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As Charlotte Cosby showed off her super-slim figure in a new Instagram photo, many of her fans balked at her now tiny frame. For the Geordie Shore star, who has lost has lost two and a half stone and four dress sizes over the past year, is looking thinner than ever. In fact, she is looking so thin, that some have questioned whether the 24-year-old actress has taken things too far. Scroll down for video . Over the last year Charlotte Crosby has lost over two and a half stone, but the reality TV star has come under fire for this picture in which she appears to be very slim . One Twitter user commented that she thought Charlotte was 'far to skinny [sic] whilst other commented on her Instagram pictures . One user on Twitter posted a picture of the star with the comment: 'Charlotte Crosby is far to skinny! She's promoting to girls that she has a "healthy body" [sic]' Another commented on her Instagram: 'I can guarantee you she starves herself to look like this.' But Charlotte is not the only Newcastle resident to have lost weight. Her co-stars Vicky Pattison, 27, Holly Hagan, 22, and Marnie Simpson have also all dropped the pounds over the past 12 months. Charlotte has a lost a lot of weight over the last 12 months (left, before the weightloss, and, right, after) , she puts this down to exercise and having cut back on take-aways and booze . Charlotte in 2013 before her weight loss transformation attending the Radio 1 Teen Awards at Wembley . And the women aren't afraid to show off their bodies. Vicky regularly posts then and now pictures of herself to her 1.6million Instagram followers charting her weight loss progress. Holly and Marnie are the same. Sharing pictures of their super slim bodies, often in bikinis or skimpy outfits. But have these girls taken things too far? Well, one doctor thinks they might. Dr PhD Marilyn Glenville told us that there is a lot of pressure on women in the media to try and stay thin. Vicky Pattison regularly posts pictures of herself to Instagram, before (left) and after (right) her weight loss . Marnie Simpson said she felt compelled to lose weight after seeing that her fellow Geordie Shore Castmmates had dropped so many pounds . She said: 'There is too much too much pressure as they are in the public eye and understandably want to look good but it may push them into unhealthy eating patterns in order to achieve that look. 'Because of the pressure the weight loss can be taken too far and too fast as with many of the Geordie Shore girls.' She continued: 'When weight loss is very fast the body is encouraged to lose fat, muscle and water. Water is just a temporary loss and you also do not want to lose muscle. 'And for women it is important not to lose too much fat, because then periods will stop and it can affect not only fertility but also increase the risk of problems like osteoporosis because the woman has lost the protection of the female hormones.' Holly Hagan is the fourth Geordie Shore girl to dramatically lose weight, she had even posted a picture of herself trying out a waist trainer to Instagram (left) Holly posted this picture of herself to Instagram where he ribs are clearly visable . Holly was larger when she started on the show, but, she has since slimmed down after revealing she felt fat . Dr Marilyn also revealed that it is best for fans to stick away from following celebrities in their diets. She said: 'It is better to choose a plan to suit your body and to take into account whether you have a sedentary job or working away from home a lot so can’t control your food easily. 'It will make a difference if you are very stressed and also how old you are because metabolism tends to slow down as we get older. 'It is important that you choose a diet that suits your lifestyle, age and how you want to look so that you don’t end up looking and being too thin or causing health problems.' However two of the girls have hit back at the criticism of their weight. Holly told the BBC: 'What really annoys me is when I read articles and it's like, "Holly lost three stone in one month" and that is giving such a wrong impression to the girls out there reading that and thinking, "Oh yeah I can lose three stone in one month". She continued: 'They just pluck these figures out of thin air, and it shouldn't be allowed to happen because that could have really damaging effects.' Charlotte has also denied losing weight just for her DVD: 'Sadly I just put weight on through loads of partying, drinking, having a boyfriend and eating takeaways every night,' she said. 'I don't know why I would ever want to put weight on and look that fat and ugly. Why would anyone ever want to do that? It's so stupid that people even say that.' Much has been made of just how the Geordie Shore girls, who were famous for their booze and take away heavy diets, have managed to loose so much weight. Here's what they've said... Charlotte Crosby . Charlotte's diet was not the most conventional. As her BFF Vicky revealed that she uses a controversial sounding 'three tin' regime. 'She basically thinks you should eat three tins a day and that's it. So you could have a tin of beans for your breakfast, tin of tuna for your dinner and a tin of pears for your tea,' said Vicky. Charlotte also introduced exercise into her life to beat the bulge. She started working with celebrity trainer Richard Callender and released a number one best selling fitness DVD. Holly (plain yellow bikini) recently posted this picture of her and Charlotte saying that the pair were now proud of their bodies . Holly Hagan . Holly, who recently posted a picture of herself in a Kim Kardashian-style waist trainer to Instagram, trains hard and has lost over a stone and a half. She said: 'I do work hard to maintain my body as I work with a personal trainer 2/3 times a week, and we train really hard together.' She also maintains a calorie-controlled diet and has previously revealed that she prioritises fruit and vegetables over stodgy treats. 'Carrots before carbs,' she explains. 'I've been doing it for so long now that when I eat s*** it makes me feel bad. I prefer to be healthy now.' A typical day for her would be scrambled eggs for breakfast, a chicken salad for lunch, and for dinner, steak and vegetables. Vicky Pattison . Before embarking on her weightloss transformation Vicky survived on a diet of takeaways. Now, she's a svelte size six after insisting that producers provide the reality show stars with a healthier menu - something she says has 'made all the difference'. 'It’s made such a difference,' she says. 'You don’t get much time to cook, so we used to have a crisps cupboard and a chocolate drawer, which we'd descend on like a pack of raccoons after a night out. 'With the catering, we swapped our fry ups for eggs or porridge for breakfast and then salads and meat platters for lunch. That made keeping our figures loads easier.' Vicky also followed the her own Seven Day Slim routine, which she turned into a DVD, which saw her shed three stone over the course of six months. Following her dramatic slim down she was unhappy with the way her breasts looked and had a boob job to plump them back up again. Vicky posts these pictures to her Instagram detailing how she has transformed her body . Marnie Simpson: . Marnie decided to lose weight at the end of last year after becoming jealous of her co-stars slim bodies. She dropped 17lbs - over a stone - in just one month and said: 'A lot of people started to pick up on my weight on Twitter and say some really hurtful comments. 'I remember one person said, "You used to be the skinniest and now you're the fattest." 'Another said, "Your face is huge," because when I do pile on the pounds it always shows up really quickly on my face in the shape of a double chin. 'There were also lots of comments about being be the "fat one" in the show and the "fat lass". 'I'd be lying if I said those comments didn't really hurt - you try to ignore them but it is impossible.' After a month of intensive work-outs and eating healthily, the reality TV star went from 9st 10lbs to a super-slim 8st 7lbs. | Charlotte Crosby was criticised for her slim frame on social media .
The star has lost more than two and a half stone in the past year .
Her Geordie Shore cast mates have also shed the pounds .
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A frustrated Arsenal fan who jumped over a barrier and ran towards the manager during an away match at Southampton has been banned from going to games for three years. Luke Bryant, 25, was sat with Southampton fans when he ran onto the sidelines of the football pitch during a game at St Mary's stadium, where Arsenal were losing 2-0. Bryant admitted 'going onto an area adjacent to a playing area' of the Football Act 1991, where he shrugged his shoulders at Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. The fan, who Arsene Wenger thought was from the Southampton end, runs to the dugout and gestures . Stewards quickly led the man away as Arsenal manager Wenger shows little reaction to the confrontation . Wenger was confronted by an angry fan during the poor performance at St Mary's on New Year's Day . The father-of-two, who works in retail, said in court that he was frustrated with his club and 'just wanted his voice heard'. Bryant, who has been a football fan since he was six years old, said he went over an advertising board - which stood at around two feet - to get onto the side of the pitch. He said: 'It was sheer frustration at how the club was doing. I just wanted my voice heard.' Bryant told Southampton Magistrates Court he put his arms out and shrugged at Arsenal manager Wenger before being taken away by the stewards during the match on January 1. He said: 'I got to the front of the subs stand. I was there for a few seconds. 'I stood there and shrugged my shoulders. I pointed towards the pitch to say it was not good enough and that was it.' Bryant, who has no previous convictions, said he had been contacted by 'unhappy' Southampton fans who made threats and which made his partner fearful for them and their two children and that he had reported the incidents to police. He added that he had his car keyed and was due to promotion to supervisor but was unsuccessful as a result of the incident. Bryant, a 'fully fledged' Arsenal fan of Lymington, Hants,, said: 'This experience has not been a pleasant one. 'The moment I stepped onto that pitch and saw the Arsenal manager, I felt guilty. 'It was stupid - five minutes of madness.' Wenger feels the strain as Arsenal succumbed to a two-goal defeat against Southampton . Wenger gestures towards the fourth official on the touchline during a frustrating afternoon for Arsenal . Prosecuting Simon Jones said: 'If Mr Bryant's frustration is with the way the club is being run then the court have to decide about further behaviour, as he said himself there is not going to be a change in management for the foreseeable future.' Defending Stephen Tricker said: 'He is saying 'I have learnt my lesson.' 'Mr Bryants says 'the mere experience of everything that is happening is significantly terrible for me not to make the same mistake twice'.' Judge Anthony Carloway said: 'In the case of Bryant it is common ground, he unwisely decided to leave his allocated seat, mount an advertising board some two feet high and approach the manager Mr Arsene Wenger with outstretched arms. 'I understand from Mr Bryant the purpose of that activity was to reflect his opinion of the club also that he says the club is divided and his unhappiness at the club's structure and performance and so on.' He added that a journalist who interviewed the manager after the match asked him about the incident. Wenger answered that he thought the 'young boy' was a Southampton fan and was 'not aggressive at all'. He said that Bryant's actions were 'emotional' rather than planned. Bryant was placed under a banning order for three years and fined £500. He was also ordered to pay £200 court costs. Per Mertesacker stretches to try and hook Sadio Mane's shot off the line as Southampton take the lead . Dusan Tadic capitalises on another mistake from Szczesny to scores Southampton's second back in January . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Arsenal fan Luke Bryant confronted Arsene Wenger during 2-0 defeat .
Bryant admitted charge of 'going onto an area adjacent to a playing area'
The lifelong Arsenal fan is not allowed to attend games for three years .
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Jeremy Hunt said a future Conservative government would look into the findings 'in detail' The Mail’s revelations sparked outrage last night with all three major political parties backing calls for an inquiry. There was disgust too among frontline NHS staff and patients. The head of the Royal College of Nursing said nurses who had faced five years of pay freezes would struggle to comprehend the six per cent pay rise for their bosses. Patient groups said the packages were indefensible when patients were seeing spiralling waiting times and cuts to routine procedures. Professor Jane Dacre, president of the Royal College of Physicians, called for an independent review of top NHS pay while Professor Sir Brian Jarman, a senior Government health adviser, called for a public inquiry, saying bosses were manipulating the system. The main political parties promised an inquiry. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘A future Conservative government would ask the Department of Health to look at the Mail’s investigation in detail. 'Too often high executive pay has been awarded as a matter course, not because of exceptional performance. Labour’s Andy Burnham said: ‘Labour will conduct a thorough investigation into this, as part of our plan to ensure pay fairness from bottom to top in the NHS. We have called for loopholes to be closed to prevent abuses.’ For the Liberal Democrats, Norman Lamb said: ‘NHS frontline staff will rightly feel that this situation is unfair. It is right to have an investigation so that these contracts are looked into so that we can make the best use of taxpayers’ money.’ Calling for an independent review, Professor Dacre said: ‘Transparency in the NHS, including transparency of remuneration, is vital to ensure accountability to the patients we serve. An independent review would help to ensure that NHS CEO salaries are fair. ‘It is important that we appoint high quality chief executives in NHS Trusts and their focus should always be on standards of patient care. They should be rewarded for the difficult role that they have taken on, but this should relate to the standard of patient care that they provide and the size of the organisation they run.’ Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, described the findings as 'shocking' Sir Brian Jarman said: ‘It is wrong. It is as simple as that. It seems to be manipulating the system. ‘They should be putting their attention on to lowering their death rates or seeing if there’s a problem with the quality of care rather than getting themselves higher incomes. That should be their priority. It is very worrying. ‘It is something that should be investigated, absolutely, by the Department of Health. Or a public inquiry so you can subpoena witnesses and they must give evidence under oath and if they don’t give evidence that’s relevant they can go to jail for up to 51 weeks.’ The country’s foremost pensions expert, Dr Ros Altmann, said the figures showed executives were ‘milking the system’. She said NHS bosses were signing off their own pay rises and taking advantage of loopholes in the ‘exceptionally generous’ NHS pension scheme. She added: ‘It is outrageous, it is so wrong. 'They think they can get away with it just because the law allows it. But morally it is questionable. ‘It is like the MPs’ expenses scandal. The rules would never have been intended to be used in this manner – they are meant for nurses struggling, who need to keep working to make ends meet. ‘These executives are exploiting the rules for their own advantage. It is not acceptable. There should be independent scrutiny. The idea that senior executives can retire and come back to work to double-dip needs to be rethought. ‘Taking lump sums and then re-employing themselves when there is evidence of failure – that needs to be challenged.’ Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said: ‘At a time when NHS finances are in crisis, it is shocking that some NHS bosses continue to receive such vastly inflated financial rewards. Nursing staff will struggle to comprehend that their bosses have had an average 6 per cent pay rise when they are only getting 1 per cent this year, having seen their pay fall further and further behind the cost of living over the last few years. Norman Lamb for the Liberal Democrats said frontline staff would rightly find the revelations 'unfair' ‘Senior managers such as chief executives do important and highly valued work, but they should not be getting disproportionate pay rises and bonuses while frontline staff continue to struggle.’ Mark Littlewood, director general at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said the revelations of ‘misallocation of money’ in the NHS required ‘serious attention.’ Roger Goss of Patient Concern, said: ‘These pay packets are simply outrageous. They are indefensible. We need a formal inquiry into this. ‘It is impossible to justify these ludicrous pay arrangements when patients who are being told they cannot have routine treatments on the NHS and are suffering huge waiting times because of stretched resources. Patients will be horrified.’ Campaigner Julie Bailey, who helped expose the horrific neglect at Stafford Hospital, said: ‘The public would be shocked with these huge salaries and added perks. ‘Where else could you fail so badly and yet be rewarded so highly, by yourself?’ Dave Prentis, general secretary of the Unison union, said: ‘Staff working in hospitals and health centres up and down the country are right to feel outraged that their pay has been reined in year after year, while their bosses see such huge increases.’ And Richard Murphy, director of Tax Research UK, and an adviser to the TUC, added: ‘This is the private sector’s influence on the NHS gone mad.’ Sue James retired for a day to claim a £155,000 payout . TRICK ONE: Retiring for a day . One of the most lucrative loopholes NHS bosses exploit is the health service’s ‘24-hour-retirement’ rule. In the past, the NHS banned employees from retiring to claim benefits and then returning to the same job. From 2008, however, an exception was written in allowing staff to ‘retire’ for 24 hours to claim retirement benefits before carrying on working. Pension experts said this was aimed to make life easier for highly experienced nurses and other low paid front-line staff and to encourage them not to leave. NHS board members are now exploiting this, allowing them to claim hundreds of thousands of pounds in lump sums from their huge pension pots when they turn 60. This cash can be taken tax-free. But because they only really ‘retire’ for 24 hours, they can carry on drawing their huge NHS salary afterwards. Peter Herring, chief executive at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, claimed a £252,000 tax-free lump sum by ‘retiring’ for 24 hours, before returning to the same position. Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Sue James did the same to claim a £155,000 payout. Despite their public positions, they did not announce their brief retirements and their trusts did not disclose the highly sought-after posts were vacant before re-employing them. Instead, the details were hidden in the small print of their annual reports the following year. Under pension rules, most NHS workers can claim the retirement benefits only if they work for 16 hours or less per week for a month after ‘retiring’ for 24 hours. But none of the executives approached by the Mail team had announced they were working part time for a month – or taken a salary cut accordingly. TRICK TWO: Compensation bonuses . Hospital chiefs were awarded extraordinary compensation payments after quitting their pension schemes for apparent tax reasons. Under national rules, there are tax benefits applied to pension pots up to a limit, which was £1.5million until last year and has since been reduced to £1.25million. As a result, many choose to stop contributing to their pots when approaching the limit. When hospital bosses found themselves in this position, however, some received top-ups to their already huge salaries as compensation. South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Lorraine Lambert withdrew from the NHS pension scheme in 2012/13 as she approached the tax-free pension pot limit. She was awarded £20,000 the following year on top of her £165,000 salary. A footnote in her trust’s annual report stated: ‘During 2012/13 the chief executive withdrew from the NHS Pension Scheme and received additional remuneration to compensate for the loss of the employer’s contribution to that scheme.’ TRICK THREE: Flexible new job . Many bosses retire to claim their huge lump sums – before being re-employed on ‘flexible’ contracts. North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust boss Mike Walker earned more than £1million in 2012/13, including £855,000 in pension-related benefits. He is also entitled to a £220,000 tax-free pension lump sum after turning 60 last October. At the end of 2013, Mr Walker – who has a £1.6million pension pot – was allowed to ‘flexibly retire’. The former medical director is now working on the development of a new hospital and a patient feedback system. Because he is no longer on the board, his new pay is not disclosed. TRICK FOUR: Leaving after pension boost . The generous NHS pension scheme is said massively to favour high earners. The scheme – until this year a final salary system – still uses a calculation method that gives a huge pension boost as salaries increase. If an employee’s salary suddenly goes up, their pension pot will receive a huge boost – sometimes worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. As a result, staff promoted to hospital boards see their pension-related benefits for the year rise dramatically. Many bosses appear to stay in jobs until they get a promotion and a pay rise which boosts their pension, before quitting the year after they have banked the pay out. | A Daily Mail investigation revealed NHS bosses raked in £35m last year .
Nearly 50 hospital separate bosses took home more than £400,000 .
MPs and frontline staff are united in their outrage at the Mail's findings .
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A run-down car park has been bought for £3million by the National Trust - because it offers one of Britain's most spectacular views. The tatty tarmac site overlooks the golden sands at Rhossili in South Wales, voted the UK's number one beach, the third best in Europe, and 9th best in the world by TripAdvisor. Visitors to the tip of the Gower peninsula can see the coastline stretch on for miles, surrounded by the rolling Welsh hills in the picture-perfect vista. This tatty tarmac car park has been snapped up for £3m by the National Trust - because it has one of Britain's most spectacular views over the beach at Rhossili on the Gower in South Wales . Now the rundown parking spot has been snapped up by the heritage organisation which normally looks after the UK's best buildings and landscapes. National Trust manager Paul Boland defended spending the hefty sum to buy the car park from private landowners with the aim of improving it. He said: 'We want to ensure that we provide Gower with a first-class car park for a first-class destination. We believe this will secure the future of a very important area of natural beauty, renowned for its wildlife, environment and archaeology, as well as ultimately bringing better facilities at this world-renowned tourist location.' Picture-perfect vista overlooks miles of golden sands at Rhossili - voted the UK's number one beach, third best in Europe, and 9th best in the world by TripAdvisor . The beautiful piece of coastline is a favourite with location scouts and has been the setting for Doctor Who along with a host of car TV adverts . Day-long charges will be £4 - an increase of 50p from the existing charge but with a new £2 two-hour charge. National Trust members will be able to park for free from today. The beach at Rhossili is a favourite with TV executives and has been the setting for Doctor Who along with a host of car adverts. The Trust hope the new facilities may be added to help provide for the thousands who regularly make a pilgrimage to Rhossili. Mr Boland added: 'We will consider other facilities that are harmonious with the outstanding beauty of this unique part of the world.' The car park will open under the National Trust, which already owns a large section of the coastline including Rhossili Beach and the Worm's Head islands, this weekend. The ugly car park and pot-holed tarmac was previously owned by a private landowners who sold it off to the National Trust for £3million . National Trust manager Paul Boland defended the hefty sum paid for the land saying he wanted to ensure Gower had a 'first-class car park for a first-class destination' The Trust now aims to improve a car park with the best scenery in the land for tourists visiting the tip of the Gower peninsula for the glorious Welsh views . The new car park will open under the National Trust, already owns a large section of the coastline including Rhossili Beach and the Worm's Head islands, this weekend . | The run-down car park offers stunning, picture-perfect views across miles of golden sands at Rhossili beach .
National Trust snapped up the tatty tarmac parking spot for £3m to create a new and improved car park .
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Talk about a chain reaction! This is the moment a billiards player performs a complex trick shot by setting up a domino train to pot four balls. Video footage shows a white ball being rolled down a positioned cue. It then bounces off one side of the red-clothed table and hits the first in a long line of dominoes. One by one the small counters fall down, tapping balls into various pockets as they go. First a yellow, then a blue, then a red. Finally, the last domino gently hits an orange ball, causing it to roll down another positioned cue lying on the table. The orb then knocks a green ball into the center pocket. In less than 30 seconds the stunt comes to a close. The clip was uploaded by YouTube user honda4ridered. In another video the skilled billiards player shows viewers how to pocket four balls in a single shot with no dominoes in the mix. And for those wanting to replicate the stunt, there is a slow motion version to show the precise angles involved. Talk about a chain reaction! This is the moment a billiards player performs a complex trick shot by setting up a domino train to pot four balls . Don't blink: Video footage shows a white ball being rolled down a positioned cue - it then bounces off one side of the red-clothed table and hits the first in a long line of dominoes . Going, going, gone: One by one the small counters fall down, tapping balls into pockets as they go - first a yellow, then a blue, then a red . Clear table: Finally, the last domino gently hits an orange ball, causing it to roll down another positioned cue lying on the table. The orb then knocks a green ball into the center pocket. In less than 30 seconds the stunt comes to a close . | The clip was uploaded by YouTube user honda4ridered .
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The baby, known as Mary, had been born at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, pictured, but died six months later with traces of cocaine in her stomach . A six-month-old baby died with traces of cocaine in her stomach despite her drug-user parents being reported to social services five times. Small amounts of painkiller and anti-depressant drugs were also found in the infant, known as Mary, who died suddenly in 2013, after a lengthy stay in Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool. Now a review released today has called for a host of lessons to be learned after several agencies fell short in sharing information that could have highlighted the baby's vulnerability. According to a report, Mary's family, who lived in Liverpool, were well-known to social services and had been reported five times amid concerns of alcohol abuse, domestic violence and child neglect. A school had also raised concerns about the way other children in the family were being brought up. Mary was the youngest child in a family of four children born to a mother aged 30 and a father aged 33. At the time of her death, her siblings were one, eight and 10. Her parents came to the attention of social care unit Careline five times between 2008 and 2012. Mary's siblings' school had already raised concerns that the two eldest children were overweight, staying off school and left to look after their baby brother while their parents stayed in bed. Mary was born 12 weeks early at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in January 2013 and was diagnosed with a number of medical conditions, including a heart murmur. She was kept in hospital for three months during which time there were 'several consecutive days' in which she had no contact with her parents. After she was discharged from hospital and into her parents' care, a number of community nurse follow-up visits were scheduled. But the nurse was unable to get access to the family despite visiting them three times in one week. A fourth visit was successful but later appointments were not kept. A day before Mary died in July 2013, a health visitor went to the home but was stopped at the door. A post-mortem revealed the presence 'at very low levels' of cocaine, tramadol and mirtazapine (an anti-depressant) in her stomach. Police also found empty beer cans, drugs and a syringe on the premises and her mother admitted to the police that she used cocaine and cannabis in the home. Because of a lack of evidence, a coroner ruled the cause of Mary’s death was 'unascertained' as it was ruled the traces of drugs, which could have come from the environment or through resuscitation attempts, were not considered to have directly led to her death. A post-mortem revealed the presence of cocaine, pictured, at 'very low levels' as well as tramadol and mirtazapine, an anti depressant (file picture) The report said: 'Whilst agencies had some concerns about the older children, they generally worked to single rather than multi-agency agendas and processes. 'There was some evidence of good informal liaisons such as between the school and the education welfare officer, or the school and school nurse, but generally the level of inter-agency communication required to support a family with four children was not achieved. 'Child Mary was a vulnerable child and a discussion between health professionals may well have highlighted important information about [the mother’s] history of not engaging with health services in respect of her children and the shared information may have led to further action.' But Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board, which compiled the independent report, said it was impossible to tell if the death of baby Mary – not her real name – could have been avoided. Chairman Howard Cooper said: 'Predicting the likelihood of such an outcome for a vulnerable baby is difficult to achieve with any meaningful degree of accuracy. 'It cannot be inferred that child Mary’s death was preventable, but there are lessons to be learned for all the agencies involved with this family about multi-agency working.” Mr Cooper said a number of recommendations had been made in the wake of the infant's death to improve working relationships between agencies tasked with supporting vulnerable children and their families. The 10 findings made by the board included an assessment that the follow-up services by Mary’s hospital and community health services were “ineffective” for a vulnerable baby in the care of parents with a “very poor history of co-operation”. The panel also criticised the lack of a multi-agency system for monitoring missed medical appointments, resulting in “potentially significant” signs of neglect being missed. | Infant, known as Mary, was also found with two other drugs in her system .
She was discharged from hospital despite her parents being drug users .
The family from Liverpool were already well-known to local social services .
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Arsenal legend Paul Merson has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown and admitted he was wrong to criticise the England call up for Andros Townsend. The Tottenham winger came off the bench to score the equaliser with a stunning strike in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Italy in Turin. It was the perfect riposte after Merson said in his Sky Sports column: 'If Andros Townsend can get in (the England squad) then it opens it up for anybody.' Andros Townsend scores England's equaliser in their 1-1 friendly draw with Italy in Turin on Tuesday night . Townsend celebrates his strike with Tottenham Hotspur team-mates Ryan Mason (left) and Kyle Walker . In his column for skysports.com, Merson wrote: 'If Andros Townsend can get in then it opens it up for anybody. We are not picking players who are playing well for their clubs – he got taken off after 30 minutes the other week against United. 'The England manager is there watching the game and he still gets picked. Townsend and Kyle Walker were the worst two players on the pitch. 'How can you tell me that a manager goes and watches Man United against Tottenham, the winger gets taken off after 30 minutes, the winger from the other team absolutely rinses the full-back for England and Ashley Young doesn't get in the squad?' Townsend later tweeted to his 285,000 followers: 'Not bad for a player that should be 'nowhere near the squad' ay @PaulMerse?' And Merson insisted on Wednesday he was pleased to be proven wrong by the 23-year-old. Merson told Sky Sports: 'It's just a matter of opinion, and my opinion was that he got pulled off after half an hour at Manchester United in front of Roy Hodgson, so he shouldn't have been in the squad. 'But fair play to him, I only give my opinion, and sometimes I'm wrong, other times I'm right. 'When I'm wrong, I hold my hands up. I don't have a problem with doing that - I'll always be the first to admit when I'm wrong. 'It's not as though I was watching hoping he wouldn't score for England, I'm genuinely pleased for him and fair play to him – it was a great goal. 'But I don't feel as though I need to defend myself – it's my job to give my opinion – and I'm just glad people actually take notice of what I'm saying!' Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson (centre) criticised Townsend's call-up to the England squad last week . Harry Kane congratulates his Tottenham team-mate Townsend after the final whistle in Turin . Roy Hodgson was also impressed with Townsend after the Tottenham winger's fine goal after the break . | Paul Merson had questioned England selection of Andros Townsend .
Tottenham winger scored equaliser in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Italy .
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A lonely shepherd has been found dead alongside a scarecrow he had apparently had sex with after dressing it up in a long-haired wig and lipstick. The rotting remains of Jose Alberto, 58, were discovered after neighbours called their local council to report the smell coming from his house in the city of San Jose de Balcare in eastern Argentina. Rodolfo Moure, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said: 'I initially thought there were two bodies but then I realised one was a scarecrow wearing lipstick and a long-haired wig. Jose Alberto, 58, was found dead next to a scarecrow prosecutors believe he died while having sex with it . 'It was lying next to the deceased. 'There were no signs of violence and we are working on the assumption that the man died during sex with the scarecrow. 'Straw had been stuffed inside the old clothes that had been sewn together to make the scarecrow. 'We are now waiting the results of an autopsy.' | Body of Jose Alberto, 58, discovered at home in Argentina by neighbours .
They reported smell coming from his house in city of San Jose de Balcare .
Was found lying next to scarecrow wearing lipstick and long-haired wig .
Prosecutor working on assumption he died during sex with the scarecrow . | e65fb179b1319c251045caee4236667798291e38 | [
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(CNN)The latest outbreak of bird flu -- the worst in the U.S. since the 1980s -- is not a likely threat to humans, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But as with any potential threat to human health, they are preparing for the worst just in case. The CDC and the United States Department of Agriculture held a press conference Wednesday to talk about preparations. "The risk to humans is low, our food supply is safe," said Dr. John Clifford, the USDA's Chief Veterinary Officer. "We know how to address disease when we find it." Since mid-December, 16 states have seen bird flu turn up in commercial poultry, backyard chickens, and in flocks of wild and captive wild birds, according to the CDC. That number will likely grow as birds with the disease fly from one state to the next. On Monday, health leaders in Iowa said more than 5 million hens would have to be euthanized after bird flu was detected at a commercial laying facility there. In the United States, some 3.5 million birds had already been euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease, according to the USDA. Iowa has about 60 million laying hens, according to the Iowa Egg Council and is the top egg producer in the country. California and Minnesota, two of the country's top 10 egg producing states have also seen cases. The news is bad for the birds, but not for humans. The CDC considers the likelihood of bird to human transmission of the virus "low" according to Dr. Alicia Fry, a medical officer with the CDC national Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, Influenza Division, Epidemiology and Prevention Branch. "That said, human infections have occurred" with another strain of the virus, found in Africa and in Asia, so the CDC cannot rule out the possibility of human infection, Fry said. "We are cautiously optimistic" that it won't spread to humans, but "we are prepared for the possibility," she added. They are studying the current virus and creating candidate vaccines which could be used if one were ever needed. The USDA is also working on a potential vaccine for the birds. These are typical routine public health preparedness measures. The CDC said it is also monitoring at least 100 people who have worked with sick birds. None of the workers have gotten sick themselves. Most of the people who have become infected with the other strains of the virus in Asia and Africa have had direct or prolonged contact with infected birds. The virus does not spread through people eating chickens or eggs. Birds that are sick die quickly, according to Clifford. Incubation period is three to five days generally. With turkeys, they go off their water and their feed when they are sick and become lethargic or have a condition called "torticollis" or "stargazing" he said, and they die shortly after that. Farmers also see a drop in egg production. Commercial growers have taken extra precautions to disinfect vehicle tires and any equipment that comes into contact with the birds. Workers must also disinfect their shoes and hands when they go from building to building to reduce contamination. With popular backyard birds, the USDA suggests people try and protect their animals from coming into contact with wild water fowl that may carry the virus. The CDC said, as with any evolving public health situation, they will continue to provide updated information as it becomes available. The good news is the virus doesn't like warm weather or strong sunlight, according to the USDA. So the cases should go down over the summer, but they are going to monitor the situation knowing that it could come back in the Fall. | The CDC says "the risk to humans is low," but, as always, they are preparing for the worst case .
You can't get bird flu from eating poultry or eggs .
At least 100 people who worked with the sick birds are being monitored for any sign of sickness .
So far 3.5 million birds have been euthanized . | 7c97515b0e061ee4a09e7f4707852220b8f0bb1c | [
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Liverpool head to Arsenal on Saturday in the lunchtime Premier League kick-off, and we could be in for a goal-fest if the history of this fixture is anything to go by. Five hat-tricks have been scored in this match-up since the inception of the Premier League, one more than has been netted in Newcastle United vs Manchester United games. Whats more, their meeting in December at Anfield ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw after an injury-time equaliser from Martin Skrtel. Martin Skrtel scored an injury-time equaliser in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Anfield in December . Robbie Fowler scored the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history for Liverpool against Arsenal in 1994 . Thierry Henry scored a treble against Liverpool for Arsenal at Highbury back in 2004 . Fowler has scored two of the five hat-tricks that have been netted in Liverpool vs Arsenal fixures . This fixture's first hat-trick hero in the Premier League era was Robbie Fowler, who scored three times at Anfield in August 1994. His goals, with just four minutes and 35 seconds between the first and the third hitting the net, is in fact the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history. And it was Fowler again who scored a treble 16 months later. Just two days before Christmas in 1995, Fowler responded to Ian Wright's eight-minute penalty by scoring in the 40th, 59th and 78th minute to give the Reds victory at Anfield. Liverpool vs Arsenal has produced the most hat-tricks in a single fixture in Premier League history. Here is a list of those five trebles and who scored them... MATCH . Liverpool 3-0 Arsenal . Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal . Arsenal 4-2 Liverpool . Liverpool 4-1 Arsenal . Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal . TEAM . Liverpool . Liverpool . Arsenal . Liverpool . Arsenal . PLAYER . Robbie Fowler . Robbie Fowler . Thierry Henry . Peter Crouch . Andrey Arshavin . DATE . 28/08/1994 . 23/12/1995 . 09/04/2004 . 31/03/2007 . 21/04/2009 . Frenchman Henry scores his first by slotting the ball between the legs of Jerzey Dudek . Henry gestures to the Highbury crowd after scoring a hat-trick against Liverpool . Now Arsenal's first treble against Liverpool came from, you guessed it, Thierry Henry. The Frenchman, aided by a strike from fellow countryman Robert Pires, led the Gunners to a 4-2 victory at Highbury in April 2004. The fourth hat-trick of this fixture was scored by Peter Crouch in March 2007, when the big striker helped Liverpool to a 4-1 victory at Anfield. Peter Crouch points to sky in celebration of his hat-trick against Arsenal in March 2007 . The former England striker (right) rises highest to score the second goal of the match . Crouch (centre) is congratulated by Liverpool team-mates Jermaine Pennant (left) and Dirk Kuyt . Finally, the pick of the bunch is Andrey Arshavin's haul - because it was actually a quadruple! In a brilliant 4-4 draw at Anfield in April 2009, Arshavin scored all of Arsenal's goals and crowned one of the all-time great individual performances in Premier League history. Andrey Arshavin runs off pointing four fingers in the air after he scored all of Arsenal's goals in a 4-4 draw . The Russian smashes in his fourth goal during the 4-4 at Anfield in April 2009 . | Arsenal host Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday .
This fixture has produced most hat-tricks in Premier League history .
Five trebles have been netted during Liverpool against Arsenal matches .
Robbie Fowler (twice), Thierry Henry, Peter Crouch and Andrey Arshavin have all scored three or more times in a single fixture . | 45edfeadd1f1a465e40996dac36233ee0f7bbc4b | [
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A couple died in an apparent murder suicide after they got into a violent confrontation which turned deadly inside a home in Oklahoma. Preston Wright, 23, killed his girlfriend, Sarah Owen, 21, after he stabbed her several times with a knife then turned the weapon on himself at a house in Norman. Eyewitnesses said that Owen arrived at the house and was attempting to move her things out of a garage on 3417 Madra Street when the argument escalated. Scroll down for video . Tragic: Sarah Owen, 21, pictured, was attacked by her boyfriend Preston Wright, 23, with a knife, then turned the weapon on himself at a house in Norman, Oklahoma . House: Officers from Norman Police were met by a boy, thought to be Wright's brother, at a house on 3417 Madra Street, he told them his brother and his brother's girlfriend had been in a confrontation inside the home . Officers from Norman Police arrived on the scene where they were met by a boy who told them his brother and his brother's girlfriend had been in a confrontation, according to News 9. Once inside the residence, officers found a grisly scene at about 3:45 p.m. Sunday as the couple lay dead on the floor inside the house. According to the man's younger brother he was helping Owen move her belongings out of the garage -including furniture - into a van when an argument broke out. Eyewitness Eugene Rhoden, 49, lives across the street and told News 9 that he saw the woman, pull up to the house shortly after 3 p.m. in a van to get some of her belongings from her ex-boyfriend. 'She was wanting her stuff. She had items in the house or in the garage, and apparently she had broken up with the boyfriend.' However the couple began arguing on the porch for a while before she was allowed into the garage to remove some things. Rhoden said he heard the couple arguing again, and then he thought everything had died down as they both went inside. Death: Officers found a grisly scene at about 3:45 p.m. Sunday as Sarah Owen, pictured, and boyfriend Preston Wright lay dead on the floor . Eyewitness: Eugene Rhoden, 49, pictured, lives across the street and told News 9 that he saw the woman, pull up to the house shortly after 3 p.m. in a van to get some of her belongings from her ex-boyfriend . Norman police spokesman Captain Tom Easley said: 'The male had killed his girlfriend using a knife and then turned the weapon on himself' However, shortly afterwards, someone from inside the home dialed 911 and Rhoden saw the police make their way up the street with their guns drawn shouting 'police! Police found the couple dead with knife wounds and evidence indicates that the man attacked the woman with a knife and then turned the weapon on himself. Norman police spokesman Captain Tom Easley said: 'The male had killed his girlfriend using a knife and then turned the weapon on himself. 'It's tragic and a lot of people are going to be affected by this. Hugh Brown lives next door to the deceased couple with his grandchildren. He said: 'I'm just in awe of it all because they seemed like good neighbors.' | Preston Wright, 23, killed his girlfriend, Sarah Owen, 21, with a knife .
Wright then turned the weapon on himself inside the home in Norman .
Officers were met by a boy, thought to be Wright's brother, at the house .
He said Owen had been cleaning out the garage when she got into a fight with Wright .
Eyewitnesses first saw the couple arguing outside of the home .
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Lounging on a deckchair by the pool, soaking up the sun in a skimpy bikini, Rhiannon Langley is just like any other tourist on holiday in Thailand... except she's sporting two bruised eyes, swollen cheeks and a bandaged nose. The 24-year-old from Melbourne is recovering from Rhinoplasty, but rather than recuperating at home, she is at a five-star hotel, part of the $5,190 'Bangkok Nose Job' medical tourism package she is on. Rhiannon, a popular social media personality with almost 200,000 Instagram followers, told Daily Mail Australia that she has been enjoying her post-op holiday time, 'chilling out' by the pool, getting mani pedis, and going shopping. Scroll down for video . Living it up post-op: Rhiannon Langley, the blogger sharing her 'nose job journey' with her social media followers, is recovering from Rhinoplasty at a Bangkok hotel . Seeing results: The 24-year-old from Melbourne tells Daily Mail she 'already loves' her new nose . The hairdresser turned model raised eyebrows this week for her decision to go public with her 'nose job journey' in spectacular fashion, by sharing pictures and videos since her arrival in Thailand for the procedure on social media, which fans can follow along by using the hashtag #RhiannonGetsRhino. Miss Langley has been updating her Instagram feed daily, and sharing her progress in a series of Snapchat videos. 'I'm feeling so much better now, just excited to see the outcome!' Langley said. 'I already love it.' While many post-op patients retreat to their beds for weeks afterwards, Rhiannon has taken her recovering poolside. Poolside convalescing: Rhiannon says she has been 'chilling out by the pool', getting manicure and pedicures, shopping and eating out . 'I've been chilling out by the pool,' she said. '[I] got a manicure and pedicure yesterday, today we are shopping, and just eating out.' In videos uploaded to Snapchat, Rhiannon noted that she could already see a difference in the shape of her nose. Sporting a bloodshot eye and bruising, she said doctors had removed some of the stitches. 'I can finally see that my nose is in line for once and I don't have this droop,' she said. Langley spoke to Daily Mail Australia earlier this week just one day after her surgery, and revealed that the changes would be 'quite drastic'. Follow the journey: The hairdresser has over 190,000 Instagram followers and decided to share the experience with fans and 'own' her decision to have cosmetic surgery . Rhiannon said that she chose to go public as she was sick of seeing other well-known women hiding their nips and tucks from followers. 'I have quite a big following on social media and I don't want to lie about it,' she said. 'I think people are more accepting of the decision if you own it. 'I've seen so many other girls on social media get things done and then try and hide it. 'I have been a bit scared about getting negative feedback,' Rhiannon added,referring to the announcement she made the week before departing. Day one and two: Rhiannon has been posting progress selfies on social media . 'I've always wanted this since I was a lot younger, and I decided why not, if it makes me happy and improves my self esteem then I'm doing it!' she wrote at the time. 'Yes plastic surgery is a controversial thing to do but this is my life and it's something I've wanted to do for so long and especially before my wedding.' 'They've all been really positive and supportive though. Obviously you get a few weird comments, but it's been a lot better than I expected.' Before: The 24-year-old as she appeared pre-surgery in one of her Instagram posts . Miss Langley wanted to share her experience with her followers, having found no one in her friendship circle to turn to for guidance on what the surgery and recovery would be like. 'None of my friends have had nose jobs, so I was searching on the Internet and couldn't find anything useful,' she said. 'So I decided to post about my experience, post photos, share how I feel, how I look, and what I've gone through.' A little off here, and here: Rhiannon revealed to Daily Mail Australia that her makeover will not be a subtle one, with changes being made to the shape and length of her nose . Holiday with a side of hospital: Rhiannon's $5,190 'Bangkok Nose Job' package included a stay in a Phuket beach hotel . Bedside view: Langley has been updating her followers with hospital snaps and post-op video messages . Rhiannon says her motivation to take her surgery overseas was financially motivated. 'The price difference [between Australia and Thailand] is huge,' she told DMA. 'I'm getting married in a year, so I couldn't afford to have the surgery in Australia.' Her trip to Thailand is a $5,190 'Bangkok Nose Job' package with CosMediTour. The Medical Tourism Agency has confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that while they have assisted the social media influencer with finding accommodation, Langley paid the full rate for her surgery package. The packages include four to five star accommodation and meals, as well as the full cost of hospitalisation and surgery. 'I'm owning my decision': Rhiannon says that she decided to be honest rather than hiding it from her followers . Nuptials: Langley says her Thailand medical tourism package holiday was financially motivated, as she cannot afford surgery in Australia with her upcoming wedding to fiancé Jody (pictured) to pay for . Dream: The hair dresser has wanted the nose correction since she was a teenager . 'Rhiannon had been considering Rhinoplasty for a long time and she approached CosMediTour after being referred from a friend who previously had surgery through CosMediTour. We are very happy to have her as a client,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'Rhiannon has a loyal Instagram following and she wanted to Blog about her Rhinoplasty experience as it was something that she didn't want to hide. 'We use fully accredited hospitals with internationally trained and highly skilled Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and have CosMediTour personnel in all destinations. We create four and five star packages which include surgery, accommodation, transfers, meals and don't charge any additional agency fee for our services.' | Rhiannon Langley, from Melbourne, underwent Rhinoplasty in Bangkok .
The 24-year-old has 191,000 followers on Instagram alone .
Fans are following her cosmetic surgery 'journey' on social media .
Langley created the hashtag #RhiannonGetsRhino that fans can follow .
