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Hong Kong (CNN) -- Tensions between Hong Kong residents and visitors from mainland China ratcheted up Wednesday, after a full-page advertisement decrying a so-called invasion of "locusts" from across the border appeared in a local newspaper. The advertisement in the Apple Daily asks if Hong Kongers approve of spending HK$1,000,000 (US$128,925) every 18 minutes to take care of children borne by mainland parents and declares that "Hong Kong people have had enough!" Picturing a giant locust perched atop a mountain overlooking Hong Kong, the ad invokes the locally-coined locust label used to describe mainlanders, reflecting a concern among some residents in Hong Kong that mainland Chinese are "taking over" the city. A surge in the number of pregnant Chinese women crossing into Hong Kong to give birth has put a growing burden on the resources of local hospitals. According to the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, the number of live births in Hong Kong by mainland mothers went from 26,838 in 2006 to 40,875 in 2010 -- a 52% increase. On Tuesday, Hong Kong Hospital Authority official said in a radio interview that public hospitals may ban mainland mothers to ensure that local pregnant women can be accommodated. This follows a decision last year by Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health, York Chow, to cap the number of non-local women giving birth in the city in 2012 at 35,000. In addition to the perception of better medical services, many mainland women choose to give birth in Hong Kong so their children can gain the right of abode and other privileges conferred by a Hong Kong identity card. Of the 41.9 million visitors to Hong Kong in 2011, the majority -- more than 28 million -- hailed from mainland China, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Wednesday's advert was organized by internet users, who raised more than US$12,000 within a week, according to the South China Morning Post. "[Mainlanders] have already crossed our bottom line," organizer Yung Jhon, told the Post. "Why are mainland mothers flooding in to take up resources in public hospitals, getting our benefits and social welfare? Why do mainlanders ... refuse to follow our rules and order? We can't accept that." The ad comes after a series of incidents in recent weeks that point to a growing resentment among locals, with some critics suggesting this is due to a deeper unease and anxiety over Beijing's degree of influence in local affairs and Hong Kong's autonomy within the "one country, two systems" that took effect after the city's handover to Beijing in 1997. "The greatest fear Hong Kong people have is Hong Kong becoming just one more city in China," Chinese University of Hong Kong anthropologist Gordon Mathews told Time magazine last week. In December, a row between locals and mainland visitors on a city train was caught on video and widely circulated online. The prolonged yelling match, sparked when an local man became incensed by a woman who had disobeyed the no-eating rules and ended up spilling food on seats, led passengers to press the emergency button. Another incident occurred last month outside a Dolce & Gabbana store in Hong Kong when shop staff were accused of discriminating against locals by preventing them from taking pictures, while mainland tourists and other foreigners were reportedly allowed to do so. In China, reaction to the newspaper ad on micro-blogging site Sina Weibo ranged from indignation from sadness. "If you are independent enough, then don't use resources from the mainland!" wrote a user named lan-tong. @pqdexiaoxi pointed out that Hong Kongers have provided the mainland with flood disaster relief several times over the past decades. "I believe many mainlanders are very grateful, but the advertisement hurts our feelings." @bingjilinjiezhi said: "As parents, we all hope to find better living conditions for our children. Why should that be criticized?"

Hong Kong residents fund newspaper ad against influx of pregnant mainland Chinese women . Number of live births by mainland mothers in Hong Kong increased 52.3% from 2006-2010 . Recent incidents suggest growing resentment against mainland Chinese, branded "locusts"

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A man in a wheelchair blew himself up Monday in a northern Iraqi police station, killing three National Police officers, including a commander, police said. Soldiers stand by as pilgrims gather Sunday in Karbala for al-Arbaeen, one of holiest days on the Shiite calendar. The attack also wounded nine officers on the police force, which the Iraqi Interior Ministry operates. The bombing in Samarra raises concern about the recent tactics employed by insurgents in Iraq. Bombs have been placed inside dead animals and hidden in carts. And in recent days, vagrants have been involved in bombings. "As a sign of desperation, some of those terrorists resorted to some new methods and techniques," said Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, spokesman for Baghdad's security plan. One of the tactics is the use of remote-controlled "sticky" bombs, small enough to tape under vehicles. A high-ranking Samarra police official said the disabled man came to meet with Brig. Gen. Abdul Jabbar Rabei Muttar, deputy commander of security, at the security operations building in Samarra. The pair met last week as well. The man was searched when he entered the building, but police didn't look under his wheelchair seat, where the explosives had been placed. The man, who police say was cogent, detonated the explosives when Muttar approached him. Also Monday, a roadside bomb exploded in the middle of a crowd of Shiite Muslims in Baghdad, killing three people and wounding 15, an Interior Ministry official said. The strike, in southeastern Baghdad's Zafaraniya district, is the latest attack against pilgrims trekking to Karbala for al-Arbaeen, one of the holiest days of the Shiite religious calendar. It falls on Wednesday. On Sunday, a suicide bomber in Iskandariya killed at least 45 people and wounded 68 others, and armed militants attacked pilgrims in southern Baghdad, killing three and wounding more than 30 others. Pilgrims traditionally make their way to Karbala on foot as a demonstration of piety, and those who head to the city from Baghdad go through Babil province, where Iskandariya is located. Joint forces have stepped up patrols during the pilgrimage to protect the thousands headed to Karbala. Last year, more than 180 pilgrims were killed in a series of attacks, most during twin suicide bombings in Hilla, Babil province's capital. Sunday's attack in Iskandariya, conducted by a bomber wearing an explosive vest, prompted authorities there to replace the police chief, Hilla police said. More National Police officers have been deployed to Babil to ensure the safety of pilgrims heading to Karbala, a police official said. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and American-led coalition forces condemned Sunday's "barbaric attacks in Baghdad and Iskandariya" against "innocent citizens participating in an important religious commemoration." Every year, thousands of pilgrims amass in Karbala for al-Arbaeen, which commemorates the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. Hussein, one of the most revered Shiite martyrs, is buried in Karbala, about 60 miles southwest of Baghdad. Karbala's main holy site is the gold-domed Imam Hussein Shrine. Other developments . CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Iraqi major says attacks show how insurgents are resorting to new methods . Police: Bomber had met at least twice with deputy security chief before blast . Three people are killed, 15 injured in roadside attack in southeastern Baghdad . Pilgrims on way to Karbala for al-Arbaeen, one of holiest days on Shiite calendar .

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(Budget Travel) -- Prohibition-style bars and speakeasies have been popping up all over, but these lounges go beyond the gimmicks in their near obsessive devotion to the art of old-time cocktails and decor. The perpetually packed Beehive in Boston is known for its Beehive julep and champagne cocktails. The Edison, Los Angeles, California . The 1920s scene at legendary watering holes like the Cocoanut Grove and Ciro's of Hollywood inspired this cavernous lounge, where current industry players mingle in their best vintage cocktail dresses and blazers. The Edison is in the basement of a former power plant; leather furniture surrounds preserved industrial elements like furnaces and power generators. Silent movies play on brick walls, and a circus troupe performs weekly. On Soup Kitchen Fridays, drinks mixed from house-made Bath Tub Gin are 35 cents from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and come with free grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. edisondowntown.com. The Violet Hour, Chicago, Illinois . Luxurious floor-to-ceiling velvet curtains create intimate spaces inside the Violet Hour, discreetly hidden behind an unmarked, wood-paneled door. Circles of high-backed leather chairs and the warm glow from crystal chandeliers and working fireplaces encourage conversation. So does a strict no-cell-phones policy. Eight kinds of ice -- shards, crushed and cubes of varying shapes -- are tailored to specific drinks, which gives an idea of how seriously this bar takes its cocktails. A favorite is the Juliet and Romeo, Beefeater gin with mint, cucumber and rosewater ($12). theviolethour.com. Budget Travel gallery: See the bars . APO Bar + Lounge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . Look for the pharmacy cross marking the entrance to APO, short for apothecary -- a place where ingredients like gin and bitters were put to medicinal use way before the cocktail was born. Inside the sleek, green-hued lounge, barkeeps sporting '30s-style suits serve cocktails spruced up with creative, unusual ingredients. The Booty Collins, for instance, is green-tea-infused gin with brandied cherries, passion fruit and homemade seltzer, finished with agave nectar, cayenne pepper and fresh valerian root ($10). The bar recently introduced a simpler recession-proof menu of $6 drinks that lose the exotic accents and just mix fine spirits with fresh fruit juices. apothecarylounge.com. Flatiron Lounge, New York City . In a landmark 1900 building in Manhattan's Flatiron District, this lounge evokes jazz-age glamour with velvet bar stools, red circular booths and an entire wall covered in blue vintage mirrored-glass tiles. The anchor is the 1927 mahogany bar salvaged from The Ballroom, where Frank Sinatra partied. Painstakingly crafted drinks range from fresh-fruit-infused cocktails ($13) to daily martini flights -- three mini cocktails with a common theme, such as the Flight Back in Time, featuring a Sazerac, a Sidecar and an Aviation martini ($22). flatironlounge.com. The Beehive, Boston, Massachusetts . Named for a Paris café des artistes that once hosted artists Marc Chagall and Amadeo Modigliani, this Moulin Rouge-esque supper club presents jazz, cabaret and burlesque performances on a shimmering stage draped with theatrical red-velvet curtains. At round stage-side tables, diners feast on stick-to-your-ribs comfort food like gravy-smothered poutine. Chandeliers hang among exposed pipes over the perpetually packed bar, known for champagne cocktails and Beehive juleps ($10.50). beehiveboston.com. Velvet Tango Room, Cleveland, Ohio . This funky 1800s brick house was a speakeasy during the '20s, and it feels like not much has changed since then, as evidenced by the well-used jazz piano and the secret room hidden behind a two-way mirror. Bartenders measure ingredients on scales to ensure exact proportions go into cocktails ($15) made with throwback mixers like frothy egg whites, fresh-brewed bitters and homemade ginger soda. velvettangoroom.com. Illusions Magic Bar, Baltimore, Maryland . With custom-made chandeliers above the cherry wood bar and jazz and swing played on the piano, Illusions gives the impression of being like any other roaring '20s-themed jazz club. Not so on Friday and Saturday evenings, when the stage -- cut into the middle of the bar -- hosts a one-hour vaudeville-style magic show ($5 cover). House magician Spencer Horsman escapes from a straitjacket while hanging upside down from the ceiling, a feat best appreciated while sipping a multilayered "magic" martini of Hpnotiq liqueur, Stoli raspberry vodka, pineapple juice and Chambord ($12). The low-key second-floor lounge has leather sofas and retro magician posters that go nicely with Magic Hat beers ($3). illusionsmagicbar.com. Shanghai 1930, San Francisco, California . China's largest metropolis was known as the Paris of the Orient during the pre-WWII era, when diplomats, artists and expats mingled at over-the-top Chinese dining palaces. That decadent ambience is re-created at this supper club, which has dark wood booths, art deco red-velvet chairs and ornate Chinese rugs. After feasting on opulent dishes like minced roast duck in lettuce petals ($13) guests retire to the backlit Blue Bar for live jazz and absinthe-spiked cocktails ($9-$14). shanghai1930.com. Sazerac Bar, New Orleans, Louisiana . The fabled bar that first popularized the Ramos Gin Fizz and its namesake Sazerac reopened on July 1 in the revamped Roosevelt Hotel. Paul Nina's original art deco murals adorn the walls of the bar, which has been closed since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Also inside the hotel, the legendary Blue Room supper club -- where Louis Armstrong and Jimmy Durante cut their chops -- will once again host periodic evenings of Dixieland jazz and big band music. therooseveltneworleans.com. Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved. Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

The Velvet Tango Room in Cleveland was a speakeasy during the '20s . The Violet Hour in Chicago mixes cocktails with eight kinds of ice . In Boston, The Beehive presents jazz, cabaret and burlesque performances .

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By . Colin Young . PUBLISHED: . 17:33 EST, 28 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:27 EST, 28 February 2014 . After the implosion at the Stadium of Light ended the chaotic reign of Paolo Di Canio, Sunderland’s target was Premier League survival. As hope has replaced resignation with improved performances, a new and welcome objective has appeared which may bring the club’s first major trophy since their famous FA Cup victory in 1973. Five months ago, when Gus Poyet took over as head coach, cup competitions were a distraction. VIDEO: Scroll down to see Poyet speak on selection issues for the Capital One Cup final . Bringing the fun factor back: Sunderland boss Gus Poyet watches his team during training ahead of Sunday's Capital One Cup final against Manchester City . Lifting the gloom: Poyet took over with Sunderland in disarray but has taken them to the Capital Once Cup final and given the Black Cats hope they can stay in the Premier League . Silverware: Sunderland's Bobby Kerr lifts the FA Cup in 1973 after the Black Cats beat Leeds 1-0 - the last time the club won a major trophy . When his side face Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday he is acutely aware of what a triumph against the odds will mean to the club and their success-starved fans. Poyet knew that his first job when he was appointed in October was to build bridges after the Di Canio regime had managed to create so many chasms. The Uruguayan became the first Sunderland manager for more than a decade actually to live in the city. He is constantly out and about and meeting the fans. Happy in their work again: Poyet, right, shares a joke with his players during Sunderland training . Emotions: There was never a dull moment on the touchline when Paolo Di Canio was in charge of Sunderland . At the club, he made it a priority to rebuild the links between the playing and backroom staff. He knows the name of every cleaner, chef and office worker. He shakes their hands, gives hugs, high fives and smiles. He was the same at Chelsea, Tottenham and Brighton. Poyet quickly set about unpicking some of the more troublesome Di Canio diktats. For instance, the Italian ordered his players to eat in specific groups but the only meal Poyet wanted his players to attend, with their partners, was in their first full week together. What happened in the Sunderland restaurant called Romanos stayed in Romanos but a decision was reached never to mention you-know-who again. And it’s the one name you will not hear uttered by the players this weekend. South coast stint: Poyet was manager of Championship side Brighton before he joined Sunderland . Capital gain: Poyet, seen here sharing a joke with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in 2008, spent time as assistant coach at Spurs . Jack Colback, one of a handful not on international duty, remembers Poyet’s first day. ‘I was looking forward to his company,’ the midfielder said. ‘There was relief in the dressing room. ‘I remember playing against his Brighton team and we didn’t touch the ball for the first 20 minutes. ‘I knew that was the sort of manager he was and it wasn’t a style of football I’d been involved with before so I was looking forward to it. ‘Gus is very detailed in what he does. He looks for things and angles you might not have thought of. He’s serious when he needs to be but calm at other times and relaxed when he wants to be. ‘He brings a spirit and camaraderie into the squad and it’s a good mix. His staff are the same as well. He has got an angry side and rightly so at times. There have been times we’ve not played well and he lets us know about it. ‘When he first came in everyone wanted to impress and he just said “Relax”. He didn’t try to come in and change everything but he tried to change things slowly.’ Fan of the current boss: Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback, seen here challenging Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, likes the style of play Poyet wants the team to adopt . The drills emphasise  passing, the training-ground matches encourage passing, even shooting practice is based on passing. There are smiles and laughter in the sessions, but a hardworking environment. And, when Poyet wants a word, he takes the player for a little walk and a chat round the pitches. There is no shouting and screaming and no former pro in his forties, showing off his torso, or how it should be done. Players are treated like adults again. While Poyet’s influence has been remarkable, he would be the first to praise the initial work done by Under 21 coach and former captain Kevin Ball, who was called on by owner Ellis Short to step in after Di Canio departed with just one point from the first five league games. Caretaker: Sunderland initially turned to Kevin Ball when Di Canio was sacked . It was Ball’s job to repair the damage, install a more realistic code of conduct and restore some belief, fitness, confidence and even enjoyment on the training ground. Ball’s team, with Lee Cattermole at the heart of midfield, beat Peterborough 2-0 in the second round of the Capital One Cup. It followed the 4-2 first-round win over MK Dons, notable for a Jozy Altidore goal and being Di Canio’s only victory in six before he was sacked. Sensing this was his opportunity to stake a claim to manage a club close to his heart, Ball approached the job as if it was his already. Cattermole, like Phil Bardsley, was ostracised by Di Canio and while their recall and welcome back into the first-team dressing room was an obvious decision, it was still a significant one. Recalled: Poyet brought back Bardsley, left, and Cattermole into the first-team dressing room . Ball, who was in the last Sunderland team to reach a Wembley final in 1992, said at the time: ‘The players are professional and know we’re disciplined and work  hard and won’t tolerate things we feel are unacceptable, so there’s not a great deal of change. They’re all going to be treated as individuals and as men.’ Poyet had watched every Sunderland game after Di Canio’s departure. He saw a change in body language and commitment and was impressed by Ball’s obvious influence. His first meeting after being appointed was with his Under 21 coach. Ball’s disciplinary changes merely needed tweaking, leaving Poyet, coaches Mauricio Taricco, Charlie Oatway, goalkeeping coach Andy Beasley and fitness coach Antonio Pintus to concentrate on making a real difference on the training ground. Happy times are back: Poyet and his coaching staff celebrate Sunderland's third goal in the 3-0 win over Newcastle . One player who has benefited from Poyet’s calm hands-on approach is Adam Johnson, now back in the form of his life and on the fringe of the England squad. ‘It was just like having a chat with one of my friends talking about football,’ the winger said. ‘That’s the type of guy he is. That’s why we’re benefiting. ‘It was more just having a chat with me to see how I was. I don’t think it was really, “You’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that”. He just wanted me to play with  freedom and confidence. Fans at every club I’ve been at have loved me. It’s more the managers having the trust in me playing. Back on form: Sunderland winger Adam Johnson has flourished under the guidance of Poyet and on the fringe of the England squad . Big scalp: Johnson and Sunderland team-mate Craig Gardner celebrate after beating Manchester United on penalties to reach the Capital One Cup final . ‘I just wanted to play and have a manager who had trust in me. The gaffer came in, tweaked the way we’re playing so I get the ball a bit more and it seems to work.’ The major achievement of Poyet’s reign at Sunderland was the dramatic penalty shootout victory over Manchester United in the semi-finals. Triumph over City on Sunday would elevate Poyet to the same status as Bob Stokoe — and end the club’s 41 years of hurt.

