain of command . opponents said that such a measure would undermine the critical military principle of command authority . earlier this month , gillibrand 's bill failed to get the needed 60 votes to pass the senate . however , a separate measure to largely disallow the `` good soldier '' defense -- which permits defendants to enter evidence of their good military character at trial to mitigate the charges against them -- did make it through the chamber . political fight over military sex assaults divides female senators .

<t> the new pentagon report was based on an anonymous survey . </t> <t> it found that retaliation remains an ongoing problem in stern military culture which emphasizes rank , loyalty and strength . </t> <t> in may , defense secretary chuck hagel declared sexual assaults as a ` clear threat ' to service members and he ordered a number of new initiatives , including the review of alcohol sales and policies . </t>

sex assaults in us military jump by 8 ⁇ with 60 ⁇ of females haunted by social backlash<T>

it was a battle of claw versus jaw , but the king of the jungle reigned supreme in his battle against a crocodile . the two killing-machines fought over feeding rights at a kenyan river in samburu , africa after the crocodile tried to take the lion 's lunch - a dead elephant . the lion was among a pride that was about to eat the elephant when the crocodile crawled up and tried to take a bite . the lions then began to drive the beast away by clawing and biting at the armoured reptile 's legs . jaws versus claws : the lion and the crocodile square-off at a kenyan river in samburu , africa , after the reptile tries to take the big cat 's lunch . paws for thought : the lion lifts one of its paws and prepares to strike the crocodile which lunges forward baring its teeth . eventually the crocodile retreated to the safety of the deeper waters .<doc-sep>photographer hung ta , 50 , captured the battle unfolding . he said : ` for a while there was a mexican standoff with neither making the first move but i believe the lion was fearing for the safety of its cubs and made the first move . ` it was n't long before other lions moved in and began to claw and bite at the legs of the crocodile all the while making sure to stay clear of its huge jaws . dine in , but not takeaway : the lions guard the dead elephant and appear to be looking towards the water cautious of the crocodiles intentions . lowest of the low : the crocodile slides along on its belly as a young lion hovers on the waters edge , keen to deter it from lunging futher . fancy a pedicure ? the lion nips at the reptiles claws as it thrashes about in pain , trying to edge back into the safety of the water .<doc-sep>two on one : an adult lion and a young cub leap at the crocodile whose open mouth looks big enough to swallow them whole . back you go : a lion bites the soft underside of the reptile , left , as another stands on its back and attempts to push it away . on your tail : the crocodile seems to acknowledge defeat as three lions straddle its rear quarters and force it back into the water . ` the crocodile actually tried to get closer for a second time but was soon overwhelmed so it backed off . ' mr hung said it was ` amazing ' to watch the fight . he said : ` it 's not very often these two predators fight and neither animal underestimated its opponent . '<doc-sep>by . eddie wrenn . published : . 04:11 est , 19 october 2012 . | . updated : . 07:19 est , 19 october 2012 . have you ever had a lovely dinner party ruined when an unwanted , uninvited dinner guest turns up ? well , these angry lions have - they were enjoying a delicious meal of antelope steak on the banks of a river in zambia when , all of a sudden , a crocodile turned up and tried to sneak a bite to eat . the lions are captured with an all-too-human stunned look of surprise on their faces when they look up from their feast and find a crafty additional mouth at the table . double take : the lions look by turns angry , shocked and bemused by their unexpected dinner guest - who just wanted a helping of antelope to himself . the fearless nile crocodile - known as charmingly enough as ` fred ' to residents of south luangwa , zambia - risked taking on two fearsome adult females who were feeding their cubs . but as this remarkable video and pictures show fred had no qualms about wandering over to try his luck and steal a chunk of an impala - an african antelope - the lionesses had just killed . it takes the big cats a few moments to realise fred is coming towards them and at one stage it looks like he might succeed as he opens his massive jaws . on the approach : the crafty and apparently fearless three-metre crocodile makes the sneaky crawl to the dinner table . closer still : you can almost feel the crocodile 's hunger as he opens his jaws wide and looks at the scene . you can see how engrossed they are : there 's almost no room at the table as the lions devour their prey - but the croc will find a way .<doc-sep>it 's a jungle out there . particularly when you are shaping up to be today 's ` special ' on the waterhole lunch menu . in an astonishing video shot on the african savanna , a pack of seriously hungry jackals and a lone crocodile lurking just below the water 's surface , have cornered a warthog . now , if you are the prey in this particular scenario - dish of the day for some of animal kingdom 's most vicious predators - you already know there is no escape . a little warthog drinks at a watering hole on the african savanna unaware of the jackals who are stalking him for lunch . but they are n't the only predators in town . the jackals are already licking their lips at the prospect of warthog , served extremely rare . but the crocodile in the youtube video seems almost casual to the point of disinterest . both sets of hunters have an enviable strike rate in this situation , even though crocodiles eat very rarely and jackals tend to hunt alone or in pairs . jackals , carnivores with dog-like features and a bushy tail , tend to live singly or in pairs , only coming together to hunt in small packs . they have a reputation for being opportunistic , skulking scavengers and would have no problem taking down a warthog . crocodiles are amazingly fast when they want to be - swimming at 20mph to catch prey . they use their powerful jaws and teeth to crush their meals , often tearing animals apart in chunks or swallowing them whole . what 's on the menu today ? warthog for the pack on the left . but who is this showing up to the party on the right ? never underestimate a crocodile . crocodiles : .<doc-sep>it 's dog eat dog in the wild , or in the case of this video captured by a visitor to the samburu national reserve in kenya , it 's a matter of crocodile or lion eats elephant . when an elephant died at the side of a lake in the african reserve , leaving enough meat to feed a multitude of animals , a group of hungry lions and a crocodile with a serious meat craving immediately clocked the easy catch . but the elephant meat was n't easy for either predator to win if this video of a rare stand-off between crocodile and lion , uploaded to youtube by kai banks , is to be believed . no sooner than each animal spots its ready-killed prey , the young male lion and muscular nile crocodile , the world 's largest reptilian predator , which boasts over 30 teeth in its gargantuan jaw , begin to eye each other up . it might initially seem that the crocodile has the evolutionary upper hand , killing creatures as it has been for over 250 million years and outliving even the dinosaurs , but as two more lions join their daring companion , pinning the reptile down in the water , it starts to seem like this is anyone 's game . face off : two of the most ferocious species in africa prepare to duel over hard won elephant meat . a cry for help ? as the trio of ferocious lions overwhelm the solitary crocodile it spreads its jaw , as if wailing . much splashing ensues and although one lion is left with blood on its leg , the first round of fighting leaves the crocodile and cat on a level peg . it might be three against one , but this is by no means an easy ride for the lions . a massive 99 per cent of young crocodiles end up being eaten by fish , lizards and even other cannibalistic crocodiles , so the ones who end up surviving are the toughest of the tough , with a jaw so powerful it 's thought to rival that of a t-rex . splash attack : water flies as the lions and crocodile get rowdy in the african lake . a tough tackle : the lions join their forces to pile onto the crocodile and pin down the ancient beast . an issue experienced by youtuber kai banks filming this jaw-dropping scene means that the second fight is seen in a dramatic slow motion succession of still shots that see the lions slap the crocodile around the snout like house cats batting string . the reptile weakens as the lions pile onto the ancient reptile , one of them even blighting it further by biting its pointy webbed foot . as the battle concludes , the crocodile retreats , crippled and defeated . the lion who picked the fight stands water-soaked and triumphant over its weakened opponent while the rest of its pride descend to gorge on the elephant prize . meow ! the lion lashes out at its reptilian opponent 's jaw , which thought to be as strong as that of a t-rex . eyes on the prize : a pride of lions gorge on the tough-won dead elephant that will feed them well .<doc-sep>dinner time : a pride of lions swarm over their unusual kill - an adult male giraffe . feeding frenzy : at least three cubs and four lionesses fed on the giraffe for a number of days . fresh meat : giraffes are not usually prey for lions due to their size and the fact they have a vicious kick . it is believed the giraffe was either ill or wounded , otherwise it would be extremely difficult for lions to take down an animal which weighs on average 1,600 kg and can stand up to 20ft tall . british . wildlife photographer and safari guide paul goldstein , who had been following the pride for months , said he was kept . awake most of the night from the noise of the lions killing then . fighting over the prey . paul , from wimbledon , said : ` this was an adult bull giraffe , it must have been sick or wounded otherwise this particular pride , which i have spent many months with , would never have taken him down . ` however it proved a huge larder for many days and , as it was quite cool , the meat did not go off too quickly .

<t> a pride of lions were trying to eat a dead elephant when they noticed a crocodile had taken an interest in their meal . </t> <t> the crocodile then crawled out of the kenyan river and tried to challenge the pride for a nibble of their kill . </t> <t> hung ta who witnessed the fight said the lions clawed and bit at the reptile 's legs while carefully avoiding its jaws . </t>

pack of lions take on angry crocodile in vicious battle over prey<T>

a 1962 nobel prize for the discovery of the structure of dna has sold at auction for $ 4.7 million , a world auction record for any nobel prize . christie 's says the gold medal won by james watson was purchased yesterday by a buyer who wished to remain anonymous . the new york city auction house says it 's the first nobel medal to be offered at auction by a living recipient . watson made the 1953 discovery with francis crick and maurice wilkins . the 1962 nobel prize won by james watson for the discovery of the structure of dna has sold at auction for $ 4.7 million , a world auction record for any nobel prize .<doc-sep>watson 's 1962 nobel prize medal for his role in the discovery of the structure of dna . watson made the 1953 discovery with francis crick and maurice wilkins ; crick 's medal sold in 2004 for $ 2.2 million . crick 's nobel prize sold last year at heritage auctions for $ 2.2 million . he died in 2004 . watson had a very public fall from grace in 2007 , at the age of 79 , after he began making racist and sexiest remarks in the media . the comments led to him being shunned from the scientific community as well as the general public . he told one sunday paper he was ` inherently gloomy ' about the prospect of africa because ` all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours -- whereas all the testing says not really . '<doc-sep>watson went on to say the divide in intelligence had also been witnessed by people who had black employees . later defending the comments , he said he was not ' a racist in a conventional way ' . watson meeting former prime minister tony blair at a reception in downing street in april 2003 .<doc-sep>a short time later watson was fired from his position as chancellor at cold spring harbour laboratory . he was also said to have been relieved of his position on a number of boards , and to have not given any public lectures since . but his downfall ca n't only be contributed to his comments on africa . he has talked-down rosalind franklin 's contribution to the work on dna and even said women are n't ` as effective ' at science as men . part of the proceeds from the sale will go to the university of chicago , clare college cambridge , cold spring harbor laboratory , long island land trust and other charities .<doc-sep>a billionaire russian mining tycoon has been revealed as the buyer of american scientist james watson 's nobel prize medal - and says he plans to hand the award straight back . alisher usmanov , whose mining and telecoms companies have earned him $ 15billion according to forbes , paid a record $ 4.1 million for the medal when it was auctioned in new york last week . but now he says he will hand the medal back to watson , who was awarded it in 1962 alongside francis crick and maurice wilkins after discovering the double helix structure of dna . russian billionaire alisher usmanov , worth an estimated $ 15billion , bought the nobel prize medal from james watson -lrb- right -rrb- at auction last week for $ 4.1 million , but plans to had it back . james watson won the prize in 1962 with francis crick and maurice wilkins for discovering the double helix structure of dna , but said he was forced to sell it after losing his income following racist comments . usmanov said : ` in my opinion , a situation in which an outstanding scientist has to sell a medal recognising his achievements is unacceptable . ` james watson is one of the greatest biologists in the history of mankind and his award for the discovery of dna structure must belong to him . '<doc-sep>dna pioneer james watson is to sell the nobel prize he won for his co-discovery of the double helix structure , the building block of life . the coveted gold medal is expected to go under the hammer for up to $ 3.5 million in a sale at christie 's in new york on december 4 . it will be the first time a nobel prize has been sold by a living recipient . watson , now 85 , was awarded the medal for work in the field of physiology or medicine alongside fellow scientists francis crick and maurice wilkins in 1962 . the scientist 's notes for his acceptance speech at the nobel ceremony in stockholm and the manuscript of his nobel lecture are also on offer at the auction . new life engineered with artificial dna . watson and crick worked together on the structure of dna at the university of cambridge 's cavendish laboratory in the early 1950s . `` he was the first person i met who i could really talk to , '' watson said in 2013 . `` i 'd met people , but they did n't share my conviction that only dna was important . '' in 1953 , the pair came to the conclusion that dna was formed by two twisted strands of molecules , like the rungs of a ladder , holding the iconic double helix structure together . `` all we could say when we got it : it 's so beautiful ! '' watson said . ` dna was my only gold rush , ' says watson . the discovery , which explained how dna stores information and how it is replicated , changed biology forever and revolutionized medicine . `` everything we do since then is more or less based on that structure , '' mario capecchi , professor of genetics and human biology at the university of utah and a former graduate student of watson 's , said last year . announcing the sale , christie 's auction house said watson 's work was `` on a par with newton , darwin and einstein , -lrb- and his -rrb- unyielding quest for knowledge led to discoveries that forever altered human history . '' the lucrative allure of the double helix . watson says he intends to use part of the money raised by the sale to fund projects at the universities and scientific research institutions he has worked at throughout his career . `` i look forward to making further philanthropic gifts to cold spring harbor laboratory , the university of chicago , and clare college cambridge , '' he said in a statement . he added that the auction would mean he could `` continue to do my part in keeping the academic world an environment where great ideas and decency prevail . '' last year , francis crick 's `` secret of life '' letter to his son , in which he explained the structure of dna weeks before the discovery was officially announced in the april 1953 edition of the journal nature , was sold for $ 6.06 million . the world record price -- more than three times its pre-sale estimate -- made it the most expensive letter ever sold at auction . how your dna can reconstruct history .<doc-sep>he won the nobel prize for physics . but brian schmidt received no special treatment from the tsa when he tried to take the 24-carat pure gold medal through airport security in fargo , nebraska . he was awarded the prize , made from $ 10,000 of gold , for co-discovering that the expansion of the universe was accelerating - a finding that has transformed our understanding of the solar system . as he tried to take it to show his grandmother , however , the revered physicist was stopped and interrogated . travel issues : brian schmidt , pictured receiving the nobel prize from king carl xvi gustaf of sweden in 2011 , revealed he was interrogated at airport security after taking his gold medal to show his grandma in nebraska . ` it 's a large gold medal ' : the guards were baffled by the gong which went off when schmidt put his bag through . ` there are a couple of bizarre things that happen , ' schmidt , 47 , told an audience in new york last month . ` one of the things you get when you win a nobel prize is , well , a nobel prize . ` it 's about that big , that thick -lsb- he mimes a disk roughly the size of an olympic medal -rsb- , weighs a half a pound , and it 's made of gold . ` when i won this , my grandma , who lives in fargo , north dakota , wanted to see it . ' i was coming around so i decided i 'd bring my nobel prize .<doc-sep>shunned : james watson -lrb- pictured -rrb- sparked an outcry when he suggested that people of african descent were less intelligent than white people . a scientist who was part of the team that discovered dna has been forced to sell his nobel prize after he was shunned by the scientific community for comments that linked race and intelligence . james watson sparked an outcry in 2007 when he suggested in an interview with the sunday times that people of african descent were inherently less intelligent than white people . the american scientist said he had become an ` unperson ' since making the controversial remarks and is now selling his prize in a bid to 're - enter public life ' . the medal , the first to be auctioned by a living recipient , is expected to fetch as much as # 2.5 million when it goes under the hammer at christie 's in new york next week . dr watson shared the 1962 nobel prize , awarded for uncovering the double helix structure of dna , with british scientists maurice wilkins and francis crick . the discovery was made by watson and crick , who used experimental data that had been gathered by wilkins and rosalind franklin . dr watson , 86 , said that he was fired from the boards of a number of companies after making the inflammatory race comments , adding that he has not given any public lectures since . he told the financial times : ` no one really wants to admit i exist ' .

<t> james watson made the discovery with francis crick and maurice wilkins . </t> <t> crick 's award sold at auction last year for $ 2.2 million . </t> <t> watson fell from grace in 2007 after making racist and sexist remarks . </t>

nobel prize winner james watson sells his gold medal for $ 4.3 m<T>

the average british man has grown over the past 60 years and is now taller and heavier than his fifties counterpart . in 1954 , a typical british male was just over 5ft 7in tall , weighed 11st 6lbs and had a chest of 37 inches and a waist of 34 inches . he wore size seven shoes , had a collar size of 14 . then and now : in 1954 , a typical british male was just over 5ft 7in tall and weighed 11st 6lbs , like marlon brando , left . today , brad pitt typifies the body shape of mr average , at 5ft 9in , weighing just over 12st . but over the past 60 years the shape has changed significantly and 1950s men would sit in the shadow of modern men . today , the average man is 5ft 9in , weighs 12st 6lbs and has a chest of 42in and a waist of 37in . he wears size nine shoes , has a collar size of 16 . as well as being larger , modern man is also stronger and healthier with a life expectancy of 79 - 11 years more than the average life expectancy for a man in the fifties . the changing shape is perfectly demonstrated by fifties movie star star marlon brando and current hollywood a-lister brad pitt . healthier : brad pitt represents the average modern man and can expect to live 11 years longer than his fifties counterpart . at 5ft 9in , pitt typifies the body shape of the modern mr average - weighing just over 12st with a 43 inch chest . his 1954 equivalent was marlon brando , who starred in on the waterfront in the same year . brando was 5ft 7in and weighed just over 11st in his heyday . he had a much less muscular physique than modern movie stars . oliver tezcan , chief executive of online menswear brand , the idle man , which researched data on changing body shapes from government statistics said the fashion industry has had to adapt fast to the changing shape of mr average . not so macho : men in the fifties , as portrayed in tv show mad men , were shorter and less muscular than men in 2014 . measuring up : men today have a 37in waist on average compared to 34 in in 1954 .<doc-sep>he said : ` it is extraordinary how much mr average has changed in the last 60 years . he has gone from being what we might consider a bit of wimp these days into a taller , more rugged muscleman . ` that has presented real challenges for designers and fashion brands . ` it means that suits are being cut in a completely different way to reflect this changing body shape , with much bigger sizes in the upper body . ` collar sizes have gone up markedly to reflect modern man 's much more muscular neck . ' tezcan said that 2014 's mr average was far more body conscious than his 1954 equivalent . he added : ` he is likely to exercise at least twice a week and eat and drink about a quarter more than he did in the fifties - consuming 2,500 calories a day compared to 2,000 calories back then . ' difference in 60 years : men have grown taller , heavier and wider but will now live for longer . 33 per cent of homes had a washing machine . 10 per cent of homes had a telephone . average wage was # 10 a week . life expectancy was 68 years for men and 71 for women . 96 per cent of homes have a washing machine . 72 per cent of us have smartphones . average wage is # 509 . life expectancy for men is 79 years and 83 years for women .<doc-sep>by . fiona macrae . the average british man is four inches taller than 100 years ago . researchers credit improvements in nutrition , hygiene and housing and the decline of heavy industry for allowing modern males to tower over their great-grandfathers . smaller family sizes have also played an important role . but surprisingly , advances in medicine are not thought to have been key . upwardly mobile : the average british man is four inches taller than 100 years ago . the research , by economic historian tim hatton , found that the typical young man in britain today is 5ft 10in . this compares with just 5ft 6in a century ago .<doc-sep>by . sara malm . the chinese army is finding itself shopping for new tanks as their soldiers have grown - quite literally - in the 30 years since they were made . the average chinese soldier is three-quarters of an inch taller , and two inches bigger around the waist , than they were 20 years ago , the army 's newspaper said . the survey , which examined more than 20,000 troops over five years , found that the ` fatter ' modern soldiers could no longer squeeze into tanks designed in the early 1980s . growing pains : the average chinese soldier is three-quarters of an inch taller and two inches bigger around the waist than they were 20 years ago . as the soldiers have also become taller on average , rifle barrels are now too short , leading to accuracy problems , the official people 's liberation army daily newspaper reported tuesday . adjustments would be made , with 28 body measurements taken into consideration when designing new firearms and other equipment , the report said .<doc-sep>` when i see sizes like -lsb- the ones in this shop -rsb- i find it worrying and definitely , something needs to be done . ` culturally , when we see someone who is overweight , they fit in much more now than a few years back . ' but mr wibberley is n't the only person offering children larger fitting clothes . clothing chains have been forced to rip up their sizing system for children to reflect the fact youngsters are now taller , wider and heavier than ever . a new template for those aged four to 16 has been devised for retailers to reflect the major changes to body shapes over the last few decades . six of the country 's biggest children 's fashion chains -- marks & spencer , next , george at asda , tesco , monsoon and the shop direct group -- are now using the guidleines . full body 3d scans were carried out on 2,885 youngsters across the country to produce the updated size regime . the last time a comprehensive survey of children 's shapes was carried out was by the british standards institution in 1978 . the figures were compiled by shape gb , a collaboration between retailers , several academic bodies , clothing size experts alvanon and scanner experts . girls of 11 were found to be on average four inches wider around the waist , while boys are generally bigger through the waist and chest . research has shown that over 80 per cent of obese children today will go on to be obese adults . childhood obesity costs the capital alone # 7 million a year and if these children do not lose weight it is estimated they will costs the taxpayer # 110 million in adulthood .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 19:48 est , 1 september 2013 . | . updated : . 08:24 est , 2 september 2013 . growth : men are , on average , four inches taller than they were around the time of the start of the first world war . men are four inches taller than they were 100 years ago , according to a new study . researchers found the average height of european men has grown by 11 centimetres in just over a century . and , contrary to expectations , the study also found that average height actually accelerated in the period spanning the two world wars and the great depression . timothy hatton , professor of economics at the university of essex , examined and analysed figures for the average height - at the age of around 21 - of men from the 1870 's to 1980 in 15 european countries . the statistics were drawn from a variety of sources . for the most recent decades the data was mainly taken from height-by-age in surveys . figures for the earlier years were based on data for the heights of military conscripts and recruits . the figures are for men only as the historical evidence for women 's heights is severely limited .

<t> in 1954 , a typical british male was just over 5ft 7in tall , weighing 11st 6lbs . </t> <t> today , the average man is 5ft 9in and weighs 12st 6lbs . </t> <t> life expectancy has increased from 68 to 79 . </t> <t> modern men are stronger and more body conscious . </t>

average british male is now two inches taller and a stone heavier than six decades ago<T>

a female teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with her 17-year-old student after she was dobbed in by her husband . the 44-year-old woman was arrested at her home in st marys , in sydney 's west , on tuesday and was taken to penrith police station . it is understood the woman 's husband found out about her alleged sexual relationship with the male teenager and reported his wife to police , the daily telegraph reported . a female teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with her 17-year-old student . the woman was granted conditional bail to appear at penrith local court -lrb- pictured -rrb- on monday 19 january .<doc-sep>police also searched the year 11 student 's home and took a number of items . the 44-year-old was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse with a child between 16 and 18 under special care . the woman was granted conditional bail to appear at penrith local court on monday 19 january 2015 . she has been suspended from her role as teacher at a western sydney high school . a nsw education spokesman said the department has removed the teacher from the school .<doc-sep>it is understood the woman 's husband found out about her alleged sexual relationship with the male teenager and reported his wife to police . ` she will be placed on alternative duties away from all students , ' he said . ` counselling has been offered to the student involved . ` as the matter is before the courts , it is not appropriate to comment further at this time . '<doc-sep>the nsw department of education and communities code of conduct states teachers can not have sexual relationships with students , consensual or otherwise . ` it is irrelevant whether the relationship is homosexual or heterosexual , consensual or non-consensual or condoned by parents or caregivers , ' it states . ` the age of the students or staff member involved is also irrelevant . ' sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .<doc-sep>by . alexandra klausner . sheila heacock , 44 , was arrested yesterday for allegedly having sex with on of her male 16-year-old students . a female high school teacher , 44 , from yucaipa california was arrested yesterday after sheriffs received a tip from a school administartor that she may be engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with her 16-year-old male student . the alleged abuse began in january 2014 and the most recent incident occurred in march . yucaipa 's sheriff station and detectives from the crimes against children detail contacted the 16-year-old who told of the sexual relationship between he and his teacher sheila heacok at yucaipa high school . news mirror reports that heacock could face charges of unlawful sexual intercourse , oral copulation with a minor , penetration by foreign object , and unlawful communication with a minor .<doc-sep>a virginia math teacher already charged with having sex with a 17-year-old boy she taught has now admitted to sleeping with as many as four students . erica mesa , 27 , was slapped tuesday with three charges stemming from a sexual relationship she had with a student at colonial forge high school in stafford , authorities said . in court documents , investigators now say she has admitted to having sexual encounters with four students ages 16 to 18 , wjla reported . most of the trysts allegedly happened in mesa 's home in nearby fredericksburg , while one of the incidents happened in her suv . two of the students confirmed they 'd had sex with the married geometry teacher , according to the station . virginia math teacher erica mesa , 27 , has admitted to having sex with four male students , authorities say . workplace scandal : mesa allegedly met her underage lover at colonial forge high school , where both she and her husband worked as teachers . officials at the high school were tipped off by anonymous phone call informing them that the geometry and statistics teacher allegedly had sex with a male student in february , may and september . an investigation revealed that the male student was 16 years old when the relationship began last winter .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . a pennsylvania high school student is expected to file a lawsuit against his school district after he was allegedly sexually assaulted by his former teacher . a march 21 letter from the student 's attorney , susan l. luckenbill , to wyoming valley west school district superintendent charles suppon was obtained by the citizens ' voice through an open records request . the student 's name as well as those of his parents were redacted by the district . the student ` is a victim of sexual assault and was a minor at the time of the assault , ' the letter alleges . it also claims that the student suffered ` damages and injuries ' due to negligence from district employees and former teacher lauren harrington-coooper , 31 , ` on or about october 2013 through december 2013 . ' harrington-cooper , center , was surrounded by reporters as she entered the court after her first arrest in december . lauren harrington-cooper , seen here with her husband raphael cooper , has been charged three times relating to inappropriate contact and relationships she allegedly had with four male students . on december 19 , the voice reports harrington-cooper , 31 , was charged with having sexual intercourse twice and oral sex three times with an 18-year-old student one week in mid-december . the 18-year-old student 's sister told him that harrington-cooper texted her that her brother was ` hot , ' according to the complaint obtained by the paper . the victim got harrington-cooper 's cell phone number from his sister and reportedly texted her later that day . on january 9 , harrington-cooper was also charged with having oral sex in a parked car with a 17-year-old student in november . her relationship with that student began when she told a female student that the boy was attractive , the paper reports . the male student left her a note with his cell phone number and she allegedly sent him sexually explicit text messages . lauren harrington-cooper , seen here with her husband , even allegedly showed one student a butterfly tattoo on her right breast . on january 28 , harrington-cooper was charged a third time for making inappropriate contact with two other male . students , who were 16 and 17 at the time of the alleged crimes . those relationships reportedly began in october 2012 and continued after her arrest , the paper reports . harrington-cooper and the 17-year-old student met in a shopping center where they kissed and fondled each other in a car , according to an earlier report . the boy reportedly said he felt uncomfortable because they were not in a private area . the 16-year-old boy said harrington-cooper was his teacher in both seventh and eleventh grades , and that he was ` trying to make it happen ' for the 17-year-old student . the 16-year-old also reportedly told authorities that there was a ` certain vibe ' in his text message conversations with harrington-cooper and that he could have had sex with her anytime he wanted . when he was a junior , harrington-cooper reportedly invited him to her house multiple times and showed him a tattoo of butterfly on her right breast . harrington-cooper allegedly told the 16-year-old student about problems within her marriage and that if she and the student lived together ` they would have fun . ' harrington-cooper waived her right to a preliminary hearing on thursday . on january 22 , the school board had accepted her resignation from her post . she is free on $ 50,000 bail , the paper reports . mailonline earlier reported that harrington-cooper is married to raphael cooper , owner of cooper dance academy . on december 19 , raphael cooper he told the school 's students and their parents that classes were cancelled due to ' a family emergency ' via facebook . later that evening , he wrote : ` after the holiday , i , raphael cooper will address all of the members of our studio as to our future . please keep everyone in our family in your prayers as we confront the days ahead . '<doc-sep>arrested : ashley zehnder , 24 , allegedly had a months-long relationship with a male student . a high school teacher accused of having sex with a 17-year-old male cheerleader has not committed a crime , her lawyer has said . biology teacher and cheerleading coach ashley zehnder , 24 , allegedly had a months-long relationship with the teen , who was a member of the cheerleading squad at pasadena high school , texas . the age of consent in texas is 17 . ` we believe she 's innocent , ' attorney nicole deborde told the houston chronicle . ` we do n't think any crime has been committed . they 're saying -lsb- the alleged behavior -rsb- is inappropriate solely because of the teacher-student relationship . ' zehnder , who is in a long term relationship , was arrested on friday on a charge of having an improper relationship with a male student . she is out on $ 10,000 bond . the student said their relationship , which started in may and lasted throughout the summer , began when he lost his cellphone and used zehnder 's to call it , police said . afterwards he saved her number to his phone and they began texting and started a relationship , court records said . the relationship reportedly came to light after zehnder sent the teenager naked photos on snapchat , which he saved and reportedly showed to other students . ` secret life ' : zehnder , pictured with her boyfriend , allegedly started the relationship with the student in may .

<t> female teacher arrested at her home in st marys , in sydney 's west . </t> <t> police attended the year 11 student 's home and took a number of items . </t> <t> teacher will appear at penrith local court on monday 19 january 2015 . </t> <t> she has been suspended from her role as teacher at a high school . </t>

female teacher , 44 , arrested for allegedly having sex with her male student , 17 , after she was dobbed in by her husband<T>

a michigan man is celebrating the return of his 2.5 ton footbridge after it was allegedly stolen from his property . robert cortis of farmington hills told abc news that he was ` very sad ' and 'em otionally lost ' when he discovered the 40-foot steel and wood structure had disappeared . however , one day after he filed a report , the garden feature was found by police in belleville , about 20 miles away from its original location . reunited : robert cortis of farmington hills told abc news that he was ` very sad ' and 'em otionally lost ' when he discovered the 40-foot steel and wood structure had disappeared . back in the day : cortis ' bridge in action during the nineties . cortis says he discovered the bridge was missing when he stopped by his property near 8 mile road with plans to move it this week . he wanted to re-install it at his catering business and use it for taking wedding photos . cortis says the bridge has sentimental value because his father built it and it has spanned the taribussi creek for about 25 years . when he saw it had gone , cortis launched an appeal online . of value : cortis feared the it 40-foot-long , six-foot-wide and seven-foot-tall bridge , weighing between 5,000 to 10,000 , had been taken by scrap metal thieves . with an estimated value of $ 50,000 to $ 75,000 it also could have also been cleaned up and sold on . he feared the 40-foot-long , six-foot-wide and seven-foot-tall bridge , weighing between 5,000 to 10,000 , had been taken by scrap metal thieves . with an estimated value of $ 50,000 to $ 75,000 , it also could have also been sold on the black market . talking about the unusual crime on local television this week , cortis said : ' i was very , very sad and emotionally lost . ` it had a lot of sentimental value to us so i wanted to use it in a good way that would kind of be a tribute to my dad . ' talking about the unusual crime , on local television , cortis said : ' i was very , very sad and emotionally lost ' the detroit news says police on thursday found the bridge and it appeared undamaged . there was no word of suspects . cortis shared the happy news on facebook and posted pictures of the recovered bridge . ' i still do n't understand how someone steals a bridge , ' one bemused friend said .<doc-sep>kathlyn regina huff , 58 , of farmington hills , michigan , was arrested tuesday in her driveway , forcing her to finally face charges from a 1977 incident when she allegedly tried to kill her common-law husband by shooting him in the head in detroit . the woman fled from texas to seattle to michigan before finally being caught , us marshals told abc news . she was taken into custody without incident . ms huff fled san antonio just before her 1977 indictment for attempted murder and was able to elude authorities because she changed her name to kathlyn rose after a second marriage . us marshals tracked her across the country until her arrest this week . ` the lone star fugitive task force out of texas requested that we apprehend her , ' a marshals spokesperson told abc . ` they developed information that she was in the farmington hills area . ' the cold case turned hot after the agency began to take another look at old cases , it was the oldest taken on so far , the spokesperson explained . ` when you tack on the number of years that this person has been on the run , that of course adds more to it , ' the spokesperson added . officials from the detroit fugitive apprehension team , which includes u.s. marshals , local , state and other federal authorities placed ms huff under arrest as she arrived at home . scroll down for video .<doc-sep>twist and turn : many children tried to have wheelbarrow races through the mud as well as doing acrobatics . slather the sibling : sarah rojewski -lrb- right -rrb- , age 13 , of livonia , michigan puts mud on top of her brother ben , age 11 . mud day 2012 also doubled up as a training exercise for western wayne hazardous materials . response team , which includes firefighters from farmington hills and 22 . other metro detroit departments . farmington hills fire lt. mike kish . told farmington hills patch that no other hazmat team in the country does . a live decontamination exercise . ` we set the whole thing up in about 12 minutes , ' he said . children . moved through a line of firefighters who hosed the mud off them , . although some younger children were held up to hosed down by their . parents . ` in real life , there would be soap and water , ' mr kish added . hose down for home time : for the western wayne hazardous materials response team , the day was also a training exercise . they hosed off muddy participants as part of decontamination training .<doc-sep>paramedics responded to a report of a goring at the lagoon amusement park in farmington , about 20 miles north of salt lake city , davis county sheriff 's sergeant susan poulsen said . farmington fire chief guido smith said responders found a 28-year-old female employee who had been gored during a feeding process , when she ` came in contact with the animal 's horn . ' gored : a zookeeper has been gored by a wildebeest during feeding at a utah amusement park -lrb- file picture -rrb- . the woman suffered an injury to her thigh and was transported to a salt lake city trauma center , where she was in serious but stable condition , he said . he described the injury as a laceration . smith had no further details about how the injury happened but said the wildebeest was in its pen at the time , and there was ` no evidence of anything out of control . ' wildebeests are hooved mammals with ox-like heads and horse-like manes .<doc-sep>a brazilian drugs trafficker was killed by his own stock when he was crushed by half a ton of marijuana . the man died after he lost control of his car and hit a tree , resulting in his stock of weed stored in the backseat shooting forward , squashing him against the wheel . the driver was on the run from the federal highway police , who had taken up the chase after the smuggler refused to stop at a road block in bataguassu , 210 miles from campo grande . the man died after he lost control of his car and hit a tree , resulting in his half-ton stock of weed stored in the backseat shooting forward , squashing him against the wheel . police started to chase the man who died after hitting a tree -lrb- pictured -rrb- when he refused to stop at a road block in bataguassu . the car was loaded with tablets of marijuana and the driver was sandwiched between the flywheel and the drug charge .

<t> robert cortis of farmington hills said he was ` very sad ' and 'em otionally lost ' when he discovered the 40-foot steel structure had disappeared . </t> <t> however , one day after he filed a report , the garden feature was found by police in belleville , about 20 miles away from its original location . </t> <t> there 's currently no word of suspects . </t>

farmington hills man has 2.5 ton footbridge stolen and taken 20 miles away<T>

a high-flying wife who ` sacrificed ' her career to be a homemaker has won the chance of a bigger slice of her ex-husband 's multi-million-pound fortune . career woman , julia hammans , 55 , was once finance director of high-end retailer , dickins & jones , but gave up the board room for nappy changing . she married top accountant , nicholas hammans , in 1983 , and stayed at home with the children whilst his career flourished . mrs hammans said he sometimes earned over # 900,000-a-year as a partner in pricewaterhousecoopers and is now worth up to # 11 million . former high-flying career woman julia hammans , 55 , and her ex husband nicholas , a top pricewaterhousecoopers accountancy executive , are pictured outisde london 's appeal court where judges have ordered a rehearing of her divorce settlement case . and mrs hammans fiercely objected after a family judge ruled in march that an # 80,000 income for her was ` generous ' . although she had # 1 million in savings , she said the judge 's order would force her to ` downsize ' from her # 1.75 million west london home . now appeal court judges have ordered a rehearing of her case , after accepting that she ` arguably ' suffered ` discrimination ' . lord justice ryder said it was right that mrs hammans should be ` compensated ' for the glittering career she had lost . the court heard the couple , both in their 50s , split in 2004 and their divorce was finalised in august the following year . mrs hammans who appealed a divorce court order that she must sell her # 1.75 m six-bedroom home in twickenham -lrb- pictured -rrb- to provide herself with an income , arguing that her multi-millionaire former husband should give her ` compensation ' for having ` sacrificed ' her career . she was awarded # 1.37 million of the marital assets and he received about # 1.2 million . mr hammans , 54 , also paid his ex maintenance of # 90,000-a-year before that was upped by agreement to # 150,000 in 2007 . but the court heard he now wants to retire for personal reasons and had asked the family judge to capitalise his wife 's entitlement into a one-off lump sum . in march , mr justice coleridge rejected mrs hammans ' claim for up to # 2.6 million and awarded her just # 400,000 . he said that , together with her savings and the # 500,000 she could make from downsizing her home , would give her a ` generous ' # 80,000-a-year income . at the appeal court , mrs hammans ' lawyers argued that was discriminatory and nowhere near enough to compensate her for the loss of her career . allowing her appeal , lord justice ryder said a fresh hearing was needed to ensure a fair distribution of assets between the former couple . ` to do otherwise is to discriminate against the wife because she is not the income earner ' , he told the court . mrs hammans , 55 , was once finance director of high-end retailer dickins & jones -lrb- pictured -rrb- but gave up the board room for nappy changing . forcing her to downsize from her six-bedroom home , in order to boost her income , was ` arguably discriminatory . ' the ex-couple 's assets , income and needs had to be analysed in a more ` sophisticated ' way to avoid any discrimination against mrs hammans , he concluded .<doc-sep>the dispute was sent back to the high court family division for reconsideration by a different judge . 1983 : julia hammans , a finance director for department store dickens and jones marries accountant nicholas hammans . 1989 : mrs hammans becomes pregnant and the couple ` agree ' she will give up work . 2005 : the couple divorce , mrs hammans is awarded the # 1.75 million family home , as part of a larger settlement.march . 2014 : after mrs hammans requests a further # 2.6 million from her ex-husband , a the family judge at the high court rules mr hammans should pay just # 400,000 . he says the # 400,000 sum , plus money from the sale of the house and interest on her # 1million savings , would produce around # 2million - giving her the # 80,000-a-year he said she needed to live on . october 2014 : at the court of appeal , mrs hammans argues she deserves # 2.2 million , in addition to the # 400,000 , and should be free to keep her house . mrs hammans ' solicitor , divorce partner simon preston of stewarts law , said following the decision : ` our client is happy that the courts continue to recognise that she sacrificed her career so her husband could progress with his . ' she feels it is only right and fair that her compensation should reflect that sacrifice . ` julia hopes her case will encourage other divorcing spouses in similar circumstances to look closely at their own situation and any offers on the table . ` we welcome the judgement of the court and the emphasis on the need for courts dealing with cases of this kind to properly address the question of compensation for spouses who have sacrificed careers for the benefit of their families . ' although mr and mrs hammans earned similar salaries , it was she who gave up work to care for the children , now aged in their 20s . she had sacrificed ' a serious professional career ' and , although she made a little by working as a counsellor , had a negligible earning capacity after so many years away from the office . by contrast , mr hammans , as the family 's sole bread-winner , went on to carve out a career as a tax specialist and one of the most successful men in his profession . the couple had enjoyed a high standard of living on the husband 's ` very big earnings ' until they split after 21 years of marriage . following the divorce , mrs hammans received the edwardian family home , in cole park road , twickenham , middlesex , now worth # 1.75 million . desperate to stay there , she particularly objected to the judge 's view that she should sell it , buy a smaller home and add the capital to her savings pot . mr hammans also lives in a # 1m-plus house in twickenham , as well as enjoying a holiday home in paris , and the court heard he earned # 800,000 last year . although the ex-couple 's children had ` flown the nest ' , mrs hammans ' lawyers insisted she deserves to live a similar ` affluent ' lifestyle to her former husband .<doc-sep>a mother of two locked in a # 11million divorce battle claims she is facing discrimination because she sacrificed her high-flying career to be a housewife . julia hammans , 55 , worked as a financial director for a major department store during the early years of her marriage to nicholas hammans . when she became pregnant with their first child she agreed to give up her job to care for the family , the high court heard yesterday . divorce battle : high-flying julia hammans -lrb- left -rrb- , who gave up her career as a financial director to look after her children , is claiming a slice of her ex-husband nicholas hammans 's -lrb- right -rrb- fortune . mr hammans , 54 , went on to carve out a successful career and is now a multi-millionaire partner at pricewaterhousecoopers . last year he earned # 800,000 . after the couple split up in 2004 , mrs hammans was awarded the # 1.75 million six-bedroom edwardian family home in middlesex , as part of an interim divorce settlement . but in march this year , mr justice coleridge , sitting in the high court family division , ordered her to sell the home to part-fund her living expenses . she had sought a further # 2.6 million from her ex-husband , but the judge told mr hammans to pay only # 400,000 . he ruled that she needed # 80,000 a year , which she could generate largely herself from interest on her # 1million in savings and by moving home . family home : after a judge divided the family fortune - which mrs hammans values at # 11million - she says her income is 10 times smaller than that of mr hammans , and she is being forced to sell her # 1.75 million home in twickenham , middlesex . property : mr hammans also lives in a # 1million-plus house in twickenham -lrb- pictured -rrb- , as well as enjoying a holiday home in paris , and the court heard he earned # 800,000 last year . at the court of appeal yesterday her lawyer , patrick chamberlayne qc , argued she should be given an extra # 2.2 million so she could keep her house . he said : ` it clearly is discriminatory that wives have to jump through these hurdles in order to qualify for a fair outcome . 1983 : julia hammans , a finance director for department store dickens and jones marries accountant nicholas hammans .<doc-sep>court : mrs hammans is challenging what she says was an unfair division of marital wealth at the court of appeal , and is seeking a further # 2.2 million . mr hammans has re-married and has two young children with his new wife , lives in a # 1.5 million house in the same part of middlesex . she believes it is unfair she should be forced to sell the family home simply because her income is ten times smaller than that of her former husband . the ex-couple had two children , who are now both grown up . mr hammans , who has re-married and has two young children with his new wife , lives in a # 1.5 million house in the same part of middlesex and has a holiday home in paris . lord justice moore-bick -- sitting with lord justice kitchin and lord justice ryder -- said : ` it seems to me the wife is saying `` i gave up my career . if i had not , i would have a lot of money in the bank and , post-divorce , would have been able to carry on with my career for the rest of my working life and live on the proceeds '' . ` when deciding what is fair , is it inappropriate to look at the consequences of giving up one 's career ? ' philip marshall qc , acting for mr hammans , insisted his client 's ex-wife ` has been properly and fairly treated ' . he agreed that it was important to ` avoid discrimination by giving equal value to the contribution of the breadwinner and the homemaker ' . but mr marshall argued that mr justice coleridge had taken mrs hammans ' loss of career earning into account by valuing her needs ` generously ' at # 80,000 a year . he said that mrs hammans lived in a home with three reception rooms and six bedrooms by herself . he insisted that a move to a # 1.25 million four-bedroom house in the same area ` did not amount to a drop in her standard of living ' . the judges will give their ruling at a later date .<doc-sep>1989 : mrs hammans becomes pregnant and the couple ` agree ' she will give up work . 2005 : the couple divorce , mrs hammans is awarded the # 1.75 million family home , as part of a larger settlement . march 2014 : after mrs hammans requests a further # 2.6 million from her ex-husband , a the family judge at the high court rules mr hammans should pay just # 400,000 . he says the # 400,000 sum , plus money from the sale of the house and interest on her # 1million savings , would produce around # 2million - giving her the # 80,000-a-year he said she needed to live on . october 2014 : at the court of appeal , mrs hammans argues she deserves # 2.2 million , in addition to the # 400,000 , and should be free to keep her house . ` there ought to be an acknowledgement of what she has given up , but there has not been . lip service is being paid to it , and she has to sell her house . ` the judge provided no explanation of why he considered it appropriate for the wife to sell the home she received in the 2005 settlement . it was her family home and dear to her and was worth # 1.75 million . ` husband and wife are left in radically different positions by this judgement and that can not be right . ` this wife proved she had given up a well-paid lucrative career -- that is enough . ' mr chamberlayne insisted the house was ` a perfectly appropriate standard of accommodation for the wife to live in for the rest of her life , given the available assets in the case ' . mrs hammans was on the board of dickins and jones , which now trades as house of fraser , and was earning a similar salary to her husband soon after they married in 1983 . her barrister said her ex-husband 's career had in part taken off ` through her investment , her sacrifice ' . he added : the husband and wife started their careers at exactly the same time . ` both qualified as chartered accountants . she became pregnant in 1989 and , by agreement , gave up work to care for the family . ` by this time she was a finance director of the dickins and jones group with a seat on the board ... earning the same as the husband . '<doc-sep>jailed : bhadresh gohil was convicted of money laundering and given a 10-year prison sentence . a mother-of-three has won the right to demand a bigger divorce payout from her ex-husband - after he was jailed for handling cash for a # 50million fraudster . varsha gohil accepted # 270,000 and the family peugeot from solicitor bhadresh gohil in 2004 after divorcing him for alleged adultery and unreasonable behaviour . but in 2010 he was jailed for ten years for money laundering after a court heard he helped millionaire nigerian politician james ibori steal around # 50million from the oil-rich state he governed . now she has been granted permission to seek a bigger payout in britain 's highest court after claiming he had not disclosed his full wealth when she agreed to the original settlement . it is the latest stage in a lengthy legal battle by mrs gohil . in june 2012 a high court judge agreed she could fight the case , and a hearing was fixed for june this year . but in march three appeal court judges unanimously quashed that ruling and the hearing was cancelled . now , however , mrs gohil has now won permission to take her case to the supreme court - where she will stand alongside a second woman fighting her own ex-husband . mrs gohill , from london , will fight the case next june with 46-year-old alison sharland , who is battling her software millionaire ex-husband . mrs sharland accepted # 10.35 million from appsense founder charles sharland two years ago after their marriage of 17 years broke down . she agreed to the payout thinking it was worth half his fortune - yet his stake in the firm was estimated wildly higher at # 150million soon afterwards , london 's court of appeal heard . ros bever , a specialist divorce lawyer with mrs gohil 's solicitors irwin mitchell , said : ` dishonesty in any legal proceedings should not be tolerated ; the family court should not be an exception . ` this is yet another case in which an unfair settlement has been agreed because of one party being dishonest and not sharing all the details of their wealth to the courts . ` we are pleased that the supreme court has agreed to hear this case alongside alison sharland 's . battle : mrs gohil will fight alongside alison sharland , 46 -lrb- left -rrb- , who accepted # 10.35 m from her ex-husband charles -lrb- right -rrb- in the belief it was half his fortune . his firm appsense was later valued wildly higher . ` both cases raise serious issues about how the courts should handle cases where information shared with the court and used to agree a divorce settlement is later found to be false or incomplete . ` we believe the situation that both women find themselves in is unfair and that is why we applied for permission to take their cases to the supreme court . ` in this case the court of appeal judges admitted having sympathy with mrs gohil 's situation . in our view if family law judges , who are given broad discretion to ensure fairness in proceedings , are having to acknowledge this then something in the letter of the law has stopped that fairness from prevailing . ` there are numerous legal arguments to be heard by the supreme court but we hope that ultimately justice will be done and will be seen to be done . ' in the previous hearing , lord justice mcfarlane offered mrs gohil his ` sympathy ' but said it was ` simply not open to the court ' to decide in 2012 about an issue discussed in 2004 . the judge said that it was apparent that at some stage prior to 2007 ` the husband became involved in offences of fraud and money laundering on an astonishing scale . ' ` mr gohil was an out and out rogue involved in financial criminality on an eye-watering scale , ' lord justice mcfarlane said . landmark : mrs gohil 's case will be heard alongside that of alison sharland at the supreme court -lrb- pictured -rrb- . ` to the eyes of the wife , and it seems the judge , it was possible to discern at least the outlines of a `` smoking gun '' indicating that the husband must have had substantial assets in and prior to 2004 , which he deviously failed to disclose in the financial relief proceedings . ' but there was no evidence gohil had met ibori before the middle of 2005 - more than a year after the payout was settled , the judge added . according to the judge , the jailed ex-husband said his wealth related only to a period after mid-2005 - and besides , as they have been found to represent proceeds of crime , they can not be taken by his wife . the case will be decided after a supreme court hearing next june .