Travelled to Thailand as part of a $5,190 Medical Tourism package . | bc5036042db79bd751eb2b4f3ce90b099ee78760 | [
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This is the man who allegedly opened fire in the campus library of a North Carolina college on Monday morning, leaving one person dead. Kenneth Stancil, 20, is a former student who did not graduate from Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, where he is accused of shooting dead a man who working in the school's print shop. According to police, Stancil walked into the building at 8am carrying a long-barreled gun, went up to the third floor, and fired one shot, which killed long-time employee Ron Lane. It is not known whether Stancil and Lane are connected or related. Scroll Down for Video . Manhunt: Police believe the shooter was Kenneth Stancil, a former student who did not graduate from Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He allegedly entered the building at 8am and fired one shot . Killed: The single bullet fired on Monday morning killed Rodney Lane (pictured left and right) who was a long-time employee at the Wayne Community College print shop. It is not known if he was connected to Stancil . Issuing a warrant for his arrest, authorities described Stancil as white, approximately 5'11", with a goatee, and a tattoo over his left eye. SWAT teams raced to Wayne Community College in Goldsboro just before 9am on Monday after frantic 911 calls of a gunman who had opened fire. Goldsboro City Manager Scott Stevens, told CNN that one person was fatally shot and that the suspect was still at large and an 'active shooter' situation existed. 'There have been shots fired on the campus of Wayne Community College,' said Kim Best, spokeswoman for the city of Goldsboro. 'There has been one fatality, and there is one shooter.' Police identified the victim as Rod Lane who worked in the college print shop. Take over: A military style SWAT vehicle from the Johnston County Sheriff's Office arrived at the college . Response: Goldsboro Sheriff's Department rushed to Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina after a shooting inside the campus library just before 9am on Monday . Relief: SWAT teams were clearing the campus building by building and students were congregating in the college parking lot on Monday morning . Clearing buildings: A line of about 20 to 30 students were escorted out of the campus with their hands up . Leaving: As the morning progressed students were escorted off the college campus by police . Evacuation: Students on the campus were led to safety after SWAT teams arrived just after the shooting . Early morning: Police from around Wayne County descended on the community college after 911 calls were made reporting a shooting inside the campus library . Warning: The college website advised all students to shelter as there was an active shooter on campus . At a press conference late on Monday morning, WCC president Kay Albertson said: 'Our hearts are heavy, but it could have been a lot worse.' Goldsboro Police confirmed that one person had been shot in the 'vicinity' of the campus library. Stancil was reported to be wearing a blue jacket with light colored pants. Authorities have urged the public not to approach him as he is considered extremely dangerous. They have asked anyone who believes they have seen him to phone 911 immediately. According to WRAL, a student government representative said the shooting took place on the third floor of the Wayne Learning Center, which houses the library, cafeteria and student lounge. Fire Marshall Brian Taylor told NBC News that multiple members of local law enforcement descended on the scene and a massive manhunt was underway for the suspected shooter. According to MSNBC, the lockdown was lifted as of about 10.30am ET. Daniel Wiggins, assistant operations manager for Wayne County, North Carolina, told CNN that just before 9am the college website confirmed the school was on lockdown with a message reading, 'This is not a drill. The entire campus is on lockdown.' Appeal for calm: Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was on lockdown after one person was shot in the library, said Daniel Wiggins, assistant operations manager for Wayne County . Rapid response: Shortly after 9am the The GPD crime lab arrived at the community college . Swat teams hurried to arrive on the scene and according to the local Goldsboro News Argus the entire campus was evacuated building by building. Speaking to THV11.com Tara Humphries, of Wayne Community College claimed that police have one suspect 'under control.' However, that has not been confirmed by law enforcement sources. School officials said there was no hostage situation, but did say that some students and teachers 'are still trapped inside and trying to get out.' College President Kay Albertson said staff and students had been evacuated and 'we've been told to pull back.' According to Wayne County Schools spokesman Ken Derksen, the Tommy's Road Elementary School was also on lockdown because it is one mile from the community college. The college is one hour away from Raleigh and has 3,900 students currently enrolled. | Shooter identified as Kenneth Stancil who was once a student at college .
He 'carried a long gun' and 'fired one shot' that killed worker Rodney Lane .
Wayne Community College in Goldsboro was on lockdown just before 9am .
College campus was systematically evacuated as SWAT teams arrived .
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The stars were out in full force on Sunday evening ahead of the 42nd PFA Awards at the Grosvenor House in London. Dressed to the nines alongside girlfriend Kate Gooders, Tottenham striker Harry Kane appeared excited ahead of the ceremony in which he is nominated for two separate awards, the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Kane, the Premier League's second highest goalscorer this season with 20 goals, looked smart in his dinner suit and gold watch as he posted a picture to his personal Twitter page. Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year nominee Harry Kane arrives with partner Kate Gooders . Frank Lampard and fiancee Christine Bleakley arrive at Grosvenor House on Sunday evening . Tottenham striker Kane (left) and Manchester City midfielder Lampard arrive at the venue with their partners . Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and team-mates Philippe Coutinho and Kolo Toure turned up together . He wrote: 'All set for the big night, big thanks to @paulsmithdesign for the suit! #PFA'. The PFA took to social media to announce the arrivals of the plethora of Premier League names there to witness the announcement of this season's highest rated player voted by the players. Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, who is also nominated for both awards, entered the building accompanied by Reds team-mates Steven Gerrard and Kolo Toure. The 22-year-old has four goals and four assists from 27 starts for Brendan Rodgers' team this term and will be hoping his recent form will be enough to have convinced his peers that he is worthy of either accolade. Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard, who will bow out of the Premier League this summer to ply his trade in the MLS with New York City FC, was among the first to arrive with his fiancee Christine Bleakley. Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea appeared in a sombre mood as he arrived at the bash in Mayfair . De Gea (centre) was joined by Manchester United team-mates Ashley Young (left) and Wayne Rooney (right) Football League Young Player of the Year Dele Alli (left) and Frank Lampard Snr. made up an all-star cast . Comedian Jason Manford (left) meets the PFA's Director of Finance Darren Wilson ahead of the gala . Chief executive of the English footballers' trades union Gordon Taylor (centre) speaks with Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen . Eden Hazard - Chelsea . Diego Costa - Chelsea . Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur . Alexis Sanchez - Arsenal . David de Gea - Manchester United . Philippe Coutinho - Liverpool . Fresh off the back of a 3-0 defeat by Everton, Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea appeared pensive as he passed the photographers outside the main hall. De Gea was joined by fellow Manchester United players Ashley Young and captain Wayne Rooney as they put their loss behind them to smile for the waiting cameras. Completing the all-star footballer cast were MK Dons midfielder and Football League Young Player of the Year Dele Alli and Frank Lampard Snr., who was around to see son Frank pick up the PFA Merit award. Also in attendance was comedian and avid Manchester City fan Jason Manford, who posed for a photograph with PFA Director of Finance Darren Wilson. Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the English footballers' trades union, took time out to share a few words with Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen before heading into the main hall. Making up part of the entertainment line up were British indie rock band The Charlatans, who boast famous football fans such as former Manchester United defender Gary Neville. British indie rock band The Charlatans made up part of the entertainment line up . A general view of the room before the ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair . Eden Hazard fires past Manchester United keeper David de Gea during Chelsea's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge . Eden Hazard is hot favourite to be crowned PFA Player of the Year and the Chelsea star can count on the support of Arsenal's Danny Welbeck and Mikel Arteta. Hazard is heavily odds-on with the bookmakers after leading Chelsea’s charge for a first title in five years and scoring 18 goals in all competitions with Welbeck effusive in his praise for the Belgian star. 'I voted for Eden Hazard,' Welbeck told the official Arsenal match programme. 'I just love watching the way he plays, the way he influences games. He's always a dangerous player at any time of the game, anywhere on the pitch. 'He can make that difference and since he has come to the Premier League he has got better every year. He keeps getting better, and this season he's been top class. I had to vote for him.' Hazard, who was named in the PFA Premier League team of the year, was also voted the best player in the league by Welbeck's Arsenal team-mate Mikel Arteta. Arteta said: 'Eden Hazard is an important player for Chelsea, and this season he has been the difference in most games for them. His consistency has been unbelievable and that's why I voted for him as the PFA Player of the Season – I'm obviously not allowed to vote for a team-mate.' Hazard will contest the PFA Player of the Year gong with Chelsea team-mate Diego Costa, Harry Kane, Alexis Sanchez, David de Gea and Philippe Coutinho. Hazard is hot favourite to be crowned PFA Player of the Year at London's Grosvenor Hotel on Sunday . | The PFA Awards ceremony is being held in London on Sunday evening .
The famous faces turned out to attend the gala at the Grosvenor House .
Harry Kane, nominated for two awards, appeared excited beforehand .
Fellow Young Player of the Year nominee Philippe Coutinho arrived with Liverpool team-mates Steven Gerrard and Kolo Toure .
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea looked pensive following Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Everton .
Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard was also in attendance .
Eden Hazard is hot favourite to land the PFA Player of the Year award .
Hazard's Chelsea team-mate Diego Costa is also shortlisted for the gong .
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A hotelier claims to be living in fear after her windows were smashed and she received intimidating phone calls after appearing on Channel 4's 'Four in a Bed' criticising other hotels in the area. Jennifer McGirr, 61, said the abuse started when the windows to the Tower View Hotel, which she owns, were shattered after a man threw a brick at them in a 'premeditated' attack. She also claims to have had a stream of intimidating phone calls since starring on the reality TV show, where B&B owners visit each others properties and rate their stay. Hotelier Jennifer McGirr claims to be living in fear after her windows were smashed and she received intimidating phone calls after appearing on Channel 4's 'Four in a Bed' During the programme, Ms McGirr described other hotels in Blackpool, Lancashire, as 'grim', in response to another couple's claims that there were cheaper places to stay in the area. She said: 'It's come totally out of the blue. It's been very frightening really. 'Where does all this hatred come from?' On hotel CCTV footage of the incident, a man can be seen walking up to the hotel with a brick in his hand before spending several minutes outside, apparently checking he is not being watched. He can be seen putting the brick down while he sits on a nearby wall for a while, letting a car go past, before he picks it up again and hurls it at the hotel. She then received an abusive phone call later in the day, while police were at the hotel investigating the damage. She said she also answered the phone in the middle of the night and could hear only the sound of someone breathing. During the programme, Ms McGirr described other hotels in Blackpool, Lancashire, as 'grim', in response to another couple's claims that there were cheaper places to stay in the area. Her windows were smashed the next day . She said: 'When I got this first phone call he just came out with this tirade of nastiness about the hotel.' 'He said it was a disgusting, horrible hotel and he wouldn't stay there if I paid him. 'I don't know this guy - it's not anyone who has stayed here. I passed the phone to one of the policemen and when he said hello the man hung up.' Ms McGirr, who has owned the hotel for two-and-a-half years, featured in five episodes of the Channel 4 show last week. On hotel CCTV footage of the incident, a man can be seen walking up to the hotel with a brick in his hand before spending several minutes outside, apparently checking he is not being watched . During one of the episodes she responded to criticism of her hotel from a couple who said there were cheaper options for a budget stay in Blackpool by saying: 'You try staying in them - they are grim.' Her windows were smashed the following day. She added: 'There was pure intent. He meant to do it. 'He just hung around waiting until he was sure the coast was clear. 'It's going to cost me a great deal of money.' A Lancashire Police spokesman said the force was investigating. He said: 'We received a report of a brick being thrown through the window of the guest house at 12.30am on Friday. Inquiries are ongoing and no arrests have been made.' | Jennifer McGirr, 61, said windows to Tower View Hotel in Blackpool were smashed and she received intimidating phone calls .
Believes it was due to remarks she made on Channel 4's 'Four in a Bed'
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Daley Blind has hailed a pre-match team talk from skipper Wayne Rooney about ending their run of four successive losses against City with giving the United players an extra edge on Sunday. 'It was a thing what was always in our minds. It was going through the team. Everyone knew how important this game was, not only because it's a rat race in the last games, but also because of the history of the last four games,' he said. 'Wayne Rooney mentioned that in the dressing room before the game to all the players and it is something that you have in mind when you go on to the pitch. You saw how everyone was fighting for each other. Daley Blind played his part in Manchester United's 4-2 derby win over City on Sunday . Wayne Rooney's team talk inspired United to end a run of four defeats by their local rivals . 'Maybe after the first five minutes we were a bit like, 'What is happening here?' but after that we picked it up again and we did very well. And with the crowd behind us, it was amazing.' The Holland international also warned that Manchester United need to focus on the end of this season rather than thinking about challenging for the title next year. The 25-year-old Dutchman, who has played a significant role in United's run of six consecutive wins, accepted rivals would have taken note of the 4-2 derby win. He insisted, however, that although United could win the title next year, they had to focus on securing a Champions League place - starting against Chelsea on Saturday. City captain Vincent Kompany was fortunate not to be sent off for a reckless challenge on Blind . Blind and Ashley Young celebrate after coming back from behind against their 'noisy neighbours' Blind said: 'I think Manchester United is always a club that is fighting for the title. 'Of course other teams are watching us, but we have to watch ourselves this season, our own games, focus on that and then we will see where it ends . 'We don't have to watch for Chelsea. We have to watch for our own games, we have to look at ourselves. Every game is a final to the end and we have to believe in ourselves.' Blind has urged Manchester United to focus on their next Premier League match against Chelsea . | Manchester United have won six consecutive Premier League games .
Daley Blind wants Red Devils to focus on run-in starting with Chelsea .
Holland international credited Wayne Rooney for inspiring derby win .
Gary Neville: Man United can beat anyone at the moment . | 955f7afd043a6fcb0d8ab5ddd36cd16f144c54e6 | [
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Customers at a Rio de Janeiro snack bar were unwittingly eating pastries made from the meat of stray dogs, police said today. Officers investigating the popular fast food house reportedly found boxes containing the frozen carcasses of dozens of dogs. The canines, which appeared to have been killed with blows to the head, were used for the fillings of 'pastels', a traditional Brazilian stuffed pastry which is deep-fried and normally made with ground beef. Officers investigating the Rio de Janeiro snack bar reportedly found boxes containing the frozen carcasses of dozens of dogs (pictured) According to police, owner Chinese Van Ruilonc admitted to making the snacks from dog meat, adding that the animals were strays he had rounded up from streets in the city, which will host next year's Olympic Games. Ruilonc, 32, is reportedly one of a group of Chinese businessmen who own dozens of pastry houses in Rio de Janeiro, including at least one in the beachside tourist district of Copacabana. The discovery at the eatery in Rio's northern district of Parada de Lucas was made after officers arrived to investigate claims trafficked Chinese workers were forced to live and work in slave-like conditions. The canines, which appeared to have been killed with blows to the head, were used as meat at the fast food bar owned by Van Ruilonc . Police found a cage in the back of the establishment where workers were incarcerated, and made to work 18 hours a day without pay. Public prosecutor Guadalupe Louro Couto said officers were shocked at what they found. He said: 'I've seen lots of bad things, but what I saw in that pastry house was worse than everything. To start with, there was a cell, like a jail, with bars and padlock, set up inside the snack bar, where the worker was imprisoned. 'Apart from this, he lived with the stench of dead dogs, which were kept in the same room. I couldn't stand it. I started to feel ill and asked to leave. 'When we started to open the polystyrene boxes, we saw the frozen dogs. 'We were perplexed. There were various crimes being committed there.' Dog meat was used for the fillings of 'pastels', a traditional Brazilian stuffed pastry which is deep-fried and normally made with ground beef (stock picture) | WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT .
Police in Brazil found frozen carcasses of dozens of dogs at the restaurant .
Chinese owner Van Ruilonc admitted making pasties out of stray canines .
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(CNN)In a sobering example of life imitating art, the chaos sweeping the streets of Baltimore may have been partly inspired by a series of action-horror movies. Baltimore police said rioting at a shopping mall and elsewhere Monday afternoon started amid rumors, spread on social media, of a "purge" led by large groups of marauding high school students. The term appears to be a reference to 2013's "The Purge" and its sequel, last year's "The Purge: Anarchy," about a dystopian future America where on one day each year, all laws are suspended for a 12-hour period and all crimes, including murder, become temporarily legal. In the movies, set in Los Angeles, people barricade themselves in their homes at night while gangs of violent "purgers" roam the streets. The government markets the sanctioned mayhem as a catharsis that reduces crime on the other 364 days of the year -- when in fact it's really a means of population control, mostly against people living in poor urban neighborhoods. Both "Purge" movies were box-office hits and a third installment, "The Purge: Vengeance," is planned for 2016. The Baltimore Sun reported that a flier circulated widely among city school students via social media touted a "purge" to begin Monday at 3 p.m. at Mondawmin Mall and end downtown. The flier included an image of protesters smashing the windshield of a police car in Baltimore on Saturday, the Sun said. How Baltimore police, protesters battle on Twitter . Maryland's largest city has been on edge since an African-American man, Freddie Gray, died April 19 from a spinal cord injury he suffered while in police custody. Peaceful protests gave way to violence Saturday night and again Monday, as agitators threw bricks at police, looted stores and set fire to cars and buildings. Scattered references to #purge and #ThePurge began appearing in Twitter and Instagram posts Monday about the unrest in Baltimore. | Some of Baltimore's unrest may have been inspired by the "Purge" movies .
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The dawn of a new era of space travel may be upon us after Amazon's Jeff Bezos successfully tested a vehicle that will take tourists into space. Mr Bezos' firm, called the Blue Origin company, has long spoken of its desire to take paying astronauts into the cosmos. And now it has performed the first successful test of the vehicle they hope will make that dream a reality. Scroll down for video . Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company has completed a successful spaceflight test in West Texas (shown). The New Shepard vehicle rose to a height of 58 miles (94km) - four miles short of space - before landing. It was unmanned, but will ultimately take six people into space . The test took place from the company’s launch site in West Texas. Called New Shepard, the vehicle consists of a main booster rocket and a six-seater capsule on top, standing 60ft (18 metres) tall. The New Shepard system will take astronauts to space on suborbital journeys. It includes a Crew Capsule carrying six astronauts atop a separate rocket-powered Propulsion Module, launched from the firm's West Texas Launch Site. Following liftoff, the combined vehicles accelerate for approximately two and a half minutes. The Propulsion Module then shuts off its rocket engines and separates from the Crew Capsule. The Propulsion Module will finish its flight, descend to Earth, and autonomously perform a rocket-powered vertical landing. The Crew Capsule will go on to coast to the edge of space, providing astronauts with a view to the curvature of the Earth and the beauty of our planet. After descent and re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, the Crew Capsule will land under parachutes no more than a few miles from the launch site. In addition, the New Shepard vehicle will provide opportunities for researchers to fly experiments into space and a microgravity environment. For this, the first test flight of the entire architecture, it was unmanned - but the company hopes to soon start taking customers into space. The cost of a ticket has not yet been announced, but estimates suggest it will be around £130,000 $200,000 - similar to a flight on Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. The difference, however, is that while Galactic relies on using a plane to slowly rise into the atmosphere, New Shepard takes off straight up and lands back on the ground. This is known as vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL). And Blue Origin is also much more secretive - with this successful test flight taking many by surprise. In video released by Blue Origin, the booster - using liquid hydrogen and oxygen - lifts the New Shepard vehicle to an altitude of 58 miles (94km). This is four miles (six kilometres) short of the official boundary of space - the Karman Line - although there does not seem to be any problems with reaching this boundary in future. Once it reached its peak altitude, accelerating at 3Gs, the booster separated from the capsule. ‘The in-space separation of the crew capsule from the propulsion module was perfect,’ Mr Bezso said in a blog post. ‘Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return.’ The flight came as somewhat of a surprise because the company didn't make any announcements in the build up that it would be launching a rocket - unlike its rivals Virgin Galactic and SpaceX who are very open about the tests they will be performing . At peak altitude, 307,000ft (58 miles, 94km) up, the main booster separated from the capsule. On the left, the booster can be seen falling away, while on the right a distant view of the separation is seen. The booster failed to land successfully but the capsule landed without a hitch . Ultimately, the flights will enable six people to go to space. While in space, huge windows will give the customers a stunning view of Earth (artist's impression shown), and they'll also have several minutes of weightlessness, before the capsule falls to Earth and lands using parachutes . Here the capsule is seen returning to Earth on this test flight with its three parachutes. ‘Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return,' Amazon's Jeff Bezos said in a blog post announcing the successful flight . The booster is designed to be able to land on the ground and be reusable, much like rival SpaceX’s own reusable rocket system. On this occasion, however, the booster lost pressure in its hydraulic system and was not recovered. Mr Bezos said the firm was already working on an improved system to make sure the error doesn’t happen again. ‘Assembly of propulsion module serial numbers 2 and 3 is already underway - we’ll be ready to fly again soon,’ he said. In a video a small crowd was seen watching the successful flight from the company's launch site in West Texas - but for the most part the launch was kept a secret . Jeff Bezos (pictured) is better known as the CEO and founder of Amazon, with a fortune of £22.5 billion ($34.7 billion). He founded his Blue Origin company in 2000 . Elon Musk, the PayPal co-founder and electric car maker, is competing against Bezos to develop a re-usable rocket . An isolated edge of vast West Texas is home to a highly secretive part of the 21st-century space race, one of two being directed in the Lone Star State by internet billionaires whose personalities and corporate strategies seem worlds apart. The presence of Blue Origin, LLC, the brainchild of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, barely registers in nearby Van Horn, a way station along Interstate 10, a full decade after he began buying land in one of Texas' largest and most remote counties. At the opposite end — of Texas and the competition — is the highly visible SpaceX venture, led by PayPal co-founder and electric car maker Elon Musk. His company contracts with NASA to resupply the International Space Station and is building a launch site about 600 miles from Van Horn, on the southernmost Texas Gulf coast, with the much-publicized goal of sending humans to Mars. SpaceX and Blue Origin are among several U.S. companies engaged in the private space business. Both men have seemingly unlimited resources — Bezos' wealth is estimated at nearly $35 billion, Musk's at $12 billion — and lofty aspirations: launching a new era of commercial space operations, in part by cutting costs through reusable rockets. Earlier this year a dispute over a design of a floating landing platform - which would be used to launch and land rockets in the middle of the ocean - was dragged through the courts. But a judge said the confrontation would be allowed to continue. In part they are racing to be the first to manufacture and successfully operate reusable rockets - making space flight cheaper. According to The Washington Post, SpaceX has been working on the technology for years, and in January attempted the unprecedented landing the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a floating barge it calls an autonomous spaceport droneship. However the barge and the rocket exploded. SpaceX founder and Musk, center, and Texas Governor Rick Perry turn the first shovel-full of sand at the groundbreaking ceremony for the SpaceX launch pad at Boca Chica Beach, Texas, in September 2014 . Combined, the booster and capsule stand 60ft (18 metres) tall, with a feather painted onto the side . This is the walkway astronauts will ultimately use when the company stars its manned flights . In this first test flight, the New Shepard vehicle rose to an altitude of 58 miles (94km). This is four miles (six kilometres) short of the official boundary of space - the Karman Line - although there does not seem to be any problems with reaching this boundary in future . The flight of the capsule, however, passed without a hitch and it successfully landed on the ground with the help of three parachutes. The company is keen on VTVL because it is ‘scalable to a very large size,’ according to Mr Bezos. And he noted that the company was already working on a larger vehicle, New Shepard’s ‘Very Big Brother’, which is apparently many times New Shepard’s size with five times as much thrust. The company has not yet revealed when it’s next flight will be, or when manned flights will begin. 'We won’t be publishing a calendar for our test flight programme. And, nothing further to contribute regarding pricing,' a spokesperson from Blue Origin told MailOnline. But following this successful flight, many will be expecting the company to go from strength to strength. | His Blue Origin company completed a successful test in West Texas .
The New Shepard vehicle rose to a height of 58 miles before landing .
It was unmanned but will ultimately take six people into space .
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Alan Pardew has warned Crystal Palace's Barclays Premier League admirers that if they want to sign Yannick Bolasie this summer then the bidding will have to start at £20million. It has been suggested that a £10m bid could tempt Palace into selling the winger, who has excelled since Pardew arrived in January and launched the club up the table. But the Palace manager is adamant that the club's leading assets do not want to leave – and any players that do go will not be sold cheaply. That applies particularly to Bolasie, who scored a hat-trick in the demolition of Sunderland last week. Yannick Bolasie (centre) of Crystal Palace celebrates scoring against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light . Alan Pardew says Bolasie bidding will have to start at £20m for his star to leave Selhurst Park . Responding to a question about Joel Ward's contract extension, Pardew said: 'It was good news for us this week (with Ward). We wanted to send a statement that our players will be very, very difficult to take away. 'One, because they enjoy their football and two because we are going forward. Brede Hangeland said to me when he was at Fulham that he sensed that no one wanted to leave. (There was a report of a) £10m price on Bolasie. Blimey. 'It needs to be more than double that to get near him. We are in a great financial position. I am not getting carried away with where we are but we are doing very well in the Premier League.' That form includes four straight wins ahead of Tony Pulis's return to Selhurst Park on Saturday. Pardew believes Pulis should get a good reception at the club which he transformed last season before leaving days before this campaign started. Bolasie scored a hat-trick in Crystal Palace's demolition of Sunderland last week away from home . Pardew is demanding more than £20m for Bolasie to be taken away from Crystal Palace during the summer . But Pardew also indicated that his own job in lifting Palace this season had spared Pulis a potentially rocky return. He said: 'Tony achieved fantastic results here last season. For sure I wouldn't be here and a lot of these players wouldn't be here if he hadn't done that, so we are thankful to him. 'He should also be thankful that we are in the position we are in, and that the players and myself have got the team where it is, because the reception could have been very different if we were in the relegations zone and leaving so shortly before the season started. I think that is good for him and he deserves that. Hopefully tomorrow he gets the reception that he warrants.' Pardew has targeted a top-10 finish, saying: 'Top 10 is a realistic aim and then we want to build on that. The chairman has done a fantastic job. I will be banging his door down in the summer for some big signings.' Bolasie scores against Sunderland as he helped Crystal Palace beat the struggling Premier League side . | Yannick Bolasie scored a hat-trick against Sunderland last week .
The Crystal Palace star is the wishlist of clubs for during the summer .
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It's well known that exercise can make your muscles bigger. Now, a study has found it may make your brain larger, too. Physical activity can increase grey matter in the brain, increasing the size of areas that contribute to balance and coordination, according to Health Day news. The changes in the brain may have health implications in the long-term, such as reducing the risk of falling, said the study's author, Dr Urho Kujala, of the University of Jyvaskyla. Scroll down for video . Exercise can increase the size of areas of the brain that contribute to balance and coordination, a study found . It could also reduce the risk of being immobile in older age, he added. Dr Kujala said physical activity has already been linked to a number of health benefits, such as lower levels of body fat, reduced heart disease risk factors, better memory and thinking, and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. But he and his team wanted to understand how exercise affects the brain. They recruited 10 pairs of identical twins, who were all men aged 32 to 36 years. Focusing on twins, who have the same DNA, would allow researchers to see how their environment affects their bodies. In each pair of twins, one brother had exercised more over the past three years than the other, though they reported they carried out similar levels of exercise earlier in their lives. Dr Kujala said: 'On average, the more active members of twin pairs were jogging three hours more per week compared to their inactive co-twins.' The twins had MRI scans of their brains so researchers could see whether physical activity had any impact on the size of their brains, and specific regions. Exercise didn't seem to affect the size of the brain as a whole, Dr Kujala said. But there was a connection between more activity and more brain volume in areas related to movement, he added. Previous research found exercise is linked to lower levels of body fat, a reduced risk of heart disease, better memory and thinking, and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes . The twins who exercised more did a better job of controlling their blood sugar, which reduces the risk of diabetes, a finding which is already well-known. The study was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. It comes after US researchers found regular exercise can also make you smarter. University of South Carolina experts found regular treadmill sessions create more mitochondria - structures in the cells that produce the body's energy - in the brain. This energy boost helped the brain to work faster and more efficiently, effectively keeping it younger, researchers said. In the short term this could reduce mental fatigue and sharpen your thinking in between gym sessions. And building up a large reservoir of mitochondria in the brain could also create a 'buffer' against age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer's. | Study: Exercising increases the amount of grey matter in the brain .
It makes areas of the brain that control balance and co-ordination bigger .
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The nation's first ever set of all-girl quintuplets is 'doing fabulous', according to their mother. Danielle Busby looked tired but ecstatic as she appeared on Today for an interview just a week after giving birth. Olivia Marie, Ava Lane, Hazel Grace, Parker Kate and Riley Paige are all still in an incubator at Houston's Woman's Hospital of Texas. But they're getting stronger every day. 'They're doing fabulous. They're so precious and they're doing really, really well,' Danielle said as she beamed holding her husband Adam's hand. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Ecstatic: Danielle and Adam Busby said they are still in shock but delighted a week after the birth . 'It was an emotional downpour': Danielle described holding the first of her five all-girl babies . A journey ahead: Adam admitted it was 'overwhelming' changing the babies 'because they're so tiny' Half a dozen girls: Along with their older daughter, Blayke (pictured), they now have six girls . Delivered in only four minutes via c-section, it is the first time the globe has seen all-girl quintuplets since 1969. As the girls are still building strength, she has only managed to hold two of them so far. But the experience was phenomenal. 'It was an emotional downpour,' she said. 'But that feeling when you finally get to hold your baby, there's no better feeling than that.' Adam admitted the logistics of parenting the five infants, as well as their older daughter Blayke, are still a mystery. 'I'm still getting used to changing them in an incu,' he explained. 'It's pretty overwhelming just because they're so tiny.' Alongside them sat their doctors, who revealed the girls are gearing up for their first breastmilk feeding, which will be a major milestone. And as for the mother, she's feeling fine. 'Surprisingly I feel pretty good!' she laughed. 'It's a bit of a shock!' Speaking shortly after the birth last week, Danielle told KHOU. 'We are so thankful and blessed. And I honestly give all the credit to my God. 'I am so thankful for this wonderful hospital and team of people here, they truly all are amazing.' Dr Alexander Reiter, who delivered the babies at 28 weeks and two days, said the prognosis is good. 'Danielle is a trooper, and her positive attitude definitely shined through the pregnancy and the delivery,' said Dr Reiter to KHOU. Pride: Danielle and Adam Busby with one of their five new little girls at Houston's Woman's Hospital of Texas after Danielle delivered her quintuplets by C-section on April 7 . Welcome to the world: Babies Riley Paige and Parker Kate (right) in their NICU incubators at Houston's Woman's Hospital of Texas . Little bit: Hazel Grace is the smallest of the five little girl's born and was squished by her sisters inside her mother's womb during the 28-week pregnancy . Sisters: Ava Lane (left) and Olivia Marie (right) sleeping peacefully after being delivered by C-section on April 7 . Mom and dad: Adam and Danielle tend to one of their new daughters. All five girls are doing well and only need minimal amounts of assistance breathing after being born at 7 months last week . Dr Reiter told KHOU that he delivered the baby girls with a team of a dozen other medical personnel including seven board-certified neonatologists. So far the quints are doing well and are getting only 'modest support' to breathe. 'They were all in the appropriate weight range for their gestational age, which is due to their mother's excellent efforts to have the healthiest pregnancy possible,' said Dr Finkowski-Rivera to KHOU. 'They have made a strong start in life, and we are excited to watch them grow and mature.' Born via IVF, the Busbys believe that their new quintuplets and three-year-old daughter Blayke are their miracles. Expanding family: Adam and Danielle already have a three-year-old daughter, Blayke (pictured) who they welcomed into the world via IVF therapy after thinking they might not be able to have children . 'Never would we have imagined the plan that God had for us in our journey to grow our little family.' Speaking in a video posted to their blog on Sunday, the new parents said they were 'overwhelmed and extremely busy' after their daughters' births. 'Riley Paige is the feisty one, always kicking around, always punching around and she is pretty much typically that way,' said Danielle. 'Parker, who was on my upper side on my right side, is just so relaxed. She is content and calm. 'Hazel, is the little bit. She was squished the whole time, so she loves to just keep her arms by her face, just so cute. She has a full head of blonde hair. 'The twins, Olivia Marie, Ava Lane are getting a little fesity and have a wild streak.' 'They are all doing pretty well.' Ready to pop: Danielle gave birth two days after the picture (left) and (right) is prepping for her pre-arranged C-section with her husband Adam . Meet your new sister: Blayke is introduced to one of her five new sisters by mother Danielle at the hospital over the weekend . Beaming dad, Adam said that the main thing for him and the medical team was to keep a careful eye on his little girls over the coming weeks. 'We are gonna need to monitor them,' said Adam on the blog, Itsabuzzworld, that he and Danielle have used to document the pregnancy. When big sister Blayke met her new siblings, the Busby's said their hearts felt like bursting. 'It was so cute, she had her little 'Big Sister' shirt on,' said Danielle. 'We prepared her to see all the tubes in the NICU but she was so great.' 'She did so well and just smiled. She didn't really say much but she just smiled.' Peek-a-boo: Peering into one of the NICU incubators, Blayke stares at her new sister Riley at the Woman's Hospital of Texas . Looking forward, the Busby's admitted the future is going to fun, but tough. 'This week will be an interesting transition,' said Adam. 'We have a lot of changes coming up in the next few days....trying to work out what our new norm is going to be.' To help with the challenges ahead of them, the Busby's have set up a gofundme page. 'One big item that we are going to have to be looking for in the coming weeks is a van,' write Adam and Danielle. 'We don't have a vehicle big enough to bring them home. We are looking at our options, but the Nissan NV passenger van and Ford Transit wagon are on the top of the list so far.' | Danielle and Adam Busby welcomed five girls into the world last week .
She has only held two but described the feeling as 'amazing'
Born at Houston's Woman's Hospital of Texas the babies are healthy .
They are the first set of all-girl quintuplets born in the US and the first globally since 1969 .
Team of 12 doctors helped to deliver the babies by C-section .
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Toby Alderweireld will return to Atletico Madrid when his season-long loan finishes at Southampton, according to the Spanish club's sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero. The Belgian defender, 26, has impressed this season on the South Coast, and has hinted in the past that he would like to remain permanently in the Premier League, with Tottenham also believed to be admirers. But Atletico say they are counting on Aldeirwereld to return to La Liga, as well as Oliver Torres who has been plying his trade in Portugal with Porto. Toby Alderweireld will return to Atletico Madrid once his loan spell ends at Southampton . 'Our coaches follow a detailed monitoring of all the players that are loaned to other teams,' Caminero told Atletico's official website. 'We are very pleased with their performance and growth in general. Oliver [Torres] and Alderweireld, for example, are finishing a very good season with Porto and Southampton and we are counting on them for the next campaign.' Alderweireld contract expires in June 2017, and has been a key part of a defence with Southampton that has seen Ronald Koeman's side challenge for the Champions League places. Alderweireld holds his head during Belgium's Euro 2016 qualifier with Israel in Jerusalem last week . | Toby Alderweireld has impressed during season-long loan at Southampton .
Ronald Koeman's side are challenging for Champions League places .
But Atletico Madrid says they are counting on Alderweireld for next season .
Sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero praises Belgian defender . | 2cabed9056653fd29c9df4e0605fa0013be44c90 | [
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(CNN)The Coxes can rest more comfortably living in Georgia now that their 5-year-old daughter can get the marijuana extract she needs. "This means the world to us," said Haleigh Cox's mother, Janea Cox. Gov. Nathan Deal signed a bill Thursday that will legalize low-THC cannabis oil for certain "medication-resistant epilepsies," while creating an infrastructure, registration process and research program for the drug. (THC is the primary psychoactive substance in marijuana.) The bill is dubbed Haleigh's Hope Act. Haleigh, who has been the face of the bill, was having hundreds of seizures a day and the five potent drugs meant to control them weren't making life better for the little girl. Janea Cox said in a March 2014 interview that she made the difficult decision to move her daughter to Colorado, where medical marijuana is legal, in hopes of saving her life. "She was maxed out," Cox said. "She'd quit breathing several times a day, and the doctors blamed it on the seizure medications." 10 diseases marijuana could affect . Cox had heard that a form of medical marijuana might help, but it wasn't available in Georgia. So a week after hearing a doctor's diagnosis that Haleigh might not live another three months, she and Haleigh packed up and moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. There, Haleigh began a regimen of cannabis oil: four times a day and once at night. "Every time she smiled I knew we did the right thing, because we hadn't seen her smile in three years," Cox said. "Now she's thriving, she's healthy, she's happy, and they're absolutely shocked at the difference. So I think we've turned some nonbelievers into believers of cannabis oil." Deal is apparently one of those believers, signing HB1 on Thursday and opening the door for the use of cannabis oil to treat certain medical conditions. The bill will benefit not only people who suffer from chronic seizure disorders, but it also will allow patients to receive in-state treatment. To obtain a license in Georgia, you will need to have a specific covered condition, such as acute seizures. "For the families enduring separation and patients suffering pain, the wait is finally over," Deal said Thursday. "... Now, Georgia children and their families may return home while continuing to receive much-needed care." For Cox, it's a blessing "to be able to come back home, and with Haleigh's medicine, it's done wonders for her -- going from 200-plus seizures a day and on her deathbed to a smiling, happy girl who says words now and looks us in the eye and lets us know she's in there." She added, "Colorado has been good to us, but Georgia's home. Georgia's definitely home." With medical marijuana legal in nearly half the states, doctors are increasingly studying what effect the drug has on various ailments. While Georgia's law is specific to a handful of conditions, medical marijuana laws in states such as California permit marijuana use for an array of ailments. But as states rewrite their regulations, federal law remains the same: Marijuana is illegal to grow, sell or use for any purpose. Under the Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is listed on Schedule 1, meaning it has "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." To backers of reform, it presents a Catch-22: Marijuana is restricted, in large part, because there is scant research to support medical uses, yet research is difficult to conduct because of tight restrictions. | Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signs a medical marijuana bill .
The bill is inspired by Haleigh Cox, a 5-year-old whose seizures threatened her life . | f5d9a27682ced72fc53d3f2472d24db19bf6bdfb | [
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It's that time of year when football managers double as mathematicians. With points running out and prizes at a premium, they're praying the calculator tells them the dream is still alive. But for those at the top of a claustrophobic Championship, the maths is simple — win every game or risk missing out on a potential £120million payday. Two points separate four teams, with four games remaining. To drop points would almost certainly mean to drop out of the race for the two automatic slots to the Barclays Premier League. Middlesbrough were top on Good Friday but are fourth going into the visit of Wolves. Aitor Karanka is not wasting his time on permutations. Lee Tomlin (centre) fires Middlesbrough 1-0 ahead against Rotherham United in the Championship match . Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka (right) is targeting wins from all of his side's remaining fixtures this season . 'We have to win our games,' said the Spaniard. 'I think by winning four games we will get promotion, but it is very difficult. We have to forget the other teams and just concentrate on our games.' Wolves are seven points behind Boro but only outside the play-offs on goal difference after Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Midlands rivals Birmingham. And head coach Kenny Jackett admits they have played must-win games for a while. He said: 'It seems to have been that way for about three months, where we have been chasing. 'We have been working hard to make sure the sides at the top don't get away. It's good we're in this position. We want to be a Premier League club.' Callum Wilson (left) is congratulated after scoring his side's second goal against Brighton in their last game . Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe insists that his side are not getting carried away at the top of the table . The Championship leaders Bournemouth travel to Reading. And the message from Eddie Howe to his team is very much: 'Don't get ahead of yourselves'. 'With every win, we take it away from some of the teams that have been challenging all season, but I still think it is anyone's,' said Howe. 'We have to focus on every game, not get complacent, and remember that this league has a habit of throwing up surprises. We want to make sure that we stay strong until the end.' Norwich are the division's form team having won four on the spin and, ahead of their trip to Leeds, manager Alex Neil said: 'My job is simple. I said it before (Saturday's 2-1 win at Bolton) we had five left and we had to win every one. Now we have four it's the same.' Bolton Wanderers' Josh Vela (left) and Norwich City's Nathan Redmond (right) battle for the ball . Watford are the team sandwiched in third and they have the benefit of seeing how their rivals perform before they take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Wednesday. The leading quartet could all guarantee their place in the play-offs at least with midweek victories. But for the chasing pack, four must go into two. Derby, Ipswich, Brentford and Wolves are within just one point of each other and must produce title-winning form between now and May 2 to be sure of post-season participation. Meanwhile, matters at the bottom of the table have been complicated after Rotherham were charged yesterday with fielding an ineligible player. Derby loanee Farrend Rawson played in their 1-0 win over Brighton on Easter Monday but there is confusion as to whether the defender had already been recalled. Rotherham are seven points above the drop zone and will nervously await the outcome of their FA hearing, especially if Millwall — with a game in hand — narrow that gap to four with victory over fellow strugglers Wigan. Elsewhere in the Football League this week, Bristol City will be Championship-bound with a win at Bradford City, while Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's Burton Albion side and Shrewsbury could leave League Two behind them if they triumph against Carlisle and Bury respectively — and other results go their way. Derby County striker Darren Bent turns to celebrate scoring a late equaliser against Brentford . | There are eight teams in contention for promotion to the Premier League .
Every side involved will be targeting wins from their remaining games .
Prize money for promotion could come in at £120 million . | 7b6e1b6411c267b63accbf07a6eb9ff20ee866e3 | [
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The girlfriend of a hitman who killed a mother of five as she tended her horses in a New Forest field was freed from jail today. Lian Doyle agreed to hide the trainers worn by Justin Robertson when he murdered Pennie Davis because he had been paid £1,500 by the son of the victim's ex-lover. She was today sentenced to 10 months in prison, but was released immediately because she has already spent six months on remand. Killing: Lian Doyle, left, helped to cover up the murder of Pennie Davis, right, in September last year . Doyle, 24, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice after she admitted disposing of her boyfriend's shoes, thinking he had worn them to commit a burglary. Robertson was jailed for life yesterday after being convicted of murder, while Benjamin Carr also received a life sentence for paying the killer to murder Mrs Davis, 47. Winchester Crown Court heard that Carr wanted the victim dead because she was planning to tell police that he had sexually assaulted someone. Today the court was told that Robertson convinced Doyle to hide his trainers, making her think that he had carried out a burglary while wearing them. She lied to police on his behalf - but when she realised that the trainers were evidence in a murder inquiry, she confessed to what she had done. Boyfriend: Doyle was manipulated by Justin Robertson, left, who was paid to kill Mrs Davis by Benjamin Carr, right . Victim: Mrs Davis was found dead in a paddock in the New Forest in September 2014 . Mr Justice Popplewell told Doyle, from Hythe in Hampshire: 'On September 2 last year, after Pennie Davis had been killed, Justin Robertson had given the trainers he had been wearing that afternoon to a neighbour to put them in the rubbish. 'Two days later he asked you to retrieve them and burn them but rather than burning them you gave them to somebody else to dispose of. 'You didn't know they had been worn to commit a murder and you thought Justin Robertson had been wearing them for a burglary.' He added that following her initial arrest, Doyle was interviewed but failed to inform police about dumping the trainers, which 'impeded' their investigation. The judge said: 'I'm satisfied that Justin Robertson was a dominant character and he is likely to have manipulated you.' Couple: The victim's body was discovered by her new husband Peter, pictured . Family: Mrs Davis' relatives are pictured outside Winchester Crown Court yesterday . Doyle's lawyer Charlie Gabb said in mitigation that she was reliant on Robertson, and would stay with him in friends' houses because she did not have a home of her own. 'She must have been somewhat in awe of him in light of her own vulnerability,' he said. 'For a young lady who has never had any experience of the criminal justice system it's been a considerable shock. 'There is a stark reality that she is on her own and Mr Robertson can no longer provide for her.' Mrs Davis was found dead in a paddock near Beaulieu, Hampshire in September last year by her husband Peter, whom she had married just months earlier. Robertson, 36, was paid £1,500 in counterfeit banknotes to kill her by Carr, 22, who had a longstanding grudge against her dating to her long relationship with his father. The court heard he wanted her dead because he feared she would report sexual assault allegations against him to the police. The plot unravelled when Robertson dropped the keys to his getaway car near to the murder scene, allowing officers to track him down. | Lian Doyle, 24, hid a pair of trainers belonging to Justin Robertson .