Poyet has been a breath of fresh air after Di Canio's reign . Sunderland stand on brink of first major trophy since 1973 . Manchester City their opponents in Sunday's Capital One Cup final . Poyet had built bridges with the team and its fans . Players never mention Di Canio's name . Relaxed approach of boss is paying off with improved results . Players have responded to his methods .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:14 EST, 3 December 2013 . The Air Force is using a secret network of informants to crack down on drug-taking and sexual offences, claims one former cadet who says he was recruited to spy on colleagues before being unfairly expelled when an operation went wrong. Eric Thomas, 24, says that during his time as a snitch at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, he provided information which resulted in 15 drug convictions and two sexual assault convictions. But he says his handlers hung him out to dry after he got into a fight with a cadet he had been tasked with tailing and was expelled just a few months before his graduation. Spies in their midst: The Air Force has a secret network of informants . among cadets at their California Springs Academy to crack down on drug . use and sexual assaults . Thomas claims he was recruited by the Air Force's Office of Special investigations (OSI), which uses FBI-style tactics to operate dozens of informants among the academy's 4,400 cadets. He told the Colorado Springs Gazette: 'It was like a spy movie. I worked on dozens of cases, did a lot of good, and when it all hit the fan, they didn’t know me anymore.' The newspaper conducted a lengthy investigation and has produced an in-depth report about the alleged use of informants at the base. They tracked down four cadets, claiming to have been informants, of which three agreed to speak. All of them said they had been told by the OSI that they were the only informant on campus. The Air Force academy is notorious for its strict system of rules and discipline which aims to strip incoming cadets of any sense of individuality and replace it with a collective Air Force identity. In the first months they are required to quick march around base and sit at attention during meals setting their forks down while they chew each mouthful a regulation seven times. Although strictly forbidden, parties do take place, often at houses rented specifically for the purpose by third parties. Drinking is said to be common place as is the smoking of marijuana and a synthetic marijuana known as Spice. Cadets are seen marching at the Colorado Springs base which is notorious for enforcing strict rules including the number of times a cadet should chew a mouthful of food . Thomas claims he was instructed to infiltrate these parties and report to his handlers about who was supplying and taking the drugs. He said in one incident he was called to a meeting by a handler known as 'Briana', actually a burly man with a beard and glasses named Special Agent Brandon Enos. He claims Enos produced a pack of cheap cigars and taught him how to roll a blunt - a marijuana joint which uses the skin of a cigar - and how to appear to smoke it without actually inhaling. Thomas, who said he came from a strict home and had never used drugs before recalled: 'The whole time I was like, "OK, I’m getting told how to roll a blunt by a federal agent; this is a different cadet experience that is not in the brochure"'. In one oeration, the OSI told Thomas they wanted him to get close to a cadet naed Stephan Claxton, who had been reported sexually assaulted four female cadets but who couldn't be prosecuted because the cadets had reported him confidentially. Thomas went out drinking with Claxton and other cadets including a civilian woman who was engaged to a cadet at the academy. Although Thomas had not been given permission to leave the base that weekend, the OSI told him to break the rules. The subsequent court martial heard how the woman ended up getting drunk and passing out and the cadets took her back to the academy to find her fiancé. Claxton and Thomas took her to any empty dorm room where Claxton remained with her while others went to find her fiance. Thomas later discovered Claxton inisde the room with her shirt up and pants undone at which point a fight between him and Claxton and Thomas broke out. Claxton was charged with sexual misconduct and sentenced to six months behind bars. Thomas and five other cadets were punished for sneaking off base and having a female in the dorm. Thomas thought he would be protected by the OSI but he was stripped of his rank and restricted to base. Despite this the OSI continued to direct him to follow targets and buy drugs even if it meant breaking the rules and leaving the base. After the academy found out he was leaving despite his restrictions, commanders were outraged at his contempt for the rules. Just six weeks before he was due to graduate, having been accepted into pilot school, he was expelled. He has now moved back with his family in South Dakota and has launched an appeal for wrongful dismissal for which he is waiting for a response.

Air Force's Office of Special . investigations said to use FBI-style tactics . They have 'recruited dozens of . informants at Colorado Springs Academy' One cadet claims his work as an informant led to him being expelled . Claims he was ordered to leave base without permission and buy drugs . But he was 'hung out to dry' when one operation ended in a fight .

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HELSTON, England (CNN) -- A huge cyclone struck Myanmar in May 2008. It was the largest recorded disaster in that country, killing more than 130,000 people and leaving millions homeless. Since 2001, Tom Henderson's organization, ShelterBox, has supplied aid to more than 600,000 people. "We were one of the first aid agencies into the country, delivering our ShelterBoxes," says Tom Henderson, whose relief package and organization of the same name has aided more than 600,000 victims of disasters of all scales worldwide since 2001. Designed to help an extended family survive for a minimum of six months, the lightweight, weatherproof box contains items such as a 10-person tent, blankets, basic tools, water-purification tablets and containers, a multi-fuel or wood-burning stove, mosquito nets and other items tailored to the particular region in crisis. The "ShelterBox is designed to be small enough so two people can carry it -- but it has to be large enough to get equipment in for 10 people," Henderson explains. "It's a simple package of aid delivered to the most needy people in the shortest amount of time." The ex-Royal Navy search-and-rescue diver says the idea behind the ShelterBox came to him "literally in a heartbeat" while watching the news in 1999. Henderson was struck by the footage he saw of relief workers dropping food on the ground to victims of a disaster. "I decided there and then that I would try to make a difference in a more sensible and dignified way," he recalls. "I went to my study and I got a piece of paper out, and I wrote down 'shelter,' 'warm,' 'comfort,' and 'dignity.' And that's where it started." Though Henderson says people thought he was crazy, he searched around the world for the products he knew would work. In 2000, he brought his idea to the local Helston-Lizard Rotary Club, where members adopted the cause. In January 2001, the first 143 ShelterBoxes were flown to earthquake-ravaged Gujarat, India. Since then, the ShelterBox organization has responded to more than 70 disasters in 46 countries. "If people have lost everything why should they lose their dignity as well?" asks Henderson. "So we were very keen, as well as delivering aid, to give people back their dignity, put them back in control." Watch how ShelterBox helps victims of disasters around the world » . The secret of its success is two-fold, explains Henderson. ShelterBox is nonpolitical, accepting no funding from government agencies, and is a worldwide network with communication hubs near every potential disaster site via Rotary International. This allows ShelterBox to respond within 72 hours of a disaster anywhere in the world, subject to customs and local political barriers. According to ShelterBox, each box costs £490 in the United Kingdom and $1,000 in the United States, including all materials, packing, storage and distribution to recipients around the world. Donations from the British public and money raised from Rotary Clubs worldwide help fund the boxes. Watch Henderson reveal the items in a typical ShelterBox » . "Nobody can buy our boxes, they are only available for free," says Henderson. Although Henderson does not travel to drop off boxes or choose where they go, he says he remains motivated by the thought of the millions of people that need help every day, and that if ShelterBox stops delivering aid, people might not survive. Watch Henderson tell the story of a mother and her baby in a ShelterBox » . "The goal for me was these people," he says. "I had pictures in my mind's eye... [like] children dying in the snow after a disaster. We want this to last for years to come, not just to get them through this disaster, [but] as a springboard for moving forward." Stories that Henderson hears from the field remind him that ShelterBox is doing just that. Recently, a woman in Kenya gave birth to a baby girl in a ShelterBox tent. "The ShelterBox became a crib for the baby. And the blankets became blankets for the baby," says Henderson. "It's a huge feeling of pride and satisfaction when these sorts of things happen."

Tom Henderson's organization, ShelterBox, helps disaster victims worldwide . It provides free ShelterBoxes, containing items such as blankets, tools and tents . The organization has aided more than 600,000 victims of disasters since 2001 .

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(CNN) -- Before making judgments about the shootings at Fort Hood, a thorough investigation needs to take place, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said Thursday. "It is imperative that we take the time to gather all the facts, as it would be irresponsible to be the source of rumors or inaccurate information regarding such a horrific event," Cornyn said in a statement. "Once we have ascertained all the facts, working with our military leaders and law enforcement officials on the ground, we can determine what exactly happened at Fort Hood today and how to prevent something like this from ever happening again," he said. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, shot and killed 11 soldiers and one civilian, officials said. Thirty-one people were wounded, officials at the Army base said. A federal official said Hasan is a U.S. citizen of Jordanian descent. Cornyn, a Republican, said people should not jump to conclusions about what happened and why. "We do not yet have these details," the statement said. President Obama, who was speaking at a conference in Washington, said his administration "will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident." He asked Americans to keep the soldiers and families of Fort Hood in the thoughts and prayers. Former President George W. Bush, who was governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000 and lives in Crawford about 20 miles from the post, expressed his family's sorrow. "I was saddened to learn of the tragic incident at Fort Hood. Laura and I are keeping the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," he said. iReport.com: Are you there? Send pics, video . Two prominent Muslim organizations condemned the shootings. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, based in Washington, said there was no reason for such violence. "We condemn this cowardly attack in the strongest terms possible and ask that the perpetrators be punished to the full extent of the law," a statement from the organization said. "No political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence." The Muslim Public Affairs Council offered its sympathy to the victims and their families. "MPAC and the Muslim American community unequivocally condemn this heinous incident," said a statement from the Los Angeles, California, based group. "Our entire organization extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed as well as to those wounded and their loved ones." The group said it was working with law enforcement and government officials. "American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured," the statement said. The Secretary of the Army said that while an investigation will come, the well-being of his soldiers was the Army's first concern. "This is a terrible tragedy that we will know more about in the coming days. For now, our focus is squarely on taking care of our soldiers and their families," said John M. McHugh in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who have been killed and wounded. The leadership at Fort Hood is marshalling the medical support and counselors necessary to take care of our soldiers and their families and to notify the next of kin." Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas said her heart went out to the people affected by the violence. "Our dedicated military personnel have sacrificed so much in service to our country, and it sickens me that the men and women of Fort Hood have been subjected to this senseless, random violence," said Hutchison, a Republican. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the flags of his state would fly at half staff through Sunday.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas says investigation needs to take place . President Obama asks Americans to keep soldiers at Fort Hood in their prayers . Two Muslim organizations based in the United States condemn the attack . Gov. Rick Perry says Texas to fly flags at half staff for rest of week .

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(CNN) -- In a case that drew heavy media attention overseas, a Sarasota, Florida, jury Wednesday convicted a teen in last year's killings of two British tourists. Shawn Tyson, 17, received two mandatory and consecutive life sentences after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, said Dennis Menendez, chief information officer for the 12th Judicial Circuit. Tyson was tried in the April 2011 shooting deaths of James M. Cooper, 25, of Warwick, and James Thomas Kouzaris, 24, of Northampton. The jury deliberated for about two hours. The defendant showed no emotion when the verdict was read. Witnesses testified the pair had spent an evening drinking when they got lost and walked into the Newtown housing project in north Sarasota, CNN affiliate WWSB reported. Tyson planned to rob the men, who begged him to let them go, according to witnesses. The bodies were found with wallets and money, WWSB said. The defense argued prosecution witnesses who implicated Tyson either were not credible or made deals, according to WWSB. The teen, who was tried as an adult, was not eligible for the death penalty because of his age, Menendez told CNN. The teen suspect lived near the crime scene, a police report said, and he had been arrested earlier in April on a charge of aggravated assault with a handgun. The victims were believed to be friends who recently graduated from college and were in Sarasota to celebrate. British media covering the trial included Press Association, BBC and Sky News, according to Menendez. Friends of Cooper and Kouzaris spoke before the sentencing, and their families broadcast videos about the victims. CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

17-year-old convicted of killing two British tourists . Witnesses implicated Shawn Tyson in April 2011 killings . The shootings occurred in a housing project called Newtown . British media sent crews, followed trial .

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Swansea City completed the signing of Tottenham full back Kyle Naughton on a three-and-a-half-year contract on Thursday. The 26-year-old passed a medical and agreed personal terms in south Wales on Wednesday, before the club announced the deal on Thursday afternoon. The transfer fee for the right back was marginally under £5million. Naughton told Swansea's official website: 'I'm pleased it's all done because there has been talk since the summer over a potential move. 'My main aim is to start playing regular football again. I know it's going to be a tough challenge because there are some very good players here, but that's my goal. Kyle Naughton completed his £5m move from Tottenham to Swansea on Thursday . Naughton passed a medical on Wednesday before completing his switch to the south Wales club . 'I've had quite a few loan moves over my career, but I actually played 34 games last season for Spurs, which is a fair amount. The main problem for me, however, was that I was still in and out of the team. That's difficult at times. 'I'm sad to be leaving Spurs because it's a great club. I was there quite a while and the lads are a great bunch. But now I just want to settle into life at Swansea and try to play regularly. It all comes down to playing football – after all, that's my job.' Swansea could yet do more business with Spurs in this window, having been quoted £5m for Tom Carroll, who is on loan at the Liberty Stadium. The Swans could also be in the market for Tottenham's Tom Carroll (right) who is currently on loan at the club . Having signed promising central midfielder Matt Grimes from Exeter, Garry Monk is weighing up whether to move for a player who occupies the same position. Naughton played in only five games for Mauricio Pochettino this season and was told he was no longer needed. Monk has been won over by his ability to play on either side of defence, with Swansea keen to strengthen at both left and right back. Swansea's existing left back Neil Taylor has struggled to fill the void left by Ben Davies' summer departure for Tottenham and is a target for Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, long-serving right-back Angel Rangel is 32 and there were doubts last months over his ability to play three games in a week. An offer has gone in for Norwich left-back Martin Olsson. Garry Monk is worried about 32-year-old Angel Rangel's ability to play three games in a week .

Swansea completed the signing of Kyle Naughton on Thursday . Naughton signed a three-and-a-half year contract with the club . The 26-year-old passed a medical in south Wales on Wednesday . The club are also interested in signing Tom Carroll and Martin Olsson .

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Nigel Pearson revealed he had spent Sunday afternoon in Sheffield’s Greystones pub watching a Canadian folk band — which he did not enjoy. He also admitted he could be a hard man to reach — deliberately. He changes his mobile phone number twice a year and is not the sort to engage in idle chat over the garden fence. Nor is he on Twitter. ‘I’m a miserable b****r, you know,’ said 51-year-old Pearson. ‘I don’t speak to my neighbours.’ On Sunday evening it was widely speculated that Nigel Pearson had been sacked by the club . However, the club refuted those claims three hours later - insisting that he will be in charge against Arsenal . 'What about a phone call? ‘My cat was sitting on my knee all afternoon. I was like Blofeld. I’m not someone who is particularly gregarious. Let’s put it like that.’ But during Monday’s media briefing at the King Power Stadium Pearson did not reveal what actually happened to him on Sunday. Instead, he remained defiant while citing company confidentiality and his own principles of loyalty, especially at a time when he should be preparing for Tuesday’s game at Arsenal. Pearson also took a swipe at BBC’s Match of the Day, branding host Gary Lineker and pundits Danny Murphy and Jermaine Jenas the ‘three fountains of knowledge’ while accusing them of stirring trouble. The 51-year-old has remained tight-lipped over his future as Leicester City manager . The 51-year-old also hit the headlines for Saturday's touchline antics with Crystal Palace's James McArthur . The timeline of Pearson's 'sacking' on Sunday . He insisted they had made ‘a mountain out of a molehill’ by dwelling on his touchline tussle with Crystal Palace’s James McArthur during Leicester’s 1-0 home defeat on Saturday and a post-match interview when the manager promised he could ‘look after himself’. ‘I thought they were slightly disruptive. I don’t care what they think of me,’ said Pearson, adding cryptically: ‘I pay my tax bill.’ His remarks provoked a swift reaction from Lineker. The Leicester-born club legend, and now MOTD frontman, is familiar with the workings of Twitter and he responded: ‘Ah Nigel Pearson is blaming MOTD for making a mountain out of a molehill. We’d best be careful in future, the fella can look after himself.’ Asked if he was a ‘fountain of knowledge’, Lineker added: ‘If I was I’d tell you that he was sacked by one of the owners’ family and reinstated by another, but then I’m not.’ It seemed to confirm a chain of events in which chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who was at the Palace game, had taken the decision to change the manager — and implemented it — only to be talked out of it later by his son, Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester’s vice-chairman, who was in Thailand on business. How the Daily Mail newspaper reported Pearson's incident with McArthur on Monday morning . Leicester City boss Pearson (left) put his hands round the neck of James McArthur . McArthur (centre) slides into Pearson after he is upended by Leicester midfielder Marc Albrighton . Four hours passed on Sunday after news of the story started to leak out — again, Lineker was among those circulating the ‘news’ to his 3.5million Twitter followers — and before the club statement insisting Pearson remained in charge. ‘The timescale was a lot different for me, put it like that,’ said Pearson, who noticed no expressions of shock among the players when he appeared for training yesterday morning. ‘I didn’t see anybody with their jaw on the floor. ‘Everybody in their generation is social-media savvy these days. I’m certainly not, and I don’t watch 24-hour sports channels. I’m not that sort of an animal. So don’t make assumptions about that, either. I was aware of it but I didn’t see it. ‘We have meetings on a Monday morning. Not specifically about that. It was just a general chat about turning positive performances into results. I may or may not have spoken about the weekend in its entirety. I had an interesting Sunday.’ Was it his strangest day? ‘I’ve had some very strange days in football, let me tell you,’ he said. ‘I spent the day at home. I might have gone to the pub. ‘There was a Canadian folk band. They weren’t very good. It was a different type of a day. Pearson has taken a swipe at Match of The Day pundits, including Gary Linekar, for making 'a mountain out of a molehill' ‘Sundays when you lose are not always easy to deal with. I had a few chats with friends. My lad came over. We had a chat. I’m in a job where you’re going to be scrutinised and when it comes your way you might not like it and I might not deal with it as others would choose me to deal with it but I am myself. I don’t pretend to be anybody else.’ Pearson stood firm and refused to apologise earlier in the season when he told a Leicester fan who was shouting abuse at him during a game to ‘F*** off and die’. He was fined by the FA and banned from the touchline for one game. ‘Some people criticise me for not being animated enough, for sitting in stands and not showing any passion,’ he said. ‘I come down, get involved in a couple of situations and all of a sudden, it’s a slightly different angle. ‘I’m a human being and I will make mistakes from time to time but any mistakes I make are very honest ones. And I don’t have any regrets.’ Pearson has faced the music and is still standing. He is not planning to retreat to the stands at the Emirates Stadium. ‘I think I’ll be on the touchline, in the hinterland of the technical area,’ he said. ‘I don’t know yet. I might go and sit with the owners.’