<t> julia hammans was finance director of high-end retailer dickins & jones . </t> <t> the 55-year-old gave up her career when she married nicholas hammans . </t> <t> top accountant at pricewaterhousecoopers , nicholas , is worth up to # 11m . </t> <t> judge ruled in march that an # 80,000 income a year for her was ` generous ' </t> <t> she claimed it would force her to downsize her # 1.75 m twickenham home . </t> <t> appeal court judges have now ordered a rehearing of her case . </t>

julia hammans wins chance of bigger divorce payout<T>

a foreign currency trader accused of masterminding a # 5.5 m fraud to fund his playboy lifestyle was dubbed ` king popper ' after he sprayed # 32,000 worth of champagne at revellers in a nightclub . alex hope , 25 , allegedly concocted the # 5.5 m ponzi fraud which he used to fund his gambling habit and penchant for spending tens of thousands of pounds on champagne at exclusive nightclubs , southwark crown court heard . the former catering manager racked up a bill of # 2m in just 13 months after visiting the clubs , buying large bottles of champagne and going to an exclusive mayfair casino . prosecutors described hope 's spending - which included splashing out almost # 50,000 on a single bottle of champagne on one occasion - as ` eye-watering ' . today jurors were shown a video of his alleged activities . scroll down for video . alex hope was dubbed ` king popper ' after he allegedly sprayed # 32,000 worth of champagne in a club in london . the former catering manager is accused of masterminding a # 5.5 m ponzi-style fraud . a video of the champagne spray event shows dozens of bottles of champagne which revellers spray on each other . hope features in the six-minute video in a drenched blue t-shirt and black beads as champagne is sprayed . they said the amount of money he was spending must have represented part of investors ' money who had been persuaded to invest in his scheme after he offered huge returns . hope reinvented himself as a currency markets expert and was promoted by raj von badlo as a talented trader and financial whizzkid , it is claimed . von badlo has already admitted enticing people into fraud and making misleading statements . the 25-year-old set himself up as a successful forex and currency trader , promising investors huge returns on cash funnelled into his scheme . in just 13 months he managed to take # 5.5 m . but many of his investors lost considerable sums of money - including jamaican international footballer marvin elliott who lost # 50,000 . he is accused of running the scheme in a ` ponzi fashion ' - using new investors ' funds to pay off those who wanted to leave it . the court heard that on one evening alone he spent # 32,000 at the five-star grange hotel near st paul 's cathedral earning him the title ` king popper ' . prosecutor sarah clarke said : ` according to the receipts he managed to spend about # 32,000 in one night in february 2012 at something called the champagne spray event . ` the was an event that was organised where people could go to this hotel and buy bottles of champagne and , in effect , spray them over each other . ' in a video shown to the jury hope is seen wearing a drenched blue t-shirt and black beads as dozens of bottles of expensive champagne are sprayed around the room by revellers . and in a further example of excessive spending hope spent almost # 50,000 on a midas sized bottle of champagne while partying at the playground hilton in liverpool .<doc-sep>hope has been accused of masterminding the ponzi style fraud to fund his champagne and playboy lifestyle . ` mr hope spent # 45,987 in one night , and the lion 's share of that went on this bottle , this midas sized bottle , of ace of spades champagne that was opened effectively as a publicity stunt by him , ' said ms clarke . ` the nightclub pr in fact ran up a bill of something like # 200,000 and then it was put out in the press that this high-roller spent # 200,000 in one night . ` the truth was that he only spent a mere # 45,000 , # 40,000 of that going on this bottle of champagne , ' she said . on another night he spent # 65,113 at the aura nightclub in mayfair , close to buckingham palace and the ritz . hope also funnelled just under # 1m to the palm beach casino , whose website brags it is the ` most exclusive casino in mayfair ' . between joining the casino in november 2011 and his arrest in april the following year , he visited the lavish venue 81 times , jurors heard . dozens of revellers are shown throughout the video spraying champagne and waving bottles with sparklers . he lost # 353,600 after playing games where more than # 5m was passed backwards and forwards over the table , it was said . ` what that figure does seem to suggest is that he was an extensive and prolific gambler during that period , ' said ms clarke . ` the amounts of money that were being lost ... when he lost you may think he lost big . ' but # 604,400 simply disappeared from the cash deposited with the casino , probably in cash withdrawals , and has not been traced , the court heard . ` were any of the investors told that their money was going to be put into a casino and then withdrawn in cash for it to disappear ? ' asked ms clarke . receipts unearthed at hope 's address showed just a ` snapshot ' of his allegedly wild spending . hope is shown in the video where he is interviewed and asked if he is enjoying the champagne event . ` the sums of money being spent is , the prosecution say , eye-watering and must have represented in whole or at least in very substantial part investors ' money and again you might want to ask yourselves if any of the investors were told that is what was happening to their money , ' said ms clarke . hope also treated himself to luxury trips around the world , travelling to miami , new york and dubai , jurors heard .<doc-sep>he spent # 130,327 on a stay at beach front resort the fontainebleu in miami and racked up bills of # 38,838 on night at the cirque du soir in dubai . ms clarke added : ` the fontainebleu miami trip was not the only luxury foreign travel experience that he treated himself to during this period with , we say , the investors ' money . ` bear in mind of course this was really a relatively short period of time as well . ` we know he was enjoying them because he recorded some short films on his mobile of one particular trip he enjoyed to new york , ' she said . the video shows revellers at champagne spray , held at the five star grange hotel near st paul 's cathedral . revellers are shown soaking wet after dozens of bottles are sprayed around the room and at eachother . the video shows hope in his suite at the five-star trump soho hotel in new york . he pans around the luxurious suite and ends pointing the camera at the bed which is strewn with money and designer clothes . ` here is the bedroom , ' he says , ` just being silly , laying some money out , you can see the 50s and the 100s . ` did a little bit of shopping today as you can see , bought some ralph -lsb- lauren -rsb- , bought some trainers as well , bought some burberry ... yeah , this is me . ' other short videos taken from his mobile show him panning stacks of cash , in one he brags ` # 28,000 profit , boys ' and in a second ` # 50,000 profit , boys , ten , 20 , 30 , 40 ' before the video cuts out . nearly # 64,000 was spent on ` upper class ' travel to destinations including las vegas and new york , it is said . and the spending did not stop there , with hope allegedly using investors ' cash to fund a taste for designer clothes - particularly christian louboutin shoes and watches . hope , of canary wharf , is on trial for fraud at southwark crown court and has denied the single charge . ms clarke added : ` this gives you a snapshot of the ways in which he was enjoying himself , treating himself with investors ' money during the period of the fraud . ` his trading really was n't keeping pace with what was coming in from investors and what was going out . as the money from investors was increasing and his expenditure was increasing , in fact the amount of money that was being deposited on trading platforms in the first place was drying up to virtually nil . ' jurors heard christopher millard , a retired teacher , ploughed # 25,000 of his own money into hope 's scheme which saw him lose # 15,000 .<doc-sep>hope promised him : ` i am a man of my word , i have never not paid anyone , let 's get that straight first and foremost . ' jamaican international footballer marvin elliott , 30 , was also drawn into the scheme . hope is pictured arriving at southwark crown court where he is on trial for fraud , which he denies . the midfielder , who plays for crawley town in football league one , handed # 50,000 to hope after he promised 50 percent returns in just three months , but lost his investment , jurors previously heard . ms clarke said hope told a ` pack of lies ' and added his trading was ` spectacularly unsuccessful ' . van badlo , who does not appear in the dock with hope , acted as the ` promoter ' for the fund . he used pr companies to present hope as a ` talented and successful trader ' , drawing # 4,292,000 into the alleged scam.the pair also allegedly blew # 3,000 a month of client 's cash on publicity provided by london pr firm full portion media , jurors heard . hope set himself up as a successful forex and currency trader , promising investors huge returns on cash funnelled into his scheme . through his deception , he took an ` eye-watering ' # 5.5 m in just 13 months , between march 2011 and 3 april 2012 , jurors heard . ` the truth was this was not a successful trading scheme , in fact it was n't a trading scheme really at all - it was a fraud , ' said ms clarke . ` mr hope was not a successful trader , investors funds were in fact paid into his personal bank account and they were used by him as his personal piggy bank , ' said ms clarke . hope was allegedly using new investors ' funds to pay off those who wanted to leave the scheme , in the classic ponzi fashion . hope has admitted violating city rules which state he must have a licence from to work on behalf of others , although he is allowed to trade currency for his own profit . after suspicions around his forex fund grew , the financial services authority intervened and arrested him . hope , of canary wharf , east london , denies one charge of fraud . he has pleaded guilty to carrying on a regulated activity when not an authorised by the fsa . von badlo , of buckinghamshire , admitted making misleading statements and communicating an invitation or inducement to encourage investment activity following the collapse of the first trial . jurors were told this is a retrial and that jurors at the first trial were discharged before retiring to consider their verdicts . the trial continues . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .<doc-sep>currency trader alex hope , 25 , is facing jail for a # 5.5 million ponzi scheme . a currency trader nicknamed ` king popper ' after he spent # 32,000 spraying himself with champagne is facing jail for a # 5.5 million ponzi scam . alex hope , 25 , boasted that he was a financial wizard as he swindled investors to fund his playboy lifestyle of exclusive nightclubs and gambling . he blew vast sums in exclusive casinos and in nightclubs around the world in a # 2million binge . a jury of five men and six women unanimously found hope guilty of fraud after just three hours and 57 minutes of deliberation . the court heard the former wembley stadium catering manager reinvented himself as a currency markets expert after teaching himself economics . he eventually landed an office job with city-based training school forex academy , then met his ` mentor ' raj von badlo , 56 , while working as an independent trader at zone invest . by the end of 2011 , investors were pouring cash into the trading scheme and huge sums were appearing in hope 's bank account . hope pocketed an ` eye-watering ' # 5.5 million in just 13 months , between march 2011 and april 2012 - which he used as a ` personal piggy bank ' to fund his extravagant lifestyle . he spent # 32,000 in one evening at a champagne spray event in the five-star grange hotel near st paul 's cathedral earning him the title ` king popper ' . prosecutor sarah clarke said : ` this was an event that was organised where people could go to this hotel and buy bottles of champagne and , in effect , spray them over each other . hope can be seen in a video of the event wearing a drenched blue t-shirt as hundreds of bottles of expensive champagne are sprayed around a packed room . scroll down for video . alex hope was dubbed ` king popper ' after he sprayed # 32,000 worth of champagne in a club in london . hope can be seen in a video of the event wearing a drenched blue t-shirt as hundreds of bottles of expensive champagne are sprayed around a packed room . another night partying at the playground hilton in liverpool was so excessive hope hit the headlines for his spending . ` mr hope spent # 45,987 in one night , and the lion 's share of that went on this bottle , this midas sized bottle , of ace of spades champagne that was opened effectively as a publicity stunt by him , ' said ms clarke . ` the nightclub pr in fact ran up a bill of something like # 200,000 and then it was put out in the press that this high-roller spent # 200,000 in one night . ' the nightclub lover blew a whopping # 65,113 in a single night at the aura nightclub in mayfair which boasts buckingham palace and the ritz as its neighbours . hope hit the headlines for his spending at the playground hilton in liverpool . the court heard part of that night 's tab included a bottle of cristal bought for singer rihanna . jurors heard that hope demanded a table next to rihanna after she performed at aura , a members only nightclub in london 's mayfair that charges a minimum table spend of # 800 . he then treated the 26-year-old singer to a jeroboam bottle of cristal following her set at the exclusive venue on february 26 , 2012 . hope also spent # 1m to the palm beach casino , whose website brags it is the ` most exclusive casino in mayfair ' . he lost # 353,600 after playing games where more than # 5m was passed backwards and forwards over the table at the lavish venue he visited more than 81 times . but # 604,400 simply disappeared from the cash deposited with the casino , probably in cash withdrawals , and has not been traced . ms clarke said it was ` quite clear ' that hope 's money ` must have belonged to confirmed investors ' in his trading scheme . ` were any of the investors told that their money was going to be put into a casino and then withdrawn in cash for it to disappear ? ' she asked . receipts unearthed at hope 's address showed just a ` snapshot ' of his wild spending , including a taste for christian louboutin trainers and expensive watches . hope also treated himself to luxury trips around the world , blowing nearly # 64,000 on ` upper class ' travel to las vegas , miami , new york and dubai .<doc-sep>by . rebecca camber . high life : alex hope , 25 , pictured with reality tv star layla flaherty , posed as a city high-flier to earn millions . a catering manager who posed as a city whizzkid to run a # 5.6 million ponzi fraud spent # 2million on champagne , nightclubs and casinos , a court heard yesterday . alex hope , 25 , told investors he could make them a fortune from foreign exchange trades . but the ` city high-flier ' was in reality a former catering manager at wembley stadium . he used the cash from investors as his ` personal piggy-bank ' , spending # 125,000 on a single bottle of champagne -- a nebuchadnezzar , which holds 15 litres -- southwark crown court heard . he repaid them using cash from new investors in the fraudulent forex scheme . hope frittered away almost # 1million in casinos and racked up bar bills of # 500,000 mixing with stars at exclusive nightclubs after he reinvented himself as a forex trader . he boasted of his rags to riches story in the daily telegraph in may 2011 , claiming he made his fortune after reading a book on how to trade currencies during his commute to wembley . prosecutor sarah clarke said : ` he promised investors and potential investors huge returns . in truth this was not a real trading scheme at all ... it was a classic ponzi fraud . he used their funds as his personal piggy-bank . a massive amount was spent on himself . ' hope got through # 2million in the 13 months before his arrest in early 2012 , she said . ` the investors who put in the money in good faith had no idea this was happening . ' the jury heard that hope paid a pr company # 3,000 a month to promote his image as a successful trader . he bragged about his financial wizardry , claiming he made # 600 profit on his first day of trading the dollar against sterling and in only two and a half months his initial # 500 stake had grown to # 2,500 . jurors were played a showreel video of . hope in which he boasted of his success saying : ` you do n't get many . young people working in the city doing what i do . i like to do a lot for . people -- i 'm not doing this just to make money for my business but also . to create jobs for others . '<doc-sep>-lrb- mental floss -rrb- -- investigators are trying to figure out whether the financial fraud allegedly perpetrated by bernard l. madoff was , in fact , the largest ponzi scheme in history . the alleged scam , which cost investors $ 50 billion , sounds like a classic ponzi racket . the new york home of bernard madoff , who 's accused in a $ 50 billion ponzi scheme . but what is a ponzi scheme ? and why does it bear this name ? first , you need to know a little bit about its namesake , charles ponzi . anyone can work a simple swindle , but you have to be a special kind of con man to have your name become synonymous with `` fraud . '' ponzi pulled it off , though . after arriving in the u.s. from italy in 1903 , ponzi knocked around in a variety of unskilled jobs that usually ended when he got into trouble for theft or cheating customers . a few years later , he moved to canada , where he spent a hitch in prison for passing a forged check . when he eventually drifted back down to the u.s. , he needed a way to make some quick cash . watch how a ponzi scheme works '' making money via mail . ponzi eventually found his way to get rich quick using a vagary of the postal system . at the time , it was common for letters abroad to include an international reply coupon -- a voucher that could be exchanged for minimum postage back to the country from which the letter was sent . thus , if you sent your buddy in france a letter , you could include a coupon so he could respond . -lrb- this practice still exists but is less common . -rrb- as exchange and postal rates fluctuated , though , there was an opportunity to make a profit . you only had to purchase postal reply coupons cheaply in some foreign country , send them back to the u.s. to swap them out for american stamps of a higher value , then sell these stamps . this arrangement was perfectly legal ; it was just cleverly gaming the system . ponzi started buying and selling postal reply coupons using agents in his native italy , and he was making a good living doing it . unfortunately , whatever defect made ponzi steal from his employers and pass bad checks prompted him to get greedy here , too . he started to recruit investors into his system with the promise of 50 percent returns in just a few days . investors would pay their cash in , and sure enough , ponzi would get them the promised return .<doc-sep>fleeing : katia wanzeler was arrested while trying to leave the country at jfk airport on wednesday night . she is the wife of fugitive accused ponzi schemer carlos wanzeler . the wife of an accused $ 1 billion ponzi schemer was arrested at new york 's jfk airport wednesday as she boarded an international flight . katia wanzeler 's husband carlos wanzeler , 45 , co-owner of boston-area telecommunications firm telexfree , was accused by federal authorities in april of bilking investors and has since fled to his home country of brazil . katia wanzeler , whose name appeared on some of the checks amounting to $ 38 million that were found when her husband 's partner james merrill was arrested was arrest last week , was brought in on a material witness warrant . the . massachusetts state department said that it had notified judges in . nevada , where the company has filed for bankruptcy , of their civil suit . against telexfree , which promoted itself as an internet phone company . with offices in marlborough , massachusetts , and brazil . the . action seeks to get money back for telexfree investors . just in . massachusetts , the company made $ 90 million , plus millions more . overseas , officials said . ` the . scope of this alleged fraud is breathtaking , ' u.s. attorney carmen . ortiz said . ` as alleged , these defendants devised a scheme which reaped . hundreds of millions of dollars from hard working people around the . globe . ' following her husband ? carlos wanzeler fled to brazil after federal authorities accused him of bilking up to $ 1 billion from investors in his boston-area company telexfree . nabbed : the couple come from brazil and carlos wanzeler is accused of stealing mostly from brazilian investors . katia was arrested on a material witness warrant . ponzi scheme ? telexfree billed itself as a voip company , but authorities say new investments were only passed along to older investors . brian .

<t> alex hope , 25 , is accused of masterminding a # 5.5 m ponzi-style fraud . </t> <t> former catering manager modelled himself as a talented markets expert . </t> <t> allegedly promised high returns on investments but investors lost # 1000s . </t> <t> southwark crown court heard he spent tens of thousands on champagne . </t> <t> he allegedly spent # 2m on exclusive nightclubs and his gambling habit . </t> <t> video shows him at champagne spray party , where expensive fizz sprayed . </t>

alex hope accused of ponzi scheme ` was dubbed king popper '<T>

a designer is turning roadkill into high-end fashion in an attempt to prove that it is possible to source cruelty-free fur . patricia paquin , the vermont-based founder of fashion label petite mort , picks up discarded animal carcasses from the side of the road and turns the skins into a variety of beautiful fur accessories , from leg warmers to hand muffs which are all made to measure and range in price from $ 380 to $ 1,000 . ` it 's so much a part of everyday life to see these animals , ' paquin told modern farmer of her decision to start working with roadkill . ` who of us does n't look away ? you do n't want to see it because when you fully soak in the meaning of what happened , it 's emotionally draining . ' ` it 's ethical ' : designer pamela paquin uses roadkill carcasses to create her designs in order to prove that it is possible to source ethical fur . and while some might be shocked at paquin 's slightly bizarre choice of materials , she points out that more than seven times as many animals die as a result of being hit by a car every year , than are killed for their fur each year . according to culture change , 1 million animals a day are killed by cars - or 365 million a year - in comparison to the 50 million which die as a result of fashion 's ever-present need for fur . ` the scale of it is so overwhelming -- you ca n't possibly wrap your head around the suffering that went into those numbers , ' paquin added . so high are america 's roadkill numbers , that there has been a serious increase in the number of people turning to discarded roadside carcasses as a cheap source of meat . last year saw a surge in ` roadkill cuisine ' which is being marketed by experts as the ` ethical way to eat meat ' . when it comes to fashion , however , paquin 's set-up is completely unique , and something which has been years in the making .<doc-sep>cash for carcasses : pamela 's custom-made designs range in price from $ 380 to $ 1,000 . having finally decided to take the plunge and set up her business - after returning to the us following a seven-year stint living and working in denmark - paquin turned to a local taxidermist in vermont , who taught her how to skin the discarded animals . ` we both had a shot of whiskey , i put some peppermint oil under my nose , and we found a branch in the woods to hang this thing from , ' she said of her first experience skinning an animal - a raccoon which she had found at the side of the road . ` it was super intense . ' while the process of preparing the furs might seem slightly brutal , paquin 's love and respect for animals is evident . drawing on her native american heritage , the designer blesses each body with a prayer to honor the animal spirit , before returning them to nature , leaving the animals in the woods near her studio . ` it was super intense ' : pamela asked a local taxidermist to teach her how to skin the animals properly . and it seems that the fashion industry is staring to cotton on to the idea of ethical fur ; paquin 's business is booming and orders for her bespoke roadkill designs are coming in thick and fast . thus far , she has fashioned everything from hats to gloves out of her roadkill furs , marking each one with a specially-designed silver disc so that they know it is a one-of-a-kind , ethical product . ` people need to look at the fur and say okay , that 's petite mort , it 's an ethical fur , ' she says of the distinctive label .<doc-sep>glamorous in a red silk shirt and cosy fox fur stole , pamela paquin might look like your typical fashion fan - but in fact , she 's anything but . instead of faux fur , ms paquin 's collar is made entirely from roadkill - and she has now set up a business producing everything from collars to coats using mangled mink and squashed foxes . but her unusual designs do n't come cheap , with garments such as stoles costing , on average , # 640 -lrb- $ 1,000 -rrb- each . scroll down for video . glamorous : a model poses in a petite mort red fox neck muff designed by pamela paquin . love : paquin grew up on a farm and the resulting passion for animals led to her business idea . nevertheless , ms paquin , who lives near boston in massachusetts , says she expects the range to prove popular among ethical fur fans who do n't want to see animals killed purely for their pelts . ` i 've always loved animals and have always worked on a farm , ' explains the 39-year-old designer .<doc-sep>` there 's a lot of roadkill in america - a lot more cars and a lot more animals than many other countries . ' i knew the idea would be popular but i did n't know when it would take off - they are a real statement piece . ' every piece made for her company , petite mort , is created using animals killed on the road , with most supplied by the highway department and animal control who are licensed to collect them . the animals are then skinned , frozen and sent to a taxidermist before the fur is tanned and sewed in a lengthy process that takes up to 20 hours . each piece contains a silver badge detailing the type of creature involved in its manufacture , certification that the animal was made from roadkill and information on where it was found . but while ms paquin has had an overwhelmingly positive response to the furs , not everyone has welcomed the roadkill range . stylish : paquin strikes a pose in a shawl from petite mort , which was made from a roadkill coyote . lengthy process : creating the garments takes up to 20 hours each and they cost around # 640 to buy .<doc-sep>another fashionista who wo n't touch fur is fashion writer melanie rickey , partner of high street tsar , mary portas , who says : ' i do n't believe an animal existing in a tiny cage for its lifespan purely to be made into a coat or used as trimming is morally acceptable for me . ' for peta , however , the fashion institution that really is n't pulling its weight is burberry , which recently ran into trouble over the use of peacock feathers on its # 22,000 show stopper of a coat first seen during the label 's london fashion week show . peacock : burberry 's controversial feather trench on the runway -lrb- left -rrb- and on anna wintour -lrb- right -rrb- . ` the burberry brand may be known for its plaids but what it should be known for is a long track record of promoting cruelty to animals , including drowning , strangling and electrocuting animals on factory fur farms and now paying to have feathers ripped out of peacocks ' sensitive skin by the fistful , ' thunders newkirk . ` the rising demand for peacock feathers , fuelled by heartless designers , translates to the trapping and slaughter of india 's prized national bird . ` anyone with an ounce of compassion should steer clear of these products of cruelty and instead opt for any of the many fashionable options that does n't cost animals the skin -lrb- or feathers -rrb- off their backs . ' burberry has responded by pointing out that the peacock feathers come from china , not india , and are sustainably sourced . what 's more they say , fur accounts for less than one per cent of their business . burberry 's ethical policy reads : ` as a luxury brand there will be limited occasions when fur is considered important to the overall design but we insist that as with any animal product , it must be sourced without inflicting cruelty . ` specifically , our policy prescribes the sourcing of fur from suppliers that are governed by high animal welfare standards , which limits the types and origins of furs used in our collection . ` in addition , burberry believes in the accurate labelling of all garments containing fur , to clearly inform consumers about the product prior to their purchase . as a result , burberry is a signatory to the us government 's truth in fur labelling act . ' oaten and nielsen 's take on sourcing fur mirrors burberry 's , with both pointing out that the fabric is often a by-product of the meat industry . oaten is also keen to mention that fur from endangered species is outlawed under the international trade in endangered species -lrb- cites -rrb- regulation and says that the industry would never use fur from domestic cats and dogs . the big question for consumers is who to believe . are we to listen to peta or to oaten ? ultimately , it 's a matter of choice . but whether you do decide to wear fur or not , it 's worth thinking carefully before you splash out on that luxe mink coat . fur free : designs by henrik vibsov and stella mccartney on the catwalk in copenhagen and paris .<doc-sep>tenderloin of wild venison sounds tasty and badger curry could be a rather interesting dish . a plymouth doctor , austin hunt , boasted about feeding his family roadkill . he said he had created dishes such as badget balti and tenderloin of wild venison . however , one 's appetite for them might be tempered by the fact that the meat for both was provided by dead animals left on the road . they are two of the meals cooked up by surgeon austin hunt -- who regularly manages to feed his family with roadkill . but his unorthodox recipes have prompted a warning from police officers . they have cautioned the public not to copy his actions , claiming that eating roadkill can put people at risk of poisoning . mr hunt has revealed his passion for turning mangled animal carcasses into tasty , nutritious dishes including tenderloin of wild venison and badger curry . the consultant in acute medicine and renal failure serves his ` free , ethical , ' food to his three children as well as dinner party guests .

<t> pamela paquin founded fashion label petite mort in an attempt to show animal-lovers that it is possible to source cruelty-free furs . </t> <t> the vermont-based designer blesses each animal using a native american prayer to honor its spirit . </t>

ethical fur brand petite mort turning roadkill into $ 1,000 high fashion accessories<T>

a world leader in aging research has died aged 73 following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer . dr stephen coles spent his career studying the reasons why supercentenarians - or those who live to 110 or more - survived as long as they did . the longtime university of california los angeles professor died wednesday in scottsdale , arizona , and his body is set to be cryopreserved in the hope of future revival . pioneer : dr stephen coles , a world leader in aging research has died aged 73 , following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer . he is survived by his wife natalie , daughter electra mcburnie , and one granddaughter , cailyn mcburnie . coles ' colleagues described him as a pioneer in the field of gerontology .<doc-sep>his aim was to learn how to slow ` and ultimately reverse ' human aging within 20 years by studying the genomes and dna of the world 's oldest living human beings . he conducted much of his work through the gerontology research group , which he founded in 1990 and printed more than 100 scientific journals . robert young , who worked with coles for 15 years , said that the scientist believed the primary driver of longevity was biological and not caused by the environment . ` he had 110-year-olds , and they smoked cigarettes , ' young said . ` not that it 's ok to do bad things , but that the people who lived longest are the ones who had biological predisposition for living the longest . '<doc-sep>john adams , another colleague , said coles was an outgoing person with various interests . ` although the effects of the chemotherapy and the treatments were debilitating , he remained mentally sharp . i was amazed at his strength and resilience , ' adams said . coles married his second wife , natalie , in 2007 and the two worked together on scientific research . coles lived in los angeles but was in arizona toward the end of his life so he could be put in cryopreservation when he died . he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on christmas eve , 2012 and underwent surgery to remove the tumor . however , ultimately treatment was unsuccessful .<doc-sep>it is an age-old question : will humankind ever defeat old age ? plenty of skin care companies would like us to believe so . and now , the multinational tech giant google would like us to think it might be possible too . last month google announced a new medical company called calico , whose explicit aim is to take on aging itself . but what will google 's approach be ? and what other research into prolonging life already exists ? with its proliferation of businesses , products and services , it would be easy to forget that not so very long ago google was just a search engine . today , offshoots of the sprawling global corporation can be found researching self-driving cars , developing their own smart phones and tablets and even launching giant balloons into near space . read more : ` afterlife ' feels ` even more real than real ' amid this growing portfolio of diffuse interests and initiatives has been added their latest company : calico . calico -- or the california life company -- has been set up to research subjects related to aging and its associated diseases . announcing calico at a media briefing , google said that the new and independent company will largely focus on age-attendant conditions such as alzheimer 's , cancer and heart disease . larry page , google 's ever youthful ceo said : `` illness and aging affect all our families . with some longer term , moonshot thinking around healthcare and biotechnology , i believe we can improve millions of lives . '' but the question is , what will calico actually do ? at the moment the company is n't giving much detail away : '' -lrb- incoming ceo arthur levinson -rrb- and i are excited about tackling aging and illness , '' page wrote in his google + blog post . but repeated requests from cnn to interview either page or levinson were politely declined . read more : scientists build human brain inside a computer . in the absence of any real information , many commentators have speculated that calico will pursue a ` big-data ' approach to health : gathering massive amounts of information from patients and ` crunching it ' to help speed the way to health care discoveries . some have suggested that calico 's new ceo will take the view that the best way to tackle aging is to focus on preventing diseases . aubrey de grey , an expert in the field of regenerative medicine , told cnn that it is too soon to speculate on what google 's approach will be : `` in relation to calico , i think it 's vital to keep in mind that there is essentially no concrete information about their planned direction and emphasis , and any guess that they will take a heavily data-driven approach is no more than a guess . '' however , he does think that calico will not limit its focus to a single disease : `` the statements from page and levinson thus far indicate quite strongly that the emphasis will not be just cancer , or even just a range of specific diseases , but will be ` aging itself ' : page in particular has highlighted the paltry longevity gains that would arise even from totally eliminating cancer . '' joão pedro de magalhães , a portuguese biologist who leads the integrative genomics of aging group at the university of liverpool , agrees : `` from what i 've read , i do n't think the company will mostly focus on cancer . in the time interview larry page clearly states that solving cancer is ` not as big an advance as you might think ' . this is reminiscent of what experts studying aging have been saying for a while , which is that to really make a difference in human health and longevity you need to tackle the aging process rather than individual age-related diseases . '' read more : secrets spilled in life 's final minutes . so where might calico 's focus lie ? a broad range of technologies and therapies that promise life extension through different means are currently being researched and tested . cnn labs takes a look across the scientific landscape to bring you the view from the front line of the war against aging . cryonics . cryonics is a process where the body -- or occasionally just the head -- is suspended in liquid nitrogen to ` preserve ' it indefinitely . the idea is that in the future the body will be able to be resuscitated and brought back to life . once the preserve of celebrities and multimillionaires , cryonics is now gaining traction among the broader public . several months ago , the sunday times reported that three senior staff at oxford university have signed up to have their bodies frozen with two u.s.-based cyonics organizations : the cryonics institute and the alcor life extension foundation . the cost of cryonics can vary wildly . the lowest price at the cryonics institute is reportedly $ 28,000 for ` cryopreservation ' ; alcor life charges customers up to $ 200,000 for similar services . but does it work ? the cryonics institute underline on their website that , as yet , their treatments are based on projections of technology to come rather than present day science : `` we firmly believe that with the incredible advances being made in nanotechnology , medicine and science today , cryonics has the same potential to become an everyday reality in the not-so-distant future ... the goal of cryonics is to halt -lrb- the ` dying ' -rrb- process as quickly as possible after legal death , giving future doctors the best possible chance of reviving the patient by repairing or replacing damaged tissues , or even entire organs using advanced computer , nanotech and medical equipment and procedures '' . cryotherapy . the related field of cryotherapy has gained currency in some quarters of athletics , with coaches immersing their athletes in cryotherapy chambers during or after exercise in a bid to aid training and heal injuries . the french soccer team used cryotherapy during the european cup in 2012 , and the wales rugby union squad use it as well . cryotherapeutic chambers expose players to very low temperatures -- around minus 256 degrees fahrenheit -lrb- minus 160 celsius -rrb- -- for short periods . some theorists believe that doing so can help speed the body 's recovery , but others say that the evidence is incomplete . self-healing worms and telomeres . in 2012 a group of scientists at nottingham university discovered that a species of flatworm -- the planarian worm -- can divide ` potentially forever ' and thus heal itself . some researchers hope that the discovery will provide fresh insight into how it may be possible to alleviate aging in human cells . dr aziz aboobaker from nottingham university 's school of biology , said : `` usually when stem cells divide -- to heal wounds , or during reproduction or for growth -- they start to show signs of aging . this means that the stem cells are no longer able to divide and so become less able to replace exhausted specialized cells in the tissues of our bodies . our aging skin is perhaps the most visible example of this effect . planarian worms and their stem cells are somehow able to avoid the aging process and to keep their cells dividing . '' according to researchers looking at the worm , the key may be in understanding the function of telomeres -- the ends of a chromosome that protect cells against degradation . in 2009 three scientists won the nobel prize in physiology or medicine for their work on how telomeres protect chromosomes from degradation . one theory suggests that if we can work out a way to preserve telomeres , then we would be another step closer to defeating aging . cloning and body part replacement . another major area of investigation is looking into organ creation and replacement . many people die due to organ failure , but imagine if you could just create your own new liver and replace a faulty one ? scientists have already successfully implanted functioning lab-grown kidneys into rats . if the therapy could be successfully -lrb- and affordably -rrb- replicated for humans , it could help overcome the significant organ donor shortages that persist in many countries . early work into creating organs using 3d printers has also yielded promising results . nanotechnology . organ replacement will probably only ever be part of the solution however . many scientists believe that longevity through repairing the human body requires a broader focus than just replacing individual parts . ray kurzweil , an american author , inventor and futurist argues in his book the singularity is near that by the 2020s , nanotechnology may be able to help cure disease . kurzweil says that deploying tiny robots -lrb- or ` nanobots ' -rrb- in the body could help overcome the problems of incorrect dna replication -- one of the central causes of aging . de grey says that nanotechnological research is interesting , but that he believes it is further away from finding a solution to aging than some other treatments : `` i pay attention to molecular manufacturing -lrb- the discipline that coined the term `` nanotechnology '' but then effectively had it stolen by the field of nanomaterials -rrb- , but i think its relevance to medical interventions , whether in aging or otherwise , still seems likely to be further off than the more traditionally biomedical work '' . so will google 's new company discover a workable solution to aging and death ? only time will tell .<doc-sep>federal authorities have accused a new york man of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars and using the misappropriated funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle -- luxury cars for himself and something a bit more unusual for his wife . authorities say whileon chay spent more than $ 150,000 in order to have his deceased spouse cryogenically frozen . she died in `` in or about 2009 , '' according to the indictment . cryogenic freezing has been portrayed as a way to preserve living or dead people in order to revive them in the future , according to the cryonics institute .<doc-sep>the last surviving child of legendary boston red sox great and hall of famer ted williams has spoken publicly for the first time about the controversial decision she and her brother took to have their father cryogenically frozen . claudia williams , the youngest of the kid 's three children , together with her brother john-henry were subjected to public ridicule in 2002 when they spent $ 100,000 to have the baseball legend 's remains sent to a cryonics lab in arizona . their decision also prompted an ugly legal battle with williams ' oldest daughter , bobby-jo ferrell , who insisted that her father 's final wishes were to be cremated and his ashes scattered off the florida keys . claudia williams , the youngest of the kid ¿ s three children , left , together with her brother john-henry , right , were subjected to ridicule in 2002 when they spent $ 100,000 to have the remains of baseball legend ted williams sent to a cryonics lab in arizona . this photo was taken months before his death in july 2002 . preserved : alcor has been cryogenically freezing ` patients ' since 1976 , putting their bodies and heads in thermos-like steel tubes . both ted williams and his son john-henry are stored there . at the time bobby-jo accused her half-siblings of wanting to preserve their father 's dna with the intention of selling it in the future . in her new book ted williams , my father , claudia says the decision to move her father 's body to the alcor life extension foundation in arizona was done out of love . ` i can tell you that my family chose cryonics out of love , ' writes claudia about the controversy . ` our father knew we needed something to hold onto for hope and comfort and when we missed him the most , and if cryonics was the answer , then the solution was simple . ' she writes that while she and her brother ` did n't truly believe at the time ' they sent their father 's body off to a cryonics lab that they would all ` awake from suspension and be reunited ' they did it because they could n't bear the thought of losing him forever , reports the boston herald . known as the kid , ted williams , left , is considered the greatest hitter in us baseball history and his daughter 's new book , right , recalls her recollections of their time together . ` no one would spend over $ 100,000 and subject themselves to public outrage and ridicule for someone they do n't dearly love . there was no ill intent or devious plan . ... it -lrb- cryonics -rrb- was like a religion , something we could have faith in . '<doc-sep>by . ben spencer . a breakthrough in cell research may pave the way for treatments which stop cancer spreading through the body . scientists at british universities have worked out for the first time how cells are able to migrate from organ to organ . the new research , spearheaded by biologists at university college london , could transform the way cancer is treated . crucially , the discovery has enabled scientists to work out how to block the movement of cells . the new study by british universities has identified how cancer cells migrate from organ to organ for the first time . pictured is a secondary cancer tumour of the liver , under the microscope . it means that aggressive cancer , which can quickly advance away from a primary tumour , might in the future be effectively frozen and isolated as soon as it is detected . most cancer deaths are not caused by initial tumours , but by secondary tumours in vital organs such as the lungs or brain that are created by cancerous cells invading other places in the body . if the research can be used to develop an effective treatment it could save millions of lives each year . professor roberto mayor , whose paper was published today in the journal of cell biology , said : ` this is an important breakthrough in the understanding of how cells move , which we strongly believe provides an insight into the way cancer spreads . ` there is a long way to go from here to a cancer treatment , but it provides a theory as to how a tumour may be isolated and the cells stopped from moving and spreading . ' professor mayor 's team , along with researchers at kings college london , cambridge university and akika city university in japan , discovered that cells have to change state in order to move along the narrow passages in the body .

<t> dr stephen coles spent his career studying the reasons why super-centenarians survived as long as they did . </t> <t> the longtime university of california , los angeles , professor died wednesday in scottsdale , arizona . </t> <t> his body is set to be cryopreserved in the hope of revival one day . </t>

world leader in aging research dies at 73 of cancer but has his body cryogenically frozen in the hope of future revival<T>

archbishop welby -lrb- pictured -rrb- said the abuse stemmed from a time when television did not ` make too much fuss ' about the sexual exploitation of children . the archbishop of canterbury said today that the television industry condoned an era of ` nightmare ' child abuse . the most reverend justin welby said the church of england is trying to clear up the legacy of an age in which the sexual abuse of children was considered ` relatively acceptable ' in an interview in which he spoke about the church 's efforts to deal with past abuse by its own clergy , the archbishop said the crimes stemmed from the time when television and organisations in other areas did not ` make too much fuss ' about the sexual exploitation of children . his charge against the television industry follows a two-year period in which a number of former bbc stars have been accused of serious sexual offences and the corporation has come under fierce criticism for its failure to curb the criminal excesses of some of its heavily-promoted celebrities . jimmy savile , once a children 's tv presenter highly-prized by the bbc , has been exposed since his death in 2011 as one of the country 's most prolific paedophiles . rolf harris is serving a five years and nine months prison sentence for sexually assaulting four girls , and former disc jockey dave lee travis was given a three-month suspended sentence in september for a 1995 assault on a 22-year-old television researcher . the archbishop told cnn : ` the biggest issue for us is the legacy of vast abuse in the days when in , if i may say so , also , television and all kinds of areas , it was considered relatively acceptable . ` we , you know , so-and-so was known to be a bit dodgy , but nobody made too much fuss . ` we 've gone through every file , back file of every living clergy person in the church of england and looked for any signs that there was a problem and followed them up where there was . ' archbishop welby spoke to christiane amanpour in the wake of a damaging report on abuse in the church of england and the humiliation of one of its most senior clergy , former archbishop of york lord hope .<doc-sep>archbishop welby -lrb- pictured -rrb- said the church gone through all its files on living clergy to check for any signs of offending against children . following his death , jimmy savile -lrb- pictured left -rrb- was revealed to be one of the country 's worst paedophiles , while children 's entertainer rolf harris -lrb- right -rrb- is serving a prison sentence for sexually assaulting four girls . lord hope surrendered his position as a bishop in the diocese of bradford at the end of october after a judge found he had protected a senior paedophile priest , the very reverend robert waddington , from exposure , investigation and prosecution . waddington , who rose to become dean of manchester , in charge of the city 's cathedral , was a lifelong paedophile who had attracted complaints in every decade from the 1950s . it suggested the suicide in 1989 of a former carlisle choirboy may have been connected to abuse by waddington in the 1970s , and it said a complaint laid against waddington by manchester cathedral 's organist in 1989 was ignored . former dean of manchester robert waddington died in 2007 . he had been accused of abusing seven different victims between 1955 and 1996 . but lord hope deflected queries about waddington , wrongly told other bishops that waddington was too sick to carry out any further abuse , and allowed him to continue taking services and befriending choristers at york minster . in another case the bishop of gloucester , the right reverend michael perham , was questioned by police in august over indecent assault allegations dating back to the early 1980s involving a woman and a girl . police said in october that there will be no charges . bishop perham ` stepped back ' from clerical duties earlier this year . in 2011 a review by retired senior judge lady elizabeth butler-sloss said the church had failed to take allegations of abuse in sussex seriously . a bishop apologised for his diocese 's failure to stop the activities of two paedophile priests . archbishop welby said in the cnn interview his realisation of the extent to which things had been covered up was the most traumatic part of his job . he said that new allegations of abuse are now instantly reported to police and council children 's services . the archbishop also repeated his warnings to politicians not to turn immigration into a menace , warning there was a danger of simply using language that appealed to emotion .<doc-sep>the archbishop of canterbury has revealed how he broke down in tears after hearing one victims experience of child abuse . the archbishop of canterbury has told how he broke down in tears after hearing first hand the ` horror ' of child abuse in the church of england . the most rev justin welby said the sexual abuse in the church was ` beyond description -- terrible ' and that he had been profoundly moved by his meetings with survivors . he revealed that all church of england clergy will be audited for signs they are abusers . the archbishop conceded that investigations into clergy going back more than 60 years would show that ` there is more that has not been revealed ' . he said the harrowing accounts he heard at one face-to-face meeting with a victim still haunted him later in the day when he was asked about the issue at a talk at a theological college . speaking at a westminster lunch this afternoon he said : ` to my intense surprise , because i do n't normally do this kind of thing , i broke down completely .<doc-sep>by . kerry mcdermott . the new archbishop of canterbury has indicated his support for a professional standards body to help clean up the banking industry . the rt rev justin welby made the remarks as he described the ` culture of entitlement ' affecting parts of the city of london and disconnecting it from ` what people saw as reasonable in the rest of the world ' . the archbishop , a member of the cross-party banking standards commission , also hinted that the government may need to recapitalise at least one major bank , and called for the creation of regional banks to help parts of the country outside of london flourish . scroll down for audio . ` culture of entitlement ' : the archbishop of canterbury hinted at his support for a professional banking body to enforce standards in the financial industry . the spiritual leader of the world 's anglicans said on bbc radio 4 's the week in westminster that ` serious consideration ' should be given to the creation of a professional banking body similar to the general medical council to enforce standards . describing banks as ` incredibly complicated things ' , the archbishop told the financial times ' political editor george parker : ` the idea that people can hold hugely responsible positions in them without any kind of formal training seems to a number of us to be quite surprising . '<doc-sep>by . steve doughty . published : . 14:56 est , 30 august 2012 . | . updated : . 18:58 est , 30 august 2012 . failure : a report for archbishop of canterbury dr rowan williams claims clergy failed to protect children from paedophile priests ' abuse . a church of england report yesterday accused clergy in an ancient diocese of a ` disastrous ' failure to protect children from abuse by paedophile priests . the investigation carried out for the archbishop of canterbury said that many lives had been blighted , and a string of court cases was just the tip of the iceberg of corruption in the diocese of chichester . it followed deepening concerns after one vicar was jailed for five years for sexually abusing two boys and another parish priest died without being charged with any offence after abusing at least ten boys .<doc-sep>17:47 est , 11 may 2013 . his unassuming lifestyle has been likened to the simplicity favoured by the new pope francis . the archbishop of canterbury , justin welby , has revealed that he travels by bus and orders deliveries of pizza to his medieval london residence , lambeth palace . speaking two months after being enthroned amid pomp and ceremony in canterbury cathedral , the former oil executive also admitted he buys most of his clothes from charity shops such as oxfam . in an intriguing insight into his down-to-earth style , archbishop welby , 57 , who has been a fierce critic of the banks ' bonus culture , said that though he is supplied with a car and a chauffeur as part of the job , he prefers taking the bus or tube .

<t> most reverend justin welby said the tv industry ` condoned ' era of abuse . </t> <t> he said the church of england is still trying to clear up legacy of offending . </t> <t> it follows accusations that bbc stars were engaged in sexual crimes . </t> <t> jimmy savile exposed as one of the country 's most prolific paedophiles . </t> <t> very reverend robert waddington was also a lifelong offender . </t> <t> the archbishop said : ` the biggest issue for us is the vast legacy of abuse ' </t> <t> the church has gone through files of clergy to look for signs of offending . </t>

archbishop of canterbury blames tv for making the culture of abuse acceptable<T>

a team of west coast chefs celebrated thanksgiving in an over-the-top way by creating a protein monstrosity that makes the decadent turducken seem practically austere by comparison . the epic , artery-clogging roast beast , which was served up at bourbon steak and pub in santa clara , california , on thanksgiving day , combined in itself seven different types of protein all mounted on a massive rotisserie and cooked to greasy perfection . the meaty menace , which has been given the moniker ` lambpigcow ' on twitter , was made up of 24 quail ; 12 chickens ; 8 ducks ; 6 turkeys ; 2 lambs ; a pig and a blanket-size side of wagyu beef butterflied open to wrap all the other ingredients . not your grandma 's thanksgiving dinner : bourbon steak and pub restaurant in santa clara , california , cooked up this meaty monstrosity dubbed the roast beat for thanksgiving last week . meat madness : the culinary madmen combined 24 quails ; 12 chickens ; 8 ducks ; 6 turkeys ; 2 lambs ; a pig and a blanket-size side of wagyu beef for the gargantuan dish . unusual cooking tools : the colossal meat course was bundled with a 20-foot metal garden fence . burning at the stake : the cooks required a huge rotisserie to cook the meaty beast to perfection . to keep everything in place during the hours-long roasting process , the mad culinary geniuses at the santa clara eatery bundled the colossal meat course with a 20-foot metal garden fence , secured it in place with eight stainless steel clamps , and mounted it on an enormous rotisserie . besides the various layers of poultry and meat , the beastly creation also included chestnut and turkey sausage stuffing . the mastermind behind the epic dish was seattle chef david varley , formerly of bourbon steak and pub , who returned to his old haunt last week to oversee the creation of the gargantuan roast . varley 's seattle restaurant , rn17 , and bourbon steak and pub located at the san francisco 49ers ' levi 's stadium , are both owned by chef and restaurateur michael mina . meat blanket : the staff butterflied open a side of beef and rubbed it down with spices before using it as a wrap for all the other ingredients .<doc-sep>fowl play : pictured here are a pair of stuffed quail on a bed of butterflied chickens and ducks . handymen : the project required a variety of metal tools , including clamps and gears , to hoist up the roast . mastermind : the roast beast was the brainchild of seattle chef david varley , formerly of bourbon steak and pub , who returned to his old restaurant to orchestrate the tailgate . dinner is served ! the final product was served to hungry football fans along with a pair of turkeys , a half dozen seattle sea chickens and a gravy fountain . varley 's edible colossus dubbed the roast feast was served up at the thanksgiving tailgate party after the seattle seahawks beat the 49ers 19-3 in san francisco . the hulking slab of meaty goodness was presented alongside a pair of plump turkeys , a half dozen seattle sea chickens in honor of the seahawks - who ended up defeating their san francisco opponents 19-3 - and a gravy fountain . ` i 'm taking a few years off from working on thanksgiving after this , ' david varley joked on instagram after the holiday dinner . the mad culinary scientists at the bourbon steak and pub in santa , clara , california , brought together 24 quails ; 12 chickens ; 8 ducks ; 6 turkeys ; 2 lambs ; a pig and a blanket-size side of wagyu beef for one epic dish dubbed the ` roast beast . ' the preparation of the tailgate feast required a 20-foot metal fence , clamps and a massive rotisserie to cook the gargantuan roast to perfection . the birds used in the preparation were stuffed with a mixture of chestnut and turkey sausage . a team of cooks butterflied a side of beef and used it to wrap all the other ingredients , securing the entire creation with the metal fence .<doc-sep>indeed , at one point , one of the parasitic aliens convinced clara that her dead boyfriend danny had been alive this whole time , and her encounter with the doctor was the dream . her final goodbye to a dream version of danny was heartbreaking , but it still remained to be seen if she would ever travel with the doctor . it certainly looked as though this was it -- following a terrific christmas moment of the doctor flying in santa 's sleigh -- when the doctor saved clara from an alien , only to find that she had aged many years . clara fans had to have been overjoyed to see that this too was a dream , and clara was ready to continue her journeys with the doctor , all thanks to santa and his signature tangerines .<doc-sep>police told the san jose mercury news . yesterday that miss lamar did not appear to have a troubled home life . and no witnesses have reported anything suspicious from the time or . location of her disappearance . anyone with information as to the girl 's whereabouts was asked to contact the santa clara police department on 408-299-2311 . search : police are hunting the countryside in the santa clara valley for any sign of the missing teenager .<doc-sep>officers from the santa clara county sheriff 's office obtained a search warrant and raided the store after a month-long investigation . after finding the marijuana , they also discovered that nguyen had ` bypassed the electrical meter and had stolen an estimated $ 80,000 worth of electricity . ' nguyen was arrested in the store and booked on charges of theft of utilities and illegal cultivation of marijuana for sale . santa clara county sheriff 's sgt. kurtis stenderup told nbc bay area : ` we do n't see a lot of storefront operations with a large-scale illegal enterprise going on in the back . ' i think in the movies and on tv they like to think it happens all the time , but in reality , we just do n't see that level of sophistication . ' last year , the santa clara sheriff 's office marijuana enforcement team seized more than 104,000 pot plants and more than 250 pounds of processed marijuana . the team also arrested 20 people and seized three firearms . nguyen is being held on $ 200,000 bail . the gilroy furniture & more store did n't sell furniture before it opened -lrb- pictured -rrb- or afterwards either .<doc-sep>what 's the biggest misconception about your city ? that everyone is just interested in politics . we also love sports -- the washington nationals , wizards , redskins and caps . where can you get the best view of the city ? i love the view from atop the newseum . which restaurant would you take your loved one to for an anniversary or other special occasion ? blt steak or café milano . besides having terrific food , both restaurants have the setting and service to make a special event feel that much more special . where is the best place to people watch ? the palm or bourbon steak at the four seasons . what is your favorite neighborhood ? bethesda , maryland -- a d.c. suburb . that 's where i have lived for many years , and i feel very much at home there .

<t> the roast was prepared at bourbon steak and pub in santa clara , california , for thanksgiving tailgate celebrating 49ers-seahawkes football game . </t> <t> cooks combined 24 quail ; 12 chickens ; 8 ducks ; 6 turkeys ; 2 lambs ; a pig and a blanket-size side of wagyu beef . </t> <t> project required 20-foot metal garden fence , clamps and a massive rotisserie . </t>

bourbon steak and pub in santa clara invents ` lambpigcow '<T>

christmas may be a time to give , but at pindara hospital it 's also a time to dance . specialist doctors from pindara private hospital in southeast queensland have made a cringeworthy dance video set to mariah carey 's all i want for christmas is you . the choreographed clip comes complete with fighting elves , a boozy santa clause and some rather randy patients .<doc-sep>specialist doctors from pindara private hospital in southeast queensland have made a cringeworthy dance video . the choreographed clip comes complete with fighting elves , a boozy santa clause and some rather randy patients . it comes after the hospital released a video last year dancing to maroon 5 's moves like jagger , which garnered over 117,000 views on youtube .<doc-sep>the videos are released annually to present at christmas party celebrations , in a bid to bolster the festive spirits . among the dancers are an orthopedic surgeon , an emergency department doctor , an anaesthetist , an ear nose and throat specialist , reports gold coast bulletin . the hospitals marketing manager robbie falconer said ` you can see from the bloopers , they just had a really great time . they were good sports , they put on the costumes . '<doc-sep>` you feel good when you see it and feel the spirit of christmas . ' among the dancers are an orthopedic surgeon , an emergency department doctor , an anaesthetist , an ear nose and throat specialist . the hospitals marketing manager robbie falconer said the video was made in a bid to bolster the festive spirits at the yearly christmas celebration .<doc-sep>from a choreographed dance to a surprise marriage proposal , these high school sweethearts will have an extraordinary story to tell when they look back at their schoolies celebrations . chris collins shocked the crowds when he pulled out the ring after performing his choreographed dance routine on the gold coast , which took a year in the making . dressed in a while button up long-sleeve top , paired with a blazer and suit pants , the high school graduate pulled off some spectacular dance moves to sweep his girlfriend off her feet . scroll down for video . the couple were surrounded by screaming school graduates as they cheered and applauded . the girlfriend of six years appeared surprised but she jumped in the air in delight when she said yes . chris collins performed his choreographed dance routine before popping the question . he got down on one knee , with a microphone in one hand as he pulled out the ring and popped the question : ` will you marry me ? ' rachael , his girlfriend of six years appeared surprised but she jumped in the air in delight when she said yes .<doc-sep>doctors used a `` cell saver , '' which suctions and filters the patient 's blood before re-injecting it into the body , along with extra blood for the surgery . the second and third risks lay in heart function -lrb- `` how would a heart react when a tumor with twice the weight of a patient is removed ? '' -rrb- and the effects of a long -- more than 13 hours -- anesthesia , guillon said . leading the surgical team was dr. mckay mckinnon , a specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery from chicago . mckinnon has been credited with removing a 200-pound tumor from a woman in the u.s. state of michigan in 2000 , as well as a 176-pound -lrb- 80 kilo -rrb- tumor from a romanian woman in 2004 . aside from mckinnon , no one else on the team had any prior experience with hai 's condition or performed such a surgery before , guillon said . `` though the surgical techniques used by dr. mckinnon are usual and routinely used by our surgeons , the difference lays in his experience : he knows what to expect and what to do at specific crucial moments . '' finally , the team of vietnamese surgeons and anesthetists had never worked with mckinnon before , and communication issues could turn dangerous in an operating theatre , guillon said , adding that two of the three vietnamese surgeons also go by `` dr. thai . '' nonetheless , the communication among all in the operating theatre went `` extremely well , '' guillon said . during the surgery , fv hospital set up a live video feed for other doctors and hospitals to watch . video during the surgery showed five people assisting in the disposal of the excised tumor from its own gurney into a yellow container , which was then sealed . a small piece has been sent for examination ; the rest will be incinerated as with all biological waste , guillon said . the cost of the surgery was estimated at $ 20,000 , but the hospital said it will charge 60 % of the cost , which will be covered jointly by the red cross of da lat city and sponsors . the hospital said it is financing all the traveling costs and accommodation for mckinnon , who is performing the surgery free of charge .<doc-sep>by . deni kirkova . from her crazy in love booty pop to her single ladies hand twist , beyoncé 's got the moves we all wish we could master . now , thanks to a new fitness class , we can unleash our inner sasha fierce while burning up to 600 calories . seen on screen fitness create and teach dance routines inspired by the hottest pop stars , designed to help you get fit while having fun . scroll down for video . work out : the routine was inspired by beyoncé 's grammys performance , with seen on screen 's own sassy additions . intrigued , femail headed to the dominion . theatre in london to learn a super-sexy routine to drunk in love , . inspired by queen bey at the grammys . arriving at the theatre our group was greeted by two sassy and very accomplished dance teachers in a giant studio . they are top industry professionals who work with pop stars including beyoncé , rihanna , iggy azalea , kylie , lady gaga on tour and in their music videos . we worked up a sweat hanging off chairs , sticking out our bottoms and learning the carefully choreographed two-minute number . femail headed to the dominion theatre in london to learn a super-sexy routine to drunk in love . femail 's deni kirkova headed down to the dominion theatre in london to learn beyoncé 's drunk in love dance . the . seen on screen fitness -lrb- sosf -rrb- instructors taught us their version of . beyoncé 's grammy performance of drunk in love in the two-hour class , . promising a 600 calorie burn . custom . designed spot lighting , smoke and wind machines maximised our diva . potential and created the perfect atmosphere for dancing sexily with . confidence - something that can make some of us feel a bit silly at . times . founder bonnie parsons said : ` for the . drunk in love super class we wanted to make it extra special and do . something different , inspired by beyoncé 's chair routine at the grammys . ` we wanted to keep . her sense of sophisticated sexuality with that gangsta swag when . choreographing our own version for the workshop ... queue upside down on a . chair ! learning the beginning part of the routine , creating atmosphere and getting into the zone . deni tries getting up from a chair sexily -lrb- l -rrb- as beyonce effortlessly achieves at the grammys -lrb- r -rrb- . ` the routine . is most importantly about making our students feel hot in the best sense . of the word and using a mix of feminine , diva style moves with a hip . hop edge . ` sos is .<doc-sep>but it seems some have more to be worried about than others . pop star pixie lott , 23 , is one of the most experienced , having trained in dance for eight years as a child at the elite italia conti academy of theatre arts in london . even before she joined the academy on a scholarship aged 11 , she went to nightly dance lessons after school and learned to tap dance . two years ago , she told an interviewer : ` i had a double bedroom , which was decorated like a ballet studio . i loved dancing , so there were mirrors and a ballet bar on one wall . dad even had a wooden floor laid so i could practise on my own . ' fellow singer frankie bridge , 25 , also benefited from rigorous dance training as a young girl . not only was her mother a ballroom dancing coach , she was given classes at primary school and has spent much of her music career learning the choreographed moves in her pop videos . meanwhile , presenter caroline flack , 34 , and boy band star simon webbe , 36 , have benefited from training on previous reality shows . simon webbe , who was in boy band blue , benefited from dance training while on previous reality shows . viewers and experts have complained some of this year 's celebrity contestants have more dance experience than others taking part , such as judy murray -lrb- pictured -rrb- .