She thought he wore them to carry out a burglary but confessed to police when she realised he had murdered Pennie Davis .
Robertson was paid £1,500 by Benjamin Carr to kill the keen horsewoman .
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One of the most widespread 'food rules' passed down from generation to generation may actually be a myth. The five-second rule, which has been cited to justify picking up everything from a salt and vinegar chip to an assortment of cold cuts, is not as sure-fire as many snackers would surely like it to be. Experts have largely dismissed the almost magical powers surrounding the five-second rule, but said what type of food and where you drop it does come into play. Scroll down for video . One of the most widespread 'food rules' passed down from generation to generation may actually be a myth, meaning this tart isn't safe to pick up . 'There's no such things as a 'five-second rule',' Food Safety Information Council spokeswoman Rachelle Williams told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's a myth; we definitely do not recommend it.' However, Ms Williams said we need to consider the type of food before picking something up off the floor and eating it. 'It all comes down to bacteria,' she said. Video courtesy of RMIT . Experts say dry foods, like cookies, are less hazardous and can be OK, according to health experts . Uncut fruit is one group considered non-hazardous, however cut fruits should never be subjected to the five-second rule . 'Bacteria relies on moisture to grow, so any food wet food is considering potentially hazardous. It's much easier for bacteria to grow on those foods. 'With dry foods, it is conversely much tougher for bacteria to grow.' Dry foods are things such as potato chips, lollies, nuts, biscuits, crackers and uncooked rice or pasta. Potato chips and nuts fall into the 'maybe' area of the five-second rule . Meat, such as cold-cuts and salami, are definitely not worth the risk, and can be a breeding ground for bacteria . If you drop some uncooked rice, it can be safe to pick it up and throw in the pan. However, cooked rice is very dangerous . Dry foods are things such as potato chips, lollies, nuts, biscuits, crackers and uncooked rice or pasta. Wet foods are cut fruit, cold meats, ham, salami, dairy products, and cooked rice or pasta. The comments come after the Food Safety Information Council released a food safety report card as part of World Health Day on April 7. Crakers and nuts have a lower risk than wet foods . Sausages should never be picked up - five-second rule or not . More than 4.1 million cases of food poisoning are diagnosed in Australia every year, with 31,920 hospitalisations and 82 deaths. However, the number is coming down, which experts credited to an increased basic understanding of food safety. ‘Australian consumers get an A plus for knowledge...', Food Safety Information Council Chair Professor Michael Eyles said. ‘But there are a number of other food safety practices where there can be ‘room for improvement.' Mr Eyles identified cooking food thoroughly, being aware of and sticking to use-by dates, and ensuring it is stored at the right temperature as important areas of focus. | Five-second rule dubbed a myth by food health industry experts .
'We definitely do not recommend it,' Food Safety Information Council says .
However, what food you drop and where you drop it has an impact on risk .
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Ten years ago, I signed a letter backing Labour in the 2005 Election. Earlier this month I signed a letter backing the Conservatives for this one. Why the conversion? I'm not a tribally political animal. I am someone who runs and starts businesses, but most importantly wants to see our country succeed. I back whatever works. Five years ago the world was facing catastrophic economic problems. We had stared into the abyss of a complete failure of the international financial system, and managed – via huge State intervention – to avoid total collapse. The recovery of the UK since then has been extraordinary. We have outperformed every other major economy. Former Blair ally Charles Dunstone (pictured) is now supporting the Conservative Party in the election . When I speak to investors and business people around the world, they see the recent British story as something of a miracle. The jobs figures alone are astounding: 2 million more people are in work – a figure representing many, many personal triumphs. Businesses are starting in record numbers. I really believe David Cameron and George Osborne deserve much of the credit for this incredible turnaround. But back to ten years ago. In 2005 I supported New Labour because they had ended the tyranny of 'or' – the idea that you could only have a strong and growing economy 'or' a fair and compassionate society. New Labour recognised that the one helped pay for the other; healthy tax receipts from business meant more money for schools, hospitals and helping the poorest in our country. Put simply, Tony Blair understood that in order to spend money, you first need to earn money. I'm genuinely concerned that this view isn't shared by the current Labour Party – and that business is viewed as the problem, rather than the essential engine that gives politicians the ability to provide that fair and compassionate society. What's more, they do not seem to understand how businesses work. Take their energy-freeze policy. This betrays a basic misunderstanding of how markets work. Companies would have elevated prices in anticipation of a freeze – and kept them high despite the recent drop in the price of oil. This is just one clumsy intervention that would end up costing people money. The current Government has made it very clear that the UK is open for business and endeavours to make business welcome here. It's vital, because fundamentally, the business world is driven by confidence and positive sentiment. The former Carphone Warehouse boss said Mr Cameron deserved credit for turning around the economy . However, it is very fragile and hard to nurture, and the mobility of the modern business world means a tech firm can start up as easily in Berlin or Silicon Valley as they can in London, so they're not going to pick a place which they perceive will make it hard for them to thrive. We need a government that backs business, not one that views us as cartoon capitalists; a necessary evil to bring in money at best; the embodiments of greed at worst. Because the truth is the vast majority of those working in business are trying to build something good and to employ more people. There is such a thing as turning an honest profit. The man running a local bakery and employing ten people is a capitalist. The woman starting up a tech firm in her attic is a capitalist. These people are doing our economy and our society a service. They are not to be stigmatised but backed. I'm backing the Conservatives for this Election as they've shown a determination to stick to the course even when the tide of opinion was turning against them. A couple of years ago, a chorus of voices were urging George Osborne to change direction. He ignored them, the plan paid off, and now those same people are patting him on the back for his resolve. I like what they've done for small businesses too. Everyone's got to start somewhere. I started selling mobile phones from my flat. And in the age of the start-up, government has to make life easier for people to get going. He said the current Labour Party, under Ed Miliband, viewed business as the problem, rather than the essential engine that gives politicians the ability to provide that fair and compassionate society . I was speaking to an Italian contact recently who told me that anyone starting a small business in Italy gets sucked into a quagmire of bureaucracy, treated like some massive enterprise with their own accounting department. He couldn't believe that in Britain you could get online and register your company in a few short steps – and that is to the Conservatives' credit. Most of all I like the confidence that is growing in our economy. What the economist Keynes called 'animal spirits'; what used to be called the feel-good factor; whatever you call it, that can-do feeling has been returning. Economic success isn't decided on high, it is the collective result of millions of people feeling that we are heading in the right direction; willing to take chances and work hard to succeed. This confidence has returned, beyond doubt – but we must make no mistake, it is a very fragile thing. Indeed, it still hasn't returned to many of our near neighbours. I'm not a party loyalist and I have never donated money to any party. But on this occasion I really felt I had to speak out as our economic recovery truly hangs in the balance. For me the choice is clear. And it is not a choice between backing business on the one hand and promoting fairness on the other. There is nothing progressive about attacking business and undermining our economy. If the economy fails, frankly it is not the richest who suffer, it's the poorest. It would be a huge and tragic irony if well-meaning people ended up hurting the most deprived in our country. But that is what I fear would happen with a Labour-SNP government – one that is anti-business, anti-aspiration and pro-spending money we haven't even earned yet. It comes down to this: we have come a long way in the past five years. Clawing our way out of recession has meant a lot of hard work and sacrifice. We are rounding the corner and really getting somewhere as a country – and we would be crazy to throw it all away now. | Charles Dunstone backed Labour in 2005 election, but now supports Tories .
Said Conservatives deserved credit for remarkable economic turnaround .
Admired Tories for sticking with plan even when opinion was against them .
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The parents of a 5-year-old boy whose body was found inside a septic tank in Virginia last month have been charged with felony child abuse and neglect. Pulaski County Sheriff Jim Davis announced the arrests of Ashley Jennifer White, 30, and Paul Thomas, 32, Thursday afternoon – a week to the day after the tragic discovery. Their 5-year-old son, Noah Thomas, went missing from their home in rural Dublin on the morning of March 22 as his mother slept with her infant daughter. Parents in custody: Ashley Jennifer White (left), 30, and her partner Paul Thomas (right), 32, have been charged with child abuse and neglect in the death of their 5-year-old son, Noah, last month . Tragic: Noah Thomas, five, was last seen watching cartoons March 22 at home in Dublin, Virginia. Police confirmed his body was found in a septic tank near the family home March 26 . From left; Virginia State Police Lt. Ed Murphy, Pulaski County Sheriff Jim Davis, Pulaski County Commonwealth Attorney, Mike Fleenor, during a press conference Thursday announcing the arrest of White and Thomas . After an intense-five days search, the child's body was found in a septic tank on White and Thomas' property. 'It came to a point where the evidence that we had we felt was sufficient to arrest them for probable cause,' said Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Fleenor of Pulaski County, reported Indianapolis Star. The couple's 6-month-old daughter was removed from their home and placed in the custody of social services the day after Noah's body was recovered. White and Thomas were each charged with two counts of neglect and abuse involving Noah and his baby sister. During their arraignment via teleconference Friday, both suspects objected to the presence of reporters in the courtroom. 'This is the saddest thing that’s ever happened to me in my life,' White was quoted as saying. 'I don’t feel people should be able to enjoy it over dinner.' Her boyfriend sounded a similar note, saying that he doesn't want his life to be a news story. The judge, however, allowed members of the media to stay in the room. They are being held in jail without bond pending a court hearing scheduled for August 12. Investigators are now waiting for the medical examiner's office to release the results of Noah's autopsy to shed light on the cause of death, which could take weeks, if not months. Search crews have looked around the boy's house. His mother could not find him after she woke up at 10 . Investigators said search dogs stopped near the road near Noah's house, which is 'never typical' White said Noah, pictured left with his dad and right, was a cautious child who would not have run away . Noah Thomas was last seen alive sitting in his parents' living room and watching cartoons at 9am March 22. His mother took her baby daughter, Abigail, to another room and settled in for a nap. More than an hour later, she woke up to find the back door open and Noah gone. Nearly five days later, an FBI-backed search concluded with the discovery of Noah's lifeless body in a septic tank near the family home. Police and more than 100 volunteers who signed up to look for Noah in the small town had covered about 3.3 square miles after the 60lb red-headed boy was reported missing. Pulaski County Sheriff Jim Davis said at the time that authorities have no evidence of foul play in his disappearance, and that the family have cooperated with authorities. Investigators said search dogs stopped near the road adjacent to Noah's house, which is 'never typical'. No suspicious vehicles were seen in the area. Crews used helicopters in the search in the area, which is mostly residential with farmland and a woods by the boy's house. Ashley White, who called police at 11am after searching for her child on her own, said that the boy was cautious and had no history of running away. Stephanie Ide Hudgins, Paul Thomas' sister, described her brother and his partner as 'the best parents, hands down,' reported Roanoke Times. High school sweethearts: White and Thomas (pictured left and right) met in junior high school but did not start dating until high school . Touched by tragedy: The couple lost a good friend in a deadly abduction in 2000, and White's father was later murdered . Proud dad: Thomas' sister said her brother and his partner were very excited about having a baby togehter. Thomas pictured here with Noah not long after his birth . Hudgins, a mother of four, said she would often call Ashley if she had any questions about child-rearing. Noah's aunt detailed how Thomas and White met in junior high school but did not start dating until high school. The couple have been touched by tragedy in the past. A friend who helped arrange their first date, Tara Rose Munsey, disappeared in January 2000 from her job at a Taco Bell. Her body was discovered in a ravine two weeks later. She was 16 years old. Some years later, White's father was murdered and her mother became gravely ill. Before the mother's passing, White and Thomas decided to have a baby together. 'They were so excited to have Noah,' Hudgins said. 'Noah was special anyways, before he even came into this earth.' | Ashley White, 30, and Paul Thomas, 32, charged with child abuse and neglect .
Couple's son, Noah Thomas, 5, from Dublin, Virginia, was last seen alive March 22 .
Mother went back to sleep, child was missing at 10am when she woke up .
After FBI search, Noah's body was found in septic tank on family's property five days later .
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Arsenal's Olivier Giroud and Arsene Wenger have been named as the Barclays Premier League Player and Manager of the Month for March - with the France striker thwarting Harry Kane's bid for a third award in a row. Giroud netted five times in Arsenal's four consecutive league wins last month as Wenger's side took all 12 points on offer. The Gunners are now a point behind second-placed Manchester City with eight games remaining. Olivier Giroud (left) and Arsene Wenger are the Premier League Player and Manager of the Month . Striker Giroud scored five goals in four games for Arsenal in March to earn the award . Wenger inspired Arsenal to four victories from four games in the Premier League . Arsenal sit third in the Premier League following their impressive March, seven points behind Chelsea . March 1 Arsenal 2-0 Everton (1 Giroud goal) March 4 QPR 1-2 Arsenal (1) March 14 Arsenal 3-0 West Ham (1) March 21 Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal (2) Giroud's impressive form stopped Tottenham striker Kane from becoming the first player to take three consecutive Player of the Month gongs. 'I'm really pleased with it,' Giroud told Arsenal's official website. 'I would like to thank my team-mates and of course the fans, because it's a collective sport and I couldn't do it on my own. 'It's a great honour to have been selected as Player of the Month, especially because we wanted to bounce back from the Champions League disappointment. 'That's what we've done and we've come back really strongly. We all want to finish strongly and this award will give me more confidence for the following games.' Kane also fired five goals in four appearances for Mauricio Pochettino's side in March, including his first ever Premier League hat-trick when Spurs beat Leicester City 4-3 at White Hart Lane. But it was Giroud who took the honours after finding the back of the net in all of Arsenal's league encounters. He opened proceedings in Arsenal's 2-0 home win over Everton and got another in the 2-1 victory against London rivals Queens Park Rangers. Harry Kane also scored five times for Tottenham in March but missed out on player of the month . Kane (second right) holds the ball after his first Premier League hat-trick for Tottenham against Sunderland . Kane (centre) scored both goals as Tottenham beat Queens Park Rangers 2-1 at Loftus Road . His impressive form continued when he got the first goal in the 3-0 home victory over West Ham before spearheading Arsenal's attack once again with both goals in the 2-1 win at Newcastle. Arsenal host Liverpool in the early Premier League game on Saturday knowing another victory would move them nine points ahead of Brendan Rodgers' side and above City, who play Crystal Palace on Monday. | Arsenal won all four of their Premier League games in March .
Striker Olivier Giroud scored five times in four appearances .
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Prince Harry's former girlfriend Chelsy Davy debuted a grown-up and glamorous style as she stepped out in a sophisticated summer outfit for a London restaurant launch on Tuesday. The 29-year-old seemed in high spirits as she was seen laughing and joking with friend, Irene Forte, at the launch party for new London restaurant, The Ivy Chelsea Garden. Zimbabwean Davy wore a white layered chiffon top, as well as flattering navy trousers with zip-detail on the ankles. Scroll down for video . Chelsy Davy (pictured right) stepped out in a sophisticated summer outfit for the launch party of London restaurant, The Ivy Chelsea Garden . She paired the outfit with tan woven ankle-strap heels, and carried a croc-print foldover clutch bag in a similar shade. The blonde was clearly making the most of the good weather, as she had her light nude blazer draped over her arm. Davy smiled and posed with various friends as she showcased a healthy glow, and wore her long glossy locks in a relaxed style. The 29-year-old (pictured right) laughed as she made her way around the party with friend, Irene Forte . Davy wore a white chiffon top paired with navy trousers, as well has tan wedges and a croc-print clutch bag . Davy has previously been known for her more relaxed, casual style, but it seems she is upping the style stakes and taking a more sophisticated approach to dressing now that she is approaching her thirties. The party was to celebrate the opening of the restaurant, part of renowned West End dining institution, The Ivy. Davy circulated the party with a couple of friends, in particular daughter of hotel tycoon Rocco Forte, Irene. Making the rounds! Chelsy Davy was spotted posing with another good friend in the restaurant garden . The blonde laughed with her friend as she posed for pictures . Davy and Forte were spotted together recently at Duke of Northumberland’s estate Syon Park over the weekend for the wedding of property magnate Caspar MacDonald-Hall. At the wedding Chelsy, notably, was the gooseberry as she was seen with friend, Irene Forte and Forte's boyfriend, Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe. Davy is currently single after splitting up with society jeweller Charles Goode in January. The sporty socialite had a relationship with Prince Harry spanning six years until they called it a day in May 2010. The pair still remain good friends. Davy (pictured right) had a six-year relationship with Prince Harry (pictured left) before they called time in May 2010 . | The 29-year-old attended The Ivy Chelsea Garden launch party with friend .
Prince Harry's ex looked fresh-faced and in high spirits at the London party .
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Ronnie O'Sullivan found himself in more bother at the Betfred World Championship after making a rude gesture during his second-round match against Matthew Stevens. On the table the five-time world champion enjoyed a successful day, firing two rapid centuries in establishing a 12-4 lead, needing just one more in Monday's closing session to the match to reach the quarter-finals. But O'Sullivan was also spoken to by the referee Olivier Marteel towards the end of the afternoon session - and warned about his behaviour. Ronnie O'Sullivan is spoken to by referee Olivier Marteel in his second round match against Matthew Stevens . O'Sullivan is spoken to by referee Marteel in his second round match against Stevens at the Crucible . Marteel approached O'Sullivan as he walked to the table when Stevens missed a red, telling O'Sullivan he had noticed his hand gesture, which was thought to have been self-directed. O'Sullivan avoided a fine in the first round when he briefly played without shoes after a new pair proved uncomfortable, breaking the rules but not sufficiently to warrant any punishment, after he accepted a substitute pair of size eights, loaned by tournament director Mike Ganley. Stevens reacts to a shot in his match against O'Sullivan during day nine of World Championships . Stevens in action against O'Sullivan in their second round match at the Crucible Theatre . The warning from Marteel could be the end of Sunday's matter. Yet any repeat of the incident would see O'Sullivan docked a frame, a tournament spokesman confirmed. Armed with a 5-3 lead from the opening session, O'Sullivan took the opening two frames on Sunday to pull further in front. The next went against the 39-year-old, but breaks of 110 and 139 in consecutive frames suggested O'Sullivan was in unstoppable form, as sweeping through the subsequent three testified. O'Sullivan in action against Stevens in their second round match at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield . Ali Carter continued to struggle in his match against Australia's Neil Robertson. The 35-year-old from Essex, who trailed 6-2 following Saturday's opening session, won the first frame of the day but lost the next five. A finish with a session to spare was possible when Robertson led 11-3, but Carter took the last two frames of the day to avoid that indignity and trail 11-5 overnight. Earlier, Shaun Murphy left Joe Perry with a mountain to climb as their second-round clash got under way, surging 7-1 in front, while Judd Trump built an early 5-3 lead over Marco Fu. | Ronnie O'Sullivan is closing in on World Championship quarter-final spot .
But, he found himself in a spot of bother with referee Olivier Marteel .
O'Sullivan was warned about his behaviour after obscene hand gesture .
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Lydia Ko shot a 2-over 74 on Saturday in the ANA Inspiration, her second straight over-par round after tying the LPGA Tour record for consecutive rounds under par at 29. A day after hitting into the water and bogeying the 18th for a 73, Ko made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-5 hole to keep another long streak going. The 17-year-old New Zealander has had at least one birdie in all 187 of her rounds in 49 career events on the tour. 'It always some statistic that is going to get my tail,' Ko said about the birdie streak that she wasn't aware of until after the round. 'Lucky thing that I birdied 18.' Lydia Ko makes a tee shot during round two of the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club . Ko looks for her ball in the water on the 18th hole during round two of the ANA Inspiration . She bogeyed Nos. 3, 9 and 13. 'I didn't feel like it was too bad today,' Ko said. 'I just couldn't get the putts to drop.' On Thursday at Mission Hills in the first major championship of the year, Ko shot a 71 to tie the LPGA Tour record for consecutive rounds under par set by Annika Sorenstam in 2004. The top-ranked teen was tied for 50th at 2 under with the leaders still on the course, putting her in danger of ending two more streaks. Ko lines up a putt for par on the par 5, 18th hole during the second round of the ANA Inspiration o . Ko plays her second shot at the par 5, 18th hole during the second round of the ANA Inspiration . She has 10 straight top-10 finishes and has finished under par in 17 tournaments in a row since the Women's British Open last summer. She's playing her sixth tournament in seven weeks, also making stops in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Phoenix and Carlsbad. She won in Australia for her sixth LPGA Tour title and took the Ladies European Tour event in New Zealand the following week. 'I don't feel tired,' Ko said. 'Maybe the body feels a little differently. It has been a lot of golf.' | Lydia Ko shot her second straight over-par round in the ANA inspiration .
New Zealander Ko shot a 2-over 74 on Saturday in disappointing round .
Ko made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-5 hole to keep long streak going .
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Aaron Hernandez left behind his life as a millionaire star athlete today, swapping a designer suit for a set of gray scrubs at a prison where he will begin a life sentence for murder. It is perhaps fitting that Hernandez was booked at MCI Cedar Junction in Walpole, a prison just across the freeway from Gillette Stadium where he used to play for the New England Patriots. Hernandez hasn't set foot in the stadium since June 2013, when he was arrested under suspicion of murdering Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fianceé at the time. On Wednesday, a 12-person jury found Hernandez guilty, sentencing him to life in prison without the possibility of parole due to some especially heinous aspects of Lloyd's killing. Scroll down for video . The beginning of the rest of his life: Aaron Hernandez was taken to the MCI Cedar Juntion prison in Walpole, Massachusetts on Wednesday after he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez circled in red, arriving at the 700-inmate prison . Old neighborhood: Cedar Junction is about a mile and a half away from Gillette Stadium, where Hernandez used to play tight end for the New England Patriots . Nothing to smile about now: Hernandez slumped down in his chair on Wednesday as a guilty verdict was read (left). Pictured on the right during happier times, playing for the Patriots . Hernandez was shocked by the decision, mouthing 'You're wrong', before slumping to his seat - perhaps seeing the riches to rags reality of his new life. Hernandez has vowed to appeal the decision. Directly after court, Hernandez was taken to the 700-inmate facility that will serve as a stark contrast to his former home - a $1.3million mansion. Hernandez arrived at Cedar Junction around 1pm for booking and was given the prison number W106228. The booking process took about two hours, and was probably not the most comfortable of experiences. According to a report by WBUR, new inmates at the facility are taken downstairs into the basement where the intake center is located. It is there that they change into their new uniform of gray scrubs and laceless canvas shoes, turning over their personal clothes to be either incinerated or mailed home. New home: Hernandez is starting his sentence at maximum-security prison MCI Cedar Junction in Walpole, Massachusetts (pictured above) Stately: Before his arrest, Hernandez lived in a $1.3million mansion in North Attleborough, Massachusetts (pictured above . They then post for a new mugshot and are fingerprinted before sitting in a special chair that scans their bodies for possible hidden objects. All new inmates receive a paper bag containing seven pairs of underwear and a specially-designed razor and pen that can't be used as a weapon. Jerry-rigged weapons are something Hernandez should be concerned with, according to Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hogson. Sheriff Hogson spoke with WHDH after the ruling on Wednesday and said that as the focus of a high-profile case, Hernandez will be targeted in the prison. 'It depends how he's classified or where he'll be, but it's always a possibility, always a concern,' Hodgson said. Labor: Workers at Cedar Junction's prison manufacture license plates for 50 cents an hour - a far cry from the $40million contract extension Hernandez received from the Patriots in 2012 . The food at Cedar Junction was described by a Boston Globe reporter as 'marginally edible'. Hernandez pictured above eating chicken after a Patriots game . Some other aspects of prison life may not be up to Hernandez's standards either - such as the 50 cents an hour inmates are paid to manufacture license plates. In 2012, the Patriots extended Hernandez's contract for five years in a $40million deal that was unprecedented for a tight end. Also in 2012, he signed a deal to be a spokesman for shoe brand Puma. And for a former professional athlete who's used to eating large satisfying meals, Hernandez may lose his appetite in the cafeteria where the food was once described by a Boston Globe reporter as 'marginally edible'. Cedar Point is where all male inmates are booked when they start their sentences in Massachusetts, so Hernandez will eventually be moved to another facility in the coming weeks or months, . It's reported that he will be sent to Sousa Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts next. Moving: Hernandez will be moved in the coming weeks or moths to the Sousa Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts (pictured above) | The 25-year-old former New England Patriots tight end was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Wednesday for murder .
After the sentence was read, Hernandez was taken to MCI Cedar Junction prison in Walpole to begin his sentence .
The 700-inmate all-male prison is located just across the freeway from Gillette Stadium, where he used to play for the Patriots .
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Scientists at a Polish company that produce body armour systems are working to put a 'magic liquid' that can harden on impact in their products. The liquid is called Shear-Thickening Fluid (STF), and instantly hardens upon impact at any temperature. In a 'liquid armour' this provides protection from penetration by high-speed projectiles and additionally dispersing energy over a larger area. Scroll down for video of the body armour in action . The new material in its liquid form (left) and the solid form it take on impact (right) The liquid is called Shear-Thickening Fluid (STF), and does not conform to the model of Newtonian liquids, such as water, in which the force required to move the fluid faster must increase exponentially, and its resistance to flow changes according to temperature. Instead STF hardens upon impact at any temperature, providing protection from penetration by high-speed projectiles and additionally dispersing energy over a larger area. 'This viscosity increases thanks to the subordination of the particles in the liquid structure, therefore they form a barrier against an external penetrating factor,' said Karolina Olszewska, who performed tests on the STF for Moratex. The exact composition of the STF is known only to Moratex and its inventors at the Military Institute of Armament Technology in Warsaw, but ballistic tests proved its resistance to a wide range of projectiles. 'We needed to find, design a liquid that functions both with projectiles hitting at the velocity of 450 meters per second and higher. 'We have succeeded,' said Deputy Director for Research at the Moratex institute, Marcin Struszczyk. Struszczyk said the liquid's stopping capability, combined with the lower indentation of its surface, provides a higher safety level for the user compared with traditional, mostly Kevlar-based, solutions. 'If a protective vest is fitted to the body, then a four centimeter deep deflection may cause injury to the sternum, sternum fracture, myocardial infarction, lethal damage to the spleen,' Struszczyk said. 'Thanks to the properties of the liquid, thanks to the proper formation of the insert, we eliminate one hundred percent of this threat because we have reduced the deflection from four centimeters to one centimeter.' The liquid has been used to create lightweight flexible sheets, which can be placed inside the body armour . When hit by a high-speed projectile, a wide area of the STF hardens instantly, causing the usually massive energy to be dispersed away from the wearer's internal organs. Implementing the solution in body armor required designing special inserts, but the company says those are lighter than standard ballistic inserts and broader range of movement for their users in the police and military. 'The point is for them not to interfere, not change the way of movement, operation of such the product by the user, and at the same time increase their motor skills, increase effectiveness of their decision process and increase their possibilities during the mission at hand,' Struszczyk said. A Bullet test shows the material hardening on impact. Researchers have already tested the material in existing body armour designs. The laboratory is also working on a magnetorheological fluid, which they hope can be also applied in their products. According to the researchers, both liquids can find applications beyond body armor, such as in the production of professional sports inserts, and even entire outfits. Another use could be in car bumpers or road protective barriers. | Clothing can include Moratex pack which instantly hardens on impact .
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AC Milan has slammed alleged racism towards one of its youth teams as 'simply unacceptable.' Black players of Milan's under-10 team were allegedly subject to heckling and racist abuse during Sunday's 4-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Universal Cup. Milan says it does 'not want to magnify the issue' and 'truly hopes that these reports aren't true or that it was simply a sporadic incident.' Kevin Prince Boateng (right) gestures to the crowd after being racially abused during a friendly in 2013 . Boateng wears a shirt showing his support for anti-racism campaigns during a Serie A game in Januaray . Milan plays Benfica in Monday's semi-finals of the prestigious youth tournament, which is taking place in Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany. There have been several high-profile incidents of racism in Italian football, notably when then Milan player Kevin-Prince Boateng led his teammates off the field to protest racial abuse by opposing fans during a friendly match in January 2013. | Black players allegedly heckled and racially abused during Sunday's game .
Milan say incidents if true are 'simply unacceptable'
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Kate Winslet was a vision in blue at a London film premiere this week. Her stunning body-con dress (top) had clearly been made to measure by Stella McCartney. But my, what big feet — and big leopard-print stilettos — she has! At 5 ft 7 in, the 39-year-old Oscar-winner is certainly no towering Amazon, but nonetheless she commands an out-of-the-ordinary UK size-nine shoe. Kate is endearingly frank on the subject, telling interviewers that Titanic co-star Leonardo DiCaprio found the size of her feet hilarious: ‘I’d put my foot up and he’d fall about laughing because my feet are exactly the same size as his and he’s 6 ft 1 in. He’d refer to them as my canoes!’ The average shoe size in the UK has risen from a dainty 4½ in 1900 to a roomy six today. But fascinatingly, just like Kate, lots of stars from Elle Macpherson to Gwyneth Paltrow all have surprisingly huge feet, as we reveal here. Titanic feet: At 5ft 7in, the 39-year-old Oscar-winning actress, who loves a strappy stiletto, wears a roomy size-nine shoe . Bigfoot: Kate Winslet has revealed that her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio referred to her feet as 'my canoes' Jerry Hall Size: 8 (US 10) Elle Macpherson Size: 9.5 (US: 12) Katie Holmes Size: 8 (US: 11) The tall Texan, 58, is famous for her long legs and hanging onto Mick Jagger for 21 years. She said: ‘I have big feet, and they keep you firmly on the ground.’ The Aussie supermodel, 51, is also a canny businesswoman. She markets her own brand of foot spa — perfect for feet of all sizes, not just Elle’s sizeable twelves. Even at 5 ft 9in, Katie towered over her pint-sized former husband, Tom Cruise. The 36-year-old actress does have large feet for her height - size 8. Scarlett Johansson Size: 7 (US: 9.5) Sandra Bullock Size: 7.5 (US: 10) Gwyneth Paltrow Size: 8 (US: 11) She’s only 5 ft 3 in, but Scarlett, 30, has feet larger than the average woman. The star admitted: ‘I like my feet — I think they’re cute.’ America’s sweetheart, 50, hasn’t confirmed her shoe size, but is said to wear 7.5 despite being only 5 ft 6 in. They certainly look big — and match her large hands. Gwynnie, 42, is known for her love of toweringly high heels — Michael Kors, Brian Atwood and Giuseppe Zanotti. Her size eights seem large on her 5 ft 7 inframe. Angelina Jolie Size: 6.5 (US: 9) Uma Thurman Size: 8 (US: 11) Cate Blanchett Size: 6 (US: 9) Her size nines were derided as ‘weird’ and ‘gigantic’ after Jolie, 39, appeared barefoot in a Louis Vuitton campaign. At 5 ft 7in, her tiny figure emphasises her shoe size. Uma, 44, is a modest 5 ft 11in. She says: ‘I’ve always felt too tall, with big feet.’ Quentin Tarantino disagreed, and insisted on close-ups of her size eight feet in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. At 5 ft 9 in, Cate, 45, struggles to walk in her shoes at times — shedding her Givenchys at a press conference, revealing bunions and red, pinched toes. | Kate Winslet wears size nine shoes and her Titanic co-star Leonardo DiCaprio found the size of her shoes hilarious .
Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie, and Cate Blanchett all have huge feet .
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The Tories could cut child benefit or stop millions of families receiving it, Government chief whip Michael Gove admitted last night. Mr Gove, the former education secretary, said he could not rule out further cuts to child benefit to reduce the deficit. Asked on the BBC's Newsnight if he could confirm that there would be 'no more changes to child benefit', Mr Gove said: 'No I can't say that.' Conservative chief whip Michael Gove admitted the Tories could cut child benefit or stop millions of families receiving it . Mr Gove said the Tories would not cut benefits for the disabled or pensioners – but refused to rule out cuts to child benefit. He said: 'There is a huge amount of welfare spending that can be reduced without having any impact on people who have disabilities. 'We're not going to hit, or take money away from, the disabled. We're going to protect people who are pensioners. What we are going to do.' Mr Gove was asked specifically: 'There will be no more changes to child benefit. Can you say that to us?' He said: 'It's not our policy at the moment. But the thing I would say is that we've succeeded over the course of the last five years, not just in making departmental cuts which I've alluded to, but in making £21billion worth of welfare cuts. All we're asking to do is to do half of that again.' Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary, said: 'Michael Gove's repeated refusal to rule out child benefit cuts will only add to fears that the Tories have a secret plan to cut support to children. 'The Tories have a £12 billion black hole in their welfare plans it's clear they can't fill without hitting families with children. It's time for the Tories to come clean with the public about their plans to cut child benefit.' The revelation comes after George Osborne last month refused to rule out further cuts to child benefit if the Conservatives win a second term. Asked on the BBC's Newsnight if he could confirm there will be 'no more changes to child benefit', Mr Gove said: 'No I can't say that' Mr Gove's remarks came after George Osborne last month refused to rule out further cuts to child benefit if the Conservatives win a second term . More than a million households lost out when the Coalition announced that families with one parent earning £50,000 would pay tax on child benefit. Earners over £60,000 lost out altogether. The controversial measure, brought in two and a half years ago as part of the Government's austerity programme, was criticised for penalising single-earner families and stay-at-home mothers. It meant anyone earning less than £50,000 – even a couple on £49,000 each - still received the full entitlement of £20.70 a week for the first child, and £13.70 for every subsequent child. Mr Osborne was asked at a briefing in central London on the economy this morning whether he could 'rule out depriving more people of child benefit, like you've already done in this Parliament?' But the Chancellor appeared to leave the door open to further cuts when asked if he would be 'depriving more families' of the payments which are worth more than £1,000 per year. Mr Osborne did not directly answer about reducing the threshold, only saying that child benefit would not be replaced by the new benefits system Universal Credit, which is being rolled out nationally. The respected think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies have suggested that increasing Universal Credit for some families and using it instead of child benefit could save £4.8billion a year. The Chancellor said: 'You can judge us on our record in this Parliament. If we wanted to put child benefit into Universal Credit we would have done it when we set up Universal Credit. 'We've got a track record, we've got a plan based on clear principles of making work pay, sharpening work incentives.' Asked again why he did not rule out any type of child benefit cuts, he said: 'I've given you a very clear answer. We've created a welfare system where child poverty is down, inequality is down, we have a record low number of workless households and what we are doing is creating welfare system where it pays to work and we protect the most vulnerable. 'We are going to carry on doing that in the next Parliament. But we can't do any of these things without economic security and a growing economy.' The Conservatives say they would cut £30billion of spending if they win a second term. Of this £12billion would be slashed from the welfare bill, with the rest from government departments and further cracking down on tax avoidance. While the Prime Minister has given a commitment to protect the state pension, few other savings have been set out apart from reducing the cap on a family's annual benefits from £26,000 to £23,000. It is widely speculated that the Conservatives could restrict child benefit to just two children, to save around £2billion a year. | Asked if he could rule out child benefit cuts Mr Gove said: 'I can't say that'
The chief whip ruled out any cuts to pensioner and disability benefits .
Comes after George Osborne paved the way for further cuts to payments .
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Harper Lee was not manipulated into publishing her sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, and is not an elder abuse victim, according to an official probe. State authorities were suspicious that the 88-year-old author, who is reportedly deaf and blind, was somehow pushed into publishing the forthcoming Go Set a Watchman, and launched two investigations into the circumstances surrounding the launch. Many feared outside influences were at play as Lee, who lives in an nursing home in Monroeville, Alabama, had said for decades she wanted To Kill a Mockingbird to be her only published novel. Scroll down for video . Of sound mind: Investigators concluded that Harper Lee, pictured above in 2009, is in a fit state to make decisions about the future of the forthcoming novel Go Set a Watchman . Officials at the state's Department of Human Resources confirmed Monday that their investigation had been completely closed. Earlier Alabama's Securities Commission had sent an investigator to speak with her, and said that she answered their questions well enough to convince them she made her own decision, and knew what was happening with her book. The DHR investigation remained open for a time, but spokesman Barry Spear has confirmed that they are now also satisfied that nothing is amiss. Earlier suspicions had in part been fired by the fact that Lee's attorneys had announced the release, due in July, and that publishing house HarperCollins had not had any direct contact with her. Elderly: Lee lives in this nursing home in Monroeville, Alabama, and has reportedly been deaf and blind since 2007 . Bobby Segall, a lawyer representing Lee's attorney Tonja Carter, confirmed Monday that they received a letter saying that DHR was closing the investigation with no findings. HarperCollins has announced a July 14 release date for Go Set a Watchman, and will print an initial run of 2million copies. The book is high on Amazon's best-seller list despite some concerns about the novel, which Lee wrote before To Kill A Mockingbird. Lee had long expressed that she's happy to have 1960's Mockingbird' - which won a Pulitzer, was adapted into a movie and sold more than 40 million copies worldwide - as her only published book. Go Set a Watchman, a 304-page novel, is a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, although Lee actually wrote it in the mid-1950s, before Mockingbird. Old and new: Go Set a Watchman is a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird - though Lee actually wrote it before the best-selling novel which secured her reputation . The new novel will feature Scout, Mockigbird's protagonist, as an adult woman returning to Maycomb, Alabama from New York City 20 years after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee thought she had lost the novel's manuscript - but her attorney Tonja Carter found it recently. A statement from Lee, released by HarperCollins, said: 'In the mid-1950s, I completed a novel called Go Set a Watchman. 'It features the character known as Scout as an adult woman, and I thought it a pretty decent effort. My editor, who was taken by the flashbacks to Scout's childhood, persuaded me to write a novel (what became 'To Kill a Mockingbird') from the point of view of the young Scout. 'I was a first-time writer, so I did as I was told. I hadn't realized it (the original book) had survived, so was surprised and delighted when my dear friend and lawyer Tonja Carter discovered it. Not happy to see him: Reporter Connor Sheets received this blunt, handwritten 'Go away!' from Harper Lee when he asked her repeatedly for an interview . 'After much thought and hesitation, I shared it with a handful of people I trust and was pleased to hear that they considered it worthy of publication. I am humbled and amazed that this will now be published after all these years.' According to publisher Harper, Carter came upon the manuscript at a 'secure location where it had been affixed to an original typescript of To Kill a Mockingbird.' Lee has refused to comment further on the novel, helping fire suspicions about her mental state. One Alabamian reporter who tried for two weeks to secure an interview was eventually rewarded with a hand-written note. It read: 'Go away! Harper Lee.' | Famed author's second novel, Go Set a Watchman, is due out on July 14 .
Authorities feared Lee had been pushed into releasing the long-lost sequel .
She previously said she wanted Mockingbird to be her only published work .
State investigators went to Monroeville, Alabama, to speak with her .
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Yoko Ono has led the tributes to John Lennon's first wife Cynthia calling her a 'wonderful mother' with a 'strong zest for life' after she died at the age of 75 following a short battle with cancer. The second wife of the Beatles singer said she was 'very saddened' by the news, adding that she was 'proud' how she and Cynthia had 'stood firm in the Beatles family'. Cynthia, who married Lennon after meeting him in college, died yesterday at her home in Spain. A message on her son Julian's website said he was at her beside throughout, and the family 'are thankful for your prayers'. Scroll down for video . Yoko Ono has led the tributes to John Lennon's first wife Cynthia, posting this photo of the two women with their sons Sean and Julian. She wrote underneath: 'When we were very happy together' Cynthia Lennon, who died at her home in Spain yesterday, later penned memoirs of her time with her famous husband, who eventually left her for Yoko Ono . This memorial website set up for her by her family carried an image of her surrounded by a love heart and a brief statement explaining she had died after a 'short but brave' battle with cancer . In the statement, Yoko said: 'I'm very saddened by Cynthia's death. She was a great person and a wonderful mother to Julian. 'She had such a strong zest for life and I felt proud how we two women stood firm in the Beatles family. Please join me in sending love and support to Julian at this very sad time.' Yoko also posted a picture which had been taken in 2010 of the two women with their sons, Julian and Sean. She captioned the picture: 'When we were very happy together.' Cynthia Lennon, nee Powell, married Lennon in 1962 and stayed with him as he rose to global stardom with The Beatles until the couple divorced in 1968. But the pair divorced in 1968 after Cynthia discovered her husband's relationship with the Japanese artist. Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr added their condolences. Writing on his website, McCartney, 72, said: 'She was a lovely lady who I've known since our early days together in Liverpool. She was a good mother to Julian and will be missed by us all, but I will always have great memories of our times together.' Left, a rare photograph taken during a private family holiday shows the couple relaxing on a boat. Right, Cynthia and her and Lennon's son Julian are pictured together at a show in 2006 . John Lennon and Cynthia board a flight from Heathrow to New York in 1964 before thousands of adoring fans . Starr, 74, tweeted: 'Peace and love to Julian Lennon God bless Cynthia love Ringo and Barbara xx.' John Lennon and Cynthia met at college and married just as Lennon's career with The Beatles propelled him to fame. Julian also tweeted a picture of his mother, who was 75, inside a heart with the message 'In Loving Memory'. He also posted a moving video tribute to his late mother with a song he had written in her honor. 'You gave your life for me, you gave your life for love,' it begins, showing footage of him as a young boy with his parents. It also shows footage of Cynthia with John during the early days of Beatlemania. 'The love you left behind will carry on,' Julian sings in a style influenced by his late father. It concludes with the words: 'I know you're safe above.' Cynthia met Lennon at art school in Liverpool in 1957 and the couple married just before Beatlemania transformed her husband from a jobbing musician into one of the most famous men in the world. At the height of the Beatles' early success, she was kept so far in the background that many of Lennon's female fans were not even aware of her existence, and she stayed at home bringing up Julian while the Fab Four toured the world and topped the charts. Cynthia Lennon pictured with The Beatles in 1964 during their rose to global stardom . The couple (pictured together left and right in 1964) divorced in 1968 after Cynthia discovered her husband's relationship with Yoko Ono . Cynthia Lennon grew up in a middle-class community on the Wirral, met John Lennon while they were both students at the Liverpool College of Art. The pair married in 1962, when Cynthia was just 22, after she became pregnant with their son Julian. Beatles' members George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein - who was best man - all attended. The Lennons bought Kenwood, then a 22-bedroom home, in Weybridge, Surrey, for £20,000 in 1964. Kenwood became the place to visit for the other Beatles, various American musicians and total strangers that Lennon had met the previous night in London nightclubs. While she had suspicions of Lennon's infidelity over the years, with friends telling her that Lennon had had numerous affairs as far back as their time together at art college in Liverpool, Cynthia ignored the warnings. The Lennons' marriage troubles came to a head in February 1968 when Lennon drunkenly confessed to sleeping with other women during their marriage. Lennon suggested Cynthia take a holiday with friends. She returned to find her husband sitting across from Yoko Ono on the floor - staring into each other's eyes. In one of her book's she wrote that she then found Yoko's slippers outside their bedroom door - shocked and upset she left the house to stay with friends. The couple share a laugh together in 1964. Cynthia later described her role in their relationship as like a 'walk on part' In later years, Cynthia wrote in her book of how she was mistreated by Lennon as he soared to fame . The Beatles' only authorised biographer, Hunter Davies, said the couple's friends at art school never thought the relationship would last because they were such different characters . Cynthia Lennon, pictured in 1968, divorced from the hit songwriter after he met Yoko Ono . After years of trouble, the marriage finally ended in August 1968 when Yoko Ono discovered she was pregnant. Fearing a lengthy divorce process, the couple settled outside of court, with Lennon agreeing to pay Cynthia £100,000 and give her custody of Julian. The divorce prompted Paul McCartney to pen the Beatles' classic Hey Jude to help Julian cope with his parents' separation. He changed the name Julian to Jude in the song. The line 'take a sad song and make it better,' is about the Lennons' broken marriage and its impact on their son. Cynthia learned of Lennon's death on 8 December 1980, while she was staying with friends in London. She married Italian hotelier Roberto Bassanini in 1970, divorcing him in 1973. In 1976, she married John Twist, an engineer from Lancashire, but divorced him in 1983. In an interview to publicise one of her books, 2005's John, she told Good Morning America: 'I have read so many books and seen so many films, and it's like we don't really exist. We are like walk-on parts in his life. We did spend 10 years together.' Recalling their early days, she said: 'You couldn't resist being around him. You couldn't resist watching what he was up to. I mean, he was a total rebel. Everybody was amazed by him.' Author Hunter Davies, who wrote the only authorized Beatles biography in 1968, described Cynthia as a 'lovely woman'. He said that unlike John, she was 'quiet and reserved and calm' and 'not a hippy at all.' He said their friends at art school never thought the relationship would last because they were so different. In her book, Cynthia described being mistreated by John. Julian was their only child together. He said: 'When I was writing the book I spent two years with them, visiting her home and spending time with her. 'I think it was the attraction of opposites between them. When they got together at art school everyone was amazed - she was seen as refined and reserved and nobody thought they would last. A never-before-seen dossier detailing the bitter breakdown of John Lennon's marriage to his first wife Cynthia was uncovered in February after nearly 50 years. The five-page document, drafted by the solicitors dealing with the Beatle's divorce in 1968, reveals details of his increasing drug use and his affair with Yoko Ono. It centres on claims made by Dorothy Jarlett, Lennon's housekeeper of four years, on what she saw while working at the Lennon family home Kenwood in Weybridge, Surrey. The papers detail his mood swings, aggressive behaviour towards his young son Julian and heated arguments between him and Cynthia. Mrs Jarlett describes how Yoko Ono would visit the country pile while Cynthia was out of the country, and how she once found the pair in bed together. She reveals how Lennon became nonchalant towards his wife around 1967 - five years after they tied the knot - when the Beatles were at the height of their fame. She said Lennon was uninterested in playing the father figure role and that he would smack Julian if he misbehaved. The statement was made to Herbert Oppenheimer, Nathan and Vandyk - a firm of solicitors in London employed by Cynthia following the breakdown of the marriage. The document has never been seen before because Lennon and Cynthia settled out of court, with Lennon agreeing to pay her £100,000 and give her custody of Julian. Cynthia and her son Julian pictured together in 2006 at the opening of The Beatles' LOVE by Cirque du Soleil . Cynthia was often left to look after the couple's son Julian (pictured together in 2011) at home by herself as Lennon traversed the globe with The Beatles . The mother and son, who were extremely close, attend the unveiling of the John Lennon monument in 2010 . Julian yesterday released a moving song written in tribute to his mother. The two remained close right up to her death . | Yoko Ono said she was 'very saddened' by news of Cynthia Lennon's death .