Nigel Pearson was embroiled in a bizarre exchange with Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur on Saturday . The Foxes boss put his hands around McArthur's throat on the touchline . That led to suggestions Pearson had been dismissed by the club . However, Leicester released a statement on Sunday night confirming Pearson would remain in charge of the club . The 51-year-old was unimpressed with pundits on Match of the Day, including Gary Lineker, for creating a 'mountain out of a molehill' At his pre-match conference ahead of Tuesday's game at Arsenal, Pearson refused to be drawn on discussing his long-term future at the club .

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By . Amanda Williams . Soldiers returning from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan will be given a gene mutation blood test to assess their suicide risk. The trial will be carried out on US army soldiers after it was reported that suicides in American  military had tripled. The prototype test measures changes to stress levels in the brain and has already been used on 325 civilian volunteers. Soldiers returning from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan will be given a gene mutation blood test to assess their suicide risk (stock picture) Between 2004 and 2012, the rate tripled from 9.6 per 100,000 to 29.2, the Independent on Sunday reports. Scientists . discovered stress produces a chemical alteration to a gene called . SKA2 and people with suicidal tendencies also have lower levels of the . gene. Picking . up on this change could make it possible for doctors to predict a . person’s risk of suicide using a simple blood test - and monitor people . most likely to harm themselves. The . SKA2 gene is expressed in the prefrontal cortex of the brain - an area . involved in inhibiting negative thoughts and controlling impulsive . behaviour. It 'chaperones' stress hormones into a cell’s nucleus so that they can work to suppress stress levels. Yet . if there are not enough SKA2 or it is altered, the stress hormone . receptor cannot suppress the release of the 'stress hormone' cortisol in . the brain  - leading to suicidal thoughts. Professor . Zachary Kaminsky, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine . said: 'Suicide is a major preventable public health problem. 'But . we have been stymied in our prevention efforts because we have no . consistent way to predict those who are at increased risk of killing . themselves. 'With . a test like ours, we may be able to stem suicide rates by identifying . those people and intervening early enough to head off a catastrophe.' Researchers . looked at mutations in the gene SKA2 in brain samples from mentally ill . people who had died from suicide - and then compared them with healthy . individuals. They discovered levels of SKA2 were significantly lower in people who had killed themselves. And that within this common mutation, there was a modification that changed the way this gene functioned. The modification added chemicals called methyl groups to the gene. Blood tests revealed there were higher levels of methylation in the SKA2 gene for people with a record of suicidal thoughts or attempts. The researchers then designed a model to . predict which of the participants were experiencing suicidal thoughts - . or had attempted suicide with 80 per cent certainty. The SKA2 gene is expressed in the prefrontal cortex of the brain - an area involved in inhibiting negative thoughts and controlling impulsive behaviour . Those with more severe risk of suicide were predicted with 90 per cent accuracy. In younger people, blood tests enabled scientists to predict whether a person had attempted suicide with 96 per cent accuracy. Professor . Kaminsky said: 'We have found a gene that we think could be really . important for consistently identifying a range of behaviours from . suicidal thoughts to attempts to completions. 'We . need to study this in a larger sample but we believe that we might be . able to monitor the blood to identify those at risk of suicide.' The research was published in The American Journal of Psychiatry. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org .

Stress produces a chemical alteration to a gene called SKA2 . People with suicidal tendencies also have lower levels of the gene . Doctors hope the test could help predict a person's risk of suicide . Test will be carried out on US army soldiers after it was reported that suicides in American military had tripled .

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For thousands of years, phallic objects have been used symbolically as a means to boost fertility and ward off evil spirits - but their use as sexual aids has a long history, too. A 28,000-year-old phallus found in Germany recently, for example, is quoted as being the oldest known 'sex toy' ever found. While phalluses made from stone, wood, leather and even camel dung have all be found during excavations, or referenced throughout historical text and images. To celebrate this expansive history of sexual experience, the Wellcome Collection currently has a number of ceremonial sculptures shaped - among other sexual artefacts - as part of its Institute of Sexology exhibition. A 7.8-inch (20cm) long, 1.1-inch (3cm) wide stone object (pictured) was found in the Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm in the Swabian Jura. The prehistoric ‘tool’ is made from 14 fragments of siltstone and dates back 28,000 years. Due to its size, experts believe it may be the earliest example of a sex aid ever found . The term dildo was first coined in around 1400 AD and originated from the Latin for ‘dilatare’, which means ‘open wide’, and the Italian for delight, which translates as ‘diletto.’ In the Middle East, historical reports reference Egyptians and the Greek using unripe bananas, or camel dung coated in resin as sexual aids. But the aids were used much earlier, as far back as 500BC, when phalluses were carved out of stone, leather or wood. Some were even made from tar. Phallic sculptures weren’t just used for sexual pleasure. In some pagan cultures, a female orgasm was seen as an offering to the gods of fertility, while the phallic symbol was popular during ancient Roman times. In particular, statues of fertility god Priapus with a large phallus would be used to protect gardens and help crops grow. In Greek mythology, Priapus was depicted with oversized, permanent erection, which is where the name for the medical term priapism originated. Priapism is a persistent and often painful erection that lasts for several hours - in rare case, for weeks. A solid bronze amulet, in the form of Priapus, is among the artefacts displayed at the Wellcome Collection. Phallic charms of the time were known as fascinum, and were even found in the ruins of Pompeii, and it was believed that the symbols could ward off evil spirits. Meanwhile, the phallic deity Mutunus Tutunus was a symbol of marital sex. In Turkey, during the 6th century BC, ancient Anatolians used sculptures of sex organs to ward off evil and ill luck as they believed they contained special powers. In ancient Greece, in particular, reports claim traders in the city of Miletus made and sold objects called ‘olisbos’, intended to help wives achieve sexual penetration while their husbands were away. The aids were also used in Renaissance Italy, and were typically made of leather and used with olive oil for lubrication. High class members of society would even display their sex toys, often made from silver, gold and ivory. However, they were said to be painful to use and their popularity waned. The first dildos didn’t arrive in the UK until the 1500s. Honor Beddard, co-curator at the Wellcome Collection said: ‘The Institute of Sexology presents the study of sex in all its complexity and contradiction. ‘It brings together the diverse collections of data, art, testimony and objects of those who challenged preconceived ideas about sex and tells the human stories behind the charting of sexual experience. ‘Highlighting the profound effect that gathering and analysing information can have in changing attitudes about the human condition, the exhibition reveals our understanding of sexual identity as an ever-evolving story.’ The exhibition features rare archival material, erotica, film, photography, medical artefacts and ethnography, all related to sex. In 2005, a 7.8-inch (20cm) long, 1.1-inch (3cm) wide stone object was found in the Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm in the Swabian Jura. The prehistoric ‘tool’ is made from 14 fragments of siltstone and dates back 28,000 years. Due to its size, experts believe it may be the earliest example of a sex aid ever found, but could have also been used for knapping flints to help light fires, said Professor Nicholas Conard, from the department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, at Tübingen University. During excavations at Neolithic site Membury Rings in Dorset in the early 20th century, archaeologists found various deposits of artefacts and other material, including antler, animal and human bone, flints and carved chalk. Symbol: In Turkey, during the 6th century BC, ancient Anatolians used sculptures of sex organs (pictured) to ward off evil and ill luck as they believed they contained special powers . During excavations at Neolithic site Membury Rings in Dorset, archaeologists found various deposits of artefacts and other material, including antler, animal and human bone, and flints. Among these artefacts was a phallic-shaped object made of chalk (pictured) that measures 4-inches long. However, its use is unknown . Among these artefacts was a phallic-shaped object made from chalk and measures approximately 4-inches long. However, its use is unknown. But the sculptures weren’t just used for sexual pleasure. In some pagan cultures, a female orgasm was seen as an offering to the gods of fertility, while the phallic symbol was popular during ancient Roman times. In particular, statues of fertility god Priapus with a large phallus would be used to protect gardens and help crops grow. In Greek mythology, Priapus was depicted with oversized, permanent erection, which is where the name for the medical term priapism originated. Priapism is a persistent and often painful erection that lasts for several hours - in rare case, for weeks. Statues of fertility god Priapus with a large phallus would be used to protect gardens and help crops grow. Priapus was often depicted with oversized, permanent erection, which is where the name for the medical term priapism originated. Priapism is a persistent and often painful erection that lasts for hours . Phallic charms of the time were known as fascinum (examples pictured), and were even found in the ruins of Pompeii, and it was believed that the symbols could ward off evil spirits. Used in ancient Roman religion and magic, the fascinum referred to the god Fascinus. The phallus was used to summon divine protection . A solid bronze amulet, in the form of Priapus, is among the artefacts displayed at the Wellcome Collection. Phallic charms of the time were known as fascinum, and were even found in the ruins of Pompeii, and it was believed that the symbols could ward off evil spirits. Used in ancient Roman religion and magic, the fascinum referred to the god Fascinus. The phallus was used to summon divine protection. Meanwhile, the phallic deity Mutunus Tutunus was a symbol of marital sex. The 'Veedee' massager (pictured) is said to have been used by doctors to cure Victorian women of hysteria. But this has been disputed as myth . In Turkey, during the 6th century BC, ancient Anatolians used sculptures of sex organs to ward off evil and ill luck as they believed they contained special powers. Much later, in 18th century France, the first vibrator called Tremoussoir was built. It was a handheld, wind-up contraption designed by physicians. In 1869, an American physician George Taylor is credited as creating a steam-powered version called the Manipulator, before an electromechanical vibrator was developed in 1880 by Dr Joseph Granville. Far from being sexual aids, these devices were said to have been used to treat female hysteria. Reports claim that doctors as far back as the 13th century doubted that women had libidos and advised using sex toys to alleviate sexual frustration. Physicians during the 20th century would then use vibrators for clitoral stimulation to treat this so-called hysteria, which comes from the Greek word for uterus. Symptoms for hysteria included anxiety, sleeplessness, irritability and erotic fantasies. One such vibrator, called Veedee, is on display at the Wellcome Collection, but a spokesman told MailOnline that its use as a Victorian tool by doctors to induce orgasms has been disputed as myth. The first rubber dildos have been traced back to around 1850 and they started appearing in movies during the 1930s and 1940s. At this point, many were called marital aids, rather than sexual aids. ‘At the turn of the century, the vibrator kind of split into two product lines,’ explained technology historian Rachel Maines. ‘One was for doctors and one was for consumers and doctors really hated the idea that there were consumer vibrators out there. ‘There were these relatively inexpensive, some that looked like an egg beater for people who didn't have electricity. And there were battery powered ones. ‘There were even water-powered ones that you could attach to your sink!’ A solid bronze amulet, in the form of Priapus, is among the artefacts displayed at the Wellcome Collection . The Institute of Sexology exhibition features rare archival material, erotica, film, photography, medical artefacts and ethnography, all related to sex. A collection of sexual aids on display is pictured. The exhibition runs at the London-based museum until 20 September 2015 .

A siltstone phallus found in Germany is said to date back 28,000 years . It is quoted as being the oldest known 'sex toy' ever discovered . Phalluses made from stone, wood, leather and even camel dung have all been found during excavations, or referenced in historical text and images . The Wellcome Collection has a number of sexual artefacts on display as part of its Institute of Sexology exhibition .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:25 EST, 23 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:26 EST, 23 May 2013 . A 12-year-old girl has killed herself after relentless online bullying from her classmates, her family has claimed. Gabrielle Molina's 15-year-old sister found the young girl hanging in a bedroom at her family's home in Queens Village, New York on Wednesday afternoon, police said. The girl, who attended a local middle school, left a heartbreaking note explaining that she had taken her life after suffering taunts online from her classmates, the New York Post explained. Tragedy: Gabrielle Molina, 12, was found hanged in a bedroom at her family's home in Queens, pictured . In the letter, she also apologized to her family - her sister, 21-year-old brother Geonel, and parents George and Glenda - for taking her life. Her mother told police that Gabrielle was depressed over the taunts and revealed that her other daughter, Georgia, had forced her way into the bedroom when Gabrielle did not answer. Gabrielle's aunt, Irma Molina, told the Post that she didn't understand the young girl's death. 'She's very quiet, very friendly,' she said. 'She wanted . to dance and sing. She’s so young.' Neighbors also told the Post of their shock at the death of the young girl, whose family has lived at the home for nearly 10 years. 'Cruel': Fellow students at her school, pictured, drove her to suicide, she reportedly explained in a note . 'They're just a wonderful family,' said a neighbor. 'It's just so sad. I don't know how they are going to get by.' The National Crime Prevention Council notes that 43 per cent of teens are subject to cyberbullying, and there have been recent, high profile cases. In one heartbreaking story, 15-year-old Felecia Garcia killed herself last October after fellow students allegedly posted a video of her having sex with members of the football team. She was branded a 'slut' and humiliated by her classmates online, eventually taking her life by jumping in front of a train.

Gabrielle Molina 'left a note explaining she had been taunted' Her sister, 15, forced open a bedroom door and found her body .

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Thinner. Lighter. Faster. That's what Apple promises in its newest iPad, which also has a new name: the iPad Air. The company rolled out the fifth generation of its market-leading tablet Tuesday. Among its new features, the iPad will weigh 1 pound, down from 1.4 pounds. It's 20% thinner and 28% lighter than the current fourth-generation iPad. The iPad Air will have the same 9.7-inch screen as previous iPads and pack the same A7 processing chip that's in the iPhone 5S. That will make it 72 times faster than the original iPad, according to Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller. "This is our biggest leap forward ever with a full-size iPad," Schiller said. The iPad Air will go on sale November 1. Prices will start at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model and go up to $629 for a 16GB with 4G LTE connectivity. Schiller also announced a revamped iPad Mini starting at $399. It will be available later in November in silver or space gray and will pack a speedy A7 processor and the same high-resolution "Retina display" as bigger iPads. Apple passes Coke as world's 'top brand' The older iPad Mini is still around and will cost $299. And the full-size iPad 2, launched in 2011, is still available for $399. Apple took another new direction on Tuesday, announcing that the newest version of its Mac operating system, OS X Mavericks, is available now for download and will be free. Selling Mac software has never been a huge money-maker for Apple, and the price of OS X upgrades had been dropping in the past few years. The move can be seen as a shot at Microsoft, which relies more heavily on revenue from sales of Windows. New MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops also were rolled out and go on sale immediately. They get the usual incremental updates: better graphics, longer battery life, faster flash storage and next-generation Wi-Fi. Apple also announced that both iWork and iLife, their suites of office and creative software, are now free with the purchase of every new Mac. And the super-powerful Mac Pro, the desktop computer geared toward high-end graphics and video editing, finally got a price point -- $2,999 -- and will be released before the end of this year, according to Apple's Phil Schiller. The Pro was designed in California and assembled in the U.S. across 20 states. The pieces are probably manufactured out of the country and shipped to the U.S. for the building stage. Apple's not the only tablet manufacturer with news this week. Microsoft officially launched its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets on Tuesday morning, as did Nokia with its own Windows 8 device, the Lumia 2520. The Surface 2 starts at $449, while the more powerful Surface Pro 2 will start at $899. Is Apple's iPhone 5C a flop? The Lumia 2520 costs $499 and is Nokia's first full-sized tablet. It's also Nokia's first big product rollout since it was announced that Microsoft was going to purchase part of the company. But as rivals catch up to the once-dominant iPad and the marketplace gets flooded with new tablets, it's getting harder for competitors to set themselves apart. "Tablets are a maturing market; there's not much competitors can do to differentiate at this point," said Sarah Rotman Epps, a senior analyst at Forrester Research. "Replacement sales are growing much, much faster than new sales worldwide," she added. "You're competing for customers you already have." At Tuesday's event, Cook took a swipe at competitors with a reference that seemed most aimed at Microsoft's hybrid Surface tablets. "They chased after netbooks," he said. "Now they're trying to make PCs into tablets and tablets into PCs." The iPad Air will go on sale Friday, November 1 at Apple retail stores in 42 countries and territories: the U.S., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China (Wi-Fi models only), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao (Wi-Fi models only), Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. 'I'm the original voice of Siri'

Apple announced a new iPad, named the iPad Air . Full-sized model is lighter, thinner; it weighs only 1 pound . The new iPad Mini has high-resolution retina display . Microsoft, Nokia also launched new tablets on Tuesday .