<t> the video features specialist doctors from pindara private hospital . </t> <t> it was made to present at the yearly christmas party celebration . </t> <t> among the dancers are an orthopedic surgeon and an anaesthetist . </t>

pindara private hospital doctors in choreographed dance video in operating theatre<T>

lee rigby 's heartbroken fiancée and estranged wife both sobbed with relief today after one of his muslim extremist killers had an appeal against his murder conviction thrown out in just 45 seconds . the soldier 's future bride aimee west said she hoped ` this is the last we will hear from them ' as michael adebolajo , 29 , and michael adebowale , 23 , also lost appeals against their life sentences for the ` barbaric ' murder . rebecca rigby , who was married to the fusilier and had his son jack , said the family is ` relieved that this is over and justice has been done ' . adebolajo ran down the 25-year-old soldier in woolwich south-east london in may last year before ` butchering him ' with his accomplice . both had denied murder because they were ` soldiers of allah ' but were found guilty at the old bailey last december . members of the soldier 's family , including his fiancée aimee and also his estranged wife rebecca rigby , broke down as the high court as their applications were rejected by judges . quashed : one of lee rigby 's killers , michael adebolajo , right , had his appeal against his conviction thrown out in 45 seconds today . emotional : rebecca rigby , left , broke down as she and miss west watched michael adebowale , who appeared in the high court via video link . adebolajo 's legal team today claimed he should have his conviction quashed because he was ` at war ' with britain , before also failing to argue his whole life sentence should be reduced . his application for leave to appeal was rejected by lord chief justice lord thomas , sitting at the court of appeal in london with lady justice hallett and mr justice openshaw . they spent less than a minute explaining why they would not agree to it , and later called the argument pushed by his qc ` hopelessly misconceived ' . anyone in britain who believes they have suffered an injustice when convicted of a crime can make an application to appeal the decision . if accepted a full hearing will be held at the court of appeal . the judges then heard argument on behalf of adebolajo against a whole-life sentence which condemns him to die behind bars . lawyers for his co-accused michael adebowale , who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 45 years , were also arguing for a reduction in sentence . but lord thomas said it was ` just ' punishment for the ` horrific and barbaric ' murder . adebowale , who appeared from broadmoor jail via video link did not react while adebolajo , who is at hmp frankland , had refused to appear for the hearing at all . members of fusilier rigby 's family gasped with relief and there were tears as the decision was announced . bereft : rebecca rigby , the estranged wife of lee rigby and mother of his son jack , was in court for the hearing , as was the soldier 's fiancée aimee west and both sobbed as the appeals were rejected . after the decision was announced , fusilier rigby 's fiancee aimee west said : ' i am relieved and thankful with the outcome of today 's hearing . ' i hope that this is the last we will hear from them both , so that i can focus on rebuilding my life and keeping lee 's memory alive . ' choking back tears , lee rigby 's estranged wife rebecca said : ' i would like to thank everyone who made today 's verdict possible . ` we are relieved that this is over and justice has been done . i would like to thank everyone for their continued support over the last 18 months and hope i can now build a future for my son jack and ensure his -lrb- lee 's -rrb- memory lives on . ' the british-born muslim converts ran 25-year-old fusilier rigby down in a car before hacking him to death with a meat cleaver and knives in a frenzied attack in woolwich , south london . they dumped the body of the father-of-one in the middle of the road near woolwich barracks in south east london on may 22 last year . plot : adebolajo and adebowale lay in wait near the barracks and picked fusilier rigby to kill after assuming he was a soldier because he was wearing a help for heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack . they dumped the body of the father-of-one in the middle of the road near woolwich barracks and then waited for armed police to arrive hoping they would be ` martyred ' adebolajo and adebowale lay in wait near the barracks and picked fusilier rigby to kill after assuming he was a soldier because he was wearing a help for heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack . after driving into him , the killers - who had armed themselves with eight knives , including a meat cleaver and a five-piece set bought by adebolajo the previous day - butchered him in the street in broad daylight in front of horrified onlookers . both men were shot by police in dramatic scenes captured by cctv . they claimed they were ` soldiers of allah ' and were motivated by the plight of muslims abroad to carry out the killing . both were convicted of murder at the old bailey and sentenced in february . explaining his decision to give adebolajo a whole-life term , trial judge mr justice sweeney said he was the leader of the murderous plot and had ` no real prospect of rehabilitation ' . however , adebowale 's younger age , mental health problems and ` lesser role ' meant that he escaped spending the rest of his natural life behind bars . whole-life terms came under the spotlight earlier this year when judges at the court of appeal ruled that murderers who commit the most ` heinous ' of crimes can be sent to prison for the rest of their lives . those currently serving whole-life terms in england and wales include moors murderer ian brady , who tortured and murdered children along with accomplice myra hindley , and serial killer rosemary west .<doc-sep>the father of lee rigby yesterday denounced a decision to hand his son 's murderers more than # 200,000 in legal aid . phil mcclure , 53 , said it was ` disgusting ' that the soldier 's killers , michael adebolajo , 29 , and michael adebowale , 23 , had been granted handouts for their three-month trial at the old bailey last year . he hit out at the justice system as it emerged that adebolajo is continuing to challenge his conviction and sentence , despite losing the first stage of his appeal . scroll down for video . phil mcclure -lrb- left -rrb- - the biological father of drummer lee rigby -lrb- right -rrb- - has hit out at the justice system after his son 's killers received more than # 200,000 in legal aid for their three-month trial at the old bailey last year . michael adebolajo , 29 , -lrb- left -rrb- was given a whole-life jail term for murdering lee rigby , while michael adebowale , 23 , -lrb- right -rrb- was jailed for life with a minimum of 45 years for the same offence . the judicial office has confirmed that a judge refused the islamic fanatic permission to appeal after he considered the case on paper . but adebolajo has renewed applications to overturn both his conviction and sentence . his case will now be considered before a panel of court of appeal judges . his continuing appeal is likely to land the taxpayer with even higher legal bills . last night mps called on the lord chancellor to prevent taxpayers ' money being used for ` jihadi grandstanding ' . mr mcclure , a lorry driver from oldham , is still coming to terms with the death of his 25-year-old son , who was murdered in woolwich , south-east london , on may 22 last year . the father of one had been returning to military barracks when adebolajo and adebowale used their car to knock him over before hacking him to death in front of horrified onlookers . adebolajo , who was sentenced in february to a whole-life term , received # 138,803 in legal aid . adebowale , who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 45 years for his role in the murder , received # 73,809.36 . the pair had their defence funded by the public , despite the judge making it clear adebolajo had no legal defence and adebowale refused to take the stand . the total bill for barristers and solicitors was # 212,613 , according to ministry of justice figures . but that figure is likely to grow as adebolajo has been given the go-ahead to renew his case and adebowale has been given leave to challenge his sentence . father-of-one lee rigby , 25 , had been returning to military barracks when he was mowed down and brutally murdered by adebolajo and adebowale in woolwich , south london , -lrb- pictured -rrb- in may last year . adebolajo . and adebowale mowed down lee rigby in this car before hacking him to . death in the street in front of horrified onlookers . the streak of blood . in front of the car shows how they dragged his body into the street . yesterday the victim 's father condemned the system . he told the sun : ` it 's disgusting . there was n't even a defence -- they were on camera boasting about killing lee . the system needs to change . ' the killers lay in wait near woolwich barracks and picked fusilier rigby because he was wearing a help for heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack . neither has shown any remorse . tory mp rob wilson said : ` this is about getting attention around the world for their vile deeds . i will be writing to the lord chancellor to see if there is any action we can take to stop these revolting people from abusing our system . ' his comments follow a call by tory mp david nuttall for a commons debate on payments in ` hopeless ' appeals used to promote a terrorist agenda . the ministry of justice said that anyone facing a crown court trial can apply for legal aid . the . family of lee rigby - -lrb- left to right -rrb- stepfather ian rigby , mother lyn . rigby , sister sara mcclure and fiancée aimee west - comfort each other . outside the old bailey after his killers were convicted of his brutal . murder . may 22 2013 . 2.20 pm - lee rigby is run down and then hacked to death 200 yards from the royal artillery barracks in woolwich . 6pm - shocking . footage emerges of michael adebolajo wielding a bloodied meat cleaver .<doc-sep>by . martin robinson . one of the two muslim converts who hacked drummer lee rigby to death has launched a taxpayer-funded appeal against his murder conviction , it was revealed today . michael adebolajo , 29 , and michael adebowale , 22 , ran down the 25-year-old fusilier at 30mph before executing him in a woolwich street using a meat cleaver and knives last year . they were found guilty of his murder in just 90 minutes last month , but adebolajo maintained they were ` soldiers of allah ' and ` at war ' , so should not have been convicted . victim : drummer lee rigby was murdered last year but his killers have not yet been jailed , but this could now be imminent . murderers : lee rigby was killed in a woolwich street by michael adebolajo , 28 -lrb- left -rrb- and michael adebowale , 22 . -lrb- right -rrb- . adebolajo has now launched an appeal against his conviction . he has now applied to the court of appeal in london to have it quashed , it has emerged . if judges agree his case deserves a new hearing , his defence could cost the taxpayers tens of thousands in legal aid . on may 22 last year adebolajo , a married father of six , lay in wait near woolwich barracks with adebowale so they could kill a soldier . they picked 25-year-old fusilier rigby because he was wearing a help for heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack . after driving into him in their vauxhall tigra , the killers - who had armed themselves with eight knives , including a meat cleaver and a five-piece set bought by adebolajo the previous day - butchered him in the street in front of horrified onlookers . lee rigby 's family fled the old bailey in tears on several occasions during the harrowing trial . one witness described the killers ' actions as being ` like a butcher attacking a joint of meat ' . profile : a forensic psychiatrist told the old bailey michael adebolajo -lrb- pictured -rrb- , showed ` no regret or remorse for his actions ' cold-blooded : michael adebowale , 22 , of greenwich , south-east london , with a knife in his hand after he had hacked lee rigby to death .<doc-sep>killer : michael adebolajo , 29 , has launched an appeal against his whole life prison sentence , the judicial office has confirmed . one of soldier lee rigby 's murderers has launched an appeal against his whole life prison sentence , the judicial office has confirmed . michael adebolajo , 29 , together with michael adebowale , 22 , mowed down fusilier rigby in car , before hacking him to death in woolwich , south east london , in may last year . adebolajo was condemned to die behind bars - with judge mr justice sweeney saying the killer had ` no real prospect of rehabilitation ' . however , adebowale was sentenced to a minimum of 45 years in jail because of his younger age , mental health problems and ` lesser role ' in the 25-year-old father-of-one 's murder . now , adebolajo has launched an appeal against his whole life prison term - just weeks after his sibling claimed that the sentence was islamophobic . the british-born extremists were sentenced at the old bailey in february for butchering fusilier rigby in broad daylight near woolwich barracks on may 22 . at the time , the pair both claimed that they were ` soldiers of allah ' and were motivated by the plight of muslims abroad to carry out the killing . during their sentencing , violence broke out in the old bailey dock and the killers began hurling abuse at the judge and fighting with prison guards . in extraordinary scenes , the two muslim extremists yelled ` allahu akbar ' and ` you -lrb- britain -rrb- and america will never be safe ' during their sentencing at the court in central london . when sentencing adebolajo and adebowale , mr justice sweeney told them : ` you each converted to . islam some years ago . ` thereafter you were radicalised and each became an . extremist , espousing a cause and views which , as has been said . elsewhere , are a betrayal of islam and of the peaceful muslim . communities who give so much to our country .<doc-sep>by . richard spillett . michael adebowale has won the right to appeal the life sentence he was given for the murder of lee rigby . one of lee rigby 's killers has been given the right to appeal against his life sentence due to mental health problems . michael adebowale , 22 , was given a 45-year minimum term for murdering the soldier in woolwich last year in an attack which shocked britain . it was confirmed this morning that the 22-year-old will now be allowed to appeal against his punishment after he was transferred to broadmoor hospital . adebowale was jailed alongside michael adebolajo , 29 , in february after the pair ran over fusilier lee rigby in a car before attacking him with knives and a meat cleaver .

<t> michael adebolajo hacked to death lee rigby with michael adebowale . </t> <t> judges took 45 seconds to reject adebolajo 's appeal against conviction . </t> <t> his qc said it should n't stand because he was ` at war ' with britain . </t> <t> both murderers also failed in appeals to reduce length of prison sentences . </t> <t> adebolajo was handed life with no parole , adebowale given 45 years . </t> <t> lee rigby 's family and widow were at the high court for the hearing . </t>

lee rigby 's killer michael adebolajo loses conviction appeal in 45 seconds<T>

israel 's ruling coalition has finally fallen apart , paving the way for an election in march -- two years ahead of schedule . the country 's mps yesterday overwhelmingly approved a motion to dissolve the parliament , or knesset , after prime minister benjamin netanyahu failed to iron out differences with coalition partners and called for a poll . further votes are due next week that will officially disband the parliament . the government , which took office in early 2013 , will be one of the shortest in the country 's history . prime minister benjamin netanyahu failed to iron out differences with coalition partners and called for a poll .<doc-sep>on tuesday , mr netanyahu fired two rebellious ministers . his fractious centre-right cabinet has been bickering for weeks over the budget and a bill that would enshrine into law israel 's status as a jewish state . rising violence between palestinians and israelis has also been an issue , as have the jewish settlements in the west bank . the country 's mps yesterday overwhelmingly approved a motion to dissolve the parliament , or knesset .<doc-sep>jerusalem -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- israel 's parliament has voted to dissolve itself and schedule an election in january , setting the stage for the beginning of an intense political campaign in the middle eastern nation . the election is set for january 22 , moved up from october 2013 , according to a statement on the knesset website tuesday . last week , israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu called for the early election after failing to agree on a budget with his coalition partners , saying the vote should be held `` as soon as possible '' for the good of the country . he said the election was necessary to ensure `` a responsible security and economic policy '' in the face of the economic downturn and threats to israel 's security from iran and elsewhere .<doc-sep>new elections will probably be held on march 17 , the speaker of israel 's parliament said wednesday , a day after the prime minister sacked two senior members of his coalition cabinet for criticizing government policy . prime minister benjamin netanyahu also called for parliament to be dissolved , a step that the knesset is now considering . lawmakers voted unanimously to dissolve parliament in a preliminary vote wednesday , according to the official knesset website . a knesset committee will now prepare a bill for further votes by lawmakers early next week . speaker yuli edelstein said the party heads had agreed on march 17 as the proposed election date . the upheaval was triggered when netanyahu ordered letters of dismissal for finance minister yair lapid and justice minister tzipi livni , two members of his cabinet from rival parties , according to a statement from his office tuesday . `` during the last few weeks and , in particular , the last few days , the ministers have intensely attacked the government that i am leading , '' netanyahu said . '' ... i will not tolerate ministers attacking the government 's policy and its head from inside the government . '' the call for new elections means israel is effectively in a state of political paralysis until march . israel held its last election just 22 months ago . a poll for israel 's channel 2 suggested that 55 % of those surveyed were against another election being held so soon . polls give mixed picture . netanyahu will hope that the vote enables him to form a government he can work with , including right-wing and religious parties , but there is no guarantee that he will be able to form the coalition he wants . netanyahu has been prime minister since 2009 . but he 's had to rely on members of other parties -- many of them to the left of likud on the political spectrum , such as the centrist parties of livni and lapid -- to govern . netanyahu is also calculating that he can win a fourth term in office . opinion polls give a mixed picture , indicating that many people blame him for the current crisis but that at the same time , if elections were held today , his right-wing likud party would increase its share of seats in the 120-seat knesset . however , people feel there is a range of problems that are not being dealt with , such as a faltering economy , recent attacks against israelis in jerusalem and this summer 's inconclusive war against hamas militants in gaza . netanyahu blasts ` putsch ' netanyahu told reporters tuesday that a divided government was one of israel 's problems , saying there was a lot of debate , contradictions and ultimatums . he called out livni for meeting with palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas against his advice and for criticizing building in jerusalem , which some say has exacerbated tensions with arabs there . and netanyahu lambasted lapid for calling israel 's boycott of iranian president hassan rouhani 's u.n. speech a mistake and challenging his push to label israel a jewish state , which some fear will alienate the country 's significant arab population . he also accused the ministers of being behind talks `` to kick out the prime minister . '' `` in one word , they call this a putsch , '' netanyahu said . `` you can not have a government like this . it 's impossible to govern like this . '' ` narrow political interests ' in a facebook post tuesday , livni said , `` the question in the election will not be who was the first to identify the threats and use them for political means , but who will deal with the threats in a responsible , level headed manner for the good of the country . '' lapid 's centrist yesh atid party also fired back in a statement , in which it said lapid told netanyahu by phone that he expected the prime minister `` to act responsibly and to stop dragging the -lrb- israeli military -rrb- and our soldiers into an election for your political needs . '' yesh atid said that `` unnecessary elections ... will harm the economy and israeli society , all for narrow political interests and a surrender to the ultra-orthodox parties , the powerful central committee of the likud and outside lobby groups . ''<doc-sep>jerusalem -lrb- cnn -rrb- israeli lawmakers voted to dissolve the nation 's parliament monday amid mounting political upheaval . the bill dissolving the 120-seat knesset passed with 93 votes in favor . no one voted against it . prime minister benjamin netanyahu had called for the dissolution as he sacked two senior members of his coalition cabinet for criticizing government policy . last week the speaker of the knesset said new elections would likely be held on march 17 . the moves come at a tenuous time in israel , which has been beset by a number of recent terrorist attacks against citizens in jerusalem . the head of the right-wing likud party , netanyahu has been israel 's prime minister since 2009 . but he 's had to rely on members of other parties -- many of them to the left of likud on the political spectrum -- to govern .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- israel was founded on democratic principles with the jewish state 's declaration of independence in 1948 including a commitment to the `` complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion , race or sex . '' it has remained a continuous democracy ever since . the 120-seat knesset is the israeli seat of government . the seat of israeli government is the knesset , the country 's national parliament , located in jerusalem , which israel claims as its capital . the knesset 's 120 lawmakers are elected by universal suffrage with all israeli citizens over the age of 18 entitled to vote . knesset seats are divided according to each party 's proportion of the overall vote . but parties must poll at least two percent nationally to gain a seat . participation in elections , including among arab israelis who constitute around 20 percent of the population , has traditionally been high at around 80 percent turnout , according to israeli government figures . israel currently has around 5.3 million eligible voters . israel usually holds national elections every four years . but this year 's poll on february 10 was called early -- less than three years since the last vote -- by israeli president shimon peres following the resignation of prime minister ehud olmert amid allegations of corruption and his kadima party successor tzipi livni 's failure to form a coalition . olmert has continued to serve as caretaker prime minister in the interim . coalitions of two or more parties are common in israel ; in fact no party has ever won enough votes to form a government by itself . those remaining outside the ruling coalition make up the opposition . thirty-four parties will participate in the 2009 elections , including major parties such as kadima , likud and labor and also three arab parties . the task of forming and leading a government is charged by israel 's president to the knesset member and party leader considered to have the best chance of forming a viable coalition . the prime minister-designate then has 28 days , extendable by 14 days , to build a coalition commanding the support of at least 61 knesset members . officials results are due to be published on february 18 with the new knesset convening on march 2 .

<t> country 's mps approve motion to dissolve the parliament , or knesset . </t> <t> pm benjamin netanyahu failed to resolve differences with coalition . </t> <t> paving the way for an election two years ahead of schedule . </t>

israel election is set for march after mps vote to dissolve knesset<T>

a rescue helicopter has captured amazing footage as it pulled a cruise passenger to safety off the coast of miami . the young man aboard a norwegian cruise lines ship choked on a piece of meat and at one point was reported to have stopped breathing . the daring rescue sees a helicopter hover over the vessel and lower a stretcher before loading the passenger onto it and winching him to safety . a young man aboard a norwegian cruise ship had to be rescue airlifted out after choking on a piece of meat . the feat was just an average day for miami-dade fire rescue , which captured the entire scene on a gopro camera attached to the helicopter . as the rescue helicopter approaches the massive ship -- distinguishable by the large happy face on its front bow -- the fire brigade begins to lower ropes toward their ` reference points ' below . fast forward and the man is being airlifted out on a stretcher , while the flight medic holds onto the side of the bed to secure . at about 20 seconds in , the manoeuvre seems to be a success . rescue workers were unable to organise a ship-to-ship transfer , so the helicopter was called in . a flight medic was lowered down onto the gigantic ship to secure the man to a stretcher and lift him out . the man was transferred to a local hospital , though his current condition is unknown . ` we 're looking good , ' a voice says off camera . once he reaches the interior of the helicopter , it quickly speeds away from the glowing lights of the massive cruise ship . according to rescuers , attempts to transfer the passenger from the ship to a boat were unsuccessful , which is why the helicopter was brought in . ` the fire boat making its way out there felt that the seas were going to be too rough to do a ship-to-ship transfer of any patient , ' lt. chris mccory of miami-dade fire rescue told cbs miami . the patient was taken to jackson memorial hospital . his current condition is unknown .<doc-sep>a cruise ship retracing the titanic 's voyage was forced to turn back yesterday after a passenger suffered a suspected heart attack . the ms balmoral was heading out into the atlantic when it had to change course back towards ireland after bbc cameraman timothy rex fell ` seriously ill ' . mr rex , 56 , was airlifted by coastguard to hospital when the ship reached the helicopter 's range -- 130 miles from land . the incident is the second to beset the cruise ship . last port of call : after heavy winds the balmoral arrives in cobh yesterday as it retraces the steps of the rms titanic 's journey . rescue : an irish coast guard helicopter winches the male passenger from . the ms balmoral after they were taken ill on board the titanic memorial . cruise . it was delayed by gales and 30ft waves . just hours into its voyage as it crossed the irish sea after leaving . southampton on sunday . the captain had planned to reach the . titanic 's wreck site in the north atlantic for a memorial ceremony to . mark the moment the liner struck an iceberg on april 14 , 100 years ago . however , there are now fears the ship will fail to make it to the site . in time . one passenger said : ` there is a bad feeling on board that maybe . the voyage is doomed by bad luck . ' the balmoral had been carrying 1,309 passengers -- the same number as were on the titanic . among them are relatives of those who lost their lives , relatives of survivors , historians and journalists . mr rex , who works for the bbc 's west . of england news channel , was in high spirits when the ship stopped at . cobh , on ireland 's south coast , according to a source . ` it 's just . terrible that this has happened during such a historic trip and everyone . is just hoping to god tim will be all right , ' the source added . mr rex is understood to have suffered chest pains . it was feared he could have had a heart attack . relief : nigel and sonja lingard of brackford green , norfolk arrive from the titanic memorial cruise for a stop in cobh , ireland , following delays .<doc-sep>scroll down for video . tragic : a four-year-old child died after being pulled unresponsive from a swimming pool on norwegian breakaway -lrb- pictured -rrb- off the coast of north carolina yesterday . an emergency medical team on the ship gave both children cpr . their identities have not been revealed . coast guard petty officer adam sansoucie said the boy was taken to carteret general hospital in morehead city , n.c. with his grandmother and a nurse . they were flown by a marine rescue helicopter . his condition is not known . ` we extend our deepest sympathies to the family during this extremely difficult time and are providing full assistance and support , ' the cruise line said in its facebook statement . ` the family is in our thoughts and prayers and we ask that you please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as well . ' the incident is being investigated . it was unclear where the ship was headed . the norwegian cruise line website describes the 4,000-passenger norwegian breakaway as the ` newest and largest ship embarking from nyc ' to winter destinations including the southern caribbean , bahamas and florida . devastating : the children were found in an adult pool on board the huge cruise ship yesterday . apology : norwegian cruise line posted a statement about the tragic incident on their facebook page yesterday .<doc-sep>he was pulled from the pool and the cruise liner 's on-board doctor carried out cpr , which was successful in getting his heart beating again . a french navy nh90 twin-engine helicopter was scrambled to the scene just before 2pm after the ship 's captain raised the alarm to the operational centre for maritime surveillance and rescue in brittany . the boy was flown to morvan hospital in brest where his condition was last night described as ` serious ' . it is not known how the incident occurred but it is thought an investigation will be launched into the circumstances surrounding it . the youngsters ' parents are said to be by his bedside in hospital after joining him on the flight from the luxury cruise ship to the mainland . a french navy nh90 twin-engine helicopter was scrambled to the scene just before 2pm yesterday and took the boy to morvand hospital in brest , france -lrb- file picture -rrb- . last night , mr bouvard described the incident as ` incomprehensible ' and told the times : ` what is terrible is that children can drown without making any noise at all .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a cruise ship resumed its voyage to cozumel , mexico , on tuesday after the coast guard released it from the search for a 50-year-old woman believed to have fallen overboard late monday . passengers on the carnival cruise ship holiday were told that the missing person had not been found . the coast guard identified the woman as michelle vilborg of bay minette , alabama . two coast guard ships , two planes and a helicopter had been searching an area of more than 1,200 square miles about 75 miles south-southwest of pensacola , florida . a u.s. coast guard spokesman told cnn the search began after a crew member heard a loud splash near the vessel late monday . the holiday , which sailed from mobile , alabama , stopped and passengers were told to return to their cabins for a head count , a passenger said . on tuesday , a note from the ship 's captain , carmelo marino , was slipped under the doors of passenger cabins , briefing them on the situation . after circling in gulf waters tuesday , the holiday was released by the coast guard about noon . the coast guard continued searching for the missing woman . vilborg is believed to have fallen about 10:30 p.m. monday , and boats were launched from the cruise ship to search nearby waters . the coast guard said it joined the search around 11 p.m. . in a separate incident monday , rescuers found a passenger who had fallen off another carnival cruise ship . the man had climbed a railing for a better a view of the scenery and slipped into the water near tampa , florida , the coast guard said . the passenger was found clinging to a sea buoy and was taken to a hospital with cuts on his arms . cnn 's ed payne and samuel gardner contributed to this report .

<t> young man was air rescued on november 29 after choking on-board ship . </t> <t> a direct ship-to-ship rescue was apparently not feasible due to rough seas . </t> <t> the miami-dade fire rescue sent in a flight medic to airlift the man out . </t> <t> one of the other rescue workers recorded everything with gopro camera . </t>

rescue helicopter airlifts a cruise ship passenger to hospital after he choked on a piece of meat<T>

in the latest video installment from moda operandi , a group of adorably precocious kids talk about their high-fashion christmas wish lists . twin sisters in the clip , which advertises the luxury online fashion retailer 's holiday collection , say in unison : ' a gold ipad ! ' and when asked what she 's planning to give her mother , one fiery girl responds : ` probably like some sort of jewelry or maybe a new purse or something . like a crocodile birkin . ' what we want : in the latest video installment from moda operandi , a group of adorably precocious kids talk about their high-fashion christmas wish lists . simple pleasures : when asked what she 's planning to give her mother , one fiery girl responds : ` probably like some sort of jewelry or maybe a new purse or something . like a crocodile birkin ' the video takes place in a grand living room decorated with a huge plush panda bear , a christmas tree , a tartan sofa and piles of moda operandi shopping bags . ` we 're talkin ' bout what we want for christmas , ' says one of the young children , who are nicknamed ` fashioneasters ' by the online luxury fashion retailer .<doc-sep>the girls are all decked out in sparkling jewelry and fancy apparel , with one wearing a big fur hat with the price tag dangling from it . ` what are you getting your mommy for christmas ? ' one girl asks another . ' a beautiful necklace with diamonds ! ' she exclaims . tis the season : ` we 're talkin ' bout what we want for christmas , ' says one of the young children , who are nicknamed ` fashioneasters ' by the online luxury fashion retailer . high hopes : twin sisters in the clip say in unison that they want : ' a gold ipad ! ' another young girl reveals her plans to get her mother ' a private plane , so she can go all over the world ! ' the wishlists get even more high-end when one girl declares : ` we should get mommy a basquiat . ' her sister agrees : ` yeah she would love it ! ' back in september , the fashioneasters did a video on new york fashion week , chalking it up to a minefield of confounding footwear , agonizing outfit decisions , and difficult-to-pronounce designer names .<doc-sep>` it 's very hard to walk in high heels . it 's gon na take a lot of practice , ' asserts one young star earnestly from behind a large pair of statement sunglasses , later pronouncing salvatore ferragamo as : ` salva-ferman-gono . ' generous : another young girl reveals her plans to get her mother ' a private plane , so she can go all over the world ! ' fashion forward : two girls giggle as they try on some of the pricey presents for sale on moda operandi 's website . art appreciation : the wishlists get even more high-end when one girl declares : ` we should get mommy a basquiat ' the comical video , which featured the same seven girls who star in the holiday video , sees its subjects try on a range of opulent clothing , answer questions about high-end designers and dole out their sartorial opinions . ` you just need to be , um like , a really good fasion-easter who thinks you can do anything , ' offers one opinionated young girl , proudly sporting a navy blue bow in her hair . ` if you 'd like to be a fashion-easter , tell me , and i 'll probably tell you all about how to be a fashion-easter . '<doc-sep>sparkling snowflakes by moda at george at asda - # 16 . whilst you might not be hoping for snow this christmas this jumper will keep you happy and warm no matter what the weather . light up the room with the christmas jumper company 's rudolf design with leds - # 48 . rudolf does have a very shiny nose thanks to the led lights in this jumper available from www.christmasjumpercompany.co.uk . a light up gingerbread man design is also available . santa 's little helper - the christmas jumper company elf design , # 40 . channel your love of the festive film elf with this design , also from www.christmasjumpercompany.co.uk . winter whites from topshop - # 36 . just how cute is this fairisle style knit from topshop ? subtle in design it 's perfect not just for christmas but for all the winter months . charity starts at christmas with a save the children knit from george at asda - # 14 .<doc-sep>unfortunately , you ca n't buy princess beatrice 's exact bag online . however , net-a-porter have some great colour-ways -lrb- click right -rrb- and matches have a floral version which is currently in the sale -lrb- click below -rrb- . but if you 're not on a royal budget , fear not , because the virtual high street also have some great picks starting from just $ 20 - scroll through the carousel below for our favourites . sophie anderson lilla crocheted cotton shoulder bag at moda operandi . visit site . matches fashion nataly woven-cotton bucket bag at matchesfashion.com -lrb- reduced to # 138 -rrb- . visit site . accessorize sequin butterfly bag . visit site . berry metallic embroidered clutch with tassel at nordstrom . visit site .<doc-sep>popular gift : the idea behind the # 20 sorgenfresser worry eater is that children write down something which has upset them and put it into the monster 's mouth , which is zipped shut , banishing their worries . the award-winning toy was created in 2008 by german children 's tv animator gerd hahn and has become a huge success across europe . the first monster was called saggo , however , there are now several others including frula , betti and biff . flamm , an orange and white-striped monster with spiky hair , will be released in time for christmas . rachel wyatt , who works for the distributors , said : ` there is a symbolic element to zipping away a worry and it disappearing . but if mum or dad finds a worry in a sorgenfresser 's mouth it will help them to talk it through with the child . ' amazon said the toys are already proving popular on children 's online christmas ` wishlists ' . the wishlists are created by parents so that family members , such as grandparents , can log on to buy the presents , in the same way as a wedding gift list .<doc-sep>` it is about being associated with luxury brands , being in fragrance and cosmetic campaigns , or creating your own line of whatever it may be , so people associate your name with something , rather than what you are just the face of . ' the it crowd : models lily donaldson , rosie huntington-whiteley and joan smalls hang out together a lot . the mario testino for mate collection . features abstract and enlarged sections of testino 's exhibition , alta . moda which opens on april 18th , 2013 at avenido pedro de osma in lima , . peru . alta moda is a series of photographic portraits of peruvians . wearing traditional and festive attire from the mountainous region of . cusco . to create alta moda , testino made several trips to cusco city . over a five-year period after discovering an archive of costumes from . the region . the exclusive capsule collection . includes silk and cotton blend kaftans , silk scarves , tote bags and . clutches . jewellery is designed by vicki beamon with a modern take on . peruvian craft . mario testino 's book , alta moda will also be available . to purchase from net-a-porter . holli rogers , fashion director , net-a-porter , said : ` we are huge fans of mario 's photography and are . delighted to be able to offer our customers the opportunity to wear his . works of art . ` the color and detail in the peruvian costumes are . unbelievable and this has paved the way for a fun range of clothing , . bags and jewellery . ' 20 percent of net sales profits will be donated to . mate . alta moda is a series of photographic portraits of peruvians wearing traditional and festive attire from the mountainous region of cusco .

<t> the video is the latest ` fashioneasters ' installment from luxury online fashion retailer moda operandi . </t>

moda operandi kids reveal their luxury christmas wishlists in cute video<T>

prominent abc journalist leigh sales has copped a barrage of complaints on social media from those claiming she was too soft on tony abbott during a televised interview . the prime minister was interviewed by sales on the abc 's 7.30 program on thursday night and her name quickly started trending on twitter . viewers claimed mr abbott got away with the ` lightest and fluffiest ' of interviews , with some even comparing sales to today host karl stefanovic who was applauded for putting tough questions to the pm on monday . scroll down for video . abc journalist leigh sales has copped a barrage of complaints on social media from those claiming she was too soft on tony abbott during a tv interview on thursday . mr abbott hinted at a cabinet reshuffle during the interview and when sales pressed him about it , he said : ` at some stage between now and the next election , quite probably , but this is a good frontbench ' . he then went on to praise the work of his cabinet ministers , including foreign minister julie bishop , finance minister mathias cormann and treasurer joe hockey . sales also asked mr abbott whether he would step aside if it meant giving the liberals the best chance of holding onto power . but the prime minister would not give her a direct answer , saying that it was ' a fair question ' . the prime minister was interviewed by sales on the abc 's 7.30 program on thursday night and her name quickly started trending on twitter . ` the one fundamental lesson of the last catastrophic government was that you do n't lightly change leaders , ' mr abbott said while placing his words carefully . ` governments that change their leaders have n't done very well lately . ' twitter lit up following the interview suggesting the interview allowed mr abbott to get an easy ride . ` and as predicted @leighsales gives abbott the lightest and fluffiest of interviews . allowing him to go on and on , no brakes applied , ' one user wrote . ` abbott really believes his own lies . that looked like a scripted interview to me too , ' another quipped . ` might be time for the abc to hire karl stefanovic to ask the serious questions . this leigh sales is no good . ' viewers claimed mr abbott got away with the ` lightest and fluffiest ' of interviews . some even comparing sales to today host karl stefanovic who was applauded for putting tough questions to the prime minister on monday . mr abbott hinted at a cabinet reshuffle during the interview but did n't give much away when sales pressed him for a definite answer . mr abbott was also questioned over his government 's broken promises .<doc-sep>` people sure may well feel dismayed , disappointed , occasionally even surprised , but i think that they also understand that governments have to respond to the circumstances they find themselves in , ' he said . but he said much had happened in 12-14 months and circumstances did change , with labor 's promised $ 18 billion deficit actually coming in at $ 48 billion . ' i think that they -lrb- voters -rrb- also understand that governments have to respond to the circumstances that they find themselves , ' he said . sales also asked mr abbott whether he would step aside if it meant giving the liberals the best chance of holding onto power . but the prime minister would not give her a direct answer , saying that it was ' a fair question ' mr abbott said the government had kept faith with the australian people because it had fundamentally honoured core commitments to stop the boats , repeal the carbon tax , build the roads and start the job of budget repair . he said there had been a lot of unjustified cries he had broken his promises . on abc funding cuts , he said plainly he did say the night before the election there would be no cuts to the national broadcaster . ` we flagged a very urgent task of budget repair , ' he said . twitter lit up following the interview suggesting the interview allowed mr abbott to get an easy ride . mr abbott said there had been a lot of unjustified cries he had broken his promises . ` it 's interesting that in the run-up to the budget , the messages we were getting back from our constituents and , yes , from liberal party polling , was people were frightened we would squib it . ' mr abbott said he was saying to the australian people there was a need to adjust to changed circumstances and the government was deadly serious about returning the budget to surplus . ` if you are trying to get from point a to point b and one way is blocked you find another way . you do n't abandon your objective , ' he said . mr abbott said he would not flag potential compromises to get stalled budget measures through the senate . ` that 's going to be a matter for discussion and negotiation with the crossbench , ' he said . ` there will be further things to be announced by this government . we will be governing right up until christmas eve . ' according the latest newspoll released on tuesday , labor -lrb- party leader bill shorten pictured above -rrb- is leading on 54 per cent , with the coalition trailing behind on 46 per cent . mr abbott was asked about changing leaders , just like the former labor government who went through two leadership changes going from kevin rudd -lrb- right -rrb- to julia gillard -lrb- left -rrb- then back to kevin rudd .<doc-sep>foreign minister julie bishop will not mount a leadership challenge against tony abbott , quieting speculation she was counting numbers to unseat the prime minister . ms bishop made a definitive statement to cabinet on tuesday afternoon after reports surfaced that she had refused to give an assurance to mr abbott that she would not run against him in a spill for the coalition leadership . ' i am not campaigning for the job of prime minister , i will not challenge the leader , ' she told cabinet , sky news reports . ' i am not ringing the backbench asking for support , i 'm not counting numbers . ' scroll down for video . no challenge : tony abbott met with foreign minister julie bishop on sunday afternoon and asked her not to run against him for leadership of the liberal party . tony abbott refused on tuesday to confirm if he met with the foreign minister to ask her not to mount a challenge . mr abbott has been under heavy fire since announcing his decision on australia day to knight prince philip and reports that he met with ms bishop on sunday seek a guarantee that he enjoyed her full support . treasurer joe hockey told reporters after leaving the meeting to address the rba interest rate cut : ' i have no doubt at all that julie bishop is absolutely 100 per cent supportive of the prime minister . ' it comes after mr abbott was ambushed by tv host leigh sales after she stepped out of the studio to question him at a childcare centre . tony abbott was visiting the little pines centre in sydney with his wife margie on tuesday when he was ambushed by abc 7.30 host leigh sales over leadership speculation . in the fiery exchange , veteran journalist sales asked mr abbott if he would ` bring on a spill ' to put an end to speculation about the liberal leadership .<doc-sep>julie bishop may be behind her leader but one of tony abbott 's team has become the first to openly call for the prime minister to resign . west australian backbencher dennis jensen has called for the liberal party to move to oust mr abbott , adding ` the more quickly you do this , the better ' . ' i believe that it is necessary that this is brought to a head and lanced , ' dr jensen told the abc on tuesday . west australian backbencher dennis jensen has called for the liberal party to oust the prime minister , saying : ` he is not focused on policy . he is not focused on strategic direction . he is focused more on tactics and tactical policy ' he said he had informed mr abbott of his lack of support on january 23 via text message after deciding the party was ` not governing as we should be ... there is no strategic direction , the policy is not consistent and coherent ' . ` he is not focused on policy . he is not focused on strategic direction . he is focused more on tactics and tactical policy , ' dr jensen said of the prime minister , according to the abc . the backbencher said that while he did not want to be seen as the person ` pulling the trigger ' , he knew of a number of mp 's who ` feel similarly ' , adding : ' i thought it was time to strike to start things moving , ' fairfax reports . dr jensen was involved in calling the first of the liberal spills in 2009 that ultimately saw mr abbott installed as the party 's leader . now , mr abbott is under pressure to improve his performance . dr jensen 's -lrb- left -rrb- comments come just hours after foreign minister julie bishop made a definitive statement to cabinet saying she will not mount a leadership challenge against tony abbott -lrb- right -rrb- . two queensland mp 's , including warren entsch and mal brough , plan to resolve the leadership problem when the party room meets in canberra next tuesday . ' i have issues and i 'm hoping to work through with the prime minister , ' mr brough said . ` the matter needs to be resolved and if tuesday is the appropriate time for people to talk about it ... then it 's for them to say so . ' it comes just hours after foreign minister julie bishop made a definitive statement to cabinet on tuesday afternoon saying she will not mount a leadership challenge against mr abbott . her announcement was made in order to quiet speculation she was counting numbers to unseat the prime minister after reports surfaced that she had refused to give an assurance to mr abbott that she would not run against him in a spill for the coalition leadership . ' i am not campaigning for the job of prime minister , i will not challenge the leader , ' she told cabinet , sky news reports . ' i am not ringing the backbench asking for support , i 'm not counting numbers . ' no challenge : tony abbott met with foreign minister julie bishop on sunday afternoon and asked her not to run against him for leadership of the liberal party . mr abbott has been under heavy fire since announcing his decision on australia day to knight prince philip and reports that he met with ms bishop on sunday seek a guarantee that he enjoyed her full support . treasurer joe hockey told reporters after leaving the meeting to address the rba interest rate cut : ' i have no doubt at all that julie bishop is absolutely 100 per cent supportive of the prime minister . ' it comes after mr abbott was ambushed by tv host leigh sales after she stepped out of the studio to question him at a childcare centre . tony abbott was visiting the little pines centre in sydney with his wife margie on tuesday when he was ambushed by abc 7.30 host leigh sales over leadership speculation . in the fiery exchange , veteran journalist sales asked mr abbott if he would ` bring on a spill ' to put an end to speculation about the liberal leadership . the prime minister refused to answer when sales asked him if he had sought assurance from ms bishop that she would n't challenge him . ` look , julie and i have lots of talks , as you 'd expect . we 're friends , we 're colleagues , we 're part of the leadership team and we support each other , ' he said . in the fiery exchange , sales asked mr abbott if he would ` bring on a spill ' to put an end to speculation about the liberal leadership . ` you 're the speculator , leigh , not me , ' mr abbott hit back . sales pushed mr abbott saying ' i assure you that a lot of people on the backbench are speculating as well , prime minister . ' ` leigh , the thing is that we were elected because people were sick of chaos . that 's why we were elected -- people were sick of chaos , ' mr abbott said . ` and what i am determined to do is give australia back the certainty and stability that people crave . people want a government which is focused on doing the right thing by them , not focused on itself . ' sales poked fun at his repeated attempts to dodge the tough questions when she tweeted a photo of mr abbott playing with children at the little pines centre with his wife margie . ` the pm @tonyabbottmhr taking a few tricky questions from the punters , ' the caption read . the abc told daily mail australia that sales liked to get out of the studio as much as possible and went to press conferences from time to time . mr abbott and his wife margie visited the childcare with local member craig laundy to talk about the government 's jobs and families package . ms bishop says she is not counting numbers and his not calling backbenchers . the press conference was streamed live on the abc and some took to social media to comment on leigh sales ' showing up to question mr abbott . the abc said sales liked to get out of the studio as much as possible and went to press conferences from time to time . mr abbott also refused to deny reports he met with ms bishop and asked her not to mount a challenge when he appeared on channel seven 's sunrise on tuesday morning . ' i think people find all that insider canberra stuff boring , ' he told channel seven 's sunrise . ' i have meetings with julie bishop all the time . ' when asked repeatedly if he asked ms bishop not to challenge , mr abbott said : ` i 'm not going to play these canberra insider games ' . ` what -lrb- people -rrb- are looking for is politicians who are not endlessly navel gazing , not fighting amongst themselves , but are getting on with the government of this country , ' he said . ms bishop reportedly refused the commitment because she was angered by news reports at the weekend that she had told mr abbott she would n't challenge . julie bishop , nsw premier mike baird -lrb- left -rrb- and the united kingdom 's secretary of state philip hammond -lrb- right -rrb- signed the lindt cafe condolence book on monday following the sydney siege . ms bishop and united kingdom 's secretary of state philip hammond signed the siege condolence book at martin place for the victim 's of the sydney siege . treasurer joe hockey dismissed reports ms bishop declined to give a commitment . ` unsourced gossip , ' he said when asked about the sky news report on channel nine 's today show . it comes as mr abbott made it clear during a major speech in canberra on monday that he would not give up the top job amid speculation of a leadership challenge . ` we were elected in 2013 because the australian people rejected chaos , ' he said . ` it 's the people that hire and frankly it 's the people that should fire . ' the prime minister has been shaken by various blows in recent weeks , including the liberal national party loss at the queensland state election at the weekend . mr abbott said of ms bishop : ` she 's a friend of mine , julie 's my deputy , she 's been a terrific deputy , been a terrific minister , i believe i have her full support . ' treasurer joe hockey dismissed reports ms bishop declined to give a commitment . mr abbott was also widely criticised for knighting prince philip on australia day . with leadership speculation rife in recent days , mr abbott warned on monday that his government must not repeat the mistakes of the past as he dumped his paid parental leave scheme . ` the rudd-gillard-rudd years can not become the new normal lest australia join the weak government club and become a second rate country living off its luck , ' he said . ' i never came into politics to be popular . ' he also made mention of ms bishop saying : ` she 's a friend of mine , julie 's my deputy , she 's been a terrific deputy , been a terrific minister , i believe i have her full support . '<doc-sep>prime minster tony abbott stumbled over tough questions about which of his ` three ' personas was the real tony in a gruelling tv interview as it emerged up to six of the prime minster 's most trusted lieutenants turned their back on him . six senior cabinet members were part of the 39 who backed a spill motion on monday , as did nine mps who had previously promised to give him their support and vote it down , according to reports in the daily telegraph . at least one was found making approaches to communications minister malcolm turnbull . scroll down for videos . prime minster tony abbott stumbled over tough questions about which of his ` three ' personas was real . in a tense exchange with the 7.30 report 's leigh sales on monday night , mr abbott was accused of being unable to answer basic questions including ` who are you ? ' and ` what do you stand for ? ' however , after the 61-39 ballot , mr abbott promised ` good government starts today ' , after surviving ' a very chastening experience . ' in a tense exchange with the 7.30 report 's leigh sales on monday night , mr abbott was accused of being unable to answer basic questions including ` who are you ? ' and ` what do you stand for ? ' . sales said the public had seen three different versions of tony abbott . ` we 've had the tony abbott in opposition , the guy who promised no more chaos , the adults back in charge , there 'd be no excuses , no broken promises , ' she said . ` then there 's the tony abbott that we 've had so far in government with the surprise policies and the broken promises and the captain 's picks . mr abbott might well reflect on the revelations that six of his ministers turned their back on him and voted for a leadership spill on monday . while mr abbott expressed contrition about his performance in recent weeks , opposition leader bill shorten today revelled in the prime minister 's misfortune , questioning whether he had the mandate to remain leader . ` now you 're offering us a third tony abbott , one that 's going to change . who are you ? ' the prime minister responded : ` well leigh , let 's just focus for a second on the captain 's picks , there have been two captain 's picks . ' but sales interjected : ` can we actually just focus on the big picture there , because there 's been three different tony abbotts . i just want to know which one are you , who are you ? ' mr abbott then steered the conversation back to the topic of ` captain 's picks ' -- more specifically his paid parental leave scheme and his knighthood of prince phillip -- but sales pressed him again . ` how about my point , though , that we 're up to tony abbott 3.0 ? do you accept that you have thoroughly confused the public about what your government is and what you stand for ? ' mr abbott replied : ` let 's look at the situation that we inherited leigh . ' leadership murmurs : mr abbott was not opposed by any of his colleagues , including communications minister malcolm turnbull . the pair are pictured sharing a moment on the floor of parliament as it resumed in 2015 . discussion : mr abbott is now formulating plans on how his team can claw back support in the polls . she responded : ` can we just look at the big picture , about you ? ' the prime minister then said : ` no , no , i 'd rather have a conversation rather than an argument leigh . ' sales then said : ` no , no , i think it 's a reasonable question and one that voters would be asking themselves and that it would be remiss of me not to put to you . ' mr abbott then responded by talking about the budget deficit . ` and let me answer it by saying going into the last election the then government was saying the deficit would be $ 18 billion , ' he said . ` it turned out to be $ 48 billion , there was a $ 30 billion budget black hole that the labor party created , should have known about , and was n't telling us about . ` obviously when the circumstances change , there are some things that have to change with them . ' mr abbott continued by defending funding cuts to the abc , to which sales responded : . survivor : mr abbott survived the threat to his leadership , but 39 of his own mps voted against his leadership . ` but it 's interesting that you 're not able to answer the question to me who are you , what do you stand for ? which tony are you ? ' mr abbott replied : . ` well obviously we stand for a government which believes in lower taxes , smaller government , greater freedom . ` we are a government that believes in values and institutions that have stood the test of time . ` above all else we are a pragmatic government which wants to do what works , and if we try to do something sensible one way and it does n't work we 'll try to bring about the same sensible outcome in another way . ` and there are challenges leigh , we at least accept that there is a serious fiscal challenge , that a bit of intergenerational theft has been going on that the former government started and we are determined to fix . the victor : prime minister tony abbott walks from the party room after a majority of his backbench voted against his leadership . ` the labor party is in denial about all these things . now , you can embrace a government which is not perfect but which is at least fair dinkum . ` or you can go with the people that gave us that problem and are now trying to say that it 's none of their fault and they 're not even going to address it . ' analysts predict mr abbott will get him through to the may budget , as long as the nsw poll is not an unlikely unmitigated disaster , along the lines of victoria and queensland . a majority of the liberal backbench is thought to have voted against the pm and the vote count is considered dire for mr abbott , in that there was no direct challenger for his leadership . contrast : mr abbott swept into the party room meeting accompanied by his deputy leader , julie bishop and a large number of supporters . the motion to spill the leadership was lost 61-39 . on his own : malcolm turnbull arrived to the party room meeting without any colleagues in tow . but the most recent newspoll suggests the electorate will take some convincing , with mr abbott 's disapproval rating at a record 68 per cent and labor holding a clear two-party majority 57 to 43 per cent , if an election was held now . worse , the newspoll figures revealed mr turnbull was by far the preferred liberal party leader , with 64 per cent voting in support of him compared to just 25 per cent backing mr abbott . the poor approval ratings are the most bleak ranking for a prime minister in more than 20 years , comparable only to paul keating in 1994 . the pm conceded the government had been having a difficult time recently , citing the queensland election result that delivered a massive swing against the liberals . ` who would n't be nervous after watching the result in queensland , ' he said . ` so all of us are determined to lift our game and the fundamental point i make is that the solution to all of these things is good government . ` and good government starts today . ' the sweet taste of the other side 's leadership dramas . labor big-wigs bill shorten -lrb- centre -rrb- , tanya plibersek and penny wong made sure to sweep by the assembled media after grabbing their morning coffees . time to pray : mr abbott appeared with his wife , margie , at the traditional church service prior to the beginning of the year 's first sitting week of parliament . mr abbott swept into the party room meeting on monday morning flanked by a large throng of supporters but tellingly , malcolm turnbull was not one of them , sidling into the meeting on his own . the vote was instigated by rebellious backbenchers , who revolted following his controversial decision to knight prince philip and the disastrous defeat of campbell newman 's liberal national government in queensland two weeks ago . the most influential person to come out in favour of the spill motion was liberal senator arthur sinodinos , the former chief of staff to prime minister john howard . treasurer joe hockey said any cabinet minister who supported the liberal leadership spill motion should resign six did . he said he trusted his cabinet colleagues malcolm turnbull and julie bishop . ` if you are going to be disloyal to someone , you should front them , ' mr hockey said . mr hockey stood by the government 's controversial decisions to overhaul medicare , higher education , pensions and welfare , which have contributed to the leadership unrest . ` we have no choice , ' he said of the budget changes . communications minister malcolm turnbull welcomed foreign minister julie bishop to sydney on sunday ahead of the spill motion being defeated on monday . foreign minister julie bishop is also preferred as leader when measured up against mr abbott . treasurer joe hockey has called on any minister who backed the leadership spill to resign .<doc-sep>the prime minister refused to answer when sales asked him if he had sought assurance from ms bishop that she would n't challenge him . ` look , julie and i have lots of talks , as you 'd expect . we 're friends , we 're colleagues , we 're part of the leadership team and we support each other , ' he said . in the fiery exchange , sales asked mr abbott if he would ` bring on a spill ' to put an end to speculation about the liberal leadership . ` you 're the speculator , leigh , not me , ' mr abbott hit back . sales pushed mr abbott saying ' i assure you that a lot of people on the backbench are speculating as well , prime minister . ' ` leigh , the thing is that we were elected because people were sick of chaos . that 's why we were elected -- people were sick of chaos , ' mr abbott said . ` and what i am determined to do is give australia back the certainty and stability that people crave . people want a government which is focused on doing the right thing by them , not focused on itself . ' sales poked fun at his repeated attempts to dodge the tough questions when she tweeted a photo of mr abbott playing with children at the little pines centre with his wife margie . ` the pm @tonyabbottmhr taking a few tricky questions from the punters , ' the caption read . the abc told daily mail australia that sales liked to get out of the studio as much as possible and went to press conferences from time to time . mr abbott and his wife margie visited the childcare with local member craig laundy to talk about the government 's jobs and families package . ms bishop says she is not counting numbers and his not calling backbenchers .

<t> abc journalist leigh sales faced a barrage of twitter complaints following her interview with tony abbott on thursday . </t> <t> twitter users claimed mr abbott got a free ride during the 7.30 interview . </t> <t> sales was compared to nine 's karl stefanovic who was applauded for hitting the pm with ` tough questions ' earlier this week . </t> <t> mr abbott hinted at a cabinet reshuffle and spoke about broken promises . </t>

leigh sales under fire for being too soft on tony abbott in abc interview<T>

the federal government 's plan to boost its refugee intake by 7,500 has been overshadowed by claims that officials mistreated two pregnant iranian asylum seekers who refused to get off a bus at a darwin detention centre . the refugee increase will occur over four years and bring australia 's overall humanitarian intake to about 18,750 . the move is expected to cost the government an estimated $ 100 million , which will be funded by savings within the immigration portfolio . it is one of a raft of measures that immigration minister scott morrison has agreed to as part of a deal with senate crossbenchers to win support for his bill to resurrect temporary protection visas . mr morrison was forced to defend accusations that officials mistreated two heavily pregnant iranian refugees who refused to get off a bus parked at wickham point detention centre 40km south of darwin on saturday . the federal government 's boost to its refugee intake by 7,500 has been overshadowed by claims that officials mistreated two pregnant iranian asylum seekers who refused to get off a bus at wickham point detention centre in the northern territory -lrb- pictured -rrb- . immigration minister scott morrison denies the pregnant women and their families were mistreated describing them as ` malicious claims by asylum activists ' mr morrison said the welfare of the two heavily pregnant women , their husbands and one son was monitored and they had access to food , water , amenities , toilets and health professionals as they batted with authorities over the right to live in the community ahead of the births . but refugee action coalition spokesman ian rintoul said the air conditioning was turned off on the bus during the stand-off which started at 10pm on saturday when the women , maryam and tahere , refused to get off the bus . ` on monday , both pregnant women fainted after the bus was intentionally allowed to heat up , ' mr rintoul said on wednesday . maryam 's husband collapsed and was taken to the medical centre in the facility , he added . mr rintoul also disputes the time frame for the end of the stand-off , saying the two women ` were dragged off the bus ' between 5.30 pm and 6pm on monday , rather than tuesday morning as reported . the second man , adnan , alleges he was physically restrained by four guards as his wife maryam was taken off . however , mr morrison rejected these claims stating that the department and detention service provider , serco , had acted appropriately towards the women and their families . ` my understanding is they 're fine , '' he said . adnan and maryam pictured boarding a plane in nauru bound for darwin , according to the refugee action coalition . the 7,500 increase in australia 's refugee intake will be rolled out over four years . ` the government denies claims of cruelty and mistreatment of the individuals in the strongest possible terms , ' he said in a statement . ` these are yet more malicious claims by asylum activists . ' the two families had been on nauru for 15 months , and had lived in the community for part of that time after being recognised as refugees . mr morrison said the government will ` hard-wire ' its refugee intake commitment into a ` disallowable instrument , ' so the intake ca n't be reduced without senate agreement . senator nick xenophon 's amendments were also backed by the government and are expected to result in better alignment with the unhcr when it comes to refugee assessments . the government 's fast-tracking process will be limited to 30,000 cases left over from labor government . a total of 25,000 asylum seekers now on bridging visas will be allowed work rights . mr morrison 's announcement came after reports that his bill was set to be defeated in the senate . ` the ultimate determination of this bill is in the hands of the senate , it is not for me to commentate on the position of individual senators , ' mr morrison said . the bill would also boost powers to turn back boats and head off a high court challenge and create a five-year safehaven enterprise visa for genuine refugees . senator nick xenophon 's amendments were also backed by the government that will result in better alignment with the unhcr when it comes to refugee assessments including greater efficiency which is free of bias .<doc-sep>by . leesa smith . an openly gay african man planned to attend the aids 2014 conference in melbourne with the aim to seek asylum in australia because he fears for his life back in his homeland . the successful retail business owner decided to pay about $ 3220 to a man who organised his trip to melbourne after his shop was looted three times with the final incident being done by the police themselves - where he was also beaten . the man , who is married to a woman who knew about his sexuality and who he recently had a child with , said he was left with no choice but to leave his family behind . scroll down for video . about 25 african international aids conference delegates are seeking asylum in australia . ` i said i did not want to leave without my family , but i could do nothing , ' he told the age . ` even if you go to the police , they say , ` in this country you can not -lsb- be gay -rsb- ' . ' the man , who wished to remain anonymous due to concerns for his safety , is anxiously staying at a city backpacker hostel , with up to 25 other anxious african conference delegates seeking protection from persecution in their homelands . the five-day conference finished on july 25 and delegates from countries including tanzania are are in crisis accommodation after refusing to leave australia , while their visas have reportedly expired or are due to imminently . one of the delegates , who preferred to remain anonymous , said his work with people with hiv and albinos in his native tanzania had put his life at risk after , reported the abc . tanzania has one of the highest rates of albino murders in the world , often a result of witchcraft killings . receiving death threats , the delegate said he was nearly killed by a group of people who chased him as he drove home from watching soccer game . ` so i got a very bad accident ... almost like dying . they wanted to kill me . after that crash , they disappeared completely because so many people came to give me help , ' he said . believing the tanzanian government will not be able to protect his safety or similar incidents from happening , the delegate plans to lodge his asylum application later this month . pamela curr of the asylum seeker resource centre confirmed the group of delegates was seeking advice about gaining refugee protection in australia . he said he decided to seek asylum in australia due to its human rights ` reputation ' . a spokesperson of immigration minister scott morrison said the government would assess each claim for protection based on individual merit and in compliance with the law . pamela curr of the asylum seeker resource centre said the group of delegates was getting advice about gaining refugee protection in australia , because they come from countries where aids-related work had put their lives at risk . ` it seems that some of them have been considering whether they think they can survive in their countries of origin , or whether they should try to survive by getting refugee protection in australia , ' she said . she said the delegates ' visas had either already expired or were due to and that it was not the first time conference delegates have tried to gain refugee status in australia . ` when people have come from countries where their daily lives are threatened by violence and politics , and they come to australia and take a deep breath , walk down the street , and know that no one is going to kill them . it 's a very intoxicating freedom , ' she said . ms curr said this is not the first time conference delegates had tried to get asylum in australia . ms curr said this is not the first time conference delegates had tried to get asylum in australia and that in the past , delegates had been granted asylum because their claims were considered strong under refugee protection . calling a refugee visa one of the ` hardest ' to get in australia , she said the current delegate 's claims would be assessed as per the refugee convention . if found to have a claim , ms carr said she wants to see protection offered to the delegates by the government . crisis accommodation service homeground ceo heather holst said the organisation had helped find shelter for 14 of the delegates after they sought help . she said while the organisation was not involved in the asylum seeking process , they could provide support with finding a place to stay .<doc-sep>ms curr said this is not the first time conference delegates had tried to get asylum in australia . ms curr said this is not the first time conference delegates had tried to get asylum in australia and that in the past , delegates had been granted asylum because their claims were considered strong under refugee protection . calling a refugee visa one of the ` hardest ' to get in australia , she said the current delegate 's claims would be assessed as per the refugee convention . if found to have a claim , ms carr said she wants to see protection offered to the delegates by the government . crisis accommodation service homeground ceo heather holst said the organisation had helped find shelter for 14 of the delegates after they sought help . she said while the organisation was not involved in the asylum seeking process , they could provide support with finding a place to stay .<doc-sep>about 25 african international aids conference delegates are seeking asylum in australia . tanzania has one of the highest rates of albino murders in the world , often a result of witchcraft killings . receiving death threats , the delegate said he was nearly killed by a group of people who chased him as he drove home from watching soccer game . ` so i got a very bad accident ... almost like dying . they wanted to kill me . after that crash , they disappeared completely because so many people came to give me help , ' he said . believing the tanzanian government will not be able to protect his safety or similar incidents from happening , the delegate plans to lodge his asylum application later this month . pamela curr of the asylum seeker resource centre confirmed the group of delegates was seeking advice about gaining refugee protection in australia .<doc-sep>an online video game allowing players to become australian prime minister tony abbott and ` stop the boats ' has gone viral on social media . ` stop the boats ' the game lets players try their hand at preventing refugee boats from landing on australian shores - as a tony abbott head bobbing in the water . the mission ? to keep as many vessels from the mainland as possible , while avoiding obstacles like politician clive palmer 's titanic and former one national leader pauline hanson ` at all costs ' . the satirical game , set to nintendo 's super mario brothers theme song , takes aim at the coalition 's divisive asylum seeker policy by greeting players with the teaser : . ` oh no ! australia 's refugee intake per capita is 68th in the world ! help tony stop the boats and win over voter approval ! ' gamers can also use their keyboards to ` teleport tony ' , ` excercise humility with those $ 12 billion f-35 jets , straya ' or to help australian treasurer joe hockey buy cigars .