She praised Cynthia, 75, as a 'great person' with a 'strong zest for life'
Cynthia Lennon, nee Powell, married John Lennon after they met at college .
She is the mother of the musician's son Julian Lennon, who is now aged 51 .
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Three people were arrested for being drunk and disorderly on a Ryanair plane that was about to leave Britain for the Algarve. Two 49-year-old women and a 23-year-old man were removed from the plane just before it left Bristol for Faro around 7pm yesterday (Thursday). Chris Ware, head of security at Bristol Airport said: 'The Bristol Airport police team were requested by flight crew to attend a delayed departing flight to Faro. A Ryanair flight took off without three booked passengers bound for Faro yesterday after they were arrested for being drunk and disorderly . 'The airline requested the delayed passengers board the flight in anticipation of the air traffic slot time improving. 'Three passengers were removed from the aircraft and subsequently arrested. 'Abusive, aggressive or anti-social behaviour on board an aircraft or at the Airport will not be tolerated, the normal protocol of dealing with disruptive passengers was implemented. 'Unfortunately the actions of these individual passengers further delayed the aircraft's departure.' Airport Team Sergeant Mick Parminter added: 'We want everyone who travels through the airport to have a safe and enjoyable start to their trip. 'We would warn anyone travelling through the airport to know their limits. Passengers have a personal responsibility for their own behaviour. 'On average over half a million passengers travel through the airport every month without incident however we will not allow the behaviour of a few to spoil the enjoyment and travel plans for everyone else. 'Alcohol-related anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.' Bristol Airport confirmed that the drunk passengers' actions caused further delays to the Ryanair flight . A spokesperson for Ryanair told MailOnline Travel: 'The crew of this flight from Bristol to Faro requested police assistance prior to departure after three customers became disruptive. Police removed and detained these individuals before the aircraft departed to Faro. 'We will not tolerate unruly or disruptive behaviour at any time and we sincerely apologised to other customers for any inconvenience caused. 'The safety and comfort of our customers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority. This is now a matter for local police.' This latest incident comes only days after Ryanair took the unprecedented step of banning passengers from bringing their own booze on board flights between Glasgow and the party island of Ibiza out of concerns for safety and comfort. The Dublin-based airline informed passengers travelling on the notorious flight from Glasgow Prestwick Airport to the Spanish island that their alcohol purchases from duty free shops are no longer allowed in the cabin, and they risk being kicked off the flight if they don't comply. In a statement to MailOnline Travel, a Ryanair spokesman said the airline made the decision after consultations with customers and airport officials. The spokesman said: 'Those who have purchased duty free alcohol will be asked to either place their purchases in their cabin baggage and into the hold at the boarding gate, or leave their purchases behind. 'The comfort and safety of our customers and crew is our number one priority and we will not tolerate unruly behaviour at any time.' The spokesman declined to identify the incidents which sparked the ban or say what will happen to passengers caught trying to sneak alcohol on board. | Two women aged 49 and a 23-year-old man removed from plane .
Incident caused further delays for Ryanair flight to Faro from Bristol .
Airport security re-affirm anti-social behaviour will be dealt with harshly . | cc2dfc15e772a08841f3435823adf24fc1aa8f0a | [
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London (CNN)The Pentagon released a map this week showing coalition forces have taken back 25-30% of Iraqi territory seized by ISIS. The map, above, shows gains in key central and northern areas of Iraq where the terror group was previously the dominant force. The gains made in the fight against the terror group by Iraqi security forces and coalition air power certainly look impressive -- although as the U.S. Department of Defense acknowledges it's a dynamic conflict and territory can change hands depending on "daily fluctuations in the battle lines." So, how exactly should we read this information? What does it say about the wider fight against ISIS? CNN asked Afzal Ashraf, a counterinsurgency specialist and consulting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute to give us a steer on what this new data tells us about the fight against ISIS in Iraq. Below is an edited version of the conversation. CNN: So, is the tide turning in Iraq -- is the coalition winning? Afzal Ashraf: When it comes to insurgencies it's always problematic to think about the tide turning in terms of territorial gains because insurgencies by their very nature are extremely good at adapting to change. The one difference between ISIS and insurgencies in general is that ISIS declared itself a state, a caliphate once had territory so any loss is very strategic loss of prestige and image for them. (There have been) significant gains against ISIS -- particularly in Tikrit -- and it's no coincidence we've seen ISIS make spectacular attacks in refugee centers in Syria. It's asymmetric warfare, they know they cannot hold conventional force back for very long so what they do is they withdraw ... then take initiative elsewhere. They have to distract attention from those losses by gains and attacks elsewhere. It continues their image of initiative, of shocking, of reshaping the world -- which is what they are trying to do. CNN: What does the map tell us about the coalition's strategy? AA: It's very telling. There are losses but most of the losses are around the edges of their territory and what that means is a very conventional push forward by the Iraqi forces. It's a push against the front line of ISIS rather than being brave and creative and going in behind ISIS's lines and breaking it up. What this isn't is using maneuverist warfare -- which is a military philosophy that exploits the capabilities of conventional forces to project power by using air forces to take land along main supply routes and put friendly forces on that land to cut land into chunks which causes massive disruption to command and control and their supply chains which can cause forces to collapse much more rapidly than a frontal push. The capability you need (for this kind of warfare) is much more high-tech than the capabilities the Iraqis have. Those capabilities are available in the region -- Jordanians, Egyptians and other forces have helicopters and aircraft -- and it's very interesting that the Middle Eastern nations have not developed an effective coalition to target ISIS which is an existential threat. CNN: What about Ramadi? ISIS seems to be winning there. AA: Ramadi has been a potential battlefield for the past decade. But in this context (ISIS) will ... be pushing in Ramadi because that's an area they have lots of support. It also diverts their attention away from losses to their gains. The concept of success is hugely important to them -- it's what sustains the recruitment effort of ISIS. Nobody wants to join a bunch of losers, so it's very important for them to be seen to be succeeding. Above all this is a rhetorical war that is being fought deliberately in the media. They are losing so of course they are going to try to distract us by destroying ancient statues in Nimrud and killing refugees in camps like Yarmouk. But where it counts they are not standing and fighting. | Pentagon releases map showing coalition forces have taken back 25-30% of Iraq territory from ISIS .
Counterinsurgency specialist Afzal Ashraf on what new data tells us about fight .
Ashraf: Where it counts (ISIS is) not standing and fighting . | 2ffe3bdf91bdd8e12fc00fa02267545d8a0cb6da | [
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(CNN)One of Tokyo's most prominent districts has taken a small, but potentially significant step to recognizing same-sex unions in Japan. The government of Shibuya ward, one of the capital's most famous shopping and trendy entertainment districts, passed ordinance on Wednesday paving the way for "partnership certificates" for same-sex couples, allowing them some of the rights of married heterosexual couples. Same-sex partners who are registered with the district's ward office will be able to hold visitation rights in hospitals and co-sign tenancy agreements. Other advantages that heterosexual married couples enjoy, such as joint filing of taxes, are controlled by the federal government and are outside the remit of individual municipalities. The measure was proposed in February by Shibuya's mayor, Toshitake Kuwahara. While the certificates will not be issued until later in the summer and are not legally binding, proponents of marriage equality in socially conservative Japan say that the ward's decision is a step in the right direction. "It is not a marriage license and advantages will be limited but still better than nothing," Gon Matsunaka, a gay rights activist, told CNN. While Shibuya's decision does not yet equate to heterosexual marriage, the hope is that the move will be the beginnings of promoting marriage equality for gay communities. "What is important for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community in Shibuya is the ruling will make us visible in society," Matsunaka said . "It could be a strong driver for Shibuya citizens to learn and know what kind of problems LGBT people are facing." Taiga Ishikawa, Tokyo councillor and the first male gay local assembly member in Japan, told CNN the ordinance was a "big first step for the protection of human rights." He called the decision "happy" but said that it must go alongside education about alternative lifestyles. He said that the most important part of today's announcement is that it "should be actually put into practice, as should education for understanding (LGBT individuals) especially they suffer as they find out their sexuality when they are young." Neighboring Setagaya ward has indicated that it would look into following Shibuya's lead. However, former councilor Ishikawa cautioned against taking the movement's momentum for granted. "To realize equal rights for gay couples, a national law has to be made," he said. While outright discrimination against the LGBT community is rare in Japan, its effects can be hidden and gay people often find themselves at a disadvantage. Many hide their sexuality from their employers, co-workers, families and friends. But the tide may be turning. A recent poll found that a slight majority at 52.4% oppose gay marriage, but support amongst young adults in their 20s and 30s is as high as 70%. An editorial in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, which commissioned the poll, welcomed the Shibuya decision, calling it "a bold and important step forward." Only traditional marriages are recognized under Japan's constitution, but the wording is vague enough to open it to interpretation, according to Mari Miura, a professor of gender and politics at Sophia University in Tokyo. "The constitution does not rule out same-sex marriage, so an interpretation can be made that it is constitutional," Miura told Bloomberg Business. While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party "don't like the idea of same-sex marriage, but at the same time the issue is gaining momentum." Conservative groups were vocal in their opposition, with one, known as the Network Pushing for Normalization of Education, telling the Japan Times that granting same-sex couples the same rights as all other Japanese citizens would degrade the "familial system and practice that heterosexual unions have long preserved in human history." While Shibuya's registration system will be a first for Japan, Yodogawa ward in the western Japanese city of Osaka was the first in the nation to recognize and support the LGBT community. In 2013 the ward government pledged to give consideration to the issues that the community faced, and to train staff to accommodate needs specific to LGBT individuals. Journalist Chie Kobayashi contributed reporting from Tokyo . | Shibuya ward in Tokyo passes an ordinance that gives same-sex couples some of the rights of married heterosexual couples .
Activists welcome the decision; hope that it will lead to greater equality for LGBT people in Japan .
Recent poll finds most young Japanese open to the idea of gay marriage . | b10db3ae83abe1eec4236126d9c195ed7db90cc3 | [
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(CNN)If someone told you that your city had started a program providing clean needles to injecting drug users, would that make you want to start injecting drugs yourself? The answer, of course, would be no. Yet for decades, many have stood by the belief that such programs, known as syringe exchange or syringe services programs, promote and encourage drug use. Indeed, for Congress, it became the rationale behind a ban implemented in 1988 that prohibits the use of federal funds for these programs. But an overwhelming body of scientific evidence continues to show that this is simply not true. As a result of the recent spikes in HIV and hepatitis C infections among injecting drug users in rural Indiana and Kentucky, the controversial topic of syringe exchange programs has come to the fore again. And this time, scientific evidence and sound public health practices prevailed as both states authorized the implementation of syringe exchange programs to help curb the spread of these two blood-borne diseases that can be spread by contaminated syringes. This is a welcome step -- an estimated 50,000 Americans are newly infected with HIV every year, and some 8% are among injection drug users. Meanwhile, between 2006 and 2012, at least 30 states experienced increases in hepatitis C infection rates, with more than half reporting at least a 200% increase in acute infections among young adults. Overall, the prevalence of acute hepatitis C among people under 30 rose from 36% to 49% in six years. With such numbers in mind, the recent national spotlight on syringe services programs offers a critical opportunity for us to reignite a much-needed conversation. Dozens of studies have demonstrated conclusively how effective syringe services programs have been in the fight against HIV and hepatitis C transmission among injection drug users by reducing the reuse and sharing of dirty syringes -- without increasing drug use. In addition to helping curb the spread of these diseases by offering access to sterile syringes, these programs promote public health and safety by taking syringes off the streets and protecting law enforcement personnel and others, including children, from injuries. They also offer preventive health services, such as HIV testing and counseling, and form vital bridges to drug treatment, overdose prevention, housing and employment services. For states such as New York and Washington -- early adopters of these interventions -- syringe services programs have played a crucial role in driving down HIV transmission among injecting drug users. Washington was the first state in the United States to implement an syringe exchange when it opened a syringe services program in Tacoma in 1988. In New York City -- where half of all injection drug users were HIV positive in the 1980s -- state lawmakers authorized syringe exchange in 1992 to combat the disease, deeming it a "public health necessity." The expansion of these programs in New York was followed by a dramatic reduction in HIV incidence among injecting drug users, declining from 54% in 1990 to 13% in 2001; hepatitis C prevalence declined from 90% to 63% during this period. Because they work, syringe services programs will likely be an integral part of the statewide plans announced by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to reduce new HIV infections dramatically by 2020. Syringe exchange programs not only save lives, but also save millions of dollars in HIV treatment costs. While a clean syringe costs less than 50 cents, the average lifetime cost of treating an HIV-positive person is estimated to be around $425,000. As HIV-positive injection drug users report higher levels of unemployment and homelessness, public programs such as Medicaid will ultimately become responsible for the expensive treatment costs. For example, an analysis by Johns Hopkins University researchers showed that expanding the availability of syringe services programs to cover just 10% of all injections in the United States would prevent almost 500 new HIV infections among drug users per year. This translates into $193 million in savings reaped from averted treatment costs after an estimated $64 million investment. In other words, every dollar spent on syringe exchange saves between $3 and $7 in HIV treatment costs alone. Despite such evidence, syringe services programs are continually caught in the political crossfire. A longstanding ban, temporarily lifted in 2009 and then reinstated by Congress as part of 2010 budget negotiations, prevents state and local jurisdictions from spending their federal health dollars on these programs. Lifting the ban will not cost any additional money -- it simply allows states to spend their federally allocated dollars on syringe services programs, if they choose to do so. Why is this important? The federal government provides the majority of funding for all HIV prevention services. Without access to federal funding, more than 200 syringe service programs in 34 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are operating on shoestring budgets from local and state governments. This has forced syringe services programs across the country to cut staff, scale down services and potentially shut their doors for good. Meanwhile, the new HIV and hepatitis C infections among injecting drug users in primarily rural states, such as in Indiana or Kentucky, show that the landscape of injection drug use in America is rapidly changing. We have a chance right now to get ahead of the curve and avert a nationwide resurgence of HIV and hepatitis C infections through injection drug use. It is time for Congress to make sound and effective policy based upon facts rather than discredited assertions or unsubstantiated fears. | An estimated 50,000 Americans are newly infected with HIV each year, CDC says .
Kevin Robert Frost: Syringe exchange programs save millions in HIV treatment costs . | 5d2e14129f00d0f1bd87cebd7c8d144939646a6c | [
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Luca Railton, 11, was told he would never walk - but has now taken his first steps unaided . An 11-year-old boy told he would never walk has taken his first steps unaided thanks to pioneering treatment in the US. Luca Railton was born with bones missing from his legs, due to the rare condition bilateral tibial hemimelia. Doctors said the condition - which affects just one in three million people - meant he would to have his right leg amputated or fused straight. But his loved ones refused to accept these grim prospects, which would have left Luca severely disabled for life. Instead, they began desperately trying to find other suitable treatments, and eventually found an American surgeon called Dr Dror Paley, who assured Luca's parents his leg could be saved. Through tireless fundraising, Mr and Mrs Railton managed to raise £135,000 to take their son to the US for surgery. He underwent a series of operations – including one to break his right leg and start lengthening his femur (thigh bone). Now, Luca is walking unaided – without the stints he formerly needed - and can even play cricket and tennis. His mother, Teresa, 43, said: 'From the moment he was born our goal in life has been for him to keep his legs. 'We knew we would do everything in our power for him. Before we went to America, Luca was getting worse. 'He was in pain and reliant on his crutches. It was awful to see. 'We knew we had to raise £135,000 and our friends have been brilliant. We have had amazing donations. But if we hadn't our plan B was to re-mortgage the house.' Luca was born with no shin bone (tibia) and no knee in his right leg, and only a partial shin bone in his left leg. For the first year of his life, every doctor said that his leg would eventually be amputated. But his family discovered a German surgeon called Professor Weber who had been working on Luca's rare problem, and he agreed to come to England to perform a pioneering 10 hour operation on Luca's legs. The surgery was hugely successful and for the next few years, Luca was able to walk on his own and play with other children. Throughout his childhood years, Luca underwent over 60 hours of surgery as doctors tried to rebuild his legs over and over again as he has grew. But in February last year, when Luca was 10, NHS doctors told his parents there was nothing more they could do for him, and recommended he have his leg amputated, or fused straight. But his family refused to give up and combed the medical literature for alternatives, eventually coming across Dr Dror Paley, an orthopaedic surgeon in Florida. He claims to be the most experienced limb lengthening and deformity correction surgeon in the United States as well as internationally. Luca was born with bones missing from his legs, due to the rare condition bilateral tibial hemimelia. At 10-years-old doctors said nothing more could be done for him and he would need to have his leg amputated . Throughout his childhood years, Luca underwent more than 60 hours of surgery as doctors tried to rebuild his legs over and over again as he has grew . Dr Paley said he would be able to save Luca's leg and allow him to walk, so his parents began fundraising more than £100,000 to take their son to the US. They held karaoke night, Zumba night, cake sales, races, sponsored walks and convinced local companies to donate. Setting up social media accounts and a website meant people could donate directly to Luca's cause. They were able to raise the cash and Luca underwent his first lengthy operation on March 27. He then had three more operations between May and November. Each day for several weeks, his parents had to turn struts placed in their son's leg to allow the bone to grow. Since his return, Luca (pictured right with his mother) is now able to walk without crutches, play tennis, cricket and even hopes to drive cars. He is pictured, left, as a baby, after being diagnosed . After nine months, on December 19, Luca and his parents returned to their home near Malmesbury, Wiltshire. Since his return, Luca has made immense progress and over the last week has been able to walk without crutches. But while the Railtons are celebrating Luca's success, the ordeal is not over as he will need further surgery to lengthen his right leg in three years time. The rod inserted in his leg may also be removed and he will require a knee implant. Luca said: 'It's getting easier. It was difficult at times because of the pain. 'The highlight for me was when the frame came off on November 19. And it makes it a lot easier to get dressed in the morning without callipers [stints]. I can wear skinny jeans and I just wear regular shoes now.I can wear skinny jeans and I just wear regular shoes now. | Luca Railton was born with leg bones missing due to a medical condition .
In February 2014, doctors said he would need to have his leg amputated .
But his family raised £135k to take him to the US for surgery instead .
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The potential domestic auction for Liverpool's Raheem Sterling this summer could decide which of Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United lure Gareth Bale from Real Madrid. As first revealed in Football Grapevine last month, Liverpool have put a £50million price tag on Sterling if they opt to sell the 20-year-old. Should Sterling leave for one of the Barclays Premier League's big three, then the other two will focus on trying to persuade Bale to leave Madrid. A potential domestic auction could be sparked for the purchase of Liverpool's Raheem Sterling . Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United are among those watching Sterling ahead of the summer . It could decide where Gareth Bale ends up if one club gets Sterling and the other two miss out . It promises to become a tangled transfer web. Bale is, from a playing and commercial point of view, a far 'safer bet' given his proven CV. But his fee of £75m and near £300,000-a-week wages mean his acquisition would restrict other signings under financial fair play guidelines. It's also the case that Bale may not agree to a return to any of the three Premier League clubs who can afford him. Indeed he has indicated he would like to continue at Madrid. But such has been the adverse reaction of many Madrid fans to him this season he may find it difficult to 'tough it out'. And the Spanish club may feel it is a good time to 'cash out'. As it stands Liverpool will not budge from their £100,000-a-week contract offer to England international Sterling, whose advisors believe he is worth about £150,000 in the current market. Liverpool will not budge from their £100,000-a-week contract offer to England international Sterling . Bale (left) pictured during a Real Madrid training session with Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo . Bale's £75m fee and near £300,000-a-week wages mean his signing would restrict clubs under FFP guidelines . The stance of the Liverpool hierarchy, though, is they will not scrap their salary ladder scale for Sterling in the belief he has not yet justified moving up to their existing top bracket of £140,000-a-week that departing Steven Gerrard has been on or Luis Suarez pocketed before leaving for Barcelona. Given that he has two years left on his existing £35,000-a-week contract, the club feel if Sterling will not agree they should cash in, even if means selling to one of the rivals - even United. Argentine Paulo Dybala, dubbed by Palermo president Mauricio Zamparini as 'the new Sergio Aguero', is set to be on his way to the Premier League this summer. The destination depends on the outcome of the Sterling saga but both Liverpool and Arsenal are in for the 21-year-old. Paulo Dybala, dubbed 'the new Sergio Aguero', is set to be on his way to the Premier League . The destination depends on the outcome of the Sterling saga but both Liverpool and Arsenal fancy him . The 21-year-old currently plays for Palermo in Italy but could be on his way to England this summer . Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Arsenal's Theo Walcott but the player's wage demands may put off the Anfield outfit. Walcott signed a near £100,000-a-week deal with the Gunners just two years ago but is already seeking improved terms to commit himself to the club for a further five years. It remains to be seen whether Arsenal are prepared to up his wages again given his appearance record over the past two years which has been hampered by more injuries. Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Arsenal's Theo Walcott during the summer . Walcott signed a near £100,000-a-week deal with the Gunners just two years ago but could leave London . Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers would see Walcott as an ideal replacement for Sterling but would only want to pay about the £100,000-per-week mark. If Walcott was still attracted to a move to Anfield, where he would command more regular football, then Arsene Wenger would make a move for Dybala. If Sterling goes and Walcott stays with the Gunners, Liverpool could then move in for the highly-rated Dybala. He is a centre forward who can also operate on the wing and is currently valued in the £15m bracket. Marcelo Bielsa has emerged as one of the front runners to succeed Sam Allardyce as West Ham manager. If, as seems certain, the Hammers do not give Allardyce a new contract in the summer then the club could turn to Argentine Bielsa, currently in charge of Marseille, who lie third in the French league in touching distance of leaders Lyon. Bielsa has an impressive CV having managed the national teams of both Argentina and Chile. Marcelo Bielsa could join the Premier League if he replaces West Ham manager Sam Allardyce . Bielsa and Hernan Crespo relax before Argentina's ill-fated 2002 World Cup campaign . Among the clubs he has managed include Athletic Bilbao in Spain, where he earned a reputation of promoting exciting football in a 3-3-3-1 formation. He is regarded as a progressive attacking coach with both Diego Simeone and Mauricio Pochettino influenced by the 59-year-old. But the appointment of Bielsa would still be a gamble by West Ham. Allardyce may not be handed a new contract during the summer by West Ham when his current deal expires . Bielsa could replace Allardyce if his current contract is not extended by Premier League club West Ham . Over the years he has earned the nickname EL Loco - 'The Mad One'. His command of English is limited and he has little knowledge of the Premier League. The need for West Ham not to even be close to a relegation battle in their last season at the Boleyn Ground before moving to the Olympic Stadium, is obvious. Other contenders on West Ham's long list include Slaven Bilic, Rafa Benitez, Brian Laudrup, Frank Rijkaard and David Moyes. Once Manchester United have completed the long-mooted move for Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, they will - as also predicted here - set their sights on Southampton's right back Nathaniel Clyne. It has been suggested United will offer striker Javier Hernandez, currently on loan at Real Madrid, as part of the deal to land by Clyne. But West Ham are also interested in signing Hernandez. Manchester United will set their sights on Southampton's right back Nathaniel Clyne this summer . United are set to complete their highly anticipated move for Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund . Chelsea are set to move in for Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Rob Green to act as No 2 to Thibaut Courtois with Petr Cech on his way out of Stamford Bridge. Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked with Cech. Chelsea would prefer to sell £10m-rated Cech abroad. Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain are likely to be in the market. Chelsea are set to move in for QPR goalkeeper Rob Green to replace Petr Cech at Stamford Bridge . I am hearing . While on England duty Sterling was urged by several around the camp to take a step back and consider the potential downsides of leaving Liverpool at this stage of his career, even if he will land bigger wages for the time being. I hear it was even put to Sterling that the saga now unfolding is more in the short-term interest of his advisor Aidy Ward than his long-term progression as a player. Indeed the Liverpool player should look at what happened to Shaun Wright-Phillips a decade ago. Sterling was reportedly urged by people in the England camp to sit back and think before leaving Anfield . It was in 2005 that Wright-Phillips left Manchester City - before they were big time - for Chelsea in a £21m deal, which was massive at the time. At the time 23-year-old Wright-Phillips looked as though he could be a world beater. But he was never a regular at City and his hugely promising career both at club level and England never reached its potential. Now at QPR, 33-year-old Wright-Phillips has made one Premier League appearance this season. Shaun Wright-Phillips left City for Chelsea in a £21m deal in 2005 but he never reached his potential . I am also hearing . The Football Association, Premier League and the PFA will seek medical advice as to the safety of vanishing spray for free kicks which has been banned in Germany's Bundesliga on health grounds on the basis it is 'hormonally active'. Germany's Bundesliga banned the vanishing spray on health grounds on the basis it is 'hormonally active' | Raheem Sterling's potential move from Liverpool could spark a three-way domestic auction between Chelsea, Manchester City and United .
Liverpool have put a £50million price tag on England international Sterling .
If one of the three Premier League clubs sign Sterling, then the other two will try to lure Gareth Bale from Real Madrid .
Brendan Rodgers sees Theo Walcott as an ideal replacement for Sterling .
Palermo's Paulo Dybala is a target of both Liverpool and Arsenal .
Marcelo Bielsa could succeed Sam Allardyce as West Ham manager .
Manchester United set sights on Southampton right back Nathaniel Clyne . | 8c3ee434db3b76a4c3fced110c61fb45cc2967c8 | [
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They are caught between their bodies and their church - but have managed to walk a line between the two. These three Mormons, all from Utah, have realized that they are transgender - a designation not officially recognized by the Church of Latter Day Saints. Indeed, church doctrine states that anybody who takes their transgender identity to the extent of gender reassignment surgery cannot be baptized - and could face discipline from church elders if they are already a member of the religion. However, in the case of Annabel Jensen, Grayson Moore and Sara Jade Woodhouse, they have found a way to exist within the Mormon universe - often with the help of local Mormon leaders. Scroll down for video . Struggles: Grayson Moore, left with his mother, and Annabel Jensen, right, have both transitioned gender. Grayson used to be Grace and Annabel was once Christopher . Changed: Sara Jade Woodhouse, above, changed gender much later in life. As a man, she had married and fathered a child . As an extensive profile of the three in the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper reveals, the three have managed stay devout members of the church while navigating the difficulties of their gender identity. According to the Tribune, around 30 transgender Mormons meet every week in a support group, and have started to get the attention of senior church members. Grayson Moore, 22, is a math student at the University of Utah, and first came to terms with being transgender in junior high. Until then, he had been known as Grace, but made the decision to throw out his girls' clothes, swap his name to Grayson and start living as a male. Therapy: Moore, pictured above at home in Syracuse, Utah, started taking testosterone hormones several years after switching to wearing boys' clothes . Several years later he began testosterone therapy, which has made his body more masculine. He attends an all-male congregation, but is officially still listed as female by the church. He told the Tribune that after being told about gender identity disorder by his mother, he prayed to God asking 'Am I your son?' and felt the answer was 'yes'. While he understood the change would be hard, he said 'there was a bigger risk in not transitioning.' Accepted: Jensen told how she was welcomed when telling a Mormon bishop of her transgender identity . 'Living that lie was killing me.' Annabel Jensen, who was born Christopher, got as far as being ordained as a Mormon elder and was lined up to go on a two-year mission before she confronted her identity as a woman. She came out to her family, who told her she couldn't wear women's clothes and insisted on using her old name. Jensen, who is estranged from her parents and siblings, now lives alone and has started taking hormones to be more female. She said: 'One of my brothers sent me a text calling me a monster. I miss my family, but I don't want to visit. It's become too painful.' However, she has found solace in the church, and says the bishop of her ward was unambiguous about letting her join in. She remembers him saying: 'I don't know anything about being a transgender Mormon - but it's my job to welcome you.' Sara Jade Woodhouse had already grown up, and had a wife a child by the time she embraced her female identity, which she says she felt since grade school. She separated from her wife after deciding she could go no longer without changing her identity. She explained the switch to her daughter, then five, who said she found it 'weird' but looked forward to playing dolls with her. Woodhouse remains devout but is not allowed to attend the Relief Society - an all-female organization within the church. Difficult: Woodhouse has not been allowed to participate in some female Mormon activities, but says that she believes her gender identity is compatible with Mormon teachings . However, she believes that church doctrine on gender being eternal and unchangeable is compatible with her situation. She told the Tribune: 'We know that some people are born with ambiguous genitalia or with both - it is absolutely possible for a perfect feminine soul to end up in a male body and vice versa.' Even the most senior members of the church are starting to take notice of the Mormon transgender population. Dallin H. Oaks, one of the twelve apostles who are in the top echelon of the church hierarchy, said more needs to be done. He told the Tribune: '[Mormon leaders] have not had so much experience with [transgender persons]... We have some unfinished business on that.' | Grayson Moore, Annabel Jensen and Sara Woodhouse are transgender .
Moore, formerly Grace, realized in high school and takes testosterone .
Jensen, who was born Christopher, also takes hormone treatments .
Mormon church will not baptize anybody who has sex change procedures .
Woodhouse transitioned later in life - he was married with a daughter .
The three have found varying degrees of acceptance into Mormon life . | 28fc132016f1d228dabe34240cda32b16993c4c9 | [
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Media personality Miranda Devine has apologised after calling a rugby player a 'tosser' for celebrating a try using sign language. Flanker David Pocock scored a hat-trick of tries for Australian Super Rugby team, the Brumbies, who were on their way to a win against the Highlanders at Canberra Stadium on Friday night. Devine tweeted: 'Did Pocock actually do jazz hands when he celebrated a try?!!! What a tosser!' But unfortunately for Devine, it wasn't actually the hand shaking gesture that's become popular recently - the flanker and former Australian captain was actually doing sign language for a friend, which Pocock pointed out in reply. Miranda Devine has apologised after calling David Pocock a 'tosser' for celebrating a try using sign language . Devine had assumed a gesture Pocock had made after scoring a try on Friday night was 'jazz hands' Devine tweeted: 'Did Pocock actually do jazz hands when he celebrated a try?!!! What a tosser!' After the match, Pocock responded to Devine that she'd misinterpreted his hand movements. 'It was actually Auslan/sign language for clapping. I have a friend who's first language is Auslan so it was for her…' he tweeted. Ms Devine then quickly changed her tune and apologised for being so harsh with her initial judgement. 'That's really nice. Sorry I misjudged. Glad it wasn't jazz hands! And congrats on your hat trick,' she replied, alongside an emoji of two open hands. This emoji can be interpreted as showing praise for someone or – fittingly – jazz hands. 'It was actually Auslan/sign language for clapping. I have a friend who's first language is Auslan so it was for her…' Pocock tweeted in return . Ms Devine then quickly changed her tune and apologised for being so harsh with her initial judgement . Pocock was gracious in his reply, tweeting 'thanks, Miranda. That's totally fine. Also glad it wasn't "jazz hands",' accompanied by a smiley face . Pocock was gracious in his reply, tweeting 'thanks, Miranda. That's totally fine. Also glad it wasn't "jazz hands",' accompanied by a smiley face. However, other social media users weren't as quick to forgive. 'In fairness, Devine apologised to Pocock. But really: (1) what kind of adult writes a tweet like that; and (2) WHAT'S WRONG WITH JAZZ HANDS,' columnist Benjamin Law tweeted. 'Egg, meet face,' Criag Wilson wrote. Other social media users weren't as quick to forgive Devine, despite her quick apology . But others were perfectly fine with jazz hands: 'Am I the only one that thinks jazz hands would have been totally acceptable also?' tweeted Kim O'Neill. Others on social media were more understanding, taking the view that 'accidents happen'. 'And you've *never* made a dumb*** assumption/judgement?' the woman wrote to someone who had condemned Ms Devine's comment. 'We're all capable of foot-in-mouth.' | After scoring a try on Friday night, David Pocock gestured in sign language to a friend .
Miranda Devine mistook it for 'jazz hands', calling him a 'tosser' on Twitter .
The Rugby player gracefully corrected Devine, who promptly apologised .
Social media went into a frenzy following the exchange . | 60c3114cd31fced2982a5e912f2224220d6c5254 | [
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A 13-year-old Maryland boy provided firefighters with instructions during a 911 call and got himself and his little sister rescued after his family's home caught fire on Sunday morning, . Marcus and his nine-year-old sister Aaliyah were trapped in a second-floor bedroom after the fire broke out on the first floor of their home in Clinton. The boy called 911 shortly before 7am after he smelled smoke and told the dispatcher the siblings were trapped in the room because it was too hot to get out through the hallway . Scroll down for audio . A 13-year-old Maryland boy called 911 after a fire broke out on the first floor of his home in Clinton on Sunday . Marcus, who stayed calm throughout the 11-minute call, told the dispatcher that his older brother, mother and step-father were also in the home, ABC News reported. He also soothed his sister after she blurted out, 'We're going to die', during the call and told her to 'stay low' and reminded her to breathe. While giving directions, the boy said: 'Go up the steps right in the back hallways. 'It's a black door to the right.' Marcus was able to stay calm throughout the 11-minute call and he was rescued along with his 9-year-old sister . Prince George’s County firefighters were able to enter the room by going through the home and breaking a window, according to the Washington Post. When firefighter Lt Kenny Ward entered the room, he handed Marcus out the window to another rescuer, according to Assistant Fire Chief Alan Doubleday. The 25-year veteran then gave his gas mask to the little girl after he felt her tug on his leg. Doubleday said: 'It was a heroic effort on his part. I can’t even put it into words.' The siblings were taken to Children's Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, WJLA reported. The three other family members were taken to MedStar Hospital after escaping on their own. | Marcus, a 13-year-old Maryland boy, provided firefighters with instructions .
Smelled smoke when family's Clinton home caught fire Sunday morning .
Was trapped in a second-floor bedroom with nine-year-old sister during fire .
Soothed his sister after she blurted out 'We're going to die' during the call .
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(CNN)SpaceX on Tuesday launched a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket carrying an uncrewed cargo spacecraft called Dragon on a flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the International Space Station. That was the easy part. In a difficult bid to land a rocket stage on a floating barge for the first time, the private space exploration company was unsuccessful. SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted: "Ascent successful. Dragon enroute to Space Station. Rocket landed on droneship, but too hard for survival." He later clarified that the rocket landed, but tipped over. SpaceX tried to land a Falcon 9 on the drone ship in January, but the rocket hit at an angle and exploded. SpaceX has said it will keep trying and, after it masters landing at sea, hopes to someday land rockets on the ground. Usually booster rockets burn up in Earth's atmosphere or, like NASA's space shuttle boosters, they fall back into the ocean. So why try to land one? Musk wants to cut costs. On his company's website, he says that if anyone can figure out how to "reuse rockets just like airplanes, the cost of access to space will be reduced by as much as a factor of a hundred." What about the rest of the rocket and the Dragon? The smaller, top part of the rocket will carry the Dragon into orbit and then break away from the cargo ship and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. The Dragon will dock with the space station a couple of days after launch to deliver more than 4,300 pounds (1,950 kilograms) of supplies, including research equipment and ISSpresso, an espresso maker that astronauts can use to make coffee and tea. The space station crew will spend about five weeks unpacking the Dragon. They'll then stuff it with over 3,000 pounds of science experiments, trash and other stuff to send back to Earth. When they're done, Dragon will leave the space station and mission controllers will guide it to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off California. This is the sixth SpaceX mission to the International Space Station. The company was the first private space contractor to dock with the station. Tuesday's launch was the second attempt for this mission. Monday's planned launch was scrubbed due to weather. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report. | SpaceX founder Elon Musk: "Rocket landed on droneship, but too hard for survival"
This was the second attempt at historic rocket booster barge landing .
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Bernie Madoff allegedly tried to persuade his drug dealer's girlfriend to become his mistress . Bernie Madoff, who carried out one of the world's largest frauds, tried to persuade his drug dealer's girlfriend to become his mistress, it has emerged. Madoff is serving 150 years in prison for carrying out a $65 billion Ponzi style fraud - which became the largest in financial history. A new book about the financier claims he had put pressure on an Israeli model who was working for him as a stock analyst and dating his dealer Silvio Eboli to sleep with him. He is said to have met Eboli at a Christmas party in 1997 at the Montauk Yacht Club with his son Mark, who later committed suicide over his father's fraudulent activities, Page Six reported. 'Bernie had put enormous pressure on 'Leah' to sleep with him and be his mistress, offering her practically anything if she just let him f*** her,' the book by Toby Rogers states. Eboli is believed to have never confronted Madoff but warned he would injure him if he ever crossed the line with his girlfriend. After 'Leah' became pregnant with Eboli's child in 2001 Madoff apparently summoned her into his office to say she had made a mistake. In the book Madoff is described as bellowing 'You could have had gold. You could have had me. You could have had an apartment, a car, a driver. But instead you throw all that away for some f****** hippie!' Madoff was arrested in December 2008 after he confessed his multi-billion dollar fraud to his two sons and they reported him to the FBI. He pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies in March 2009. The charges included securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, making false statements, perjury, theft from an employee benefit plan and making false filings with the SEC. Mark Madoff killed himself on the second anniversary of his father's prison sentence. Andrew Madoff, who had been head of equities at his father's New York based company, died last year after a battle with lymphoma, and had previously blamed the stress caused by his father for his relapse. Madoff (left) is pictured with his wife Ruth and his son Mark, who killed himself after his father's arrest . Andrew Madoff, on the Today show with fiance Catherine Hooper, left, and mother Ruth Madoff, right, said he would never forgive his father - not even on his death bed . Earlier this year 76-year-old Madoff wrote a letter from prison saying the pain he inflicted on victims of his Ponzi scheme is nothing compared to having to deal with losing both his sons. Defrauded Madoff investors have long viewed the convicted swindler's sons, wife and other family member suspiciously, arguing it is impossible that they did not know about his lies. But they were never criminally charged - and never forgave him. The allegations about Madoff's advances towards his dealer's girlfriend are contained in Rogers' book The Ganja Godfather. | Bernie Madoff is serving 150 years in prison for $65billion Ponzi style fraud .
Fraudster is alleged to have tried to steal his drug dealer's girlfriend .
It is claimed he put pressure on the Israeli model to become his mistress .