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By . Annabel Fenwick Elliott for MailOnline . CNN anchor Dana Bash has revealed that she too has been the target of inappropriate comments about her weight made by male senators. Speaking to fellow CNN news anchor Brooke Baldwin, Ms Bash, 43, said she wasn't surprised 'in the least' to learn of New York senator Kristen Gillibrand's recent admission that she had been called 'porky' and 'fat' by male colleagues. 'After I had my son three years ago, I got some comments that would blow you away from male senators,' the political correspondent, based in Washington D.C. said. 'Talking about getting my figure back and things like that.' Scroll down for video . Weight jibes: Dana Bash, 43 (pictured), said that after she gave birth to her son, she received comments from male senators 'about getting my figure back' Although the mother-of-one declined to outline any further specifics, she remarked that these men maybe 'didn't realize' they were being inappropriate, and largely blames their age for the comments. '[Ms Gillibrand] mentions very clearly that these are law-makers in their sixties, seventies and eighties, and it is very much generational,' she agreed. 'I can't even think of one law-maker in either party, either chamber, who would do this who is maybe 50 years old or younger.' Ms Bash - who was recently honored by ELLE magazine as part of its annual Women in Washington Power List - mentioned that she had spoken 'in private' both to Ms Gillibrand and to other female members of congress about such matters. Age matters: Ms Bash, pictured pregnant in 2011 (left) and in May (right) said, '[Ms Gillibrand] mentions very clearly that these are law-makers in their sixties, seventies and eighties, and it is very much generational' Ms Bash is currently CNN's chief congressional correspondent. She split with fellow CNN anchor John King in 2012, after less than four years of marriage and is now a single mother. Her comments come just days after Ms Gillibrand spoke openly of the sexism she has faced at various points in her political career. In her new book Off the Sidelines, the 47-year-old - who has two young sons with her husband Jonathan - recalls how a male colleague once said to her at the gym: 'Good thing you're working out, because you wouldn't want to get porky!' On a separate occasion, a Southern congressman was walking her down the aisle in the House chamber when he said to her: 'You know, Kirsten, you're even pretty when you're fat.' New York Senator: Ms Gillibrand, 47, who has fluctuated between size four and size 20 throughout her career, has been called 'porky' and 'fat,' by male colleagues. Pictured in 2009 (left) and in April (right) Like Ms Bash, Ms Gillibrand acknowledged that the comments were derogatory, but probably not meant in earnest. 'I believed his intentions were sweet, even if he was being an idiot,' she said. The senator, who says she has fluctuated between size four and size 20 throughout her career, admits that regardless of other people's opinions, appearance is something that she does have to pay attention to. 'I've learned that how I look and feel is important, for reasons beyond health and vanity,' she writes. 'If I look and feel good, I'm more positive and confident and people are more likely to listen to me. If more people are listening, I have more power to fight effectively for what I believe in.'

Ms Bash confirms she has spoken to Ms Gillibrand and other female members of congress 'privately' about the matter . Male senators have called Ms Gillibrand 'porky' and made comments to Ms Bash about 'getting her figure back' after childbirth . She claims weight jibes are a 'generational' matter .

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Click here for your ultimate stats guide to the game, including Neymar's heatmap . More than any other teams in world football, Brazil and Argentina have come to be defined, in recent years, by their No 10s. In Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Neymar, the South American giants have arguably the best two players in the world in that position, and both teams are built around their respective superstars. But how did the pair compare when they met in Beijing on Saturday? Barcelona striker Neymar, celebrating with goal scorer Diego Tardelli,  was in fine form against Argentina . INFLUENCE . It might not be right to describe Brazil vs Argentina as simply Neymar vs Messi - but both teams rely so heavily on their star man that if either goes missing, the whole side can lose their way. Brazil, as the World Cup showed, are only as good as their No 10, while Messi, on his day, can carry Argentina almost single-handedly. It's not enough to be good, these two have to dominate the whole game to earn praise. In the first half hour, there is no doubt who was winning this battle. Messi was involved in everything good that Argentina did, getting on the ball in deep areas, committing defenders and feeding his team-mates. Not only did he beat defenders himself, but his very presence drew men away from his fellow forwards. Angel di Maria and Sergio Aguero had more space than they would normally be afforded by virtue of playing alongside Messi. Here is Lionel Messi's heatmap from the friendly showing a strong attacking presence for Argentina . Brazil forward Neymar challenges for a set piece during his impressive performance for his national side . Neymar, heatmap above, was key to Brazil's forward play, particularly on the left and down the centre . Neymar, meanwhile, was left isolated for much of the first half, lurking on the lonely left wing while Brazil struggled to get a foothold. It was clear, whenever Dunga's side won the ball, that they were looking to their talisman for a lift, but possession was so rare (less than 35 per cent in the first half) that he was a peripheral figure. In fact, Brazil's No 10 made just 10 passes in the entire first 45 minutes, less than a third of Messi's tally - and three of those 10 failed to find a team-mate. But, after Diego Tardelli's opener, the 22-year-old came to life. Dazzling dribbles, incisive passes, and very nearly a superb solo goal. Suddenly Neymar, without having too much of the ball, was the most exciting player on the pitch. Every time he got the ball he looked to have the beating of a desperately slow Argentina defence. His pace and threat brought fouls and cards, and by the end of the game there was little doubt who the most threatening player on the pitch was. MESSI: 5/10 NEYMAR 9/10 . Lionel Messi looks dejected after missing a chance for Argentina during the 2-0 defeat to Brazil in China . CREATIVITY . Both players are absolutely vital to their side's chance creation. Despite Chelsea duo Oscar and Willian alongside him, Neymar is the only genuine creative focal point in the Brazil side. Argentina have a few more options, with Angel di Maria in particular diverting some of the pressure off Messi's shoulders, but the diminutive genuis is still the key man. Neither of the two were particularly wonderful in a first half which lacked many clear-cut chances, but Messi offered slightly more, creating two chances for Sergio Aguero. First he slid Pablo Zabaleta in behind before the full back's cross was mishit by Aguero, then he put the Manchester City striker in down the right hand channel, only for the forward to blaze over the bar. Neymar, on the other hand, created only for himself in the opening 45, although this was enough to strike fear into the Argentinian defence. He rectified that soon after half time, a perfectly weighted pass playing in Felipe Luis, who should really have made it 2-0, and then releasing Willian inside the box, who again was wasteful. MESSI: 6/10 NEYMAR 6/10 . David Luiz and Brazil's defence managed to keep Messi relatively quiet for a clean sheet on Saturday . INDIVIDUAL BRILLIANCE . While Brazil's new counter-attacking system relies on Neymar to do it all himself, Argentina's tactical set-up lets Messi drift in and out, before attacking from deeper areas. Both systems are designed to get the best out of their major star, and both seemed to work fairly well in that respect. Messi repeatedly picked up the ball from the right hand side and drove at the Brazilian defence, who usually responded by fouling him. Mostly the Argentine beat at least one man, before spreading the play wide or winning a free kick in a dangerous area. The levels of excitement were certainly raised around the stadium when he got on the ball, but there were hints, rather than devastating examples, of what he can do on the ball. Brazil's talisman Neymar was on the receiving end of several heavy tackles from the Argentina back line . As the need to take the game by the scruff of the neck increased with Brazil's two goals, Messi came further inside and began to run with the ball more. Two shots soon after the hour mark tested Jefferson, though neither really threatened to find the back of the net. Neymar, on the other hand, clearly had the upper hand in this particular duel. Out of the game for such long periods, the Brazil captain showed several times what he could do when given time and space. Soon after the half hour Neymar went on three devastating dribbles in five short minutes, slicing through the Argentina defence with ease and very nearly taking the game away from his opponents single-handedly. MESSI: 6/10 NEYMAR 9/10 . Javier Mascherano fails to halt another marauding run by Neymar, who showed plenty of creativity in China . END PRODUCT . For all their tricks and flicks, runs and rabonas, the pair will always be judged on their final touch. In the first half, both were found seriously wanting. Messi, usually so deadly, fired two free kicks against the wall and failed to manufacture any shooting opportunities from open play. Even when presented with the perfect opportunity from 12 yards the former World Player of the Year could only fire his spot-kick tamely at Jefferson. The second half saw three decent efforts from the edge of the box, all of which brought saves from Jefferson, but only an 80th minute free-kick looked close to beating the Brazil keeper. Neymar was little better. His best run, during which he ran from half-way, beating two men before drawing the keeper, ended with something of a whimper, a scuffed shot that trickled wide. Then, early in the second half, the pacey Brazilian eased past the defence only to cut the ball back to no-one. Even when put through one-on-one by Luis Gustavo against a goalkeeper stuck in no-mans-land, the young forward could only chip over the bar. MESSI: 5/10 NEYMAR 5/10 . Messi was surprisingly out of sorts for his national side, having a penalty saved as Brazil won 2-0 in Beijing . Neymar runs away to celebrate Brazil's second goal as the Barcelona striker put in an influential display . DEFENSIVE WORK . Neither of these players is particularly noted for their work without the ball, but football is a team game, and no side can afford to carry a man, however talented, completely. Messi has, this season, returned to his pressing game at Barcelona, and appeared keen to keep it up on Saturday. No longer did we see the Argentine standing still or wandering around after losing the ball - Messi worked hard to win it back, and pressure defenders into mistakes. In truth, the success of this was limited, but it was important for Tata Martino's gameplan that his talisman made an effort when out of possession. Neymar, on the other hand, was required to do almost nothing defensively, lurking up-field while his team-mates won the ball back. This left Pablo Zabaleta free to attack down the right unchecked, and could have been costly if Argentina's forwards had been on their game. MESSI: 5/10 NEYMAR 4/10 . The Brazil squad celebrate together after Diego Tardelli doubled his total during the 2-0 win in Beijing . TOTAL . Messi started the brighter, but after Brazil took the lead and space opened up for Neymar it was the younger man that stole the show. Messi was the focal point for an Argentina side that, for all their possession, created few clear-cut chances, while Neymar typified the counter-attacking spirit that Dunga is trying to instill. Neither man was quite at their brilliant best, but Neymar upstaged his more experienced club-mate. MESSI: 27/50 NEYMAR 33/50 . CLICK HERE for all facts, stats and graphics from the big match in Beijing, including Diego Tardelli's goals (first goal below)

Neymar was heavily involved as Brazil beat Argentina in a friendly 2-0 . Fellow striker Diego Tardelli scored a brace to ensure Brazil victory . Despite not scoring in the match in China, Neymar was the top No10 . Neymar's Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi missed a penalty .

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Bobby Brown walked out of a Los Angeles County jail after serving just nine hours of a 55-day sentence imposed for his second drunken driving conviction in a year. A Los Angeles County probation officer determined that Brown, the ex-husband of Whitney Houston, was eligible to serve his time at home if he wore an electronic monitor bracelet, Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. The singer is technically still in custody and under the control of the probation department, he said. "He is presently home with family," his lawyer, Christopher Brown, said Thursday. "Mr. Brown has accepted responsibility for what occurred last October 2012. Mr. Brown is pleased that the matter has been resolved and to be home with this wife and young son." Brown can take the bracelet, which he is paying for, off his leg after eight days, the same amount of time he would have otherwise spent behind bars, Whitmore said. Good behavior rules and jail overcrowding guidelines add up to a sharp reduction in actual time served for county inmates, Whitmore said. Brown, 44, was taken into custody at the Van Nuys, California, courthouse Wednesday, but was free about 10 hours later, Whitmore said. The singer pleaded no contest to a drunken driving offense, driving with a suspended license and violating his probation from another drunken driving conviction last year. He spent time in a "confidential rehabilitation center" last August as part of his plea deal for the April 2012 arrest. He was arrested again in October after a police officer smelled "a strong scent of alcohol" when he approached Brown during the Ventura Boulevard traffic stop, a police spokesman said. Brown and Houston divorced in 2007. He has one daughter, Bobbi Kristina, from his relationship with Houston, as well as three other children. Houston died a little more than a year ago. Brown, who has been touring with his R&B group, New Edition, released "Masterpiece," his first solo album in 14 years, last June.

Bobby Brown must wear a monitor for eight days instead of spending time in jail . Whitney Houston's ex has two DUI convictions in the past year . Jail overcrowding means short stays behind bars in Los Angeles .

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By . Ruth Whitehead . PUBLISHED: . 06:17 EST, 17 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:01 EST, 17 March 2012 . ‘Vet detectives’ could be brought in to trace owners who allow their dogs to foul in public places. Council bosses in Lancashire are in discussions with a forensic vet over plans to DNA-test dog faeces which could then be traced back to the canine culprits and their owners. The scheme has been used effectively in some European countries and the USA and is seen as a possible option to help tackle the growing problem of dog-fouling in the south Lancashire borough of Hyndburn. Man's best friend? Dog fouling has become such a problem in Hyndburn in Lancashire that the council wants to set up a DNA database so that canine culprits can be traced . Last year Hyndburn council voted to call on the Government to increase the maximum fixed penalty notices for dog fouling from £75 to £1,000. Councillor Ken Moss, who proposed the scheme, said he was then contacted by the vet after reading about the story but insisted talks are still at an ‘early stage’. If given the go-ahead, it would be one of the first schemes of its kind in the country. Cllr Moss, who is chairman of the council’s overview and scrutiny committee, said: 'I am led to believe there are only two of these vets in Britain and they work by analysing the samples and identifying the dog by DNA. 'It’s something that has been used in . tourism hot spots on the continent and is something they are looking to . get a foot-hold of here in England. Green and pleasant land: The scheme has already been rolled out on the continent to preserve the beauty of favourite tourist spots . 'I will be talking to the vet to find . out how feasible that will be. I don’t know what it would cost. It . would probably rely on some database and we would need to find out if it . is feasible. 'It might be that it’s unrealistic and cost too much or rely too much on voluntary information from the public. 'We have only had preliminary talks and nothing has been signed and sealed.' Similar schemes in the USA and Germany have relied on a DNA database with either fur or saliva samples being taken from dogs in a local area. Any dog faeces found in public places are then tested and cross-checked against the DNA database to identify the offenders. Harvey Locke, former president of the British Veterinary Association and a practising vet, said current UK legislation would make it difficult to introduce a dog DNA database. Bag it, bin it or take it home: Hyndburn council wants to be able to fine dog-owners who let their dogs foul in public places up to £1,000 . He said: “It is possible to identify dogs from a faeces sample but you need to have a database with all the dogs in the area to identify a particular dog. 'It sounds fine in principle but there are questions about where the database would be held and who would fund it. 'If somebody has seen a dog fouling and wants to report a particular dog you would need to take a sample and that would require the owner’s consent. I am not aware of any legal framework that would allow this to happen.' The proposals are the latest in a series of measures being taken by the council to help tackle the amount of dog mess littering the streets. PCSOs are being urged to issue dog fouling fines and extra dog warden patrols have been arranged. A Cabinet Action Day was also held in December in the nearby picturesque village of Rishton, during which thousands of dog waste bags were handed out around the village.

The scheme is already used in some European countries and in the USA .