<t> increase will occur over four years and will bring intake to about 18,750 . </t> <t> the move will cost the government an estimated $ 100 million . </t> <t> immigration minister scott morrison has agreed to the plan in order to win crossbench support for his bill to resurrect temporary protection visas . </t> <t> 25,000 asylum seekers now on bridging visas will be allowed work rights . </t> <t> mr morrison has been forced to defend accusations that officials mistreated two heavily pregnant iranian refugees . </t>

government almost doubles refugee intake which 'll see extra 7.5 k call australia home<T>

fixing jet skis , posting bail and storing lost property are some of the things australian embassies can not help with when travellers run into trouble overseas . these may sound like strange demands but remarkably these are the kind of requests embassies have received from australians every year , which also include borrowing a laptop and providing legal assistance . and foreign affairs minister julie bishop thinks it is time for some tough love . the australian government is cracking down on people who do the wrong thing and request help from the embassies , which include posting their bail . the department has launched a campaign to alert travellers about what is reasonable - and more importantly , unreasonable - to expect from australia 's consular services abroad . ` our consular staff are not there to pay for the repairs to your jet ski . they are not there to pay your hotel bill , ' ms bishop said in canberra . ` consular assistance is a last resort service . ' australia 's diplomats have noticed some trends in recent years as the number of trips taken abroad has exploded to nearly ten million a year . last year diplomats helped nearly 15,000 australians in trouble , and juggled more than 1,000 active cases a day . last year they helped nearly 15,000 australians in trouble , and juggled more than 1,000 active cases a day .<doc-sep>less people are needing medical evacuation or emergency financial assistance these days but more are dying , getting arrested or winding up in hospital . bangkok remains the busiest consular post in the world , unsurprising as thailand 's the top destination for australians dying or getting hospitalised . but hundreds of the cases at that embassy were classed as ` general welfare ' , and the growing number of travellers seeking help for trivial matters is putting strain on the system . but foreign affairs minister julie bishop stressed that those in genuine need - like victims of serious crimes or natural disasters - would not be stranded . ms bishop stressed that those in genuine need - like victims of serious crimes or natural disasters - would not be stranded . but she said some people rort the system , pointing to activists who willfully break the law overseas and then demand help . ` and yet the australian consular staff are meant to get on a plane and fly to some remote place to bail them out , ' she said . last year ms bishop suggested the government might ask greenpeace to repay the tens of thousands of dollars spent helping activist colin russell get out of a russian prison . she 's decided not to introduce a cost recovery system for consular services for now , but says it remains a ` live option ' . 1 -rrb- a traveller who was destitute in europe refused to return to australia without their pet bird , which could not be returned for quarantine reasons .<doc-sep>2 -rrb- a mother who wanted the embassy in bangkok to book accommodation and a return ticket to australia for her son , then provide an embassy driver to take him to the airport . 3 -rrb- a request from an australian traveller for dfat to feed her dogs while she was away . 4 -rrb- ` i 'm attending a conference overseas with a large group of australians but i have heard it is a dangerous city . can the high commission arrange for a risk assessment and some armoured cars . we only need them for a week . ' 5 -rrb- multiple enquiries to embassies overseas seeking the closest pub televising state of origin games . 6 -rrb- an australian who had his laptop stolen overseas requested that embassy staff pick him up from the airport , loan him a laptop and provide him with office space for a few days . 7 -rrb- a traveller who asked whether the sand in egypt would affect her asthma . 8 -rrb- panicked callers regularly reporting australian travellers missing overseas , after not hearing from them within the first few hours of arriving in country . consular officers usually explain that getting through customs and immigration can take time . 9 -rrb- ` why wo n't the australian embassy come and pack my bags for me ? i 'm an 80 year old architect travelling by myself and too old to pack my own bags ' 10 -rrb- ' i left some items on an aircraft when i changed flights . can the embassy collect it from the airline lost property ? ' 11 -rrb- ` can the embassy obtain prescription medicine from australia and send it to me so i can continue my holiday ? '<doc-sep>12 -rrb- requests for embassies to store luggage , hold mail , provide banking facilities or arrange tours for australian travellers . 13 -rrb- ` what is the best way to get a polecat out of your roof ? ' 14 -rrb- ` i 'm going on a cruise . what will the food be like ? can you drink the water on the ship ? ' 15 -rrb- some travellers evacuated from civil unrest in egypt on government funded flights questioned why they were not entitled to frequent flyer points . similarly , some travellers evacuated from the 2004 boxing day tsunami made seat requests , including for first class . 16 -rrb- a caller to dfat 's consular emergency centre wanted to know the average salary for an expat to expect in thailand . 17 -rrb- ` does the embassy know if there are any hotels in phnom penh with vacant rooms ? ' 18 -rrb- ` can the embassy tell the local police that i have an excellent driving record in australia and should not have to pay those outstanding speeding fines ? ' 19 -rrb- ` what is the best hotel in phuket ? ' 20 -rrb- ` on my last trip to the philippines i had some trouble with the law . what is the number of the embassy in manila so i can call them to get me out of jail when i go back ? '<doc-sep>how outrageous have some of those requests for help been ? behold , this list of 20 rather unsusual pleas for assistance , provided by dfat : . 1 . a traveler who was destitute refused to return to australia without their pet , which could not be returned for quarantine reasons . 2 . a mother who wanted the embassy in bangkok to book accommodation and a return ticket to australia for her son , then provide an embassy driver to take him to the airport . 3 . a request from an australian traveler for dfat to feed her dogs while she was away . 4 . i 'm attending a conference overseas with a large group of australians but i have heard it is a dangerous city . can the high commission arrange for a risk assessment and some armored cars ? we only need them for a week . 5 . multiple enquiries to embassies overseas as to the closest pub televising the -lrb- rugby -rrb- state of origin game . 6 . an australian who had his laptop stolen overseas requested that embassy staff pick him up from the airport , loan him a laptop and provide him with office space for a few days .<doc-sep>7 . a traveler who asked whether the sand in egypt would affect her asthma . 8 . panicked callers regularly reporting australian travelers missing overseas , after not hearing from them within the first few hours of arriving in country . consular officers usually explain that getting through customs and immigration can take time . 9 . why wo n't the australian embassy come and pack my bags for me ? i 'm an 80 year old traveling by myself and too old to pack my own bags . 10 . i left some items on an aircraft when i changed flights . can the embassy collect it from the airline 's lost property ? 11 . can the embassy obtain prescription medicine from australia and send it to me so i can continue my holiday ? 12 . requests for our embassies to store luggage , hold mail , provide banking facilities or arrange tours for australian travelers . 13 . what is the best way to get a polecat out of your roof ?<doc-sep>a group of suspected illegal immigrants have been arrested after arriving into britain by hiding in the back of a lorry which was carrying a dozen luxury jet skis worth hundreds of thousands of pounds . the stowaways , who are aged 33 and 22 and are believed to be albanian nationals , hid in the back of the truck containing 12 jet skis worth # 15,000 each as it made its way from ibiza to the uk . it is understood the three men hid in the back of the 44ft lorry after climbing into it during the ferry crossing from spain to portsmouth harbour . scroll down for video . three illegal immigrants have been found on board a lorry carrying jet skis from ibiza to the uk . police were called to watercraft world in fareham , hampshire , after workers spotted the men in the lorry as they unloaded the luxury jet skis . it is thought they climbed onto the lorry during the ferry crossing from spain . staff at watercraft world in fareham , hampshire , only discovered the men , who were in good health , as they began unloading the luxury jet skis at the depot on friday . they alerted police who arrived soon after in three police cars and two vans to take the men away . nigel kershaw , who runs watercraft world , said the men carried albanian passports , driving licences and # 2,000 in cash . he said : ` at first i thought it was one of our guys and then another head appeared and we panicked . ` all we could do was surround the vehicle and tell them to stay where they were until the police arrived .<doc-sep>' i think everyone here is a bit shocked . it 's one of those situations you see on the news as you see what 's going on in calais and other places . ` it does n't seem real until a day like this and it 's a big wake-up call for us all . ' i felt desperately sorry for the lorry drivers . with everything going on on the continent they are so aware of the issues . ` when they arrived in spain from ibiza they drove straight to bilbao , not even stopping for coffee , so there was never any chance of having people climb in . ' the men were detained after the lorry parked in fareham having crossed from spain to portsmouth harbour . the jet skis were being transported from ibiza where they were being used by riders at a water sports festival . he also urged authorities to tighten up controls , adding : ' i know they are up against it and immigration is on a huge scale but the whole thing needs looking at . ' the jet skis - all privately owned - were being transported from ibiza where they were being used by riders at the jet bou ibiza water sports festival . the watercraft arrived in bilbao following a 400-mile overland trip from valencia where they had travelled from the island by another boat . it is thought the men managed to gain access to the back of the lorry from another vehicle on the way over from spain and had been travelling for up to three days . paul hughes , director of festival organisers xtreme action , which organised the shipment of the jet skis , said : ' i do n't know why they were n't picked up but they should have more cameras on lorries going through . '

<t> australia 's department of foreign affairs is cracking down on outrageous requests it gets from travellers . </t> <t> minister julie bishop said staff were not there to pay for repairs to people 's jet skis . </t> <t> diplomats helped nearly 15,000 australians in trouble overseas last year . </t> <t> less people need medical evacuation or emergency financial assistance . </t> <t> but more people were dying , getting arrested or winding up in hospital . </t>

australian embassies crack down on outrageous requests from people overseas ... which includes fixing jet skis and borrowing laptops<T>

freshwater crocodiles with an appetite for the toxic cane toads have worked out a clever way to get a delicious meal without being poisoned . the crocodile population in northern territory has dropped dramatically in the past few years but the ` dwarf ' crocs have been munching away at the hind legs of the pests to survive . crocodile specialist dr adam britton told daily mail australia that they discovered a significant amount of toxic cane toads with missing legs after observing the areas around bullo and liverpool rivers in arnhem land , around 500 kilometres from darwin . poisonous cane toads found without their hind legs - believed to have been eaten by a freshwater ` dwarf ' croc . ` my wife erin did some surveys in 2009 after the cane toads reached the areas . she observed the twisted and mangled toads and noticed the crocodile teeth marks , ' he told daily mail australia . ` we know that they often like to flick and tear off whatever they 're holding in their mouth and that 's what we 're seeing a lot around the area .<doc-sep>` we were sceptical at first but now we 've seen patterns and it 's obvious that they 're mangling the back legs to feed themselves . ' ` the freshwater ` dwarf ' crocs have found a clever way to survive - by munching off the hind legs of toads . dr adam britton and his wife erin discovered a significant amount of missing legs on toxic cane toads . dwarf crocs can grow to one-and-a-half metre in size and are classified in the same freshwater croc species . while the inevitable arrival of poisonous cane toads could have affected the small population of freshwater crocs , mr britton said the toads may have found a safe way to consume the toxic pests .<doc-sep>` the toads have toxins in parts of their body that will usually kill the crocodiles when they consume them , ' mr britton said . ` we 're afraid that the toads could wipe them out - it 's a serious effect on the crocs ' population and there were n't many of them to start with . ` the ones who have been tearing of their legs from its limbs are the ones who have survived . ` or the previous ones who have consumed toads before were put off after eating a whole toad . ` so they simply learn during the trial and error and found that this is the way to eat delicious toads in a natural progression and they know its safe . '<doc-sep>dr britton and his wife erin observed areas around the bullo and liverpool rivers in arnhem land . poisonous cane toads found without their hind legs - believed to have been eaten by a freshwater ` dwarf ' croc . dwarf crocs can grow to one-and-a-half metre in size but dr britton added that they are still categorised in the same species as freshwater crocodiles . ` we call them dwarfs or pygmies because they 're half the size smaller than a normal freshwater croc , ' he told daily mail australia . ` the reason why they 're so small is because there is less food for them to eat but they 're incredible survivors -- if they do n't get enough food or they eat really slow -- they just wo n't grow as much . '<doc-sep>'30 to 40 years ago , we never thought we 'd be eating raw fish in large quantities in australia but now we do , we just need cultural attitudes to change and we can get it into a niche market . ' ` to get it into the commercial market we need to look at the viability and how we can prepare it to not get poisoned , practises need to be right and then we can start , ' he said . ` but it really is quite easy to get poison out of cane toads . ' ` you simply have to kill them quickly as to not stress them out and remove their legs and skin and wash them . ' ` the poor cane toad has an image problem , the poison is only in the shoulder area the legs are fine . ' and while he does n't see the idea of eating cane toads in australia becoming a massively popular craze , he believes we need to embrace it . ` it really is a dream product , it 's a winner on every front . ' a group in the northern territory called gulp nt - which stands for growing and understanding local produce have promoted cooking up and eating cane toads . on their blog , they said friends of the organisation which live outside darwin have always been keen on experimenting with the cooking of road kill , including snakes and wallabies and also had an interest in the use of these ugly toads as food . ingredients . * 8 toad legs with skins removed . * 4-5 knuckles of galangal . * finley chopped 3 leaves of thai coriander . * finely chopped 2 large handfuls of kang kung . * 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil . * splash of soy sauce salt . * salt and pepper . method . heat sesame seed oil in a wok on a medium heat . fry toad legs for a couple minutes , add galangal and coriander , season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes stirring continuously . add kang kung and mix with plash of soy sauce until stems cooked . they included several recipes which have been tired and tested by the gulp team including cane toad marinated in soy , ginger , garlic and chilli . how about a salad of toad legs with kang kung and galangal and canapes with garlic butter ? they also suggested the most humane way to catch them was by the back legs and whip them into a dark airtight canoe bag and then freeze them . gulp says you do n't want to stress them out so just pop them in the freezer and when you want to cook them , thaw them out and take a meat clever to chop off their legs . cane toads are a good source of protein and omega 3 . stir fry cane toad ?? a sydney researcher says we should be eating these ugly critters and exporting them internationally .<doc-sep>crocodile specialist dr adam britton told daily mail australia last week that he and his wife had discovered a significant amount of toxic cane toads with missing legs in rivers 500 kilometres from darwin . ` my wife erin did some surveys in 2009 after the cane toads reached the areas . she observed the twisted and mangled toads and noticed the crocodile teeth marks , ' mr britton said . ` we know that they often like to flick and tear off whatever they 're holding in their mouth and that 's what we 're seeing a lot around the area . it comes following revelations freshwater crocodiles in the northern territory had worked out ways to eat cane toads without being poisoned by just chewing off the legs . crocodile specialist dr adam britton discovered a significant amount of toxic cane toads with missing legs in rivers 500 kilometres from darwin .<doc-sep>` then i realised it was a cane toad with a python wrapped round it . it was a negative outcome for the toad . ' the snake , nicknamed ` the assassinator ' , does n't stick around to eat the cane toads and instead just leaves their bloated bodies in the casino car park , which is how mr carpenter stumbled across it . he joked that the snake should train up his friends to help round up and kill more cane toads to stop the pest destroying native species and the environment . it comes following revelations freshwater crocodiles in the northern territory had worked out ways to eat cane toads without being poisoned by just chewing off the legs . the snake , nicknamed ` the assassinator ' , does n't stick around to eat the cane toads and instead just leaves their bloated bodies in the casino car park .<doc-sep>by . emily crane . a group of northern territory cooks are rivalling the french 's renowned frog legs by coming up with their own delicacy -- the poisonous cane toad . the cooks have started using the legs of the pest species in six different dishes and are dubbing it the ` new feral fine food ' . darwin food blogger emma lupin said the cane toad was overlooked as a food source . darwin food blogger emma lupin has started using the poisonous cane toad in her cooking . ` there are just so many cane toads it is mind boggling , but they are also surprisingly easy to catch , ' ms lupin , who is part of the gulp nt blog , said . ` the most humane way reported is to catch them by the back legs and whip them into a dark airtight canoe bag , you do n't want to stress them out . ' ms lupin 's blog -- growing and understanding local produce -- is part of a community project that focuses on using locally grown foods . the gulp team are the ones behind the cane toad leg recipes . the cane toads are killed by freezing them before cutting off their legs . the legs of the cane toad are then skinned to rid it of its poisonous skin . ms lupin has experimented with a number of recipes including marinating the toad legs in soy , garlic , ginger and chilli . ingredients . 8 toads legs with skins removed . 2 tbls butter . 3 cloves of garlic . salt and pepper to taste . 1 baguette . garlic chives , finely chopped . method . 1 . melt butter in a heavy based sauce pan and fry garlic until softened . 2 . add toad legs and cook in butter until tender . 3 . lightly toast the baguette . 4 . serve two toad legs on a piece of baguette . 5 . drizzle with garlic butter and garnished with chives . ' i tried marinating them in soy , garlic , ginger and chilli . after a couple of hours in the fridge i sautéed them in sesame oil and served them with heaps of local vietnamese coriander and random salad greens , including sweet leaf and rosella leaves , ' ms lupin said . cane toads produce poison through its parotid gland and some parts of its body are poisonous for many species including humans . ms lupin said the way cane toads are killed is important because they disperse more poison when stressed . ` so give them the most calm end possible , ' she said . ` after you have a few pop them in the freezer . after sufficiently frozen thaw these guys out ... -lrb- and -rrb- with a meat cleaver or sharp knife cut off their legs . ` because of the fact these creatures contain poison in their back and skin , you want to skin them and avoid the upper body . we skinned the legs which is really easy . ' the group experimented with cooking road kill like snakes and wallabies before turning to cane toads . ` if you are going to try some pest management , you might as well get some protein from this unwanted visitor , ' ms lupin said . ms lupin runs a blog , growing and understanding local produce , which has a focus on locally grown foods .

<t> ` dwarf ' crocs have worked out how to survive off toxic cane toads . </t> <t> crocodile specialist dr adam britton and his wife erin made the discovery . </t> <t> the poisonous cane toads have affected the low freshwater croc species . </t>

` dwarf ' crocs bite off back legs of cane toads so they do n't get poisoned<T>

the intricate designs and amazing detailed fondant work in these cakes are a sight to behold . they are the creations of budding bakers , who cooked up these complicated cakes for a competition . their creations included characters from the television show the simpsons , a tiger covered in flowers and a deer drinking from a lake . the threadcakes competition , a rival to bbc 's great british bake off , asked bakers around the world to create sponge-based treats inspired by threadless 's printed t-shirts . canadian baker kylie mangles ' cutout ralph took first in the 3d category of the threadcakes competition . the 29-year-old spent five days working around the clock to bake the ribs and bones , and to decorate the cartoon character with fondant . watering a life into itself won fifth place in the 3d category . it shows a deer drinking from a lake with trees made made out of edible wafer paper , leaves dyed with food colouring and branches made out of baker 's gum paste . good enough to eat : this multicoloured tiger , tropicalia , was the creation of elizabeth marek and took second place in the 3d category . the winning 3d cake , made by 29-year-old kylie mangles , was based on a cut-out version of the simpson 's character ralph . the cake and cookie designer from canada won $ 1,000 -lrb- # 640 -rrb- in cash and threadless gift certificates for her intricate design . fantasy space cake won the 2d category in the threadcakes competition . designer megan matsumoto took three weeks to complete her entry .<doc-sep>fifth place winner in the 2d category went to natasha baker who created a pixel of my childhood and shows video game consoles . the red deer by melissa cody won second place in the 2d category . the animal and surrounding scenery was carefully crafted in fondant . 3d winners . cutout ralph kylie mangles . tropicalia by elizabeth marek . the endless sea by jacinta perkins . the observer by yenna susanty . watering a life into itself by april koteh .<doc-sep>2d winners . fantasy space by megan matsumoto . the red deer by melissa cody . halfling and wizard by kristi caccippio . the flaming lips by yasmeen daultana . a pixel of my childhood by natasha baker . ms mangles spent five days working around the clock to bake the ribs and bones and decorate the cartoon character with fondant . winner of the 2d category megan matsumoto , 22 from california , said of her design ` fantasy space ' : ` sculpting and painting all the gumpaste and fondant pieces took about three weeks or so , but only because i was so busy and could only work on them a little bit here and there .<doc-sep>` when all the pieces were done , i baked and finished the cake in one day . ' other standouts include a deer with foliage sprouting from its back , which was made in thirty hours over three days , and a cat wearing goggles which took a week to assemble and included buttercream for the fur . chris cardinal , from threadless , said : ' a panel of judges reviews each cake and picks their ten favorites in the 2d and 3d categories and submits them to me . their ballots are tallied and the winners are selected . ` this year 's best entries had a lot of complexity and really accurate execution of the original design . ' threadless is an online community of artists , based in chicago , illinois . the company was founded in 2000 and products on sale - created and chosen by web users - include original artwork , graphic t-shirts and mobile phone accessories . fourth place went to the flaming lips by yasmeen daultana . the monochrome cake has subtle raised designs and a distinct gothic feel . jacinta perkins ' the endless sea won third place in the 3d category.the cake is of mythical sea creature made from gum paste . kristi caccippio 's handpainted halfling and wizard ' took third place in the 2d category , and depicts a boy and a wizard crossing a stream .<doc-sep>by . mark prigg . gorillas use their smell as a form of communication to other gorillas , researchers have found . researchers say the animals use the unusual form of communication in thick african forests , where other methods are tough . they also believe that the silverback , dominant make of the group is particularly adept at using smells . gorillas at london zoo : researchers say the animals use the unusual form of communication in thick african forests , where other methods are tough . researchers spent 12 months following a wild male silverback gorilla in the central african republic rainforest as the ape tended to his harem and fended off competitors .<doc-sep>simon created the hit cartoon alongside matt groening in 1991 . he technically retired from the simpsons in 1993 , but still receives tens of millions in royalties every season . asked why he decided to dedicate his fortune and final months to animal rights , simon was unequivocal . ` the thing about animals that speaks to me so much is that my passion for the animals and against animal abuse is based on the knowledge that these creatures which think and feel ca n't speak for themselves , ' said simon to nbc . ' i feel it is my responsiblity to speak for those who ca n't speak for themselves . ' appreciation : pamela anderson kisses sam simon during award ceremony for her contribution to ` mercy for animals ' simon grew up comfortably in beverly hills , where his father was in the garment industry , not showbiz . after turning his drawing talent into a job at an animation studio that made cartoons for kids , simon submitted a script , on spec , to the abc comedy ` taxi . ' his script was bought and produced , and simon , in his 20s , was hired as a staff writer and soon rose to be the showrunner . from there he joined a new nbc sitcom called ` cheers , ' where he was staff writer for its ascendant first three seasons . in 1987 he became a writer and executive producer on the fox comedy series ` the tracey ullman show , ' teamed alongside james l. brooks , the comedy legend with whom he had worked on ` cheers ' and ` taxi , ' and , of course , cartoonist matt groening . they became the founding fathers of ` the simpsons . ' ` the simpsons ' began as interstitial cartoon clips aired during the otherwise live-action ` ullman ' show until , in 1989 , it was spun off as a fox half-hour of its own . simon was named creative supervisor , and he hired the first writing staff as well as creating several springfield citizens , including mr. burns , the cadaverous industrialist , and dr. hibbert , the buffoonish physician . although simon remained the least-known of the three creators , by many accounts he was the most hands-on . ` you ca n't overstate his contribution to `` the simpsons , ' '' says talk-show star conan o'brien , who was a ` simpsons ' writer and producer in the early 1990s . ` no one 's smarter than he is . '<doc-sep>gopro had the best-selling camcorder last year , according to government paperwork filed by the company . since launching its high-definition camera in 2009 , it has sold 8.5 million of them , including 3.8 million in 2013 . its cameras are sold in more than 25,000 stores and cost between $ 200 and $ 400 . competition : gopro 's list of competitors is short but growing , as garmin , samsung and sony have all entered the market with similar products . it also sells accessories such as cases , battery packs and mounts that help users attach their cameras to surfboards , helmets or their wrists . it also has a free app and software that lets users edit , store and publish their videos to their social media accounts including facebook , instagram , twitter and youtube . additional growth may come from the wild videos its cameras create , which the company hopes to use to create a media company . ` we believe gopro is well-positioned to become the first media company whose content is captured exclusively using its own hardware , ' the company said in its government filing .<doc-sep>the sudden diarrhea outbreak pushed the cdc to investigate and they found that the mud races are held on farmland that ` might be exposed to fecally contaminated water or slurry that potentially serious diarrheal disease can result if ingested , even inadvertently . ' the cdc says that racers are exposed to the fecally transmitted bacteria campylobacter coli that is hazardous to health and can begin affecting the body 2-5 days after exposure . ` these events typically are held in rural areas and often include man-made slurry fields -lrb- a mixture of soil or clay and water -rrb- as race ` challenges , ' the cdc says . ` in areas commonly frequented by animals , topsoil used in the creation of slurry fields can be contaminated with feces from domestic fowl or ruminants or wild animals . competitors who run or ride through such areas might unintentionally swallow sufficient numbers of organisms to cause clinical disease . ' lieutenant colonel chad claar , the public health flight commander at nellis air force base who led the research told the washington post that he believes more than 22 people got sick after the race in nevada but only a handful of the participants reported it . a competitor comforts his teammate after she made it through the last obstacle during the tough mudder at mt. snow in vermont .

<t> the threadcakes competition asked bakers around the world to create treats inspired by threadless 's t-shirts . </t> <t> winning 3d cake based on a cut-out version of the simpson 's character ralph creation of canadian kylie mangles . </t> <t> beautifully detailed sponges include a tiger covered in flowers , deer drinking from lake and mythical sea creatures . </t>

the threadcakes competitors create wild animals and the simpsons from cake<T>

a u.s. couple cleared in the death of their 8-year-old daughter arrived home to los angeles on thursday and reunited with family members following a legal battle that kept them in qatar for nearly two years , including almost a year spent in jail . matthew and grace huang arrived with smiles on their faces , according to the david house agency , which represents them . ` mission accomplished . matt and grace are in los angeles . they have not stopped smiling , ' the agency tweeted . american couple grace , center , and matthew huang , right , walk to their departure gate with u.s. ambassador to qatar , dana shell smith , left , at the hamad international airport in doha , qatar . family reunion : the david house agency tweeted a photo of matthew and grace huang embracing their sons and other relatives , saying it was a ` glorious family reunion . if the qatari prosecutors could only see this moment ! ' the agency later tweeted a photo of the couple embracing their sons and other relatives , saying it was a ` glorious family reunion . if the qatari prosecutors could only see this moment ! ' the huangs gained international attention when they were arrested in january 2013 on charges of starving their african-born daughter , gloria , to death . the couple , who are of asian descent , had adopted gloria in ghana when she was 4 years old , and are the parents of two other adopted , african-born children . throughout the case , the family 's representatives expressed concern that there were cultural misunderstandings underpinning the charges against the couple in a nation where western-style adoptions and cross-cultural families are relatively rare . american couple matthew , left , and grace huang , smile . the los angeles couple had been detained in the country after their arrest in january 2013 , on murder charges following the death of their 8-year-old daughter .<doc-sep>the huangs spent nearly a year behind bars before their case was heard for the first time in november 2013 . they were eventually convicted of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison . an initial police report raised questions about why the couple would adopt children who did not share their ` hereditary traits . ' prosecutors said the couple denied food to their daughter and locked her in her room at night . the huangs said gloria suffered from medical problems complicated by an eating disorder that was the result of her impoverished early years in africa . the huangs spent nearly a year behind bars before their case was heard for the first time in november 2013 . they were eventually convicted of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison . an appeals court judge overturned their conviction sunday and said they could leave , but their passports were confiscated at the airport later that day . their situation remained tense until the moment of their departure wednesday , with matthew huang being detained for several minutes at the airport 's passport control station as his wife watched in tears . the suspense encapsulates the twists and turns of a slow-moving case that became an irritant in otherwise close relations between the u.s. and qatar , a key ally that hosts an important u.s. military air base . ` we feel relieved . we feel gratitude to the legal system in the state of qatar , which after some time worked as a good legal system should , ' said u.s. ambassador to qatar dana shell smith , who accompanied the couple to the airport . the couple and their children moved to qatar in 2012 after matthew huang was hired to work as an engineer as part of preparations for the 2022 world cup .<doc-sep>an american couple convicted in qatar of child endangerment has spoken out about their situation . parents matthew and grace huang of los angeles will receive a final verdict on their appeal on november 30 , a qatari judge announced october 20 . the huangs , of los angeles , were originally jailed on murder charges following the january 2013 death of their adopted daughter gloria . the huangs recently spoke to katie couric in an interview for yahoo! news . ' i believe that the authorities in qatar suspected foul play because we are asians and we adopted three children from africa , who are black , and this country does not understand adoptions , ' matthew huang said during the interview . scroll down for video . parents : grace and matthew huang are appealing their child endangerment conviction with the qatari government - and the prosecution has also appealed , asking for the death penalty . murder ? the prosecution alleged that the couple had denied food to gloria and said the child was locked in her room at night . grace huang further explained , ` it 's just not done here . they do n't even have a word for adoption . i was asked over and over whether i was the `` real mom . '' ' yahoo news ! reported that ` authorities arrested the couple and accused them of killing their daughter in order to sell her body parts on the black market . ' the huangs were released from prison last november , but banned from leaving during the trial . in march , the court sentenced them to three years in prison for child endangerment . speaking about their imprisonment , grace huang said in the yahoo! news interview ` it was incomprehensible to us . we were put in prison and taken back and forth to court every two weeks and we did not understand what was happening . things were not translated . i was not allowed to see matt or the kids . ' the huangs have remained out of prison during their appeal . they have insisted that their daughter , who was born in ghana , died of medical problems complicated by unusual eating habits . however , matthew huang said in the yahoo news ! interview ' a lot of her struggles were from malnourishment from when she was younger . '<doc-sep>doha , qatar -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a qatari judge sentenced california couple grace and matthew huang to three years in prison after they were found guilty in the death of their 8-year-old adopted daughter . `` we have just been wrongfully convicted and we feel as if we are being kidnapped by the qatar judicial system , '' a distraught matthew huang told reporters outside the court thursday . `` this verdict is wrong and appears to be nothing more a than an effort to save face . '' the couple was accused of murdering their daughter , gloria , by starving her to death . but the judge did not specify the exact charge for which they were convicted . the judge 's order calls for the couple 's deportation after the serve their sentence . they were also fined about $ 4,120 each . the couple has two weeks to appeal the verdict . the huangs deny charges of killing their daughter , who died in january last year . `` the prosecutor accused us of trafficking our legal adopted children with the intent of selling their organs . that is how ridiculous this is , '' matthew huang said outside the courtroom . `` so we are calling on the united states president obama to call the head of state in qatar . ''<doc-sep>an american couple convicted in qatar of child endangerment will receive a final verdict on their appeal next month , a qatari judge announced on monday . matthew and grace huang of los angeles were originally jailed on murder charges following the january 2013 death of their adopted daughter gloria . they were released from prison last november , but banned from leaving during the trial . scroll down for video . matthew and grace huang of los angeles -lrb- pictured today -rrb- were originally jailed on murder charges following the january 2013 death of their adopted daughter gloria . ` it feels like there is no end to this , ' matthew huang told reporters outside the courtroom monday . ` the qatar government is ignoring the calls of the u.s. government for our release ' they were released from prison last november , but banned from leaving during the trial . in march , the court sentenced them to three years in prison for child endangerment . in march , the court sentenced them to three years in prison for child endangerment .<doc-sep>an american couple charged with starving their 8-year-old adopted daughter to death in the gulf arab state of qatar were sentenced thursday to three years in prison , a verdict that stunned and shocked the family , according to the couple 's defense lawyer . matthew and grace huang were jailed in qatar on murder charges in january 2013 , following the death of their daughter , gloria . they were released from prison last november , but banned from leaving qatar during the trial . ` we feel that we have been kidnapped by . the qatari judicial system , ' matthew told reporters outside the . courthouse after the sentencing . ` this is wrong . ' the huangs will appeal the decision and it is unclear whether they will be imprisoned pending appeal . scroll down for video . prison : matthew , left , and grace huang , are seen speaking to the press thursday after they were sentenced to three years in prison in qatar . matthew added : ` we . just do n't believe that we have been convicted . this verdict . should be overturned immediately and we should be allowed to go home . ' the . huangs ' lawyer , sami abu sheikha , said the judge hastily read out the . sentence and failed to say what the couple was guilty of . matthew . huang had been working in the booming gulf nation as part of . infrastructure improvements for qatar 's hosting of the 2022 world cup . the huangs say their adopted daughter , . who was born in ghana , died of medical problems complicated by unusual . eating habits that included periods of binging and self-starvation . defense witnesses have testified that the girl appeared healthy and .

<t> matthew and grace huang were detained in the country after their arrest in january 2013 , on murder charges following the death of their 8-year-old girl . </t> <t> the huangs were living in qatar when their daughter died . </t> <t> they were imprisoned but later cleared of charges . </t> <t> a delay in lifting a travel ban imposed on the couple was blamed on legal procedures . </t> <t> prosecutors alleged the huangs bought daughter cheaply in africa and starved her to death . </t>

matthew and grace huang held in qatar over daughter 's death arrives in us<T>

north korean dictator kim jong un has banned citizens from sharing his name and ordered people using it to get ` trained ' to change it . a leaked internal state document from the secretive state obtained by south korean television contained ` an administrative order ' to all party , army and police officials to ensure that the directive was carried out . according to the document : ` all party organs and public security authorities should make a list of residents named kim jong-un ... and train them to voluntarily change their names . ' north korean dictator kim jong-un has banned any people in his country from sharing his name ordering them to undergo ` voluntary training ' officials in the secretive state have been ordered to search through identity records to uncover any fellow kim jong-uns and re-educate them . he ordered the communist party , the army and the police to conduct checks and told officials to refuse any birth certificates sharing his name .<doc-sep>anyone named kim jong-un would have their official documents , identity cards and even school diplomas changed to the person 's new name . officials were also told to reject all birth certificates for babies named after the dictator . the document continued : ` authorities should make sure that there is no one making unnecessary complaints or spreading gossip ... regarding this project . ' the authenticity of the official directive could not be independently verified , and seoul 's unification ministry declined to comment on whether it was genuine . but one government official noted that the pyongyang regime was known to have banned citizens sharing the names of founding president kim il-sung and his son , kim jong-il . one south korean official said : ` given the north maintained the policy under the two previous leaders , there is a possibility that it would continue to do so now . '<doc-sep>the kim dynasty has ruled north korea for more than six decades with an iron fist and pervasive personality cult . park jin-hee , a north korean defector working for kbs who obtained the document , said she was sure the 2011 directive had been effectively enforced . a similar rule applied to kim jong-un 's father kim jong-il and his grandfather kim il-sung , who are revered in north korean society . officials were warned against allowing any gossip of rumours surrounding the new naming policy to spread within the secretive state . the new naming policy was contained in a leaked document which was published by a south korean tv station earlier this week . park , who defected in 2008 said : ` there is no one in the north named kim il-sung and kim jong-il , and there is no doubt the same rule applies for jong-un .<doc-sep>kim jong un made his international debut in late 2010 when he was awarded a slew of top political jobs . his father , who reportedly suffered a stroke in 2008 , was seen as moving fast to hand over power so his family could rule for a third generation . kim jong il inherited power in 1994 when his father kim il sung died . north korea enforces strict , state-organised public reverence of the kim family , which serves as the backbone of the family 's authoritarian rule of the impoverished country . all north koreans are required to wear lapel pins bearing the images of kim il sung and kim jong il and to put the leaders ' portraits on the walls of their homes . their birthdays are considered the most important holidays in north korea .<doc-sep>in january 2009 , south korean intelligence reportedly intercepted a message circulated around north korean embassies globally , stating that kim jong un was being prepared for succession . since then , there has been no further confirmation from any north korean official source . opinion : change in the wind ? recent foreign visitors to pyongyang , however , say ordinary north koreans know his name . schoolchildren are being taught a song called `` footsteps , '' praising kim jong un , though not by name . `` north korea is not a country where kim il sung to kim jong il or from kim jong il to kim jong un pass power from one person to another person . the succession goes from one power collective to another collective , '' said lee woo-young , a professor at the university of north korean studies in seoul , south korea . `` i see little possibility for clash domestically between different groups . '' vice guide to north korea .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- high ranking officials in north korea on wednesday paid their respects during the state funeral of the country 's second-highest ranking military officer , jo myong rok , according to the official korean central news agency . jo , 82 , was vice marshal of the korean people 's army . he died of a heart attack on saturday , state media said . the high-ranking army official made history in 2000 when he became the first north korean military officer ever to enter the u.s. pentagon , later meeting then-president bill clinton . jo 's casket was carried by an armored car and escorted by motorcycles away from pyongyang 's central hall of workers where mourners were permitted to gather , state media reported . the country 's longtime leader kim jong il and his son kim jong un were among members of the funeral committee , state media said . jo 's death has fueled speculation over new leadership in north korea . `` the old guard is fading in influence , '' said scott snyder , north korea expert at the new york-based council on foreign relations . `` it 's not clear if kim jong un actually needs more titles to make it clear that he is on the rise , '' he said , referring to kim jong il 's son . north korea has been ruled by the kim family since 1948 , and it is widely anticipated that kim jong un will eventually succeed his father , but little is known about the apparent successor . the son of kim 's third wife , who died in 2004 from breast cancer , kim jong un reportedly studied under a false name at the international school in bern , switzerland , before attending the kim il sung military academy in pyongyang . some north korea analysts believe , on the other hand , that he may never have left north korea .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a widely anticipated meeting of north korean ruling party members went off anticlimactically tuesday , with only the announcement that leader kim jong il was reappointed general-secretary of the party . the korean workers ' party last convened its delegates more than four decades ago . on monday , kim 's youngest son , kim jong un , was promoted to the rank of general , a sign of the transitioning of power to the next generation that was nevertheless buried in the last paragraph of an article by state-run media . opinion : change in the wind ? that kind of mystery surrounds the man who is widely expected to become the secretive communist nation 's next leader . `` they do n't release the information , so no one can know , '' said kang cheol-hwan , a north korea defector and activist . `` when he was little , he studied in bern -lrb- switzerland -rrb- , in a school for the elite . he got an international education . '' vice guide to north korea . little else is known about kim jong un . two photos of him consistently circulate in news reports outside of north korea . that 's because he 's been kept off the radar by the north . before kim 's promotion to general on monday , north korea 's state-run media did n't mention him -- there were no family photos showing him as a youngster and no images of him by his father 's side , learning to lead . he is kim 's third and youngest son . he 's 27 or 28 years old . his grandfather , kim il sung , ruled for nearly 50 years , and a mythic cult of personality was woven around him . his son , kim jong il , took over after kim il sung died of a heart attack in 1994 . kim il sung called himself the `` great leader , '' and kim jong il calls himself the `` dear leader . '' kim jong il served a 20-year apprenticeship at his father 's side . but with kim jong il , now 68 , and in poor health after suffering a stroke , analysts think succession plans have accelerated . in january 2009 , south korean intelligence reportedly intercepted a message circulated around north korean embassies globally , stating that kim jong un was being prepared for succession . since then , there has been no further confirmation from any north korean official source . recent foreign visitors to pyongyang , however , say ordinary north koreans know his name . schoolchildren are being taught a song called `` footsteps , '' praising kim jong un , though not by name . what is life like inside north korea ? he was also rumored to have been elevated to the powerful national defense committee ahead of tuesday 's party meeting . state media had said the party would assemble to discuss policies , strategies , and tactics . `` north korea is not a country where kim il sung to kim jong il or from kim jong il to kim jong un pass power from one person to another person . the succession goes from one power collective to another collective , '' said lee woo-young , a professor at the university of north korean studies in seoul , south korea . `` i see little possibility for clash domestically between different groups . '' one key question if kim jong un does inherit leadership : can he sustain his grandfather 's and father 's legacy , even as north koreans go hungry while the country pours money into its nuclear program and military ? kim jong il prioritized the military and bypassed the party . he might now be preparing a more dovish course , given the catastrophic economic conditions his country faces after a decade and a half of military confrontation , said suh jae-jean , president of seoul 's korea institute of national unification . kim jong il introduced his `` red banner '' policy in 1996 , a more militant tack than his father 's blend of stalinism and korean self-reliance . north korea has acknowledged producing roughly 40 kilograms of enriched plutonium -- enough for about seven nuclear bombs , according to the u.s. state department . the u.n. security council last year condemned north korea 's launch of a long-range rocket , saying it violated a resolution banning ballistic missile testing . the north expelled u.s. nuclear experts and u.n. nuclear inspectors after the rebuke . journalists andrew salmon and tomas etzler contributed to this report .<doc-sep>during his rule , kim focused on building nuclear weapons , calling them necessary protection against the u.s. military presence in south korea even as they drew sanctions . kim yong nam , north korea 's nominal head of state , praised kim jong il on tuesday for ` turning our country into an invincible one that can never be defeated and has a nuclear deterrent . ' applause : north koreans clap as a large screen shows a portrait of the late north korean leader kim jong il , during a concert in pyongyang to commemorate his death and what would have been his 70th birthday . mourning : a screen shows ` devastated ' north koreans in the days following kim jong il 's death , during a concert in pyongyang to commemorate his 70th birthday . portraits of kim show him smiling beatifically , and a stamp issued following his death captures him sharing a laugh with kim jong un . those images are replicated across pyongyang in huge portraits hanging at the people 's palace of culture , a flower exhibition featuring his kimjongilia begonias and at a book fair at the grand people 's study house . it 's an image that contrasts with kim jong il in his later years , as he reportedly recovered from a stroke and battled chronic illness . he often appeared in public wearing a heavy parka and dark sunglasses . last month , top leaders of the workers ' party announced that kim 's body would lie in state at kumsusan , where his father , north korea founder kim il sung , already lies in state . officials said later today that the building had been renamed kumsusan palace of the sun . kim jong il has often been referred to as the ` sun of the 21st century ' in state propaganda , which calls kim il sung 's birthday the ` day of the sun ' . sombre : the colourful display of today 's celebration are staggeringly different to the mourning observed by north koreans following kim jong il 's death -lrb- pictured here -rrb- . stricken : north koreans were seen crying in the streets in the aftermath of kim jong il 's death , but many questioned the veracity of their actions . while north korea 's leadership has venerated kim jong il , it has also emphasised his son 's links to his revered grandfather , whom kim jong un resembles in looks and style . shedding the quiet demeanour he displayed when his father was alive , kim jong un wasted no time in asserting himself as the new leader , making energetic visits to military units seen as important to his father 's ` military first ' policy . at kumsusan palace today , he strolled slowly onto a reviewing stand beneath another large portrait of his father . the crowd then paid silent tribute to kim jong il , heads bowed , while a breeze ruffled the flags and kim jong un 's hair . during the military parade , kim appeared relaxed , laughing and speaking with ri yong ho and armed forces minister kim yong chun . among others who paid their respects with kim were kim yong nam ; premier choe yong rim ; kang sok ju , a vice premier who was kim jong il 's key foreign policy adviser ; and kim ok , a woman believed to have been kim jong il 's companion .

<t> north korean citizens have been warned against naming their children after their dictator kim jong-un . </t> <t> a document smuggled out of the secretive state claims to contain details of the bizarre order introduced in 2011 . </t> <t> citizens who share kim jong-un 's name have been told that they must be ` trained ' to change it . </t> <t> officials were warned in the so-called ` administrative order ' to prevent any unnecessary complaints or gossip . </t>

north korea 's kim jong-un bans anyone from sharing his name<T>

a 98-year-old woman lost her bid to persuade a judge to erase her 1950 conviction for conspiracy to obstruct justice in the atomic spying trial of julius and ethel rosenberg . miriam moskowitz , of new jersey , served two years in jail for lying to a grand jury as it investigated the rosenbergs , who were convicted of passing nuclear weapons secrets to the soviet union . on thursday , 61 years after the rosenbergs were executed , u.s. district judge alvin k. hellerstein rejected moskowitz 's unusual request to clear her name . immediately after hearing oral arguments , he said her lawyers could not show that transcripts of grand jury statements by the lone witness against her would have changed her trial 's result . disappointed : miriam moskowitz , 98 , accompanied by her nephew ira moskowitz , leaves federal court in new york on thursday after a judge refused to declare her innocent of obstructing justice in the rosenberg case . convicted : moskowitz is pictured with her business partner abraham brothman in a prison van after both were charged with conspiracy . she was fined $ 10,000 and jailed for two years . brothman was jailed for seven years . as he left the bench , hellerstein wished moskowitz well and told her it was a pleasure to have her in his court . ` ok , that 's the end , ' a cheerful moskowitz , walking with a cane toward spectators , told a film crew that has been following her . ` you can finish your documentary now . ' outside court , she said she was disappointed and referenced the mccarthy era , when fear of communism was rampant in the united states and a blacklist made it hard for some to find work . ` too bad , ' moskowitz said of hellerstein 's ruling . ` my 98-year-old life goes on , and it 's not affected me one way or the other except i am disappointed because it reflects ... the prejudice of the mccarthy era . ' she added : ` the decision today does n't help understand that era . ' executed : julius -lrb- left -rrb- and ethel rosenberg -lrb- right -rrb- were executed in 1953 after being found guilty of passing nuclear weapons to the soviet union . cables have confirmed julius ' involvement but shed doubt on ethel 's . national news : the controversial espionage case was one of the most lengthy and complicated in us history .<doc-sep>guilty : she served two years in prison for allegedly lying to a grand jury investigating the rosenbergs . rejected : a judge said the suggestion that information was withheld during her trial was not enough proof . the government had opposed moskowitz 's request , saying her conviction was supported by the evidence and that she conspired with two men to lie to a grand jury investigating allegations of atomic espionage . ` her claims , even if taken at face value , are insufficient to establish an error under today 's law , let alone the law when she was convicted in 1950 , ' prosecutors said in court papers . moskowitz 's lawyers said fbi and grand jury statements by the key government witness against her -- harry gold -- were withheld from the defense . they said the papers showed that gold repeatedly told the fbi that moskowitz was unaware of plans by others to lie before the grand jury until the government threatened him with the death penalty . moving on : moskowitz told a documentary team following her that this signaled the end of her journey . lengthy battle : the new jersey-based woman blames mccarthy-era prejudice for her conviction . the rosenbergs , convicted of passing nuclear weapons secrets to the soviet union , were executed in 1953 . assistant u.s. attorney robert allen told hellerstein on thursday that the jury heard statements at trial that were similar to statements moskowitz 's lawyers claim are new . gold served about half of a 30-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to violating the espionage act . since then , decoded soviet cables have appeared to confirm that julius rosenberg was a spy , but doubts have remained about ethel rosenberg 's involvement . ethel , an actress , singer and secretary , was 37 when she died . electrical engingeer julius was 35 when he died .<doc-sep>david greenglass , who served 10 years in prison for his role in the most explosive atomic spying case of the cold war and gave testimony that sent his brother-in-law and sister , julius and ethel rosenberg , to the electric chair in 1953 , has died at 92 . greenglass -- who admitted decades later that he lied on the stand about his own sister -- died in new york city on july 1 , according to the rosenbergs ' sons , michael and robert meeropol . after his release from prison in 1960 , greenglass lived under an assumed name in queens , hoping to be forgotten for his part in a mccarthy-era cause celebre that is still furiously debated to this day . scroll down for video . david greenglass , pictured in 1956 , was an army sergeant and los alamos bomb project employee whose testimony led to the conviction and execution of his sister and brother-in-law , ethel and julius rosenberg . ethel and julius rosenberg sit in a police van after being convicted of espionage in 1951 . a spokeswoman for the meeropols , amber black , said the brothers were aware of their uncle 's death last summer but did not seek media attention and received no inquiries at the time . the rosenbergs were convicted in 1951 of conspiring to steal secrets about the atomic bomb for the soviet union and were executed at new york 's sing sing prison , insisting to the very end that they were innocent . greenglass , indicted as a co-conspirator , testified for the government that he had given the rosenbergs research data obtained through his wartime job as an army machinist at los alamos , new mexico , headquarters of the top-secret manhattan project to build the atomic bomb . he told of seeing his older sister transcribing the information on a portable typewriter at the rosenbergs ' new york apartment in 1945 . that testimony proved crucial in convicting ethel along with her husband .<doc-sep>the trial , which ended last december after 13 weeks , concerned a plot to steal # 2million of metal . pardon , of tipton , west midlands , yesterday admitted contempt of court in a case attorney general dominic grieve referred to the high court in london . passing a four-month prison sentence , lord chief justice lord judge emphasised the ` seriousness with which this court will view any incident which serves to undermine our system of trial by jury ' . he added : ` this contempt involved deliberate disobedience . in these circumstances an immediate custodial sentence is virtually inevitable . ' lord judge told pardon that he knew ` perfectly well ' that he should have voiced his concerns to the trial judge rather than the defendants . jonathan challinor , defending pardon , said : ` it is right mr pardon disobeyed a clear and unambiguous direction from the trial judge . attorney general dominic grieve -lrb- pictured -rrb- referred the matter to the high court where pardon was found guilty . that was a matter which mr pardon candidly and straight-forwardly admitted when interviewed by police . ' he added that pardon had acted in good faith .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- questions continued to swirl thursday over the president 's decision to withdraw a pardon for a new york developer involved in a long island mortgage fraud scheme . president bush withdrew the pardon of isaac toussie after a firestorm of criticism . isaac toussie , 36 , was convicted in 2001 of mail fraud and of making false statements to the department of housing and urban development that stemmed from the mortgage scheme . the white house initially announced the pardon tuesday afternoon , immediately setting off a firestorm of criticism from angry homeowners and investors , as well as government watchdog organizations quick to note toussie 's ties to prominent republican officeholders . among the questions now being asked are : . • why did n't the white house conduct a more thorough investigation of toussie 's background ? • why did white house counsel fred fielding circumvent the typical pardon application process by directly considering toussie 's clemency request instead of leaving it to the justice department ? • did toussie get special treatment because of his political connections ? watch why bush withdrew the pardon '' toussie and his father , also a developer , are defendants in a lawsuit filed in new york federal court on behalf of more than 400 minority home purchasers who allege a conspiracy involving racial steering , racketeering and fraud related to homes the toussies built on staten island , attorney peter seidman told cnn . seidman , a partner in a law firm representing the plaintiffs , said he was `` very pleased '' with president bush 's order for a review of the pardon . `` it -lsb- the pardon -rsb- was a bitter pill for the home purchasers to swallow , '' he said . the toussies had previously been accused of conspiring with lenders and others to build and sell substandard homes -- a charge they denied . according to a senior administration official , the white house learned new information about toussie 's case tuesday night -- hours after the pardon was announced . specifically , the white house learned , according to the official , `` additional information about the nature of fraud -lsb- toussie -rsb- carried out . '' the white house also learned that toussie 's father had made numerous contributions to leading gop politicians .<doc-sep>to some , he came to be regarded as a symbol of betrayal . in the 1989 woody allen movie ` crimes and misdemeanors , ; allen 's character says of his smug and annoying brother-in-law : ' i love him like a brother -- david greenglass . ' convicted atom bomb spy david greenglass sits in a taxi leaving new york 's federal house of detention -lrb- 1960 file photo -rrb- . greenglass was born in new york in 1922 . after army service in world war ii , including the los alamos assignment , he and julius rosenberg became partners in a machine shop . the business failed ; a rosenberg attorney later claimed that led greenglass to seek revenge on his brother-in-law . in fact , david and ruth greenglass , like the rosenbergs , were active communist sympathizers , having joined the young communist league in 1943 . both couples believed that the soviet union should have the bomb if the united states did . at trial , the greenglasses said julius rosenberg had recruited david greenglass as a spy and arranged for him to feed stolen atomic research and a detonator to a go-between , harry gold . gold also was later convicted . greenglass served 10 years of a 15-year sentence for espionage . after his release , he lived with his family in anonymity as controversy over the rosenberg case rose and ebbed over 40 years . greenglass remained estranged for the rest of his life from the rosenbergs ' sons , who were 10 and 6 when their parents were executed . the brother later took their adoptive parents ' surname , meeropol . author roberts wrote that while greenglass was willing to see his nephews , he remarked that ` their whole life has been involved with this kind of stupidity , to actually think they -lrb- the rosenbergs -rrb- were innocent . ' ethel and julius rosenberg are shown leaving new york city federal court after arraignment in 1950 .