He apparently told her she had made a mistake when she became pregnant with dealer Silvio Eboli's child, new book into his life claims . | b95a8098e6594b92c5c3aac80d55f884ee13a60e | [
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The name Gary - once one of the most popular name in Britain - is now heading for extinction. Just 28 of 700,000 babies born in the UK in 2013 were given the name, data from the Office of National Statistics shows. That compares to 235 Garys being born in 1996, when the name was the 147th most popular in Britain. In 2013, it didn't even make the top 1,000. All in a name: Others suggest that Gary Lineker, left, or Take That singer Barlow might have put some off . Helped by the popularity of actor Gary Cooper, there was a surge in Garys born in the US in the early 1950s. There was even a trend of girls being given the name. The name peaked in Britain roughly decade later. In 1964, it was ranked 16th most popular. Since then, there has been a fall in the number of Garys. It is now among a number of once-common names that are close to dying-out completely. Fall from grace: Some blame shamed pop star Gary Glitter, pictured, for the name's declining popularity . There has been suggestion that football pundit Lineker, or Take That singer Barlow might have put some off the name. But others point to Britain's most notorious Gary, paedophile pop star Glitter, who was jailed for 16 years for a string of sex attacks on girls, as the reason behind the name's fall from grace. Speaking to the Sun, Gary Davis, from south London, said: 'Gary Glitter has obviously done us no favours.' Between 1996 and 2013, unusual names such as Dexter (there were 1,019 born in 2013), Jenson (1,055) and Harley (1,275) all climbed in popularity to break the top 100. Meanwhile, the country went from having no girls called Harper - the name given to David and Victoria Beckham's daughter - to hundreds. Nearly 200 were born in 2013. Other names inspired by famous faces including Rihanna (60 born in 2013), Hermione (77) and Paris (107) were also more popular than humble Gary. Data from last year shows a surge in Arabic names in the UK, with Omar, Ali and Ibrahim all entering the boys’ top 100 for the first time. For girls, Maryam has shot up 59 places to number 35, while Nur is a new entry in the girls’ top 100, jumping straight to number 29. And Muhammad has risen an astonishing 27 places compared to last year to claim the number-one spot for boys. Sophia was the top name for baby girls but the year’s biggest riser within the girls’ top 100 was Maryam, while the highest new entries were Nur, Emilia and Gracie. For baby boys, Teddy was the biggest climber within the top 100. The highest new entry was Kian. Popular: Between 1996 and 2013 country went from having no baby girls called Harper - the name given to David and Victoria Beckham's daughter - to hundreds. Above, Harper with her brothers and father last month . GIRLS . Alpha - Alpha may be the first letter in the Greek alphabet, but it’s one of the last names modern parents consider for their baby girls. Not so in 1880, the first year baby name records were kept in the US, when Alpha was Number 301. It dropped off the Top 1000 in 1944 and is about to disappear for good. Barbra - Singer Barbra Streisand made her unusually-spelled, condensed name famous in the 1960s, when it peaked at Number 511, only to drop off in the Top 1000 in 1971. Barbara, a Top 10 name for three decades, hangs on in the Top 1000, but Barbra is about to vanish. Claudine - This feminization of the ancient Roman name Claudius ranked in the Top 1000 for first half of the 20th century, then blipped to a new height in 1970 on the popularity of singer Claudine Longet, only to fall off the charts in 1975. Claudine along with most other once-popular –ine and –een-ending girls’ names are now out of favor. Nanette - Nanette ranked among the Top 1000 until 77, peaking in 1956. But today, most parents say no to Nanette. Sheba - Sheba is the short form of the Biblical Bathsheba, disappearing from view with only five baby girls named Sheba in the US in 2013. Sondra - Sandra’s exotic sister Sondra ranked in the Top 1000 from the 1920s through the 80s, peaking in 1939. But the devastating Hurricane Sandy took a lot of wind out of all forms of this name, given to only five girls in 2013. Thisbe -Thisbe was never ranked in the Top 1000, but this ancient mythological name – she was a doomed young lover whose tale inspired Romeo & Juliet – is about to vanish from the modern lexicon. Zelma - Zelma nearly broke the Top 200 in 1902 but fell off the list in 1955. Selma, Thelma, and even Velma, might be hanging on by the tips of their antiquated fingernails, but Zelma is about to lose her grip on modern usage. BOYS . Elmo - Just over a century ago, this short form of Guglielmo, the Italian form of William, stood at a respectable Number 247, hanging in there until the 1950s, when it disappeared from view. Any hope of revival was shattered by the ticklish toy from SesameStreet. Icarus - A dramatic Greek mythological name, Icarus is known for flying too close to the sun with dire consequences. His name has never broken into the national Top 1000, probably due his rash reputation and the icky sound of the first syllable of his name. Inigo - Inigo is another name that’s never ranked here, though it’s admired enough on Nameberry to make it Number 261. It’s the medieval Spanish version of Ignatius, which has ranked as high as Number 602 on the national list and was used by Cate Blanchett, but Inigo is a no-go. Llewellyn - A common name in Wales, with the distinctive Welsh double-l beginning, Llewellyn appeared on the US list for six decades, ending in the early 1940s. But despite its rich Welsh history, literary cred and quirky nicknames, Llewelyn seems headed for extinction. Remus - With his twin brother Romulus, he was a legendary founder of Rome. But the stereotypical image of Uncle Remus, plus the unpleasant first syllable, have kept him permanently off the Top 1000. Sherwood - The stiff surname Sherwood, which does have the distinguished namesake of influential novelist Sherwood Anderson, managed to make it onto the list from 1897 to 1963, peaking at Number 533 in 1938, Anderson’s heyday, but it hasn’t been heard from in the 7+ decades since then. Waldo - Where’s Waldo? He’s nowhere to be found except on the birth certificates of a scant five boys last year. Waldo actually reached as high as Number 347 in 1881 and remained on the list till 1941, when it became a victim of anti-German sentiment. | Gary fell from 147th most popular British name in 1996 to 1,001st in 2013 .
Reached height of its popularity in 1964, when it was ranked 16th .
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A car salesman who was high on cocaine murdered a prostitute by stabbing her 44 times before raping two more women at his home while his partner enjoyed a Christmas night out. Steven Mathieson, 38, stabbed prostitute Luciana Maurer dozens of times in a frenzied and unprovoked attack at his home Falkirk, Stirlingshire last December. As she lay dead on the floor, the father-of-two called two more vice girls over to his family home and raped them before they managed to flee while still naked. His young son was asleep in the bedroom next door while he carried out the horrific crimes. Mathieson, who has previously been described as of 'impeccable character', pleaded guilty to murder and rape at the High Court in Glasgow today and now faces life in prison. Steven Mathieson, 38 (left), stabbed prostitute Luciana Maurer, 23, (right) dozens of times in a frenzied and unprovoked attack at his home Falkirk, Stirlingshire last December, while his partner was on a night out . The court heard how the crimes occurred while he was left babysitting his young children while their mother - his partner of 10 years - enjoyed a night out. The family had spent the day Christmas shopping on December 4 last year and enjoyed a meal before returning home. Mathieson - described as being his 'normal self' - then dropped one of his children at his grandmother's home before returning to his house – in a quiet residential neighbourhood - with his younger son. His partner left the property for a work night out and he sent her a text which said: 'Have a good night. Love you'. However, soon after he had put their young son to bed, Mathieson used his phone to arrange for sex while his partner was out. The court heard he regularly used sex phone lines but hid it from his long-term partner. Ms Maurer, a Romanian-born mother, was one of the escorts who arranged to meet him. The 23-year-old, who had arrived in Scotland just a few days earlier having moved up from London, arrived at his property at about 11pm. However, within minutes, Mathieson – who was high on cocaine - stabbed her 44 times and cut her throat. Mathieson then sent a text to his partner which said: 'Sorry xx'. His young child was asleep in the room next door while he carried out the harrowing crimes. The court heard how Ms Maurer had defensive-type injuries suggesting she had tried to fend off her killer. Two other escorts, who Mathieson had summoned, then arrived at his home, completely oblivious to the murder which had taken place. Ms Maurer, a Romanian-born mother, was stabbed 44 times by Mathieson and had her throat cut . When they arrived, they found Mathieson casually sitting on his sofa in the living room before he led them upstairs. Describing the horror that then met them, prosecutor Jane Farquharson said: 'Mathieson went into the bedroom first. 'He put on the light and hung back at the door whilst the women walked in. 'As soon as they entered the bedroom, they saw the deceased, lying on her back and on top of the double bed.' Mathieson then grabbed two knives from a set of drawers before blocking the door. One of the women begged Mathieson to let them go but he grabbed their mobile phones and flung them away, the court heard. He initially tormented them by stroking them with the knives before threatening to kill them if they did not follow his demands. Miss Farquharson: 'He told both to remove their clothing and to dance for him. 'In fear of what he might do and, with the body of the deceased lying on the bed in front of them, each did as they were told.' Mathieson went on to rape the pair, aged 26 and 22 - including attacking one after ordering her to lie beside Ms Maurer's dead body. The pair were trapped in the bedroom for 10 minutes before he ordered them downstairs. Once there, Mathieson continued to humiliate them before raping them again. Miss Farquharson said: 'Over the course of the assault in the living room, he told them that his son was asleep in the bedroom upstairs. 'He appeared to have an awareness of what he had done advising both: 'I'm going to be many years in prison because I killed that girl. 'I've done this to show my wife something.' Mathieson then went to a window thinking his partner had returned and, sensing an opportunity to escape, the women ran for the door. Mathieson tried to chase them, striking one on the leg with a knife, but they managed to escape and ran to a nearby flat where a woman came to their aid. Miss Farquharson: 'Both repeatedly stated their thanks and asked for help. They were crying and appeared to be terrified.' After the women escaped, Mathieson dialled 999 himself and told the operator: 'I've been high on drugs and I've killed a prostitute. 'Tell the officers I am not aggressive. I'm sitting on the couch. I had two other girls, but I've let them go.' Mathieson was still sitting in his living room when police turned up. He got down on his knees and held out his hands when officers arrested him. Mathieson, a car sales manager, carried out the horrific crimes at his home in Falkirk, Stirlingshire (above), while his partner went on a work night out. He is facing life in prison after pleading guilty to murder and rape . His partner, clueless as to what had happened in her absence, arrived back at the family property at about 2am. She was described as being 'hysterical' upon learning what had happened. Mathieson, a sales manager, was remanded in custody at the hearing today and will return to the dock next month. His court appearance was briefly interrupted today after he began crying hysterically and loudly retching as if he was going to be sick. In what is rarely seen in court, his QC Donald Findlay left his own seat to sit beside Mathieson in the dock and speak to him briefly before the case continued. The court was given no reason for what caused him to carry out the horrific murder and rapes, but it is believed his drug problem may have been a factor. In the spring of last year, he had started attending Cocaine Anonymous having built up a large debt. His girlfriend was not aware of the drug habit until finding out about the cash he owed, the court heard. Mr Findlay, defending, said that before his crimes Mathieson had been of 'impeccable character', but said he now accepted 'full responsibility' for his actions. Judge Lord Bannatyne deferred sentencing until May 7. Speaking after the hearing, detective inspector Dave Pinkney, from Police Scotland, said: 'The incidents that took place within the property in Springfield Drive led to the death of one woman and left two other females traumatised and extremely distressed having been the victims of serious sexual assaults. 'Police responded quickly to the area and detained Mathieson almost immediately. 'Following extensive forensic enquiries he was ultimately charged in connection with all of the reported offences. 'I would like to thank the victims and the family of Luciana Maurer for their courage and assistance during the course of this investigation. 'While nothing can undo the pain Steven Mathieson's actions have caused, they can take some solace in his conviction as we await his sentence.' | Steven Mathieson, 38, stabbed 23-year-old escort Luciana Maurer 44 times .
As she lay dead on the floor, he raped two other prostitutes at family home .
Crimes occurred while his partner was out and son was asleep in bedroom .
Mathieson, who was high on cocaine at the time, now faces life in prison . | 88aa7e84f992620ab353466759557ff42781e171 | [
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A new restaurant is offering a five-course drink-paired menu stuffed with all the fashionable, nutritional foods you can think of. There's seaweed and kale puree to start, followed by a reishi mushroom flaxseed cream main course, with a dessert of coconut and blueberry chia pudding - with gluten-free cinnamon quinoa. But this bang on-trend meal isn't fit for human consumption - it's just for dogs. Scroll down for video . Foodie Fidos will be treated to a five-course drinks-paired set menu at The Curious Canine Kitchen which opens for one weekend only (11 to 12 April) in Shoreditch, London . Menu was devised by event organiser Natty Mason who worked with whole foods chef Emily Stevenson . These meals will be served for one weekend only at London's latest eatery, The Curious Canine Kitchen, a 'holistic restaurant for four-legged friends'. The doggie fine diner is the first of its kind in Britain to serve high-end, freshly prepared, organic canine cuisine and will pop up in Shoreditch, London, on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April. This ticketed charity event is the brainchild of event organiser and spiritual dog trainer Natty Mason who has worked with whole foods, and gluten-free trained chef Emily Stevenson to devise the menus. Ms Mason said: 'I am impassioned to provoke a rethink in healthy canine dining and hope that this event, the first of its kind here, inspires better doggie dinners across the UK'. For £20 a dog, foodie Fidos will be treated to the five-course The Nature Way Tasting Menu for dogs which includes dishes such as textures of tripe with seaweed and kale puree, crispy paddywack (the chewy dog treat) with reishi mushroom flaxseed cream, and coconut, and blueberry chia pudding with gluten-free cinnamon quinoa dog biscuits. Each dish will be served alongside refreshments such as alkaline water, beef consomme and coconut water. Service with a woof! Your pets will be served by waiters at one of the restaurants four bespoke doggy tables . The meal will be polished off with a marrow bone from Hill & Szrok, known for its teeth cleaning properties and a 'Fresh Breath' herbal tea tonic to aid digestion. Human companions will be served an assortment of seven, raw whole food amuses-bouche and a variety of drinks as part of a set Rawsome Tasting Menu which features gazpacho raw soup, golden quinoa, coconut and mango salad as well as avocado, blueberry and chia cheesecake. Served by waiters at one of the restaurants four bespoke doggy tables, any leftovers will be available to take home in a doggy bag. All proceeds from event will be donated to Amazon CARES, a street dogs and cats charity in Iquitos, Peru where Ms Mason regularly volunteers. There will be two seatings each day (1 to 3pm and 3 to 5pm). Doggy foods: Textures of tripe with seaweed and kale puree, crispy paddywack with reishi mushroom flaxseed cream, and coconut, and blueberry chia pudding with gluten-free cinnamon quinoa dog biscuits, marrowbone from Hill & Szrok . Doggy drinks: Alkaline water, beef consomme and coconut water and Fresh Breath herbal tea tonic to aid digestion . Human food: Gazpacho raw soup, golden quinoa, coconut and mango salad as well as avocado, blueberry and chia cheesecake . The event takes place at ONE, Unit 1, 1 Teesdale Street, London, E2 6GF. Tickets cost £20 per dog and owner and can be purchased at CuriousCanineKitchen.com. 100 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to charity. | The Curious Canine Kitchen is a 'holistic restaurant for four-legged friends'
For £20 per dog, your pet will be treated to a slap-up five-course set menu .
All proceeds will be donated to Amazon CARES, a street dogs charity . | 8c39a9efd454dad85b2e2780d90410afa35a5640 | [
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Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew insists he is better than many of the Premier League's big-name managers but has no immediate plans to leave Selhurst Park for a table-topping side. Palace have won six out of 10 league games since Pardew succeeded Neil Warnock at the start of the year to all but guarantee their place in the Premier League next season. The Eagles were in the bottom three when Pardew took over and their climb up the table has succeeded in easing relegation fears and subsequently boosting the profile of a manager who has yet to take charge of a club constantly vying for honours. Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew believes he has the ability to manage one of England's top sides . Pardew, pictured with Arsene Wenger, feels he could do a better job than some of his rival managers . Pardew harbours no thoughts of leaving Palace in the near future, but maintains he would acquit himself better than some of the managers currently employed by the Premier League's trophy-chasing sides. 'I look at the top teams and feel I could do that job better than I'm seeing it being done,' Pardew told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme. 'But I'm quite happy where I am and if I work in this part of the league for the rest of my career I will be extremely happy. 'I'm really happy here - I don't really want another job,' he added. 'In a way the (Palace) board have been lucky because even if I have great success here I won't be looking to jump away.' The Crystal Palace manager, pictured with Yannick Bolasie, has said he is not looking to jump ship . Manchester City will provide a stern test of Pardew's managerial ability when they visit Selhurst Park on Monday and Pardew hopes his side's teamwork can overcome the considerable technical ability of Manuel Pellegrini's star-studded line-up. 'Mr Pellegrini's options on the bench will be significantly stronger than my own to try and get a result in the game with 15 minutes to go. 'But it doesn't always work out like that, (as) Burnley proved to Man City it is about sometimes the team being stronger than the individual and on Monday night we hope that's the case for Crystal Palace.' | Alan Pardew claims he has the ability to manage the league's top sides .
However Pardew insists he is content with life at Selhurst Park .
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A counterfeit drug gang has been jailed after raking in £10million by selling fake Viagra while pretending to be a fishing tackle business. Judge Charles Wide QC described it as a 'highly organised, large-scale criminal enterprise' which risked the health of members of the public, as he sentenced the gang at the Old Bailey. The UK-wide conspiracy offered cheap erectile dysfunction pills to online and face-to-face customers around the world. This was a 'sophisticated and carefully planned' scam which had bases in north-east Lincolnshire and Sussex, the judge said. A counterfeit drug gang has been jailed after raking in £10million by selling fake Viagra. Neil Gilbert (pictured left) was jailed for six years and Catherine Laverick (right) was sentenced to three years and 10 months . He said the 'the real mischief is the catastrophic damage that could be caused' to the public, noting that genuine drug companies had pointed out that acid, brick dust and road paint had been found in fake Viagra. One group based in southern England was headed by Neil Gilbert, 42, who made up to £60,000 a week selling unlicensed and counterfeit drugs to unsuspecting customers. The northern branch was led by Thailand-based Stephen Laverick, but his ex-wife Catherine Laverick, 47, was in charge of day-to-day operations in the UK. And their family members and friends were recruited to assist with the massive criminal enterprise. The court heard the conspiracy lasted eight years from 2004 and continued even after the gang were arrested in September 2011 following an investigation by the drugs regulatory body, MHRA. They had used a series of 'front' companies claiming to sell jewellery, fishing tackle and cosmetics to accept the electronic payments. Proceeds were then laundered through more than 100 bank accounts both in the UK and abroad. The gang offered fake Viagra pills to unsuspecting customers around the world. File photo . Huge sums of money were transferred between the conspirators, sent offshore or, were withdrawn in cash in the UK or abroad. The money laundered or obtained through fraud by all of the defendants totalled £8,444,896. Prosecutor Gillian Jones said: 'This case is not about wanting to distribute good medicines cheaply, but rather the motivation was greed, with an utter disregard for patient safety. 'The medicines that were seized which were purported to be Viagra and Valium in fact turned out to be counterfeit,' the prosecutor said. 'This was big business. The proceeds of the supply of these medicines via websites which have been traced to various merchant facilities is in excess of £10 million - that is not the real figure. 'Not all bank accounts have been identified. Some are abroad and haven't been traced properly and some medicines were paid for in cash.' An audit kept by Gilbert revealed that the gang received £60,000 a week from the sale of unlicensed medicines during 2011 alone - a turnover of more than £3million. The money was transferred into bank accounts held by members of the conspiracy or their relatives before being withdrawn in cash or used to sustain the business, the court heard. Miss Jones added: 'There is no doubt a conspiracy to sell these unlicensed medicines existed. They had to set up and maintain websites through which medicines were sold, rent storage units and packing centres. 'Offices were rented, stationary and packaging purchased, mail boxes rented to which customers posted cash and merchant banking facilities to allow payments by cards. 'They purported to be trading fishing tackle, cosmetics or jewellery but they were just a front to hide the real merchandise which was unlicensed medicines. Seth Pennington (pictured outside the Old Bailey) who was described as Gilbert's right-hand man and carried out the day-to-day operations under the directions of his boss, was jailed for five years . Kristina Sofoulakis (left) was jailed for two-and-a-half years and Mark Bristow (right) was jailed for four years . 'As demand for the products grew the customer database widened to countries in Europe including Sweden, France and Germany.' When banks started raising concerns about the nature of the business, the gang opened accounts offshore in Belize and Panama where fewer questions were asked. Gilbert, of Ovingdean, Brighton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines, two counts of money laundering, possession of counterfeit Valium and possession of counterfeit Viagra. He was jailed for a total of six years at the Old Bailey. His partner Kristina Sofoulakis, also of Ovingdean, Brighton, admitted conspiracy to supply medicines and money laundering in the UK and offshore. She was jailed for two-and-a-half years. She had worked as a book keeper, monitoring orders and payments. Sarah Laverick (pictured) was handed a 16-month jail term, suspended for two years and was ordered to carry out 200 hours' unpaid work . Catherine Laverick, of Ulceby, South Humberside, admitted conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines and money laundering in the UK and abroad. She was jailed for three years and 10 months. Her son, Thomas Laverick, was spared jail after being given a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years. He set up the fake company 'Shore Catch' to buy medicines and launder money. His sister Sarah Laverick was handed a 16-month jail term, which was also suspended for two years. She was ordered to carry out 200 hours' unpaid work. She pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering. The 26-year-old set up the fake fishing tackle company to help with buying medicines and laundered money through numerous bank accounts. Hugh Adair (left) was given a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years and Donna Denton (right) was sentenced to eight months, suspended for 18 months . Catherine Laverick's former partner Hugh Adair was given a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours' unpaid work. Adair, 37, of Brighton, helped with the day-to-day running as well as facilitating payment for the purchase of medicines. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines and fraud. Seth Pennington, 42, who was described as Gilbert's right-hand man and carried out the day-to-day operations under the directions of his boss, was jailed for five years. Pennington, of Brighton, admitted conspiracy to sell or supply unlicensed medicines, selling or distributing counterfeit goods (Viagra), two counts of money laundering, one of possession of counterfeit goods purporting to be Valium and one count of possession of a medicinal product (Kamagra) without marketing authorisation. Daniel Nilsen (left) was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for a year and Lee Pettit (right) was sentenced to 22 weeks, suspended for a year . Mark Bristow, 45, acted as the middle man between the northern and southern parts of the enterprise, liasing directly with Catherine Laverick and Gilbert. Bristow pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines, selling or distributing counterfeit Viagra and money laundering. He was jailed for four years. Darrell Jacob, 38, provided banking facilities to receive customer payments for unlicensed medicines through front companies DJ Cosmetics and DJ Casuals. Donna Denton, 40, of Grimsby, set up a Cardnet facility, which she falsely claimed was for the sale of jewellery. She pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months and given a three-month curfew requiring her to stay at home between 7pm and 6am. Daniel Nilsen, 26, set up a Cardnet facility, which he falsely claimed was for the sale of fishing tackle by mail-order. Nilsen, of Grimsby, pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for a year. Lee Pettit, 36, of Brighton, was not directly involved in the sale of pills, but was involved in opening bank accounts and money laundering. Darrell Jacob (pictured left with Lee Pettit) will be sentenced on May 29 after admitting two counts of conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines and money laundering . He pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply and two counts of fraud and was sentenced to 22 weeks, suspended for a year. Darrell Jacob, of East Sussex, admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines and money laundering. He will be sentenced at a hearing on May 29. Judge Charles Wide QC, sentencing, said: 'This case concerns a highly organised, large scale criminal enterprise to sell unlicensed and counterfeit medicines and to launder the illegal profits of that enterprise. 'The regulatory regime concerning the products sold during this criminal enterprise exists for the whole purpose of protecting the public.' The judge said the use of counterfeit Viagra and Valium could cause 'serious harm' if taken by unwitting customers. A statement, read out in court, from Viagra manufacturer Pfizer said counterfeit pills have been found to contain toxic material including brick. Judge Wide added: 'There is no direct evidence of such harm, but that is no thanks to any great care taken in its execution. 'Each of you was involved to line your own pockets or help others line their pockets with an absolute disregard for public safety.' | UK-wide conspiracy offered cheap erectile dysfunction pills to customers .
Neil Gilbert headed one group, which made up to £60,000 a week in sales .
Family and friends were recruited to help with massive criminal enterprise .
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A woman who notoriously flashed her K-cup breasts on Google Street View has been charged by police with disorderly behaviour. Karen Davis, from Port Pirie in South Australia, was captured streaking by a camera car for the popular Google Maps app, which allows users to zoom in on certain streets and towns in cities all over the world with a 360-degree view. Police released a statement alleging the 38-year-old mother 'pursued' the Google car to make sure she was captured exposing herself, and that it was an illegal act. Karen Davis (pictured) from Port Pirie has caused controversy after a picture appeared on Google Maps Street View showing her bearing her size-K breasts . 'The woman’s actions were the same as someone flashing their genitals and the public expectation is that we take action,' said Superintendent Scott Denny of Port Pirie police. 'Recently in Port Pirie we arrested a man for exposing himself in public - this incident is no different,' he said. 'It is not appropriate for anyone to expose themselves in public places. Our community should be able to expect a bit of decency.' Ms Davis will be summonsed to appear in the Port Pirie Magistrates Court at a date to be determined. In the image, Ms Davis can be seen holding her arms up in the air with her T-shirt hunched up around her neck bearing her breasts, as she follows the Google camera cars around the street. Her sons are playing in the background and an unknown man stands at the fence watching. Across the road, a neighbour is lounging on her outdoor furniture, watching the whole thing unfold. The 38-year-old, who plans to skydive topless for her 40th birthday, has hit back at the controversy over her actions, claiming that 'flat-tittie chicks' are not confident enough with their own bodies and should focus on how they look. Ms Davis had issues with her size-K breasts in her 20's and is finally ready to embrace them and she plans to skydive topless for her 40th birthday . The mother says she is happy the picture appeared online and thought it was funny . Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Davis was in tears over the nasty comments coming from her community after she was branded a 'bad mother' and 'pure filth' for her raunchy behaviour. 'They are narrow-minded people who are not happy with their own bodies,' she said. Posting on her Facebook account, Ms Davis addressed the fact that she pursued the car through Barry Street in Port Pirie until they got the perfect shot and believes locals are jealous of her antics. 'Haters hate, you got the guts to do it?' she posted on Facebook after the photo went public. 'All the flat-tittie chicks think I am disgusting. Big-boob envy has hit Port Pirie.' Taking to Facebook, disgusted commenters attacked Ms Davis' parenting skills after it became clear that her two sons were in the background of the picture. Ms Davis criticised 'flat-tittie chicks' and claimed they needed to focus on their own bodies . 'I'm sure your children will be proud of their mother that is probably going to cause them a lot of embarrassment,' one Facebook commenter said. 'Oh goodness. Can't even begin to imagine how her children are feeling,' another user said. However a select few came out in support of Ms Davis's show on Google Maps. 'Let her go, she's having some fun, Pirie people need to lighten up a bit. if more lovely ladies would get them out more often the world would be a much happier place,' one commenter said. Ms Davis told Daily Mail Australia that she thought the act would be funny and that it was an item she has now ticked off her bucket list. She also said that she has a friend in the United Kingdom and she thought it would brighten up his day if he saw the image online. 'I have a friend in the UK. If he looks on there he will smile,' she said. Ms Davis wasn't sure that the photo would make it on to Google Maps but she said she is delighted that it did. 'I think maybe some need to start their own bucket list and leave mine alone,' she said. While Ms Davis enjoyed herself bearing her breasts on the street, her neighbour sat on her lounger watching from next door . She also revealed that since the photo has been released she has attracted a whole host of new friend requests on Facebook. Many young men have tried to befriend her but she has not accepted any of them. Ms Davis said she has only learnt to embrace her size-K breasts in the last few years after spending her youth hiding them away. 'I always got picked on and it wasn't until late in my 20's that I became confident in myself,' she said. She also revealed that she has to buy her bras online from the UK as they do not make size-K bras in Australia. 'It would be nice if they made my size bra in Australia,' she said. Ms Davis said that she would do it all again, even considering the backlash the image has received. 'It's my life not theirs,' she said. 'When you point your finger at me, you have 4 pointing back at yourself.' Some people online have suggested that she should be formally charged for her display but she has contacted the police who have confirmed that they have 'no concerns'. | Karen Davis was photographed on Google Street View flashing her breasts .
Police reported her for disorderly behaviour and she must report to court .
Police said her 'actions were the same as someone flashing their genitals'
SA country town mum hit back at critics saying they are insecure .
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Anything To Declare . by John Frost . (Constable £8.99) Stopped by Customs officers, Oscar Wilde notoriously said he had nothing to declare but his genius. Other passengers, as Jon Frost hilariously recounts, try to sneak through the red and green channels considerably more heavily laden. John Frost says he ‘wouldn’t trust a nun with a crutch’ (stock image) During his long career as a Customs specialist at London airports, Frost has had ‘to politely listen to people lying through their teeth at you’ as they attempt to smuggle in snakes, bush meat (zebra, lion, gorilla), combs that double as flick-knives, a monkey sewn into the lining of a coat, another monkey ‘disguised as a hairy child’, corpses ‘propped up in a wheelchair wearing wonky sunglasses’ and a box of dry ice containing a man’s buttock, apparently sliced off by a Samurai sword. Hospitals were put on the alert to look out for ‘anyone who had trouble sitting down’. As they riffle through travellers’ bags, Frost and his team frequently detect drugs: socks impregnated with heroin, cannabis resin in shoes, soup cans or barrels of bitumen. Drugs are often hidden in hollowed-out disposable lighters, AA batteries that unscrew to reveal a stash inside and shaving cream aerosols cleverly made to still squirt real foam out of the top. Once, Frost found a pack of 12 brightly coloured lipsticks, ‘where every lipstick was actually moulded from cocaine paste. Very clever’. The cardboard lining of suitcases or sports bags, originating in Amsterdam, often contained 20 compressed sheets of LSD tabs, worth £10,000 on the street. To deter the Customs inspections, smugglers sometimes litter their luggage with hypodermic needles or razor blades. What Frost looks out for are people whose passports show frequent trips being made to drug-source countries. Flights paid for in bundles of cash can be suspicious. Also don’t stroll around too flashily dressed: ‘It is better to look scruffily right than too smartly wrong,’ he says. It’s amazing how many drug-dealers try to behave like drug-dealers in a film. By and large, the Customs officers would sooner ‘nab some nob on a private plane who thinks it allows him to sneak in a suitcase of cocaine than some kid from the Netherlands with a spliff in his sock’ — though don’t let that make you feel over-confident. One of the hallmarks of a tip-top inspector is that he ‘wouldn’t trust a nun with a crutch’ — and no wonder. They are always confronting nuns smuggling in gin disguised as litre bottles of Holy water — ‘Another miracle!’ The worst part of the job, however, is the strip-search. ‘Every single hiding place and hole in the human body has, at one time, been used by smugglers.’ Frost has to snap on his Marigolds and wait for the ‘swallowers’ and ‘stuffers’ to void condoms filled with drugs into the lavatory pan. ‘It becomes a waiting game,’ he says, philosophically. Yet such criminals are easy to spot. ‘You try walking normally with half-a-kilo of drugs up your jacksy.’ There’s me thinking everyone arriving from South America had piles. It is not only narcotics, of course. Frost’s job is to detect and confiscate weapons, child porn videos, pirated medicines and counterfeit art. He has seen mobile phones containing tiny pistols and stun guns, and straw camels and donkeys from Spain and Tunisia crammed with used hospital bandages. He has to collect the duty due on imported diamonds, fur coats and Rolex watches. Contraband is destroyed, valuables handed to the Crown and booze poured away. ‘The airport drains probably had the only alcoholic rats in the country.’ On one occasion, Frost had to board a Hercules aircraft from Nigeria, where a rat the size of a Shetland pony had been glimpsed in the hold. Though the police went in with their Heckler & Koch MP5 automatic rifles, it was Frost who did the deed, bashing the monster with a B&Q garden spade. As ‘death by rabies is a nasty way to go’, our quarantine rules are strict. Frost also says that they look out for those strolling through the airport in flashy clothing, because he says ‘It is better to look scruffily right than too smartly wrong' Frost often has to do battle with rich folks in private Gulfstream jets who think their pets are exempt — one lot even had the gall to suggest they were on their way to Balmoral to shoot grouse with the Queen. If their dog mixed with the corgis, Frost patiently explained, then the corgis also would have to be destroyed . . . Horses, incidentally, are tricky animals to ship. They get so nervous and frightened, it is not unknown for them to bite their trainer’s fingers clean off at the knuckle. Corpses aren’t given much peace, either. Did you know that if you croak abroad, it can cost £4,500 to repatriate the body, which has to be embalmed and secured in a zinc coffin? (Hence the wheelchair and sunglasses gambit — cheaper.) As coffins are ‘a good vehicle for contraband importation’, these have to be rigorously searched — a ghoulish task, especially if the deceased’s arm shoots up and its wig falls off. And it is also not unknown for stowaways in the hold to be crushed by the retracting undercarriage — and to drop onto the runway at Stansted several hours later as a block of ice. No wonder, to ease the tension, Customs officers play wicked pranks on each other. ‘Never fly into the airport where you also work’ is the strong advice. Otherwise, you can come back from Tenerife and your luggage will have been replaced on the carousel with concrete blocks. Eventually, Frost was upgraded from the rubber gloves to work in undercover surveillance. This meant the painstaking study of airline computer systems, which give details of ticket payments and full details of a passenger’s travel. (Privacy and freedom of movement? Forget it. They know where we are, where we’ve been and where we are all going.) The Customs Investigation Division, which follows international drugs cartels and involves ‘info gathering and smuggling ops’, is based in a Georgian building near Tower Bridge, built in the days of old-fashioned pirates and ships flying the Jolly Roger flag. Here, Frost had to serve alongside MI5 and MI6. The doings of the Serious Organised Crime Agency sound like the plot of a Guy Ritchie movie — with traces of Breaking Bad thrown in. Further jaunty volumes of reminiscence are promised. | John Frost hilariously recounts stories from his career at London airports .
Frost and his team frequently detect drugs hidden in bizarre ways .
He has even had to deal with a monkey ‘disguised as a hairy child’ | 89482fdd08a2e9c3b380637d6bde5cd35950eda3 | [
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Radio host Mel Greig, who once hit the headlines for her involvement in an infamous royal prank call, has started a personal crusade to help remove the stigma attached with IVF treatment. On Wednesday, Mel posted a blog post on her website titled 'Are we embarrassed of IVF?' where she detailed how she was undergoing the treatment, and that it was nothing for women to be ashamed of. In her post, Mel wrote: 'In the past few months I joined a new club... It’s the IVF Baby Club.' She also uploaded photographs of injecting herself for the first time as she began her IVF program. Mel Greig spoke on her blog about how she was now starting IVF treatment . She posted photographs that showed her injecting herself for the first time as she began her IVF program . The radio host married her fiancé Steven Pollack at Byron Bay in November . The 33-year-old married her fiancé Steven Pollack at Byron Bay in a small and intimate ceremony on November 20. But the couple's efforts to have a baby have been thwarted because she suffers from Endometriosis. Endometriosis causes inflammation and can lead to female reproductive body parts and other organs fusing together, making it almost impossible for eggs to fertilise naturally, rendering many women infertile. Mel was one of these women, and had been told she would not be able to fall pregnant naturally. It was then that she made the decision to have IVF treatment. Since then however, she has discovered that some women keep their IVF treatment a secret and are embarrassed about it. For this reason she took to her blog to highlight the issue. Mel showed her support for women who were also going through IVF treatment . The couple's efforts to have a baby had been unsuccessful because she suffers from Endometriosis . 'When you are first told that news, you do feel like you’ve failed the process of being able to bring a child into the world as a “normal” mother,' she explained on her blog. 'But my thoughts soon shifted to “but I still have a chance to bring a child into this world and that’s amazing” we should NOT feel embarrassed to have IVF babies.' Before Mel started her own treatment she said she understood why the majority of mothers wanted to keep quiet during the process of IVF as it was long, draining, intrusive, emotional, and for some parents, financially hard. 'But when you are through the battle and are holding your precious baby, you should be happy and proud... don’t feel embarrassed to say “they were born through IVF” you need to realise that science helped you with the end result,' she said on her blog. The 33-year-old went public about it as she wanted to help remove the stigma that women can feel about having IVF treatment . She hit the headlines in December 2012 for her involvement in an infamous royal prank call . With fellow DJ, Michael Christian (right), they posed as the Queen and Prince Charles in a phone prank that ended in tragedy . 'But it was YOU who decided to bring that child into this world, it was YOU (and partner/donor) who provided the magical ingredients to make your baby. 'And it is YOU who is going to smother this child with unconditional love and support for the rest of their life and THAT is what truly makes you a “normal” mother.' Mel has had to overcome challenges in her life before. In December 2012 she was hosting on 2 Day FM with fellow DJ Michael Christian when they posed as the Queen and Prince Charles, and rang the London hospital where the real life Duchess of Cambridge was suffering severe morning sickness with her first child. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha who answered the phone and put the call through to the ward took her own life two days later and cited the distress at being fooled as one of the reasons. The pair's call was answered by nurse Jacintha Saldanha who later committed suicide. She cited the stress caused by the prank as one of the reasons why she took her own life . However, after coming to terms with the tragedy and fallout from it, Mel is ready to take on the next challenge that life has thrown at her - the daunting prospect of IVF treatment. 'As I sit here loading up my first syringe I’m thinking, “I hope I do this right. If my doctor doesn’t answer which friend can I call to ask for advice?” Women help each other, it’s what we do,' she blogged. 'But how can we do that if we don’t know who to ask for help? Support networks are so important. I will share as much of this journey as I can, through the pain, heartache, joy... and I hope I don’t feel the need to keep it private too. Mel has had great support from her husband Steven (right) as she starts her IVF program . 'If you are a part of this elite club and you know someone going through IVF, maybe take that first step and privately reach out letting them know you too have membership and you are there for them if they need someone. 'I know that I’ll be doing the same.' | Australian radio host stands up for women going through IVF treatment .
Mel started her own IVF treatment and was showing solidarity with others .
She uploaded photographs of injecting herself for the first time on her blog .
'I joined a new club... It’s the IVF Baby Club,' the 33-year-old said .
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Mixed martial arts fighter Anderson Silva will meet with Brazilian taekwondo officials in the hope of competing in next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, despite facing a possible doping ban. Silva this week expressed his desire to represent Brazil in the 2016 Games, and local taekwondo officials said they like the idea of having the MMA fighter on the team. The Brazilian taekwondo confederation said Wednesday that 'this wonderful possibility' of Silva competing in the Olympics will be discussed next week between the fighter and local officials. Anderson Silva (right) will meet with taekwondo officials in the hope of competing in next year's Olympics . The 40-year-old Silva began his career as a taekwondo fighter and is a black belt in the sport. He is an ambassador for taekwondo in Brazil. Silva, who is currently suspended by UFC after failing drug tests, said in a letter to the taekwondo confederation that it would be 'an immense pleasure' to be part of the Brazilian team in Rio. 'Everybody knows that every top athlete dreams about the Olympic Games,' Silva said. 'As an ambassador to the sport, and with the games taking place in my country, I'm even more motivated by the Olympic spirit.' Silva said he would compete with all his 'esteem, strength and honor.' On Wednesday, he posted on his official Twitter account a photo of himself practicing taekwondo. Silva tested positive for two steroids in an out-of-competition test Jan. 9, and also failed a test after his UFC victory over Nick Diaz on Jan. 31. The 40-year-old Brazilian posted a photo of himself practising taekwondo on Wednesday . The Brazilian later said in a statement that he always 'played clean' and 'never used any substances' to improve his performances, and that he was 'still waiting for the results and analysis from the specialists that are working to reveal the truth.' Silva has a hearing scheduled for May on the doping allegations. Silva is considered one of the best pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighters in the history of the sport, . The former middleweight champion returned to the cage in January after breaking his lower left leg more than a year ago. He beat Diaz but the victory was quickly overshadowed by the doping headlines that surfaced shortly after the fight. Silva delivers a flying knee against Nick Diaz in their middleweight bout in Las Vegas in January . According to the Brazilian taekwondo confederation, its president Carlos Fernandes was 'pleased' to receive Silva's proposal, but many details still must be discussed before his participation in the games can become a reality. There are doubts about Silva's eligibility for the games, as well as about his form, considering he hasn't competed in taekwondo events in a long time. 'He is a great MMA athlete, but taekwondo has its own characteristics, so I'm sure he is not ready yet to compete for a spot in the team,' Lucas Ferreira, one of the other Brazilian taekwondo fighters hoping to participate in the Olympics, told Globoesporte.com. 'He will have to fight for a spot like everybody else. If he proves he deserves to make it, then great.' Another Brazilian fighter, Guilherme Felix, said it wouldn't be ethical for Silva to earn a spot in the Olympics 'without showing the results for it.' | Anderson Silva is currently suspended by UFC after failing drug tests .
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Alastair Campbell famously said the Blair government ‘didn't do God’. But David Cameron and wife Samantha have made a colourful visit to a Sikh temple as part of a general election tour. The Prime Minister, wearing a traditional orange patka, and Mrs Cameron, in a blue headscarf, chatted and posed for selfies at the Gravesend Gurdwara in Kent earlier today. Scroll down for video . The Prime Minister and his wife joined worshippers at the Gravesend Gurdwara in Kent today in traditional Sikh dress . Mrs Cameron chatted with a young boy and his mother at the temple. The visit was designed to reach out to a wider community with just three weeks until the election . They briefly joined thousands of people in a parade carrying the Sikh holy book to the temple before Mr Cameron gave a speech. It comes just a day after the Conservative leader attended one of the largest gatherings of Christians in the UK. His speeches are designed to reach out to a wider community with just three weeks to go before voting. But as he was about to arrive at the temple today a senior priest apparently objected to prayers being interrupted. There were some heated scenes before the address was moved to a side room. The Tory leader told the audience the Vaisakhi festival, which is one of the most important events in the Sikh calendar, was a 'big, bold' sign of their devotion. He said: 'I wanted to make sure Downing Street was part of this too and I'm proud to be the first Prime Minister to host a Vaisakhi reception at Number 10. Sporting a patka headscarf and with wife Samantha in a traditional dupatta on her 44th birthday . The couple joined a colourful parade which carried the Sikh holy book to the temple before Mr Cameron offered a speech . Happy to be here: Mrs Cameron donned a blue and green head scarf and dress for the occasion while her husband sported a traditional orange patka . The Prime Minister clutched his ankles while sitting on the floor with worshippers at the temple this afternoon . In a rousing speech the Prime Minister told the crowd he 'believed in aspiration' and that the 'only' limit to one's potential is their own talent . Mr Cameron poses with a young boy as onlookers capture his visit to temple in Kent on their smartphones . It comes just a day after the Conservative leader attended one of the largest gatherings of Christians in the UK - The Festival of Life in London . The couple (circled) make their way through a huge crowd during the Vaisakhi festival . The Tory leader, pictured praying, told the audience the festival, which is one of the most important events in the Sikh calendar, was a 'big, bold' sign of their devotion . Mrs Cameron also got involved dressed in a beautiful green, gold and blue outfit and taking her shoes off inside the temple . 'And I'll tell you what - if I'm back there as Prime Minister, I'll keep bringing the community, the colour and the celebrations there, again and again. ‘I'm sure my children will carry on stealing the jalebi [sweets] too!' It was Mr Cameron's first visit to Kent during the general election campaign. He wrote on Twitter after the outing: 'Wishing a happy Vaisakhi to everyone celebrating. Thank you to the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara for their warm welcome.' Mr Cameron (left) wrote on Twitter after the outing: 'Wishing a happy Vaisakhi to everyone celebrating. Thank you to the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara for their warm welcome' Cameron (second left) poses for a selfie with two worshippers as Mrs Cameron (left) looks on . Women including Mrs Cameron (centre) and children sit on the floor alongside parliamentary candidate Priti Patel (second left) during the outing . He also delivered a campaign speech during the Festival of Life in London yesterday. He told the 45,000-strong audience: 'It is an honour to be here and I'm proud of this festival which started as a camp just off the Lagos expressway and set the world alight. 'I believe in aspiration. I believe the only limit to someone's potential is their own ambition and talent. 'I look out to this crowd and I see someone who will take my role and become Prime Minister for this great country. 'I hope you can hold off for a while just yet.' He added on Twitter later that night: 'It was an honour to address the Festival of Life - now a great British tradition - at midnight last night.' CLAIM: Jesse Norman and the chocolate cake he allegedly gave out while campaigning for re-election . Police are investigating a Tory MP over claims he attempted to bribe voters with chocolate cake. Jesse Norman allegedly gave out cake while campaigning for re-election at an Asda supermarket in his Hereford constituency. West Mercia Police last night said it was investigating reports of a breach of the Representation of the People Act 1983, which bans Election candidates from providing food, drink or entertainment in a bid to win votes. The probe follows would-be Ukip MP Kim Rose, who is standing in Southampton Itchen, being grilled by police for giving out sausage rolls at a party event earlier this year. Detectives are expected to speak to Mr Norman after he was photographed with trays of baked goods on April 2. He described the allegations as ‘nonsense’, saying: ‘We had a couple of small boxes of chocolate muffins ... we may have given out one or two to children, who are not even voters.’ COUNTRY LIFE: A 'beater' at work and below, a bottle of Sipsmith Dry Gin . The Prime Minister indulged his love of country sports by taking part in a secret country shoot near his Oxfordshire constituency home. And he celebrated with a nip of a specially prepared ‘Chipping Norton’ cocktail. But witnesses say that David Cameron did not himself use a gun – despite his reputation as a skilled marksman. Instead, he acted as a ‘beater’ to flush out the game. The event took place on New Year’s Eve but until now has been kept a closely guarded secret. It took place near Chipping Norton, the Oxfordshire town which has given its name to the ‘Chipping Norton set’ of high-profile local residents from the world of politics, media and showbusiness such as Mr Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson. Last night, the man who served Mr Cameron the cocktail said other people on what he described as a ‘country walk’ had no idea there would be a VIP guest. Jared Brown, master distiller at the West London ‘artisanal’ gin company Sipsmith, said: ‘No one but the landowner knew the Prime Minister would be joining us.’ He fought shy of describing the event as a shoot, but added: ‘I can say with utter certainty that Mr Cameron did not handle a gun.’ Mr Brown confirmed, though, that the PM did sample the cocktail, based on Sipsmith London Dry Gin. Last night, the drink, also containing manuka honey, raspberry tea and extract of echinacea, was being dubbed the ‘Chipping Norton cocktail’. | David Cameron and wife Samantha made a visit to a temple in Kent .