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(CNN) -- Conservative critics have launched an attack on CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley, who moderated Tuesday's second presidential debate, after she corrected former Gov. Mitt Romney's claim that President Barack Obama did not refer to the consulate attack in Benghazi as an "act of terror." CNN Fact Check: A day after Libya attack, Obama described it as 'acts of terror' Obama said in the debate that on September 12, he called the attack in Libya that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, an "act of terror." Romney, however, disputed the claim, and said the president had not called it an "act of terror" for 14 days. Crowley correctly stated that Obama had used the term "act of terror" during remarks at The White House the day after the attack. Romney was mistaken. In an editorial on Wednesday titled "Candy's not dandy," The New York Post -- owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., parent company of Fox News Channel -- repeated accusations against Crowley first leveled by Romney surrogate John Sununu on CNN's Early Start on Wednesday morning. "The president was caught lying last night, and I think the world should know that," Sununu told CNN's Soledad O'Brien. Sununu contended that Obama's comments were in reference to "the original 9/11 event" and not the Libya attack. However, the transcripts of the debate and also the president's Rose Garden address, as well as subsequent comments, show that, in fact, Crowley was correct. Here was the entire exchange from the transcript of the debate: . CROWLEY: Because we're -- we're closing in, I want to still get a lot of people in. I want to ask you something, Mr. President, and then have the governor just quickly. Your secretary of state, as I'm sure you know, has said that she takes full responsibility for the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi. Does the buck stop with your secretary of state as far as what went on here? OBAMA: Secretary Clinton has done an extraordinary job. But she works for me. I'm the president and I'm always responsible, and that's why nobody's more interested in finding out exactly what happened than I do. The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror and I also said that we're going to hunt down those who committed this crime. And then a few days later, I was there greeting the caskets coming into Andrews Air Force Base and grieving with the families. And the suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the secretary of state, our U.N. ambassador, anybody on my team would play politics or mislead when we've lost four of our own, governor, is offensive. That's not what we do. That's not what I do as president, that's not what I do as commander in chief. CROWLEY: Governor, if you want to... ROMNEY: Yes, I -- I... CROWLEY: ... quickly to this please. ROMNEY: I -- I think interesting the president just said something which -- which is that on the day after the attack he went into the Rose Garden and said that this was an act of terror. OBAMA: That's what I said. ROMNEY: You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack, it was an act of terror. It was not a spontaneous demonstration, is that what you're saying? OBAMA: Please proceed governor. ROMNEY: I want to make sure we get that for the record because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror. OBAMA: Get the transcript. CROWLEY: It -- it -- it -- he did in fact, sir. So let me -- let me call it an act of terror... OBAMA: Can you say that a little louder, Candy? CROWLEY: He -- he did call it an act of terror. It did as well take -- it did as well take two weeks or so for the whole idea there being a riot out there about this tape to come out. You are correct about that. ROMNEY: This -- the administration -- the administration indicated this was a reaction to a video and was a spontaneous reaction. CROWLEY: It did. ROMNEY: It took them a long time to say this was a terrorist act by a terrorist group. And to suggest -- am I incorrect in that regard, on Sunday, the -- your secretary -- . OBAMA: Candy? ROMNEY: Excuse me. The ambassador of the United Nations went on the Sunday television shows and spoke about how -- . OBAMA: Candy, I'm -- . ROMNEY: -- this was a spontaneous -- . CROWLEY: Mr. President, let me -- . OBAMA: I'm happy to have a longer conversation -- . CROWLEY: I know you -- . OBAMA: -- about foreign policy. CROWLEY: Absolutely. But I want to -- I want to move you on and also -- . OBAMA: OK. I'm happy to do that, too. CROWLEY: -- the transcripts and -- . OBAMA: I just want to make sure that -- . CROWLEY: -- figure out what we -- . OBAMA: -- all of these wonderful folks are going to have a chance to get some of their questions answered... And here is the transcript from Obama's Rose Garden remarks on September 12, the day after the attack: . "Our country is only as strong as the character of our people and the service of those both civilian and military who represent us around the globe," he said. "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done." Obama repeated the "acts of terror" line during a campaign event in Las Vegas on September 13: . "No act of terror will dim the light of the values that we proudly shine on the rest of the world, and no act of violence will shake the resolve of the United States of America." Timeline: What the Obama administration has said about the Libya attack . In the debate, Crowley, who is anchor of CNN's "State of the Union with Candy Crowley," also said that Romney was correct to say that it took the administration some time to say conclusively and with one voice that the attack was not the spontaneous outgrowth of a protest against an anti-Islam film. CROWLEY: He -- he did call it an act of terror. It did as well take -- it did as well take two weeks or so for the whole idea there being a riot out there about this tape to come out. You are correct about that. On September 16, Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said, "We do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned." On September 19, Matthew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that the ambassador and three other Americans "were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our embassy." But, as to the original accusation from the conservative critics that Obama never mentioned "acts of terror" until weeks after the attack, they were wrong. Crowley was right. Complete coverage of CNN's Fact Checks . CNN wire staff contributed to this report.

CNN's Candy Crowley was moderator of the second presidential debate Tuesday . Conservative critics attacked Crowley for correcting Mitt Romney's claim that President Barack Obama did not refer to the Benghazi attack as an "act of terror" A review of the transcripts show that Crowley was, in fact, right .

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(CNN) -- A suspicious piece of luggage that was about to be loaded onto a flight in Namibia was a "test device" from a U.S. company that sells products designed to test security, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a news conference Friday in Hamburg, Germany. Namibian police on Friday warned that whoever is responsible for planting the device among the luggage of an Air Berlin flight Wednesday would be severely dealt with, warning that Namibia was not to be used as an unauthorized testing ground for aviation security. "The preliminary investigations have revealed that the suspicious parcel does not contain any explosive substances; however, it is an explosive simulation training device, manufactured by an American-based company, 'Larry Copello Incorporated,' " Lt. Gen. Sebastian Ndeitunga, Namibia's top policeman, told reporters Friday at a news conference in Windhoek, the capital. The device is a training aid to help screeners identify explosive devices, Larry Copello, founder and CEO of Larry Copello, Inc., told CNN Friday. Copello described the device as "non-hazardous ...not a threat to anyone." Copello said his company sells such devices to law enforcement agencies, governments and corporate clients, but did not know to whom this particular device was sold. He learned of the Namibia incident on Thursday when the FBI called him. He said he is cooperating with the investigation. An official with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said Friday that they are working with German and Namibian authorities to determine the origin of the device and the reason it was to be transported on the plane. "We applaud the vigilance of the aviation security authorities who discovered the device and took quick action to ensure that it did not pose a threat to the aircraft and passengers," the TSA official told CNN. A U.S. official said Friday that there doesn't seem to be any connection with any U.S. government entity. The discovery of the bag at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia delayed flight 7377 to Munich, Germany, on Wednesday and raised security concerns, a spokeswoman for the airline, Air Berlin, said Thursday. De Maiziere said he believed the device was from a U.S.-based company, but did not know which company. He said no one was warned in advance about the test device. The bag contained a functioning electronic clock with wiring attached, but no explosives. "Air Berlin has confirmed that there was no explosive material in the laptop bag found in Namibia," Sabina Teller, a spokeswoman for Air Berlin, told CNN. "The luggage was found in the airport, at no point was on the plane. It had no luggage label, so it was impossible to know where it was going, which company it was supposed to fly with or who it belonged to," she said . De Maiziere said authorities are investigating the bag's origin and its intended destination. After the bag was discovered, the flight's 296 passengers and all bags were given additional security checks. The plane later landed safely in Munich after a six- or seven-hour delay, Air Berlin spokeswoman Silke Manitz said. Germany raised its threat level Wednesday, saying concrete evidence had emerged of a possible attack planned in Germany later this month. It said there was evidence of persistent efforts by Islamists to launch an attack. A senior German counterterrorism source told CNN on Thursday that the German Interior Ministry warning was linked to recent threats to the country from al Qaeda in Pakistan. Interior Minister de Maiziere addressed the threat level Friday by reiterating that people should go about their lives as usual. CNN's Laura Perez Maestro in London; Ben Brumfield in Atlanta, Georgia; Diana Magnay in Hamburg, Germany; John Grobler in Namibia; Nkepile Mabuse in Johannesburg, South Africa; and Jeanne Meserve in Washington contributed to this report.

Manufacturer says device was not hazardous . 'Training device' that delayed German flight was from a U.S. company, police say . Namibian police say responsible party will be punished .

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A widow has claimed doctors put her terminally ill husband on an 'end of life pathway' without telling her, denying her the chance to share his final days with him. Liz Watson, whose husband George was admitted to a Marie Curie Hospice for respite care, hit out at doctors after his condition deteriorated rapidly. She says Mr Watson was the 'love of her live' and 'didn't deserve to die like he did' on the pathway, which sometimes involves depriving patients of food and water. Liz Watson, from Edinburgh said doctors put her husband George - the 'love of her life' - on an end of life pathway without her knowledge . Mrs Watson said she would never have agreed to the care plan, which she likened to a 'concentration camp', and wanted to spend more time with her husband . Mr Watson was diagnosed with a brain tumour 17 months before he was admitted to the hospice from which he never came home . Mr Watson was diagnosed with a brain tumour 17 months before he was admitted to the hospice. from which he never came home. His family said the 64-year-old from Liberton in Edinburgh was going shopping and 'eating three-course meals' before he rapidly declined in the centre in Fairmilehead. Mrs Watson said she only realised George was on the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway - which involves withdrawal of medication, food and fluids - when her mother recognised the signs. She said she would never have agreed to the care plan, which she likened to a 'concentration camp', and wanted to spend more time with her husband. She said: 'When I realised what they had done to my husband and put him on that Liverpool Care Pathway, I was hysterical. 'I am not a stupid person but I never put two and two together. They made out that they went through it with me but I would never have let my husband go on anything like that. The Liverpool Care Pathway, originally designed to ensure dignified and pain-free dying, was scrapped last year after a scathing independent inquiry found that it had meant ‘uncaring, rushed and ignorant’ treatment of the most vulnerable hospital patients. In some cases, patients were denied water as they died. Under the Pathway, doctors and nurses decided when a patient was about to die. Commonly, a syringe driver would pump them with sedatives, while tubes giving food and water were detached. Death would follow, typically within 36 hours. The inquiry was called after leading medical figures condemned the system as a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’, and thousands of families of patients who had died complained. New rules for the care of patients thought to be near the end of their lives will forbid hospitals from deciding that someone is dying and then speeding their end by drugging them and removing tubes giving them food and water. Instead, there must be regular reviews of treatment in all cases, dying patients and their families must be kept informed and involved in decisions, and treatment will be ‘tailored to the individual’. Hospitals will be told to appoint independent assessors to decide on complaints in ‘serious or untoward incidents’. 'My husband was on it for four days. I called that place a concentration camp, depriving him of food and water. 'I was taking him in some ice lollies and he was so thirsty he nearly ate the stick. 'He couldn't talk but he knew what was happening. 'I would tell him to blink with his eyes when I asked him things like if he was thirsty, he could hear everything that was going on. 'He was crying and I would say,"I'm so sorry George that I didn't get you out of this place". It was too late by then.' Mr Watson worked as a homeless warden for Edinburgh City Council, while his wife worked in the care industry for 30 years. He was diagnosed with the aggressive tumour in March 2012 before undergoing surgery to remove the growth. He then went through several gruelling sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A few months later, the couple of 15 years were finally married at the Apex Hotel, on Waterloo Place in Edinburgh. But just six months later doctors delivered the devastating news that the cancer had spread to the other side of his brain. Mrs Watson, who had taken nine months off work to look after him, agreed to respite care, believing he would return home within days. But on August 10, 2013 - three weeks later - he died. Medical notes showed doctors started Mr Watson's end of life treatment at 11am on August 6 and were supposed to discuss it with family at 4pm - which Mrs Watson maintains 'never happened'. She said the standard of nursing he received before that date was 'atrocious', as he even had two falls while staying there. A later inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland upheld several complaints about care standards, including poor communication about his worsening condition, and made a list of recommendations. The couple had been together 15 years before they married at the Apex Hotel, on Waterloo Place in Edinburgh . But following a recent unannounced inspection last month, it was found many improvements had still not been carried out. The watchdog made five requirements and 11 recommendations that must be addressed 'as a matter of priority'. Mr Watson's stepdaughter, Kelly Macmillan, 33, who also worked in residential care, said the experience had left her mother 'shattered'. She said: 'It was so distressing to see how quickly he deteriorated in there.' Marie Curie said it was unable to comment on care relating to an individual patient. A spokeswoman for NHS Lothian said: 'Like every health board in Scotland, NHS Lothian is following Scottish Government guidance on the Liverpool Care Pathway and phasing it out.' But Mrs Watson said the changes were too late for her husband, adding: 'He didn't deserve to die like he did. 'He was the love of my life. I don't think it's something I will ever be able to get over.' Mr Watson was treated at the Marie Curie Hospice in Edinburgh. A later inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland upheld several complaints about care standards .

George Watson was diagnosed with a brain tumour in March 2012 . Widow Liz says doctors did not tell her husband was on end of life pathway . The LCP can involve detaching tubes supplying food and water . Was scrapped last year after an independent review branded it 'uncaring' Inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland upheld some complaints . Spot inspection last month revealed improvements still had not been made .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:51 EST, 9 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:38 EST, 9 October 2013 . A 13-year-old-boy is due to stand trial in Louisiana on Wednesday, accused of the second-degree murder of his five-year-old half sister. Devalon Armstrong allegedly used wrestling moves he had seen on television on Viloude Louis, who died from the brutal beating on June 16 in Terrytown. The little girl suffered broken ribs, internal bleeding and a . lacerated liver after Armstrong repeatedly slammed her on a bed, punched her in the stomach, jumped on her and struck her with his elbow several times, police said. Tragic: Five-year-old Viloude Louis died of horrific injuries in June, allegedly inflicted by her half brother Devalon Armstrong, as he practiced wrestling moves on the girl . Judge Andrea Price Janzen will hear testimony today and then rule whether the boy will be charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter or negligent homicide. He could also be acquitted. The Times-Picayune reported that if Armstrong was convicted as charged he would get 'juvenile life', which would mean imprisonment until his 21st birthday. The teenager, who is also known as Armstrong Desvallons, told officers that he was practicing wrestling moves on his sister while their mother, 39-year-old Adlourdes Desvallons, was out. But Juvenile Court Judge Janzen will not let prosecutors use the tape where he confesses this as evidence during Wednesday's trial. Victim: Viloude Louis, 5, was found unconscious on the floor after she was brutally beaten . As reported by The Advocate, the judge ruled in September that neither the boy nor the mother really understood how this statement could be used against him. Deputies say they received a 911 call . from the home on June 16 saying the girl had been found unconscious on the bathroom floor. Paramedics found the girl unresponsive and she . was pronounced dead a short time later. Armstrong was arrested after a coroner investigation found the girl died of multiple injuries, two days after the death, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's spokesman Col. John Fortunato said. Detectives initially spoke with the girl's mother and found out that the teenager had been babysitting while she went shopping, Fortunato told The Times-Picayune. Devalon told investigators the girl had a stomach ache and went upstairs to brush her teeth, and 30 minutes later he found her on the floor complaining her stomach still hurt, Fortunato said. Scene: The little girl suffered the beating in this Louisiana neighborhood while her half-brother babysat her . The teenager claimed he took the girl downstairs to the sofa and called 911 when he saw she was no longer breathing. Dispatchers told him to start CPR and paramedics arrived on the scene. The coroner's office said there did not appear to be any outward signs of injury and her death was left as unclassified, but then Devalon told detectives he had been practicing World Wrestling Entertainment-style moves on the girl, The Times-Picayune reported. He said that even when his little half sister said she was in pain, he continued to carry out the moves on her. Detectives added that he appeared to be enjoying talking about the assault. The Sheriff's office reclassified her death as a homicide and Devalon was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder. He has been held at a juvenile detention center since the incident. Violent: The boy said he used moves on his sister like those he had seen on World Wrestling Entertainment .

Devalon Armstrong, 13, 'repeatedly punched half sister in the stomach, jumped on her and slammed her on the bed as he copied WWE moves' Five-year-old Viloude Louis later died of her injuries including broken ribs, internal bleeding and a lacerated liver . Teenager could be jailed until his 21st birthday if convicted of second-degree murder in trial starting in Louisiana on Wednesday .

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Scroll down for video . Police are searching for a 25-year-old doctor who mysteriously vanished on her way to work on Monday morning. Dr Fehintola Omidele, who goes by the nickname FT, was last seen at dinner with her family in Houston, Texas, on Sunday night. When she did not come in to work at the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital the next day, her family found her cell phone in her room and her car was missing. Missing: Dr Fehintola Omidele, or 'FT', has not been seen since family dinner in Houston, Texas, on Sunday . Dr Omidele enjoyed a glittering academic career, graduating from high school at 16 with a grade point average of 4.3, before graduating from college at the age of 20. After four days, family and friends have found no trace of KT or her 2011 grey Toyota Camry with the license plate BZ2L971. 'She's extremely responsible, so her not showing up for work and it's been four or five days, is not like her at all,' family friend Dr Omonele Nwokolo told KHOU. Another friend, A'Lys Lawrence, told MailOnline: 'We are broken hearted and doing all that we can to bring her back home safely.' Police say there is no evidence of foul play as they continue to investigate the disappearance. Dr Omidele, who is fluent in Yoruba and English, is described in missing posters as 5'5", weighing 120 pounds. Appeal: Friends issued this poster to trace her car which is also missing. Her cell phone was found at home . Star doctor: FT graduated from high school at 16 with a 4.3 grade point average and graduated college at 20 . Hailing from Nigeria, her family moved to New Orleans when she was eight, then to Katy, Texas, when she was 12. According to the Houston Chronicle, she graduated high school with a 4.3 grade point average - out of a possible 5.0 - at the age of 16. She was 20 when she enrolled in graduate medical school after majoring in biology and child development at the University of Texas. 'Extremely responsible': Friends claim FT's disappearance earlier this week is completely out of character . In a profile done on Dr Omidele in April, she told the Chronicle: 'I've always loved children. I'm drawn to them. Personally, I consider myself a kid at heart. In college, I worked at the child development center.' She graduated in May, when she started her three-year pediatrics placement at the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. One day, she said, she hopes to work for the French non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders.

Dr Fehintola Omidele, 25, last seen at family dinner in Houston on Sunday . Did not get to work at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital on Monday . Family found her cell phone in her room, her grey Toyota is missing . Dr Omidele, or 'FT', was a star academic who graduated college aged 20 .