<t> miriam moskowitz , 98 , served 2 years in prison for obstruction of justice . </t> <t> she was convicted in 1950 of lying to a grand jury investigating the atomic spying plot by julius and ethel rosenberg , who were executed in 1953 . </t> <t> a judge said claims that her original defense team were deprived of court documents did not prove her innocence . </t> <t> moskwitz said she is disappointed and blamed mccarthy-era prejudice . </t>

judge refuses to pardon miriam moskowitz of conspiring with rosenbergs<T>

curiosity almost killed this cat , as it found its way into a home moving box and got taped in with no food or water for more than a month . ashley barth 's kitty mee moowe disappeared in september as movers packed her family 's belongings for a 4,800-plus mile move from suffolk , virginia , to hawaii . she and her daughters delayed their move for three nights as they frantically looked for their pet but in the end they had to give up the search and wave their former home goodbye . scroll down for video . lucky escape : this cat named mee moowe has used up at least one of its nine lives after surviving a month-long trip in a home moving box with no food or water .<doc-sep>temporary home : an image of packing crates , similar to one of the ones mee moowe would have traveled in . however , thirty-six days later , when the removal boxes arrived in hawaii the barths got an unexpected surprise . ashley told wavy-tv she heard a faint ` meow ' as her possessions were unloaded and mee moowe was discovered hiding in one of the boxes . ` the -lsb- removal -rsb- guy goes , `` what was that sound ? '' and my heart just kind of sunk for a minute and i thought , `` no , no way . '' and then we heard it again . and the guy said , `` was that a cat ? '' ' ashley recalled . the feline had reportedly lost half her body weight and could barely walk .<doc-sep>frail : the kitty had reportedly lost half her body weight and could barely walk . much-loved : ashley barth said mee moowe disappeared in september as movers packed her family 's belongings for a move from suffolk , virginia , to hawaii - here one of her daughters is seen with the cat . her eyes were also ` crusted shut ' . ' i was in shock , ' ashley said . ' i could n't believe it . i think i was grateful that she was alive , but i was furious this happened to her . '<doc-sep>a vet in hawaii reported mee moowe exhibited classic symptoms of starvation . though the barths were thrilled to have their pet back the reunion was short-lived . after being fed and watered back to health , mee moowe was sent to quarantine as she did not undergo the vaccination process needed to make the move overseas . the barths are currently waiting for her return , so she finally settle into her new home . ' i could n't believe it . i think i was grateful that she was alive , but i was furious this happened , ' barth said .<doc-sep>set aside bonding time : cats love routine and they enjoy companionship , says shelton , who suggests bringing a new cat home during a time when you have a few days to help it adjust to new surroundings . create a `` safe room '' for the cat : place the cat 's litter box , food , water and bed in a designated space , preferably near a window . shelton said this is particularly helpful when cats are being introduced to a canine companion or other cats in the house . `` this will help the cat feel secure in a new environment , '' she says . `` if other cats or dogs exist in the home , place the cat in a room that will allow some access under the door so the animals can sniff and stick a paw out if they like . '' she says the furry roommates should live separately for a few days . `` once the cat is feeling confident , you can then begin the introductions . '' introduce the cat to canine roommates ... sloooowly : if your dog is cat-friendly , the introduction should still happen very slowly . shelton also said it helps to have an outgoing cat , but patience is key . `` our adoptions of a cat into a home where a dog exists have gone very successfully because of a slow introduction , '' she says , adding that it also helps to install a baby gate to allow the cat a safe getaway . avoid a cat-on-cat catastrophe : there is a reason that cats are described as finicky . sparling stresses that you use caution when introducing new felines to the family : `` many people will adopt a new cat , then throw it into a room with the resident cat and let them work it out . bad idea ! '' sparling says it can take days and even weeks for your cat to accept the idea of a new kitty on the block . to ease the transition , she suggests keeping them separated at the beginning . also , regularly swap their blankets so each becomes familiar with the other 's scent . `` when they do finally meet , make sure there is a cat tree or a shelves in the room so each cat can have a high spot , '' she says . `` some cats get along great from the beginning and some will hate each other for the rest of their lives . it all comes down to the cat 's personality . '' in other words , there will never be a dull moment in catville . mnn : how one feline mascot saved the trains in japan . get the good stuff : an investment in high-quality cat food , is an investment in the long-term health of your cat . `` you will avoid some of the health issues that stem from poor food , such as urinary track issues , '' shelton says . `` by feeding a higher-quality diet , i think you can expect to pay $ 30 to $ 40 a month , depending on how many cats you have in your home . '' the same applies to kitty litter , and there are several green options available that use corn , pine and even old newspapers . maintain the preventatives : flea saliva can cause an allergic reaction in cats . keep your kitty itch-free by combing it frequently and using regular flea treatment . and check out more tips on avoiding allergies , because no one wants to be around an angry -- or itchy -- feline roommate ! © copyright 2011 mother nature network .<doc-sep>by . becky evans . published : . 09:36 est , 16 january 2013 . | . updated : . 04:11 est , 18 january 2013 . a missing cat survived a 1,700-mile journey while being trapped in the undercarriage of an inter-city train . polly spent two days trapped under the front carriage as the first great western train made a series of trips between london , the west country and south wales . the tabby was only discovered after train manager emily mahoney-smith heard meowing when the train stopped briefly on its way to cornwall . scroll down for video . nine lives : polly had her leg amputated after surviving a 1,700-mile journey trapped under the train . the two-year-old cat is thought to have climbed on board the high-speed express near her home in plymouth , devon , before enduring the two-day journey without food and water . she suffered a badly-broken leg during the ordeal , which later had to be amputated . vets said by the state of her injuries polly may have been trapped for even longer .<doc-sep>these pictures capture the moment animal lovers come to the rescue of more than 1,000 cats found starving , thirsty and cramped in cages on the back of a crashed lorry in china . the cats were destined for the restaurants of guangdong until the road accident in changsha , hunan province delayed the journey by 24 hours and enabled the 50 locals to rescue them . they were nursed with food , water and milk before being packed off to changsha small animal protection association for treatment . volunteers save more than 1,000 cats locked in wooden cages without food and water , after a traffic accident on a street of changsha , hunan province , yesterday . cats that survived the changsha crash have been sent to changsha small animal protection association . a volunteer feeds a cat after the truck they were being transported in was involved in a traffic accident . the cats were stranded on the road for nearly one day . locals heard the news and drove to the accident site with food and water . the cats came from the countryside and are raised by villagers as a cheap and easy way of making money . cats in china can spend up to two months squeezed 25 at a time . inside cages which measure just 2ft by 3ft . many die before they reach . their final destination . such cruelty - inconceivable in the west - is becoming increasingly commonplace in china , where are up to four million cats are year are killed .<doc-sep>the maricopa county animal shelter in arizona took in their fattest cat yet this week , a massive 36-pound feline appropriately named meatball . the morbidly obese cat was surrendered at the shelter in mesa on tuesday after being shuffled from home to home over the years . shelter spokesman melissa gable says meatball is ` the biggest cat i have ever seen ' and that he ` does n't move too quickly ' . fat cat : meatball weighs in four times heavier than an average cat . heavy load : a shelter employee holds meatball , the 36-pound cat recently dropped off at the maricopa county animal shelter . meatball 's last owners took him in from someone else and had cared for the cat for about six months before he started ` having accidents around the house ' so they gave him up . they said he was that size when they got him and they did n't know why he was so fat since they had only been feeding him cat food . but ms gable says she does n't know how accurate that is ` because cat food is n't typically going to make a cat this large ' . immobile : meatball has problems moving as a result of his weight .

<t> ashley barth 's cat mee moowe disappeared in september as movers packed her belongings for a 4,800-plus mile move from virginia to hawaii . </t> <t> 36 days later she was discovered in one of the removal boxes . </t> <t> vets said the cat displayed symptoms of starvation . </t>

cat survives 36 days with no food or water after being packed in a box<T>

target australia will pull popular r-rated video game grand theft auto v -lrb- gta5 -rrb- from its shelves after an online petition slammed the game for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' . the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . scroll down for video . an online petition slammed r-rated video game grand theft auto v -lrb- gta5 -rrb- for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it .<doc-sep>` games like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women , ' the petition said . general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell grand theft auto v . ` games like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women , ' the petition said . general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell the game . ` we 've been speaking to many customers over recent days about the game , and there is a significant level of concern about the game 's content , ' he said in a statement on wednesday . ` we 've also had customer feedback in support of us selling the game , and we respect their perspective on the issue .<doc-sep>` however , we feel the decision to stop selling gta5 is in line with the majority view of our customers . ' mr cooper said target would continue to sell other r-rated dvds and games . ` while these products often contain imagery that some customers find offensive , in the vast majority of cases , we believe they are appropriate products for us to sell to adult customers , ' he said . ` however , in the case of gta5 , we have listened to the strong feedback from customers that this is not a product they want us to sell . ' gta5 is an award-winning game which set a sales record for entertainment products , passing the $ 1 billion sales mark after three days .<doc-sep>avid grant theft auto gamers have been left livid after target and kmart made the decision to pull the r-rated game from their shelves . target decided to scrap sales of the popular game after an online petition slammed it for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' . the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . scroll down for video . 26-year-old gamer kiley mcdonald diputes claims the game incites violence towards women . an online petition slammed r-rated video game grand theft auto v -lrb- gta5 -rrb- for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' ` games like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women , ' the petition said . general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell the game . ` we 've been speaking to many customers over recent days about the game , and there is a significant level of concern about the game 's content , ' he said in a statement on wednesday . ` we 've also had customer feedback in support of us selling the game , and we respect their perspective on the issue . kiley is an avid fan of the game and even has her own gta character called ` shadowkiilla '<doc-sep>if you 're not going to sell grand theft auto -lrb- gta -rrb- because of its ` adult ' content then prepare for a backlash of biblical proportions . furious gamers are demanding that if target and kmart are going to pull the r-rated game from their shelves then they should do the same to the bible as well . target decided to scrap sales of the popular game after an online petition slammed it for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' . the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . but the gamers have argued that the bible 's content is much , much worse . scroll down for video . 26-year-old gamer kiley mcdonald diputes claims the game incites violence towards women . an online petition slammed r-rated video game grand theft auto v -lrb- gta5 -rrb- for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' gamers have now started their own petition on change.org website -- the world 's largest petition platform -- claiming that the bible has more misogyny and gratuitous violence than gta , and there were far more reasons for it not to be sold . the petition page headline reads : ` withdraw the holy bible -- this sickening book encourages readers to commit sexual violence and kill women . ' so far the petition has 22,359 supporters , and in the petition the bible is described as a book that ` encourages readers to murder women for entertainment . ' ` the incentive is to commit sexual violence against women , then abuse or kill them to proceed or get ` god ' points -- and now target are stocking it and promoting it for your xmas stocking , ' reads the petition . ` this is the holy bible . this book means that after various sex acts , readers are given options to kill women by stoning her unconscious , setting them on fire , cutting off their hands , and killing their children ! ` this misogynistic book literally makes a game of bashing , killing and horrific violence against women . ' however the former sex workers petition made it clear why they were against gta being sold . ` games like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women , ' the petition said . general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell the game . ` we 've been speaking to many customers over recent days about the game , and there is a significant level of concern about the game 's content , ' he said in a statement on wednesday . ` we 've also had customer feedback in support of us selling the game , and we respect their perspective on the issue . kiley is an avid fan of the game and even has her own gta character called ` shadowkiilla ' ` however , we feel the decision to stop selling gta5 is in line with the majority view of our customers . ' manager of facebook site grand theft auto tips & tricks kiley mcdonald says the move is ` ridiculous ' and disputes claims that the game incites violence towards women . ' i remember playing it as a 10-year-old , my parents got it for me , ' she told daily mail australia . ` it never offended me , it does n't offend me now and i grew up alight . ' i do n't go out and mow down people or pull a gun out and spray them or anything , so i just think it 's a little bit over the top . ' mcdonald claims that there is a significant amount of violence towards men throughout the game and believes women are in short supply . she said she was ` speechless ' as to why gta had been specifically targeted and believes that parents who wo n't let their kids play the game , would probably be happy to give them permission to sit through an episode of game of thrones , or read a chapter from 50 shades of grey . ` if i do n't like someone 's clothing , i 'm not going to ask the store to ban a certain type of shorts , ' she said .<doc-sep>nearly 50,000 furious gamers have signed a petition for target to withdraw the holy bible from stores in response to the removal of grand theft auto . it comes after target decided to scrap sales of the popular game after an online petition slammed it for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' . but when one gamer took to twitter and tweeted : ` withdraw the holy bible - over 40,000 signed ! ' , target responded : ` we do n't actually sell the bible at target , that 's some pretty impressive numbers though ! ' scroll down for video . one gamer took to twitter to demand the retail chain to pull the bible off their shelves but target does n't stock the holy bible in the first place . furious gamers are demanding that if target and kmart are going to pull the r-rated game from their shelves then they should do the same to the holy bible . it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . but gamers have argued that the bible 's content is much , much worse . gamers have now started their own petition on change.org website -- the world 's largest petition platform -- claiming that the bible has more misogyny and gratuitous violence than gta , and there were far more reasons for it not to be sold . the petition page headline reads : ` withdraw the holy bible -- this sickening book encourages readers to commit sexual violence and kill women . ' an online petition slammed r-rated video game grand theft auto v -lrb- gta5 -rrb- for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' so far the petition has 22,359 supporters , and in the petition the bible is described as a book that ` encourages readers to murder women for entertainment . ' ` the incentive is to commit sexual violence against women , then abuse or kill them to proceed or get ` god ' points -- and now target are stocking it and promoting it for your xmas stocking , ' reads the petition . ` this is the holy bible . this book means that after various sex acts , readers are given options to kill women by stoning her unconscious , setting them on fire , cutting off their hands , and killing their children ! ` this misogynistic book literally makes a game of bashing , killing and horrific violence against women . ' 26-year-old gamer kiley mcdonald diputes claims the game incites violence towards women . however the former sex workers petition made it clear why they were against gta being sold . ` games like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women , ' the petition said . general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell the game . ` we 've been speaking to many customers over recent days about the game , and there is a significant level of concern about the game 's content , ' he said in a statement on wednesday . ` we 've also had customer feedback in support of us selling the game , and we respect their perspective on the issue . kiley is an avid fan of the game and even has her own gta character called ` shadowkiilla ' ` however , we feel the decision to stop selling gta5 is in line with the majority view of our customers . ' manager of facebook site grand theft auto tips & tricks kiley mcdonald says the move is ` ridiculous ' and disputes claims that the game incites violence towards women . ' i remember playing it as a 10-year-old , my parents got it for me , ' she told daily mail australia . ` it never offended me , it does n't offend me now and i grew up alight . ' i do n't go out and mow down people or pull a gun out and spray them or anything , so i just think it 's a little bit over the top . ' mcdonald claims that there is a significant amount of violence towards men throughout the game and believes women are in short supply . she said she was ` speechless ' as to why gta had been specifically targeted and believes that parents who wo n't let their kids play the game , would probably be happy to give them permission to sit through an episode of game of thrones , or read a chapter from 50 shades of grey . ` if i do n't like someone 's clothing , i 'm not going to ask the store to ban a certain type of shorts , ' she said . ` if i do n't like it , i do n't look at it , because i 've got better things to do . ' mcdonald believes the campaigners against the game are ` misinformed ' and ` threw a tantrum ' when they did n't get what they wanted . ` i 'm all for feminists and women 's rights but this is going a bit too far . ' she said . 26-year-old mcdonald believes big retailers such as kmart and target should not have to suffer financially due to this unjust petition . ' i do n't know why gamers should be punished for something that 's not our fault , or the retailers fault because they 've gone through all the standards and checked the game , ' she said . the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . mcdonald said she understand the anger from former sex workers who launched the online petition , but believes gta gamers do not play out these acts in the real world . ` it 's up to the gamer to choose , ' she said . ` i 've played the story from start to finish , i 'm 26-years-old , i 'm a female and i was not once offended , i was not once appalled by the content , ' she said . ` there are prostitutes in the game , there is a strip club in the game but very few of them that you see . ' reports that the game depicts women as bimbos and prey for men has angered mcdonald . ` most of them are actually dressed quite normally . ' she said . ` games like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women , ' the petition said . ` these people actually look like they 're going to work , they 've got the content that perfect that some people are in uniform or they 're in work clothes or summer gear . ' mcdonald said little children are the worst offenders in online forums . ` they 're the ones that taunt you on the microphone , saying ` i 'm going to f**k you mum ' and ' f you this ' , and ' f that ' , it 's insane and they should n't be playing it ' she said . ` most people have grown up playing video games like that and we 're fine , ' ` we do n't go shooting up people and punching cops ' mcdonald said there are other children 's games available that are much more dangerous . ` there 's also another game which a lot of children play called world of warcraft and a lot of sexual predators are on that game . ' she said . general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell grand theft auto v . the young gamer worries that this ban will effect future sales of grand theft auto as there will be a monopoly on who will be able to sell the game . ultimately , she said it 's really going to effect gamers who are keen on playing the game . ` my worry is that it 's going to be banned so it 's going to be a problem for future games , ' she said . mr cooper said target would continue to sell other r-rated dvds and games . ` while these products often contain imagery that some customers find offensive , in the vast majority of cases , we believe they are appropriate products for us to sell to adult customers , ' he said . ` however , in the case of gta5 , we have listened to the strong feedback from customers that this is not a product they want us to sell . ' gta5 is an award-winning game which set a sales record for entertainment products , passing the $ 1 billion sales mark after three days .<doc-sep>by . victoria woollaston . grand theft auto v , one of the most eagerly-anticipated video game releases is expected to smash sales records after going on sale worldwide today . stores across the uk opened their doors at midnight for the special launch of grand theft auto v , which reportedly cost around # 170 million to make and market and retails at # 35 . online seller amazon has already sold out of the game and copies have started appearing . on ebay , with some sellers asking in excess of # 90 for the standard . version and # 170 for the collector 's edition . scroll down for video . awfully popular : one day after its release , grand theft auto v had made a record $ 800 million in sales . zohair ali from london , pictured , was the first in the queue to pick up a copy of grand theft auto v at the flagship game store in westfield stratford city in london . gaming site ign.com discovered that 46 per cent of fans said they booked the day off as holiday to get their hands on the game . experts estimate it could generate # 1 billion during its first year on sale when gamers are predicted to snap up some 25 million copies - breaking current records . grand theft auto v has received rave reviews from critics across the board who have labelled it ` one of the very best video games ever made . ' but the launch of the latest iteration in the grand theft auto series has not gone as smoothly as planned . the . scottish creator rockstar launched an investigation into whether . copies of the game were dispatched days ahead of its official release . some gamers claimed to have received their copies as early as friday following amazon deliveries . fans expressed their delight on twitter where one user wrote : ` thank you mum and amazon gta 5 here today . so excited . ' mailonline 's gaming expert talal musa awarded the game five stars : ` this is clearly a well-thought-out and . intelligent title - a far cry from the meaningless violence many wrongly . -lrb- and unfairly -rrb- infer from its ` grand theft auto ' label . ` the visuals excel in both art design and graphical fidelity . from deep-sea diving to dog fighting . in the skies , every inch of gta v 's world has been given equal , . immaculate care and attention .

<t> general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell grand theft auto v . </t> <t> the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . </t> <t> it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . </t>

target pulls grand theft auto 5 after online petition slammed the game<T>

terry waite , 75 , said diet of rice and beans ` is not too hard to bear for a couple of weeks ' and life in jungle was a ` paradise ' compared to the hardship of the homeless sleeping on the streets this christmas . the contestants in i 'm a celebrity ... get me out of here ! who moan about their food should be thankful for their meagre rations , former hostage terry waite has said . and mr waite , 75 , who spent years in captivity after being kidnapped by islamic terrorists in the lebanon , compared life in the jungle as ` paradise ' to the ` real jungle ' suffered by the homeless living on the streets at christmas . he said : ' i have no doubt they find it uncomfortable at times , but in reality it 's not all that bad . ` rice and beans is not too hard to bear for a couple of weeks . ` that was my main diet in captivity for almost five years and i survived . ' gemma collins was the first celebrity to leave the jungle after complaining of feeling starved . the only way is essex star , also concerned about contracting malaria , vowed to ` stay strong ' but left after three days when the struggle became too much to bear . but mr waite , president of homeless charity emmaus , said the ` trials ' faced by the celebrities were nothing compared to the hardship faced by those without a home . he added : ` it 's really terrible to be homeless and have to suffer night after night under the arches , or in a hostel where one is surrounded by threats of every kind , most of them far worse than the trials endured by these well-paid participants . ` it was interesting to see in a recent episode how emotional the celebrities became when they received a parcel from home with messages from their families . ` some of them were in tears and they had only been parted for a matter of weeks , if that ! ` imagine how people living on the streets feel when christmas comes round and people across the country are getting together . ` they may well have lost all contact with their family for a variety of reasons and thoughts of the past come flooding back . ` christmas can be a very hard time indeed for many homeless people . ` it could make that jungle look like a paradise . ' gemma collins was the first celebrity to leave the jungle after complaining of feeling starved and fears over getting malaria . mr waite said homeless had far worse trials to endure than those of the well-paid participants . michael buerk , left , and melanie skyes , right , are contestants who were emotional when they received a parcel from home with messages from their families . mr waite said life is far lonelier for those sleeping rough . mr waite , who was released in 1991 , nearly five years after being kidnapped by islamic jihad while working as a hostage negotiator , said he was tempted by a ` large fee ' go to on the show but declined after being approached many years ago . but ` curious ' to see how the celebrities have been getting on , he has watched the tears and tantrums from down under . writing on the emmaus charity website , he added : ` when all is said and done , ` i 'm a celebrity ' is designed as entertainment and we ca n't take it too seriously . ` however we look at it though , homelessness is not entertaining . ` it 's a grim reality but emmaus has enabled hundreds of people to get out of a real jungle and gain stability in their lives . '<doc-sep>with his ribs clearly visible and without a spare ounce on his body , michael buerk has lost a startling amount of weight in just ten days in the jungle . but despite his gaunt appearance and complaints over the lack of food , the bbc veteran will not be the third contestant to quit i 'm a celebrity ... get me out of here ! , according to his wife . however , christine buerk , admitted she is ` quite concerned ' for her husband because of his plummeting weight and is ` horrified ' by the small amount of food his is having to survive on in the camp . scroll down for video . newsreader michael buerk appears to have lost a visible amount of weight -lrb- left -rrb- since he arrived in the i 'm a celebrity jungle ten days ago -lrb- right -rrb- . the 68-year-old has complained to his campmates of feeling hungry . viewers have also noticed his increasingly frail frame and have expressed their concern on twitter , one posted : ` i think there is a strong possibility michael buerk may actually completely disappear in #imaceleb he 's that thin already . ' while another added : ` michael buerk is so thin it 's slightly distressing . if he 's there at the end i dread to think what he 'll look like ' . the journalist himself has admitted he is struggling with his hunger , confessing to audiences he would , ` give my right arm , my left arm , maybe both legs -lsb- for food -rsb- . ' and speaking yesterday , mrs buerk said : ` i was quite concerned -lsb- about his weight loss -rsb- . he was quite slim when he arrived . i was trying to encourage him to build up before coming out here , which he did n't do . ` he 's not got a lot of spare flesh on him , but he 's in good shape . i think it 's far , far healthier to be a little bit underweight that overweight . ` i was quite horrified to realise that they only get 500 calories a day in the jungle . it 's not that he dislikes rice and beans , but the rations are quite low . ' christine buerk , admitted she is ` quite concerned ' for her husband because of his plummeting weight and is ` horrified ' by the small amount of food his is having to survive on . however , she said that he would not quit . she added this lack of food could explain his often glum expression , commenting : ` with only 500 calories a day , they have n't got enough energy to smile as well . ' she thinks he will feel his thin frame even more keenly as he tries to find a comfy perch in the jungle . she said : ` he 's got no flesh on his backside at all now . he always did have quite a neat little bum . now , he 's starting to feel it ' . the contestants on i 'm a celebrity ... subsist mainly on a diet of rice and beans , winning meals for the camp by completing bushtucker trials , often involving eating unappetising dishes such as cockroaches or kangaroo penis . buerk 's tribulations have fuelled speculation he might follow in the footsteps of reality star gemma collins and actor craig charles , who have already pull out of this series of the hit itv show . however , he wife was keen to assure viewers this would not be the case . she said : ` michael is n't a quitter . i do n't see him walking out . he 's been in worse places . he 's been shot at , he 's been gassed , he 's been blown up in an ammunition dump explosion , he 's seen a sound guy die , he 's seen a cameraman lose his arm . ` he 's been in real reality situations that have been very tough . i would be really , really surprised if he broke . '<doc-sep>for most viewers , the last time they saw michael buerk on television , he was smartly dressed , calmly relaying the world 's news . so they can be forgiven their shock at seeing the 68-year-old 's return to the screen last night on i 'm a celebrity ... get me out of here . face aghast and stretched by the wind , the 30-year veteran of bbc news looked anything but composed as he skydived from a helicopter . scroll down for video . veteran newsreader michael buerk entered the jungle by skydiving from a helicopter on i 'm a celeb . the bbc radio 4 presenter looked less than composed as he came into land on an australian beach .<doc-sep>as a 30-year veteran of bbc news , you would have thought michael buerk had seen everything . but perhaps nothing quite like this ... yesterday the unflappable broadcaster seemed mesmerised by the enthusiastic twerking of playboy model kendra wilkinson as he started his unlikely stint on i 'm a celebrity get me out of here . wilkinson , 29 , was trying to teach buerk some moves after enjoying a cocktail in the australian hotel where the celebrities stayed before they headed to the jungle . bbc broadcaster , 68 , starts off his unlikely stint on i 'm a celebrity get me out of here in australia and seems mesmerised as he watches playboy model kendra wilkinson , 29 , show him some of her moves . she said : ` we should do some shots and get this party going . let 's twerk or something -- pick up your pants michael to loosen them . ' after witnessing the demonstration , buerk says : ` oh right , it 's a bit similar to belly dancing . ' kendra replies : ` yes but with your a *** ! ' the journalist had raised eyebrows by agreeing to go on the itv reality show , but said : ` there 's a tendency to think very highly of one 's self and get terribly stuck up on these things , so all of my family has agreed it 's time i loosen up a bit . '<doc-sep>miss collins will , however , miss out on her full appearance fee , thought to have been almost # 100,000 . the only way is essex star miss collins struggled from her first day on i 'm a celebrity when she refused to get into a helicopter and moaned about the lack of food . the 33-year-old said she felt ` panicked and stressed ' . explaining her decision to quit last night , she said : ` i 'm not cut out for this . i 'm not having a diva fit ... i love myself too much to put myself through this . ' mrs currie , who confessed in a book to a four-year affair with sir john major when both were members of the thatcher government in the 1980s , appeared to have no qualms about swapping the political jungle for the reality tv version . she said she had no fear of encountering rodents because ` i used to meet a lot of rats in politics ' . the 68-year-old , who has competed in strictly come dancing , insisted she would not talk about her affair with sir john while in the jungle , even if asked by bbc journalist michael buerk .

<t> said life in jungle a ` paradise ' to ` real ' suffering of homeless at christmas . </t> <t> agreed celebs found it ` uncomfortable at times ... but it 's not all that bad ' </t> <t> said diet of rice and beans is ` not too hard to bear for a couple of weeks ' </t> <t> charity head said life tougher for those who slept nights ` under the arches ' </t> <t> comments came as gemma collins left jungle moaning she was starved . </t>

i 'm a celebrity 's michael buerk and gemma collins should be grateful for their rations<T>

pie face fans could be buying their favourite australian pastries from the freezer section of woolworths early next year , in a move that could potentially save the struggling franchise . the pie company is in talks with the supermarket giant to sell their products frozen and in bulk , with a trial already under way in 15 stores , according to fairfax . the sale-boosting business move has come only a few weeks after pie face announced it was entering into voluntary administration to restructure the business in an effort to cut costs . pie face could be selling their pies in the frozen section of woolworths next year if the current trials are successful .<doc-sep>kevin waite , the company 's ceo , assured that franchises would prosper from the strategy , which is still under consideration , saying he believed pie face had a ` strong future ' . ` the customer normally going into a pie face for hot pies does n't swap their purchasing occasion by buying a frozen pie for diner , ' mr waite told fairfax . the founder of pie face , former wall street banker wayne homschek , said sections of the franchise , ` were still profitable ' ` we 'll make sure it 's a different shopping occasion . our franchisees are first and foremost in everything we do . '<doc-sep>despite insisting that it was ` business as usual ' following their restructure announcement , 19 pie face stores closed last week while fairfax reports that the company owes $ 20 million to its creditors . the founder of pie face , former wall street banker wayne homschek , gave his global company over to the advisory and consulting firm , jirsch sutherland , who are ` conducting a review of operations ' , fairfax reports . rod sutherland from jirsch sutherland confirmed that some of the company 's stores were losing money . however , mr homschek told fairfax that sections of the franchise , which is known to sell meat pies , pastries and sandwiches until the early hours of the morning , were ` still profitable '<doc-sep>` we 're potentially going to refinance macquarie capital and are looking at bringing in new senior lenders , ' mr homschek said . pie face was founded in 2003 with the first 20 stores opening within the first five years of the company 's launch . the company assured that their ` international businesses are not affected ' as two stores prepared to open in the middle east in november . the founder of pie face , former wall street banker wayne homschek , gave his global company over to the advisory and consulting firm , jirsch sutherland , who are ` conducting a review of operations ' as of november .<doc-sep>by . louise cheer . jamie oliver 's association with woolworths has hit another snag , with the supermarket forced to undertake a product recall on all plush toys from the jamie 's garden range . the range includes eight characters - orange , bean , banana , broccoli , beetroot , pear , grape and tomato . ` all eight characters may liberate stuffing during use and the hands and feet are small parts that are inadequately attached , presenting a potential choking hazard , ' the accc website said . scroll down for video . the full range of eight jamie 's garden plush toys have been recalled by the supermarket giant . ` in addition , the wire in the bean character could pierce the fabric and cause eye injuries or puncture wounds to small children . ' the products were sold across the nation in woolworths and safeway supermarkets from may 21 to june 16 . another recall was issued earlier this week by the supermarket giant , but it was only for the bean character . jamie oliver is the face of the campaign to get kids eating more fruit and vegetables . customers who have purchased these toys should stop using the product as a precaution and return them to a woolworths or safeway store for a full refund . ` woolworths apologises to its customers for any inconvenience caused by this recall , ' the supermarket 's website said . it has not been smooth sailing for the jamie 's garden campaign . it is not the first time the campaign has run into trouble . earlier this month fruit growers expressed outrage about a 40 cents a crate levy for marketing of jamie 's garden . earlier this month , vegetable growers were outraged by the supermarket giant charging them 40 cents a crate to pay for the marketing of jamie 's garden , in addition to a promotional fee they were already forking over to woolworths , ausveg claims . one grower reportedly claimed it would cost them an extra $ 300,000 for the campaign , while others would be paying tens of thousands . it sparked the group that represents growers , ausveg , to write to the celebrity chef and pleaded with him to talk to woolworths about cancelling the fee .<doc-sep>` some of them had things around their face so i could n't even see their faces , but they were white australians . ' the police spokesman said they were called to the woolworths in marrickville at 11am on saturday to a group of protesters causing a disturbance outside the supermarket . he said no one was injured or arrested . a woolworths spokesman said it would continue to celebrate religious and cultural festivals . ` woolworths is a proud australian company and we have been so for 90 years , ' he said . ` our customers and our staff mirror the diversity of australian society . ` we are a strong and active part of the communities in which we operate . ` we join with our customers to celebrate not only christmas and easter , but also other religious and cultural festivals including ramadan , diwali , lunar new year , chinese new year and passover . ` we look forward to continuing to celebrate these festivals with our customers . '<doc-sep>a clever consumer has turned the tables on one of the supermarket giants with a cheeky post to one of their social media pages . facebook user monica glasgow wrote a tongue-in-cheek message to the woolworths australia page claiming she had been misled by one of their products . she purchased a white toast loaf by woolworths ' homebrand earlier this week , and expressed her dismay after discovering the bread was actually not toasted , according to buzzfeed . facebook user monica glasgow wrote a hilarious post claiming she had been misled by one of their products . ` hi woolies . i picked up loaf of toast this afternoon and was really disappointed to come home and find that it was actually just a loaf of bread which i would have to toast myself , ' ms glasgow wrote . ` given the recent lawsuit against coles regarding the freshness of their bread , i am starting to lose faith in baked goods at our major supermarkets , ' she joked . however woolworths did n't seem to get they were being trolled , posting a rather serious response to a message that was clearly taking the mickey . woolworths appeared to miss the joke , sending back a reasonable and professional response . facebook users hijacked the post with one user agreeing the packaging was misleading . ` hi monica , we can assure you our toast is made fresh and never frozen , ' woolworths wrote .<doc-sep>samantha jade revealed ahead of the release of the commercial she chose to pair with woolworths after growing up shopping at the chain . ` that 90 second @woolworths ad in the middle of the australian open has shocked me to my core #cheapcheap ' , posted another . samantha jade revealed ahead of the release of the commercials she chose to pair with woolworths after growing up shopping at the chain . ` i 've always been a woolies kid . i lived next door to a woolworths store in my hometown morley in perth where i shopped with my mum for family meals and get togethers ' , the singer said . ` spending time with family and friends is really important to me . i now live in sydney and i still shop at my local woolies to get supplies for a girly picnic or family bbq ' , jade added . commenters took to the woolworths facebook page to express their feelings . some vowed not to shop at the supermarket chain . others criticised jade claiming she had ` cheapened herself ' one person even came up with an alternative way to spend advertising money . the collaboration is part of the supermarket 's commitment to supporting young talent . ` i 've always been a woolies kid ' the singer said ahead of the release of the campaign . however many vocal social media users have criticised it calling it a ` cheap ' move by the x factor star . the collaboration is part of the supermarket 's commitment to supporting young talent , according to woolworths general manager of marketing tony phillips . ` we 're delighted to be working with samantha jade , one of the most exciting musicians of today . over the next few months , samantha will appear on our tv screens and you 'll also hear her fabulous voice in store , ' mr phillips said . ` we 're sure australians will love her just as much as they love our ` cheap cheap ' prices ' , he added . however when the video was uploaded to the woolworths facebook page , that also opened up a space for many more people to show their dislike for the commercial .

<t> the australian franchise could be selling their pies in the frozen section of the supermarket next year if the current trials are successful . </t> <t> it is having its operations reviewed by advisory and consulting firm , jirsch sutherland . </t> <t> despite insisting it was ` business as usual ' following the announcement , 19 pie face stores closed last week . </t> <t> founder and former wall street banker , wayne homschek , said ` parts ' of the franchise , ` were still profitable ' </t> <t> he assured that pie face 's ` international businesses are not affected ' , as two stores prepared to open in the middle east . </t>

pie face could be given a second chance by woolworths<T>

the mother of an autistic boy who was slashed in the neck in an unprovoked attack said her son is lucky to be alive . eamonn finn , 16 , was chased by three teenage boys and assaulted in pimlico , central london , in june , leaving him so traumatised he still has nightmares six months later . his mother margaret finn said she just wanted ` closure ' for her son as police renew their appeal to catch the boys responsible for the attack . eamonn finn -lrb- left , pictured with his mother margaret -rrb- , 16 , was chased by three teenage boys and slashed in the neck in pimlico , central london , in june , leaving him so traumatised he still has nightmares . ms finn posted a picture of her son 's neck wound on facebook which has been shared nearly 200,000 times . detectives want to speak to these three teenagers about the attack on eamonn finn ,16 , in pimlico , central london . ms finn posted a picture of her son 's neck wound on facebook which has been shared nearly 200,000 times . speaking at scotland yard 's headquarters in central london today , she said : ' i strongly believe someone does know who did this to my child . i would appeal to them to contact the police and do the right thing .<doc-sep>` he 's still having dreams about the event . he says `` i think about those boys a lot and what they did to me . '' ` it 's really hard for me to talk about without getting emotional because there is no one who could invite this less than eamonn . he 's such an amazing young man and he deserves some closure and we do n't have that at the moment . ' ms finn said she had ` real concerns ' that if the culprits were not caught , another victim ` might not be as lucky ' . scotland yard has released cctv footage of eamonn being chased as he walked alone to a youth centre in pimlico at around 7.20 pm on june 4 . eammon is in the foreground . one of the attackers asked the boy what he was looking at before eamonn ran away along regency street , close to the junction with causton street . he was then slashed across the neck with an unknown weapon and needed hospital treatment , police said . his mother margaret finn said she just wanted ` closure ' for her son as police renew their appeal to catch the boys responsible for the attack . they have released these cctv images as part of the appeal . ` he 's lucky to be alive as far as i 'm concerned , ' she said .<doc-sep>` it 's really impacted on his independence . anyone who has a child with autism knows that 's really hard fought for . ` in eamonn 's case that was two years in the making . that 's gone now . we 're having to start from scratch . ' scotland yard has released cctv of eamonn being chased as he walked alone to a youth centre in pimlico at around 7.20 pm on june 4 . one of the attackers asked the boy what he was looking at before eamonn ran away along regency street , close to the junction with causton street . he was then slashed across the neck with an unknown weapon and needed hospital treatment , police said . ms finn said the gang were ` immediately abusive , confrontational and aggressive ' which frightened her son before he ran away . ` he clearly did n't want trouble , ' she said . ` he was running away and they chased him . that 's what is so difficult . they pursued him .<doc-sep>' i do n't think there 's all bad in everyone . i hope there 's a part of them that realises they did something wrong but they can do something right now . ` the person they did this to did n't deserve it . they have an opportunity now to take responsibility for their actions . ' acting detective chief inspector dave bolton said : ` the victim is a vulnerable young person and this was one of only a few times he has walked anywhere alone . for some unknown reason the three suspects have taken umbrage to him and attacked him with no provocation and no known reason . ` it is sheer luck that the weapon missed his artery and he was not more severely injured . ` six months into this investigation we have undertaken extensive enquiries to identify the suspects and have followed various leads , but they remain unidentified at this time . i would like to appeal to the public for their help to identify these males . ' the suspects were described by the victim as black or hispanic males . one was wearing a blue adidas top and another was described as being around 16 years old . anyone with information is asked to call police or crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 .<doc-sep>by . daniel miller . published : . 06:43 est , 15 february 2013 . | . updated : . 08:43 est , 15 february 2013 . a partygoer is lucky to be alive after having his jugular vein sliced open by an unknown attacker who stabbed him repeatedly with a broken bottle . matthew carter , 27 , had been celebrating a friend 's birthday in newcastle when he was stabbed in the shoulder and face , and slashed in the neck outside a nightclub . bouncers raced to his aid as he collapsed onto the pavement bleeding profusely . one put pressure on his neck , while another flagged down an ambulance . lucky to be alive : matthew carter , 27 , survived after a random attacker stabbed him with a broken bottle slicing the jugular vein in his neck . mr carter 's jugular vein had been sliced , but he survived after a four-hour emergency operation and two blood transfusions . the painter , from barrow , cumbria said he can remember nothing of the attack , which happened outside the tup tup palace nightclub almost three weeks ago . he said : ` someone smashed a bottle and stabbed me with it . the doctors said i 'm very lucky to be alive . scene : mr carter was attacked outside the tup tup palace nightclub in newcastle . ` but i just feel angry that i have been through all of this just for a night out . i almost died and i do n't know why . it was just for nothing . '<doc-sep>by . sarah michael . sarah smith is brought to tears when she thinks about the moment she will be able to walk beside her son finn as he holds her hand . in november last year , her then 13-month-old son contracted meningococcal and spent two and a half weeks in a coma fighting for his life . finn had to have both feet and one of his hands amputated after they were badly affected by bruising . scroll down for video . finn smith , from the sunshine coast , contracted meningococcal in november and had to have his two feet and one of his hands amputated . now that he 's 21 months old , his mother sarah smith -lrb- right -rrb- is looking forward to him getting some prosthetic feet so he can learn to walk . now 21 months old , the sunshine coast boy has made a remarkable recovery . the ` happy go lucky ' little boy who loves playing outside is due to have surgery wednesday to release the scars that have closed over his left hand -- which will allow him to pick things up on his palm and use his thumb and remaining three fingers . and in three weeks finn will get a new pair of prosthetic legs and will start learning how to take his first steps . but it has been a long eight months for his parents sarah and jason smith . on the night of november 21 , finn had been up all night with flu-like symptoms and every once in a while he would get the shakes . the couple had an on-call doctor visit at 1am , who diagnosed him with a viral infection and told them to get him antibiotics in the morning . little finn pictured -lrb- left -rrb- before he contracted menigococcal and -lrb- right -rrb- today at his queensland home . finn is a ` happy go lucky ' little boy who loves playing , especially outside . the next day during a car trip to brisbane , they noticed three bruise-like dots on his forehead . they raced to the nearest hospital , which was seven minutes away at redcliffe , and when they arrived finn was admitted straight away . ` within half an hour he was pretty much unrecognisable , ' ms smith told daily mail australia . finn was crying tears of blood , blood was coming out of his mouth and his body had puffed up . ` the meningococcal had done its incubation time the night before , ' she added . ` you do n't know until the spots come out and once the rash comes out the damage is done - your little boy is fighting for his life . ' on november 22 last year after he was raced to hospital he was given antibiotics to fight the meningococcal , but all of his internal organs had shut down and he went into a coma for two and a half weeks . when he started showing signs of waking he was slowly weaned off the breathing machines so he could start relying on his own lungs again . finn was given antibiotics to fight the meningococcal , but all of his internal organs had shut down and he went into a coma for two and a half weeks . when he started showing signs of waking he was slowly weaned off the breathing machines so he could start relying on his own lungs again .<doc-sep>' i thought i broke my nose , i did n't think they slashed my face up like this , ' she said . she said she was told her that the suspects called her job at the mall to find out what time her shift started . ` this is not a human act , its like an animal , ' she said of her attackers . ' they have no right to think its okay to do this to me.it 's not okay to do this to anyone . ' after the assault , kyaw ran in a panic to her job at the mall . ' i had a bleeding face . i told my manager to call 911 . ' happier times : kyaw celebrates christmas with a pal . she was rushed to a local hospital , where doctors told her she was lucky to be alive . ` they told me if they went down a little bit more on my neck i would be dead from losing so much blood , ' she said . she hopes the wounds wo n't leave permanent damage on her face as she hopes to pursue her passion in modelling .<doc-sep>` this is not an okay act for any parent of an autistic child , ' mr stapleton said . doing better : isabelle issy stapleton -lrb- pictured left -rrb- . is now breathing , walking and talking again on her own after her mother . kelli -lrb- right -rrb- allegedly tried to kill her . after 17 years of marriage , mr stapleton filed for divorce after the alleged crime , partly to show a welfare agency how he 's determined to protect his children . thankfully , both issy and her mom recovered . issy took some time to relearn all the things she struggled with . but both parents believe they are lucky issy is alive . ` kelli feels like it 's a miracle that issy 's alive and that she 's alive . and she is thankful , ' mr stapleton said . as for himself , he said : ` i 'm never going to complain about anything for the rest of my life . ' but , now faced with caring for issy and their other two children alone , he does want to raise awareness of the lack of support there is for autistic kids and their parents . ` we need more research , more support and more therapies to help families manage both the challenges of autism and their own stress , ' he said .

<t> eamonn finn , 16 , chased by three boys and assaulted in pimlico , london . </t> <t> the attack left him so traumatised he has nightmares six months later . </t> <t> his mother margaret finn said she just wanted ` closure ' for her son as police renew their appeal to catch the boys responsible for the attack . </t>

autistic boy eamonn finn ` lucky to be alive ' after london teenagers slashed his neck<T>

high-end estate agents have turned on the chancellor today warning that new stamp duty charges will hit at least 500,000 properties worth more than the new more expensive # 937,000 threshold . george osborne has announced a major overhaul of the system in his autumn statement and demanded that the top two per cent of home buyers must pay more in tax from midnight . experts have today called the decision ` disastrous ' and a ` kick in the guts ' for those buying and selling expensive homes . pressure : high end estate agents fear the market in london an other areas where many houses are worth more than the new # 937,000 threshold could be stifled by the chancellor 's stamp duty changes . up and down : while the majority will pay far less in tax on house purchases the rich will pay significantly more . shares in leading london estate agent foxtons , where the majority of britain 's most expensive properties are , fell this afternoon after the chancellor 's stamp duty announcement . the tory chancellor announced the changes to raise more money from multi-million pound property transactions and to nullify labour 's calls for a mansion tax . george osborne today urges voters to allow him to ` finish the job ' of repairing the nation 's finances . what is the stamp duty change ? previously buyers paid the percentage above thresholds on the entire purchase price -- creating a situation where tax bills rocketed from # 2,500 to at least # 7,500 when buying a home costing more than # 250,000 . chancellor george osborne said the reformed stamp duty will kick in from midnight tonight . bands are now 0 per cent up to # 125,000 ; 2 per cent to # 250,000 ; 5 per cent to # 925,000 ; 10 per cent to # 1.5 million and 12 per cent above that . previously they stood at 1 per cent above # 125,000 ; 3 per cent above # 250,000 , 4 per cent above # 500,000 ; 5 per cent above # 1million and 7 per cent above # 2million . who will pay less ? under the new system anyone buying a home costing under # 937,000 should pay less . those buying a # 200,000 home will pay # 1,500 instead of # 2,000 . the big win though is for those previously caught in the 3 per cent tax trap , someone previously hit with an # 8,250 bill on a # 275,000 home will now pay # 3,750 . meanwhile , those buying a # 600,000 home will now pay # 20,000 , compared to # 24,000 before .<doc-sep>who will pay more ? buyers at the top end will pay the price for the reform . someone buying a # 1million home will pay # 43,750 instead of # 40,000 , but someone buying a # 2,000,000 home will pay # 153,750 rather than the current # 100,000 levied just before the 7 per cent threshold kicks in . critics of the current ` slab ' stamp duty system say it distorts the market because it suddenly jumps up if you pay a penny over the current thresholds . but while the majority will now pay less in stamp duty those buying homes that cost over # 937,000 will pay significantly more a # 5million pound house will see taxes due on completion rise from # 350,000 to # 514,000 . some experts have warned the changes due to start from midnight tonight will be ` disastrous ' and called the reforms a ` kick in the guts ' for top end of the market . experts believe the top-end market will be ` choked ' , particularly because those selling a house worth over the # 937,000 tipping point will now find it harder to sell their home . some buyers are now rushing through the purchases today to avoid paying tens or even hundreds of thousands in extra stamp duty and sellers want the same to avoid sales collapsing overnight . trevor abrahamsohn , who specialises in selling multi-million pound homes , says the market he deals in is already struggling and the changes are ` disastrous ' . he said : ` it is a big mistake . this is not something you apply to a shrinking market and if labour get into power they will still introduce a mansion tax . ` the top-end of the market has been clubbed in recent years and now it is being hit harder . it is like giving medicine to the person that is well while forgetting about the poorly patient . ` it is good that they have got rid of the slabs but they have increased the rate in an area that is struggling . ` instead of listening to everyone in whitehall , they need to be speaking to people on the ground . other agents keep ringing me to discuss the changes . it is mad . ' simon tyler , managing director of tyler mortgage management , said : ` the top end of the market is getting absolutely whacked by this new system . ' i do n't suppose many people will have much sympathy but it will be a kick in the guts for people who are stretching to borrow to buy that multi-million pound house , and will doubtless dampen demand at the top end as people reconsider the economics of moving compared to improving or expanding their existing home instead . ' tremor : shares in leading london estate agent foxtons , where the majority of britain 's most expensive properties are , fell this afternoon after the chancellor 's stamp duty announcement . uplift : this mansion in hampstead , north london is priced at # 2.25 million . before midnight the stamp duty # 157,500 but from tomorrow it will be # 183,750 . stamp duty is britain 's oldest tax and under the old system the headline rate of stamp duty was imposed on the entire amount .<doc-sep>jess brammar , journalist , london . ` friend buying a flat that 's # 250k -lrb- ie just under stamp duty slab threshold -rrb- . offer accepted , seller just pulled out and gave no reason . hmmm . wonder if flat will go back on the market straight away at a slightly higher price . ' ash rees , property worker , cardiff . ` not keen on the autumn statement figures in regards to stamp duty . those higher priced properties just got even harder to sell . these hmrc stamp duty calculators are not great reading for people who have recently completed on # 250k + properties #sorrydad ' max woolf , it developer , birmingham . ` dear george osborne . i just bought my first house . can i have my stamp duty back please ? ' melissa blake , personal assistant , brighton . ` not sure if the stamp duty change is going to make things easier or if house prices will continue to rocket in price . ' david miller , retired diplomat , bedfordshire . ` perfect timing for me ! just exchanged contracts and this welcome change will save me almost # 5,000 stamp duty . very happy . ' until tonight a property costing between # 125,000 and # 250,000 was charged one per cent of its value as tax , but a penny over the # 250,000 threshold it suddenly jumped to three per cent . with the new system , only the amount above # 250,000 will be taxed at the higher rate , making the jump less painful . it will end the long-standing problem of people struggling to sell homes at values just above each threshold . it means any home sold for less than # 937,500 will cost less in stamp duty than under the old system . homes worth less than 125,000 will continue to carry no stamp duty at all . anyone buying a home worth between # 125,001 and # 250,000 will have to pay two per cent in tax . on houses worth between # 250,001 and # 925,000 , they will pay 2 per cent on the slice from # 125,001 and # 250,000 and then only 5 per cent on the amount between # 250,001 and # 925,000 . the value of a property between # 925,001 and # 1.5 million will be taxed at 10 per cent , and on more than # 1.5 million it will rise to 12 per cent tax .<doc-sep>people owning an average priced house will save a four-figure sum in tax . but it is the very high priced houses which are affected the most though . a # 1.5 million house will now see the buyer paying # 93,750 in stamp duty , an increase of 25 per cent on # 75,000 currently paid . a # 2.5 million home will see stamp duty increase from # 175,000 to # 213,750 . anyone buying a # 4 million home will pay # 393,750 in stamp duty - a 41 per cent increase from # 280,000 . expensive : this north london home is worth # 1.35 million and stamp duty on it will rise from # 67,500 to # 78,750 . the chancellor today abolished the ` slab ' system which meant the amount paid in stamp duty increased sharply at each threshold . under the changes , stamp duty on properties under # 937,500 will fall but the bill will rise for more expensive houses . revealed : hmrc has produced this table showing whether home buyers will be better or worse off after today 's announcement . meanwhile , a # 10 million home will incur a 59 per cent increase , rising from # 700,000 to # 1.1 million . trevor abrahamsohn , who specialises in selling high-end homes , says the market he deals in is already struggling and the changes are ` disastrous ' edward heaton , a property consultant , believes the increase would further stifle the ` subdued market ' but said buyers will end up taking it on the chin . he said : ` unwelcome as this news might be to those of us in the industry , i do n't think this will make london and the uk any less attractive to international buyers whilst wealthy british buyers will also come to terms with it . ' peter rollings , ceo of high-end agent marsh & parsons , said : ` any additional strain on the top tiers of the housing market will be absorbed , and the natural rhythm of the property market wo n't be disrupted ' . and martin lewis , founder of money saving expert , told mailonline : ` scrapping the uk 's most unfair tax is something few can disagree with . ` the market distortion caused due to the cliff-hanger taxes has always been wrong , and it 's good to see the chancellor following what has already been announced in scotland by scrapping it . ` the great difficultly was trying to mimic similarly proportioned charges under the new system and a reasonable job has been done of that with the exception of million pound plus houses . '<doc-sep>buyers snapped up more than # 200million worth of property in the hours after george osborne announced sweeping changes to stamp duty . the chancellor 's reforms on the transaction tax in his autumn statement sparked one of the busiest periods for estate agents in 25 years . one overseas buyer saved # 1.4 million in stamp duty when contracts on a # 30million house in surrey were exchanged just 15 minutes before midnight on wednesday -- after which the new rules applied . scroll down for video . books editor louise bolotin will pay just # 99 in stamp duty following a complete reform of the tax system . the first-time buyer is in the process of buying a spacious # 129,950 one-bedroom flat in a grade ii listed converted warehouse in manchester 's city centre . at 53 , miss bolotin was only able to buy her own home when she inherited some money . saving : books editor louise bolotin -lrb- left -rrb- is in the process of buying a spacious # 129,950 one-bedroom flat in a grade ii listed converted warehouse -lrb- right -rrb- in manchester 's city centre . she said that now her stamp duty bill had been slashed from # 1,290 to just # 99 , it will make the moving process less painfully expensive . miss bolotin , an editor for financial books , said she will use her windfall of almost # 1,200 to buy a new bathroom . she said : ` this has come at the perfect time for me . the offer was agreed two or three weeks ago and i have just started the conveyancing process . ` i am a massive winner from this . i knew i needed to do up the bathroom but now i can buy more expensive fittings . i 'm very happy about the changes , as you might imagine . ' the sale of a second # 30million house -- in upmarket hampstead in london -- went through at 11.30 pm . estate agents are predicting a property boom in the run-up to christmas and into the new year as families raise their offers and first-time buyers realise they could afford to buy sooner . the new system will replace the unpopular ` slab structure ' , that led stamp duty to be labelled ` the worst designed tax in britain ' , with a gradually increasing rate . the changed rules -- said to benefit 98 per cent of buyers -- mean the so-called ` cliff edge ' where the tax was charged on a whole value of a property is replaced by gradually rising charges in a string of bands . it means someone buying an average-priced home worth # 273,000 will be about # 4,500 better off . yesterday the switch triggered a flood of calls to solicitors and estate agents as sellers and buyers rushed to capitalise on the change . first-time buyers chris pacey and katie vincent were delighted to discover they will save # 780 after their stamp duty bill was reduced . the couple have had an offer accepted on a # 172,000 three-bedroom home in east leake , loughborough , and hope to exchange contracts on monday . lab technician miss vincent , 30 , and her boyfriend , a manager of a food store , have been living with her parents for three years to save enough money for a deposit . bill reduced : first-time buyers chris pacey and katie vincent were delighted to discover they will save # 780 . the couple have had an offer accepted on a # 172,000 three-bedroom home in east leake , loughborough . but after finding their dream home , a three-bedroom detached house , they felt annoyed about paying a stamp duty bill of # 1,720 -- 1 per cent of the value of their home . now , they will pay 2 per cent on only the portion above the threshold of # 125,000 , which comes to # 940 . mr pacey , 27 , said : ` we can use the extra money on home improvements . i think the new system is much fairer . ' sellers who had been previously forced to undervalue their home to keep the price below stamp duty bands of # 250,000 , # 500,000 and # 1million are hoping to increase the sale price . nick riddle , at estate agents eadon lockwood and riddle in sheffield , said : ` we have already received calls offering asking prices on 15 properties that had previously received lower offers . new mortgage rules caused a shock slowdown in the housing market , official figures have revealed . the small print of a report issued by the office for budget responsibility describes how home loan regulations introduced in april caused sales to plunge by almost 10 per cent more than expected . though the obr does not say why this happened , previously experts have blamed banks and building societies for making it too difficult for borrowers to get a mortgage . since april , homebuyers have faced a forensic probe into their personal finances before they are allowed to take out a loan . the shake-up , known as the mortgage market review , was supposed to ensure that the irresponsible lending that led to the 2008 crisis was not repeated . but in its economic forecasts , the obr said : ` it appears that the regulations have had a larger and more persistent effect than we had assumed . ' critics say the mortgage market review has gone too far . the changes mean that instead of simply providing three months of bank statements as they did previously , borrowers must now go through a three-hour interview where every aspect of their savings and spending is probed . brokers have reported borrowers being quizzed about how often they have friends over for dinner and if they ate steak .<doc-sep>properties are owned offshore . the dodge has spread across the country , . with manchester , leeds , derby and even torbay among the locations for . properties held in tax havens . the . schemes enable the rich to avoid stamp duty , as long as they are not . resident or domiciled here for tax . their heirs also avoid inheritance . tax , charged at 40 per cent . experts . say the loophole is cheating the treasury out of up to # 500million a . year in stamp duty and as much as # 1.3 billion in inheritance tax . mr osborne said that the crackdown on avoidance and new taxes on the wealthy would raise five times more than the 50p tax which brought in just # 1bn a year . it is being replaced with a 45p tax . he said : ` no chancellor can justify a tax rate that damages our economy and raises next to nothing . it is as simple as that . ` and thanks to the other new taxes on the rich i 've announced today , we 'll be getting five times more money each and every year from the wealthiest in our society . ` so the richest pay more . the economy benefits . britain is competitive again . ' today 's move will avoid a costly . general revaluation of homes across the country that would have been . required if the lib dem 's ` mansion tax ' or annual levy was implemented . peter rollings , chief executive of . estate agent marsh and parsons , said the new stamp duty band could hit . the property market at all levels . ` not only will this policy . disproportionately target london , where house prices are in a league of . their own , it risks killing the goose that lays the golden egg . ` with the property market still far . from healthy , we need to see the government supporting activity at all . levels , rather adding yet another tax burden . ' london homes have been vital in . keeping average prices up , with the capital often viewed as the most . ` healthy ' and stable area at a time when the housing market generally . remains weak and patchy . statistics from the land registry show that the new top rate of stamp duty will overwhelmingly hit london buyers . in november -- the latest month for . which figures are available -- 121 homes were bought for more than . # 2million in england and wales and 98 of these were in london . the thresholds : how stamp duty land tax -lrb- sdlt -rrb- hits housebuyers . money raised by the new stamp duty . level will be used to plug the # 3bn gap in public finances as the . chancellor also announces a rise in the income tax base threshold to . # 9,205 . mr osborne 's stamp duty shake-up arrives just a few days before first-time buyers lose a generous exemption from the tax . the . two-year holiday , which was introduced by labour 's alistair darling in . his final budget , covered properties worth up to # 250,000 . the . 7 per cent stamp duty band is a watered-down version of liberal . democrat plans for a mansion tax -- pushed by business secretary vince . cable yesterday . the national association of estate agents said the government had missed an opportunity to completely overhaul the ` outdated ' stamp duty system , a tax which is seen as causing distortions in the market . naea president wendy evans-scott said : ` to reinvigorate this struggling market will require specific stimulus across the entire housing spectrum to help people buy and sell homes , not further penalties on those able to do so . ' former naea president trevor kent said every homeowner would be hit by the new top-end tax , with 70 per cent of first-time buyers relying on the progression of a ` chain ' of sales . he said : ` higher stamp duty always results in property price pressure , in this scenario there is little doubt that prices will fall across the board . some may think ` great ' , but mortgage lenders will not - they rely on the expectation of a gentle long-term rise to safeguard their loans . ' mr kent predicted that lenders would generally start demanding higher deposits to protect themselves if prices dipped .<doc-sep>instead , the party is considering a similar scheme to the one developed by george osborne to target super-rich individuals who buy large houses through businesses , avoiding stamp duty . mr osborne 's scheme means those who buy houses through companies have to report to the taxman what the house is worth , with those over # 500,000 subject to a tax . a penalty of 30 per cent of the tax owed is imposed if the wrong amount is declared through ` carelessness ' , rising to 100 per cent if it was deliberate . labour leader ed miliband said a mansion tax would raise almost # 2 billion which would be used to hire tens of thousands of nhs staff . but critics have raised concerned that thousands risk could be forced to pay the tax unfairly because estate agents are inflating the asking prices of homes . under mr osborne 's scheme valuations must be undertaken every five years . a senior labour source said shadow chancellor ed balls was looking at using a ` similar model ' to mr osborne 's . yesterday it emerged pensioners hit by the levy could see the money taken out of their estates when they die . labour peer lord adonis has criticised his party 's ` mansion tax ' proposal .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 04:45 est , 18 march 2012 . | . updated : . 03:01 est , 19 march 2012 . sir mick jagger is among many celebrities who have taken advantage of the loophole . george osborne has pledged to ` come down like a ton of bricks ' on wealthy property buyers who avoid paying stamp duty on their huge houses . the chancellor said he would use this week 's budget to make it illegal for rich people to register ownership of their homes to companies in order to avoid paying stamp duty , denying the treasury hundreds of millions every year . he said it was part of a drive to ensure that ` all sections of society are paying their fair share ' rock stars mick jagger and ringo starr are among many who have taken advantage of the loophole . this morning chancellor george osborne promised an ` aggressive ' attack on the property tax dodge by the super-rich . it involves transferring ownership of a property to an . off-shore company so when it comes to be sold the buyer purchases the . company as a whole assuming de-facto ownership of the property . because the deal is classed as a . corporate transaction as opposed to a property sale there are no stamp . duty obligations involved . this means that while a family buying a . home costing # 400,000 would pay # 12,000 to the government , a . multi-millionaire buying a luxury pad could pay nothing . the savings involved can be vast . someone who purchases a # 50million property though an off-shore company . would avoid paying the treasury # 2.5 million . most of the transactions involve central london properties which are currently seen by the super-rich as a safe haven . in . exclusive cornwall terrace in north london , where the average asking . price is # 35 million , every single home has been transferred to a . company on the isle of man . former beatles member ringo starr owns an estate in surrey which was transferred to a jersey company in 2009 and lakshmi mittal transferred his kensington home into a british company eight years ago . speaking on bbc1 's andrew marr show mr osborne pledged to ` come down like a tonne of bricks ' on wealthy . people who sell properties through offshore companies to to avoid stamp . duty . ` people want to make sure that all sections of society are paying their fair share , ' he said . ` on this specific issue of stamp duty avoidance , rich people - often . foreigners who come to this country but also people here in britain - . who put homes into companies to avoid stamp duty , that is completely . unacceptable and we are going to come down on that practice like a tonne . of bricks . ` we are going to be extremely aggressive in dealing with it and people are going to face a very punitive charge . chancellor george osborne -lrb- left -rrb- and shadow chancellor ed balls on the andrew marr show on sunday morning . mr osborne promised an ` aggressive ' attack on the property tax dodge . exclusive : in cornwall terrace in north london every single home has been transferred to a company on the isle of man . ` people have had their warning : they have got to pay stamp duty on the homes they live in . ' a . sunday times investigation found that rich homeowners have registered . properties worth # 200billion in 122 different locations around the world . to avoid the taxman in britain in the past 12 years . the most popular is the . isle of man , with 23,147 properties registered since january 1999 . other . popular places include the u.s. , uganda and libya as well as the . republic of ireland , netherlands and germany . jagger signed a 99-year lease on his chelsea home in west london in 2008 through a company based in the british virgin islands -lrb- bvi -rrb- . late beatles guitarist george harrison 's oxfordshire home was transferred to a company in 2005 . his spokesman told the newspaper he gained no tax benefits from this and registered the company abroad for security reasons . meanwhile , the newspaper said former beatles drummer ringo starr 's surrey estate was transferred into a company in jersey three years ago and the late george harrison 's oxfordshire home was transferred to a company on the same island in 2005 . britain 's richest man lakshmi mittal , who owns a # 57m home in kensington , west london , transferred the ownership of the property to a british company eight years ago but a spokesman for the tycoon said stamp duty had been paid . he is among many overseas tycoons who have taken advantage of the loophole , alongside the wealthy hinduja family , worth # 6bn , and rasha said , the daughter of billionaire wafic said . repeated crackdowns on stamp duty . dodgers have been announced by the government , but the wealthy are still . regularly avoiding paying it . stamp duty on homes above # 1m was raised to five per cent in april , meaning a buyer would pay a minimum of # 50,000 in tax . in november , it was revealed that even middle class home-buyers are exploiting the loophole to avoid paying stamp duty . a clutch of financial services companies . have sprung up in recent months promising savings of thousands of pounds . in house-moving costs through stamp duty land tax -lrb- sdlt -rrb- mitigation . schemes . the companies , which often use cold-calling techniques and pop-up . adverts on websites , claim the taxman has never mounted a successful . challenge against them and insist they are both legal and transparent .