Wore traditional headwear, chatted and posed for selfies during parade .
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Paris in the spring is the time for lounging on blankets in a park while taking in the spectacular views, sipping on local wine and nibbling on a fresh baguette and ripe Camembert. Going from shop to shop to collect all of the essentials for a picnic can be a pain, so a made-to-order delivery service is making it easier for tourists to enjoy the French capital like a local. Paris Picnics saves its customers from the hassle of trawling through the marché by delivering a freshly-prepared lunch to wherever they are in the city. Visitors or locals can select made-to-order picnic baskets filled with wine, baguettes, cheese and crisps . Customers can pick from one of the four picnic options on offer and order online. Le Classique picnic, which costs €55 (£40) for two people, comes with a choice of wine, baguettes, an assortment of cheeses, charcuterie, gourmet crisps, fresh fruit, a green salad, water and a seasonal dessert. Le Chic comes in at €85 ($62) and comes with all of the above, as well as Champagne, foie gras and macarons. Customers then select where and when they want their picnic delivered to. The company recommends giving them one to two days' notice but last-minute requests can be accommodated. The Tuileries gardens near the Louvre is one of Paris' perfect picnic spots in the spring time . For an additional fee, romantics can add a photo shoot, flowers or arrange a surprise set-up - perfect for those wanting to pop the question in the city of love. Each picnic includes cutlery and a cotton blanket for sprawling on in the sunshine. And each one is delivered in a bright yellow Piaggio called Pepe. The picnics are the brainchild of American couple Patrick Johnson and Katia Kroupnik, who state on their website: 'Whether picnicking along the Canal St-Martin or under the Eiffel Tower, up in hilly Buttes Chaumont or in one of the countless parks that span Paris from the Bois de Boulogne to the Bois de Vincennes, it's easy to feel that Paris was made for le pique-nique. 'By partnering with artisan food and wine producers around France and offering free delivery to select locations across the city, Paris Picnic simplifies the process of planning and arranging a picnic.' | Customers can have a picnic basket delivered after ordering online .
Paris Picnics packs all the specialties, including French bread and wine .
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New Delhi, India (CNN)As the earth shook in Nepal, tremors were felt over the border in India as well. It was a call to action: Within hours of the first 7.8 magnitude quake, India began planning a massive cross-border aid mission. With each hour, the scale of the devastation in Nepal became clearer -- some 3,862 people are known to have died so far -- and plans in India, where 72 people were also killed, got bigger. On Sunday alone, India delivered 187 tons of supplies, including 50 tons of water, 22 tons of food and 2 tons of medicine. And there will be more to come. Hundreds of trained disaster relief troops landed in Kathmandu and quickly got to work. With each flight in, there was a flight back out, packed with Indians and other nationals escaping to safety: 2,000 and counting have fled so far. By Monday, India was in full-scale crisis mode: From airports across India, planes flew in loaded with aid, and trucks made the trip by land from India's east, aiming for more remote areas. On the ground: Devastation in Nepal . India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a special effort over Nepal. He has visited the country twice in his first year in office. And on Sunday, in his national radio address to the nation, he said Indians needed to "wipe the tears of every Nepali, hold their hands, and stand with them." It all highlights the more proactive role taken by India in recent months. Just weeks ago, India flexed its military muscle to rescue Indians and other nationals from conflict-torn Yemen. Now, it is taking the lead in Nepal. Some might say India's friendship is a signal for the other big country that shares a border with Nepal: China. A display of hard power, perhaps to achieve enduring soft power in the region. But in times like this, help is always welcome. First there's the immediate search and rescue operation, and then the long process of rebuilding work. Nepal will need India's friendship -- as well as China's -- for many long months ahead. | India has launched a massive aid mission to its earthquake-hit neighbor Nepal .
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A family-friendly coffee shop had its Facebook page hacked and flooded with pornography after an employee clicked on a malicious link in an email. Staff at Scooter's Coffee, in Omaha, were locked out of the page for almost 24 hours, starting at 5pm on Sunday, by an 'unknown third party' who then took control of the picture feed. Instead of the usual images of smoothies, coffees and cookies, the page was plastered with adult cartoons - similar to those posted on Delta Air Lines and Crayola's pages after they were hacked. Scooter's Coffee, Omaha, issued this apology to customers on its Facebook page after it was hijacked by hackers for 24 hours who used it to post pornography . Scooter's said that the images which appeared on their Facebook page were similar to the images that were posted on Crayola's page when they were hacked in January (pictured) From 5pm Sunday until almost the same time the next day, followers of the Scooter's Facebook page were sent links such as this one, instead of the regular images of smoothies and cookies . After trying to contact officials at Facebook with limited success, it was not until a day later that the company managed to kick the hacker out, and regain control of the account. Jamie Hamburg, spokesman for the company, said: 'At approximately 5pm CST on Sunday, 29 March, the Scooter's Coffee Facebook page was hacked by an unknown third party. 'The offensive content that has been posted as a result of this hack is similar to that seen in other recent breaches of major brands. 'Scooter's Coffee would like to apologize to our loyal Facebook audience and anyone that has been affected by this inappropriate content.' The hack is believed to have come after an employee clicked on a link of a direct message sent through Facebook itself. The hacker then kicked the member of staff out of the page, locked it, and began posting. Scooter's Coffee said that, despite repeated attempts to contact Facbook, and hundreds of reports being sent about inappropriate content, nobody at the social media network responded. It was only by contacting larger businesses that they were able to get in touch with Facebook, who removed the content and restored the page nearly 24 hours later. All of the images have now been removed, and Scooter's have offered apologies to thier customers via their Facebook and Twitter pages . It is thought that the hack occurred after an employee clicked on a link in an email which purported to be from Facebook. Hackers were then able to gather enough data to allow them to take control of the page . Crayon manufacturer Crayola was caught out by a similar breach in January, when hackers took control of the page to post pictures of cartoon breasts, and links to adult websites. One post included a link to a drawing of a scantily clad female cartoon character from the DreamWorks movie 'The Road to El Dorado' - with the words 'If Disney Was For Adults.' Delta Air Lines was also affected the following month in a similar attack involving a link to a sexually explicit joke. Their page was hijacked for around an hour, during which 'objectionable and offensive content', similar to that in the Crayola and Scooter's hacks, was published. | Staff were locked out of Scooter's Coffee page starting at 5pm on Sunday .
Hackers plastered feed with adult cartoons and links to explicit pages .
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Jerusalem (CNN)A Palestinian teenager's name will be removed from an Israeli memorial commemorating fallen soldiers and the victims of terrorism after his family and others complained. Mohammed Abu Khdeir's name appeared this week on the wall at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl, the site of the national cemetery, as the nation prepared to mark its Memorial Day on Wednesday. Abu Khdeir, 16, was beaten and burned alive by three Israelis in July, according to prosecutors. A picture on the memorial website for Abu Khdeir shows an Israeli flag with two flowers called "Blood of the Maccabees" in Israel, a symbol often used on Memorial Day, when the country honors its soldiers killed in the line of duty and victims of terrorism. But Abu Khdeir's family objected to his inclusion on the memorial wall. His father, Hussein Abu Khdeir, said no one asked for his permission to put his son's name on the wall. "I refuse that my son's name will be listed between soldiers of the occupation," he said. Almagor, an organization that works on behalf of victims of terror in Israel, also opposes Abu Khdeir's inclusion on the memorial. Almagor described the teen's death as a rogue attack and said he's not a terror victim. "Somebody did here a trick, and we are going to fight to correct it," said Almagor CEO Meir Indor. "We will not recognize someone who was murdered in a brutal way in an individual action." Indor's organization wrote a letter to the National Insurance Institute of Israel -- the country's social security administration, which maintains the memorial site -- demanding that Abu Khdeir's name be removed from the memorial wall. Indor said if the teenager's name is not taken off, members of Almagor want their own family members' names removed. On Wednesday, Israel Radio reported that the National Insurance Institute of Israel will remove Abu Khdeir's name from the memorial following his father's complaints. The teen's name has already been removed from the organization's website, which lists the names on the memorial wall. A panel of judges began hearing evidence in January against the three suspects in Abu Khdeir's killing. | Abu Khdeir's name is on the memorial wall at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl .
His father and a terror victim advocacy group objected to his being included in the list .
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One man has curated a spooky collection of nine old dolls, which which he claims each have their own personalities. Ian Rogers, 36, became hooked on all things paranormal as a child and took part in his first ghost hunt in the year 2000. Since then he has spent hundreds of pounds on the creepy collection... and he's on the hunt for more to add. Scroll down for video . Ian Rogers owns nine haunted dolls all of which he says contain their own personality . Ian's favourite doll is Annabel, who he thinks is haunted by a seven-year-old girl who drowned . Ian, who is single, and a vehicle image inspector, from Leicester, says that his obsession with the supernatural began at a very young age. 'It started when I was a kid and I was looking into the Loch Ness Monster and ghosts. 'I went on a couple of ghost walks and then went on a hunt. It got me hooked.' The £50 haunted dolls, which Ian gets from Jayne Harris, a professional in paranormal activity, are said to contain the spirits of people who have passed on. Jayne keeps the dolls for around six months to get an idea of their personalities before selling them on. Ian says that he always goes to Jayne for the dolls because that way he can be sure of their authenticity. 'I know that I can trust her,' he says. 'If I bought them from eBay then there's no guarantee that they're actually haunted and I could just be being ripped off. 'Jayne is able to give me a bit of background about the dolls but I enjoy learning about them myself. Ian, who is single, became interested in the supernatural as a child and now is hooked on haunted dolls . Ian will often take his dolls to events and get people to guess their back stories. Pictured: left- Hubert an old man who likes to play games. Right- Esme, a lady in her seventies who died of natural causes . Ian used to share his collection with his sister but she found the dolls too mischievous . Ian is pictured with the puppet, little is known about him other than he likes jazz and may be from Belgium . Although he is fond of his whole collection Ian definitely has a favourite: Annabel, a doll who he believes is haunted by the spirit of a seven-year-old girl who drowned while playing with her brother. Ian says that each of his dolls has their own story and he often asks others to try and figure out what might have happened to them. Ian said: 'I take the dolls with me to events that I host and get people to guess their stories. 'If someone guesses three things that we already know correctly then they get some money off. 'One lady said she could sense an 'Annie' so I went to get Annabel. She said she'd died and felt trapped. 'As soon as she picked up the doll she said she felt soaking wet, and that she knew Annabel had drowned.' Ian holds sessions with the dolls where guests interested in the paranormal can undertake a variety of activities. Ian also holds sessions with his dolls where guests can undertake different paranormal experiences. Pictured: Simon, who committed suicide after the death of his own mother . Ian avoids buying his dolls on eBay as he says there is no guarantee that they would be haunted. Pictured: Harriet who is said to be a 17-year-old girl who is angry, but not vicious and committed suicide . The dolls were previously shared between Ian and his sister, but his sister wanted to get rid of them after they started causing her too much mischief, for example hiding her keys. However Ian says that he hasn't been put off in the slightest and is even looking at investing in other supernatural souvenirs. 'I would love to get more haunted dolls, and I'm looking into other items. I would love to get a haunted mirror.' Ian hopes his next paranormal purchase will be a haunted mirror . Annabel: A seven-year-old girl who drowned while playing with her brother. A happy child usually wearing a floral dress. Jocelyn: A five-year-old French girl who was abducted from a market when shopping with her mother. Ian gets the smell of coffee from her. Harriet: A 17-year-old girl who is angry, but not vicious. She committed suicide. Hubert: An old man who does not give too much away. He likes to play games. Sarah: A middle-aged school governess who died in a fire while trying to save children. Esme: A lady in her seventies who passed away from natural causes. She likes to be in the kitchen and had a husband that died of TB. Max: An RAF pilot who died in the Second World War. He had a little girl who was five who he misses very much. Simon: A recluse. He gave up his life to care for his sick mother, but when she passed away he took his own life. The puppet: Not a lot is known about the puppet, but he likes jazz and is possibly from Belgium. | Ian Rogers has spent hundreds of pounds on his collection of nine dolls .
The dolls are said to be haunted with the spirits of dead people .
He says each doll has their own unique story .
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A radical change in the law to protect a generation of children from the tide of internet sleaze will be introduced if the Conservatives win the election. Culture and Media Secretary Sajid Javid is setting out plans to shield youngsters from easy access to hardcore online pornography amid fears that it is corroding childhood. He promised legislation to force distributors to put effective age verification technology in place that would apply to those based in the UK as well as abroad. Scroll down for video . Easy access: The rising tide of online pornography is corroding children - but the Tories have now pledged to a radical change in the law to protect a generation of children from the tide of internet sleaze . If porn websites fail to comply, they will be blocked by a powerful new regulator which will be able to issue financial penalties. Mr Javid's pledge is a victory for the Daily Mail's long-running Block Online Porn campaign. Ministers have already persuaded internet service providers to start contacting all 19million UK households connected to the web and making them choose whether to apply family-friendly filters that block all porn sites. In addition, for any new broadband users, a block on pornographic websites is automatically applied by default. Customers now have to specifically ask for this filter to be removed – or to 'opt in' – in order to able to access adult material. But Mr Javid said a more radical crackdown was necessary to prevent children freely accessing pornography. 'Even the most attentive and engaged parents cannot know for sure which websites our children are visiting and what images they're seeing,' the minister told the Mail. 'In 2015 anyone, regardless of their age, is only ever two clicks away from the kind of material that would be kept well away from young eyes in the high street. 'Imagine a 12-year-old-boy being allowed to walk into a sex shop and leave with a DVD showing graphic, violent sexual intercourse and the subjugation of women,' he said. 'Yet each and every day children right across our country are being exposed to such images – it's happening online.' Mr Javid, who is increasingly tipped as a potential future Conservative leader, cited evidence that viewing hardcore porn can lead to children 'pressuring each other to try out things they've seen, and sharing inappropriate sexual pictures and videos'. 'It is because of these types of concerns that we have long restricted and regulated adult content in the offline world – magazines, TV, DVDs or video-on-demand content. 'Such protections are taken for granted, and, as the Daily Mail has argued for years, it's time our approach to the online world caught up.' Mr Javid said if the Tories win next month 'we will legislate to put online hardcore pornography behind effective age verification controls'. 'If websites showing adult content don't have proper age controls in place – ones that will stop children looking at this kind of material – they should and will be blocked altogether,' he added. An independent regulator will oversee the new system and determine how age verification controls will work. These are likely to involve similar software in place on gambling websites, which use credit card details or software to check passport details or driving licences to confirm users are over 18. Mr Javid's pledge is a victory for the Daily Mail's Block Online Porn campaign . The regulator will also be given the power to require UK service providers to block specific websites identified as distributing hardcore pornography without effective age verification controls in place. It will have the power to issue targeted sanctions, including financial penalties. Mr Javid added: 'It is right that we have the same rules applying online as we do offline. If we fail to take action, there is every chance the sort of things children see on these websites will be considered 'normal' by the next generation. That is not the sort of society I want to see and certainly not the sort of society I want my children to live in.' Sarah Green, of the End Violence against Women Coalition, said the group 'warmly welcomed' the proposals. Peter Wanless, of the NSPCC, said: 'We don't want children to learn about sex and relationships through the warped lens of adult pornography. 'This week we warned that ten per cent of children aged 12 and 13 were addicted to porn and one in eight had taken part in a sexually explicit video. Any action that makes it more difficult for young people to find this material is to be welcomed.' It's time to protect children online . By SAJID JAVID, Culture & Media Secretary, writing exclusively for MailOnline . Imagine a 12-year-old-boy being allowed to walk into a sex shop and leave with a DVD showing graphic, violent sexual intercourse and the subjugation of women. You would, quite rightly, ask whether society should allow such a young mind to view hard-core pornography. I’m sure we’d all agree that the answer would be an emphatic “no”. Yet each and every day children right across our country are being exposed to such images. And it’s happening online. The internet has been an amazing force for good in so many ways. But it also brings new threats and challenges for us to contend with. I’m a father of four young children and I know all too well that the online world can be a worrying place for mums and dads. After all, even the most attentive and engaged parents cannot know for sure which websites our children are visiting and what images they’re seeing. Culture and Media Secretary Sajid Javid is setting out plans to shield youngsters from easy access to hardcore online pornography . In 2015 anyone, regardless of their age, is only ever two clicks away from the kind of material that would be kept well away from young eyes in the high street. And allowing young people to access pornography carries alarming consequences both for individuals and for society. It can lead to children pressuring each other to try out things they’ve seen online, and sharing inappropriate sexual pictures and videos. And it can lead to children having unhealthy attitudes towards sex AND relationships. It is because of these types of concerns that we have long restricted and regulated adult content in the offline world – whether that is magazines, TV programmes, DVDs or video-on-demand content. Such protections are taken for granted, and, as the Daily Mail has argued for years, it’s time our approach to the online world caught up. So today we are announcing that, if the Conservatives win the next general election, we will legislate to put online hard-core pornography behind effective age verification controls. Of course adults should be perfectly free to look at these sites. But if websites showing adult content don’t have proper age controls in place – ones that will stop children looking at this kind of material – they should and will be blocked altogether. No sex shop on the high street would be allowed to remain open if it knowingly sold pornography to underage customers, and there is no reason why the internet should be any different. An independent regulator will oversee this new system. It will determine, in conjunction with websites, how age verification controls will work and how websites that do not put them in place will be blocked. One thing is absolutely clear: the Conservative Party’s commitment to child safety online. For the past five years we have been working with industry on A voluntary basis, an approach that led to the creation of default-on family filters. But filtering is just one way in which we can keep our children safe online. Now we can – and must – go further to give our children the best start in life. There will be some who say that this exercise is futile, that websites and children alike will find ways to get around this law. And I agree that there are always people who try to avoid legal restrictions. But we must not let the best be the enemy of the good. It is right that we act now and do what we can to restrict this content. It is right that we have the same rules applying online as we do offline. And it is right that we do everything we can to protect our children. If we fail to take action, there is every chance that the sort of things children see on these websites will be considered ‘normal’ by the next generation. That is not the sort of society I want to see and it’s certainly not the sort of society I want my children to live in. Over time Britain’s laws have evolved to reflect our most deeply held values and beliefs, and the protection of children has long been a sacrosanct principle at the heart of that. I don’t believe that we should abandon such an important principle simply because the latest threat to our young people comes from a technology that also brings incredible benefits. There is a choice at this election, and it is between a party which backs families wants to give children the best start in life, and a chaotic Labour Party with no plan. We are clear: adults should and will be free to view legal content, but we would never stand by and allow that 12-year-old boy to buy hardcore pornography from a sex shop. It’s time to make sure our children are just as well protected online as they are on the high street. | Radical change in the law to protect a generation of children will be introduced if the Conservatives win the election .
Culture and Media Secretary Sajid Javid is setting out plans to shield youngsters from easy access to hardcore online pornography .
Promised legislation to force distributors to put effective age verification technology in place .
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Owning a passport opens up a world of possibility and freedom for travellers - or so you would think. In some countries around the world, even if you are lucky enough to have access to the government-issued documents, you are still restricted and barred from several countries. Henley and Partners created a Visa Restrictions Index, which ranks countries globally in accordance to the travel freedom their inhabitants enjoy - with some surprising results. Scroll down for video . The Visa Restrictions Index analyses countries ability to travel visa-free. The latest results were based on results from May 20, 2014 . 1) Finland . = Germany . = Sweden . = USA . = United Kingdom (174 points) 2) Canada . = Denmark (173 points) 3) Belgium . = France . = Italy . = Japan . = Korea (Republic of South) = Luxembourg . = Netherlands . = Portugal . = Spain (172 points) Where it might be expected that countries such as North Korea and possibly Cuba could take the bottom spots for the most restricted travel freedom, they actually place at 86 and 69 respectively, from a ranking of a total of 94. Each country was given a score by global consulting firm Henley and Partners, who specialise in residence and citizenship planning. The score was calculated based on visa regulations of all countries and territories in the world, and the number of other countries that their citizens can travel to without having to obtain a visa. Taking the lowest spots were Afghanistan (ranked at 94 and able to visit 28 countries visa-free), Iraq, (able to visit 31 countries), Pakistan and Somalia (able to visit 32 countries) and the Palestinian Territory (able to visit 35). This was juxtaposed by Finland, Germany, Sweden, the UK and the US, in first position, who are able to access 174 countries visa-free. Henley and Partners said: 'In today's globalised world, visa restrictions play an important role in controlling the movement of foreign nationals across borders. 'Almost all countries now require visas from certain non-nationals who wish to enter their territory. 'Visa requirements are also an expression of the relationships between individual nations, and generally reflect the relations and status of a country within the international community of nations. ' Pakistani Khyber Gateway to the Khyber Pass stamps passports are you leave for Afghanistan, passports from this country are able to enter on 32 countries visa-free . Nepal ranked 90th with residents being able to visit 37 countries without a visa . 89) Eritrea . = Libya . = Sudan . = Syria (38 points) 90) Nepal (37 points) 91) Palestinian Territory (35 points) 92) Pakistan . = Somalia (32 points) 93) Iraq (31 points) 94) Afghanistan (28 points) Pakistan is ranked at 92 in the Visa Restrictions Index, and citizens are able to visit 32 countries including Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, and Dominica without a visa. Despite this freedom, stepping over the Pakistani border into India and Iran does requires a visa. At the bottom of the list are the citizens of Afghanistan who are banned from entering Kuwait entirely. They can, however, travel to Micronesia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Haiti without a visa entirely though. The index reflected the decision in 2014 to allow citizens of the UAE to be allowed short stays in the EU Schengen countries without a visa, moving them up the rankings in the travel freedom index. A UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) report stated that three-quarters of people in the world travelling to Europe need a visa . According to the latest Visa Openness Report by the UNWTO, 62 per cent of the world’s population was required a traditional visa prior to departure in 2014, down from 77 per cent in 2008. A total of 19 per cent of the world’s population was able to enter a destination without a visa, while 16 per cent could receive a visa on arrival (compared to 17 per cent and 6 per cent in 2008). Somalia, (left), was ranked 92nd, allowing visa-free access to 32 countries. Iraq passports, (right), enable citizens to visit 31 countries visa-free . One of the most restricted passports is that of Somalian citizens, who are barred from Belgium and Canada . | Henley and Partners's Visa Restrictions Index calculates travel freedom .
It is based on the number of countries citizens can visit visa-free .
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A Washington television reporter had to duck for cover during his live broadcast when he was stung by bees after a truck carrying millions of them overturned on Friday morning. Jeff Dubois of KIRO, struggled to get through his report without swatting and waving his hands around as the bees buzzed around Interstate 5. 'Ay yiy yiy! They're flying all over the place,' a panicked Dubois says. 'It's unnerving, to tell you the truth.' During the unexpectedly dangerous report, cameraman Damien Glitch was stung more than 20 times. Scroll Down for Videos . Ouch: Jeff Dubois swats away one of the hundreds of bees that swarmed around him and his cameraman on Friday morning in Washington . 'They were pissed off,' Dubois told the Daily News. 'It was probably the wildest live report I can remember. You're trying to maintain composure, make sense on TV and not get stung by thousands of bees swarming around your head.' All the while Dubois was reporting live, tens of white-suited bee-keepers rushed to save as many of the insects as they could. The truck had just merged onto Interstate 5 around 3:30 a.m. when it tipped on its side, dumping its load of 448 hives, or about 13.7 million bees, Washington State Patrol Trooper Travis Shearer said. The driver, a 36-year-old man from Idaho, was not hurt. The company that owns the insects, Belleville Honey and Beekeeping Supply of Burlington, sent beekeepers to recover as many as possible, and bees covered their protective suits as they worked. Calmer: Dubois and his cameraman moved to safer distance away from the crash and were not bothered by the bees . Millions of bees: Beekeepers attend to a semi-trailer truck that overturned with a cargo of bees on a highway . Aftermath: Bee keepers inspect hives after a semi-truck rolled over early Friday spilling a load of honeybees on the Interstate 5 median . Rush to save the bees: Workers clean up after a semi truck filled with over 400 behives overturned on Interstate 5 . Formulating a plan: Bee keepers stand next to a semi-truck that rolled on Friday morning releasing millions of bees . Bee keepers try to salvage some of the bee hives that were dumped when a semi-truck rolled on Friday . Everywhere: Bees swarm onto a beekeepers truck along northbound Interstate 5 after the crash on Friday morning released them . The bees became more active as the sun rose and the weather warmed, and firefighters had to spray a layer of foam on some of the boxes, killing the insects for safety. Many of the hives were still along the highway more than seven hours after the accident, when a front-end loader began scooping them up and dumping them into a dump truck, Shearer said. The majority of the hives had been crushed. 'I'm sure they'll take that somewhere and try to save as many as they can, but they can do that someplace safer, away from the I-5 corridor,' he said. The bees were being transported from Sunnyside, in central Washington, to a blueberry farm in Lynden, a city near the Canadian border about 100 miles north of Seattle, Shearer said. The company that owns the insects sent beekeepers to recover as many as possible before the firefighters drowned them with foam . Foam: Beekeepers wait to start clearing out the scene of semi-trailer truck that overturned with a cargo of bees . The bees became more active as the sun rose and the weather warmed, and firefighters had to spray a layer of foam on some of the boxes, killing the insects for safety . First responders and reporters alike swatted at the bees as they tried to do their jobs. 'I think everybody there got stung,' Shearer said. Seattle television station KIRO posted a video compilation of its on-scene reporter swatting the insects as he reported on the accident. Shearer urged drivers to keep their windows up and to '(hash)beesafe when traveling through that area,' as he wrote on Twitter. A man who answered the phone at the beekeeping company said he couldn't immediately answer any questions related to the accident. | Jeff Dubois of KIRO was stung during broadcast from site of crash .
He and his cameraman were stung dozens of times by bees .
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(CNN)The marriage apocalypse may be coming. Talk to any millennial and you can envision an America virtually marriage-free, with everyone happily single. I did. And I do. Recently, I talked about marriage with a group of journalism students from my alma mater, Kent State University. They came to me for career advice, which I gave them, but I also picked their brains about politics, religion and marriage. Their views on marriage intrigued me the most. 'Cause, guess what? They don't care what your generation thinks -- they'll get married if and when they want. "I didn't go to college for four years to be a mom," 21-year old Candace Monacelli told me. "There's no housewife degree. I've worked my butt off for four years to get this degree. You want to use it. You want to be successful. You want to have that happy part of your life as well." Jackie Demate, also 21, agreed. "I would have a very hard time justifying spending $20,000 on a wedding when I could go to Europe." At first I thought Jackie was kidding. So jokingly, I responded, "Wow, some people would say, with that attitude, you are undermining the moral foundation of this country!" Jackie didn't blink. "But, Europe!" she exclaimed. "I'm really looking for a travel buddy. And I don't think you need a wedding ring to prove that you love someone. I see a lot of people get married too soon or stay together and are unhappy because they are afraid to be alone. And I would rather be alone, successful and happy than in a relationship where I'm not happy. ... I'm OK being single forever. As long as I'm happy." Before you berate Jackie for prioritizing her love of travel over marriage, consider where she's coming from. A culture rich in divorce. In the United States, almost 42 million adults have been married more than once. That's up from 22 million in 1980 and 14 million in 1960. Percentage-wise, that means that among adults who are currently married, roughly a quarter (23%) have been married before, compared with 13% in 1960. What a fine example my generation is! Not. Still, there are no doubt more than a few parents out there wondering where they went wrong. Especially in light of a fascinating Pew Research report on marriage. When asked if society is just as well off if people have priorities other than marriage and children, 50% of respondents were OK with that. And of that 50%, 66% were adults between 18 and 29. Religious leaders are deeply concerned for moral reasons. Economists are concerned for our collective future. Studies show marriage is correlated with economic well-being, though it is not clear whether the causality arrow goes from marriage toward economic benefit or in the other direction. A study sponsored by the conservative American Enterprise Institute says: "From an obvious standpoint, households with two adults are likelier to have two incomes, improving well-being." On the other hand, the study points out, people who have money may be "more desirable marriage prospects." Bingo on that point. The millennials I talked with prefer their partners to be debt-free and riding high. They also don't want to burden a husband or wife with their own debt. "Right now, I'm 21 years old. And I'm thousands of dollars in debt," Emily Crille told me. "That wasn't something my parents bore. And it's really hard to plan a wedding, or even think about something like that when you owe so much money, you don't have a job, and you don't have a home." I felt a certain sense of pride at their sassy attitudes. As a child of divorce I never wanted to get married, either -- until I met my husband at 38. But, when I was in my twenties, waiting to marry the right man and forgoing children put me decidedly and uncomfortably in the minority. I heard the whispers: Is there something wrong with her? Is she selfish? Unlovable? Perhaps it is selfish to establish a career, travel and have a child on your own. Or, maybe it's exactly right. Scandinavians are just about there. According to USA Today: "In Norway ... 82% of couples have their first child out of wedlock. The numbers are similarly high for Sweden and Denmark. While many couples marry after having the first or second child, it's clear marriage in parts of Scandinavia is dying." The article also points out that "Norway ranked first and Sweden second in the United Nations' quality-of-life survey for 2004, which rates per capita income, education levels, health care and life expectancy in measuring a nation's well-being. The USA came in eighth." In an effort to understand the joys of "sambo," the term for living together in Scandinavia, my producer reached out to Mikael Anteskog Adler, a 35-year-old man from Stockholm, Sweden. "To put it short," he told us, "marriage costs money (party, clothes, rings, honeymoon trip, etc.) and gives no significant advantages, as there are no economic or legal advantages and no real social pressure to get married, or anyone frowning on premarital sex and cohabitation." Wow. Fifty-year-old Anne Lehes, from Gothenburg, Sweden, told my producer, "I believe that one reason for many Swedes staying single is because this is a secular country, so people think they will become fulfilled by their partner, and inevitably they get disappointed and then they don't think the whole thing is worth it." Maybe Christina Hugosson of Uppsala, Sweden, sums it up best: "The notion that marriage is something that you're pressured into seems horrible to me. ... Marriage should be for love, not a matter of expectations, routine and everyday practicalities." My Kent State millennials -- true romantics -- would agree wholeheartedly with Hugossan. Emily told me as much, "Marriage is about love. It's not about planning or timing, and that's what we're all kind of waiting for." Marriage is about love, but you have to be good partners, too. And, as they say, sometimes love isn't enough. Which brings me back to that idea of a pending marriage apocalypse. Would it be so terrible if we all remained single? If I had remained single? I thought about it. So did my husband. We didn't plan to have children, what was the point? In the end, we made a decision based on love and practicality. A commitment would not only prove our love, but also force us to get through the bad times couples are sure to endure. Eleven years later we have no regrets. But, we are not you and yours. Would a society without marriage be just as well off as one filled with "I dos"? I don't know. But I would love to know if you do. | Carol Costello: Talk to any millennial and you can envision an America virtually marriage-free .
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A woman whose designer crocodile-skin handbag was seized by the UK Border Force has triumphed in a test case bid to get it back. The £2,000 designer tote bag, hand-made in Japan, was a 50th birthday gift for Hampstead woman, Sabine Smouha, from her husband Jeremy, the director of an investments company. But, when it arrived in Britain in 2013, customs officers confiscated it because Nile crocodiles are a protected species and it didn't have the right documentation. High end: A £2,000 designer tote bag, hand-made from Nile crocodile skinin Japan by exclusive designer Hikiji . The Border Force has repeatedly refused to return it to her, because it it did not have the required endangered species import permit. Now, however, Mrs Smouha - who said she was 'very sad to lose her birthday present' - has been handed victory by a tribunal judge. Judge Anne Redston said the crocodile was farmed and Mrs Smouha had relied on the reputable Japanese manufacturer to get the formalities right. She had acted entirely honestly and the Border Force's repeated refusal to hand over the bag was irrational and disproportionate. The judge said Mrs Smouha's birthday was approaching and her husband wanted to buy her a special present. She spotted the 'very pretty bag' on the website of elite Japanese handbag maker, Hikiji. The black bag, complete with bronze cowhide lining and matt gold finishings, was the creation of top designer, Mayumi Kondo. Her husband paid $3,400 for it and it arrived in the UK by express mail, in time for Mrs Smouha's happy day. Sabine Smouha was handed a victory at the Royal Courts of Justice, left, after a two-year battle. Judge Anne Redston ordered UK Border Force to reconsider their ruling on a designer handbag made from Nile crocodile, right, that they confiscated on the grounds that it was not imported with the right documentation . The bag was made from the skin of a Nile crocodile, a protected species under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). But it didn't have the required documentation and customs officials seized it at the international mail hub, in Coventry. Representing herself, Mrs Smouha told the First-Tier Tribunal at the Royal Courts of Justice that she had been told by Hikiji that import formalities would be 'taken care of'. Endangered species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Countries all over the world have signed up to the agreement imposing special responsibilities on anyone importing any of the hundreds of plant and animal species listed in the convention . It's designed to stop the illegal killing of these species by destroying the market. It applies to anything from that species, such as skin, fur and teeth . Under British and EU law, you must apply to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a permit before importing anything on the list . When something is imported, it must also have a permit proving it was sourced legally by the country of export . Without these documents, your items can be confiscated by customs officials - but you have the right to appeal . There is also other international legislation applying to the trade of endangered species. Some can impose fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars and carry jail terms . It was the first time that the Japanese company had exported to the UK, but she was unaware of that. The crocodile skin, which had been farmed 'in a controlled environment' in Zambia, was legally imported into Japan before being re-exported. Judge Redston said: 'She was very sad to lose her birthday present and had done everything she could to remedy the position'. She had even offered to 'pay a reasonable fine' so long as the bag was returned to her. Ruling in Mrs Smouha's favour, Judge Redston said the Border Force had failed to consider the individual facts of her case. The skin had not been smuggled into the UK in defiance of CITES and Mrs Smouha had 'reasonably relied' upon Hikiji, whose duty it was to obtain an import permit. The judge added: 'Mrs Smouha did not ignore CITES. She communicated with Hikiji and understood that CITES had been complied with. 'She is not in business and the bag was a birthday present. This was her first experience of CITES. 'The bag cost $3,400 and she did everything she could to rectify the position after she realised the mistake. 'Mrs Smouha acted honestly and in good faith throughout'. Judge Redston gave the Border Force six weeks to reach a fresh decision in the light of her ruling. | The bag was a 50th birthday gift from her investments manager husband .
It was made in Japan from African Nile crocodile - an endangered species .
Customs officials took it because 'endangered' imports need special permits .
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Police have found video of an unconscious girl being gang raped on a Florida beach in broad daylight during Spring Break. Hundreds of people are seen watching without attempting to intervene during the alleged attack on Panama City Beach, authorities claim. The footage was uncovered on a cell phone during an unconnected investigation into a shooting in Troy, Alabama. Arrest: Delone' Martistee, 22, (left) and Ryan Austin Calhoun, 23, (right) have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape after police in Troy, Alabama, found the clip on a cell phone during another investigation . Alerting the Bay County Sheriff's Office, the two departments worked together to identify two suspects and the alleged victim. Troy University students Delone' Martistee, 22, and Ryan Austin Calhoun, 23, have been suspended from college while they are detained for questioning, WSFA reports. Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen branded the video the 'most disgusting, sickening thing'. According to McKeithen, one man is heard in the clip saying, 'she isn't going to know,' before putting his hand inside her bikini bottoms. He told a press conference: 'This is happening in broad daylight with hundreds of people seeing and hearing what is happening and they are more concerned about spilling their beer than somebody being raped. Horrific: Authorities say hundreds of people walked past but did not stop the attack near Spinnaker Beach Club on Panama City Beach, Florida, in broad daylight during a Spring Break party last month . 'This is such a traumatizing event for this girl. No one should have to fear this would happen in Panama City Beach, but it does.' According to the Panama City News Herald, the woman believes she was drugged before the attack. She told deputies during an interview that she was afraid to report the incident because she couldn't remember many details. | Police in Troy, Alabama, found the video while investigating a shooting .
Video 'shows two men raping unconscious woman on Florida beach'
Authorities say hundreds of people walk past but don't intervene .
Troy University students Delone' Martistee, 22, and Ryan Austin Calhoun, 23, have been arrested in connection with the alleged incident . | 5d57743a828d9fffb6c5af046844a47c2afadbfe | [
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A 12-year-old boy who fell out of a five-storey window miraculously survived after landing on a car parked beneath the building. According to his father, the boy most likely fell while sleepwalking. The incident happened last Saturday in Nanchang, the provincial capital of Jiangxi in southeastern China, reported the People’s Daily Online. Life-saving car: The 12-year-old boy from Nanchang was saved by this car parked underneath the building . Miraculous: The kid fell from the fourth floor of this building while sleepwalking, according to his father . A hotel receptionist working across the road said she heard a loud bang around midnight, which she thought was a car accident. When she went out to have a look she discovered there was the body of a boy lying on top of a white car. The boy was crying out for help. 'The car’s windscreen was shattered and there was a lot of blood,' said the eyewitness. The receptionist added: 'The boy was conscious at the time and an ambulance was called to take him to the hospital. Someone said that he had fallen from the fourth floor. 'He’s really lucky. If it wasn’t for the car, he would not have survived.' Doctors at the Nanchang University Medical Hospital said that the boy did not have life-threatening injuries. The main injury was to his leg but he needed further observations. Nonvital injuries: Doctors said that the boy did not have life-threatening injuries but his leg was hurt . The boy’s father said: “I don’t know how he fell out of the window but he said that he was sleepwalking.” The Public Security Bureau is further investigating the incident. However, the owner of the car, Xiao Deng, doesn’t feel so lucky. Scene of the incident: Neighbours noticed the fall when the boy was on top of the car and yelling for help . Deng was having dinner nearby and when he returned saw the damage to his car. He said that he bought the car just six months ago. He has called the insurance company but representative told him they have never handled such an incident before and needed to check to see how much of this is covered. | 12-year-old boy survives five-storey fall by landing on a car .
Father says child was sleepwalking and fell from the window .
Public Security Bureau is further investigating the incident .
Car owner feels dismayed as he bought the car not long ago . | ad4c44e3ded7c16566cbc348c2cd30c92241633a | [
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A man had to be airlifted to the hospital after being bit by a shark Friday afternoon while spearfishing on the coast of Florida. The bull shark took a bite out of his back, torso and head, according to witnesses in Palm Beach, Florida. Blood covered the boat which was anchored off the Jupiter Inlet, a hot spot for fishing. Horrific: This is the man who was bitten by a shark on the right side of his head as well as his back and torso . The victim, who has not been identified, was airlifted to St Mary's Medical Center's trauma unit. An update on his condition wasn't immediately available. The man had a cobia fish and sling-type spears aboard the boat, where he was fishing with a man and a woman, who both spoke Spanish. 'He was bleeding quite a bit,' witness Peter Pinello told WPBF. 'It looks like a shark had gotten him in the torso. You could see his wetsuit was embedded in it, and it looked like it took a good chunk of it out.' The man was spearfishing off Jupiter Inlet when he was bitten, according to ABC affiliate WPBF-TVin West Palm Beach. Pinello told WPBF he saw the victim when he was being brought back to shore. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief John Vanek told WPBF that the victim was bitten on the head but was conscious when he was flown to the hospital. Bull sharks are common near the coast, particularly in Florida, with a preference for water less than 100 feet deeo. They target their prey in murky water where they are not easily visible. According to a study on the behavior of sharks at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, bull sharks are attracted to colorful clothing - but have the ability to recognize brightly-colored netted traps. | Victim had been fishing off Palm Beach's Jupiter Inlet when he was bitten .
Witnesses said blood covered the boat, he was bitten in the head .
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Curtis Stone’s image has always been of the affable Aussie who loves to cook, but when it comes to his kids there’s some food that he just won't allow them to eat no matter what . The celebrity chef, who lives in Los Angeles with his actress wife Lindsay Price and their two boys, Hudson aged three and seven-month-old Emerson, is not about to let junk food pass their mouths. ‘Someone said to me on a TV show in America ‘’but how do you stop your kid from eating hot dogs?’’ I'm like that's pretty easy, my kid has never eaten a hot dog because it's full of s***,’ he says. Scroll down for video . Healthy living: Curtis Stone and his actress wife Lindsay Price have two boys, Hudson, 3, and Emerson, 7 months . The celebrity chef (pictured with his wife Lindsay and son Hudson) is adamant that his children should eat healthily . ‘I don't want him to have all the nitrates and c*** that's in a hot dog. ‘Of course one day he will be invited to a party at a fast food restaurant and I'm not going to say no, you can live a life of course, but you are in charge of his day to day.’ Stone says his biggest priority is to feed his children healthy food. He also doesn't hold back about giving his opinion when parents say their kids would rather eat junk food and not fruit and vegetables – it’s because the parents let them do it. The one thing you'll not find in the Stone household is this - a hot dog with all the trimmings . Stone's new cookbook, Good Food, Good Life contains photos of him cooking and gardening with wife Lindsay throughout the book . ‘Your kid is going to embrace whatever you expose them to, right, that's just a fact of life,’ he says. ‘People tell you, “no, no my kid likes this or my kid likes that”. My opinion is; that's just not accurate.’ The 39-year-old is back in Australia to visit family and promote his new cookbook, Good Food, Good Life. Photos of Stone cooking and gardening with Hudson feature throughout the book, which the chef has dedicated to his eldest son. Originally from Melbourne, Stone made a name for himself outside his homeland by hosting US television series Take Home Chef . When he returns to LA Stone will be back in the kitchen at his 25-seat restaurant Maude, named after his grandmother, which focuses on one key ingredient each month. Since the eatery opened in February last year, it has been named LA Weekly's Best New Restaurant and Eater LA's Restaurant of the Year. Originally from Melbourne, Stone made a name for himself outside his homeland by hosting Take Home Chef, which originally was broadcast on TLC in the United States, and went on to become an international success. He and wife Lindsay have two boys, Hudson, 3, and Emerson, 7 months . | Stone's biggest priority is to nourish his children with healthy food .
He and wife Lindsay have two boys, Hudson, 3, and Emerson, 7 months .
‘I don't want him to have the nitrates and c*** that's in a hot dog,' he says .
He wants parents to expose their children to a range of healthy food .
Stone is in Australia to promote his cookbook, Good Food, Good Life .