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(CNN) -- At the start of the evening dinner rush on January 10, a group of 13 is seated at an Applebee's in Mason City, Iowa. Their waitress is new. She is nervous. She has never served a big group before but after a little reassurance she is ready. The 13 men and women, ages 25-60, are dressed in flight suits from University of Iowa AirCare. They have just attended a memorial service for three colleagues killed in a medical helicopter crash on January 2 and have stopped for dinner before the long drive home. Dr. Azeem Ahmed, medical director of the University of Iowa AirCare program, said the deaths had hit the Northern Iowa emergency responder community hard. Russ Piehl and Shelly Lair-Langenbau, along with pilot Gene Grell, were killed just minutes after climbing into a Mercy Medical Center North helicopter to pick up a patient. Although the cause of the crash is not known, the Des Moines Register reports the helicopter hit the ground and burst into flames just 15 miles away from the hospital from where it had been dispatched. Radio Iowa said Grell was looking forward to being a "husband in the near future." The paper described paramedic Piehl as a dedicated professional with a sense of humor. Nurse Lair-Langenbau was described by WHOtv.com as a "hell of a nurse" and dedicated mother to her two young daughters. More than 1,000 people including emergency responders, members of the public and family attended the service. "It was somber, but uplifting," Ahmed said. "It helped us all with the healing process." As the group finished their meals their waitress told Ahmed their bill will be "very small." "What do you mean?" Ahmed asked. The waitress handed the doctor a folder. Inside was a note on a napkin, written in capital letters. "For all you do and in memory of your team mates ... This meal is on us." Ahmed said after reading the note he stood up and addressed the group, explaining what had just happened. Then he passed it around. Some had tears in their eyes. "We were very moved and humbled," said Ahmed. "We were overwhelmed." Jennifer Allen, Applebee's associate manager, said the entire staff was overwhelmed, "in a good way." On the drive home Ahmed said the conversation naturally gravitated toward the note. Each person, Ahmed said, committed to paying the good deed forward. Ahmed posted a photo of the note and a short caption to his Facebook page and on the Facebook page for University of Iowa AirCare. It received more than 2,000 shares, 12,000 likes and 500 comments. When asked why he shared it he said there were three reasons. First, he wanted to recognize the person, who wished to remain anonymous, in some way for her or his kindness. Second, he wanted to let emergency responders know what they do makes a difference and for them to feel the same support. Third, he wanted to honor those who died by motivating others to pay it forward. "It's motivation for myself and everyone who sees it to do something similar," Ahmed said. "In the end, the people who died, this is the best way to honor them."

Stranger pays entire bill for AirCare team . Facebook post of stranger's kindness inspires others . Group was "humbled" and "overwhelmed"

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:44 EST, 12 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:08 EST, 12 November 2013 . Unimpressed: Mark Zuckerberg is apparently not a fan of Facebook's rival social network Twitter . Mark Zuckerberg is apparently not a fan of Facebook's rival social network Twitter. The Facebook founder allegedly once told close friends that '[Twitter is] such a mess, it’s as if they drove a clown car into a gold mine and fell in.' The claim is made in Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal, a book by the New York Times' Nick Bilton analysing Twitter's evolution. It is not clear when the 29-year-old made the comment, but the book claims he made it 'within the last three years, Bloomberg reported. The book claims that twice Zuckerberg tried to acquire Twitter through official channels and via co-founder Jack Dorsey. He apparently made the comment after both acquisitions failed. Last Thursday Twitter went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Twitter shares retreated Friday a day after a sizzling debut on Wall Street, as some of the frenzy about the popular messaging service faded, but analysts say there's no cause for concern. The stock slipped 7.26 per cent to close at $41.64 -- a day after a stunning gain of 72.69 percent on its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange after a $1.8billion initial public offering. It closed at nearly $43 on Monday. The New York Stock Exchange celebrates the public debut of Twitter last Thursday . Company . CFO Mike Gupta's goal in their IPO was not to repeat the mistakes made . by Facebook when it debuted on the stock . market in May 2012. Twitter ultimately decided to price its IPO at $26 a share, even though underwriters thought about pricing it as high as $28. Twitter . thought that it made sense to leave room for shares to jump on the . first day, which they did, rising 73 per cent. Had the company priced . its shares at higher levels, it could have raised more than $1 billion . extra. Facebook, which . priced its IPO at $38 a share, saw underwriters battle to keep its . shares from dipping below the IPO price on the first day of trading. The . shares continued to drop, falling as low as $17.55 in the months . following the company's public debut. It took over a year for the stock . to recover. Cause: The founder of Facebook was apparently annoyed that the short messaging site had not taken one of his acquisition offers .

Facebook founder allegedly made the comments to close friends . New book claims he made the remark within the past three years . Apparently made the comment after Twitter acquisition failed .

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By . Sam Adams . Two men have been jailed for a total of 15 years after plying a 14-year-old girl with alcohol and drugs in return for sex. Raja Khan, 23, raped the victim while Adeeb Sultan, 27, abused her and passed her to another man who sexually assaulted her during a five day ordeal in Birmingham. On one occasion the men tried to force the girl to perform a sex act on a taxi driver in a bid to get a lower fare. Abusers: Raja Khan, 23, (right) raped the victim while Adeeb Sultan, 27, (left) sexually abused her. The pair were jailed today for ten and five years respectively . Last month Khan was found guilty of rape and actual bodily harm while Sultan was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting sexual activity with a child. Today Khan, of Sparkbrook, Birmingham, was jailed for 10 years while Sultan, of Alum Rock, Birmingham, was jailed for five years. During the seven-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the jury heard Sultan targeted the teenager after he saw her walking down the street with a friend in July 2011. Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Amy Bates, from West Midlands Police Public Protection Department, said: 'Sultan offered the girls, who were missing from home, the chance to hang out with him and his friends. 'The pair went with him and began drinking vodka on the nearby canal towpath. Some time later, she was twice raped by a man on the Dudderston Mill Road canal with Sultan facilitating the attack.' Over the course of five days, Sultan, who called himself 'Dibbs', plied the girl with alcohol and drugs. In return, she was raped by Khan, and abused by other unidentified men. Sentence: Sultan and Khan were jailed for a total of 15 years at Birmimgham Crown Court . In one frenzied attack, in which she was punched in the face, Khan said that if she refused to have sex, her friend would be raped instead. Despite suffering horrific injuries, the victim managed to run away. A passing motorist picked her up and took her to Stechford police station. After being treated for her injuries, the girl identified Khan as her attacker. He was also captured on CCTV in the area at the time of the original attack on July 10, 2011. When interviewed, he claimed to have been on the phone to his girlfriend, watching TV and playing on his PlayStation at the time of the offences. But the jury dismissed his claims after Sultan's DNA was found on his victim's body. DC Bates said after the case: 'Sultan and Khan's crimes are truly despicable. The pair deliberately targeted a vulnerable child and sought to exploit her for their own sexual gratification and criminal gain. 'Their offences were truly sickening and have left an indelible mark on their victim. Despite her own personal trauma, the girl had the courage to report the matter to the police. 'She put her fears to one side to provide a comprehensive statement, pick her attackers out in an identification parade and then go on to provide detailed evidence in court. 'Her strength of character is to be commended - particularly for someone so young. I wish her well on her road to recovery.' Sultan was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years and Khan was ordered to sign the register for life. Both were also made the subject of a Sex Offenders Prevention Order for 10 years - preventing them from having contact with girls under the age of 16, and were disqualified from working with children.

Raja Khan, 23, punched and raped victim while . Adeeb Sultan, 27, abused her . Sultan also passed her to another man who sexually assaulted her . Police officer described the abuse as 'truly despicable'

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(CNN) -- It was little surprise that Landon Donovan described the end of his career as "perfect." Even the Hollywood scriptwriters down the road would have struggled to come up with a more fitting finale for the man many acclaim as the greatest footballer in American history. On Sunday, the player with a record goal tally in the MLS -- and for the United States national team as well -- left the pitch for a final time, with yet another trophy and a very last record as well. As Los Angeles Galaxy beat the luckless New England Revolution 2-1 in Sunday's MLS Cup final, the 32-year-old won the tournament for a record sixth time. As sporting farewells go, it was near perfect. Even more so given earlier this year Donovan had been controversially left out of the U.S. World Cup squad by coach Jurgen Klinsmann. In August, the pressure increased a notch after Donovan revealed that the current season would be his last, declaring his desire to "pursue other opportunities that will challenge me and allow me to grow as a person." At the time, there was no way of knowing that Galaxy were once again on the way to the title, their third in four years. Nor that the season-ending finale would come at the StubHub Centre, the stadium he has called home for the last decade (with Galaxy's home advantage coming courtesy of winning more points during the regular season). Neither could he known that after Galaxy's Gyasi Zardes and the Revolution's Chris Tierney traded goals, there would be the drama of an extra-time winner as Robbie Keane slotted home in the final period of Donovan's career. His sixth cup took him clear of Jeff Agoos and current Colorado Rapids midfielder Brian Mullan, both of whom boast five championships. "It's a dream to finish like this," Galaxy's brightest star said in his post-match press conference. "For me, it's perfect. All my family, more than 80 of my friends and family, were in the stadium and it's a perfect day because they know what we have gone through in the last 16 years -- and all are very happy." With fans waving banners saying 'Thank you' and 'In Landon We Trust' in the stands, Donovan -- who had a relatively quiet game -- only dared to believe in the perfect finish with just nine minutes left, after Keane punished slack defending. "When we scored the second goal, I began to think that we were going to win another championship," said the Californian, who ventured that Revolution, who have now lost all five MLS Cup finals, were better for much of the game. Filling the void . A man who spent time on loan at Bayern Munich (2009) and Everton (2010 & 2012) in his career also admitted that he will struggle to replace the drama of his old career as he looks to pastures new. "There is no experience like what just happened," he said. "If you work a desk job or a nine-to-five job there is no real experience where you get to feel that. "I can't imagine anything coming close to that in my life going forward so I am going to miss that greatly. That is hard. "I think that is why a lot of athletes struggle after they retire, you can't get that back. I have to be aware of that and find other things that I am passionate about." Donovan's MLS debut came in 2001, for San Jose Earthquakes, and he promptly won the championship in his first season -- before winning a second in 2003. The triumphs were achieved while on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, the German side he left in 2005 to join Galaxy. The highest World Cup goalscorer in United States history would promptly win a title that season as well, adding further silverware in 2011, 2012 and then this year as well. As he admitted this week, he started out in an MLS league that was vastly different to today's offering -- which has been graced by Thierry Henry, David Beckham and Keane in recent years, while players such as Frank Lampard and World Cup winner Kaka are arriving next year. Where once matches were played in stadiums owned by gridiron teams and which were seldom filled, now large crowds in new purpose-built football arenas are the norm. "I'm excited, I'm pretty exhausted to be honest," said Donovan while he celebrated on the pitch one last time. "I'm so proud, so happy for our guys. As you get older, you realise how difficult this is, so to have this moment is really special for us. "Tomorrow, I can think of other things -- at the moment, I am happy and in the moment of winning this cup," he added later. Robbie Rogers' joy . Sunday's match also completed a remarkable journey for Galaxy's Robbie Rogers. In February 2013, the defender came out as gay and duly quit football at the same time. Three months later, he became the first openly gay man to play in an American sports league after joining Galaxy. Now he has a second MLS trophy in the bag, having failed to fully celebrate his first title with the Columbus Crew. "I couldn't even enjoy it -- I remember just being alright it," he told the official MLS website. "I'm such a different person (now)," the 27-year-old told reporters. "I can't explain it. It's been a difficult but amazing journey." In no small part thanks to Donovan himself. "For me personally, Landon was one of the guys that helped me get back into the game," Rogers said. "He's been a supporter of mine throughout my career and I've always looked up to him. "To let him go on this vacation, start the adventure of his new life and figure out what he wants to do, I'm just so happy he can leave the Galaxy with his head held extremely high. 'Greatest player in U.S. soccer history' "He's the best player for U.S. soccer ever and in this league, and has done so much. To get him the extra silverware, I'm just very proud of the team and I'm happy I was able to share it with him." With 144 goals and a record 136 assists in the MLS, as well as an unsurpassed 57 strikes for the national team, Donovan leaves with a widespread reputation as the finest American player in history. One that was endorsed by Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, the man who led the United States to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, when Donovan won the 'Best Young Player' award. He would also play at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010, when he scored a dramatic goal that enabled the U.S. to top their group, and won four CONCACAF Gold Cups (2002, 2005, 2007, 2013). "Don't we all wish to be able to leave what we do like the way Landon did today as a winner? Can you write that any better, that script?" Arena asked. "I'm happy for him. He's spent, he's done, and my hat is off to him. It's been remarkable." Yet Arena's comments before the match better capture the underlying reasons for the enduring popularity of the departing Donovan. "I would think his legacy is that he left the game as the greatest player in the history of US Soccer, and he's a damn good person. That's a pretty good legacy."

Landon Donovan finishes playing career with record sixth MLS Cup win . Donovan's LA Galaxy beat New England Revolution after final goes to extra time . 32-year-old Donovan hails career end as 'perfect' Robbie Rogers also wins title, 17 months after coming out of retirement .

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(CNN) -- T.J. Lane didn't belong to any particular clique in the schools he attended. Those who knew him described him as quiet, someone who was guarded and rarely spoke about his tumultuous family life. But they never would have thought that he'd turn out a killer -- walking up to a table in the cafeteria of Ohio's Chardon High School with a .22-caliber gun and pumping 10 rounds at students he picked randomly. Three students -- Demetrius Hewlin, 16; Daniel Parmertor, 16; and Russell King Jr., 17 -- died. That was on February 27, 2012, when he was a 17-year-old sophomore. Lane admitted his crime, didn't offer a reason, and was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences at the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima. Three life sentences with no possibility of parole. On Friday, he was back in the news after he escaped from the facility, triggering an intense manhunt. He was captured about six hours later, enough time for him to reopen the wounds that his victims' families are trying to salve. "There has certainly been an undeniable, profound and deep impact on our community," Michael Hanlon, Chardon school superintendent, said early Friday morning. Schools will remain closed but counselors and other support services will be provided. At school . Teresa Hunt's niece rode the school bus each day with Lane, and he displayed no warning signs of the violence to come. "He was a really nice kid to her," Hunt told CNN after the shooting in 2012. "He wouldn't start up a conversation, but if she talked to him, he would hold the conversation with her. She said her niece noted no personality changes in Lane in the weeks leading up to Monday's shooting. Haley Kovacik, a friend who talked with Lane a few times a week, said the violence left her and others who knew him in "complete shock." "He seemed like a very normal, just teenage boy," Kovacik said of Lane. "He did have a sad look in his eyes a lot of the time, but he talked normally, he never said anything strange." Yet for all their talks, Kovacik noted there was a lot she didn't know about Lane. Friends, family remember Ohio school shooting victims . At home . Lane lived with his grandparents and was slow to open up about his personal life, according to friends. While he was known by many around Chardon High School, located 30 miles east of Cleveland, at the time of the shooting he was there to be transported to Lake Academy Alternative School in nearby Willoughby. The school describes itself as a place for "at risk" students who are "reluctant learners" struggling with problems such as "substance abuse /chemical dependency, anger issues, mental health issues, truancy, delinquency, difficulties with attention/organization, and academic deficiencies." Lane may have been dealing with his own family problems, according to reports by The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland. Lane's father, Thomas Lane Jr., was arrested several times for violent crimes against female acquaintances, including Lane's mother, the newspaper reported citing court documents. Between 1995 and 1997, the first two years of Lane's life, his father and his mother were both arrested for domestic violence against each other, the paper reported. His father also served prison time for assaulting a police officer and he also was charged with holding a different woman under running water and bashing her head into a wall, the newspaper reported. It was unclear how much contact Lane had with his father. He rarely opened up about his family, some said. "I've asked him once or twice, but he never would go into detail. He just said he had family trouble," Kovacik said . Online . Posts on Lane's Facebook page show him sharing links to music videos. Yet one long, poetic rant, from December 30, 2011, appears to be darker. The post refers to "a quaint lonely town, (where there) sits a man with a frown (who) longed for only one thing, the world to bow at his feet." "He was better than the rest, all those ones he detests, within their castles, so vain," he wrote. Lane then writes about going through "the castle ... like an ominous breeze through the trees," past guards -- all leading up to the post's dramatic conclusion. "Feel death, not just mocking you. Not just stalking you but inside of you," he writes. "Wriggle and writhe. Feel smaller beneath my might. Seizure in the Pestilence that is my scythe. Die, all of you." At his trial . At his sentencing, Lane's behavior shocked and outraged spectators. He unbuttoned his blue dress shirt to reveal a white T-shirt on which he had scrawled the word "KILLER" across the front. He had on a similar shirt during his shooting rampage. Before the sentencing, he addressed the victims' families using profane imagery and ending with the expletive,"F--- all of you." He then held up his middle finger. "For everyone in that courtroom -- the victims, their families, the prosecutors, defense -- everyone in that courtroom was just absolutely taken aback," said Ian Friedman, who represented him at his trial, said late Thursday. Friedman, hasn't talked to Lane in about a year. At the proceeding, prosecutor James Flaiz said Lane never said why he carried out the attack. "The only explanation I can offer the court is he is an evil person," Flaiz said. Ohio school shooter shows contempt, no remorse during sentencing . At the prison . In the 18 months Lane was housed at the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution, he was disciplined seven times, according to The Plain Dealer newspaper. The infractions ranged from urinating on a wall to giving himself a tattoo, the paper said. He also refused to carry out assignments, losing recreation time as punishment. Authorities said Lane scaled a fence and broke out of the facility, about 90 miles northwest of Columbus. He escaped, along with two other men, about 7:40 p.m. Thursday. All three have been captured. When police took him into custody, Lane didn't offer an explanation. T.J. Lane back in custody after prison escape . CNN's Lateef Mungin, Moni Basu, Martin Savidge and Lisa Sylvester contributed to this report.