<t> chancellor announced major reforms to unpopular stamp duty system . </t> <t> but some experts have warned it will damage top-end of housing market . </t> <t> uk has estimated 500,000 homes worth more than # 937,000 tipping point . </t> <t> fears sellers will fail to attract buyers unwilling to pay thousands more . </t> <t> estate agents expect rush of completions on expensive homes today . </t> <t> shares in london agent foxtons fell after the chancellor 's announcement . </t>

estate agents call george osborne 's stamp duty shake-up a ` kick in the guts '<T>

families flying abroad could save up to # 71 per child after the chancellor scrapped the controversial air tax for the under-12s from next may . and from march 2016 , all children under the age of 16 travelling in economy will be exempt from the air passenger duty . airlines will also be required to display on tickets exactly how much of the fare was spent on fuel surcharges -- so passengers can see at a glance where their money is going . scroll down for video . lift-off for your holiday : the air tax has been scrapped for children under the age of 12 from next may . strong words : george osborne said in 2016 air tax would be scrapped for all children under the age of 16 . in this year 's budget mr osborne had already announced that the two highest bands in the four-band system of air passenger duty would be scrapped from april 1 , 2015 . the new changes mean that from may 1 , a family of five flying to florida could save # 213 , or # 71 for each child under 12 . those who fly premium economy , business or first class will not benefit , and it remains unclear if families who have already booked flights on or after the may 1 start date will receive refunds . however , the treasury has issued advice to airlines that there will be ` an expectation ' that parents with children under 12 who have already booked tickets for may 1 , 2015 , or later ` will be due a refund ' . air passenger duty , an airport departure tax , has been dubbed the ` poll tax of the skies ' . mr osborne has previously admitted that the charge , which was introduced as an environmental measure , is now a pure revenue raiser . he told the commons yesterday that he is also putting pressure on airlines to curb the fuel surcharges imposed on passengers when fuel costs go up -- and which are often slow to be removed as prices fall . the shah family -lrb- right -rrb- will be able to venture much further afield when the changes take effect . raj and fiona , from sheffield , travel with sons oliver , three , and alexander , 19 months . mr shah , 39 , said : ` it is a hugely positive change . it 's going to open our children up to many more experiences that they would not have the opportunity to have otherwise . ` flights for the children will be a lot cheaper . ' mr shah , the director of blue wealth capital , a financial planning firm , added : ` we go abroad twice per year and this year we took the kids to spain and greece . we have n't booked anything for next year yet , but we 're considering long haul now . ` we have relatives in kenya and toronto and it would be lovely to visit them more , or our friends in the middle east . ` we also have family in australia , but it 's probably a bit too far for the little ones at the moment . but we would definitely consider visiting them as they get older . ' the chancellor said : ` we 're going to require airlines to list the charges separately from taxes on tickets . but i also want to reduce the cost of those tickets for families directly . from may 1 next year , air passenger duty for children under 12 will be abolished . ` and i 'll go further . from the following year , we 'll get rid of apd for children under 16 altogether . ' the treasury said the changes will ` save an average family of four # 26 on a flight to europe and # 142 on one to the us ' .<doc-sep>it follows a recommendation that decisions on apd in scotland should be devolved to the scottish parliament . the snp has said it wants to scrap the tax , which has been in force since 1994 . airports in newcastle and manchester fear this would lead to an exodus of english passengers seeking cheaper flights from scottish airports . airlines and airports welcomed the news , but insisted the entire tax should be scrapped . airlines are required to pay the unpopular apd to the treasury once a passenger 's flight has departed . willie walsh , the head of british airways ' parent company , the international airlines group , said : ` scrapping apd for children might be popular with some voters ... but it will do nothing to improve the uk economy . willie walsh -lrb- above -rrb- , the head of british airways ' parent company , said : ` scrapping apd for children might be popular with some voters ... but it will do nothing to improve the uk economy ' ` apd must be axed in its entirety . the uk still has the highest flying tax in the world and it should be abolished to allow the aviation and tourism industries to flourish . ' easyjet said it would refund apd to any customers who had booked tickets for children on or after the may 1 deadline . chief executive carolyn mccall said : ` this is really good news for families . ' bmi regional also said that it would honour the refunds . virgin atlantic boss craig kreeger said : ` this is great news for families and is another step on the long road to reform of this economically damaging tax ' . british air transport association chief executive nathan stower called it ` an early stocking filler for families ' , but warned the may 1 deadline presented ` significant practical difficulties ' . he said : ` the industry has always said that changes to apd should have at least a 12-month lead-in time due to advance bookings . ' travel organisation abta said the news was ` a hugely positive step ' , while flybe said the move merely ` tinkered with the edges ' of airport policy and should be taken further . autumn statement : george osborne and chief treasury secretary danny alexander yesterday . state loans of up to # 10,000 will be offered to postgraduate students for the first time . george osborne said the funding would ` revolutionise ' access to postgraduate courses , as high costs deter bright students from poor backgrounds . the loans will only be available to those under the age of 30 -- dealing a blow to mature students -- but will cover master 's degrees in any subject . they will be available from 2016-17 , benefiting 40,000 students . the proposals expect to bring an extra 10,000 into postgraduate study . they will be repaid ` concurrently ' with undergraduate loans -- on which repayments only start once earnings reach a certain level -- but may be charged at a higher rate . children 's television has been given a leg-up , in what has been dubbed the ` teletubby ' tax break . the chancellor said he wanted to ensure a new generation of children 's programmes is made in britain by offering incentives to production companies . tax relief for children 's animated productions in the uk was introduced in april last year , and it will be extended to live-action shows this coming april . mr osborne said : ` we will help one area of television production that has been in decline . ' pact , a body representing uk production companies , estimates the treasury could also benefit by up to # 3million a year from the move .<doc-sep>taxes on children 's flights will be abolished , leading to major holiday savings for families , if a proposal said to be supported by david cameron is approved . as it stands , air passenger duty adds a minimum of # 52 to flights for a family of four to a destination in europe such as spain or italy , with tickets for two children under the age of 12 accounting for # 26 of that additional cost . for flights to the united states and canada , north and western africa , the middle east and russia east of the ural ranges the adp rises to # 276 , # 138 for two children , while that cost stretches to # 388 , # 194 for the kids , to places including australia , singapore and indonesia . the air passenger duty paid by an average family of four with two children could be slashed by half . over 30 aviation , tourism and business groups have banded together to propose the removal of the tax to make their airports or cities more attractive to travellers with a significant proportion of mps backing the calls . airports including heathrow , gatwick , newcastle , bristol and manchester airports , airlines such as british airways and virgin atlantic , along with workers ' union unite and chambers of commerce in london and scotland are pushing for the abolition of the tax . the just-launched scrap the tax on family flights campaign says the tax on children 's flights is an unfair burden placed on families by the government . families pay an average of # 52 for a short-haul flight and # 276 for a long-haul flight under current laws . for a family of four with two adults and two children under 12 , you pay : .<doc-sep>by . matt chorley , mailonline political editor . millionaire lingerie boss michelle mone has called for inheritance tax to be axed to stop the government spending her money when she dies . the mother-of-three , who owns the # 50million ultimo push up bra firm , said the tax on money and property left to loved ones was ` unfair and should be abolished ' . the plea came after david cameron hinted the tory party manifesto at the next election will exempt all estates worth up to # 1million . scroll down for video . ultimo boss michelle mone said inheritance tax was unfair and should be abolished so people can leave their money to their children or charities . rising house prices mean the number of families paying the 40 per cent levy will double to one in ten over the next five years . under current rules a single person can leave # 325,000 tax-free , while couples have a joint threshold of # 650,000 . but mrs mone , who divorced last year , called for an end to death taxes , insisting she had already paid tax on her earnings in life . ` i work really hard every single day - like a lot of people - for my children and for my children 's future , ' she told bbc 2 's newsnight .<doc-sep>summer holidays in 2015 could cost just half as much as they did this year thanks to low oil prices and the global upturn . some airfares for next year have already been slashed by up to half - and experts say the discounts will even cover the easter and summer holidays , which is expected to be warmly welcomed by parents . experts say a combination of the current strength of the pound , the government 's decision to scrap air passenger duty for children and falling oil prices reducing airlines ' fuel costs all mean the savings could last well into the summer . scroll down for video . some airfares for next year have already been slashed by half thanks to low oil prices and the global upturn . people are expected to start booking their holidays for 2015 as early as boxing day . bargains available include huge savings on winter breaks to florida , mexico and greece , and easter flights to spain being cut to almost half price compared to this year 's prices . other savings include # 50 flights to prague , barcelona , morocco , portugal and prague . the international air transport association -lrb- iata -rrb- has said lower oil prices and stronger worldwide financial growth are the main reasons for the savings . bargains include huge savings on winter breaks to florida , mexico and greece and easter flights to spain . they say consumers will benefit ` substantially ' from the stronger industry performance as lower industry costs and efficiencies are passed over to holidaymakers in the form of savings . after adjusting for inflation , average return airfares excluding taxes and surcharges are expected to fall by 5.1 per cent compared to 2014 prices . the savings come just weeks after george osborne announced in the autumn statement that families with children will save hundreds of pounds on the cost of their holidays after he axed taxes on flights . the chancellor abolished air passenger duty on all flights for children under the age of 12 . mr osborne 's autumn statement announcement is a major boost for families who are hit by higher holiday costs during term time - and if deals do cover the school holidays in 2015 parents can expect to make substantial savings . joel brandon-bravo , uk managing director of travelzoo , has said low air fare prices mean people can expect competitive deals and offers in 2015 . the # 50 million tax break cuts # 138 from the price of a family of four 's holiday to north america -- and almost # 200 for a family of four travelling to australia . from may 1 , a family of five flying to florida could save # 213 , or # 71 for each child under 12 . it will also reduce the cost of a family holiday to spain by # 26 . the tax currently adds between # 13 and # 97 to the cost of a flight , depending on how far the final destination is from london . joel brandon-bravo , uk managing director of travelzoo , told the sunday express : ` with the low air fare prices we are seeing for the new year , early 2015 is set to kick off with some great travel offers . ' tony tyler , iata 's director general and ceo said : ` the industry outlook is improving . the global economy continues to recover and the fall in oil prices should strengthen the upturn next year .<doc-sep>children under the age of 17 are allowed to have driving lessons as long as they are not on public roads . cole was found guilty of seven charges , including four of sexual assault on children under 13 and two of the same offence against under-16s . he was also convicted of ` lewd , indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour ' . one of the offences took place in 2004 , while the six others happened between 2011 and 2013 . cole has now been remanded in custody and placed on the sex offender 's register . he will be sentenced at dunoon sheriff court on 9 march . cole was found guilty of seven charges , including four of sexual assault on children under 13 and two of the same offence against under-16s at dunoon sheriff court , pictured , yesterday .

<t> going abroad will save up to # 71 per child depending on the distance . </t> <t> family of five flying to florida saves # 213 ; four to europe save # 26 . </t> <t> shah family from sheffield : ` it 'll open our children to more experiences ' </t> <t> move announced in george osborne 's autumn statement yesterday . </t>

air tax is axed for children under 12 and for all under 16s within two years<T>

naomi hunter was just three-years-old when she was first sexually abused by two men close to her . she suffered in silence until the age of 10 and when the physical abuse stopped , her mental torture continued into her teens as she developed an eating disorder at the age of 13 . ` it happened for so many years it was just normal for me . my whole view of the world was skewed , ' she told daily mail australia . ms hunter , is now 31 , a mother and a primary school teacher and as part of her mission to help others from suffering sexual abuse she has written an illustrated book to teach children about the subject and to show parents and teachers how to talk about it . primary school teacher naomi hunter has written an illustrated book to help children speak out about sex abuse . ' i connected strongly with children i think because of my own childhood experience and lack thereof , i really found my own joy being around them , ' she said of being a teacher . ' i always knew i wanted to do something more and when the idea of the book came up i realised that 's what i wanted to do , to provide help ... on a level that 's respectful of what children go through , ' she said . ` there is no sexual abuse education at all in australia , it 's more just sexual and puberty education which does n't happen until grade five or six which is such a shame , ' ms hunter added . she believes parents should begin teaching their children about ` body safety ' as soon as they can talk so that the children have the ` confidence to know what is right or wrong ' . ms hunter , seen here as a little girl , was abused as a child until the age of 10 . ` it does n't have to be about abuse but body safety ... for example washing yourself in private areas and who is allowed to touch those areas ... it 's about talking about these things in a real , nurturing and informative way . ' ms hunter lives with her husband , her high-school sweetheart jeremy , and their five-year-old daughter marli in mornington peninsula , south-east of melbourne , victoria . she wrote her book , a secret safe to tell , four years ago but it has taken years to get it published because it was seen as a ` risky topic to invest in ' . ' i wrote the first draft relatively efficiently as it came from such a personal place . i felt at ease in writing it , ' she said . editing it so that it was perfectly reachable and appropriately sensitive took a while but now it is published and already helping children to speak out . the book describes one little girl 's experience alongside illustrations . naomi hopes her book , a secret safe to tell , will be used by parents , psychologists and in schools . one page says : ` he said that i was a good girl and i would be perfect ... i liked hearing that . we had secrets that no one else could know . ' another paragraph reads : ` when i closed my eyes all i could see were his games and his hands . it did not feel nice ... . but he said it did feel nice . ' as hey dad ! star robert hughes ' sex crimes were revealed this year , ms hunter said her publisher believed it was the right time to release the book . since then the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse and rolf harris 's abuse conviction in the uk have also opened the gateway for discussions around the topic in australia . ` people are feeling safer to talk about it . there is so much shame going through it that you hide it for so many years , ' she said . ms hunter said she did n't speak out when she was young because she ` probably was n't strong enough ' . in her teenage years naomi developed a severe eating disorder . she said it was her way of coping with her childhood abuse . ` i did n't know that behaviour was n't normal . i 've really been trying to speak out my whole life in some ways ... but now i 'm a in a really strong place , ' she said . ms hunter hopes her book will be used by parents , support careers , in schools and education programmes and by clinical psychologists . ` the feedback has been amazing . everyone is so supportive of it as a nurturing tool to break the taboo , ' she said . ms hunter believed there was n't much support for her when she did reveal the abuse and so she found comfort in anorexia . ` i was very unwell and very troubled . i did n't really feel i could relate to anyone . but at school i was the head prefect , i got amazing grades , ' she explained . while she was at highschool naomi met her future husband jeremy . she credits him for helping her become strong again and said he always believed in her book . ms hunter , is now 31 , a mother to five-year-old daughter marli -lrb- centre -rrb- and a primary school teacher . she lives with her family in victoria and hopes to continue writing books about her experiences . the mother-of-one said her life turned around when she met her boyfriend , now husband , jeremy at highschool . ` he was a massive turning point . we met when we were 16 and were high school sweethearts , we are so connected and so amazing together and are stronger together . ` he 's the reason why i 'm here today . he 's provided me with so much strength . ' ms hunter said jeremy believed in her book from ` the first moment ' . child sex abuse is not the only subject ms hunter wants to raise awareness of . she also hopes to write books on mental health , cancer and grief . ` this is just one of many ideas . i 've got heaps of experiences to draw on . a family member suffers from schizophrenia . i lost my brother to leukaemia . i suffered anorexia . ` after what i went through , i just want to provide beautiful nurturing books without frightening anyone . ' for more details on naomi hunter 's book visit www.naomihunter.com.au and or www.facebook.com/naomihunterauthor .<doc-sep>amanda berry and gina dejesus have written a book about their decade-long ordeal in cleveland . amanda berry and gina dejesus , two of the women held captive and sexually abused in a cleveland home for nearly a decade , have penned a book about their harrowing ordeal . the women , who escaped the home with a third kidnapping victim , michelle knight , in may 2013 , will release the memoir , ` hope : a memoir of survival in cleveland ' , on april 28 . in the book , they each describe how they were lured to the home by kidnapper ariel castro - berry in 2003 , when she was 16 , and dejesus in 2004 , when she was just 14 . following their capture , they stayed hopeful by watching news reports of their families ' searches . ` they never gave up , and that gave us strength , ' the book says , according to people.com . ` we videotaped news coverage of them holding vigils and replayed those tapes on our most desperate days . ' the book also details how castro psychologically , emotionally and sexually abused them , people.com reported . they recall their daily fear as they were chained to beds , starved and sexually abused - but also how they banded together to celebrate birthdays and the birth of berry 's daughter , jocelyn , now eight .<doc-sep>author : `` the lightning dreamer : cuba 's greatest abolitionist , '' written by margarita engle . author : `` the living , '' written by matt de la peña . author : `` pancho rabbit and the coyote : a migrant 's tale , '' written by duncan tonatiuh . illustrator : `` maria had a little llama , '' illustrated and written by angela dominguez . illustrator : `` tito puente : mambo king , '' illustrated by rafael lópez and written by monica brown . illustrator : `` pancho rabbit and the coyote : a migrant 's tale , '' written by duncan tonatiuh . stonewall book award , the mike morgan & larry romans children 's & young adult literature award for `` books of exceptional merit relating to the gay , lesbian , bisexual and transgender experience '' `` beautiful music for ugly children , '' written by kristin cronn-mills . `` fat angie , '' written by e.e. charlton-trujillo . honor books . `` better nate than ever , '' written by tim federle . `` branded by the pink triangle , '' written by ken setterington . `` two boys kissing , '' written by david levithan . 5 questions for tim federle . schneider family book award for `` books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience '' young children 's book : `` a splash of red : the life and art of horace pippin , '' written by jen bryant and illustrated by melissa sweet . middle grades book : `` handbook for dragon slayers , '' written by merrie haskell . teen book : `` rose under fire , '' written by elizabeth wein . michael l. printz award for `` excellence in literature written for young adults '' `` midwinterblood , '' written by marcus sedgwick . honor books . `` eleanor & park , '' written by rainbow rowell . `` the kingdom of little wounds , '' written by susann cokal . `` maggot moon , '' written by sally gardner . `` navigating early , '' written by clare vanderpool . a brief history of young adult literature . theodor seuss geisel award for beginning reader book . `` the watermelon seed , '' written and illustrated by greg pizzoli . honor books . `` ball , '' written and illustrated by mary sullivan . `` a big guy took my ball ! '' written and illustrated by mo willems . `` penny and her marble , '' written and illustrated by kevin henkes . william c. morris award for `` a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens '' `` charm & strange , '' written by stephanie kuehn . finalists . `` sex & violence , '' written by carrie mesrobian . `` dr. bird 's advice for sad poets , '' written by evan roskos . `` belle epoque , '' written by elizabeth ross . `` in the shadow of blackbirds , '' written by cat winters . robert f. sibert informational book award for informational books for children .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- your guide to the best new children 's and young adult literature is here . the winners of the 2015 newbery , caldecott , printz , coretta scott king and other prestigious youth media awards were announced monday morning by the american library association . in addition to books , these awards highlight videos and other creative materials produced for children over the past year . diverse authors and titles from 2014 , such as `` the crossover '' by kwame alexander and `` brown girl dreaming '' by jacqueline woodson , were highlighted with many awards , causing the audience to cheer the choices by the committees . the caldecott medal went to `` the adventures of beekle : the unimaginary friend , '' illustrated and written by dan santat , which follows the journey of an imaginary friend in search of his perfect match . the newbery medal was awarded to `` the crossover '' by kwame alexander , a story about family and brotherhood told through verse by 12-year-old twin basketball players josh and jordan bell . parents can use these titles as a guide when considering what books to recommend to their children and teens , while teachers and librarians look to the award-winning and runner-up titles as a helpful list of what to keep on the shelves in classrooms and libraries . the ala youth media awards were announced during the organization 's winter meeting in chicago and selected by a national judging committee of librarians and children 's literature experts . here 's the list of winners : . john newbery medal for most outstanding contribution to children 's literature . `` the crossover , '' written by kwame alexander . honor books : . `` el deafo , '' written and illustrated by cece bell . `` brown girl dreaming , '' written by jacqueline woodson . ` lemony snicket ' author sorry for ` racist ' joke at national book awards . randolph caldecott medal for the most distinguished american picture book for children . `` the adventures of beekle : the unimaginary friend , '' illustrated and written by dan santat . honor books : . `` nana in the city , '' illustrated and written by lauren castillo . `` the noisy paint box : the colors and sounds of kandinsky 's abstract art , '' illustrated by mary grandpré and written by barb rosenstock . `` sam and dave dig a hole , '' illustrated by jon klassen . `` viva frida , '' illustrated and written by yuyi morales . `` the right word : roget and his thesaurus , '' written by jen bryant and illustrated by melissa sweet . `` this one summer , '' illustrated by jillian tamaki and written by mariko tamaki . coretta scott king awards for an african-american author and illustrator . author award : jacqueline woodson for `` brown girl dreaming '' illustrator award : christopher myers for `` firebird , '' written by misty copeland . honor books : . illustrator christian robinson for `` josephine : the dazzling life of josephine baker , '' written by patricia powell . illustrator frank morrison for `` little melba and her big trombone , '' written by katheryn russell-brown . author kwame alexander for `` the crossover '' author marilyn nelson for `` how i discovered poetry , '' illustrated by hadley cooper . author kekla magoon for `` how it went down '' coretta scott king/john steptoe new talent award . author jason reynolds for `` when i was the greatest '' coretta scott king-virginia hamilton award for lifetime achievement for illustrator/author . deborah d. taylor . margaret a. edwards award , for an author 's significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature . sharon m. draper for `` tears of a tiger , '' `` forged by fire , '' `` darkness before dawn , '' `` the battle of jericho , '' `` november blues '' and `` copper sun . '' diversity in young adult fiction . may hill arbuthnot honor lecture , recognizing an author , critic , librarian , historian or teacher of children 's literature . author pat mora will deliver the 2016 arbuthnot lecture . pura belpre awards for a latino writer and illustrator whose children 's books best portray , affirm and celebrate the latino cultural experience . illustrator : yuyi morales for `` viva frida '' author : marjorie agosin for `` i lived on butterfly hill , '' illustrated by lee white . honor books : . illustrator susan guevara for `` little roja riding hood , '' written by susan middleton elya . illustrator john parra for `` green is a chile pepper , '' written by roseanne greenfield thong . illustrator duncan tonatieuh for `` separate is never equal : sylvia mendez and her family 's fight for desegregation '' author juan felipe herrera for `` portraits of hispanic american heroes '' laura ingalls wilder award , honoring an author or illustrator whose books , published in the u.s. , have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children . donald crews . stonewall book award , the mike morgan & larry romans children 's & young adult literature award for books of exceptional merit relating to the gay , lesbian , bisexual and transgender experience . `` this day in june , '' written by gayle e. pitman and illustrated by kristyna litten . honor books : . `` beyond magenta : transgender teens speak out , '' written and photographed by susan kuklin . `` i 'll give you the sun , '' written by jandy nelson . `` morris micklewhite and the tangerine dress , '' written by christine baldacchio and illustrated by isabelle malenfant . schneider family book award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience . young children 's book : `` a boy and a jaguar , '' written by alan rabinowitz and illustrated by catia chien . middle grade book : `` rain reign , '' written by ann m. martin . teen book : `` girls like us , '' written by gail giles .<doc-sep>get ready to meet the new classics of children 's literature . children 's and young adult books are sporting some shiny new seals after the american library association announced its most esteemed literary prizes monday , including the newbery and caldecott medals . the caldecott medal went to `` locomotive , '' written and illustrated by brian floca . the book follows family and crew traveling together on america 's new transcontinental railroad in the summer of 1869 . the newbery medal was awarded to `` flora & ulysses : the illuminated adventures , '' written by kate dicamillo , who also wrote `` because of winn-dixie '' and `` the tale of despereaux , '' and illustrated by k.g. campbell . it 's the story of a young comic book enthusiast and cynic , flora , and a superhero squirrel named ulysses who helps flora against her greatest enemy . the awards announced monday recognize children 's and young adult authors , illustrators and media producers . the winning list guides parents , teachers and libraries , and the books typically remain in print and on store and library shelves for years to come . the ala youth media awards were announced during the organization 's winter meeting in philadelphia and selected by a national judging committee of librarians and children 's literature experts . here 's the list of winners : . john newbery medal for `` most outstanding contribution to children 's literature '' `` flora & ulysses : the illuminated adventures , '' written by kate dicamillo , illustrated by k.g. campbell . honor books . `` doll bones , '' written by holly black . `` the year of billy miller , '' written by kevin henkes . `` one came home , '' written by amy timberlake . `` paperboy , '' written by vince vawter . randolph caldecott medal for the `` most distinguished american picture book for children '' `` locomotive , '' illustrated and written by brian floca . honor books . `` journey , '' written and illustrated by aaron becker . `` flora and the flamingo , '' written and illustrated by molly idle . `` mr. wuffles ! '' written and illustrated by david wiesner . coretta scott king awards for an african-american author and illustrator . author award : `` p.s. be eleven , '' written by rita williams-garcia . illustrator award : `` knock knock : my dad 's dream for me , '' illustrated by bryan collier and written by daniel beaty . honor books . author : `` march : book one , '' written by john lewis and andrew aydin and illustrated by nate powell . author : `` darius & twig , '' written by walter dean myers . author : `` words with wings , '' written by nikki grimes . illustrator : `` nelson mandela , '' written by kadir nelson . coretta scott king/john steptoe new talent award . theodore taylor iii for his illustrations for `` when the beat was born : dj kool herc and the creation of hip hop '' coretta scott king-virginia hamilton award for lifetime achievement for illustrator/author . patricia and fredrick mckissack . margaret a. edwards award , for an author 's `` significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature '' markus zusak , author of `` the book thief , '' `` i am the messenger , '' `` fighting ruben wolf '' and `` getting the girl '' may hill arbuthnot honor lecture , recognizing an author , critic , librarian , historian or teacher of children 's literature . brian selznick , author and illustrator of `` wonderstruck '' and the caldecott-winning `` the invention of hugo cabret , '' will deliver the 2015 arbuthnot lecture . pura belpre awards for a latino writer and illustrator `` whose children 's books best portray , affirm and celebrate the latino cultural experience '' illustrator : `` nino wrestles the world , '' illustrated and written by yuyi morales . author : `` yaqui delgado wants to kick your ass , '' written by meg medina . honor books .

<t> naomi hunter suffered sexual abuse as a child from the age of three . </t> <t> she has written a book called a secret safe to tell to help other children . </t> <t> the 31-year-old mother is now a school teacher in victoria . </t> <t> ` my whole view of the world was skewed , ' she said . </t>

naomi hunter sexually abused from three has written an illustrated book<T>

an ayn rand novel written , temporarily shelved and later published as a play is finally being released in its original form . coming soon : ayn rand 's novel ` ideal ' will be published july 7 , the new american library said . the new american library , an imprint of penguin random house , announced thursday that rand 's ` ideal ' would be published july 7 . ` the arrival of a never-before-seen ayn rand novel will thrill dedicated readers and is a true publishing event , ' new american library 's vice president kara welsh said in release . rand had worked on the novel , about a greta garbo-like actress and the fans she confronts , in the mid-1930s . protagonist kay gonda ` pleads for help from six of her most devoted fans : an upstanding family man , a farmer , an artist , an evangelist , a wealthy playboy , and a lost soul , ' the release said . in the story , gonda asks her fans for help and says she has been accused of murder , the release said , per publisher 's weekly .<doc-sep>unhappy with how ` ideal ' turned out , rand turned the novel into a play , which came out in 2005 's ` three plays ' . next summer 's publication will include both the novel and the play . dr. leonard piekoff first read ` ideal ' after rand 's death before he put it in the ayn rand archives , publishers weekly reported . then , the ayn rand institute 's richard ralston discovered the book as the archives were being saved digitally . he directed peikoff to the work , according to the trade magazine . the book is set to include an introduction from peikoff . rand , who died in 1982 , is still widely read and is known for the million-selling novels ` atlas shrugged ' and ` the fountainhead , ' both of which have been adapted for film . in 2013 , the ayn rand institute claimed that 29.5 million copies of rand 's books have been sold .<doc-sep>` atlas shrugged ' is widely known for a speech delivered by character john galt . the sentence ` who is john galt ? ' regularly appears on bumper stickers and other merchandise . rand herself came to be known as the founder of the objectivist movement . individualism and laissez-faire capitalism are two tenets supported by the philosophy . the new york observer wrote that during rand 's lifetime ` to the left , she was a reactionary , a fascist , a capitalist pig who advocated for a complete separation between government and economics , limitless individualism and the virtue of selfishness . ` to the right , she was an atheist ; to moderates , an absolutist . ' former us federal reserve chairman alan greenspan , radio host rush limbaugh , and supreme court justice clarence thomas have counted themselves as fans of rand 's work . angelina jolie , brad pitt , and rob lowe , hugh hefner , mark cuban and billie jean king are just a few of the many celebrities that have voiced their support for rand 's philosophy and writings , mother jones reported in 2009 . author : this 1962 file photo russian-born american novelist ayn rand in new york city .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- `` where is john galt ? '' reads a sign in the back of a vehicle heading down interstate 85 in atlanta , georgia . ayn rand , shown here on a 1999 stamp , is finding new readers thanks to the economic crisis . the quotation is wrong . as any reader of ayn rand 's `` atlas shrugged '' can attest , the correct line is `` who is john galt ? '' but the point is well taken . in the midst of the credit crisis and the federal government 's massive bailout plan , the works of rand , a proponent of a libertarian , free-market philosophy she called objectivism , are getting new attention . `` if only ` atlas ' were required reading for every member of congress and political appointee in the obama administration . i 'm confident that we 'd get out of the current financial mess a lot faster , '' wall street journal columnist stephen moore wrote in early january . it 's obviously getting attention from the general public . rand book sales are `` going through the roof , '' said yaron brook , the president of the ayn rand institute . according to brook , `` atlas shrugged , '' her most famous novel , has sold more copies in the first four months of 2009 than it did for all of 2008 -- and in 2008 , it sold 200,000 copies . it 's been in amazon.com 's top 50 for more than a month . not bad for a 1,100-page doorstop of a book that came out in 1957 , by an author who died in 1982 . watch why rand is so beloved '' `` so many people see the parallels with actually what 's going on , with the government taking over the banks , with the government kind of taking over the automobile industry , a president who fires the ceo of a major american corporation . these are the kind of things that come out of ` atlas shrugged , ' '' brook said .<doc-sep>in that speech , ryan said , `` i grew up reading ayn rand and it taught me quite a bit about who i am and what my value systems are and what my beliefs are . it 's inspired me so much that it 's required reading in my office for all my interns and my staff . '' he went on to say that `` the reason i got involved in public service , by and large , if i had to credit one thinker , one person , it would be ayn rand . and the fight we are in here , make no mistake about it , is a fight of individualism versus collectivism . '' avlon : paul ryan will shift the campaign dynamic . ryan very succinctly summed up the randian worldview in those remarks . rand painted the world in stark terms , as a struggle between the individual and the collective . in `` the fountainhead , '' which was published in 1943 , her hero was an architect , howard roark , who pursued his vision despite opposition from the media and the architectural establishment . he dislikes money and status and is solely focused on seeing his vision expressed through his work . he even allows another architect to take the credit for a public housing project that he designed . but when the project is not built according to his wishes , he blows it up . the book was widely denounced as amoral when it came out , but it had enough wide appeal that it was adapted into a 1949 movie with gary cooper as roark and patricia neal as his love interest . but the stir that it caused when it came out was nothing like the explosion of fury that greeted `` atlas shrugged '' when it was published in 1957 . that book advanced her belief that laissez-faire capitalism , unsullied by government interference or regulation , was the only moral social system . unlike the sometimes impoverished architect in `` fountainhead , '' the heroes of `` atlas shrugged '' were millionaires and industrialists , depicted as a degraded class who had to strike to throw off the yoke of oppression . the heroes of that book included a noble railroad heiress , dagny taggart , and a struggling steel tycoon , hank rearden , but they are overshadowed by a character who emerges toward the end , john galt , an inventor who leads the downtrodden 1 % on a strike . castellanos : paul ryan and gen x gop . rand further expounded on her beliefs in essays that were published in her newsletters , and in anthologies with titles like `` the virtue of selfishness '' and `` capitalism : the unknown ideal . '' the latter , first published in 1966 , contained three essays by alan greenspan , one of which argued forcefully against all forms of regulation , even building codes . these essays were published by rand and reflected her thinking . his strident essays for that book , which he has never repudiated or withdrawn from publication , were echoed by his actions in the 1990s as a principal supporter of financial deregulation in his capacity as chairman of the federal reserve .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- people do n't generally care what politicians read . but rep. paul ryan is different . his fascination with the russian-born novelist ayn rand could spell trouble for the gop 's new vice-presidential candidate . it could put him at odds with the christian right and the roman catholic church . it all depends how much you believe that he is in the thrall of ayn rand . rand -lrb- 1905-1982 -rrb- is controversial because of the extremism of her views . in researching my recent book , i found that rand 's influence on the republican party , which dates back as far as her endorsement of wendell willkie in 1940 , has been sharply growing , largely due to her vise-like hold on the imagination of the tea party and people like ryan . rand was the author of two best-selling novels , `` the fountainhead '' and `` atlas shrugged . '' these books , along with her other novels and essays , set forth an ideology which she called objectivism . her books have sold in the millions and appeal to people ranging from silicon valley entrepreneurs to the rock band rush . -lrb- rush 's lyricist and drummer , neil peart , only this year renounced his interest in rand , three decades after writing the songs her work inspired . -rrb- . college students notoriously go through an `` ayn rand phase '' because her books emphasize self-reliance and breaking away from one 's parents . for most people , it 's a kind of literary infatuation . but for a few , rand becomes a lifelong passion . bennett : why paul ryan ? what made her books controversial is not violence or sex , though both `` fountainhead '' and `` atlas '' have their share of bodice-ripping , but an extremist vision of america that celebrated greed and selfishness , rejected altruism as `` evil '' and opposed the fundamental tenets of judeo-christian morality . -lrb- she was also a militant atheist who favored abortion . -rrb- . paul ryan says that he read her books as a youth but was not influenced by her . in april , he gave an interview to national review in which he repudiated rand entirely . in the interview , he called reports of his adherence to rand 's views an `` urban legend '' and said that he was more deeply influenced by his roman catholic faith and by thomas aquinas . but that 's not the way he was talking in 2005 , when he gave a speech to the atlas society , a group dedicated to promoting rand 's beliefs .<doc-sep>in essence , dr krueger told the huffington post , such a high tax would ` provide social insurance against not making it into the 1 per cent . ' in the paper he and dr kindermann write that ` such high marginal tax rates provide optimal social insurance in a world where very high labour incomes are generated by rare -lrb- but somewhat persistent -rrb- earnings opportunity . ' there is a caveat . it is argued that higher marginal tax rates would not discourage the enterprising and entrepreneurial from wanting to work as hard at making money . this is precisely the contention of ayn rand and her acolytes . in her bestselling novel , atlas shrugged , rand imagines a dystopia where successful industrialists abandon their fortunes in response to aggressive regulations . the result of this capital strike is that most vital industries collapse , leaving the nation in ruins , until the wealthy ride to the rescue and reorganise society along the lines of rand 's ` rational selfishness ' . but dr kindermann and dr krueger counter that such an eventually is unlikely , because even those among us who are unusually talented have only a limited window of opportunity to exploit their abilities . they have only a few years to use their skills to make all the money they can . as dr krueger told the huffington post : ` how much less hard would lebron james play basketball if he were taxed at a much higher rate ? ' the answer , the economist says , is not much . with only five or so years of peak earning potential the basketballer will work to earn as much as he possibly can in that time . the question , of course , is : would jamie dimon or lloyd blankfein behave the same way ? and would it matter if they did n't ?

<t> the new american library , an imprint of penguin random house , announced thursday that rand 's ` ideal ' would be published july 7 . </t> <t> rand had worked on the novel , about a greta garbo-like actress and the fans she confronts , in the mid-1930s . </t> <t> unhappy with the result , she turned it into a play , which came out in 2005 . </t>

uncovered ayn rand novel ideal set to be published this july<T>

a donkey is missing her annual nativity show for the first time after being stabbed 12 times by a manic in a night time attack . cheeky the donkey , who is 22 years old , was due to star in the christmas show at greenmeadow farm in cwmbran , south wales , until she was knifed in the night at her farm by a mystery intruder . police are today hunting the cruel attacker who attacked the 22-year-old just days before the nativity show where she would be cheered by children . cheeky the donkey was due to star in the christmas show until she was knifed in the night by an intruder . mare cheeky has been stitched up and will watch the nativity from the wings as she receives treatment for her deep stab wounds . workers at the community farm in cwmbran , south wales , where cheeky lives are in shock at the senseless violence . manager elizabeth burns said : ` it is abhorrent that someone could do this to an innocent animal - especially before the nativity . ` as well as being upset that cheeky has suffered we are really disturbed . the nativity is going on in cheeky 's absence with an unnamed stand in donkey -lrb- pictured -rrb- . cheeky has been stitched up and is receiving treatment for her deep stab wounds -lrb- pictured -rrb- .<doc-sep>` now our focus is on monitoring cheeky and nursing her back to health . ` it is a shame that we are having to hide cheeky away while she gets better because her appearance could upset the children who visit the farm at this time of year . ` but the show must go on and all the other animals are performing well without their friend cheeky . ' despite sharing a paddock with two other donkeys cheeky was the only animal injured at greenmeadow community farm . the farm are working closely with gwent police who believe the wounds were deliberately inflicted . it has now incorporated regular night patrols and the farm has increased their security . a spokesperson for gwent police said : ` we are appealing for information after a donkey was injured . ` the 22 year old donkey , called cheeky , received 12 puncture wounds to both hind legs , the abdomen and it 's neck . ` she has received treatment from the vet , is back at the farm and her condition is being monitored . ' cheeky has always been the star at the annual nativity show - but this year has been forced to give it a miss .<doc-sep>two teenagers were arrested on christmas eve for stabbing a nativity donkey 12 times and forcing it to miss its annual show . cheeky the donkey , who is 22 years old , was due to star in the christmas show at greenmeadow farm in cwmbran , south wales , until she was knifed in the night . police have been hunting the cruel attackers since the knife assault in november and two 17-year-old boys were arrested last night . the mare was left with 16 deep stab wounds to her abdomen , hind legs and neck just days before the nativity show where she would be cheered by children . scroll down for video . two teenagers have been arrested for stabbing cheeky the nativity donkey at a farm in south wales . she was stitched up and forced to view the nativity from the wings as she received treatment . workers at the community farm are in shock and said they were ` really disturbed ' by the senseless violence . manager elizabeth burns said : ` it was abhorrent that someone could do this to an innocent animal - especially before the nativity . ` as well as being upset that cheeky has suffered we are really disturbed . our focus is on monitoring cheeky and nursing her back to health . she was stitched up and forced to view the nativity from the wings as she received treatment . the mare , who is 22 years old , was left with 16 deep stab wounds to her abdomen , hind legs and neck . ` it is a shame that we are having to hide cheeky away while she gets better because her appearance could upset the children who visit the farm at this time of year . ` but the show had to go on and all the other animals performed well without their friend cheeky . ' cheeky was the only animal injured at the farm , despite sharing a paddock with two other donkeys . gwent police have now incorporated regular night patrols and the farm has increased their security . a police spokesman said : ` we have arrested two male suspects aged 17 who have been bailed pending phone and forensic examinations . ` we are renewing our appeal for anyone with information about the attack to contact us . ' cheeky has always been the star at the annual nativity show at greenmeadow farm in cwmbran , south wales - but this year has been forced to give it a miss . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .<doc-sep>police in spain are investigating the death of a nativity donkey which collapsed after being sat on by a heavyset man . the five-month-old donkey was being held in a pen which was not meant to be accessed by the public for a christmas fair in the town of lucena in cordoba . but one visitor climbed over the fence and sat on the fragile animal 's back to have his picture taken , while grinning and posing for the camera . the photo of the portly man grinning as he poses on the donkey - which later died - has been widely shared on social media , where animal lovers have reacted with outrage and called on the town hall to take action . two days later , residents noticed that the donkey , named platero , was barely able to stand , and he was taken to a local vet . the animal was then urgently transferred to a specialist clinic , but due to the severity of his internal injuries he had to be put down . the photograph of the portly man grinning as he poses on the donkey has since been widely shared on social media , where animal lovers have reacted with outrage and called for the town hall to take action . two animal rights organisations , asociación de defensa del borrico -lrb- adebo -rrb- and the círculo animalista de podemos lucena reported the incident to the police . the donkey was being used in a nativity scene in the town of lucena in cordoba , spain . ` the donkey was literally squashed by a man , ' they said in their complaint . ` the man tried to pose ` galloping , ' with his almost 150kg of weight on the fragile body of the animal , squashing it to death . ' police have asked a vet to determine the cause of the donkey 's death , and the town hall has said it will take legal action if it is found that the man sitting on the animal 's back is responsible . the charities say they are repulsed and outraged and will move ` heaven and earth ' to have the man prosecuted if it is proved that the man 's weight killed the donkey . traditional nativity scenes , known as ` belenes ' , are found across towns and cities spain in the lead-up to christmas , and often include live animals such as sheep and donkeys .<doc-sep>london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- josephs and marys in search of a room at the inn this christmas are being made an offer they ca n't refuse . mary and joseph ride a donkey to bethlehem in a performance of the nativity story near guildford , england . a british hotel chain is promising free accommodation to couples who share their first names with the couple from the christian nativity story .<doc-sep>by . amanda williams . published : . 11:44 est , 8 december 2013 . | . updated : . 03:18 est , 9 december 2013 . using a real donkey in a children 's nativity play must have seemed like a good idea to organisers hoping to bring their open-air event to life . but ` elf and safety ' rules mean that rather than just a simple shawl , mary will arrive sporting a crash helmet -- in case she falls off the animal . the bridge church in neath , near swansea in south wales - which is organising the performance - brought in the measure after the donkey 's owner insisted it must follow council guidelines . crash test : organisers of a children 's nativity play have been told the girl playing mary must wear a crash helmet - in case she falls off the donkey -lrb- file picture -rrb- . organisers : the open air play is being organised by the bridge church , pictured , in neath , near swansea . church youth worker mark barrett , 44 , said : ` we 've been advised that any young child riding a horse or donkey needs a hard hat for health and safety purposes . ` the owner of the donkey has asked us to do this to make sure we 're in keeping with council guidelines and his insurance policy . ` we do n't really mind , we 've just got to comply with it , we 've got to do everything we can to make sure everyone is happy . ` our stars will be the children taking part who are aged between six and 16 and the donkey . ' traditional : the mother of baby jesus is usually portrayed wearing a blue shawl and robes . policy : the donkey 's owner has insisted the schoolgirl wears the protective head wear in keeping with council guidelines as she rides through neath town centre -lrb- pictured -rrb- . the school girl playing mary has not been chosen yet but she will wear her shawl over the high hat hiding it from view . mr barrett added : ` lot 's of children have been on donkeys at the beach so i do n't think we 'll have any problem finding a girl who 's comfortable with it . ` the donkey in question has been used on the beach before so he 's very docile . ` but a donkey is very high of the ground for a small child so it is better to be safe than sorry . ` we are really excited about it all but a bit nervous . ` it 's not everyday you see a donkey walking through the town centre - it 's a great focal point . '

<t> donkey stabbed 12 times in cruel night time attack by mystery intruder . </t> <t> cheeky will now miss starring in the annual nativity show as she recovers . </t> <t> farm workers say they are ` really disturbed ' by the senseless incident . </t> <t> police are appealing for information following incident at community farm . </t>

cheeky the donkey misses annual nativity show after being stabbed 12 times by maniac<T>

littlewoods has been accused of overcharging shoppers with its interest free ` buy now , pay later ' option - which can lead to hard-up customers paying double what they would elsewhere . the weekly payment option available online spreads the payments over a number of weeks , making it more manageable for families to cope with the cost of christmas , the retailer claims . but it can lead to some of the most cash-strapped families paying as much as double what they should over the year once the money is totted up . littlewoods has been accused of overcharging shoppers with its high profile campaign interest free ` buy now , pay later ' option - fronted by presenter myleene klass - which can lead to hard-up customers paying double what they would elsewhere . the high profile campaign - fronted by presenter myleene klass - tells customers : ` whether you 're buying clothes for the kids or updating your dishwasher , you can make it all manageable by spreading the cost . ` everything you buy is available interest free -- giving you more flexibility when it comes to your budget . ' but a quick internet search reveals that some of most desirable gifts this christmas are available at a fraction of the price elsewhere .<doc-sep>littlewoods offers barbie 's malibu house for # 100 , but the toy was available on amazon for just # 49.99 . and an iphone 5 64gb in white , will cost # 519 at littlewoods , compared to 359.99 . an xbox one with alien games costs # 449 at littlewoods - compared to just # 339 at online retailer very . and a radley bloomsbury barrel bag was # 256 , compared to # 209 from the radley website . littlewoods offers barbie 's malibu house for # 100 , giving customers the option of spreading the payments and paying as little as # 1.92 over a year . but the toy was available on amazon for just # 49.99 . an xbox one with alien games costs # 449 at littlewoods - compared to just # 339 at online retailer very . and an iphone 5 64gb in white , will cost # 519 at littlewoods , compared to 359.99 . marc gander of the consumer action group said that it was a ` disgusting rip-off ' , and compared the deals to that of a ` payday loan company ' .<doc-sep>he said : ` it 's not just a marginal increase . how sad . this really does prey on poor people and it is going to hit the most cash strapped families the hardest this christmas - like payday loans do . the weekly payment option available online spreads the payments over a number of weeks - but it can lead to some of the most cash-strapped families paying as much as double what they should over the year . ` what a shame that littlewoods used to be a family retailer , and now they are capitalising on this reputation and milking it . they are using the poor as a cash cow at christmas . ' a littlewoods spokesman said : ` we totally refute any suggestion that littlewoods is misleading customers with its interest-free offer . we make it very clear for littlewoods customers exactly what they 're buying and how much they 're paying , with no hidden extras . ` littlewoods customers benefit from a range of flexible payment options to help spread the cost of purchases -- a simple offer that they tell us they really value and that we 've been providing for more than 80 years . ` comparing a handful of prices at one point in time does n't tell the full story . littlewoods has regular sales , discounts and promotions , so the headline price customers see is n't always the price they end up paying -- it 's often lower . we 're currently offering up to 50 % off a wide selection of toys , gifts , furniture and electricals , for example . we also have regular three for two offers in the run-up to christmas . ` online shopping means that customers can and do shop around to compare the prices of items . our customers tell us they shop with littlewoods because they see the good value we offer . '<doc-sep>myleene designs her lingerie to look good underneath clothes and without them . the three-piece collection comes in red , black and cream and in sizes 8-18 , 32b-40e , with prices ranging from # 13 - # 35 . the new collection is a victory for myleene after she was faced with a bizarre petition calling for littlewoods to drop her as a designer last november . it came after the mother-of-two criticised ed miliband for labour 's proposed mansion tax on the tv show the agenda . myleene with her mystery beau at geri halliwell 's christmas party last december . myleene 's bikini body gained widespread attention after she appeared on i 'm a celebrity in 2006 . the founder of the petition on change.org accused myleene of class insensitivity and claimed that her littlewoods customers were some of the hardest-hit brits in the recent economic downturn . they said : ` myleene klass has demonstrated unacceptable conduct and spoken unacceptably publicly in such appalling economic times . ` we the british public call upon you -lrb- littlewoods -rrb- to make you position regarding the words of myleene klass clear and end your business relationship with her as the face of your brand . ' but the petition was widely derided and only managed to attract 8,978 signatures .<doc-sep>but the cost of meeting such debts is usually met by the bank itself , triggering doubts about why customers even had to pay for such a policy . after months of talks , the banks , cpp and city regulator are now close to a final compensation deal . the banks will shortly begin sending out letters to affected customers with details of how to claim . the compensation will leave the banks with an estimated # 1billion bill but there are fears that it could be higher . justin modray said that it is thoroughly depressing to see another case of dreadful bank behaviour ripping off innocent customers . this will add more financial strain to banks on top of the # 10billion recompense already racked up for mis-selling payment protection insurance . justin modray , founder of consumer finance website candidmoney.com , said : ` although the payouts will be a welcome and long overdue boost to those households duped out of the money , it 's thoroughly depressing to see another case of dreadful bank behaviour ripping off innocent customers . ` by asking loyal customers to pay more than # 100 a year for policies that were essentially worthless , it 's no wonder levels of trust in the high street banks is at absolute rock bottom . ' some 4.4 million card protection and identity fraud protection policies were sold between january 2005 and march 2011 . not all banks sold these policies . while many high-street operators did , lloyds and halifax chose not to . roughly nine in ten were sold via banks and the rest bought directly from cpp .<doc-sep>the festive period may be almost over but these lions at a cambridgeshire zoo have received a belated christmas gift . the big cats at linton zoological gardens are being given discarded christmas trees as toys to play with and chew on . according to zookeepers , the cut trees are like ` catnip ' to the animals and provide them with hours of fun . scroll down for video . one of the lions at linton zoo rolls around on the ground with his new christmas tree toy , which keepers say provides the animals with hours of fun . the lions enjoying biting on the trunks of the trees as well as ripping apart the branches . and now the zoo is urging families to drop off their used christmas trees to provide the animals with new toys for the new year . kim simmons , a director at the zoo said : ` we 've already had quite a few trees coming in , which are giving the lions hours of fun . ' it is thought that the lions love playing with the trees as they contain catnip , sometimes known as catmint , a plant of the mint family , which can cause many cats euphoria . according to zookeepers , the cut trees are like ` catnip ' to the lions and they love chewing and ripping apart the branches . meanwhile dead trees that are being donated to the zoo are being used in their bio-burner to provide additional heating for the buildings . in addition , trees that still have a root ball are being re-planted in a small meadow area of the zoo and in the snowy owl enclosure . it is the third year running that the zoo has appealed for local people to donate their old christmas trees . and so far this year , they have had double the amount of usual donations .<doc-sep>by . paul revoir . last updated at 3:55 am on 26th november 2011 . it has horrified children and parents alike -- and will certainly not please santa if he is watching with his reindeer . a television advert for the littlewoods mail order company has been seen as hinting that father christmas does not exist . it features children in a christmas play who sing about who has bought their presents , with a chorus which says their mothers have done all the shopping . scroll down for video . under fire : a littlewoods tv ad featuring a nativity play in which children sing a song about how it is ` muvver ' , and not father christmas , who puts the presents under the tree has angered parents . the advertising standards authority . has ruled that the ad can continue to be shown despite having received . 456 complaints that it destroys children 's belief that santa claus puts . the presents under the tree . many of the complaints called for the 40-second advert to be rescheduled to a time slot after youngsters have gone to bed . and a facebook petition has been . launched demanding it is taken off the air altogether . one parent said : .