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A Sydney teenage girl last seen leaving for school 40 years ago probably ran away and may still be alive, a coronial inquest has found. Marian Carole Rees was 13 when she disappeared from Hillsdale in southern Sydney in early April 1975 after telling a friend that she had forgotten something and jumped off her school bus. The teenager often talked of running away from home and had said goodbye to her brother on the morning she disappeared, Magistrate Sharon Freund said in findings handed down on Thursday. Marion Carole Rees (pictured) who went missing 40 years ago may still be alive, according to an inquest . Ms Freund said the disappearance did not appear suspicious and there was no evidence suggesting suicide. The teenager probably ran away with the intention of permanently cutting ties with family and friends, she said. 'It is likely nothing has changed in the intervening period.' 'She may still want to avoid detection and not wish to make contact with her family.' She said she was unconvinced, on the balance of probabilities, that Ms Rees is dead. Magistrate Freund said 'the ability to assume a new identity and new life would have been a lot easier forty years ago'. Marion (pictured with her family) was reportedly fed up with taking care of her younger siblings, as her mother had a drinking problem . Marian had only been living in Australia for a year after emigrating when she went missing while on the bus to Matravill High School with her friend Tanya Davenport. The 13-year-old jumped up to say she had forgotten something and got off the bus. She hasn't been seen since, however her mother's boyfriend at the time came out to say he thought he spotted her at a bus stop in Kingsford just weeks after she disappeared. In a statement last year, Mrs Davenport told the Daily Telegraph that Marian was preoccupied during their bus journey and thought she may have seen something when she jumped off the bus. '[Marian] was sitting next to me and from memory she looked a bit upset. During our conversation, she was looking out the window. I don't know whether she saw something or what but she jumped out of her seat and said 'I've forgotten something. I've got to go and I'll see you at school,' Mrs Davenport said. Marian had spoke about running away on numerous occasions according to her aunt and grandmother . Ms Rees would now be 53 years old. It is believed that she may have been running away from her mother Margaret and her two siblings John and Joanne, who she often had to take care of due to her mother's drinking. After her disappearance Marian's relatives, including her grandmother and her aunt, told of how the teenager longed to run away from her normal life. The case has been referred back to the Missing Person's Unit for further investigation as the Magistrate believes there were holes in the police investigation at the time. | A 13-year-old girl who vanished 40 years ago may still be alive .
Marian Carole Rees disappeared from Hillsdale in southern Sydney .
She often talked about running away and an inquest has heard it was not suspicious .
Magistrate Sharon Freund believes she may still want to avoid detection .
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Robert Downey Jr has helped raise more than £1million for a British hospice by raffling off a date with himself to his latest film premiere. The Ironman actor promised to fly a winner and a friend to Los Angeles to join him on the red carpet for the world premiere of Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron. His offer - which also includes a gown or tuxedo fitting and a helicopter ride - was up for grabs via $10 (£6.80) raffle tickets and raised money for children's hospice Julia's House. Scroll down for video . Robert Downey Jr has helped raise more than £1million for British hospice Julia's House . Dorset-based charity will now use the money to build a new hospice in Wiltshire . It raised £1,388,863 for the Dorset-based charity, which will now use the money to build a new hospice in Wiltshire. Speaking in a video promoting the prize, the actor said: 'Have you had the best night of your life on earth ever yet? Well you could, with me, for a good cause. 'Here's the deal - you donate ten dollars or more for a chance to win the RJD experience. 'I correspondingly fly you and a friend to LA, put you up in a five star hotel and proceed to awesome the crap out of you. 'I'll take you indoor skydiving, on a helicopter tour, a pit stop at Randy's Donuts and after riding your sugar high all the way to a fitting for a tux or gown, we are going to meet up for a bit of pre-premiere caviar. 'We'll giggle, chat, take pictures, and perhaps even engage in a battle of wits - kidding, or am I? A still from the video which Robert Downey Jr recorded helping to raise more than £1million for Julia's House shows a worker at the hospice interacting with a child . The raffle was hosted by Omaze, an American organisation that supports charities . 'And then right before sunset we make a grand entrance at the venue on the red carpet, and then you become one of the first people on earth to see Avengers: Age of Ultron. 'All proceeds go towards funding Julia's House. This place is amazing. It's a hospice for children with terminal illnesses. It's a win-win.' Downey Jr heard about Julia's House after he attended a fundraising event at the home of film director and Julia's House patron Guy Ritchie. Martin Edwards, CEO of Julia's House, said: 'We are so grateful to Robert Downey Jnr for helping with our dream to increase our respite and end of life care and reach more children over a wider geographical area, principally by building a Wiltshire children's hospice and extending our home care in the county. 'We'll giggle, chat, take pictures, and perhaps even engage in a battle of wits' he says . 'It's amazing when someone in so much demand is so focused on giving something back. 'He's our superhero - we love you Iron Man.' Winners were chosen and privately notified on Tuesday April 7. The raffle was hosted by Omaze, an American organisation that supports charities by offering celebrity experiences for 10 dollar raffle tickets. Downey Jr heard about Julia's House after he attended a fundraising event . | Raffle raised £1,388,863 for Dorset-based charity Julia's House .
Winner to join Ironman actor for Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron premiere .
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A controversial anti-vaccination organisation has come under fire for comparing compulsory vaccination to rape in a social media post. The Australian Vaccination Skeptics Network, an anti-vaccinations lobby group, posted an image to their Facebook page on Thursday which shows a man holding a woman with his hand over her mouth in an aggressive silencing gesture. The tag line on the image read, 'Forced penetration. Really- no big deal, if it's just a vaccination needle and he's a doctor. Do you really "need" control over over your own choices?'. The Australian Vaccination Skeptics Network has come under fire for comparing vaccinations to rape . The image was posted in response to tough new laws announced by Social Services Minister Scott Morrison earlier in April, which means that parents will no longer be able to access childcare benefits simply by signing a form that says they object to immunisation based on 'personal, philosophical or religious' reasons. However, a president of the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network said the message had nothing to do with the group. 'I can state categorically that The Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network Inc does not support or agree with the sentiments or messages portrayed in the picture,' she said. 'We do not own the page it was posted on.' 'What the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network does support and believe in, is the right of ALL parents to make an informed choice in regards to vaccinating their children, whether they vaccinate, selectively vaccinate or do not vaccinate at all,' she said. 'We are pro-choice, pro-information and pro-parental rights. The new federal law, which was in part prompted by the death of one-month-old Riley Hughes from complications arising from whooping cough, means that parents who refuse to immunise their children are set to lose up to $15,000 a year for every child when the changes come into force from January 1, 2016. The post, which has since been removed, caused an instant outcry from followers and opponents of the group alike, with social media users labelling the post 'tasteless', 'disgusting', and a possible trigger for those who had suffered sexual assault. 'Dear rape victims, according to the rabid anti-vaxxers what you went thru is no worse than. Shame,' said one social media user. 'Are you saying that your child being immunised is as bad as your child being raped? This could also be very triggering for victims of sexual assault,' said another. The administrator of the page defended the post, maintaining that is wasn't tasteless, but honest. 'What truly is tasteless is our elected government trying to tell us that we have to vaccinate our children even if we don’t believe it is best for their health,' the administrator wrote. 'That is tasteless. And if you find this post confronting – imagine how you would feel if you were a parent who was being told that they were going to have to vaccinate their children or starve.' Fiona McCormack, the CEO of Domestic Violence Victoria said the comparison was 'so irresponsible and inappropriate'. Social media users labelling the post 'tasteless', 'disgusting', and a possible trigger for those who had suffered sexual assault . The image was posted in response to tough new 'no jab, no pay' laws which was announced by Social Services Minister Scott Morrison earlier in April . 'To compare a doctor injecting a child against something like the measles to rape … it's obscene,' Ms McCormack told The Age. On Wednesday, a post to the page said that the controversial post was made by someone independent to the organisation. 'As written in the about section, the AVN has not owned this Facebook page for some time. This page is open to the public. We sincerely apologise for an earlier post that caused offense to many, including supporters. We are still investigating and have taken your comments on board,' the post said. The Australian Vaccination Skeptics Network has previously used the metaphor of rape to oppose vaccinations, when reports of a child being given a court order to be immunised was labelled by the group as 'court ordered rape'. 'Think this is an exaggeration? Think again. This is assault without consent and with full penetration too,' the post said. 'If you were the doctor ordered to administer this vaccine and the mother was standing there, holding her child under a court order while you prepared the shot and she was begging you to stop and crying that it would hurt and you continued to do it anyway - how different is that from rape?' the administrator later commented on the post. The Network has previously come under fire when it was stripped of its registered charity status last year. The Australian Vaccination Skeptics Network has previously used the metaphor of rape to oppose vaccinations . 'Think this is an exaggeration? Think again. This is assault without consent and with full penetration too,' the post said . New South Wales Fair Trading Minister Stuart Ayres demanded that the group surrender i''ts authority to fundraise, which it has done, under the Charitable Fundraising Act,' he said. 'An investigation has highlighted a number of potential concerns,' he told The ABC. Mr Ayres said that the NSW Government had been collecting information as to the accuracy of facts provided by the group about the dangers of immunisation. 'We will continue to monitor the information that they put on their website. We will continue to ensure that they present themselves as an anti-vaccination advocacy. That's entirely up to them to do that. We want to make sure that they don't ever promote misleading information.' The Health Care Complaints Commission released a statement in relation to the AVN last year, which contained a warning for members of the public when considering the information the lobby group posted on their website. 'AVN does not provide reliable information in relation to certain vaccines and vaccination more generally,' the statement said. 'The Commission considers that AVN’s dissemination of misleading, misrepresented and incorrect information about vaccination engenders fear and alarm and is likely to detrimentally affect the clinical management or care of its readers.' The tough new vaccination law was in part prompted by the death of one-month-old Riley Hughes from complications arising from whooping cough . On Wednesday, a post to the page said that the controversial post was made by someone independent to the organisation . In December 2012, the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading ordered the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN)- which Ms Dorey was then president of - to change its name or risk being shut down. The move followed 'numerous' complaints from both the public and the Australian Medical Association that the AVN name was misleading the public and wasn’t an accurate representation of its activities. The AVN claims to be pro-choice and a 'vaccine safety watchdog' However, t-shirts on the group's website seemed to promote more fierce objectives which rule out vaccinating children at all. One top featured the slogan: 'Love Them, Protect Them, Never Inject Them'. | A statement claiming to be from an anti-vaccination lobby group has compared immunisation to rape .
The post was in response to new laws which penalise those who don't immunise their children .
The image has been removed and group blamed it on an 'outside' poster .
The AVN has issued a statement saying it does not support the 'message or its sentiments'
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Probe: Dr Rory Lyons was suspended by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and his surgery raided following four deaths 'of concern' The unexpected deaths of two members of a family are at the centre of a criminal probe into their GP. Detectives raided Dr Rory Lyons’ private health centre and medical officials have suspended the 62-year-old from treating patients. Cousins Karen and Colin Cosheril were patients of the Alderney family doctor when they died. Islanders claim the death from pneumonia of Karen, 52, in January prompted the investigation, which then uncovered three more deaths of concern – including that of retired stonemason Colin, 63, who died of heart failure in May. Mr Cosheril’s sister – ambulance technician Brenda Webb – said she complained to Guernsey’s health service after his sudden death. The mother-of-two, 61, said: ‘His death was very sudden. It was a shock. My brother was getting well one day and the next day he went downhill too quickly – the day after that he was dead.’ A family friend of divorcee Karen Cosheril, who used to work at the island’s Chinese takeaway, said: ‘Just before she died there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with her. Then she phoned me and said she was in hospital. 'The next day I got a call saying she had died from pneumonia and I thought, “That is sudden isn’t it?” It was strange because that usually takes time.’ A family member said of Miss Cosheril, who was also known by her married name of Tayleur, said: ‘Her death is one of those being investigated. We were in complete shock when we heard.’ More than 10 Guernsey police officers flew to the island to search Dr Lyons’ Eagle Medical Practice last Thursday. The surgery remained shut over the Easter weekend. A note referring patients to the other island practice was pinned to the door and signed by Dr Lyons, who also worked at the island’s care home. The father-of-two lives in Alderney with his wife. The blinds of their home were shut over the weekend but he was spotted at a flat close to the surgery in the town of St Anne’s. He has not responded to requests for comment. Medical records and other documents were seen being taken from his surgery during the five-hour police search. A search warrant was also executed at a private address. A spokesman for Guernsey’s Health and Social Services Department said the investigation was launched when concerns were raised about a death earlier in the year. The police were then informed after an internal investigation identified the three other potentially suspicious deaths. All four patients died in the past 18 months. Relatives: Cousins Karen and Colin Cosheril were patients of the Alderney family doctor when they died. Karen, 52, left, died in January of pneumonia and Colin, 63, right, died of heart failure in May last year . Family liaison officers have also been sent to the island to help relatives of the deceased. Guernsey Chief of Police Patrick Rice said: ‘This decisive early action was necessary to ensure the protection of the public. 'The community will be understandably concerned by news of this investigation. It will be complex and take time to establish the full facts.’ Dr Lyons was suspended by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service following a hearing on Thursday. Before moving to the island, he worked and lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was a part-time GP. Alderney – which has fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and is just three miles long – has two medical practices, with four GPs, and a 20-bed hospital where GPs treat their own patients. All services are run privately outside the NHS. | Detectives raided Dr Rory Lyons’ private health centre in Alderney .
Dr Lyons is also suspended by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service .
Action sparked by death of Karen Cosheril, 52, from pneumonia in January .
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This is the stomach-churning moment two young girls are catapulted 100mph into the air on a slingshot ride with their terrified - and deafening - reactions caught on camera. Footage shows best friends Carmarie and Kanya sat buckled into the device at the Indy Speedway park on Panama City Beach, Florida, over the weekend. At the start they seem pretty calm but when the carriage tilts back and fires 300ft-high panic sets in and they let out manic screams with horrified facial expressions to match. Both appear to pass out several times due to the extreme force, with their eyes glazing over and rolling back. Get us out of here! This is the stomach-churning moment two young girls are catapulted 100mph into the air on a slingshot ride with their terrified - and deafening - reactions caught on camera . However, when they regain consciousness they continue screaming out their final wishes. At one point Carmarie - who appears to be older - tells Kanya: 'If I die, tell my mama I love her.' But her sidekick points out if she's going, 'honey... I’m [going to] be dead too!' 'Jesus mercy of killers,' she adds at another point. Ready, set, go! At the start they seem pretty calm but when the carriage tilts back and fires 300ft-high panic sets in and they let out manic screams with horrified facial expressions to match . Finally, after bungying up and down for around a minute the slingshot slows down, allowing the girls to catch their breath. To date the clip of their traumatic theme park outing has been watched more than 17 million times on Facebook. Many viewers have deemed the clip 'hilarious' and 'cute' while commending the girls for not cursing. One commenter wrote: 'True friends and shows when you fear something, you call out your mom, God and the closest to you.' Indy Speedway regularly uploads videos of its clients, with many people having the same reaction to Carmarie and Kanya. Internet fame: To date the clip of their traumatic theme park outing has been watched more than 17 million times on Facebook . Losing consciousness: Both appear to pass out several times due to the extreme force (seen left), with their eyes glazing over and rolling back . | Footage shows best friends Carmarie and Kanya sat buckled up in the device at the Indy Speedway park on Panama City Beach in Florida .
At the start they appear to be pretty calm but when the carriage tilts back and fires 300ft-high panic sets in .
At one point Carmarie - who appears to be older - tells Kanya: 'If I die, tell my mama I love her'
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Set in the grey stones of the Victorian chapel, the red of the two doors makes a bold, slightly unexpected statement. But that distinctive splash of colour is the only clue to the identity of the man who turned this building into a family home. In the early 1970s, Sir Richard Branson brought the chapel into residential use while he was setting up his Virgin recording business. And from then until the present day, the Virgin logo – which has gone on to adorn trains, planes and a multitude of other businesses – has always been printed in the red of those humble chapel doors. Sir Richard Branson converted The Old Chapel in Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire, into a home in the 1970s . At the time he converted the property, Branson had a recording studio in an old manor house a few miles away from the chapel at South Leigh in Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire. At The Manor, the first Virgin albums, such as Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, were recorded and Branson would use The Old Chapel as a weekend retreat. Other artists using The Manor included Sandy Denny, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and John Cale. 'I saw Richard coming and going into The Old Chapel in the 1970s,' says South Leigh resident Martin Collet, 57. 'I often used to see him in the village pub, The Mason Arms, having a meal with family and friends and he was always very pleasant.' He brought the chapel into residential use while he was setting up his Virgin recording business . The entrepreneur painted the doors of the country retreat his trademark bright red, pictured with Kate Moss . He adds that The Old Chapel wasn't always a complete retreat from Branson's rock 'n' roll world. 'He often had parties there and we heard the music, even though we were four doors away – but it wasn't a problem. I think he only used the house at the weekends, and he was well liked in the village.' Other residents recall that Branson was a regular visitor to the village shop on Sundays, buying breakfast for his overnight visitors. Branson's love affair with this part of Oxfordshire continued after he left The Old Chapel. He owned The Manor until the 1990s and, for two decades, also owned Mill End House in the village of Kidlington, which he sold to his children a few years ago when he moved his base to Necker Island in the Caribbean. 'Branson did a superb job on the chapel,' says Rowan Andrews, the home's current owner, who bought it in 2007. 'We haven't had to do much, apart from putting in solid oak flooring and new central heating with Victorian-style radiators.' The four-bedroom home is now on the market for £599,000. At the time he converted the property, Branson had a recording studio in an old manor house a few miles away from the chapel . The four-bedroom home is divided into two levels and exposed beams run throughout the building . The village of South Leigh is in the parliamentary constituency of Witney, Prime Minister David Cameron's seat – and the poet Dylan Thomas lived in South Leigh Manor in the 1940s. But the village has another claim to fame, one that relates to The Old Chapel itself. In 1725, John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist Church, gave his first sermon in the St James the Great church in the village. It's fitting, then, that a century and a half later, 85 years after Wesley's death, the village came to have a Wesleyan Methodist chapel of its own – the very property that Branson would one day end up converting. Price: £599,000 . Location: South Leigh, Oxfordshire . Bedrooms: Four . Unique features: Converted by Sir Richard Branson; former Wesleyan chapel in the village where John Wesley gave his first sermon . At the time of his first sermon, Wesley was studying at Oxford University. The Jacobean pulpit in St James the Great bears a plaque commemorating the sermon, which is reputed to have lasted two-and-a-half hours. 'We were looking for a property in South Leigh as we had friends in the area,' says recently separated Rowan, 50 – a management consultant with two children, Jacob, 15, and Nancy, 13. 'We fell in love with the house the moment we saw it.' Rowan only found out Branson had been a previous owner on his second viewing. 'That undoubtedly increased our interest, especially when we realised what an excellent job he had done converting it into a home, without losing too many of its original features,' said Rowan. 'And the house ticked all the boxes for us. It has lots of space and is conveniently located for the A40, with good access to London.' At the time he converted the property, Branson had a recording studio in an old manor house a few miles away from the chapel . 'Branson did a superb job on the chapel,' says Rowan Andrews, the home's current owner, pictured is the kitchen . The main sitting room is spacious, with a fireplace and woodburner, and the open-plan dining area opens out on to the back garden . The building is divided into two levels and exposed beams run throughout it. Features that Branson added include pine banisters and large round windows offering views across surrounding countryside. The property has an en suite and family bathroom, and the master bedroom overlooks the back garden. A studio room could be used as an office or fifth bedroom. The main sitting room is spacious, with a fireplace and woodburner, and the open-plan dining area opens out on to the back garden. A kitchen and third reception room complete the accommodation. 'We have the benefit of open space, yet it is still cosy and warm due to a large woodburner in one of the reception rooms,' says Rowan. 'I'll definitely miss the place.' Rowan is moving to Witney so that his children can be closer to their schools and friends. | Sir Richard Branson converted The Old Chapel into a home in the 1970s .
Entrepreneur painted doors of the country retreat his trademark bright red .
Four-bedroom home in South Leigh, Witney, is on the market for £599,000 .
Sir Richard held parties at the chapel and was a regular at village shop .
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Billionaire Phones4U founder John Caudwell has revealed that his £10million mansion is 'being haunted' by the 'ghost' of a child killed in the English Civil War. Mr Caudwell, 62, claimed visitors to his 50-room Jacobean manor in Staffordshire have felt a bed vibrate and a ghost brushing past them on the stairs. The businessman believes the ghostly goings-on are being caused by the spirit of a terrified little boy who died in the 17th century conflict. Scroll down for video . Spooked: Billionaire John Caudwell inside his historic mansion. He thinks the imposing building is being haunted by the ghost of a boy who was shot by a soldier loyal to Cromwell during the English Civil War . Spooky stays: Women visitors spending the night in one particular bedroom in the mansion (above) have felt its bed vibrate. Tycoon John Caudwell says the room is where the boy died . Mr Caudwell, who sold off Phones4U in 2006 for £1.4billion, said: 'The little boy was alone in the house. All the men had gone out hunting - and the Cromwellians came down the drive. 'He shouted: 'We are for the king' - and one of the soldiers lifted a musket and shot him dead. 'He fell in the Long Gallery, crawled into one of the bedrooms and bled to death. 'Legend has it that every so often, those blood stains come oozing through. 'I've never seen that but there's a strange thing where several women have slept in the room and felt the bed vibrate. I was not there at the time. 'There are also stories about this ghost brushing past people on the stairs. 'People who think they are in tune with the spirit world always say they can feel something - but it's warm, not malevolent.' John Caudwell in 2006 with his then partner Claire Johnson at a party hosted by Sir Elton John. Right: With his private helicopter in the grounds of his £10million Staffordshire mansion . Mixing with the stars: John and Claire with singer Stephen Gately at a charity ball in May 2009, just five months before the Boyzone singer was found dead at his holiday apartment in Majorca . Historic: Broughton Hall in Staffordshire was the scene of a Civil War tragedy according to Mr Caudwell . The English Civil War took place between 1642 and 1651. It was fought by the Cavaliers - who remained loyal to King Charles I - and the Roundheads, who wanted to overthrow the monarchy. Their battles saw Charles I being executed, his son, Charles II, being exiled and Oliver Cromwell taking over as the leader of a republic Britain in 1649. Cromwell died in 1958 from suspected septicemia - and he was buried with great pomp at Westminster Abbey. But in 1661, a year after the monarchy was restored, his body was exhumed and subjected to a 'posthumous execution'. Mr Caudwell, who is ranked as the 42nd richest person in Britain, bought Broughton Hall 20 years ago for £800,000. The house and its 28-acres, which are near Eccleshall, are now worth more than £10million. The businessman started work at the age of 17 on the production line of the Michelin factory in his home city, Stoke-on-Trent, for just £3 a week. He began his mobile-phone empire in 1987. Earlier this month he spent £155million buying the Audley Street garage in Mayfair, central London. He plans to knock it down and build a high-end housing complex worth as much as £2billion. The apartment block will contain five townhouses, three penthouses, a mews home and 21 luxury flats - rivalling properties such as the nearby One Hyde Park for the title of the world's most desirable living space. Mr Caudwell also made headlines earlier this year when he was granted planning permission to build his own steam railway in the grounds of Broughton Hall. Mr Caudwell at the mansion in 2009. He has lived there for 20 years after making his money from the mobile-phone company Phones4U. A half-sized locomotive will haul a fleet of fully furnished carriages, at an initial cost of £500,000. Mr Caudwell said at the time: 'It's a mad idea - crackpot really. I'll probably only use the railway two or three times a year but I've had a fascination with steam trains since I was a boy.' No doubt they will be enjoyed by his family of five children by three women. He split from his last long-term partner, Claire Johnson, last year. The couple had been together for 15 years and remain friends. Mr Caudwell is also friends with his former wife Kate, to whom he was married for 25 years. There are several family suites in Broughton Hall to accommodate them and Mr Caudwell's other visitors. He also has an £80million mansion in Mayfair and two luxury ski chalets - one in Vail, in the US, and the other in Whistler, Canada. | John Caudwell says the boy was shot and crawled into a bedroom to die .
Women visitors to the Staffordshire pile have felt the bed vibrate .
Other guests sense a ghostly presence brushing past them on stairs .
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A tree dedicated to the memory of Michael Brown has been destroyed by vandals just hours after being planted. The sapling was planted in January-Wabash Park in Ferguson, Missouri on Saturday as a dedication to the teenager, who was gunned down in the street by a police officer last August. It was called 'a symbol of peace, comfort and hope for all who gather around its branches' at a small ceremony led by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, which donated the tree. But by Sunday morning, the branches had been stripped, leaving behind just a shard of the trunk. Scroll down for video . Before: The Black Caucus of the American Library Association donated the tree and memorial plaque and it was planted in January-Wabash Park in Ferguson, Missouri on Saturday (pictured) Destroyed: But by Sunday morning, the tree had been ripped down, leaving just a shard of the trunk . The metal dedication plaque at the base of the tree had also been removed. It had read: 'In Memory of Michael Brown Jr Dedicated Tree 04/15.' 'I can't understand why someone would want to cut down the tree,' one man in the park told KMOV. 'What, they want to start something back up again?' 'It's real sad day when a tree is dedicated and the next day someone comes along and destroys it just for the heck of it,' Gerald Brooks of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association added to Fox2. A second tree that was close to the Brown memorial and had been dedicated by a Ferguson resident to their dead pet was also vandalized. The plaque on that tree was also stolen. On Monday, both of the saplings were replanted and the memorial plaques will be replaced later this week, KSDK reported. New: By Monday, the tree - and another tree that was destroyed nearby - had been replaced at the site . Taken: The memorial plaque, pictured, was also removed but should be replaced later this week . The Ferguson Police Department is investigating the incident as an act of vandalism but they do not have any suspects. 'Officers canvassed the area talking to anyone who might have seen or heard anything related to the incident,' the city said in a statement. 'No witnesses were located, and at this time police have no leads. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the City of Ferguson is replacing the trees today [Monday].' The incident is the third time that a Brown memorial has been destroyed. In September, a memorial that included stuffed toys, images and notes close to where Brown died was destroyed by a fire. Killed: Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead by police officer Darren Wilson, right, in the street last August . And in December, a car hit and destroyed a memorial. There was speculation that the driver purposefully hit the memorial, but the police department said it was not being considered a crime. It was later rebuilt. Brown, 18, was shot dead by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson as he responded to reports of a theft on August 9, sparking massive protests against police brutality across the country. More demonstrations erupted in December, when a St Louis County grand jury ruled that Wilson would not be indicted in the killing. In March, the U.S. Department of Justice cleared him of civil rights violations. | Sapling was planted in January-Wabash Park in Ferguson, Missouri on Saturday but by Sunday, its trunk had been snapped in half .
By Monday, it had been replanted and the Ferguson Police Department is investigating the incident as an act of vandalism .
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A little girl who slipped through metal bars and became trapped by the neck was saved by the heroic efforts of her neighbours. Na Chu had just returned from a trip to the zoo when her grandmother accidentally locked her in the house by herself in the Xiangtan, south China. The five-year-old panicked and ran to the window but fell between the protective metal slats of the residential property, the People's Daily Online reports. Scroll down for video . Long drop: The child dangles from the residential block in the Xiangtan District, south China . Propped up: A neighbour stops the five-year-old from suffocating by giving her a poll to sit on . Neighbours rushed to help after they spotted the little girl hanging in the air with her head trapped between the bars. Some used a piece of pipe to prop her up and prevent her from suffocating, while others supported her feet before firemen eventually arrived - half an hour later. One neighbour told local TV: 'Her terrified screams alerted us and we saw that the upper half of her body was lodged between the security bars and she was slowly slipping down. Rescue: A fireman helps the little girl who has fallen between the metal bars and become trapped by her neck . 'So a bunch of us leapt to action to try save her. We grabbed a drainpipe section and used that to prop her up. And we were talking to her, telling her not to panic.' Another woman took a handful of blankets from her home and laid them on the road below in case the girl fell. People have taken to Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, to praise the tireless efforts of the neighbour below, who supported her feet the entire time. They coined the term 'lifting man' in reference to him, which has now become internet slang for anyone who does a good deed. Help: The good Samaritan supports the child's legs while a worried crowd gathers below the apartment block . Slow response: People took to Weibo to praise neighbours and criticise the emergency services for taking 30 minutes to reach the girl, whose rescue was covered by local TV . ‘Nice people are still around,’ commented online user ‘Baby Lexuan’. Others criticised the emergency services for not getting there fast enough. | Five-year-old had accidentally been locked in by grandma .
She ran to the window to shout her but fell between the metal slats .
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An editor for a Los Angeles-based fashion website has opened up about going from a super skinny size two to a ‘healthy’ size ten, in a new article about body acceptance. Being obsessed about having the perfect body is not exclusive to those working in fashion, but it is an industry that encourages it, and Meghan Blalock, Managing Editor of popular style website Who What Wear, is the first to admit that things can get carried away. In a new article published on her website, the 29-year-old editor reveals what her changing sizes taught her about being comfortable in her own skin and how being thinner did not equal being happier - though she admits that this is only something she has recently started coming to terms with. Strike a pose: Meghan Blalock, pictured at a Marchesa shoot in 2014, when she ‘squeezed into’ a small size six dress, has opened up about her battle with body image . Blogger extraordinaire: Meghan wrote the article for the website Who What Wear, where she works as a Managing Editor . 'I was teased for being fat starting around seven or eight years old,' she writes. 'Of course, I was far from actually being fat, but I think the cruelty of my peers ended up having a long-term impact that I am just overcoming.' In her confessional, Meghan describes being every different size from a two to a ten, explaining that her smallest form was achieved after losing 25 pounds as a teenager when she 'made it my mission to show up to my freshman year looking fitter and better than ever'. She met that goal by going on a restriction diet and 'exercising like crazy all summer'. Stepping into the school on the first day back to a windfall of compliments, Meghan admits that she felt 'amazing', but also reveals that the 'high' she gained from being thin led her down a path to 'an actual addiction'. Ever-changing: The 29-year-old, pictured when she was somewhere between a size four and a size six, says she has been 'pretty much every size you can imagine' 'Eventually, I ended up somewhere around 110 pounds, and I stopped menstruating,' she writes. 'My “rock bottom,” as they say, came when, at 15 years old, I found myself in my parents' bathroom, sobbing because I had overshot my calorie limit for the day, and was pondering vomiting it all up.' That turning point put Meghan on the journey to accepting her body. And while it was a long time before she truly achieved that state, she now confesses that she knows the times in her life when she was at her skinniest, were also the periods when she was the most unhappy. 'The times when I have been thin, when I looked really, really great in every single photo, are the times when I have been the most miserable on the inside,' she says. 'When I’ve been my skinniest, I’ve been my unhappiest: Meghan says she is much more happy since she let go of trying to be extra thin . A healthy size eight: Meghan, pictured in November 2014, is now a yoga addict and more comfortable in her skin than she's ever been . While Meghan claims to believe not all size two women are miserable, she adds that it is 'simply not my natural state', and usually stemmed from issues like stress and eating disorders. Today, Meghan says she is a healthy size eight, regularly does yoga and tries to 'feel nothing but positive feelings' when looking in the mirror. She admits that it's a battle to truly feel that way, but she rounds up her article on the advice that she has learned: 'It simply does not matter what size you are. 'What matters is your internal state—your happiness, contentment, and joy—and that your body is healthy,' she says. 'Obviously, this is much easier said than done, but take it from a woman who has seen some success at trying not to care: It’s possible, and what you experience on the other side is a whole new level of freedom.' | Meghan Blalock, 29, is the Managing Editor for popular style website Who What Wear .
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She's the beautician turned millionaire with a serious passion for fashion - and now Amy Childs has unveiled more sophisticated designs from her successful clothing range. The 24-year-old, who found fame on The Only Way Is Essex, has designed a summer range full of pretty pastels and feminine florals inspired by the festival season. Speaking to FEMAIL about her new designs, Amy said: 'I love pastels and florals - they were big at Coachella recently and I’ve done my take on them. Amy Childs has unveiled her sophisticated summer collection full of pastel prints . 'There’s some smart work wear with a fun spring edge all the way to skater dresses that you can wear to BBQs and play around with the kids in.' Amy, who is 'really proud' of her new range, says her garments are designed for the woman wanting to embrace wearable catwalk trends and 'definitely' for real women. Amy says her new range is full of smart workwear with a 'fun spring edge', as well as skater dresses her fans can wear to BBQs and play around with the kids in . The former TOWIE star says her garments are designed for the woman wanting to embrace wearable catwalk trends and 'definitely' for real women . 'I design for real women - not photoshopped fashion models,' she said. 'I love curves. Look at the Kardashians - times are changing and curvy body shapes are a lot more common than athletic and slim - and they should be celebrated.' Amy admits she works out to keep her curves, explaining: 'I work out and do squats and tone up my tummy. I work for my curves and keep myself toned but I don’t try and lose weight. 'I’m happy how I am - I would never want to give up having a duvet day and Domino's to look like a stick insect!'. The fashion designer is inspired by the Kardashians and says they're proof that times are changing and curvy body shapes are a lot more common than athletic and slim . Despite being comfortable in her own skin, Amy has - like many celebrities - faced the wrath of Twitter trolls. ‘There are people out there who just love to tear people down and it has to stop,' she said candidly. 'People think that by hiding behind Twitter or their phones that you can say hurtful things to people - that’s not true and that’s not a good message to give to the next generation.' So, with a fashion brand, tanning range and false eyelash collection under her belt, what's next for Amy? ‘Some exciting things,' she revealed. 'I can’t say too much but I am very busy with my summer range which is coming out soon and I have just launched my collection on Celebrity Fashion Clothing where my friend Pete sells his perfume and T-shirts.' Speaking to FEMAIL about her new designs, Amy said: 'I love pastels and florals - they were big at Coachella recently and I've done my take on them' | Amy, 24, has designed a summer range full of pretty pastels .
Amy says her garments are 'definitely' for real women .
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Sometime in the next few weeks, Louis van Gaal has a lunch appointment with Sir Alex Ferguson. On Friday he expressed a tongue-in-cheek hope that Ferguson will pay but, more pertinently, the current Manchester United manager hopes to have some genuine and tangible progress to talk about. Ferguson, it must be said, has waited a long time for such news. The United team he left to David Moyes moved only backwards while this season’s version has only occasionally appeared genuinely purposeful under Van Gaal. Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal revealed he is set to discuss the club with Sir Alex Ferguson soon . Van Gaal is preparing his side for Saturday's clash against Aston Villa as they bid to finish in the top four . How the Premier League table looks ahead of April 4 . Now, though, towards the end of this peculiar Barclays Premier League season, life at the business end of the table has become a little more interesting. Successive United victories over Tottenham and Liverpool have left both those teams listing a little. In second, meanwhile, Manchester City, one senses, have stopped looking ahead and started to glance over their shoulder. On Saturday, for example, a win for United over Aston Villa would take Van Gaal’s team above City, who don’t play until Monday night’s engagement at Crystal Palace. Then, a week on Sunday, the two Manchester teams meet. No wonder Van Gaal was sounding perky on Friday. All of a sudden, places two, three and four in the Premier League have begun to look rather interchangeable and it’s United who look in decent shape to benefit. ‘The comments of United legends are always important because they have a lot of fans,’ said Van Gaal on Friday when asked about Gary Neville’s suggestion that the recent United performance at Liverpool was one of the best he could remember. Juan Mata (left) scored twice as United won 2-1 at top four rivals Liverpool in the league on March 22 . Van Gaal knows victory over Villa on Saturday could see them leapfrog Manchester City into second place . ‘And fans are listening to the legends so it’s nice for Manchester United. It’s nice for the players, and also nice for the manager when legends are saying that. But I think that if, for example, Sir Alex Ferguson says that then I am more proud because he can judge as a manager much better than ex-players what is the achievement in such a game. ‘Sir Alex is always on his way (travelling) so it’s difficult to speak with him. But we have made an appointment and he shall pay - that is very important!’ Back from a break in Amsterdam with his wife, Van Gaal looked ready for the challenges ahead. He remains cautious and understandably so. His team have let him down before this season and United still have each of the current top three to play between now and mid-May. While Van Gaal says United are mathematically in the title race, he says the top-four battle is not over either . Nevertheless, he is aware of problems that have currently mounted in front of Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers since United beat his team 13 days ago and knows that defeat at Arsenal Saturday lunchtime could all but end the Merseyside club’s challenge for fourth place. All season United have been allowed to keep in touch with the top four simply because of other teams’ failings. Now Van Gaal has reason to hope his team’s improved form can take them somewhere more meaningful. Asked if second place was now a realistic possibility, the United manager said: ‘Of course. I cannot deny that because we have Manchester City at home next week. ‘We have the strongest record at home so it’s possible. But Manchester City is a top team so it shall not be easy. ‘It’s better to be second or third. I would be pleased with fourth, but I want to be first. And my players want to be first. And when it’s not first, it’s second.’ Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers (third right) knows defeat at Arsenal could end their top four bid . The Reds have fitness concerns over star striker Daniel Sturridge (right) ahead of the trip to the Emirates . For Rodgers and his staff, the last fortnight will have been a long one. Defeat is always harder to deal with - to move on from - when it is immediately followed by an international break. If his team are to get the result they need at Arsenal on Saturday they will have done very well indeed, given the absence of the suspended Martin Skrtel and Steven Gerrard and injury concerns over striker Daniel Sturridge. Arsenal remain well-placed. They have lost one domestic game in 14 since defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day, leaving Manuel Pellegrini’s City team looking rather vulnerable in second position as they try to make something of a season that already has the word ‘disappointment’ written right through it. On Friday, Van Gaal conceded that it was ‘mathematically possible’ for United to win the league. Meanwhile, Danny Welbeck (left) will hoping to continue Arsenal's impressive league form . That is a fanciful notion and he knows it but he and everybody else associated with the club would certainly enjoy the sense of discomfort City will undoubtedly feel if they find themselves looking at the backs of United’s heads by the close of play on Saturday. City only have themselves to blame for what may yet become something of a predicament. United have, by common consensus, been scratchy at best this season but if City find themselves in their wake on Saturday then what does that say about them? At the root of all this, of course, is that this remains a rather average Premier League. It contains only one very good side and they, Chelsea, have waned themselves a little recently. From a morass of mediocrity, however, somebody could yet benefit. Van Gaal will only hope that he is on course for an interesting lunch with the one man who has seen it all, and much more, many times before. | Manchester United host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday .
Arsenal entertain Liverpool at the Emirates in the midday clash .
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Former Prime Minister John Howard found himself standing on the side of the road with a flat tyre recently, but luckily his driver was there to change it. Mr Howard was photographed standing on the footpath outside the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in the heart of the city as his driver got down on his knees to jack up the flash car. Felicity Waterford was waiting in the car for her daughter to finish a concert at the Conservatorium in when she noticed the vehicle and got out to offer some assistance. Scroll down for video . Former Prime Minister John Howard found himself standing on the side of the road in Sydney recently as his driver changed their flat tyre . But as she inched closer she was shocked to see the former PM standing on the footpath. 'I went up and asked if I could offer any help and I thought 'that looks like John Howard',' Ms Waterford told Daily Mail Australia. 'In this country you always help someone with a flat... (this time) it just happened to be John Howard.' With nowhere urgent to be, the former PM chatted eagerly to Ms Waterford explaining they had been driving along the Cahill Expressway when they realised they had a flat tyre. The pair pulled off and into the Conservatorium to change it. Felicity Waterford was waiting for her daughter at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music when she saw John Howard's car had a flat tyre. She asked if they needed her help before the former PM agreed to a selfie . The pair had pulled off and into the Conservatorium to change the tyre when Ms Waterford approached them . 'He was a complete gentleman and said thank you when I asked if I could help in any way, but the driver had it all taken care of,' she said. 'He was there for about 15 minutes while the tyre was changed and then they took off. The driver took care of everything. There wasn't much to do really.' But just before they did take off, Ms Waterford asked the all-important question. 'I said 'Do you mind if I take a selfie?' If these photos are anything to go by, Mr Howard was very obliging. It comes just weeks after Liberal MP Christopher Pyne was challenged to change a tyre on national television after boasting he was a 'fixer'. It comes just weeks after Liberal MP Christopher Pyne was challenged to change a tyre on national television after boasting he was a 'fixer' The Education Minister jacked up Today Show newsreader Sylvia Jeffrey's car after being tested by host Karl Stefanovic. He was labelled with the new nickname 'The Fixer' this week when he announced that he had backtracked on his controversial decision to cut 1700 research jobs. 'I'm happy to be regarded as The Fixer, I do fix things, I fix a lot of things around the house,' he said as he agreed to the challenge. 'I fixed the curriculum, fixing teacher training, fixing independent public schooling, fixing parental engagement in schools, I mean the list is endless.' At the end of the segment, Stefanovic applauded the minister saying 'well done Christopher Pyne, you can fix it.' The Education Minister jacked up Today Show newsreader Sylvia Jeffrey's car after being tested by host Karl Stefanovic . | Former PM John Howard's car was left with a flat tyre recently in Sydney .
Felicity Waterford was waiting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music when she spotted the black car in front .
She hopped out to offer assistance when she realised it was Mr Howard .
Before they raced off Ms Waterford convinced him to pose for a selfie .