Lane admitted his crime but didn't offer a reason . He was slow to open up about his personal life . His father was arrested several times for violent crimes against women . His behavior at his sentencing hearing shocked and outraged .

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(CNN) -- The numbers tell the story: Of the 308 million-plus citizens in the United States, 30% have passports. That's just too low for such an affluent country, said Bruce Bommarito, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the U.S. Travel Association. "Americans are comfortable in their own environment," Bommarito said. There were 61.5 million trips outside the United States in 2009, down 3% from 2008, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. About 50% of those trips were to either Mexico or Canada, destinations that didn't require a passport until 2007. The percentage of Americans with passports -- a number that was in the teens just a few years ago -- has spiked since the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was adopted. It requires American and Canadian travelers to present documents showing citizenship when entering the United States. Despite the climbing number of American passports in circulation, 30% is still low compared to Canada's 60% and the United Kingdom's 75%. "Not taking the leap is comforting, because this is the American life," said Matthew Kepnes, international traveler and creator of NomadicMatt.com, a blog chronicling his travels and observations. "Breaking outside anything that is your norm is scary." Tourism experts and avid travelers attribute Americans' lack of interest in international travel to a few key factors, including: the United States' own rich cultural and geographic diversity, an American skepticism and/or ignorance about international destinations, a work culture that prevents Americans from taking long vacations abroad and the prohibitive cost and logistics of going overseas. Cultural and geographical diversity . America has it all: "From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam," as "God Bless America" proclaims. Beautiful beaches in Florida, crisp skiing in Colorado and the desert sun in Arizona are among thousands of domestic destinations competing to lure visitors. "In the United States, we have an enormous amount of places we can travel -- basically an entire continent," said everything-everywhere.com author Gary Arndt, who has been traveling abroad and blogging since 2007. "You can do all kinds of things without needing a passport." Arndt, who was in Los Angeles when interviewed by CNN, noted that he could go to any number of different ethnic enclaves within the city and get a taste of culture without spending much money or time. The same goes for many other parts of the country. "There are pockets of regional culture -- the South has an attitude that New Yorker's don't have," Kepnes said. "But you don't have the cultural differences that you would get if you went to Asia, Paris or London." Even with Chinatown in Los Angeles and Little Italy in New York City, it's just not the same as walking the streets of Beijing or riding a gondola in Venice. "America is an outstanding country and an outstanding vacation destination -- no doubt about that," said Joe Byrne, executive vice president for Tourism Ireland. "But it is America. I'm sure you have great Irish traditional music in an American Irish pub, but you don't have the Lakes of Killarney." Skepticism and ignorance . We buy goods from Sri Lanka and outsource business to India, but when it comes to traveling to these destinations, Americans would rather stick close to home. "Our culture doesn't emphasize knowledge of the world," Kepnes said. "We're more skeptical of it because we just don't know about it." Kepnes attributes some of our skepticism to negative media reports about the world. For example, he said that Nicaragua always draws negative connotations because of the political and civil unrest that has been covered in the news. "When I first left I was very nervous and scared," Kepnes said of traveling to countries like Nicaragua. "What if I'm mugged in Thailand or kidnapped in a hostel?" Arndt has encountered similar feelings when he travels to lesser-known destinations. Though he is comfortable in his travels, others aren't so convinced. "Every time I say I'm going somewhere, people assume that it's dirty, they don't have good hospitals, you're going to get sick or raped or robbed," Arndt said. "If you know something about Colombia, it's drug lords, which hasn't been a problem for 20 years, but that's still what people think of." Arndt pointed out that foreign countries generally don't make it into the media for doing good things, just for natural disasters or bad news. "I think there's a lot of fears that people have that may be used to justify the fact that they don't go somewhere," he said. Work culture . Many Americans follow the same pattern: work hard in high school, go to college, accrue a load of debt and get a job right away to work it off, Arndt said. The United States doesn't promote taking a year off between major life phases like New Zealand or the United Kingdom. "Up until recently, having a gap year was a job killer, so you chose work," Kepnes said. "And that work, work, work mentality makes it much harder to leave." A one-year break in your resume could make an American employer question your commitment to a company, whereas not taking a gap year in New Zealand would be considered crazy, Kepnes said. "We're not a travel culture," he said. "Countries are travel cultures when they put more of an emphasis on leisure time, and Americans tend to choose money over leisure time." Even those who do receive a nice chunk of vacation time don't use it all, and those who do seem to take shorter, more frequent trips, Arndt said. "There are some differences in terms of vacation time that are hugely influential," Byrne said. Workers in mainland Europe receive between six and eight weeks of vacation, while Americans average about 16.6 paid vacation days as of 2005, according to the Families and Work Institute. Thirty-six percent of those surveyed didn't plan to use their full vacation. "It's not just about how much vacation time people get," Arndt said. "Americans don't even use all the vacation time that they have." Cost and logistics . When trying to entice Americans to visit Ireland, Byrne said the first thing he does is remind people that it's more affordable than they think. "That's generally true of vacations to Europe," Byrne said. "The exchange rate is more favorable for Americans than it has been in recent years." The 30.3 million Americans who traveled overseas for vacation in 2009 spent an average of $2,708 each -- including airfare, lodging and other expenditures, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. It seems that getting there is about half the battle: Average airfare per person was $1,177. Also, as Kepnes pointed out, time is money for some Americans. "It's an easier hop if you're in Paris or Madrid, or any other European city," Byrne said. "Whereas the flights from the East Coast of the United States take up to six hours." The United States is so big that a flight from one state to another could take just as much time as a flight to Europe. At any rate, Americans are more likely to do the former. "We're a big country, and we have a culture of traveling within the United States," Bommarito said. "When you're born and raised in a European or South Asian country, your access to other countries is much easier." Arndt doesn't see this changing any time soon, if at all. "Cultural shifts like that are not something that happens quickly," he said. A swing toward international travel is going to take time. Still, Kepnes said he believes that more Americans going abroad will become inevitable sooner or later. "Americans are going to have to speak more languages and be more culturally savvy," Kepnes said. "We have to change because we have to do business with all these other cultures." That's music to Bommarito's ears. After being nervous the first time he landed in China, he said he now feels just as comfortable on the streets of Beijing as he does anywhere in the United States. "One of the true benefits of travel to foreign countries is it's probably the greatest form of diplomacy," Bommarito said. "Strange ideas go away and you realize that we're all similar, just with different cultures."

30% of American citizens have passports . 50% of international trips were to either Mexico or Canada . America is culturally and geographically diverse, making citizens travel within the country . United States citizens harbor an unmatched fear of the world, one traveler says .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:40 EST, 17 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:24 EST, 18 December 2013 . In an effort to highlight just how absurd the 'thigh gap trend' really is, a video blogger has come up with five ways on how women can fake one: no diet and exercise required. From walking around with a soccer ball in between your legs to 'popping your booty,' Taylor Adele Smith's YouTube video Five Ways To Fake a Thigh Gap is a sarcastic take on the controversy. 'Option one is to get a soccer ball and stick it between your thighs, this will hold your legs apart so you won't have to do it yourself,' she says in the video. In an effort to highlight just how absurd the 'thigh gap trend' really is, a video blogger Taylor Adele Smith has come up with five ways on how women can fake one: no diet and exercise required . 'If people make fun of you for having a soccer ball in between your legs, hone your athletic abilities and kick it straight at their face,' she adds. Miss Smith, who started her videos as a way of confronting her own social anxieties, hopes her video will help other women overcome theirs. 'Something to keep in mind about the whole thigh gap controversy is that some people naturally have thigh gaps, and some people don't; it's all a matter of your hip structure!,' she explains. 'You shouldn't shame people that do have them, nor should you shame those that don't. and most of all, don't shame yourself! The video, which features Miss Smith in various comical outfits, continues with option two, 'perch your leg on the nearest knee-high surface, the higher your leg goes the more confident your look' Option three is do walk like a crab; Miss Smith hopes her video will help women confront and overcome theirs body image insecurities . 'Your presence of/lack of thigh gap shouldn't be your top priority in life. Think of things that do matter, like your education, your work/career, friendships, family, relationships, etc etc etc,' she adds. The video, which features Miss Smith in various comical outfits, continues with option two, 'perch your leg on the nearest knee-high surface, the higher your leg goes the more confident your look.' Option three is do walk like a crab . and option four is to 'pop your booty back'. Option five? 'Create a . restraining order against your left thigh - the left thigh, heartbroken, . will leave,' she says, deadpan. Miss Smith isn't the only person who has spoken out against society's fixation on the thigh gap. Option four in the video is to 'pop your booty back' which she says will 'split your legs like pea soup' Option five is to 'create a restraining order against your left thigh - the left thigh, heartbroken, will leave,' Miss Smith says . In October, plus-size model Robyn Lawley shared her views on the subject in an op-ed for the Daily Beast and on the Today Show after Facebook commenters criticized her body shape. The 24-year-old, who has modeled for Ralph Lauren and Vogue, admitted she is disturbed by how online users are posting pictures of thigh gaps to be used as inspiration for weight loss and dieting. 'There's so many blogs and Instagram accounts and Facebook pages [dedicated to the thigh gap],' she said on the Today Show. 'So many women of all ages comment directly below [the posts] about how much they want this thigh gap and need this thigh gap. It blows my mind.' In October, plus-size model Robyn Lawley . shared her views the thigh gap trend in an op-ed for the Daily Beast and on . the Today Show after Facebook commenters criticized her body shape in this image . The 24-year-old, who has modeled for Ralph Lauren and Vogue, admitted she is disturbed by how online users are posting pictures of thigh gaps to be used as inspiration for weight loss and dieting . After an image of Miss Lawley appeared . on a pro 'thigh gap' Facebook page, where she is bending forward with a . gap seen between her thighs, the model said she was saddened not only by . the page itself, but by the response of users. '90per cent of the comments were extremely derogatory and painful to read. I got called "pig," "hefty," and "too fat" -- and I'm a normal girl. 'I'm a normal size and to be called too big and too hefty because my thigh gap wasn't big enough, that was a horrible experience.'

Taylor Adele Smith hopes to highlight the absurdity of the 'thigh gap trend' in her informational video .

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(CNN) -- Ask teens the object of social media, and they'll all tell you the same thing: to get "likes." Whether on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr, young users understand the coin of this realm, and are more than happy to do what is necessary to accumulate it. But is the currency value neutral, or does it come with an agenda of its own? Living for likes makes a teen's social career a whole lot easier, in some respects. Now there's a number letting kids know how popular they are, how well a photo is resonating with their friends, or whether their video stands a chance of vaulting them into the professional world of singing, skateboarding or twerking. What they may not understand, however, is that this game of likes is not taking place on a level playing field. It was constructed by companies whose multibillion-dollar stock valuations are depending on little more than generating traffic -- more likes, follows and favorites -- and then selling the data that can be gleaned from it. In a sense, major parts of our economy (or at least the inflated valuations on the NASDAQ exchange) are now depending on the social media activity of kids. I'm not sure that's a pressure worth putting on them. On the surface, it all looks pretty empowering. For the MTV generation, changing the channel via remote control was about as interactive as mainstream media got -- and that only brought a kid from one corporate media conglomerate's commercial programming to another's. Clearly, the social media universe, with its countless Facebook pages, YouTube channels, Twitter feeds and Instagram photos, offers a whole lot more choice. Instead of watching a TV channel, today's teens get to watch each other. That in itself amounts to power, freedom and agency, right? Maybe. For while all these clicks and keystrokes and photos and videos may be free, they come with a price. Kids aren't paying with money, but with their attention and their hours of meticulous profile tweaking. They're paying with their likes, their favorites, and their follows. And they get paid back with a new path to popularity or even fame. Sometimes, the exchange is explicit. Brands from soft drinks to automobiles ask kids to like an ad or promotion, all for the chance to be liked back or re-tweeted by the brand to its millions of followers. The teen gets more of those coveted likes. The companies get a real-time portrait of their potential customers and influencers, as well as all their friends. And this isn't just some virtual game. Likes really do matter out here in the real world, too. New musicians and new writers alike must demonstrate that they have social media followings in order to find distribution and sponsors. A new kind of talent agency, The Audience, has arisen to help young up-and-comers cultivate a social media presence, and then sell that network of followers to the appropriate advertisers. It's actually a science. Thanks to the immense data pools created by social media users, a firm like The Audience can find the overlaps between fans of a certain pop star and those who have interacted with particular brands. That little venn diagram is marketer's gold. And, to be fair, The Audience is helping young musicians build careers in a landscape where there are no record labels left willing to develop talent -- and no one buying music, anymore, anyway. By pairing talent with sponsors, The Audience creates a new revenue stream for artists, or at least the ones with the most viewed selfies. But it does create an oddly circular culture: Kids develop social media audiences in order to become "stars," which really just means having enough social media followers to sell out to a brand for sponsorship. Perhaps more amazingly, none of them seem to mind. When I asked kids what they thought about "selling out" for my PBS documentary on social media, none of them could even tell me what "selling out" meant. They thought it had something to do with there not being any tickets left for a concert. The language barrier aside, young social media users today draw no distinction between art and commerce, culture and advertising. While kids engaged with social media have the ability to express themselves and their values to pretty much the rest of the developed world, they seem unaware of the extent to which these platforms shape the values they choose to express. As I learned from a 13-year-old skateboarder who calls himself Baby Scumbag, you get fewer likes for making videos of board tricks than you do for getting gorgeous girls to pose for you in the near nude, or just doing crazy antics in the street. He's a massive success on YouTube, where his videos often generate more than a million views. Another teenager, a girl from near San Diego, started making videos of herself singing, but is quickly learning that shots of her in her bedroom, or full body, or in a bathing suit, get her more attention. Her videos no longer include her vocals. That's the part I don't think most teens grasp. Nor do most adults have enough of a handle on this whole social media universe to fully articulate our misgivings. We know something is amiss, but saying it out loud feels so, well, out of touch. The reality here, however, is that it's our young social media users who are out of touch -- or at least painfully oblivious to the way the tools and platforms they're using in turn use them. They grew up with this stuff in their lives, and they accept these tools at face value, as features of the natural landscape. Not so. They were made by companies whose interests go far beyond helping kids express themselves and make friends. Our kids are not the customers here; they are both the product and the unwitting labor. Our social media platforms are embedded with values that shape our perspectives and our behaviors. If we live in the social media landscape without an awareness of what it really wants from us, no one is really being empowered at all. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Douglas Rushkoff.

Douglas Rushkoff: Teenagers aim to get as many likes as possible . Likes have real value for teens but even more value for giant companies that profit, he says . Rushkoff: Getting liked on social media can be a route to getting your talents recognized . But he says behavior designed to gain more likes may not always be beneficial .

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(CNN Student News) -- January 9, 2014 . Today's edition of CNN Student News takes a by-the-numbers look at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. We also explore avalanche dangers in snowy, backcountry terrain, and we look into a controversy over some student-athletes' reading scores. On this page you will find today's show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, and a place for you to leave feedback. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. DAILY CURRICULUM . Click here for a printable version of the Daily Curriculum (PDF). Media Literacy Question of the Day: . How might media coverage of an international sports event be different in the host country than it might be in other countries? Key Concepts: Identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today's show: . 1. Sochi, Russia . 2. avalanche . 3. NCAA . Fast Facts: How well were you listening to today's program? 1. Where will this year's Winter Olympic Games be held? When do the Games begin? 2. What is an avalanche? Why is this a dangerous occurrence? 3. What did a recent CNN investigation reveal about some student-athletes in revenue sports at certain major colleges? How have some of the colleges responded to those findings? Discussion Questions: . 1. According to the report, what superlatives could be attached to this year's Olympics? What factors do you think contribute to the cost of hosting the Olympics? 2. Have you ever been skiing or snowboarding? If so, what advice would you give to someone trying these sports for the first time? 3. Why is there some concern over the reading abilities of some college athletes? What kinds of problems could low reading levels cause for college students? In your opinion, how should colleges determine who should be admitted as student-athletes? 4. Why do you think some colleges refused to provide data on their student-athletes' reading scores? Why do you think some were willing to provide this information? CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show and curriculum. We hope you use our free daily materials along with the program, and we welcome your feedback on them. FEEDBACK . We're looking for your feedback about CNN Student News. Please use this page to leave us comments about today's program, including what you think about our stories and our resources. Also, feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom. The educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well. Thank you for using CNN Student News! Click here to submit your Roll Call request.

This page includes the show Transcript and the Daily Curriculum . Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary . The Daily Curriculum offers the Media Literacy Question of the Day, Key Concepts, Fast Facts and Discussion Questions . At the bottom of the page, please share your feedback about our show and curriculum .