<t> online retailer accused of overcharging customers in run-up to christmas . </t> <t> weekly payment plan available online spreads the payments over a year . </t> <t> littlewoods say it is more manageable for families to cope with costs . </t> <t> but a consumer group has blasted it as a disgusting rip-off of the poorest . </t> <t> bargain hunters are predicted to leave most of their online christmas shopping until next monday , while crowds on the high street are predicted to peak as late as the last weekend before christmas . </t>

littlewoods accused of ripping off customers with christmas gift payment plans<T>

foreign billionaires , multinational businesses and uk-based banks will be hit with swingeing tax hikes , george osborne said today . wealthy ` non doms ' , who have based themselves in britain for years without paying tax , will see the annual charge for staying in the country double . ` non-domiciled residents ' live in uk but are registered as foreign nationals to save tax on income made abroad . but from next year non-doms who have lived in the uk for 12 of the last 14 years will have to pay # 60,000 a year to qualify for the status -- rising to # 90,000 if they have been in britain for 17 of the past 20 years . the current rate is # 30,000 . scroll down for video . george osborne said some banks wo n't pay tax for 15 to 20 years . he said this was ` totally unacceptable ' mr osborne said the tax changes meant the richest 20 per cent in britain were contributing more than the remaining 80 per cent put together . he said this proved ` we are all in this together ' . a new levy on multinational businesses - dubbed a ` google tax ' - will also be introduced to stop giant technology firms avoiding tax . the chancellor claimed that some of the largest companies in the world ` including those in the tech sector ' use complex tax arrangements to ` avoid paying taxes ' .<doc-sep>he announced there would be a new 25 per cent tax on profits generated by multinationals in the uk . at the moment many firms ` artificially shift ' profits out of the country to cut their tax bill , he said . mr osborne told mps : ` that 's not fair to other british firms . it 's not fair to the british people either . today we 're putting a stop to it . my message is consistent and clear . low taxes ; but taxes that will be paid . ' google was last year accused by mps of ` calculated and unethical ' tax affairs after its hmrc bill came to light . the company generated # 11.5 billion in revenue from the uk between 2006 and 2011 and paid just # 10million in corporatation taxes in the same period . the multinationals targeted include silicon valley technology companies such as google , amazon and apple , and also starbucks . the tax - officially referred to as the ` diverted profits tax ' is intended to raise an extra # 1billion over the next five years .<doc-sep>mr osborne said the tax changes meant the richest 20 per cent in britain were contributing more than the remaining 80 per cent put together . he said this proved ` we are all in this together ' . uk-based banks will also be stopped from using losses from overseas to cut their tax bill in britain . the chancellor also laid out plans to ` make sure our banks pay their fair share too ' . mr osborne told mps : ` under the rules we inherited banks can offset all their losses from the financial crisis against tax on profits for years to come . ` some banks would n't be paying tax for 15 to 20 years . that 's totally unacceptable . the banks got public support in the crisis and they should now support the public in the recovery . ` i am today limiting the amount of profit in established banks that can be offset by losses carried forward to 50 per cent and delaying relief on bad debts . ` together that means banks will contribute almost # 4billion more in tax over the next five years . '<doc-sep>a californian billionaire says he feels guilty for getting rich at the ` expense of labour ' and calls for tax reforms to make the top 1 per cent of earners pay more tax . financier william gross , 69 , who owns pacific investment management company , pimco , posted a blog on his website labelling fellow tycoons who complain about taxes as scrooge mcducks , referring to the disney character . gross , who ranked 641 in the forbes list of billionaires , according to sky news , said : ` having gotten rich at the expense of labour , the guilt sets in and i begin to feel sorry for the less well-off , writing very public investment outlooks that `` dis '' the success that provided me the soapbox in the first place . ' billionaire : william gross , 69 , founder of pacific investment management -lrb- pimco -rrb- , says the top 1 per cent of earners should pay more tax . ` privileged ' : the financier 's investment company is one of the largest in the world , which oversees billions of dollars . gross was ranked 641 in the forbes list of billionaires . he says the scrooge mcducks of the . world should think twice about criticising ` what they consider to be . counterproductive , even crippling taxation of the wealthy in the midst . of historically high corporate profits and personal income ' . he suggests rich people think of themselves as ` privileged ' to have been able to make so much of the national income . pimco is one of the largest active global fixed income investment managers in the world and has $ 2 trillion in assets under management . it is the world 's largest bond investor . gross ' 7,100 square-foot home estate in california , which lies by pebble beach golf course and overlooks stillwater bay , cost $ 20 million . ` in . the united states , the share of total pre-tax income accruing to the . top 1 per cent has more than doubled from 10 per cent in the 1970s to 20 . per cent today . ' gross . tells his fellow billionaires to admit that they grew up in a ` gilded . age of credit , where those who borrowed money or charged fees on . expanding financial assets had a much better chance of making it to the . big tent than those who used their hands for a living ' . ` congratulations . smoke that cigar , . enjoy that chateau lafite 1989 . but -lrb- mostly you guys -rrb- acknowledge your . good fortune at having been born in the '40s , '50s or '60s ... and . having had the privilege of riding a credit wave and a credit boom for . the past three decades , ' he writes . large estate : gross ' home by the pebble beach golf course , overlooking stillwater bay , california . he paid $ 20 million for the 7,100 square foot house in 2002 . guilty : the billionaire , who owns pimco in california , says having gotten rich at the expense of labour , ` the guilt sets in and i begin to feel sorry for the less well-off ' no scrooge mcducks : gross says billionaires , stanley druckenmiller , owner of duquesne capital management , left , and warren buffet , ceo of berkshire hathaway , right , have recently advocated similar proposals to ` end the era of taxing capital at lower rates than labour ' he says he understands how hard many of them worked and says a fair economic system should allow people the chance to succeed . gross talks about us billionaires stanley druckenmiller and warren buffett who have recently mooted similar proposals . he ends his online speech saying , ` the era of taxing `` capital '' at lower rates than `` labour '' should now end . '<doc-sep>by . matt chorley , mailonline political editor . published : . 07:19 est , 15 january 2013 . | . updated : . 11:25 est , 15 january 2013 . bank of england chief sir mervyn king said bankers had to realise they ` can ¿ t just exist on their own ' goldman sachs has abandoned plans to delay paying out bonuses to help bankers avoid the 50p tax rate . the u-turn came hours after bank of england boss sir mervyn king branded the idea ` depressing ' and accused bankers of mis-judging public anger at the damage caused by the financial crash . the investment bank had considered waiting to . award equity bonuses deferred from previous years , due to pay out this . month , until after april 6 . it would mean tax on the payouts would have been paid at the 45p . rate instead of the 50p rate for high earners . but people familiar with the bank 's deliberations said the comp committee of the board met today and ruled out the idea . in a devastating attack on attitudes in the city , sir mervyn accused the super-rich of thinking it was ` exciting ' to use a loophole which could cost the taxpayer millions . ' i find it a bit depressing that people who earn so much seem to think it 's even more exciting to kind of adjust the timing of it to get the benefit of a lower tax rate which they will benefit from in the long run to a very great extent , ' he told the treasury select committee . sir mervyn , who will stand down as bank of england governor in june , said city firms had to consider the reputational damage the move would cause . ' i think it would be rather clumsy and rather lacking in care and attention to how other people might react and , in the long run , financial institutions , like all large institutions do depend on good will from the rest of society , they ca n't just exist on their own . ' british taxpayers could lose out on . millions of pounds if super-rich bankers press ahead with the idea of delaying their bonuses until after the 50p tax rate . is scrapped . chancellor . george osborne came under pressure to take action to close the loophole . which could lead to a massive shortfall in treasury coffers . the revelation will . add to the sense of public fury after it emerged bankers at the firm are . expected to reward themselves # 8.3 billion in bonuses tomorrow . staggering : bankers at goldman sachs are expected to share # 8.3 billion in bonuses . shadow . treasury minister chris leslie said : ` goldman sachs has made the right decision , but the fact remains that from april thousands of bankers and millionaires will get a huge tax cut from david cameron and george osborne . ' the . american investment bank , which employs 5,500 staff in the uk , will be . the first to unveil its telephone number-sized rewards -- an average of . # 250,000 a person -- as part of the latest round of bonus updates . the . increase , up from # 230,000 last year , comes as british families are . still struggling to make ends meet five years after banks brought the . economy to the brink of meltdown . about half of the top 20 banks in the city had considered delaying uk payouts , the financial times reported . in . 2010 bankers brought forward their bonuses by a few weeks ahead of the . introduction of the 50p rate for people earning more than # 150,000 , . costing the taxpayer # 16billion . chancellor george osborne will be urged to act to stop bankers avoiding tax by delaying their big bonuses until after april 6 . by delaying a bonus until after april 6 , a banker with a salary of # 150,000 awarded a # 100,000 bonus would save # 5,000 in tax . lib . dem mp john hemming said any bank caught dodging tax in this way should . be banned from being awarded lucrative government contracts . calls for restraint by politicians , who have used taxpayers cash to bailout many of the banks , have fallen on deaf ears . at .<doc-sep>under the plan , 18 to 24-year-olds out of work for a year will be offered a taxpayer-funded job for six months , with those who refuse losing benefits . shadow chancellor ed balls , visiting a construction in london yesterday , plans to raise taxes to pay for the youth jobs plans . iain duncan smith blasted ed miliband 's plan to give unemployed 18-24-year-olds taxpayer-funded jobs . labour faced searching questions over the funding of the scheme , which it said would cost # 5.5 billion and be met with another tax raid on the pension pots of the better-off and a new tax on bankers ' bonuses . ed miliband said the scheme was ` fully costed ' and ` right and fair ' . people on the 45p top rate of tax would get only 20 per cent tax relief on pension contributions , instead of the 45 per cent they receive now . labour would also repeat its one-off 2009 tax on bank bonuses . but critics pointed out the party has previously earmarked a bankers ' bonus tax to reverse the coalition 's increase in vat , tax credit changes and child benefit cuts . the tories said the party had suggested using new bank taxes to fund at least ten commitments . the tories said official costings suggest the policy would cost # 1.7 billion more than labour claims .<doc-sep>those who pledge do us proud . there is another issue raised by the billionaires ' compact , beyond the increasing gap between rich and poor in the united states . it is the gap between the `` super rich '' -- who really do have more money than they know what to do with -- and what might be called the `` working wealthy , '' who are taxed as though they 're rich enough to able to give away half their money . these are individuals whose household income might bring them into the top tax bracket of $ 250,000 a year but who , with two parents working , might still find themselves struggling to stay in the stability of the upper-middle class in the expensive urban areas where they often work . much of the anger about the scheduled sunset of the bush tax cuts for the increase in top-bracket taxes comes from this productive group of americans .

<t> wealthy ` non doms ' in uk for years to be charged up to # 90,000 a year . </t> <t> new levy dubbed ` google tax ' introduced to raise more from multinationals . </t> <t> comes after mps said tech firm accused of paying ` unethical ' amount of tax . </t> <t> banks also stopped from using foreign losses to reduce taxes in uk . </t>

google , bankers and foreign billionaires targeted in tax raid on the rich<T>

two people were struck by lightning as severe thunderstorms swept through sydney causing flight chaos and traffic delays . luckily only minor cases , a man in his 20s was hit by lightning in hazelbrook , in the blue mountains while another person was struck in cabramatta in sydney 's southwest , said an ambulance spokeswoman . the bureau of meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning on wednesday afternoon for areas near parramatta , sydney olympic park and richmond . the bureau warned the storm was moving towards the north east and was forecast to hit hornsby , sydney city , the harbour bridge and the northern beaches . scroll down for video . lightning strikes at sydney harbour on wednesday afternoon as a severe thunderstorm warning is issued for a number of areas across new south wales . firefighters finally put out the fire about 9pm , almost three hours after it started . the fire broke out just after 6.30 pm on wednesday after being struck by lightning . dark smoke is seen billowing over the inner-city of sydney , covering the harbour bridge from view . firefighters evacuated 40 units near the substations as they waited for the power to be shut off . the new south wales capital was plunged into darkness by 5.30 pm but by 7pm the worse of the storm seemed to have passed although at least 13,000 homes in the blue mountains , hawkesbury , southern highlands and western sydney regions were still without power . the commute home for many sydneysiders was thrown into disarray with ferries stranded as they were unable to dock and traffic was brought to a standstill on the harbour bridge . one driver described the scene on the bridge as a ` car park ' . lightning also wreaked havoc in pyrmont - in sydney 's inner-city - with an electrical substation catching alight after it was hit . large amounts of dark smoke was seen billowing out of the building just after 6.30 pm , but it has since been extinguished .<doc-sep>it took 20 firefighters around two hours to put out the fire and while authorities are n't sure what caused it , they think it may have been due to lightning . the fire proved tricky for firefighters who were prevented from using water to extinguish the substation blaze as it had about 11,000 volts of electricity running through it , superintendent ian krimmer said . storms stopped traffic on the harbour bridge as the east coast was pelted by wild weather . lightning strikes were seen all over sydney as the skies fell dark across the city . in this picture , a lightning strike looks to just miss a playing flying over the city . nsw ses is currently working at mittagong , in the southern highlands of nsw , where 40 requests for assistance have been received after the area was flooded with 30mm of rain in only 20 minutes . social media users captured images of storm clouds rolling in and lighting strikes in the distance . captured footage of a lightning strike hitting sydney during wednesday 's storm . this one struck near the inner-city near sydney harbour bridge . instead , they worked to protect surrounding buildings , which included a five-level residential block , until the energy provider isolated power to the site . fire and rescue nsw evacuated 40 units as they waited for the power to be shut off , fortunately there were no reports of injury . emergency crews have received more than 80 phone calls about fallen trees and power lines by across the sydney area , sending out more than 80 fire trucks and 300 firefighters to various jobs . nsw ses is currently working at mittagong , in the southern highlands of nsw , where 40 requests for assistance have been received after the area was flooded with 30mm of rain in only 20 minutes . according to live traffic nsw , five roads were flooded by 6pm , including the great western highway springwood , old windsor road and seven hills road . train services were closed on the t1 western line between richmond and clarendon , ` due to lightning strikes at clarendon affecting signalling , ' transport nsw stated .<doc-sep>fire and rescue nsw had received more than 50 phone calls about fallen trees and power lines by 5:30 pm . large amounts of dark smoke was spotted billowing out of a building at pyrmont in sydney 's centre during the storm , after lightning struck an electrical sub station and sparked a fire . social media users instantly took to sharing photographs of the storm 's affect in their area . buses operated as a replacement service between stations , however heavy traffic in the richmond area caused delays . there was also heavy traffic delays in strathfield due to flooding . the storms also caused some delays to flights out of sydney airport with qantas and virgin confirming that its domestic and international runways had been closed since 5.15 pm . qantas said about 10 flights had been affected , some by up to two hours . by 7pm , a virgin spokeswoman said its flights had returned to normal with the runways reopening . social media users instantly took to sharing photographs of the storm 's affect in their area . further south in mildura in victoria , residents posted photos of hail the size of a 20-cent piece pelting the town . the bureau of meteorology predicted large hail stones , damaging winds and heavy rainfall , which could lead to flash flooding , at around 5pm for the areas of gosford , sydney , wollongong , nowra , armidale and orange . by 6:40 pm , the bureau of meteorology had cancelled their severe storm warning . nsw rural fire service shared this photo of the number of lightning strikes that have struck across the state . the bureau of meteorology has predicted large hail stones , damaging winds and heavy rainfall , which could lead to flash flooding , for the areas of gosford , sydney , wollongong , nowra , armidale and orange .<doc-sep>lightning strikes are being posted on social media as sydney suffers a second series of thunderstorms in less than 24 hours . in her post , locke hart , says that ` lightening -lrb- sic -rrb- hits the house 4 doors down from me ultimately causing an electrical fire . thank goodness for our fire fighters tho ! ` what wacky weather today ! yeah i sound like a sissy , but i thought it was kind of funny lol . ' up to 10,000 homes were blacked out as a result of the late sunday storms which swept through northern new south wales . a number of fires are also burning across the state after being sparked by lightning strikes . scroll down for more video . australia 's east coast is bracing for more storm activity in the next 24 hours and storm watchers best beware , as a woman in newcastle proved that sometimes getting too close , can be a health hazard . more than 10,000 homes were blacked out as a result of the late sunday storms which swept through northern new south wales . a number of fires are also burning across the state after being sparked by lightning strikes . the nsw rural fire service -lrb- rfs -rrb- reports that it is battling 90 blazes so far , 47 of which are deemed out of control . most were caused by lightning strikes late on sunday that followed scorching temperatures in sydney and around the state , nsw rfs spokesman ben shepherd said .<doc-sep>a severe storm complete with flash floods , wild winds and mammoth hail stones pelting down across sydney has left at least 17,000 homes and businesses in the west of the city with no power while a school teacher was struck down by lightning . the lucky woman , in her 30s , survived the freak bolt of lightning with just minor injuries after crossing the road with an umbrella at st justin 's catholic primary school oran park , in southwest sydney . in another freak accident - a flash of lightning struck a house causing a mattress to catch fire in glenmore park in western sydney . but no one was injured after a fire crew promptly extinguished the fire . fire and rescue nsw have also attended flooding , electrical fires and fallen wires and trees throughout the city . while state emergency services have responded to 70 calls with the majority being from western sydney . scroll down for video . an incredible shot taken by an office worker ss lightning is seen here hitting sydney 's centrepoint tower . a bolt of lightning appears from the moody sky above the city 's centre . the streets of leichhardt in sydney 's inner-west lit up like a rainbow . meanwhile , the crazy weather has caused chaos at sydney airport with either planes grounded , diverted or delayed with passengers advised to check with airlines on the latest updates with flights . sydney airport tweeted that now the thunderstorm has cleared it was working with ` airlines to get back on schedule ' .<doc-sep>a newcastle man got the shock of his life while he was filming a lightning storm in new south wales . rob mcgee was watching the storm roll over the city - two hours north of sydney - when he captured the moment a lightning strike hit a nearby gym . mr mcgee posted the video on social media just after 7.30 pm on sunday . scroll down for video . rob mcgee was watching the storm roll over newcastle - two hours north of sydney - when he captured the moment a lightning strike hit a nearby gym . ` scared the crap out of me ! ' he wrote along with the video . in the five-second footage , a deafening crack is heard when lightning hits a building . mr mcgee told shocked friends who commented on the post that the landing place was a gym behind civic train station . ` had a better look ... . it is gym behind the station . bet a few people dropped a weight or two , ' he wrote . the landing place was a nearby gym behind civic train station in newcastle . the storm that rolled in over nsw on sunday followed hot weather during the day . he added ' a few ' others had hit his building but this was the only one he had captured on camera . at the time of publication , mr mcgees ' video had attracted almost 70,000 views on social media . sunday 's hot weather during the day was followed by thunderstorms late in the afternoon . in nsw , a number of fires were believed to have been started by lightning strikes . at least 90 blazes were burning across the state , with more than half deemed out-of-control . most were caused by lightning strikes late sunday that followed scorching temperatures in sydney and around the state , nsw rural fire service spokesman ben shepherd said . at the time of publication , mr mcgees ' video had attracted almost 70,000 views on social media . ` the good thing at this stage is there is nothing impacting on any lives or property , ' he told aap on monday . ` however , given the remoteness of some of these fires , it is going to take a considerable effort over coming days in order to actually start some containment on a number of these fires . ' mr shepherd said the rfs had sent out planes on monday morning to try to detect new outbreaks . ` we are expecting more -lsb- fires -rsb- , ' he said . about 430 firefighters were on the ground and more are on standby . ` we 've probably got a day or two at least of more favourable weather , which will assist in getting some of these fires under control , ' mr shepherd said . sydney was set to reach a top of 30 degrees celsius on monday while wallsend , in the hunter region , was expected to peak at 38 , and penrith in sydney 's west had a maximum of 36 . total fire bans remain in place for the lower central west plains , including dubbo .<doc-sep>by . corey charlton . four homes have been destroyed by lightning and razed by fire as thunderstorms bulldozed their way across the country this weekend . the homes were either damaged directly by bolts of lightning or set on fire by lightning strikes on saturday and sunday . remarkably , all the homes were empty when the fires and lightning struck . two families away on holiday had a miraculous escape when their gloucestershire homes were destroyed in separate lightning strikes . emergency services dealing with the fallout from the thunderstorms arrived to find both homes had been hit on the roof . one of the houses , in hardwicke , was struck in the early hours of saturday morning , with the lightning bolt destroying the roof and falling debris crushing a nearby honda jazz . debris from the damaged roof in hardwicke , gloucestershire , crushed a honda jazz parked below it . craig smith , a neighbour , said : ' i saw an almighty flash and mortar flying up in the air . they are a lovely family and they 'll be gutted when they get home . ` i 'm just glad they were n't home when it all happened . it happened so close to our house that i just ca n't fathom it . '

<t> two people struck by lightning in sydney as wild storms swept through sydney . </t> <t> the bureau of meteorology predicted large hail stones , damaging winds and heavy rainfall for a number of areas across nsw . </t> <t> an electrical sub station in pyrmont was hit by lightning during the storm , with firefighters at the scene currently protecting nearby properties . </t> <t> fire and rescue nsw received more than 80 phone calls about fallen trees and power lines , sending out 80 fire trucks and 300 firefighters . </t> <t> nsw ses has calls for help at mittagong , which was flooded with 30mm of rain in only 20 minutes . </t>

wild storms hit nsw as massive lightning bolts spark fires across the state ... as two people are struck by lightning in sydney<T>

a mother-of-two facing her last christmas after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer will get her dream wedding after well-wishers donated cash , rings and even a venue . aimee willett , 26 , of sittingbourne , kent , made a bucket list of things she wanted to do when she discovered she had terminal cancer - including marrying her fiancé , michael bond , 26 . ms willett and mr bond thought they would never be able to afford their dream wedding - but following a fundraising appeal generous well-wishers have donated thousands of pounds in money and services to ensure the couple get their dream day . aimee willett , who has an inoperable tumour -lrb- pictured with sons charlie , eight , and kaleb , three -rrb- has been able to book her dream wedding thanks to the generosity of well-wishers touched by her bravery . ms willett 's inoperable tumour was found in june this year and she is now campaigning for a lowering of the age limit for smear tests on the nhs . ms willett , who is mother to charlie , eight , and kaleb , three , has undergone surgery , chemotherapy and radiotherapy but has been warned she is unlikely to survive until 2016 . the couple , who have been together six years , thought they would never be able to afford their dream wedding in time and have now said they are overwhelmed by the offers pouring in from sympathisers . wedding planners , florists , car companies , professional photographers , venue owners and cake makers have all reached out to the couple offering to donate to the event . aimee made a bucket list of things she wanted to do - including marrying her fiancé , michael bond -lrb- pictured -rrb- . ms willett wants her boys have the best christmas ever - and is taking them to lapland uk as a surprise . ms willett has now booked to have her big day in february at westenhanger castle in hythe , kent . the remi collection , a company from walton-on-thames , is providing the rings . ms willett , who previously worked as a waitress , said : ` it 's been overwhelming , mental . i never thought this was going to happen . people offering all this , it 's lovely , it 's beautiful . ` but it 's got the message out there to raise awareness which is the only thing i really wanted . ' westenhanger castle director sarah poole offered the fortified manor house , which was once owned by henry viii , for free .<doc-sep>she said : ` it 's every girl 's dream to get married in a castle . ' ms willett said the generosity of her well-wishers has left her feeling overwhelmed . cinderella 's dreams wedding and event based in sevenoaks , kent , is supplying chair covers and decorations . in addition , a fundraising appeal with an original target of # 7,000 has raised more than # 31,000 . the target was smashed by an anonymous single donation of # 25,000 . david fairbank , 27 , from suffolk , created the justgiving fundraising page and said : ` i 'm gobsmacked by it and pretty chuffed . ` we do n't know who made the # 25,000 donation . ` it could be a celebrity or a business person . ' ms willett says now hopes to give her family the ` best christmas ever ' as part of her bucket list and is taking her children to lapland uk . last week she said she hopes her story will encourage women to go to their cervical cancer screening and hopes the national smear test age will be lowered . she said : ' i am bitter about it and i would like to see the age lowered . ' i think 25 is too old - especially if a girl has had a child at a young age . ` the biggest thing for me now is for people to be more aware . ` if you experience anything that 's not normal , go to your doctor and get it checked out and when you get a letter asking you to go for a smear test make an appointment straight away and keep it . ' i always thought it would never happen to me because i was young , but cancer does n't pick an age group . '<doc-sep>by . scarlett russell . a breast cancer sufferer who has decided to devote the remainder of her life to making wedding dreams come true for others who , like her , are terminally ill , has released her autobiography on the day of her second wedding anniversary . naomi thomas , 31 , from somerset , who suffers from secondary breast cancer , won the daily mail 's inspirational woman of the year award last november in recognition of the charity she set up , the wedding wishing well foundation . she was then approached by harper collins to write an electronic book about her incredible life . no ordinary wedding planner was published on friday june 6 , as she and husband graham renewed their vows . so in love : naomi , left , and her husband graham , right , renewed their wedding vows , two years after getting married , on their second anniversary last friday . naomi has terminal cancer and says she , ` does n't know how much time i have left ' graham , left , and wife naomi , right , with their three-year-old son devon , centre , pictured on their second wedding anniversary on friday , when graham and naomi renewed their vows . the couple went to the deer park hotel in devon for the intimate occasion , with . only their three-year-old son devon , a celebrant , photographer and vigil . present . it was exactly two years after they married at st audries park , somerset , where they renewed their vows last year . ` i do n't know how long i am going to be here , so we always renew our vows on our anniversary , ' naomi tells mailonline . ` graham . and i always write our own vows , we update them every year and say what . we 're thankful for and how we feel about each other . ` devon walked me down the aisle this time carrying balloons and at the end we lit candles together . ' naomi was 26 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer . graham had proposed just two days earlier . stronger than ever : graham proposed to naomi in 2009 just two days before she found out she had secondary breast cancer . the couple are pictured here renewing their vows last friday . happy anniversary ! happy couple graham and naomi , pictured here , have been married since 2012 and each year renew their vows . naomi says she wants to make the most of her short life , as she suffers from incurable breast cancer . after . seven months of treatment naomi was declared free of cancer , only to be . told just a few months later that the disease had returned and was incurable . devon was just six days old . thoughts . of their wedding were the one thing that kept naomi and graham going , . but the financial burden of terminal illness meant their big day was . just a pipe dream . however , dozens of donations from friends , family , local supporters and . businesses -- not to mention a # 500 donation from a woman who wanted only . to be known as mary poppins - allowed them to marry in naomi 's dream setting on june 6 2012 . so . inspired was naomi by these well-wishers , that she ultimately set up . her own charity with the mission of spreading the joy she had . experienced on her big day . what a face ! adorable devon , three , gold his mother naomi 's hand as he gets ready to walk her down the aisle on her second wedding anniversary . naomi and devon 's father graham renew their wedding vows every year on 6 june . the blushing bride : naomi sits in deer park hotel , right , about to renew her vows to husband graham . the couple after the ceremony , left , in the grounds of the hotel in devon , near to where they live in cornwall . my rock : naomi set up the wedding wishing well foundation in 2012 , with the help of husband graham who is a trustee . the couple are pictured here on friday , renewing their wedding vows . the . wedding wishing well foundation was formed in december 2012 . since . then , naomi has helped bring together eight weddings and several additions to smaller weddings . ` because either the bride or groom is on limited time , we often have very little time ourselves , ' explains naomi . ` they may have found out about the illness halfway through planning the . wedding , when they have little funds , time or energy left , . so we 'll come in and sort out the cake or photographer , or organise to have . the wedding take place by their hospital bed if need be . whatever . people need . ' naomi continues : ` the full weddings we 've had about nine months to plan are worth # 25,000 but we manage to do for # 5,000-6 ,000 . ` it 's . all from donations . every single day i am overwhelmed and amazed by how . incredibly supportive and generous people have been . ' on .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporters . published : . 08:59 est , 11 october 2013 . | . updated : . 09:02 est , 11 october 2013 . a cancer-stricken bride who was granted her dream wedding just weeks ago thanks to generous donations has lost her battle with the disease . jen bulik-lang , 35 , passed away in her home in mountain view , california at 8am on thursday with her husband at her side . ` it was beautiful , ' her husband jeff lang said in a phone call to nbc . ` very peaceful . ' he said his wife , who was told she had four to six months to live when she learned she had stage iv lung cancer in january , had had periods of confusion over the last week and was sleeping a lot . in love : jen bulik , who married husband jeff lang just seven weeks ago in california thanks to a generous wedding planner and local companies , has lost her battle with lung cancer . he added : ` she may have left her body , but she is still with me . she always will be . ' the couple wed just seven weeks ago thanks to a generous wedding planner who was moved after she read their story on facebook . after . a friend of the couple wrote about their story on a facebook page for . wedding planners , erica ota quickly got in . touch with them , nbc bay area reported . she rallied more than 30 wedding vendors in the bay area to donate . their services for free and spotted another opportunity when she stumbled upon ms bulik 's pinterest page , discovering a collection of images showing exactly how she wanted her dream wedding to be . stunning : jen had been given just months to live when her lung cancer was discovered in january . staying positive : a photograph shows the couple joking around in hospital weeks before her death . adoration : mr lang said that his wife 's death at their home on thursday morning was very peaceful . ` this was an opportunity i saw to do something extraordinary for somebody else , ' the san francisco-based social worker-turned-wedding planner explained . with the help of the local community , . ms ota managed to acquire goods , decorations and services for the . wedding in just two weeks . the total cost , $ 50,000 , was given to the couple entirely for free . ` it was my goal to have them not pay a . dime , ' she explained , adding : ` these people have suffered enough . why . not give them ... a gift that both of . them ... and their families will never forget . ' the couple , who had been together for six years , were visibly taken aback by ms ota 's kindness , as well as that of the vendors she contacted . amazing gift : wedding planner ms ota -lrb- pictured -rrb- read about their story on facebook , and decided to give them their dream wedding absolutely cost-free . chic : the wedding took place on saturday afternoon , under sunny skies and red wood trees in a park near ms bulik 's parent 's home - which later hosted the garden reception . generosity : the total cost of the beautiful day came to $ 50,000 - and it was given to the couple for free . ` i 'm in awe , i 'm speechless , ' jen said at the time . ` it 's amazing , the generosity in . their heart , and that they 're so touched by . our story . ' ` for . me this whole process has been really difficult , and today was easy , ' said mr lang after they said their vows . ` we just showed up and did our thing . it gets more and more magical with every moment . ' the wedding planner told the mountain view voice that other wedding features included a photo booth , new orleans jazz band , a taco station and a guest book quilt . power of love : the couple , who lived in mountain view , california , had been together for six years .<doc-sep>danielle watson claimed she had late-stage cervical cancer so friends and kindhearted strangers would pay for her wedding - but she was not sick . a young mother who defrauded friends and kindhearted strangers out of thousands of pounds to pay for her dream wedding by claiming she had terminal cancer will not be jailed . mother-of-two danielle watson , 24 , claimed she had late-stage cervical cancer to get her hands on donations , freebies and cut-price deals for her wedding worth almost # 10,000 - even conning her husband into believing she was dying . there was fury outside basildon crown court today after a judge ruled she should not be jailed for the fraud . watson , of rowhedge , colchester , fooled dozens of people by giving regular updates on how her condition was progressing , a court heard today . the then 21-year-old admin assistant even brought forward her wedding by several months to april 2012 so she could walk up the aisle before radiotherapy and chemotherapy were ` due ' to make her hair fall out . in reality she had only had minor surgery for a treatable gynaecological condition and had never been diagnosed with , or treated for , cancer . well-wishers had raised more than # 6,000 for a specialist vitamin c cancer treatment only available in america for watson through fundraising events . business owners also helped organise her dream wedding to husband chris watson in april 2012 .<doc-sep>hayley martin , 29 , is battling bowel cancer and refuses to find out who long she has to life . she is pictured with her son freddie . a young mother with terminal cancer has told doctors she does n't want to know how long she has to live , so she can enjoy time with her baby boy . hayley martin , 29 , was given the all clear after battling bowel cancer and gave birth to her son , freddie , in may last year . she has now been told that her disease is inoperable and she is undergoing chemotherapy in a bid to prolong her life and spend time with her family . ms martin , from maidstone in kent , had put her lack of energy down to being busy at work after struggling with tiredness for ten years . but after being taken to hospital with stomach pains in 2011 , she was diagnosed with bowel cancer . after surgery and six months of chemotherapy , ms martin was told there was no sign of the cancer and against the odds , gave birth to her only child freddie . but when her son was just four months old , doctors told her that the cancer had returned and is now inoperable . she has since been undergoing chemotherapy in a bid to control the cancer and prolong her life .

<t> aimee willett , 26 , was diagnosed with cervical cancer at her first smear test . </t> <t> mum-of-two made a bucket list of things to do before she died - which included marrying her fiancé - but thought they would never afford it . </t> <t> fundraising appeal was smashed by anonymous donation of # 25,000 . </t> <t> she is spending her last few months campaigning to lower smear test age . </t>

kent woman with inoperable cancer given dream wedding by generous well-wishers<T>

mr justice mostyn said the case was ` terrible ' and the most ` chilling ' in his 30-year career . a baby girl was beaten and shaken to the point of death in a series of ` macabre and chilling ' attacks by her father , a high court judge has ruled . the 20-year-old man subjected his daughter to ` diabolical ' assaults which broke ` the most basic and elemental taboos which govern our society , ' mr justice mostyn found . in a judgement made public today he said the four-month-old child was saved after she collapsed and was taken to hospital . she was found to have a broken neck and severe damage to her spine . doctors who examined her also discovered that she had five broken ribs , inflicted over a three-month period , and as many as five fractures to both legs , suffered between mid-december last year and early january this year . there were numerous more minor wounds , grazes and bruises . the father -- who has been jailed for 12 years - admitted in a statement to the high court : ` i am a monster . ' however in a controversial decision by judges he has not been named , even though he is considered ` a serious risk to the public ' . his identity will remain unknown when he is released from prison , when he will be aged in his early thirties .<doc-sep>mr justice mostyn said in his high court ruling , handed down in swansea in june but only published after the end of a crown court trial last month : ` this is a shocking catalogue of injuries . ' he added : ` this is a terrible case . in 30 years as a lawyer , of which the last thirteen were as a part-time judge , and after four years sitting as a full-time judge i have never read and heard evidence so macabre and chilling as i have heard here . this is not overblown or rhetorical language on my part . ` the father admits that almost from the time that his beautiful newly-born daughter returned from hospital at eleven days old until 13th january 2014 when she was only four months old , he systematically subjected her to a series of diabolical attacks -lrb- and i use for once the adjective advisedly -rrb- , attacks of such frequency and severity that it was providential that she did not perish . ` in his statement of 6th march 2013 , the father admits everything . ` at this point , i would only say that i doubt that even if freud or jung were alive today and able to advise me , that they would be able to give me an explanation for conduct that is so completely at variance with any understanding of human nature , conduct which has no basis rational or irrational , so it seems to me , but which violates the most basic and elemental taboos which govern our society . ' the judgment was published only after the conclusion of a crown court trial in swansea last week in which the father was found guilty of five counts of causing grievous bodily harm . pictured , swansea crown court . mr justice mostyn said the baby 's mother was ` controlling ' , ` needy ' and ` dictatorial ' . ` she certainly knew how to wind the father up , ' the judge said . the mother would watch pornography to provoke the father , who took over most of the care of the baby .<doc-sep>the judge listed 19 kinds of assault to which the father subjected the baby while they were alone together , including pressing his thumb into her eye until it bled , throttling her , bending her double , holding her upside down and shaking her , bashing her head against a cupboard , forcing a bottle into her mouth until it bled , and submerging her in the bath so the baby had the sensation of drowning . the high court judge said : ` i can not conceive that the mother would not have been aware that something was amiss while these barbaric attacks were being carried out . ' mr justice mostyn 's family division ruling found that ` exceptionally serious crimes have been committed by the father ' and that the girl 's 19-year-old mother ` is guilty of neglect ' . at the time of the ruling in june the father was free and living with his step-father , and had resumed a sexual relationship with the mother . mr justice mostyn called on the crown prosecution service ` to make their decision about whether to prosecute at the soonest opportunity so that all aspects of this desperately tragic case can be concluded as soon as possible . ' the june judgment was published only after the conclusion of a crown court trial in swansea last week in which the father was found guilty of five counts of causing grievous bodily harm . the jury took just 90 minutes to bring in its verdict . the 20-year-old was sentenced to 17 years , with 12 years to be served in prison before release on licence for five years . the crown court judge , judge keith thomas told the father : ` you do present a serious risk to the public . in order to do what i can to protect the public , i am going to maximise that term . '<doc-sep>but judge thomas ordered that the name of the man should remain secret . the judge is understood to have been concerned that nothing should allow the public to identify the child , who is now in local council care . the unusual decision means that naming the father has been banned by both judge keith thomas in the crown court and mr justice mostyn in the high court . liberal democrat mp john hemming , a campaigner against secrecy in the courts , said : ` the evidence from the rotherham scandal is that secrecy does not necessarily protect children . it should not be imagined that failing to name an offender is doing the right thing . ` in this case , the wider public has been left at risk . it is doubtful that failing to name the monster will protect the child , but it certainly puts the rest of society at risk . so often secrecy has not protected the child -- it has protected the abusers . ' during the crown court trial in swansea , judge keith thomas made an order under section 39 of the children & young persons act , 1933 , prohibiting the publication of material which might identify the victim of the offences . these concerned the potential harm caused by being identified as the victim of a locally notorious crime . but the judge also took account of concerns from the local authority involved that if she was identified it could harm attempts to place her with a new family as well as make it harder for her to fully integrate with any new family . the judge made the point in court that he was not prohibiting the publication of the defendant 's name , but that if the name was reported care had to be taken not to identify the relationship between the the convicted man and the victim .<doc-sep>three paediatric consultants were criticised by a judge yesterday for suggesting that a baby had been repeatedly shaken by its parents -- without giving evidence to back their theory up . in a case in which a couple faced seeing their three infant daughters being taken into care , the experts said the baby could have been injured after being shaken several times . but judge heather swindells said : ` there was not an iota of evidence to support such a possibility . ' judge heather swindells ordered that the children should stay with their mother and father , who she described as ` loving , caring parents ' -lrb- file picture -rrb- .<doc-sep>by . sam webb . katarzyna gacek , who has been jailed for 20 months for perverting the course of justice over the death of her son , seven week-old thomas . a young mother who was accused of killing her baby has escaped the blame for his violent death after she concocted a ` pack of lies ' with her boyfriend and landlord to cover it up . katarzyna gacek , 24 , of oldham , greater manchester , was charged after seven week-old son thomas died in hospital having been admitted with multiple injuries consistent with being squeezed beaten and shaken . but although she , her boyfriend darren butterfield , 35 , and landlord dawid mokrzanowski , 26 , all lied about the circumstances leading up to the youngster 's death , all escaped culpability for the tragedy after a legal technicality meant it was impossible to prove who caused the baby 's injuries . initially , the trio had all signed a statement falsely claiming thomas was injured accidentally when gacek slipped and dropped him on a flight of stairs before falling on top of him . but cctv showed gacek out shopping on the day of her son 's death - leaving him at home with her landlord who subsequently said the baby had injured himself accidentally in his cradle . it was then claimed gacek had waited ten hours before taking her fatally injured son to hospital while she and mokrzanowski researched head injury symptoms on google as butterfield looked on . medical evidence later showed the fatal injury was inflicted on thomas closer to the time of his admission to hospital . at preston crown court , gacek , butterfield and mokrzanowski had all faced trial accused of allowing or causing the death of a baby but a judge halted the case after ruling it could not be proved who caused the injuries to thomas - or when they were caused . gacek 's boyfriend darren butterfield and landlord dawid mokrzanowski were also sentenced to 20 months . he ordered jurors to return not guilty verdicts on all three and also ordered them to acquit mokrzanowski on a separate charge of manslaughter . all were instead jailed for 20 months each for perverting the course of justice by providing the false statement . the verdicts meant the truth behind little thomas ' death may now remain a mystery . gacek had originally been charged with murder . earlier the jury was told gacek had moved to the uk from her native poland in 2010 but had no contact with thomas 's father michal szarek , 36 , who was initially unaware the child was his .<doc-sep>a leading medical expert who has defended parents accused of killing their children in ` shaken baby ' cases has been accused of being dishonest and misleading the courts . dr waney squier -- a renowned authority on infant brains who has given evidence in dozens of cases where parents have been accused of killing their children - appeared before a fitness to practise panel yesterday charged with ` bringing the profession into disrepute ' . dr waney squier -- a renowned authority on infant brains who has given evidence in dozens of cases where parents have been accused of killing their children . she is accused of giving evidence beyond her expertise and of failing to be objective and unbiased in her role as an expert witness in six court cases between 2007 and 2010 . the charges could see her struck off if a full tribunal hearing , due to be held in march , finds against her . and they could have far-reaching consequences for past and future cases of people accused of inflicting serious and fatal brain injuries on babies . but supporters of dr squier , 66 , believe she has been the victim of a ` witch hunt ' by the police , who allegedly want to stop her from giving evidence for the defence in court cases . for decades the pathologist , who works at the john radcliffe hospital in oxford , appeared as a prosecution witness against accused parents . she supported mainstream opinion that a combination of three brain injuries -- known as the ` triad ' -- was sufficient to prove the baby had been violently shaken . however , more than ten years ago she was influenced by new research into having a change of heart . she became convinced shaken baby syndrome may not exist and the triad signs could occur naturally in a baby . her subsequent expert witness evidence in the defence of parents in court for killing their babies has led to her being controversially brought before the medical practitioners tribunal service in manchester . dr squier said she denies all the charges and has promised to ` put up a very robust defence ' . around 250 cases a year in the uk involve shaken baby syndrome and if she is cleared by the panel the findings of hundreds of cases may be open to question . the fitness to practise hearing focuses on six civil and criminal cases in which dr squier gave expert testimony . ` this whole case revolves around expert evidence given in cases of alleged baby shaking , ' said tom kark , qc , for the general medical council . there will be two weeks of legal argument before a full public hearing next year . details of the charges could be changed before the case is heard in march . sir robert francis , qc , defending dr squier , told the panel yesterday : ` this is a case of considerable substance , great public importance and considerable complexity . the lorraine harris case reported in the mail in 2005 . for decades dr squier , who works at the john radcliffe hospital in oxford -lrb- above -rrb- , appeared as a prosecution witness against accused parents . dr waney squier is accused of giving evidence beyond her expertise and of failing to be objective and unbiased in her role as an expert witness in six court cases between 2007 and 2010 . dr squier has previously spoken about the continuing battle with the authorities for her opinion to be accepted . her view that bleeding in the brain can occur naturally in young babies is shared by a minority of pathologists . in 2011 she said : ` if i am blocked from giving evidence in court , defendants already having to cope with the tragic death of a baby will not get the benefit of the new science . equally , if the courts fail to accept that the mainstream view of 30 years ago can no longer be relied upon , there will be serious miscarriages of justice . ' in 2000 lorraine harris from derbyshire was jailed for three years for the manslaughter of her four-month-old baby by shaking . dr squier gave evidence for the prosecution at nottingham crown court , but by the time the appeal was heard in 2005 the expert had made an about-turn about the medical evidence . she appeared for the defence this time and the conviction was quashed . three paediatric consultants were criticised by a judge yesterday for suggesting that a baby had been repeatedly shaken by its parents -- without giving evidence to back their theory up . in a case in which a couple faced seeing their three infant daughters being taken into care , the experts said the baby could have been injured after being shaken several times . but judge heather swindells said : ` there was not an iota of evidence to support such a possibility . ' the judge ordered that the children should stay with their 30-year-old mother and 23-year-old father , whom she described as ` loving , caring parents ' , and she cleared them of having harmed their daughters . lincolnshire social workers had applied for the girls -- one aged two and twins almost a year old -- to be taken into care after doctors claimed one of the twins had received a head injury after being shaken . the girl became limp and floppy while in her father 's arms last november . the family dialled 999 , and the child was found in hospital to have fluid on the brain . there were no other injuries . at the family court in lincoln , the three consultants gave evidence to back up the theory that the baby had been shaken . dr stephen chapman of birmingham children 's hospital , jayaratnam jayamohan , of john radcliffe hospital in oxford , and dr george rylance , who has retired from the royal victoria hospital in newcastle upon tyne , cited a 2005 statistical study that found 86 per cent of similar cases were caused by the baby being shaken . but all suggested the baby may have been injured after being shaken several times . judge swindells said : ` the universal evidence of health visitors was that the parents are loving , caring parents with good interaction with their children . ' she said the cause of the injury was unknown , and she ` totally exonerated ' the children 's parents .<doc-sep>the judge ordered that the children should stay with their 30-year-old mother and 23-year-old father , whom she described as ` loving , caring parents ' , and she cleared them of having harmed their daughters . lincolnshire social workers had applied for the girls -- one aged two and twins almost a year old -- to be taken into care after doctors claimed one of the twins had received a head injury after being shaken . the girl became limp and floppy while in her father 's arms last november . the family dialled 999 , and the child was found in hospital to have fluid on the brain . there were no other injuries . at the family court in lincoln , the three consultants gave evidence to back up the theory that the baby had been shaken . dr stephen chapman of birmingham children 's hospital , jayaratnam jayamohan , of john radcliffe hospital in oxford , and dr george rylance , who has retired from the royal victoria hospital in newcastle upon tyne , cited a 2005 statistical study that found 86 per cent of similar cases were caused by the baby being shaken .

<t> the infant was found to have a broken neck and severe damage to spine . </t> <t> father , 20 , was condemned for ` diabolical ' assaults by high court judge . </t> <t> the man , who has been jailed for 12 years , admitted : ' i am a monster ' </t> <t> however , he will not be identified until he is released from prison . </t>

baby beaten and shaken by father is worst seen by top judge in 35 years<T>

a 12-year-old florida girl suffered burns to 71 per cent of her body after a can of gasoline exploded next to her . heather tyer and her family were having a pit fire at their polk county home last week when the explosion happened . the gas was being used to set logs on fire . polk county fire lieutenant charles irving told 10 news : ` burn patients are so difficult from one minute to the next . you know , they can seem fine , and then things can go terribly wrong very quickly . ' heather tyer suffered burns to 71 per cent of her body after a can of gasoline exploded next to her at the florida 's 21-year-old 's family home last week . mr irving was first on the scene , and even returned to get heather 's mother amy on to the emergency helicopter to accompany her daughter to tampa general . heather is said to be recovering well from the ordeal , and her local community are now fundraising to help with her treatment . heather 's aunt amanda tyler told local media that her niece was ` strong ' and ` doing just fine ' . another one of heather 's relatives , janice anderson , said seeing how many volunteers had turned out to help her , ` gives me goosebumps ' . so far more than $ 26,000 has been raised to help pay for heather 's hospital treatment and rehabilitation . in less than a week , more than $ 26,000 has been raised to help heather through fundraising website gofundme . mr irving said the accident was a reminder for people to be careful when using gasoline which was ` not one of the better fuels to use ' . he said : ` there has to be water on the site at all times , and someone attending to the fire at all times . and if we do that , tragedies like this can be avoided . '<doc-sep>battered : heather mcqueen was beaten so severely her own sister did not recognise her . a disabled woman attacked in her own home was left with such severe injuries her own family did not recognise her . heather mcqueen , who suffers from multiple sclerosis , was set upon by an unknown attacker at her house in stanley , county durham , leaving her in a coma . the 53-year-old was left unconcious for three weeks after the may attack and will need specialist care for the rest of her life . ms mcqueen suffered two broken bones in her neck , a broken collarbone and had severe bruising across her face and upper body . her sister lynn bell , 48 , said that she walked past heather 's bed at the royal victoria hospital in newcastle because she did not recognise her . lynn , who lives in chester-le-street , county durham , said : ` the injuries were absolutely horrific , it was really shocking .<doc-sep>an estranged florida couple 's fight over whether to circumcise their son has become a rallying cry for those who denounce the procedure as barbaric . the dispute between the one-time palm beach county couple , who never married , has sparked a prolonged court battle , protests and the rapt attention of a movement of self-proclaimed ` intactivists ' . the mother initially agreed to the circumcision , but later decided she opposed it . the father favors the procedure . florida mom heather hironimus , pictured with son chase , opposes his circumcision - but judges ruled in favor of the father last month , meaning surgery is likely . judges have ruled in favor of the father , meaning the surgery is likely . anti-circumcision advocates have made the case their cause celebre and organized a series of protests . circumcision rates have fallen in the u.s. , but a majority of boys still undergo the removal of their foreskin . the couple and their son were named by the sun-sentinel as heather hironimus , dennis nebus and four-year-old chase . neither the boy 's mother nor father are jewish , the paper reported last month . the dad has previously said he believes circumcision is ` just the normal thing to do ' , according to reports . in december , the boy 's mother argued that the process was not medically necessary and risks posing physical and mental damage to her son . the 4th district court of appeal in west palm beach denied her request . heather hironimus gave birth to her son chase with dennis nebus in october 2010 . in december 2011 , she signed a parenting agreement , agreeing to circumcision but over time changed her mind , arguing that her son is now older and more aware of what is happening to him . according to a campaign website , saving chase , a pediatric urologist dr. charles flack also testified in court that circumcision was not medically necessary for the child . a statement read : ` genital autonomy advocates believe chase 's physical and mental health are at risk . he is aware of his body and does not want to have surgery on his genitals . ` amputating a healthy , functional body part is a violation of basic human rights and medical ethics . ' jennifer blanchard , 34 , of miami , protests earlier this month in boynton beach , florida , against the circumcision of a four-year-old boy .<doc-sep>by . anna hodgekiss . isla todd has lymphoedema , a condition that causes swelling in the body 's tissues . a three-year-old girl suffers from a rare disease that means going on a summer holiday could kill her . isla todd has lymphoedema , a condition that causes swelling in the body 's tissue . it usually affects the arms and legs and can lead to pain and a loss of mobility . the condition is caused by damage or disruption to the lymphatic system , which drains excess fluid from tissues . in patients such as isla , the excess fluid will cause the tissue to swell . her lower legs are constantly swollen and any cut or infection could be deadly . this means high temperatures , grazes or insect bites can be fatal , her mother heather says . as a result , she and husband andrew can not take their daughter on a family holiday to spain because of the temperature , and isla is n't allowed to run around in the park like other children . secondary lymphoedema is a well-known side effect of chemotherapy , which can damage the lymph nodes .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . the shocking details of how a mother allegedly tortured her 2-year-old daughter before burying her in a shallow grave have emerged . little tariji gordon 's body was found on february 11 in a leopard-print suitcase with three bite marks , two cigarette burns , two broken teeth , a patch of hairless scalp and bruises and marks on her head , back and bottom , according to evidence released monday by prosecutors . a south florida dentist matched the bite marks to the child 's mother , rachel fryer , 32 , of sanford , and the woman 's dna was also found on the butt end of a cigarette , which had tariji 's dna on the burnt end . tragic : the body of little tariji gordon , pictured , was found on february 11 with three bite marks , two cigarette burns , two broken teeth , a patch of hairless scalp and bruises and marks on her head , back and bottom , according to evidence released monday by prosecutors .