It comes weeks after Education Minister Christopher Pyne was challenged to change car tyre on live television after claiming to be a 'fixer' | c9b7a9f9e1e9bca140e8a06537be8a3f008517e1 | [
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Scottish football's relationship with television has become a form of Stockholm Syndrome. No one is tied up in a basement. There are no hostages. Yet the lengths to which the SPFL will go to show love to those broadcasters who hold a gun to their heads has become a source of growing, simmering public fury. The Scottish game is engaged in a Faustian pact. And the television piper is calling the tune. Sky and BT Sports pay £16million a year for live coverage of Scottish football. The BBC puts in an estimated £3m a year for Sportscene highlights and radio commentaries. Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths (right) completes his hat-trick during the win over Kilmarnock earlier this week . Compared with the £5billion paid to English clubs for Premiership football the sums are trifling. Borderline insulting. St Mirren facing Ross County on a wet March night in Paisley will never be a rival to the Manchester derby but broadcasters don't show Scottish football out of charity. They do so because it fills their schedules and meets a level of demand. In return for which they regard SPFL football with indifference. The BBC, a state public service broadcaster, charges the same flat rate licence tax to viewers in London and Manchester as it does to viewers in Glasgow and Inverness, with one key difference. English football is treated with reverence and respect. Scottish football like a pavement beggar. On Saturday, Hibernian and Falkirk fans will be asked to travel to Glasgow for a Scottish Cup semi-final which kicks off at 12.15pm Why? Because Sky Sports want the game out of the way to show a recorded documentary on Bob Paisley. On Sunday, Inverness fans must travel 200 miles for another 12.15pm kick-off against Celtic. Topping the bill in the afternoon is the European Cup rugby semi-final between Leinster and Toulon, a game likely to prompt complete indifference in public houses the length and breadth of Britain. It's not just the Scottish Cup. Celtic have played just four home league games at 3pm on a Saturday all season. And the decision to put back the Hearts v Rangers Championship clash 24 hours for the benefit of Sky caused an almighty row while resurrecting the dreaded 'sporting integrity' phrase. Hibernian are engaged in a battle with the Ibrox side for second place in the Championship. This matters because the team which finishes second has two fewer tense, troublesome play-off games to play. Were Rangers to go into their final game at Tynecastle needing only a point against Hearts — Hibernian's city rivals — the game would be played against an unparalleled backdrop of suspicion. To most — Leanne Dempster of Hibs and Hearts owner Ann Budge especially — the issue is one of fairness. It's clear cut. The games should always have kicked off at the same time and they believe the SPFL have been duplicitous and deceitful. Loathe to be seen criticising the SPFL, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan chose his words carefully, while all but admitting the league had made a complete and utter hash of things. Hamilton's Jason Scotland (right) challenges Dundee United's Calum Morris (left) during the SPL match . 'For 99 per cent of the time, there are no issues,' he said. 'Broadcasting in football has been operating for 20-30 years with big money coming into the game. Usually it's no problem at all. 'There are times — and we have one right now — where the broadcaster has a requirement to show a match at a particular time on a particular day and that causes issues. 'It's important for the league to consult with all of the interested parties, particularly the clubs who are the connecting point with the fans. 'Obviously, you can't please everybody but consultation is the secret. Neil Doncaster (SPFL chief) has been challenged by a number of different parties and I think it's important he listens and tries to come up with a pragmatic solution.' Minutes after Regan spoke, the SPFL's solution arrived in the shape of an embarrassing U-turn. As they should have been from the outset, the final-day Championship games were all rearranged for Saturday May 2. With a 12.15pm kick-off, naturally. And after some cap doffing and bowing to the Sky paymasters. Most accept Doncaster is the paid hand of the most influential clubs in Scotland, with little real executive authority. His job is to act as a human shield for clubs and to put lipstick on a pig of a broadcasting deal. Yet the decision to put the Rangers fixture back heightened suspicions over both his competence and motives. In May 2013, the final game in Division Three for the Ibrox club — against Berwick Rangers — was shown live on television. The other four fixtures were immediately brought forward, too. A statement on the Rangers website confirmed the decision had been taken 'in the interests of fairness'. What changed between May 2013 and now? To those who believe the SPFL are hellbent on getting Rangers back into the top tier come what may, this was manna from heaven. 'It's a challenging time for the SPFL right now,' said Regan with a degree of understatement. 'I can see why fans are unhappy. 'Ultimately there's always a balance between the needs of the broadcasters and the needs of the clubs, the needs of the supporters and sponsors. 'When you're looking at a Scottish football landscape, where money is tight and a broadcaster is the biggest provider of income, that can't be ignored. I'm not saying it's right but they have to be heard.' The problem comes when paying customers believe the broadcasters are the only people being heard. St Mirren's Stephen Mallan (centre) is challenged by Ross County's Jackson Irvine (right) Scottish fans from across the UK are now routinely asked, at the drop of a hat, to change travel plans to facilitate Friday-night football and noon kick-offs on a Saturday or Sunday. Monday night games have also crept onto the schedules. And for what? Scottish viewers make up around nine per cent of Sky and BT Sport' s subscribers. Yet it now costs them more to cover two games between West Brom and Stoke than it does to fund an entire season of Scottish football. The BBC, meanwhile, pays Gary Lineker as much to present Match of the Day as they do for SPFL highlights and radio coverage. 'It's fair to say that the landscape we are in right now is challenging,' added Regan. 'When you look at the numbers that the Premier League delivered in England it blows everything out of the water. 'The Scottish football authorities — the league in particular — are fighting for what you would call the scraps from the table. 'I know that there is pressure being put on the BBC through a number of parties right now, including the Scottish Government, to try to see if there is any way to make an improvement in income that can be generated by further discussions. 'But, ultimately, the broadcaster will only pay market rate for the product they are buying. 'We are trying to get that market rate back up by collectively working on initiatives to improve our game, but it's not going to happen overnight.' The empty stands are a problem. The spectacle in the SPFL is often poor and does nothing to persuade Sky that Scottish football is worth paying out more cash. In a vicious circle, however, this attitude drives the crowds lower and lower. Many now speak openly, then, of Scottish football going cold turkey. Of subscriber boycotts or ending the abusive relationship with broadcasters altogether and streaming SPFL games online on a pay-per-view basis. Or having no coverage at all. When old hands of the Scottish game such as Sir Bob Kelly, Jim McLean and Jim Farry warned of the creeping dangers of live television they were dismissed as dinosaurs. Right now, they look like visionaries. Celtic fans sing during the win over Kilmarnock, which sees them three points clear at the top of the SPL . | Scottish football coverage is at the mercy of Sky and BT's schedules .
Yet, Scottish football is never afforded the same precedence as England's .
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Around one in seven couples suffer with infertility and an increasing number are seeking alternative therapies in the hope it will bring them a longed for baby. Those who can afford it can turn to London's famous private medical haven Harley Street, where Dr Xiao-Ping Zhai has been helping women conceive for decades using only traditional Chinese medicine. Now she's invited BBC cameras inside The Zhai Clinic, which she opened in 1996, to reveal the secrets of her success. Dr Xiao-Ping Zhai says she has used Chinese medicine to help a thousand women become pregnant . 'I'm a doctor who initially trained in western medicine, then I studied Chinese medicine as I realised lots of problems couldn't be overcome by traditional western medicine,' she explains to Vanessa Engle for the documentary Inside Harley Street, which airs tonight on BBC2. Dr Zhai's methods include acupuncture and prescribing a bespoke combination of Chinese herbs which must be taken day and night. The herbs may be drunk as a tea or are provided as a vitamin tablet - 12 must be taken in the morning and 12 in the evening. The vitamins contain natural ingredients such goji berries, Chinese yan and ginger. Dr Zhai says as a result of her natural remedies: 'I have brought more than one thousand babies into the world.' One of them was advertising director Jane Parker's son Rupert. He was conceived when she was 40. Dr Zhai prescribes a bespoke course of vitamins - 24 tablets a day for two weeks - containing Chinese herbs to help conception (file photo) Jane, from London, previously told the Mail On Sunday how she fell pregnant using Dr Zhai's methods after two failed cycles of IVF. She said: 'I'd read an article about her, and had arranged it even before I'd had the IVF – she had a long waiting list. I was in an emotional state of shock when I saw her in December 2008. 'I was convinced she was going to tell me I was too old. Yet she was incredibly reassuring, giving me confidence without raising my hopes to unrealistic levels. 'She ran a series of checks including blood tests and scans. She only prescribes after she's been through the results. 'In January 2009, alongside regular acupuncture sessions, I started taking specially prepared herbs, following her advice on which supplements to take and made several changes to my lifestyle (including giving up alcohol, taking no vigorous exercise and avoiding cold drinks). 'One month later, I’d just returned from holiday and realised my period was late. I bought a pregnancy test and discovered I was expecting! I carried on with the acupuncture, herbs and supplements throughout the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. 'I gave birth to Rupert in November 2009 when I was 41. I genuinely believe that if I hadn’t seen Dr Zhai, I wouldn't have my son.' The new BBC documentary, which airs this evening follows May Lyang, 36, who hopes to have a success story like Jane's after five years of trying. She turned to Dr Zhai after losing a baby she conceived via IVF treatment on the NHS. Jane Parker had her son Rupert in 2009 when she was 41 after having treatment at Dr Zhai's clinic . She said: 'I got pregnant and I carried through for 11 weeks but then I miscarried a month ago. 'I think about it every day but you have to move on so that's why I'm here. You have to take positive steps and not think about what is lost.' May has an initial consultation with Dr Zhai which costs £250 for an hour. During the assessment, Dr Zhai quizzes her on her lifestyle and observes that she doesn't appear to be in the best health because of the appearance of her tongue and her pale complexion. But she tells her she had potential and she's confident she will conceive. May pays £300 a month for tea made from Chinese herbs. Further check-ups with Dr Zhai will cost her £130, while three sessions of acupuncture at the clinic cost £350. After a period taking the Chinese herbal tea, she is then prescribed a mixture of Chinese herbs in a pill form which must be taken 24 times a day (12 in the morning and 12 in the evening) for two weeks, costing around £150. The BBC documentary catches up with May months on from her first appointment with Dr Zhai and while she still hasn't become pregnant, she remains hopeful. She said: 'I've got the clinic on my side, this can happen. It doesn't bother me that I'm not pregnant yet. At my last consultation, Dr Zhai said I'm not ready yet, I need to fix what's inside.' But May adds that if she still doesn't fall pregnant, she will ditch the alternative therapies in favour of IVF on the NHS again. Dr Zhai said acupuncture aids fertility because it 'promotes your body's natural healing response and stimulates natural energy flow' In her book, How To Get Pregnant, Dr Zhai said her methods work for those who can't be helped by IVF. She writes: 'I believe that our success rate is high because most patients who have trouble conceiving are not suffering from mechanical problems such as blocked fallopian tubes (these can be fixed by surgery or bypassed using IVF). Goji berries are one of the ingredients that may be found in Dr Zhai's fertility boosting vitamins . 'The most common causes of IVF failure are poor sperm production, poor quality eggs, malfunction of the ovaries or the blood supply with the abdomen not being healthy enough. 'Couples who find it difficult to conceive have problems that can often be helped by kick-starting the reproductive system, improving sperm quality and quantity and improving the menstrual cycle.' She said the herbal medicine, combined with a change to a healthy diet and light exercise, can work because: 'Herbal medicine has powerful healing properties which work on the internal organs and the reproductive system. 'It aims to clear obstruction, rectifies the balance between yin and yang in the organs and helps to restore normal bodily functions.' She also claimed: 'Most importantly, herbs have proved capable of reducing chromosomal abnormality in male sperm and female eggs so improving quality of both.' When it comes to another of her recommended treatments - acupuncture - she writes on her website: 'Acupuncture is believed to work by promoting your body's natural healing response and stimulating and balancing natural energy flow (known as Qi or chi). The BBC documentary Inside Harley Street also looks at other alternative therapies on offer for various ailments. 'Leech therapist' Maryam Rahbari, pictured, says the worms can work wonders for the health . 'Practitioners are trained to understand that the network of the energy pathway (known as meridians) that connect the organs of the body. 'When one of these pathways becomes blocked or malfunctions, problems such as pain, illness or disease may result. 'By stimulating the specific acupuncture points, TCM [traditional Chinese medicine] practitioners are trained to clear blockages in the body's meridian system, with the aim of restoring balance in the body.' Acupuncture involves inserting tiny needles into the skin and is an ancient Chinese treatment that is being embraced more widely in the west for problems such as stress and back pain. It has not yet been proven to help women conceive but it is thought to increase the chances - possibly because it makes a woman more relaxed. As well as looking at alternative therapies for infertility on Harley Street, tonight's documentary also looks at the other unusual treatments - such as applying leeches to the skin to relieve pain - that people are turning to when traditional western medicine hasn't helped them. Inside Harley Street: Make Me Well is on BBC2 at 9pm . | Around one in seven couples suffer with infertility .
Dr Xiao-Ping Zhai offers help via with traditional Chinese medicine .
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Excrement thrown at the statue of British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes has triggered a wave of protests across South Africa against 'racist' historical figures. Memorials to South Africa's colonial past were defaced by mainly young black protesters as statues of British monarchs Queen Victoria and King George V were splashed with paint in the cities of Port Elizabeth and Durban respectively. Vandals poured paint over Scottish-South African missionary Andrew Murray's statue in the Western Cape. War memorials were also defaced. A bronze rider marking the Anglo-Boer War from 1899 to 1902, was toppled from his horse. Object of anger: This statue of Queen Victoria outside the Port Elizabeth city library in South Africa is among a number of memorials to British colonials that have been vandalised during protests against 'racist' figures . A statue of a British soldier lays on the ground after being broken off its base in Port Elizabeth, South Africa . The defaced statue of British mining magnate and politician, Cecil John Rhodes, is lifted by a crane, from its position at the University of Cape Town (left), while (right) a chair marks the spot on the plinth where the decades old bronze statue stood before it was vandalised . In the latest demonstration, vandals smeared paint the figure of a young Mohandas Gandhi. Standing in the square in downtown Johannesburg named for Mahatma Gandhi, the memorial marks the Indian anti-colonial leader's time in South Africa, where he formulated the principle of passive resistance. The protester, who smudged white paint on Gandhi's cloak, accused him of being racist during his time in the country. Founding fathers of Afrikaner nationalism were also targeted. In Pretoria, the memorial of 19th century Afrikaner leader Paul Kruger was twice daubed with bright green paint, while the statue of Marthinus Pretorius, who founded the capital city, was splashed with reddish brown paint, according to local media reports. The statue of Louis Botha, the president of the South African Union in the early 1900s, was smeared with red and blue paint outside parliament in Cape Town on the same day that the Rhodes sculpture was removed from its perch overlooking the University of Cape Town after weeks of student protest. In the Free State province, a statue of Boer General Jan Fick was splashed with red paint in the town named after him in 1883, Ficksburg. Another statue is cleaned down after being splashed with green paint on Pretoria's Church Square . Security guards (left) walk past a statue of former South African statesman and Afrikaner leader Louis Botha, which has been defaced with red paint outside the South African parliament building in Cape Town . Several people have been arrested and local authorities have spent thousands of dollars cleaning up the statues. The opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, has come out in support of its members who have claimed responsibility for these acts of vandalism. It comes days after white solidarity groups held protests over the removal of a statue of British colonialist Cecil Rhodes from the University of Cape Town after it was daubed with excrement. Members of the university council ordered that the bronze sculpture be removed after hearing its presence made black students feel uncomfortable and was seen a symbol of historical white oppression. The defaced statue of British colonialist Cecil Rhodes is tied by straps to a crane before its removal at the University of Cape Town. It follows weeks of protests at the university over the symbolism of the statue . The monument has been vandalised in recent weeks. It has not yet been decided where it will be moved . The government backed the move, with Sandile Memela, the spokesman for the arts and culture ministry, saying they are working to see if the country can take an 'official position' on statues and other colonial symbols. 'It marks a significant... shift where the country deals with its ugly past in a positive and constructive way', he said to press agency AFP, adding the government did not encourage the violent removal of statues. But the decision to move the monument of Rhodes – a 19th century imperialist who critics say helped pave the way for apartheid – has sparked protests in itself. The youth wing of white Afrikaner solidarity group AfriForum handed a memorandum to parliament in Cape Town to 'demand protection' for their heritage. The same statue was covered in plastic bags after protests by students and staff at the university in March . The university's council heard that black students felt uncomfortable because of the bronze monument . Politician and businessman Cecil Rhodes is called a 'racist' by his opponents. Born in 1853, he made his fortune in diamond mines, and entered into politics as an outspoken supporter of colonialism. He later founded Rhodesia - modern-day Zimbabwe - which was named after him. He believed England was the 'master race', and wanted to draw a 'red line' railway from Cairo to Cape Town for the British Empire - spanning the entire continent of Africa. While his supporters say he brought political and physical infrastructure to South Africa, others say his actions laid the groundwork for apartheid by restricting the rights of black Africans to work. While they are not recognised as supporters of Rhodes, statues of their heroes have been attacked during the university protests. A monument of former president Paul Kruger was splattered with paint, and Afrikaner men, some of them in quasi-military outfits, demonstrated next to it on Wednesday. 'The Afrikaner is -- from a historical perspective -- increasingly being portrayed as criminals and land thieves,' solidary group Afriforum said in a statement. 'If the heritage of the Afrikaner is not important to Government, our youth members will preserve our own heritage.' It has not been decided where the statue of Rhodes will end up, although it will likely be held in a museum. But as tension grow on campuses about the statues of historical South African figures, Jonathan Jansen – the first black vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State – denied that there was a race war coming. He wrote in South African newspaper The Times on Thursday: 'The reason is simple: the overwhelming majority of South Africans, black and white, believe in a middle path somewhere between reconciliation and social justice.' Cecil Rhodes, pictured on the right, in 1896 in Rhodesia with an unknown companion and a black manservant . People look the defaced statue of former South African president Paul Kruger in Church Square, Pretoria . | Tributes to South African colonial past defaced by young black protesters .
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UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones ran from a crash that hospitalised a pregnant woman - but quickly came back to grab 'a large handful of cash' from the car, witnesses told police. According to police, the accident occurred in southeastern Albuquerque just before noon on Sunday local time when the driver of a rented SUV jumped a red light. The driver, whom an off-duty officer identified as Jones, ran from the scene but then returned for the cash before fleeing again, police said. 'Witnesses stated he shoved the cash into his pants and ran north jumping the fence,' the report said. Officers found a pipe with marijuana in the vehicle as well as MMA and rental car documents in Jones' name, according to the police report. Police were searching for UFC champion Jon Jones in connection with a hit-and-run accident . Albuquerque police were seeking an arrest warrant for Jones on Monday. They said he would likely face a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident since the woman broke her arm in the crash. Police said in a news release they'd been unable to reach Jones or his lawyer. However, Jones handed himself in later the same day, with TMZ reporting he was being held at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center. According to the warrant, the pregnant woman told police she was driving when she was hit by a silver Buick SUV. According to the document, she told authorities after the accident 'I am pregnant and I feel like I am going to pass out. My arm is hurting all the way up and my husband is going to take me to the hospital.' The woman's arm is in a sling and she will get a cast on Tuesday, the warrant said. According to the warrant, she was planning to undergo a Monday ultrasound. The warrant also said the off-duty officer told responding police he could confirm Jones' identity because 'I watch UFC all the time, I know what Jon Jones looks like.' An agent for Jones, Malki Kawa, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment from Daily Mail Online on Monday. Kawa also did not immediately respond to a message from Associated Press. Jones (21-1) is scheduled to defend his title against Anthony 'Rumble'Johnson at UFC 187 in Las Vegas on May 23, headlining one of the promotion's biggest shows of the year. Police were seeking an arrest warrant for Jones on Monday, saying he would likely face a felony charge . Jones has endured legal problems and questionable behaviour during his time as a UFC champion . 'We are aware that the Albuquerque Police Department is interested in speaking to Jon Jones regarding his possible involvement in a motor vehicle accident,' the UFC said in a Sunday statement. The message continued: 'We are in the process of gathering facts and will reserve further comment until more information is available.' Although he is widely considered the world's best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist, Jones has endured legal problems and questionable behaviour as champion. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones ran from a crash that hospitalised a pregnant woman, witnesses told police .
According to police, the accident occurred in Albuquerque just before noon on Sunday when the driver of a rented SUV jumped a red light .
The driver, whom an off-duty officer identified as Jones, ran from the scene but then returned for the cash before fleeing again, police said .
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A Florida postal carrier steered his small gyrocopter through protected Washington airspace for 30 miles to the U.S. Capitol, tracked by the nation's top security agencies, which feared harming tourists on the National Mall if they tried to shoot him down, senior lawmakers said Wednesday. Doug Hughes, 61, is 'lucky to be alive' and 'should have been blown out of the air,' Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Oversight committee, told reporters just days after the incident that exposed a gap in the government's efforts to ensure the security of the White House, Capitol and other critical buildings in Washington. Senior officials from the Secret Service and Capitol Police briefed top House members behind closed doors. Scroll down for video . Press conference: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, left, and ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummins, D-Md., speak with reporters on Wednesday . Pilot: The man who piloted the gyrocopter and landed on the West Lawn, 61-year-old Doug Hughes, is 'lucky to be alive' and 'should have been blown out of the air,' Chaffetz said . Campaign: Hughes' stunt was aimed at drawing attention to campaign finance reform . Chaffetz said security tracked Hughes as he approached the Capitol last week after taking off from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A 'judgment call' was made not to shoot Hughes down, Chaffetz said. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said officials were concerned about injuring people on the ground if an attempt was made to shoot down Hughes. Chaffetz said a combination of 'lack of communication and some human error' by Capitol Police and other officials allowed Hughes to steer his tiny aircraft within a few hundred feet of the Capitol before landing on the West Lawn. Chaffetz said he was deeply concerned at 'a lack of coordination and communication' among law enforcement agencies charged with what he called 'a no-fail mission' to protect the Capitol and other important sites in Washington, including the White House. Cummings called the incident a 'wake-up call' to all law enforcement agencies involved. Capitol Police, the Secret Service and other agencies need 'to look very carefully at what happened here, dissect it, figure it out and use this to make things better,' Cummings said. Cummings and Chaffetz said they were outraged that members of Congress were not alerted to the potential security threat even as parts of the Capitol complex were placed under lockdown. 'That's inexcusable,' Chaffetz said. Chaffetz and Cummings said they will hold a hearing on the incident next week with representatives of six agencies: the Secret Service, Capitol Police, Congress' Sergeant at Arms, the Federal Aviation Administration, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Park Police. Three of the agencies - the FAA, NORAD and the park police - were no-shows at Wednesday's briefing, irking lawmakers. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said officials were concerned about injuring people on the ground if an attempt was made to shoot down Hughes . Security: Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said last week that Hughes 'literally flew under the radar' to the Capitol lawn, but added that it's too soon to say whether security changes are needed . Issues: Hughes was charged with two federal crimes, violating restricted airspace and operating an unregistered aircraft. The crimes carry penalties of up to four years in prison and fines . 'They've got a lot of explaining to do' about why they did not attend the briefing, Chaffetz said. Lawmakers were told during the briefing that 'incursions' into the restricted air space around Washington occur nearly every day and are usually 'dealt with in a smooth and professional manner,' Chaffetz said, in stark contrast to the gyrocopter incident. Lawmakers raised alarms about security after Hughes' stunt, which was aimed at drawing attention to campaign finance reform. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said last week that Hughes 'literally flew under the radar' to the Capitol lawn, but added that it's too soon to say whether security changes are needed. 'We are a democracy. We don't have fences around our airspace, so we've got to find the right balance between living in a free and open society, and security and the protection of federal buildings,' Johnson said. Chaffetz said there is a 'heightened awareness' about the risks of small aircraft in the wake of the gyrocopter stunt. Anyone who enters restricted airspace now will have 'a major problem,' Cummings said. Hughes was charged with two federal crimes, violating restricted airspace and operating an unregistered aircraft. The crimes carry penalties of up to four years in prison and fines. Hughes' next court appearance is May 8. | Doug Hughes, 61, steered his small gyrocopter through protected Washington airspace for 30 miles to the U.S. Capitol .
Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Hughes 'should have been blown out of the air'
Chaffetz said security tracked Hughes as he approached the Capitol last week after taking off from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania .
A 'judgment call' was made not to shoot Hughes down, Chaffetz said .
Rep. Elijah Cummings said officials were concerned about injuring people on the ground if an attempt was made to shoot down Hughes .
Hughes landed the gyrocopter on the West Lawn .
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The BBC has made light of disgraced presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s attack on a junior producer by poking fun at the incident in a comedy programme. A new episode of mockumentary W1A, to be broadcast later this month, shows bosses holding an emergency meeting after Clarkson uses the word ‘tosser’ on Top Gear. The BBC has made light of Jeremy Clarkson's attack on a junior producer by poking fun at it in a comedy show . The episode was apparently filmed last July, but the narration has recently been tweaked. The commentary now explains to viewers: ‘Since the making of this documentary, certain events have happened as a result of which for technical reasons we are unable to mention certain people by name.’ Clarkson’s spokesman was unavailable for comment. A BBC spokesman said: ‘A very small tweak has been made to more accurately reflect recent events.’ | The BBC has made light of Clarkson fracas in a comedy programme .
It shows bosses holding emergency meeting after he uses the word 'tosser'
The episode was filmed last July, but the narration has been tweaked . | 280d5930fb82ad2958fd1dcf452c6a4f1b5ad39f | [
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A shocking surveillance video showing a mob of teenagers beating two high school students on a subway platform has been released. The footage captured at Spring Garden station in Philadelphia on Tuesday shows the group of youngsters viciously attacking the victims just seconds before the train pulls into the station. They then pull them to the ground, punch them and repeatedly stamp on their heads. Brawl: The footage captured at Spring Garden station in Philadelphia on Tuesday shows the group of youngsters viciously attacking the victims . Targeted: They then pull them to the ground and punch them. Other parts of the brawl are hidden from the cameras behind pillars in the subway station . The brawl, involving students from Benjamin Franklin High School, even spilled onto the tracks, with one person falling onto the line during the confrontation. As a train pulls up, both the victims and some of the suspects appear to get on the same carriage. Witnesses tried to intervene, but couldn't break up the group as the assailants kept on hitting the helpless youngsters. About a dozen students appear to be egging the fight on which officials have said may have started because of a dispute over a girl. The victims were allegedly followed into the station from the street. As they got onto the platform, someone pointed them out with a signal. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel III told Philly.com: 'It’s an outrageous event. This is so dangerous, it’s not even funny. We have operating trains down there. There are passengers waiting for the train... it’s horrendous. 'We've identified some potential aggressors. There is a criminal investigation with the school district," Nestel said. "The message that we're trying to get out is if you act up on SEPTA, we're going to have a picture of your face and we're sharing it with the school district. School district spokesman Fernando Gallard also told the news website those involved could be expelled or face serious disciplinary action. 'What we have seen is a brutal violent attack that could that could have ended with a loss of life.' SEPTA detectives are said to have spoken to the two boys who were victims in the attack. Dangerous: At one point the fight spills onto the tracks when one of the suspected attackers falls onto the line . Brutal: One youngster is seen stamping on the head of one of the victims behind a subway map . Bystanders: The fight continues as the train pulls into the station. Some witnesses do their best to intervene but fail to break the mob up . Gone: Police officers and station staff try to search for the assailants who have all boarded the train . | Brawl at Spring Gardens station in Philadelphia was captured on CCTV .
Fight involved students from nearby Benjamin Franklin High School .
At one point an attacker falls onto the tracks, but manages to get back up .
After the confrontation, the victims and attackers walk onto the same train . | 7be8bc293e448903d2b23f4cea091b0407848897 | [
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(CNN)Whether quaffing artisanal cocktails at hipster bars or knocking back no-name beers on the couch, more Americans are drinking heavily -- and engaging in episodes of binge-drinking, concludes a major study of alcohol use. Heavy drinking among Americans rose 17.2 percent between 2005 and 2012, largely due to rising rates among women, according to the study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines heavy drinking as exceeding an average of one drink per day during the past month for women and two drinks per day for men. Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on a single occasion at least once during the past month. The increases are driven largely by women's drinking habits as social norms change, researchers found. In Santa Clara County, Calif., for example, women's binge drinking rates rose by nearly 36 percent between 2002 and 2012, compared with 23 percent among men. Nationwide over the course of the decade, the rate of binge drinking among women increased more than seven times the rate among men. Opinion: Why are more women drinking? "It seems like women are trying to catch up to the men in binge drinking," said Ali Mokdad, a lead author of the study. "It's really, really scary." The study is the first to track adult drinking patterns at the county level. In 2012, 8 percent of Americans were considered heavy drinkers and 18 percent were binge drinkers. Despite the increases in heavy drinking, the percentage of people who drink any alcohol has remained relatively unchanged over time, researchers found. Madison County, Idaho, reported the lowest rate of binge drinking in 2012, at 6 percent, while Menominee, Wis., had the highest rate, at 36 percent. Hancock County, Tenn., had the fewest heavy drinkers (2 percent of residents) and Esmeralda County, Nev., recorded the most (22 percent). Related: 1 in 5 high school girls binge drink . About 88,600 U.S. deaths were attributed to alcohol in 2010, the researchers note, and the cost of excessive drinking has been estimated at more than $220 billion per year. The increase in binge drinking doesn't surprise Terri Fukagawa, clinical director of the New Life Recovery Centers in San Jose, Calif., where 15 of her 24 treatment beds are filled with clients primarily addicted to alcohol. She said she's seen more people seeking treatment for alcoholism in the past four years. Still, she noted, "there are a lot of people still out there needing treatment, but they won't come in unless they have a consequence like losing a job or [getting] a DUI. They think they have control over it." Public health experts offer a number of cultural and economic explanations for the increase in excessive drinking. As a result of changed social norms, it's now more acceptable for women to drink the way men traditionally have, said Tom Greenfield, scientific director at the Alcohol Research Group at the Oakland, Calif.-based Public Health Institute. Young people are more likely to binge drink, and affluent people have the money to drink more. So the influx of wealthy professionals in cities like San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland -- many in hard-working, hard-partying tech jobs -- may have helped spur significant spikes in drinking rates in the Bay Area and similar communities, experts said. Taxes on alcohol have not risen along with the Consumer Price Index, so wine, beer and liquor have gotten cheaper over time in real dollars, he said. Alcohol advertising, particularly for hard liquor, has increased in recent years. A Federal Trade Commission study found that companies spent about $3.45 billion to advertise alcoholic beverages in 2011. Alcohol control policies, such as limits on when and where alcohol can be sold and how long bars can stay open, have weakened in past decades, Greenfield said. That may partly explain rising consumption nationwide, particularly in some states where "blue laws" once prohibited alcohol sales on Sundays or in supermarkets. To conduct the study, researchers analyzed data on about 3.7 million Americans aged 21 and older from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing telephone survey of health behaviors conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit national health policy news service. | Heavy drinking among Americans rose 17.2 percent between 2005 and 2012 .
The increase is driven largely by women's drinking habits .
It's now more acceptable for women to drink the way men traditionally have, says one expert . | 862330937cc06b461525bd492ce803540573d000 | [
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The four sisters at the centre of Australia's largest abduction case have come through the ordeal as happy and well-adjusted children. Despite being embroiled in the very public and traumatic feud where the Vinceni girls were dragged kicking and screaming from their mother's home in the middle of the night to go back to live with their father in 2012, the girls have established healthy and happy lives in Italy and speak to their mum every night. 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown interviewed the two eldest girls, Emily and Claire, who she described as elegant, gracious, reserved and studious, at their home near Florence and they expressed their regret for the way they handled the dramatic exit. 'They are really well, really centred and settled,' she said. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Flashback to 2012: These were the heartbreaking scenes of a family being torn apart when four young sisters were dragged kicking and screaming from their mother's Sunshine Coast home in the middle of the night and forced onto a plan back to their father in Italy . The four Vincenti sisters, including the two older girls Emil and Claire, had a 'monster' of a father who abused them and their mother,or so the story went after the girls were removed from their home in dramatic circumstances and return to Italy . What had led up to the removal of the four sisters in Australia and their return to Italy was the fact that their mother had taken them from their home in Italy on a 'vacation' and never returned, claiming the girls' father Tomaso was an abuser . Laura Garrett (pictured) has consistently maintained that she was removing her daughters from Italy back to Australia for their own safety . The four Vinceni girls miss Australia and their mother, but they are happy and calm girls in contrast to the dramatic and hysterical scenes in which they were removed from Australia in late 2012 . 'They are really well, really centred and settled. 'They are elegant, gracious, reserved and studious,' 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown told Daily Mail Australia. 'They are very calm.' Tara said the girls were somewhat aware of the hysteria the distressing scenes of their exit caused and 'have a bit of regret about how they handled it ... so public and being so vehement, but they were manipulated'. The girls are living positive and fruitful lives, attending school six days a week, talking about what they will study at university and going out with their Italian boyfriends in Florence. 'They speak with their mother every night and their father believes it is best for them to have both parents in their lives,' Brown said. Despite claims by the girls' mother that they were not happy in Italy, the sisters now seem settled and leading good lives with their father Tomaso. 'They are still children who have seen a very bitter custody fight and ultimately they would like to live with both of their parents.' This scene of one of the Tomaso girls in apparent distress outside her father's villa in Florence after the four sisters were taken back from Australia to Italy . Emily and Claire Vincenti (pictured) are now aged 16 and 17 and are living in Italy with their father . The story was that the girls had been taken from their abusive father back in Italy to hide out in Australia and now they were being sent back to the 'monster' against their will. The scenes of the girl's forced return caused widespread outcry, particularly as the girls' mother portrayed the cruelty of the Dad, and the girls - then aged nine to 14 years old - frightened and distraught. That was in 2012 and it seemed unbelievable to many Australians who watched the scenes play out that the girls were legally being returned to their Italian father as approved under Italian law. What had been lost in the drama was the fact that the four sisters had earlier been taken by their mother from Italy without the knowledge or permission of that father, Tomaso Vincenti, and that the girls had been born in Italy and spent the greater part of their young lives there. Now 60 Minutes has returned to the village near Florence where the girls have been living with their Italian Dad and interview the two elder girls, Emily and Claire Vincenti and talked to them about their lives and the dramatic circumstances in which they were apparently wrenched from their mother, Laura Garrett. Emily and Claire talked about their parents and were filmed going out with their Italian boyfriends in Florence . The four Vinceni girls miss Australia and their mother, but appear happy and calm in contrast to the dramatic and hysterical scenes in which they were removed from Australian in late 2012 . The dramatic turn in the lives of the Vincenti girls began in 2010, when they left Italy ostensibly just for month's holiday back in Australia, with their mother's family on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Laura Garrett and Tomaso Vincenti had met when she was a schoolgirl and had gone to Italy as an exchange student. Her host family was Tomaso's parents and Laura and Tomaso fell in love. Laura became pregnant and the pair married. Ms Garrett gave birth to four healthy girls, but in 2007 when the youngest was only around four years old she split from Tomaso. Under Italian law, both parents were granted equal custody. In 2010, Laura told Tomaso she wanted to take the girls back to Australia for a vacation. Ms Garrett told the Australian embassy in Italian entirely different story, that she was fleeing an abusive husband and father and she needed their assistance. Despite claims by the girls' mother than they were not happy in Italy, the sisters now seem settled and leading good lives with father Tomaso . Once back in Australia, Ms Garrett and her daughters settled down to life in Queensland for two years, until the dramatic scenes which saw them returned to Italy. Now aged twelve to 17, the young women behave in complete contrast to the screaming, hysterical girls captured on camera in 2012. Just a day after being taken to their father's villa on the outskirts of Florence, the two older girls were filmed running to the front gates when they saw media camped outside and pleaded for reporters to help them return to Australia. The eldest girl was taken back inside by her father, while her sister clung to the gate as her grandmother urged her to return inside. She held onto the gate for an hour, during which local police and social workers arrived. The girls had not seen their mother since they left Australia, but after 60 Minutes went to Italy to film the story, Laura Garrett has subsequently turned up for a three-day visit. Ms Garrett has previously said in the years since her daughter's return to Italy that the girls were unhappy. 'They don't seem to be settling,' she said in 2013. 'I keep getting constant requests from them to come home.' Tara Brown said the girls loved Australia and missed it, but they were calmly getting on with their lives and planning their immediate futures in Italy. This edition of 60 Minutes screens nationally on Channel 9 at 8.30pm on Sunday, April 12 . | Four sisters were at the centre of an international custody dispute .
Vinceni girls were sent back to live with their father in Italy in 2012 .
They were dragged kicking and screaming from their Sunshine Coast home .
Distressing scenes were shown on TV causing great hysteria and concern .
60 Minutes exclusively interviewed the girls at their home near Florence .
The two eldest, Emily and Claire, speak of their regret of dramatic exit .
Their mother has not visited them in Italy but speaks to them everyday .
60 Minutes will screen nationally on Channel 9 at 8.30pm Sunday, April 12 . | c611e8a81afe87bfda861b22781dd0aeb6bc03e7 | [
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Planners in Windsor have allowed two Costa cafes less than 500 yards apart (file picture) Coffee addicts in Windsor won't have to go far for a fix – after planners in the royal borough allowed two Costa shops less than 500 yards apart. And anyone really desperate can always stop off at the Costa Express in between. The latest Costa will open on the site of the former Dedworth Road HSBC branch, the last bank in the area before it closed last year amid protests. Less than 500 yards away is a Costa which replaced a cycle shop earlier this year. It means there will be two Costas just a brisk five-minute walk apart, plus the Costa Express at a petrol station between them. One resident, Samantha Taylor, wrote online: 'I think it's mad and I wish our local councils could see that we are drowning in fast food and coffee shops in Windsor.' However, Matt Gordon-Smith said: 'The important point here is that this is in Dedworth which formerly wouldn't have had such businesses coming here. 'Surely places like Costa coming in rather than another fast-food shop or betting shop - there will soon be three within a mile - is that a sign that this part of Windsor is on the up?' Costa's planning application says the new shop would be a 'significant driver to local trade'. Planners said there was no legal reason to refuse. Costa were unavailable for comment. It means there will be two Costas just a brisk five-minute walk apart, plus the Costa Express at a petrol station between them (file picture) | Town planners have allowed two Costa cafes less than 500 yards apart .
Two coffee shops in Windsor will be just a short walk away from each other .
And there is even a Costa Express in between the two new outlets . | da90bf098cf365a5e82103f2244371cd890cd9fb | [
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It looks like a cross between a catamaran and a hovercraft, but these strange vehicles are actually new new type of aircraft developed in China. Two prototypes of the CYG-11 seaplane were tested this week over the sea off the coast of Haikou in Hainan Province in China. The aircraft is believed to be a joint project between Russia and China to build new types of super-efficient seaplane. The CYG-11 seaplane (above) uses reduced drag and increased lift from wing-in-ground effect to glide . The vehicles takes advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon known as the wing-in-ground effect - where lift is increased and drag decreased when an aircraft's wings are close to the ground. Length: 13m . Wingspan: 15.6 m . Weight: 3800 kg . Seats: 12 people . Maximum load: 1200 kg . Maximum range: 1500 km . Flight speed: 175 - 250 km/h . Flight height: 3-5 m . Wave height: 1.25 - 3 m . By placing the wings low on the fuselage of the aircraft, this effect is increased and the the result is an aircraft that essentially floats on a cushion of air. Engineers behind the CNY 5 billion (£500 million) project say the aircraft are capable of flying 62 miles (100 km) on 28 litres of fuel. With a maximum range of 930 miles (1,500 km), the aircraft can reach a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The aircraft races over the wavetops at a height of between three to five metres (9-15 feet). The CYG-11 aircraft, which have been developed by the Hainan Yingge Wing in Ground Effect Craft Manufacturing Company with Russian engineers, can carry 10 passengers plus two flight crew. The company claims to have just finished building a larger version of the aircraft capable of carrying 40 people, but it hopes to develop bigger aircraft capable of carrying between 55 and 120 passengers. The Hainan Yingge Wing in Ground Effect Craft Manufacturing Company tested two prototypes of the plane . The prototypes are designed to carry two pilots (above) and 10 passengers but larger craft are in development . The plane can be used like a catamaran initially until it builds up enough speed to lift off from the ocean . It says the aircraft could find uses for coastal defence, customs patrols and perhaps even be used as the public transport of the future along 'marine highways'. Gu Jianxin, a spokesman for the company, told the Southern Metropolis Daily: 'The current technology research and development has matured into mass production. 'The main plan is to invest in tourism, freight , maritime search and rescue and other aspects.' The CYG-11 (above) has been developed with Russian engineers and could be used to patrol coastlines . The aircraft (above) is designed to fly at low level between 3 m and 5 m above the surface of the ocean . Engineers say the aircraft (above) could even provide public transport of the future along 'marine highways' He estimates that it will cost around $20 million dollars for each vessel. Powered by two large propellers at the front of the aircraft, the CYG-11 can be driven in the sea much like a catamaran. Once it reaches flight speed the aircraft's wings will begin to lift it off the ocean and it will glide along on a cushion of air. Huang Dong, one of the pilots who flew the aircraft during the tests, said: 'It felt like when you ride a motorboat then the feeling is just as comfortable as sitting on a plane. There are no boat bumps.' The company are developing larger aircraft that they hope will be able to carry up to 120 passengers . | Two prototype aircraft were tested off the coast of Haikou, in the Hainan Province of China .
The CYG-11 plane can reach a top speed of 155mph and boasts a maximum range of 930 miles .
The super-efficient craft uses increased lift and reduced drag from its wings to fly 16ft (5m) above thewaves .
Engineers hope the groundbreaking aircraft could be used on 'motorways of the sea' in the future . | 5ee16f11440bdd4612d7e4fa885cd6cf8fb924ee | [
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Protesters have demolished the front window of upmarket estate agents Foxtons during a protest against the gentrification of South London. The store front of its Brixton branch was covered in shattered glass while 'no evictions' and 'yuppies' was spray painted in black across their housing advertisements. A police spokesman confirmed that one man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. Thousands of people turned up for the event organised by the Reclaim Brixton group who were demonstrating against local residents and businesses being priced out of the trendy area. One of the event's organisers denounced the violent actions of 'one idiot' but told MailOnline there could be a reason Foxtons - which has a reputation for selling expensive homes - has been 'continuously targeted'. Scroll down for video . Vandal: One vandal smashed the front window of Foxtons Brixton branch (pictured) during a 'wholly peaceful' protest against rising house prices in London . Violent: The lone protester demolished the front window of upmarket estate agents Foxtons, who have a reputation for selling expensive houses . Defaced: The vandal then spray painted 'no evictions' and 'yuppies' on the estate agent's housing advertisements . Reputation: A spokesperson for Reclaim Brixton - who organised the event - denounced the man's violent actions but suggested there could be a reason Foxtons is 'continuously targeted' Motive: Cyndi Anaso said she is not happy about the vandalism but told MailOnline 'it suggests there's a reason they are being targeted' Response: Police at the scene in Brixton (pictured) had to us CS spray to disperse a group of violent protesters . Cyndi Anaso from Reclaim Brixton told MailOnline said she was 'saddened' that someone behaved 'deviantly' during a wholly peaceful demonstration. But she claims the upmarket estate agents have been targeted before, adding: 'Foxtons has a very poor reputation when it comes to expensive properties and unfortunately.' 'There's a message in it which I'm not happy about but it still suggests there's a reason they are being targeted. 'There's never an endorsement of the attack but nothing else on the day can be considered even slightly violent.' 'I don't even think it's right to apologise for these individuals because every protest that you watch, there will be an obligatory that one idiot will smash a shop window.' Foxtons is widely considered as a sign of gentrification and its presence is an indicates that an area either is or has the potential to become very affluent. The Reclaim Brixton event was planned to demonstrate against the rising property prices in London which the group believes is 'displacing the city's communities'. A statement on the Facebook page for the event said: 'The fight against gentrification starts here! Brixton is widely known for its vibrancy, which is another word for social and cultural diversity. Keeping watch: There is still a 'police presence' outside the vandalised store in Brixton, South London following the incident . Defence: Sympathisers and Brixton locals used Twitter to condemn the attention being given to the 'isolated' act of vandalism . Break-in: The Metropolitan Police (pictured) also said the group forced their way into Brixton Town Hall, but were removed shortly after and no arrests were made . 'But Brixton's vibrancy now has a question mark on it. Will Brixton turn into a living museum or will it live?' But alongside images of people protesting peacefully on the streets, social media has been flooded with images of hordes pushing past police and the Foxtons window being destroyed. A police spokesman added: 'A group of protesters then made their way to Brixton Road where the window of a commercial premises was smashed and graffiti sprayed on the building.' Police used CS spray on 'a small group of protesters' who went into Brixton Police Station at around 4.10pm before being removed shortly afterwards. The Metropolitan Police also said the group forced their way into Brixton Town Hall at around 3.15pm, saying: 'Officers entered the building and the protesters were removed.' Grace Lally from Lambeth Housing Activists said the demonstration had attracted thousands of people. Smashed: A Reclaim Brixton spokesperson said: 'Every protest that you watch, there will be an obligatory that one idiot will smash a shop window' She added: 'The protest has been lively and strong and loud and people have hung banners off the town hall, blocked the streets and marched through Brixton a number of times and stopped traffic.' Ms Lally insisted the protest was 'really lively' but there had been 'no violence or trouble or anything like that'. Those sympathetic to Reclaim Brixton's protest and locals of the area have taken to Twitter to denounce isolated incidents of violence. Regarding the smashed window, Vanessa Furey from London said: 'Whilst sympathetic to the sentiment, idiots who have done this will have taken away what Reclaim Brixton was about.' And Louise Ridley wrote: 'I live in Brixton. I want people to know about extortionate rents and evictions. But I don't want windows smashed, anywhere.' | Vandal spray painted 'no evictions' and 'yuppies' across the store front .
At least one person has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage .
Demo organised by Reclaim Brixton was attended by thousands of people .
'We can't be held accountable for one lone idiot,' organiser told MailOnline . | f96e085a98bdb801a83b5238fc1f51cee8464787 | [
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