<t> heather tyer 's family was having a pit fire at their florida home . </t> <t> when a gasoline can exploded right next to the 12-year-old . </t> <t> heather 's local community have raised more than $ 26k for her treatment . </t>

heather tyer suffers burns to over 71 ⁇ of her body in florida<T>

hello kitty fans with a taste for fine desserts and gourmet cakes can now dine in style . offering plenty of selfie opportunities with the beloved cat , the first sanrio licensed hello kitty café in australia has opened its doors in adelaide . more than 1000 foodies attended the official opening on sunday and anyone who celebrated their birthday in november was treated on the day to a free ` mini hello kitty mousse cake ' . scroll down for video . the first australian hello kitty cafe officially opened its doors in adelaide on sunday . from macaroons and mousses to birthday cakes and crème brûlées , the menu serves up cat-face treats for casual coffee dates , birthdays as well as high tea gatherings . ` our main focus will be on desserts and of course , everything from the food to the décor will feature the character , ' staff member damaris oaurovics told daily mail australia . ` we 've got our own chefs to freshly make and bake all the desserts from scratch daily and also our own baristas to serve up hot or cold beverages . ` we 're also looking at bringing out a savoury cafe-style menu in the future -- so light meals like burgers , chips , salads , sandwiches and many more . '<doc-sep>from macaroons and mousses to birthday cakes and crème brûlées , the menu serves up treats for everyone . the first australia hello kitty cafe offers plenty of selfie opportunities with the beloved cat . despite the sanrio character famous for its ` pink theme ' , the coffee chain store is not decked out in pink but still stay true to its character with giant kitty figurines . ` our café is not pink -- a lot of people assume that our café would be pink from the ceiling down to the floor but our colour code at the moment is brown , yellow , grey and white , ' ms oaurovics said . ` when the owner from sanrio brought the café here , he decided to keep it simple and change the colours to make it look like a café-style place for everyone to enjoy . ' ms oaurovics added : ` the reason why adelaide was picked to opened its first hello kitty-themed café was because the business partners happened to live here . ' it 's a hello kitty world ! foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits and delicious creme brulees . adelaide foodies treating themselves to some cat-face themed treats and coffees . hello kitty delight ! foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits , gourmet cakes and waffles !<doc-sep>the café has received a significant amount of positive feedback on the official facebook page hello kitty café australia . maria josephine posted : ` the cakes here are divine , as are the drinks . the staff are beyond friendly and welcoming . 1st class service all the way ! ' kitty kaza wrote : ` friendly services , cute snacks & gorgeous cakes . nice place for a girlie catch up . thnx -lsb- sic -rsb- guys . ' jack booth posted : ` thank you for an amazing morning - your cafe is a dream come true ' . hello kitty fans with a taste for fine desserts and gourmet cakes can now dine in style . desserts and pastries are freshly made and baked from scratch daily by chefs . hello kitty delight ! foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits , gourmet cakes and creme brulees . the cafe has its own baristas to serve up hello kitty-themed hot and cold beverages - coffees and milkshakes .<doc-sep>owners of australia 's first hello kitty cafe are in a froth after getting a stern warning from company headquarters in japan when bosses there noticed they were serving coffees with the bow on the wrong side of the cat-like character . to celebrate the opening of the store in adelaide , fans were invited to come and sample sweet treats and enjoy a cup of coffee - topped with a motif of kitty made out of chocolate powder sprinkled through a stencil . one fan shared an image of her cuppa on the cafe 's facebook page and the picture was spotted by executives at sanrio , who own the hello kitty licence , in tokyo . scroll down for video . the image of the cup of coffee shared on the hello kitty facebook page shows kitty 's bow on her right ear - it should be on her left . they noticed that because the stencil was used the wrong way , the bow was on kitty 's right ear - and quickly pointed out it should be on the left . ` we got into a lot of trouble from sanrio , ' store owner jade told daily mail australia . ` her bow is meant to be on the left hand side but we 're not sure why or how that photograph turned out that way . ' in august , sanrio revealed the beloved character is not actually a cat . in fact , she 's a real human named kitty white who lives outside of london , has a twin sister and owns a cat . while her little bow is famously attached to her left ear , her twin sister , mimmy white wears a yellow bow on her right ear . meet the famous hello kitty -lrb- left -rrb- who wears her bow on her left ear , while her twin sister , mimmy -lrb- right -rrb- wears a yellow bow on her right ear . one foodie who posted the photograph noticed the bow was placed on the wrong side of the beloved cat . the first australian hello kitty cafe officially opened its doors in adelaide on sunday . hello kitty fans with a taste for fine desserts and gourmet cakes can now dine in style . offering plenty of selfie opportunities with the beloved cat , the first sanrio-licensed hello kitty café in australia opened its doors in adelaide this week . more than 1000 foodies attended the official opening on sunday and anyone who celebrated their birthday in november was treated to a free ` mini hello kitty mousse cake ' . from macaroons and mousses , to birthday cakes and crème brûlées , the menu serves up cat-face treats for casual coffee dates , birthdays as well as high tea gatherings . from macaroons and mousses to birthday cakes and crème brûlées , the menu serves up treats for everyone . the first australia hello kitty cafe offers plenty of selfie opportunities with the beloved cat . ` our main focus will be on desserts and of course , everything from the food to the décor will feature the character , ' staff member damaris oaurovics told daily mail australia . ` we 've got our own chefs to freshly make and bake all the desserts from scratch daily and also our own baristas to serve up hot or cold beverages . ` we 're also looking at bringing out a savoury cafe-style menu in the future -- so light meals like burgers , chips , salads , sandwiches and many more . ' despite the sanrio character famous for its ` pink theme ' , the coffee chain store is not decked out in pink but still stay true to its character with giant kitty figurines . ` our café is not pink -- a lot of people assume that our café would be pink from the ceiling down to the floor but our colour code at the moment is brown , yellow , grey and white , ' ms oaurovics said . ` when the owner from sanrio brought the café here , he decided to keep it simple and change the colours to make it look like a café-style place for everyone to enjoy . ' ms oaurovics added : ` the reason why adelaide was picked to opened its first hello kitty-themed café was because the business partners happened to live here . ' it 's a hello kitty world ! foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits and delicious creme brulees . adelaide foodies treating themselves to some cat-face themed treats and coffees . hello kitty delight ! foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits , gourmet cakes and waffles ! the café has received a significant amount of positive feedback on the official hello kitty café australia facebook page . maria josephine posted : ` the cakes here are divine , as are the drinks . the staff are beyond friendly and welcoming . 1st class service all the way ! ' kitty kaza wrote : ` friendly services , cute snacks & gorgeous cakes . nice place for a girlie catch up . thnx -lsb- sic -rsb- guys . ' jack booth posted : ` thank you for an amazing morning - your cafe is a dream come true ' . hello kitty fans with a taste for fine desserts and gourmet cakes can now dine in style . desserts and pastries are freshly made and baked from scratch daily by chefs . hello kitty delight ! foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits , gourmet cakes and creme brulees . the cafe has its own baristas to serve up hello kitty-themed hot and cold beverages - coffees and milkshakes .<doc-sep>a new hello kitty theme park is set to delight chinese fans when it opens its doors at the beginning of 2015 . japanese company sanrio , who created hello kitty in 1974 , have joined with entertainment design firm hettema group from california , to bring their new park to life . the little white cat with the red bow will be the main feature of the theme park , which is currently under construction in anji county , in east china 's zhejiang province . scroll down for video . a new hello kitty theme park is set to delight chinese fans when it opens its doors at the beginning of 2015 . sanrio already owns two theme parks in japan - puroland and harmonyland - which attract millions of visitors every year . puroland , which is an indoor theme park based on japanese cartoon characters , attracts more than 1.5 million visitors every year . harmoneyland is located in hiji , ōita , kyūshū and is also based on the famous sanrio characters , including hello kitty , cinnamon and my melody . japanese company sanrio , who created hello kitty in 1974 , have joined with entertainment design firm hettema group from california , to bring their new park to life . the little white cat with the red bow will be the main feature of the theme park , which is currently under construction in anji county , in east china 's zhejiang province . with both parks exceeding expectations , the new theme park in china is likely to attract over a million visitors each year . anji , which is also known as the bamboo town of china , has noticed a significant growth in tourism in the past few years . known for its luscious scenery with rich forests and natural scenery , anji is the perfect location for hello kitty 's new-look ` nature ' theme park . the hettema group are trying to roll-out the outdoor palette theme throughout the theme park . sanrio already owns two theme parks in japan - puroland and harmonyland - which attract millions of visitors every year . according to the hettema group website , the new hello kitty park will be ` a very special home-away-from home for hello kitty and all her friends , ' ` hello kitty park is both a festive playland and a natural park , where children learn about the environment through imaginative , hands-on activity , ' each of nature 's five elements will be represented in five unique garden zones . wood , fire , water , metal and earth will have their own designated area within the park and each will help bring the famous hello kitty theme park to life .<doc-sep>as preparations are made for the roll-out of hello kitty 's 40th birthday festivities in los angeles , the company that makes the beloved mouthless feline wants to set the record straight : . hello kitty is not a cat at all , says sanrio . she 's a real human little girl who lives outside of london , has a twin sister and a cat of her own and will forever be in third grade . it 's part of hello kitty 's origin story that most of the world never glommed onto as the japanese character steadily won over hearts and minds across the globe beginning in the early 1970s . scroll down for video . call her cute , call her adorable , but do n't call her a cat ! hello kitty 's 40th birthday brings with it the startling revelation -lrb- for some -rrb- that the japanese character is actually a little human girl . and it 's finally been dug up with the help of anthropologist christine r. yano , who 's putting together the hello kitty retrospective in los angeles to honor the character 's 40th anniversary . the truth came out as sanrio edited yano 's script for the retrospective at the japanese american national museum . ' i was corrected -- very firmly , ' yano told the la times . ` that 's one correction sanrio made for my script for the show . hello kitty is not a cat . she 's a cartoon character . she is a little girl . ` she is not a cat . she 's never depicted on all fours . she walks and sits like a two-legged creature . she does have a pet cat of her own , however , and it 's called charmmy kitty . ' totally human : it turns out , hello kitty has a very rich backstory . she is a perpetual third grade girl who lives outside london , has a twin sister and even has a real cat of her own . she is a scorpio born november 1 . she has type a blood . her real name is kitty white . she has a twin sister named mimmy white , who wears a yellow bow . she is 5 apples tall . she and her family live in a suburb of london , where a seal lives in their backyard . source : sanrio . as it turns out , hello kitty has an entire backstory created at a time when japanese women romanticized life in england . ` she has a twin sister , ' yano continued . . ` she 's a perpetual third-grader . she lives outside of london . i could go on . ' why sanrio chose to portray the little girl as a cat with no mouth , yano did not say . instead of pondering hello kitty imponderables , it may be best to concentrate on the character 's accomplishments . besides reaching the ripe age of 40 without so much as a wrinkle , hello kitty recently made her first trek to outer space . a 4-cm -lrb- 1.6-inch -rrb- tall hello kitty figure is aboard the hodoyoshi-3 satellite , looking through a window at earth , sanrio announced this week . the satellite , which is about the size of a large rubbish bin , was developed by japanese researchers as part of a $ 40 million program funded by the education and science ministry . hello kitty 's retrospective opens october 11 and will remain on view through april 2015 . the inaugural hello kitty convention will also be held in los angeles from october 30 through november 2 . first space trip : along with her 40th birthday , hello kitty was recently sent to space for the first time on a japanese satellite .<doc-sep>to celebrate the 40th anniversary of hello kitty , the new # 210 million theme park centred around the iconic character in east china 's zhejiang province opened its doors for a special inauguration ceremony . hello kitty park will be china 's first large scale amusement park scheduled to open to the public on new year 's day . japanese company sanrio , who created hello kitty in 1974 , have joined with entertainment design firm hettema group from california , to bring their new park to life . scroll down for video . entertainers dressed in hello kitty costumes . hello kitty theme park inauguration ceremony . the theme park is set to delight chinese fans when it opens its doors at the beginning of 2015 . the hello kitty park cost around # 210 million to construct , and is on schedule for opening . and to celebrate the completion of the construction of the theme park , selected visitors were able to get down and boogie with characters from the well loved phenomena . kitty , whose real name supposedly is kitty white , is a girl who is five apples tall , weighs three apples and has blood type a . she lives in the london suburbs with her parents and her twin sister mimmy . anji , which is also known as the bamboo town of china , has noticed a significant growth in tourism in the past few years and the hello kitty theme park is expected to attract one million visitors each year . known for its luscious scenery with rich forests and natural scenery , anji is the perfect location for hello kitty 's new-look ` nature ' theme park . people prepare a celebration to mark the completion of the construction of hello kitty park . according to state media , there are nearly 60 theme parks being built across china at the moment . an aerial view of hello kitty park which is set to attract millions of visitors every year . the hettema group are trying to roll-out the outdoor palette theme throughout the theme park . according to the hettema group website , the new hello kitty park will be ` a very special home-away-from home for hello kitty and all her friends . ' ` hello kitty park is both a festive playland and a natural park , where children learn about the environment through imaginative , hands-on activity , ' each of nature 's five elements will be represented in five unique garden zones . wood , fire , water , metal and earth will have their own designated area within the park and each will help bring the famous hello kitty theme park to life . a world festival area will feature holiday and cultural celebrations such as chinese new year . there will be various interactive and walk-through activities , which will follow the popular hello kitty theme . hello kitty park will be china 's first large scale amusement park scheduled to open to the public on new year 's day . japanese company sanrio , who created hello kitty in 1974 , have joined with entertainment design firm hettema group from california , to bring their new park to life . sanrio already owns two theme parks in japan - puroland and harmonyland - which attract millions of visitors every year . hello kitty shot to fame when she was created by sanrio group in the 70s . since then , the white cat , with the bright , white , face and big , red , bow has adorned everything from stationary and backpacks to toasters and cars . sanrio already owns two theme parks in japan - puroland and harmonyland - which attract millions of visitors every year . puroland , which is an indoor theme park based on japanese cartoon characters , attracts more than 1.5 million visitors every year . harmoneyland is located in hiji , ōita , kyūshū and is also based on the famous sanrio characters , including hello kitty , cinnamon and my melody . with both parks exceeding expectations , the new theme park in china is likely to attract over a million visitors each year . an employee is seen at a store in the hello kitty theme park . hello kitty theme park inauguration ceremony . an employee shows a bra featuring hello kitty pattern at a store in the theme park . attendants were dressed in expected attire to welcome fans of hello kitty at the special opening . the brand has a huge following in both china and japan , mostly among young girls and preteens . set amidst a picturesque mountainous backdrop , the new hello kitty theme park is expected to open on new year 's day 2015 . the 9.5-hectare theme park will feature a whole area where sanrio cartoon characters will set out to save the world . between 35 and 40 sanrio characters will be visible at the park and will be incorporated into games , rides , movies and parades . the new parks will differ vastly from the puroland and harmoneyland . visitors crowd in front of the hello kitty theme park in east china 's zhejiang province . according to the hettema group website , the new hello kitty park will be ` a very special home-away-from home for hello kitty and all her friends . if you 're a fan of hello kitty , working at the multi-million pound park will be your dream job . puroland opened in 1990 and there have been a lot of technological advancement in the 24-years since it was built . speaking to inpark magazine , phil hettema of the hettema group said that people should expect a modern theme park . ` sanrio has hundreds of characters , each with a unique personality . they have been an integral part of culture in japan for decades . it 's our job to capture them authentically and incorporate them into the fabric of this park , ' ` the existing sanrio parks were done quite a long time ago , and there are new ways to use media now to bring these characters to life and give people the chance to interact with them , ' ` the location is one of the greenest parts of china and is really lovely , ' he said . according to state media , there are nearly 60 theme parks being built across china right at the moment .

<t> the first australian hello kitty cafe officially opened in adelaide on sunday . </t> <t> more than 1,000 food lovers showed up for the official opening . </t> <t> the cafe gave out free mousse to people born in november . </t> <t> savoury treats may be next on the menu . </t>

hello kitty opens first cafe in australia<T>

boris johnson has claimed it is part of human nature to have a fear of immigrants and that having such feelings ` does n't make you a bad person ' . the mayor of london said it was up to politicians to highlight the benefits immigrants bring to the uk and has urged the government for a ` welcoming policy ' for those who choose to come to the country . his comments come after the archbishop of canterbury justin welby described immigration in britain as a ` great tradition ' . scroll down for video . the mayor of london boris johnson -lrb- pictured -rrb- said it was up to politicians to highlight the benefits immigrants bring to the uk and urged the government for a ` welcoming policy ' for those who come to britain . the mayor has just concluded a week-long tour to the far east as part of a uk trade and industry mission . speaking after a week-long tour of the far east as part of a uk trade and industry mission , mr johnson , 50 , said it was natural to feel xenophobic on occasion . the 50-year-old told the evening standard : ` all human beings are prey to that feeling . ` it 's part of human nature . it does n't mean people are bad people , okay ? ` what we 've got to do is point out that there are benefits of immigration and that there are benefits of having talented people , and having a welcoming policy to people that will work hard . ' he also described the benefits of immigrants to the uk housing market and said it is good that international investors can help support the industry because britain is ` not awash with billionaires of our own ' . his comments came after the archbishop called immigration a ` great tradition ' but warned it needed to be ` handled carefully ' . mr welby , who spoke from vatican city , said that despite the uk being a ` very , very crowded country ' , the tradition of welcoming immigrant communities stretched back hundreds of years . he said that while immigration is ` deeply embedded in our tradition of hospitality ' , it should be ` handled carefully ' because of the ` strain on communities ' . in a rare interview with cnn 's christiane amanpour , mr welby said : ` england , is a very , very crowded country . ` since 2010 , we 've had net immigration of over 600,000 people . ` and immigration is something that has to be handled carefully , because it is a cause of strain in communities where very large numbers arrive . always has been . the archbishop of canterbury justin welby today described immigration in britain as a ` great tradition ' ` there 's an amazing chapel in canterbury cathedral in which the dean of the cathedral gave a space for worship to huguenot refugees from religious persecution in the 16th century . ` he gave it to them temporarily . it 's still there . they still have a sunday service every week . ` it is the great tradition , secondly , of this country to be a place of asylum and safety and rescue and hope for people from all around the world . it is deeply embedded in our tradition of hospitality . ' mr johnson has just concluded a week-long tour of the far east as part of attempts to boost trade and investment between the uk and far east .<doc-sep>during his trip , the senior conservative met politicians , including indonesian president joko widodo , and a raft of business leaders in singapore and jakarta , indonesia . he was the first british politician to have a substantial meeting with president widodo since his inauguration . earlier this week , he also met malaysian prime minister dato ' sri mohammad najib abdul razak . the south east asian country now has an economy worth # 153billion -lrb- $ 241bn -rrb- and is predicted to reach developed economy status within the next six years . following newly introduced legislations which liberate malaysia 's architecture and engineering sectors , mr johnson said british businesses should take advantage of what is on offer . earlier this week , mr johnson , 50 , met malaysian prime minister dato ' sri mohammad najib abdul razak . ` this fast developing nation is awash with new and exciting trade and investment opportunities crying out for london 's great minds and expertise , ' he said . ` from great new feats of transport engineering to cutting edge design and architectural projects , i urge more british companies to get involved . ' mr johnson , running for a return to parliament in may , also defended the levels of affordable housing in the malaysian-backed battersea power station redevelopment . he said the ` affordable ' element of the project , 15 per cent of the 3,000-plus properties , represented a gain of 600 discounted homes for londoners . mr johnson said : ` it 's with that spearhead of malaysian money coming in and redeveloping battersea power station that we are able to get on and build 25,000 homes , the majority of which will be for people in the uk and loads of which will be affordable . ` plus we are able to get the extension of the northern line ... do n't forget that out of this development we have got to fund the first extension of the tube we have seen in 25 years , it 's not a cheap thing to do . ` we have to build two new stations and it will produce as i say overall in the area 25,000 new homes . ' i think 600 affordable homes is better than no affordable homes . ' mr johnson was caught up in a mid-air scuffle during the return flight from kuala lumpur after a passenger had to be restrained at 35,000 feet . the mayor joined efforts to restrain the man who was later arrested . mr johnson 's defence of the project came after he met prime minister razak in kualar lumpur to unveil bjarke ingels group -lrb- big -rrb- as the architects designing malaysia square , the # 8bn main public space at the power station project . the london mayor returned from his week-long tour this morning , although his journey back to the capital was not without drama . he was caught up in a dramatic mid-air scuffle during the return flight from kuala lumpur after an abusive passenger had to be restrained at 35,000 feet . the mayor , a passenger on the flight which was destined for london 's heathrow , joined efforts to restrain the man who was described as ` off his head ' by one of mr johnson 's delegation . a spokesman for the mayor told the mailonline : ` the mayor along with a number of other passengers and members of the cabin crew did make several attempts to calm the gentleman concerned but to no avail . ' the incident occurred at about 5.40 am and the man , who is believed to be british , was detained by police officers when the 13 hour malaysia air flight landed at heathrow . met police confirmed the man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk aboard an aircraft and common assault involving a member of the cabin crew . he was being held in custody at a west london police station this morning .<doc-sep>but he denied sabotaging mr cameron , saying : ` i believe what i 'm doing is simply amplifying what dave has said . ' amid criticism from some tories about his conduct when he was last an mp , mr johnson insisted that he was now a ` totally different ' person . when he was last in westminster , he sparked a row with jamie oliver , upset the people of liverpool and was forced to resign over allegations he had an affair . but he insisted : ` i think i understand the business of government pretty well now . ' mr johnson , who if successful will spend a year as both mayor and an mp before his city hall term ends in 2016 , also made a number of statements suggesting he had a vision for ruling the entire country . ` i want a country that is open , optimistic , generous , where people have a sense of opportunity , ' he said . but yesterday deputy prime minister nick clegg said the mayor 's ` bumbliness ' was a front to disguise his ruthless ambition . ` he treats his political ambition like he treats his hair , ' he told lbc radio . ` he wants everyone to think he does not care but actually he really , really does care . ' but yesterday deputy prime minister nick clegg said the mayor 's ` bumbliness ' was a front to disguise his ruthless ambition . ` he treats his political ambition like he treats his hair , ' he told lbc radio . ` he wants everyone to think he does not care but actually he really , really does care . ' a number of tory backbenchers fear boris johnson could prove a ` disruptive influence ' in the run-up to the general election . some have questioned his previous performance as a shadow minister , while others warn they are turned off by his liberal views on immigration . mark field , mp for the cities of london and westminster , told bbc radio 4 's world tonight : ` i think he has a great track record , but there are some of the old guard who think that he did not make much of an impact last time . ' and eurosceptics are not happy with his stance on immigration . stewart jackson , mp for peterborough , said : ` he does need to take a harder line on immigration . an amnesty is a crackpot policy and you ca n't sell it on the doorstep ; it would be a disaster . on whether he would be a good leader , mr jackson said : ` i 'm not caught up in boris mania : he needs to get a seat first , but he 's an asset . ' a poll of grassroots tory voters for the conhome website found mr johnson had a popularity rating of 83.3 per cent -- just above chancellor george osborne on 83 . but one senior tory said : ` while he is popular generally , it is not clear that there is a lot of support for boris among many tory mps . ` many remember his performance as a shadow minister , where some thought he was ... not taking the role seriously enough . '<doc-sep>bookmakers ladbrokes responded by slashing the odds of mr johnson becoming the next conservative leader from 5/1 to 9/4 . labour said it was a clear sign the tories were turning in on themselves with mr cameron powerless to intervene . amid claims mr johnson has his eye set on becoming prime minister , nick clegg warned the messy hair and ` bumbliness ' is just a front to disguise his ruthless ambition . he appeared dishevelled and sweaty during his speech at bloomberg yesterday , but nick clegg suggested it was all part of an act to disguise his ruthlessness . mr clegg insisted that the messy hair and creased suit was part of an image as carefully managed as his political ambitions . the deputy prime minister said the london mayor liked to pretend he did not care about his appearance or career - but was actually ` fixated ' with them . . speaking on his lbc radio phone-in , mr clegg said : ` the thing about boris johnson is despite all the kind of clumsiness and bumbliness , he 's actually a really , really ambitious politician ... ` he treats his political ambition a bit like he treats his hair . he wants everyone to think that he does n't really care , but he actually really , really does care . ' the lib dem leader said mr johnson had until now been able to ` have his cake and eat it ' . ` he will have to come clean about the fact that he is in many ways a much more conventional politician than he likes to appear , ' mr clegg said . ` his tousled hair , his bumbliness , his humour , all of that is great ... all i am saying is behind all of that is someone who is absolutely fixated with his own political ambitions . in that sense , he is actually a very conventional politician . ` in a sense , being a mayor is great , a wonderful position to have , but you can kind of have your cake and eat it . you can sort of lob grenades into the political debate without having to take responsibility for stuff . ` at some point he is actually going to have to say ` i 'm going to do responsible stuff , i 've got to take difficult decisions ' . ' the deputy prime minister used his weekly radio phone-in to claim mr johnson 's political ambitions actually made him quite ` conventional ' deciding to stand for election is just the first step for boris johnson - now he must find a seat . with just nine months to go until the general election , most sitting tory mps have either decided to stand again , or have quit and already had a successor selected . mr johnson will need a constituency close to london , which rules out louth and horncastle . and there must be a vacancy , which should exclude bromley and chislehurst , where bob neill insists he will stand again . which makes uxbridge most likely , just 20 miles from city hall and sir john randall is standing down , leaving a health majority of more than 11,000 . uxbridge . current mp : sir john randall , 59 , is retiring .<doc-sep>the grammar school debate back in 2007 . conference : boris johnson takes centre stage . but not everyone has been swept up in boris-mania . veteran minister ken clarke today said mr johnson had to grow up . ` if he really wants to be a . prime minister for serious reasons and not just getting his picture in . the paper more often , he really does have to settle down and demonstrate . he can seriously deliver on some complicated subjects , ' he told a meeting hosted by . channel 4 on the fringe of the conference . he added it would be ` disastrous ' if mr johnson could not get the ` fashionable ' speculation under control . health minister anna soubry also played . down the idea that the public was gripped by borismania : ` not one person . in my constiuency ever has said anything to me about boris . ' but the boris johnson circus still threatened to overshadow the main keynote speech today from chancellor george osborne . mr johnson refused to say . if mr cameron was a better prime minister than he would be , insisting . the claim was ` unverifiable ' . and the london mayor used his . newspaper column to claim the government had left the ` struggling . middle ' feeling ` utterly ignored . last night he addressed hundreds of supporters at a rally organised by the conservativehome website under the triumphal banner 're - elected and olympotastic ' .<doc-sep>new direction : tory mp nadhim zahawi believes the all illegal immigrants should be given an amnesty to remain in the country . all illegal immigrants in britain should be granted an amnesty to stay in the country , a tory mp has said . nadhim zahawi , mp for stratford-upon-avon , argued that the move makes sense economically and that a ` seismic ' shift in policy is needed for the conservatives to attract votes among minority groups . but it would represent a major switch in political direction for the party . earlier this week chancellor george osborne announced that immigrants who claim benefits will have to learn english or see their handouts docked . mr zahawi told the independent : ` we should n't be afraid to think outside our comfort zone . our failure to appeal to ethnic minorities should send loud alarm bells ringing in downing street and central office . ` unless we act now this electoral penalty will only get worse . ' the tories won just 16 per cent of the non-white vote at the election in 2010 . lord ashcroft is among those who has told david cameron he must do more to woo the ethnic vote . he recently released details of a . poll showing that ethnic minority voters share the tory creed that ` if . you work hard , it is possible to be very successful in britain ' . but when asked which party shares their values , they opt for labour by a margin of more than two to one . the offer of an . amnesty to illegal immigrants was a manifesto pledge of the lib dems at . the last election but was dramatically ditched by leader nick clegg . earlier this year . he said the policy risked undermining public confidence in the . entire immigration system . conflict : london mayor boris johnson , left , is a long-term supporter of an amnesty for illegal immigrants but deputy prime minister nick clegg , right , recently ditched his party 's support for the policy . the deputy prime minister instead . unveiled new plans to force foreigners arriving in britain from ` high . risk countries ' to pay a bond of more than # 1,000 which will only be . repaid when they leave . however , the london mayor boris johnson has been a long-term supporter of an amnesty for an estimated half a million immigrants in the uk . mr johnson claims an amnesty would help the economy and the treasury . by allowing huge numbers of illegal immigrants to work openly and to pay . tax and national insurance - a position supported by some union bosses . and church leaders . a study commissioned by mr johnson from the . london school of economics estimates there are 618,000 illegal . immigrants in the uk , of which 442,000 - almost three quarters - live . in the capital . but other senior tories have said that such an offer would send out a message to immigrants that it is possible to enter the country illegally and stay forever . sir andrew green , of the campaign group migrationwatch , said opinion . polls showed 70 per cent of the public oppose an immigration amnesty .

<t> london mayor said ` all human beings are prey to feelings of xenophobia ' </t> <t> boris johnson , 50 , called on politicians to highlight benefits of immigrants . </t> <t> archbishop of canterbury described immigration in uk as ` great tradition ' </t>

boris johnson claims everyone has a fear of immigrants and insists it ` does n't make you a bad person '<T>

the first letter sent by airmail from britain to australia has been unveiled , along with a host of retro travel posters to celebrate 80 years of the kangaroo route . british airways has marked the 80th anniversary of its regular mail service between the uk and australia - which falls on december 8 - by releasing the posters which encouraged britons to make the journey down under . the first airmail letter was sent on december 8 , 1934 , when imperial airways , a precursor to british airways , began its regular weekly mail service between england and australia . generations of families have kept in touch via the uk-australia airmail post service from british airways . the first letter was successful sent by airmail on december 8 , 1934 - almost 80 years ago . british airways still has the envelope of one of the first letter sent that day , to the right hon sir auckland geddes , which arrived in brisbane 13 days later . his son , eric campbell geddes , was then the chairman of imperial airways . the weekly mail service , which began exactly 80 years ago to the day , on december 8 , 1934 , started off as a partnership between three different airlines ; imperial airways , indian trans-continental airways and qantas empire airways . imperial airways and indian trans-continental airways together flew airmail from karachi to singapore , with stops in jodhpur , delhi , cawnpore , allahabad , calcutta , akyab , rangoon , bangkok and alor star . qantas empire airways flew the airmail the final leg from singapore to brisbane , via darwin . the delivery service started off as a partnership between three different airlines ; imperial airways , indian trans-continental airways and qantas empire airways . on april 13 , 1935 , british airways , then operating as imperial airways , and qantas empire airways opened the 12,754 mile route for passengers . the journey took 12 days and a single fare from croydon to brisbane cost # 195 one-way . now british airways , the only european carrier flying between heathrow and sydney , makes the daily flight from london to sydney in just over 22 hours . john chisholm , airmail product manager for iag cargo , the cargo arm of british airways and iberia , said : ` over the last 80 years british airways has played a huge part in keeping families , friends , businesses , diplomats and governments in touch with one another , by providing the vital link for airmail between the uk and australia . to this day , the postal service carries 34,000 tonnes of airmail annually - though now it 's a direct flight . in 1934 , imperial airways was responsible for airmail between london and karachi , pakistan . ` we 're very proud to carry the royal mail logo on the side of every british airways aircraft . australia is still one of our biggest airmail cargo destination and we transport over 500,000 kgs of letters and parcels a year between the sydney and london . ` we expecting demand to build very quickly as everyone rushes to try and beat the post office 's december 4 postal deadline for mailing cards and presents to australia in time for christmas ! ' while the number of letters posted has fallen , the number of parcels sent between the uk and australia has increased , thanks to the growing popularity of ecommerce sites and internet shopping . iag cargo carries approximately 34,000 tonnes of airmail annually , including those letters intended for the is british and us military , deployed overseas . then , imperial and indian trans-continental airways carried it along to singapore with quantas finishing the route to brisbane . imperial airways and indian trans-continental airways together flew airmail from karachi to singapore , with stops in jodhpur , delhi , cawnpore , allahabad , calcutta , akyab , rangoon , bangkok and alor star . qantas empire airways flew the airmail the final leg from singapore to brisbane , via darwin . on april 13 , 1935 , british airways , then operating as imperial airways , and qantas empire airways opened the 12,754 mile route for passengers . the journey took 12 days and a single fare from croydon to brisbane cost # 195 one-way . to celebrate this 80 year achievement , fares are available between london and sydney from just # 799 if booked before december 8 .<doc-sep>once the grandest ocean liner in the world , rms queen mary is now a luxury long beach hotel in california , united states . and now , as it celebrates the 80th anniversary of its first sail , the history of the great vessel and stories throughout the centuries were on show as the ship opened its doors for a day 's free admission . the queen mary was built by john brown & company in clydebank , scotland , launched in 1934 on the river clyde for the cunard line , and set on its maiden voyage in 1936 from southampton to new york . scroll down for video . setting : the magnificent rms queen mary is now a luxury hotel in california . remembering its roots : the ship still retains very much a british feel . explore : to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its launch , the queen mary allowed visitors in for free . for the next few years it was used as a luxurious civilian carrier , carrying hollywood celebrities like bob hope and clark gable , royalty like the duke and duchess of windsor , and dignitaries like winston churchill . the queen mary was 1,019.5 feet long and weighed 81,237 gross tons . it had a cruising speed of 28.5 knots -lrb- about 33 mph -rrb- .<doc-sep>rowland and elsie olarenshaw met when he was 14 and she was 13 living in the same street in fairfield , melbourne . now 87 years later , and after eight decades of marriage , the couple are set to celebrate another important milestone - both living to 100 years of age . mr olarenshaw celebrated his 100th birthday in december last year and today mrs olarenshaw joins him in centenarian status . scroll down for video . rowland and elsie olarenshaw recently celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary and today mark mrs olarenshaw 's 100th birthday . the olarenshaws met when he was 14 and she was 13 living in the same street in fairfield , melbourne . the pair -- who are australia 's oldest married couple after marking their 80th anniversary last year - will celebrate mrs olarenshaw 's birthday with a café lunch with 30 relatives and friends . mr olarenshaw remembers first meeting mrs olarenshaw when his father bought a house two doors down from hers . ` we were kids playing in the street more or less in those days , ' he told daily mail australia . ` we grew up together . ' mr olarenshaw said that by the time they were 19 they had fallen in love and decided they wanted to get married . mr olarenshaw celebrated his 100th birthday in december last year and on friday mrs olarenshaw joins him in centenarian status . but it was the middle of the great depression and their parents were less than supportive . ` our respective parents were horrified , ' he said . ` they said `` where is the money going to come from ? '' ' but the couple did n't care and they got married in a simple ceremony at collingwood baptist church on november 11 , 1933 by the same minister that married mrs olarenshaw 's parents . the couple , pictured with two of their children in 1936 , had five daughters but one died when she was 60 years old . the couple pictured with their five daughters . mr olarenshaw worked as a general engineer and owned his own business for 34 years , while mrs olarenshaw stayed at home and raised their five daughters . ` we did have five but unfortunately we lost one when she was 60 years old , ' mr olarenshaw said . ` she had a bad series of operations that affected her brain and she got dementia . ' the couple say they have ` lost track ' of how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren they have . mr olarenshaw said he was proud to be in australia 's longest marriage but he did n't think there was a secret to their happiness other than ` just being compatible ' the olarenshaws now live in sunbury , northwest of melbourne , and mr olarenshaw cares for his wife 24 hours a day because she suffered a bad fall 18 months ago . mr olarenshaw is proud to be in australia 's longest marriage but he does n't think there are any secrets to their happiness . ` just being compatible , ' he said . ` you have your difficulties but you 've just got to get over them . ' the couple say they have ` lost track ' of how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren they have .<doc-sep>brendan rodgers -lrb- second right -rrb- met the queen at an event in london at st james ' palace on tuesday . rodgers was accompanying his daughter for the event , which marked the 80th anniversary of diabetes uk . rodgers ' daughter mischa was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of seven .<doc-sep>the balloon had made it a staggering 10,545 miles from derby to millie 's home in east kurrajon , around 50 miles from sydney . airmail : joshua blackaby was amazed when he received a letter telling him that a balloon he released as part of a school project had been found in australia . epic adventure : joshua 's balloon travelled 10,545 miles from alvaston , derby to east kurrajon in new south wales , australia . pupils at the wyndham primary academy in alvaston , derby , launched the 300 tagged balloons in december last year and although some of his friends ' efforts made it to denmark and the netherlands - no one could match joshua 's efforts . ` we thought that was amazing , ' said home school co-ordinator suzannah hemmings . ` however , on our return from the february half-term holiday , a letter arrived from australia addressed to one of our pupils , joshua blackaby . ` with great excitement he opened it in front of his class to reveal the balloon tag and a letter from a little girl called millie who had found the balloon and tag in a tree in her garden in east kurrajong , about 50 miles from sydney in new south wales . ' safe return : joshua 's new penpal millie wrote to say she had found the balloon and returned it along with his tag . the school had been using the balloon 's flight to give pupils a greater understanding of geography and the weather .

<t> the airmail service has helped families stay connected since 1934 . </t> <t> first uk to australia airmail letter was sent on december 8 of that year . </t> <t> then , it took three different carriers for the parcel to reach australia . </t> <t> today , british airways makes daily flights from london to sydney . </t>

ba celebrates 80th anniversary of airmail to australia<T>

a brooklyn hipster and new dad learned that beards and babies do n't get along and so he decided to shave the facial hair he sported for most of his adult life and devise a way to preserve it forever . luke hughett did n't realize his beard would be such a target for his baby daughter willa who tugs on it , spits up on it , and bursts into tears if it gets too close to her face . ` she pulls on it . it 's a magnet . it gets in her face it annoys her . it 's like a target , ' he said . scroll down for video . in her face : hughett 's beard gets in his daughter 's face and annoys her to the brink of tears . the hairy decision : luke hughett had to make the decision between keeping his beard and terrorizing his baby daughter or shaving off the facial hair he 's had for most of his adult life and creating less of a boundary . frightened : hughett 's beard frightens his daughter willa who scowls when she looks up at it . messy beard : hughett 's baby willa spits up on his beard and also likes to tug on it because it makes her cry .<doc-sep>close shave : hughett has his beard and mustache shaved off in one piece so that he can execute his plan . team effort : it took a team of barbers to ensure that the beard was snipped off in just one piece . while shaving would make being a father easier , hughett said that shaving it would be like ` an amputation of -lrb- his -rrb- soul . ' hughett had an idea that he thought might appease both he and his daughter and while it meant shaving his beard it also meant saving it . ` there 's got ta be a way i can keep both my baby and my beard , ' he said . after having a barber trim both his beard and mustache in just one piece , he had an artist preserve the beard in a 45-block of solid lucite , reports gothamist . while his fiancé erin thought him strange for so desperately holding on to his beard , baby willa took lovingly to daddy 's baby face .<doc-sep>` now that i do n't have a beard it 's been great with willa . i can put my face right up next to hers and she likes it . there 's not this barrier between us anymore . ' now hughett kisses his baby goodnight and then goes to kiss his other prized possession , the beard he had permanently preserved in lucite so he 'll never have to part with it even after his baby becomes an adult and leaves home . baby faced : now without his beard on his face , luke hughett decided to put his beard in a place where he could hold onto it forever . the plan : luke hughett brought his beard to a friend who worked to preserve it in a block of lucite . the final result : now luke hughett keeps his beard on his bedside table so he can look at it every day . goodnight baby : luke hughett kisses his daughter to sleep with his newly smooth face but he still has one more kiss to give before going to bed . goodnight beard : luke hughett kisses his other pride and joy before drifting off to sleep at night .<doc-sep>perceval from manly in sydney is now getting paid to pose in designer clothes and has 50,000 followers on instagram . chris 's biggest fan , his proud father peter -lrb- left -rrb- , said his son is even better looking without a beard -lrb- right -rrb- . chris added : ` he does n't like the beard , some people do , some people do n't . ' ` it 's just a trend . i 'm happy to have been at the start of the trend it is a bit saturated now , ' he confessed . chris is considering shaving off his trademark beard once the look is no longer fashionable in sydney . he will then go back to london to do more work there . ` i came back to sydney because i thought it does n't really have anyone that looks like me in the market but since i 've been out here it 's become really popular . ' chris said although his first few modelling shoots overseas were ` intense ' he 's ` always been pretty good at posing ' . and he 's been promised that if he shaves off the beard he wo n't be dropped by his agencies . ` my agents are happy for me to cut it off ... it would be awkward if they told me not to cut it , ' he laughed . chris perceval is now used to mixing with fellow models and famous types such as russell brand -lrb- right -rrb- . chris is considering shaving off his trademark beard once the look is no longer fashionable . chris got a ' 21 ' tattoo on his face because he was born on the 21st of the month . chris , seen modelling on the front page of a magazine , has been promised that if he shaves off the beard he wo n't be dropped by his agencies . chris shares selfies with his thousands of fans every day and goes to the gym once or twice a day .<doc-sep>jeremy paxman has been blamed for a beard trend that has brought a slump in sales of shaving gels , it has been claimed . will king , the chief executive of king of shaves , said last year 's craze for beards among stars including the newsnight presenter and hollywood actor george clooney , had damaged the men 's toiletries industry . he believes that many followed paxman and clooney by growing facial hair , starting a ` beard phase ' that has adversely affected the whole men 's shaving sector . the british entrepreneur , who launched his shaving products business in 1993 , said : ` sales across the shaving industry were actually down in the uk and us last year for the first time because of guys not shaving , because of the celebrity beard , and partly because of the recession . ' ` -lsb- the downturn -rsb- took five years from the start of the recession , and maybe it has been spurred on by the whole internet entrepreneur look , the `` i work in shoreditch , i do n't need to shave '' look , ' he told the sunday telegraph . paxman caused a media storm on august 12 when he returned to work on newsnight after his summer break with a beard . twitter was deluged with opinions both for and against his salt and pepper bristles , while commentators debated the pros and cons of facial hair .<doc-sep>little lindsey is only a year old . so when the baby girl 's previously bearded dad appeared clean-shaven for the first time , it 's not surprising she was slightly confused . a video posted on youtube shows lindsey 's dad - who had sported a beard the whole of his daughter 's life - holding his little girl after shaving off all of his facial hair . lindsey appears a little perplexed and carefully touches her dad 's chin and face in what looks like an attempt to figure out where his beard has disappeared to . scroll down for video . the little girl tenderly presses her nose against her dad 's chin to sniff his face after he shaved his beard off .<doc-sep>it is rapidly becoming tradition at this time of year for men to sprout moustaches as part of the increasingly popular movember charity campaign . but the latest fundraiser to let their facial hair grow wild in the name of a good cause is a 36-year-old woman . brave siobhain fletcher , 36 , who suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome and has spent years trying to hide her facial hair , has ditched her clippers for the month of november to grow a moustache and beard for charity . good cause : siobhain fletcher has spent her life trying to hide her facial hair , but has ditched the clippers to raise money for charity as part of the movember campaign . the movember campaign encourages men to quit shaving for the month of november to raise awareness and funds for men 's health - specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer . mrs fletcher , who usually shaves every other day , is already sporting a wispy beard and the beginnings of a moustache after deciding to take part . having struggled with facial hair since puberty , the housewife was finally diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome -lrb- pcos -rrb- 12 years ago when she and her husband jim struggled to conceive .

<t> luke hughett did n't realize his beard would be such a target for his baby daughter willa who tugs on it and spits up on it . </t> <t> ` there 's got ta be a way i can keep both my baby and my beard , ' hughet thought so he had it preserved forever in lucite . </t> <t> ` now that i do n't have a beard it 's been great with willa . i can put my face right up next to hers and she likes it , ' said hughett . </t>

brooklyn dad shaves beard because it frightens his daughter but has it preserved<T>

dr nancy snyderman apologized for violating an ebola quarantine as she returned to nbc on wednesday morning and insisted that ` good people make mistakes ' . the nbc news medical correspondent appeared on the today show for the first time in a month and apologized at length for her mistake before presenting a segment about depression . ` i 'm very sorry for not only scaring my community and the country but adding to the confusion of the terms that came as fast and furious as the news about ebola did , ' she told matt lauer . ` we had already been taking our temperatures ... and we knew our risks in our heads ... but we did not really appreciate and - frankly were not sensitive to - how absolutely scared americans were . ' scroll down for video . apologetic : dr nancy snyderman returned to the today show on wednesday after she violated her ebola quarantine . she apologized for the mistake but said it must n't distract people from the real story . snyderman had been reporting on the ebola outbreak in liberia for nbc in october at the time a cameraman who briefly worked with her , ashoka mukpo , came down with the deadly virus . mukpo was transferred back to the u.s. for treatment at a nebraska medical facility and has since recovered . snyderman and the rest of the nbc team were urged to voluntarily quarantine themselves for a 21-day period upon their return to the united states . but during the midst of that quarantine , snyderman and her crew were spotted getting takeout food from a new jersey restaurant , prompting new jersey officials to make her quarantine mandatory . on the job : dr snyderman agreed to a voluntary quarantine for ebola after covering the outbreak in liberia for nbc , pictured - but she was seen getting takeout in new jersey just a few days later .<doc-sep>neither she nor anyone else from the network came down with ebola . her takeout foray angered her bosses and unleashed a bitter response online , with some viewers saying that they would have a hard time trusting her again after the mistake in judgment . nbc news president deborah turness told dr snyderman to take some time off . on wednesday , snyderman explained : ` it was about breaking a promise and it was also my association with ashoka mukpo . ` good people can make mistakes and i stepped outside the boundaries of what i promised to do and what the public expected of me , and for that i 'm sorry . ' but she also added that concern over her story had taken away from ` the real issue at hand ' - the suffering she had seen of the virus across west africa . healthy : snyderman and her team were quarantined after a crew member , ashoka mukpo -lrb- pictured center with his father and his girlfriend -rrb- , was diagnosed with ebola . he was sent back to the u.s. and has recovered . snyderman , 62 , will also report on a medical issue for nbc 's nightly news on wednesday . there had been some question about whether the veteran medical journalist would ever return to nbc news . snyderman , a surgeon , has been at nbc news since 2006 after spending 17 years as a medical correspondent for abc news .<doc-sep>nbc 's dr nancy snyderman will be released from mandatory quarantine this week after being exposed to ebola - but the network may drop the chief medical editor , reports claim . snyderman , a surgeon who spent 17 years reporting for abc news before joining nbc in 2006 , came under fire for allegedly violating her quarantine and then refusing to explain what happened . the confusion sparked a furious response from thousands of viewers writing to the station to say they no longer trust snyderman . scroll down for video . questions : thousands of viewers have complained that dr nancy snyderman was ` arrogant , dismissive , and untrustworthy ' after she was allegedly violated her ebola quarantine then merely gave a cryptic explanation . it has left nbc with a major pr and credibility problem and bosses will now have to decide whether the medical editor 's credibility can survive the incident . the network would not comment . snyderman was ordered into mandatory quarantine until wednesday october 22 with the rest of her broadcast team after she allegedly violated their voluntary isolation . the team covered the ebola outbreak in west africa and worked briefly with ashoka mukpo , the cameraman who caught the virus and is now being treated in nebraska .<doc-sep>nancy snyderman has yet to return to nbc news after being quarantined in an ebola scare in october . the doctor and chief medical correspondent was one of a group of people forced into mandatory isolation for 21 days after cameraman ashoka mukpo was diagnosed with ebola while the crew documented the spread of the virus in liberia . she prompted a storm of criticism when reports emerged stating she had violated the team 's original voluntary quarantine order by driving to a cafe . despite planning to return in november , snyderman remains absent from the channel and executives do not have a return date for her , cnn reported . scroll down for video . questions : dr nancy snyderman is mysteriously absent from nbc after viewers complained she was ` arrogant , dismissive , and untrustworthy ' for allegedly violating her ebola quarantine in october . following the three-week quarantine , the 62-year-old was told to take some time off and spend some time with her family . a statement from nbc said : ` while in liberia dr nancy and her team delivered first class , first-hand reporting from the front lines of this tragic and monumental story . their subsequent departure from monrovia , their return to the u.s. and period of quarantine has been a challenging time . ` we have encouraged them -- and they have agreed -- to take some time off with their families and friends to help restore some normalcy to their lives . we very much look forward to their return next month . ' the statement added that the network were relieved to say that dr snyderman and the rest of the crew were ` healthy and symptom-free ' . snyderman , a surgeon who spent 17 years reporting for abc news before joining nbc in 2006 , came under fire for allegedly violating her quarantine and then refusing to explain what happened . the confusion sparked a furious response from thousands of viewers writing to the station to say they no longer trust snyderman . it left nbc with a major pr and credibility problem with bosses having to decide whether the medical editor 's credibility can survive the incident . the network would not comment . snyderman was ordered into mandatory quarantine until wednesday october 22 with the rest of her broadcast team after she allegedly violated their voluntary isolation . new jersey health officials ruled that her quarantine should be mandatory after snyderman and her crew were spotted getting takeout food from a new jersey restaurant . nbc wo n't give details about who went into the restaurant or how many of its employees were being quarantined .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- nbc medical correspondent dr. nancy snyderman apologizes for violating quarantine . the husband of the ebola-stricken spanish nurse lashes out . a u.n. worker being treated for the disease in germany dies . and the world health organization tweets that 8,914 ebola cases and 4,447 deaths have been reported . with multiple developments under way , here 's what you need to know tuesday to get caught up on the latest : . u.s. developments . an apology for breaking quarantine . nbc medical correspondent dr. nancy snyderman has issued an apology after she reportedly violated the quarantine her team was placed in when their cameraman contracted ebola . `` as a health professional i know that we have no symptoms and pose no risk to the public , but i am deeply sorry for the concerns this episode caused , '' she said in a statement . cameraman says thank you . the nbc freelance cameraman who 's recovering at the nebraska medical center after contracting ebola thanked everyone for their support in a facebook post monday . `` there have been some dark and profoundly frightening moments in this ordeal , '' he wrote . `` i wo n't ever know exactly when i slipped up and contracted the virus . i had been taking precautions but obviously they were n't enough . '' dallas nurse is ` clinically stable ' officials are still trying to figure out how a dallas nurse who cared for ebola patient thomas eric duncan was infected . nina pham , a recent nursing college graduate , got her certification less than two months earlier . on monday , she got a blood transfusion from american ebola survivor kent brantly and is `` clinically stable . ''<doc-sep>dr nancy snyderman apologized for violating quarantine guidelines on monday - but made sure her nbc team shared the blame . nbc chief medical correspondent nancy snyderman has dodged blame for violating a voluntary ebola quarantine agreement by visiting her favorite soup restaurant . the 62-year-old doctor made an apologetic statement to nbc news on monday which nevertheless shifted responsibility for the breach on to the whole team . dr snyderman wrote : ` while under voluntary quarantine guidelines , which called for our team to avoid public contact for 21 days , members of our group violated those guidelines and understand that our quarantine is now mandatory until 21 days have passed . ` we remain healthy and our temperatures are normal . ` as a health professional i know that we have no symptoms and pose no risk to the public , but i am deeply sorry for the concerns this episode caused . ' she added : ` we are thrilled that ashoka -lrb- mukpo -rrb- is getting better and our thoughts continue to be with the thousands affected by ebola whose stories we all went to cover . ' however her nbc colleague , today anchor matt lauer , blasted the doctor today to tmz , saying she was at fault for breaking the voluntary quarantine . lauer said : ` she 's already admitted it was wrong ... she knows she made a mistake . ` it was extraordinary time , we have to take extraordinary measures . it was a mistake , it wo n't happen again . ' witnesses said that the physician and broadcaster wore sunglasses with her hair in a ponytail as she pulled up outside the peasant grill in hopewell boro , new jersey , close to princeton university , last thursday . scroll down for video . nancy snyderman , pictured while covering the ebola epidemic in west africa , violated her voluntary isolation to visit her favorite soup kitchen in new jersey last week , according to reports . today anchor matt lauer , blasted dr snyderman on tuesday , saying she was at fault for breaking the voluntary quaratine -lrb- the pair are pictured in an earlier broadcast about ebola -rrb- . dr snyderman was one of seven people ordered to cut off all human contact for 21 days on friday as doctors treat the station 's cameraman ashoka mukpo for the deadly disease . it emerged this weekend that the crew would have been allowed more freedom if it was not for dr snyderman 's alleged trip to the peasant grill , where she is said to be a regular and love the soups . shortly after the alleged trip to the dining spot , the new jersey department of health forced the crew into mandatory quarantine . the nj health department said : ` unfortunately , the nbc crew violated this agreement and so the department of health friday evening issued a mandatory quarantine order to ensure that the crew will remain confined until october 22 . ` the nbc crew remains symptom-free , so there is no reason for concern of exposure to the community . ' the team had initially been encouraged to isolate themselves following mukpo 's diagnosis . the group was reporting on the ebola outbreak for nbc news in liberia when mukpo , their freelance cameraman , was diagnosed with the virus just a day after he was hired to work for the team . mukpo 's family said last week that he believed he had contracted ebola when he was washing down a vehicle that had transported bodies that perished from the disease . ebola is transmitted through contact with blood and body fluids . the cameraman was infected in west africa but is being treated at the nebraska medical center in omaha after being flown in on a specially-altered flight with an isolation chamber . the 33-year-old has received an experimental drug called brincidofovir , or cmx001 , and a blood transfusion from dr kent brantly , who beat ebola . witnesses claimed snyderman arrived at peasant grill in hopewell boro , new jersey , -lrb- pictured -rrb- wearing shades and sent a crew member inside . dr snyderman was spotted outside the restaurant by diners , where she is said to be a regular and a fan of their soups . mukpo returned to twitter on monday to thank well-wishers for the ` good vibes ' and say that he was feeling better . it also emerged this weekend that the freelance cameraman was facing half a million dollars in medical bills . a page on charity fundraising site , gofundme , revealed he had raised close to $ 50,000 towards the cost of his treatment . an nbc spokesman said on monday that the network could not comment on any individual case , but noted that the team was deemed to be low-risk upon its return from liberia . he added that they had agreed to follow the guidelines set by local health authorities which included the 21-day isolation period . he said : ` we fully support those guidelines and continue to expect that they be followed . ` our team are all well with normal temperatures , which they check multiple times a day , and they are also in daily contact with local health officials . ' meanwhile , in a phone interview with the today show last week , dr snyderman said all the gear she and her crew used was being disinfected because they all shared work space and vehicles . dr snyderman -lrb- pictured while reporting in liberia -rrb- was one of a group that had contact with ebola patient ashoka mukpo , their cameraman . dr nancy snyderman offered an apology on behalf of her whole team , in a statement to nbc news on monday . ashoka mukpo was infected in west africa a day into working for nbc but is being treated in nebraska . mr mukpo said on monday afternoon that he was feeling better and thanked well-wishers for their ` good vibes ' she also said that she believed she and her team were at a low risk because they have been ` hyper-vigilant ' . hospitals across the u.s. remained on high alert on tuesday over the outbreak of ebola . despite wearing protective clothing , a nurse in texas was diagnosed this weekend with the disease after treating thomas eric duncan , the first man to be diagnosed in the u.s. nina pham , 26 , from fort worth , texas was one of the team of medical staff at texas health presbyterian where she treated mr duncan . she is now being kept in isolation at the same hospital and is said to be in a stable condition after also receiving a blood transfusion from dr brantly . around 150 travelers per day from liberia , sierra leone or guinea will now be stopped and checked with contactless thermometers at jfk airport in new york in an attempt to prevent the disease getting into the united states again . the 2014 ebola outbreak has been most prevalent in three west african countries : guinea , liberia and sierra leone and smaller outbreaks have been reported in both senegal and nigeria . the new scheme will be expanded over the next week to newark liberty airport in new jersey , washington dulles , chicago o'hare and atlanta 's hartsfield-jackson airport . nina pham , 26 , is fighting for her life after contracting ebola from thomas eric duncan at the dallas hospital .

<t> the nbc news medical correspondent had been reporting from liberia in october when one of her cameramen , ashoka mukpo , got ebola . </t> <t> snyderman and the rest of the nbc team were urged to quarantine themselves for a 21-day period upon their return to the us . </t> <t> but snyderman and her crew were spotted getting takeout from a new jersey restaurant , prompting officials to make her quarantine mandatory . </t> <t> she returned to the today show on wednesday and apologized for the mistake - saying she had not appreciated the level of concern in the u.s. </t> <t> ` good people make mistakes , ' she said . </t>

dr nancy snyderman returns to nbc after being shelved for violating ebola quarantine<T>