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Damascus, Syria (CNN) -- A top adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defended the regime's actions Tuesday, arguing that the government is not attacking peaceful protesters, despite widespread witness reports of a fierce crackdown against displays of dissent. "Security forces are there against armed groups," Bouthaina Shaaban told CNN in an interview, referring to the shadowy entities the regime has consistently said are responsible for the violence sweeping the Arab country since mid-March. "We're not targeting demonstrators. I think peaceful demonstrators have made their point, and they are making their point every day. We have no problem with that." Shaaban said the government would like "to talk to peaceful demonstrators" and is not opposed to peaceful protests. What it wants to do, she said, is "isolate armed militants." She and other Syrian government officials have not provided more detail about the armed groups and their financing. Shaaban said that while demonstrators have "legitimate grievances," there are extremists who are using protests "as a cover to incite sectarian violence in Syria" and are badly hurting the economy. Bloodshed has engulfed Syria ever since demonstrators took to the streets in the southern city of Daraa to protest the arrests of young people for scribbling anti-government graffiti. Witnesses reported a tough crackdown against the demonstrators. That sparked more protests and tough security reactions across the country. The videos and witness accounts filtering out of Syria of the security actions have spurred international outrage toward the regime. Rami Abdelrahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told CNN Tuesday that 1,342 civilians and 343 security personnel have died since the protests erupted. Shaaban said Tuesday that more than 500 police officers and government troops and police have been killed in the violence, in which "religious extremists" are "directing purposeful assassinations." "They are the ones who are killing children, who are killing women, who are maiming people, who are cutting people into pieces," she said, referring to the "extremists." CNN cannot independently verify the death tolls. However, sources in Turkey and Lebanon can account for the many Syrians who've fled to their countries to escape violence. The Turkish government said Tuesday that 10,757 Syrian refugees have crossed the border. It also said 441 Syrians had returned to Syria voluntarily in the past two days. Security sources in Lebanon told CNN that about 1,000 Syrians have crossed into Lebanon near the town of Hermel. When asked whether the crisis would have been different had security forces not acted violently during the uprising's start in Daraa, Shaaban said she thinks "there are lots of fabrications about the security forces" and that many security forces were ordered not to carry weapons in Daraa. The al-Assad family has ruled Syria since 1971, with Bashar al-Assad taking power after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000. The government is dominated by the Alawite minority in a country with a majority Sunni Muslim population. Alawites are an offshoot of Shiite Muslims. Last week, Bashar al-Assad held out a promise of reforms and a "national dialogue" in a speech that was met with widespread skepticism. As international and domestic outrage festered, Syria's embattled government allowed a group of activists and intellectuals, including some it had previously jailed, to hold a conference on democratic reform Monday at a Damascus hotel. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday that the United States was "pleased" to see the Syrian opposition was allowed to protest peacefully and has been given some "breathing space." It was a "step in the right direction, but more needs to be done," Nuland said, adding that "a key element of Syria moving in the right direction will be that this continues to be the case." Louay Hussein, a writer and onetime political prisoner, said "we must change this tyrannical regime to a democratic, civilian one" and explained that "how that transition happens is a question this conference is trying to address." Hussein said the conference would "not necessarily" find an answer to that question, "but that is the big question in this country now." About 200 Syrian dissidents gathered in the hotel ballroom, including several signatories of a 2005 declaration that called for a democratic transition. But some of those who have been risking arrest or bodily harm as al-Assad tries to suppress a wave of anti-government protests said the people in the hotel don't necessarily speak for them. "The big question regarding this conference is, where are the young people?" asked Wissam Tarif, a pro-democracy activist based outside Syria. "Where are the people who are on the streets? Where are the voices of the people who are from Daraa, or from Douma, or from Jisr al-Shugur, or from Idlib? I think those are the voices that have been missed so far." Shaaban acknowledged that those at the conference were not representative of the protesters on the streets. "That's very true. And this is our biggest problem and our biggest challenge," she said. "We are trying our best to reach the leaders of people on the street because we want to solve this problem in our country and move forward." But she said the government wants to be all-inclusive in its reform efforts by inviting all social groups to participate in a dialogue. She argues that the government would not want to undermine that sense of national unity. "No government in the world would kill its own people," she said. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Elise Labott contributed to this report.

NEW: U.S. is pleased Syria gave the opposition some "breathing space" More than 1,300 civilians have been killed in the unrest, an activist group says . Adviser: Protesters have "legitimate grievances," but there are extremists . The Turkish government says 10,757 Syrians have fled across the border . "We must change this tyrannical regime," a former political prisoner says .

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An ultra-orthodox Jewish village in upstate New York where the welcome sign lists modesty rules has built a series of children’s playgrounds segregated by gender. And though it may sound extreme to some, for a community where male-female interaction is strictly controlled, it was all but a necessity. Kiryas Joel, in New York’s Catskills region, was founded in 1977 by members of the Satmar Hasidim orthodox community as a place where they could practice their strict, morally conservative lifestyle unfettered by outside influence. Segregated: The Satmar Hasidim people who inhabit the New York village of Kiryas Joel exclusively have built a gender segregated playground . The construction of the playground takes this ethos a step forward. ‘It was time, that the city which was founded according to the regulations and directives of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, have a park which is fully sex segregated, according the strict laws of true Torah Jews,” a Satmar community activist reportedly said. The playground is partitioned into four parts: one for fathers with their sons, one for mothers with their daughters, a third for just boys and another just for girls. Each sectioned is spaced far from the others and the male facilities are blue, while the female sides are red and white. A sign in Yiddish outlines the gender-specific rules and warns visitors to  ‘maintain gender separation in all public areas.’ Watching: Signs to the partitioned playgrounds warn visitors to obey gender separation rules. The town's 'modest committee' will keep watch . Private: The red and blue playground 'compounds' were built with private finds after the village refused government grant money . BHOLWORLD.com reports that the playground will be ‘under the supervision of the Committee of modesty.’ It has also been reported that only the Satmar of Kiryas Joel will be allowed in the playground. Around one-third of the town’s over 20,000 residents received some form of government assistance in 2011, but the town itself apparently draws a lie at receiving free government money. Kiryas Joel reportedly refused a grant of $195,000 from the state of New York  in 2001 to build a park, and instead used ‘special financing’ courtesy of the mayor, Rabbi Abraham Wieder. Meanwhile, the playground is located at the outskirts of Monroe, New York—the town in which the village is situated—making it uncertain how the strict rules will be greeted by the larger community in the area. The tradition in the villages of Satmar Hasidic Jews is modesty. Even on the hottest of days, most residents cover up from head to toe, with unmarried men and women kept apart at all times. Women also cannot wear provocative clothes as men are not supposed to see anything that inspires inappropriate thoughts. Close: Only around 50 miles outside the largest city in the United States, the town now claims the country first sex-segregated playground .

The Satmar Hasidim of Kiryas Joel, New York built the park without the help of government money . It remains to be seen if area townspeople will also be welcome in the playground .

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Click here for your ultimate stats guide to the game, including Gabby Agbonlahor's winner after just nine minutes! Aston Villa dished out the rough stuff to Mario Balotelli and Liverpool, but can claim the tactic was justified as Paul Lambert’s men climbed to second in the Premier League following captain Gabby Agbonlahor’s shock winner. Balotelli, making his Anfield debut after a £16million move from AC Milan, appeared to be targeted by Villa to try and make him lose his temper, particularly when Philippe Senderos kicked him off the ball. Substitute Raheem Sterling was also the victim of a bad, late tackle from Alan Hutton. But any collateral damage in public relations terms will hardly dampen Villa’s spirits after Agbonlahor celebrated his new four-year contract with a goal poacher’s effort after nine minutes. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and Paul Lambert's views on Aston Villa's 1-0 victory at Anfield . Gabby Agbonlahor scores a surprise opener after just nine minutes as Aston Villa take the lead against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday evening . Gabby Agbonlahor looks on as his scuffed shot sails past Steven Gerrard and Co to allow Aston Villa to take the lead against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday evening . The ball goes in via the right post from Gabby Agbonlahor's shot nine minutes in against Liverpool on Saturday evening at Anfield in the Premier League . Gabby Agbonlahor swipes the ball into the net beyond Steven Gerrard and Simon Mingolet to gift Aston Villa an early 1-0 advantage over Liverpool . Gabby Agbonlahor runs away in celebration while Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard looks on as Anfield is silenced by Aston Villa's shock opener nine minutes in . Gabby Agbonlahor celebrates his opener at Anfield against Liverpool as Aston Villa emerged shock 1-0 winners in the Premier League clash . Gabby Agbonlahor is apporoached by his Aston Villa team-mates after the striker gave them the lead nine minutes in at Anfield against Liverpool . Gabby Agbonlahor can scarcely believe Aston Villa took the lead nine minutes in at Anfield against last season's Premier League runners up Liverpool . Mario Balotelli walks back to the centre after Aston Villa took a surprising early lead against Liverpool at Anfield in the Saturday evening Premier League match . Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet 6, Manquillo 6, Lovren 5.5, Sakho 6, Moreno 5.5, Gerrard 6, Henderson 6, Markovic 7 (Borini 71, 5), Coutinho 6, Lallana 5.5 (Sterling 61, 6), Balotelli 5.5 (Lambert 71, 5.5) Subs (not used): Jones, Enrique, Toure, Lucas . Booked: Lallana, Moreno . Goals: NONE . Aston Villa (4-5-1): Guzan 7, Hutton 6, Senderos 7.5, Baker 8, Cissokho 7, Cleverley 7 (Sanchez 86), Westwood 7, Delph 7.5, Agbonlahor 7 (Bent 90), Weimann 7 (N'Zogbia 72, 6), Richardson 6.5 . Subs (not used): Okore, Bacuna, Given, Grealish . Booked: Hutton . Goals: Agbonlahor (9) Man of the match: Nathan Baker . Referee: Lee Mason . Attendance: 44, 689 . Player ratings by Dominic King . Manager Lambert will point out that only one Villa player, Hutton, was booked and on Saturday only Chelsea sit above them in the Premier League table. Even though £25m England midfielder Adam Lallana and Manchester United reject Tom Cleverley were making club debuts, one-man publicity machine Balotelli was predictably the centre of attention. Super Mario’s name was cheered louder than anyone else’s and a Liverpool lap-dancing club hired a plane to fly overhead and advertise their wares. Being photographed outside such an establishment was one of Balotelli’s many misdemeanours during his eventful spell at Manchester City. Even with golden boy Sterling left on the bench following his England exertions and Daniel Sturridge out with a thigh injury picked up on international duty, Liverpool made a bright start with Lazar Markovic attempting an ambitious volley from Alberto Moreno’s cross that flew just too high. But Villa were surprisingly adventurous to and there had already been a couple of panicky moments in the home defence when they struck. Ashley Westwood’s corner was met by the head of Senderos. Javier Manquillo blocked unconvincingly and before he could have a second go at clearing, Agbonlahor nipped in to scoop the ball in from a prostrate position. It was the striker’s second goal in consecutive games. Lallana, who had signed from Southampton early in the summer but sidelined by a knee injury until now, showed his frustration by going in late on Cleverley and collecting a booking. The Kop then vented their displeasure when lax Liverpool marking allowed Senderos a free header from Westwood’s free-kick which he missed. As for Balotelli, he was quiet but certainly not anonymous, certainly not to the Villa antagonists. Andy Weimann claimed, unconvincingly, that Balotelli had dived after the Villa man had clipped him from behind. More seriously, the Italian hit the turf again when Senderos kicked him in the calf while referee Lee Mason was looking elsewhere. The Swiss defender was trying to stop Balotelli running into the area and was lucky it went unseen. If Villa assistant Roy Keane – never popular at Anfield – had dared to appear in the technical area before he finally appeared to galvanise the troops in injury-time, you would imagine he’d have been pleased with his centre-half. Then, Hutton caught Balotellli by the touchline, high on the thigh. It was to Balotelli’s credit he kept his cool and even applauded The Kop as he was substituted after a frustrating day. Steven Gerrard gives Mario Balotelli a pep talk before the match kicks off between Liverpool and Aston Villa on Saturday evening at Anfield in the Premier League . Mario Balotelli is chased by Ashley Westwood (right) and Aston Villa's new signing from Manchester United, Tom Cleverley, during the Premier Legaue match . Mario Balotelli tries to escape the markings of Aston Villa during the first half at Anfield as Liverpool went in trailing 1-0 in the Premier Legaue clash . Mario Balotelli constantly found himself on the end of rough treatment from Philippe Senderos at Anfield as the Aston Villa defender kept the striker quiet . Brendan Rodgers wasn't looking happy during the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa at Anfield - Liverpool's second defeat of the still-young Premier League season . Adam Lallana in action for Liverpool after signing from Southampton during the summer transfer window and he is chased by Aston Villa's own new boy Tom Cleverley . Adam Lallana on the ball for Liverpool after signing from Southampton during the summer transfer window and he was later substituted for Raheem Sterling . MINS     KM       MILES . Liverpool total                     114.95     71.4 . Philippe Coutinho       90        11.92       7.4 . Jordan Henderson      90        11.84       7.3 . Steven Gerrard           90        11.10       6.9 . Aston Villa total                   113.78     70.7 . Ashley Westwood       90        12.33       7.6 . Fabian Delph              90        11.79       7.3 . Kieran Richardson      90        10.97       6.8 . Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League . The only piece of real link-up play between him and Lallana in the No 10 role came when Balotelli laid off and Lallana hit a rising half-volley wide with Brad Guzan well beaten. Balotelli’s only other moment was a spectacular solo strike that was deflected for a corner after he’d been brilliantly picked out by Gerrard. Following an insipid start to the second-half, Rodgers succumbed to the temptation of throwing on Sterling after an hour even though he ideally wanted him rested for Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Ludogorets. Within seconds he turned on the turbo’s to reach Philippe Coutinho’s pass and was flattened by a late tackle by Hutton, who was booked. It says a lot for 19-year-old Sterling’s ability how quickly Liverpool now regard him as the go-to man following Luis Suarez’s departure. He was joined by fellow subs Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini for the last 20 minutes, a remarkable turnaround for Borini who rejected moves to Sunderland and QPR on transfer deadline day. It was Coutinho who came closest to proving an equaliser though. He twisted his way to the edge of the Villa penalty area before hitting a strike against the post with Guzan rooted to the spot. Ultimately though, on a day of great expectation on Merseyide, it was the underdogs who were able to celebrate as they maintained their unbeaten league start to the season, achieved without star defender Ron Vlaar. Last week, the film ‘One Night in Istanbul’ about Liverpool’s legendary 2005 Champions League Final win was premiered to great acclaim in the city. Raheem Sterling had about 30 minutes to make an impact after coming on as a substitute in the place of Adam Lallana on Saturday evening in the Premier League . One of Raheem Sterling's first contributions once he'd arrived on the Anfield pitch as a substitute was to be flattened by Alan Hutton in this crunching challenge . Raheem Sterling was sent in a spiral by Alan Hutton's challenge at Anfield, which warranted a yellow card from referee Lee Mason on Saturday evening . Raheem Sterling chases the ball but the substitute, who had 30 minutes to make an impact, failed to help Liverpool equalise against Aston Villa . Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard looks dejected during the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Anfield as the captain tasted a loss for the second time this season . Aston Villa celebrate their shock 1-0 win at Anfield over Liverpool after Gabby Agbonlahor, who signed a new four-year contract this week, scored the winner . Brendan Rodgers is hoping to inspire Liverpool to another Premier League title charge after finishing runner up to Manchester City last year . Daniel Sturridge was unable to take part in the Premier League match due to injury and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers missed his main goalscoring threat . Liverpool's key striker Daniel Sturridge was unable to take part in the Premier League match due to injury and Brendan Rodgers missed his main goalscorer . CLICK HERE for all facts, stats and graphics from the big match, including Gabby Agbonlahor's simple finish to gift Aston Villa the lead! Gabby Agbonlahor scored the winner after just nine minutes - you can see this and more in Sportsmail's brilliant match zone service by clicking here!

Gabby Agbonlahor nets winner three days after signing new four-year contract with Aston Villa . The striker earned the 1-0 win for Villa against Liverpool at Anfield in the ninth minute . Liverpool suffered their second defeat of the season following their 3-1 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium .

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(CNN) -- The United Nations has launched humanitarian plans worth $1.5 billion to help ease the suffering of millions of Syrians both inside and outside the country. More than 525,000 Syrians have already crossed into neighboring countries, the United Nations announced Wednesday, and it estimated that more than a million will flee in the next six months. The body believes that a quarter of Syria's population needs food, shelter, medical attention, hygiene materials, clothes and other relief after enduring nearly two years of war. Read more: Syrian VP calls for 'historic settlement,' national unity government . The United Nations is also asking for more than $520 million in additional aid, anticipating that the situation will only get worse in 2013. That amount, officials believe, will help contribute to aid for an estimated 4 million people inside Syria who urgently need help. The number of residents suffering has quadrupled from 1 million in March 2012 to 4 million in December, the United Nations reported Wednesday. Many have fled. Between 2,000 and 3,000 refugees are crossing into Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq every day, according to the United Nations. Plans to help Syria have changed much over the past several months, which is "indicative of the rapid developments on the ground and the dramatically deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country," said Radhouane Nouicer, the regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria with the United Nations. "The magnitude of this humanitarian crisis is indisputable." Read more: Refugee figures fail to give true picture of Syria crisis . The aid announcement comes on the same day that one of the United Nations' outreach groups told reporters that about 100,000 Palestinians have fled a large refugee camp in the Syrian capital of Damascus due to government airstrikes and fighting there. By daybreak Wednesday, 1,092 refugees from the Yarmouk camp had crossed into Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing, seeking refuge with relatives in Palestinian camps in Bekaa, Sidon and Beirut. Yamouk camp spokesman Abu Mohammed, who supports the Free Syrian Army's cause of unseating President Bashar al-Assad, told CNN that the Palestinian people at the camp are not fighting in the war. "The camp was supposed to be a safe haven," he said. "This was created as a safe zone for refugees. No one can find anywhere else to go." He said non-stop shelling on the Yarmouk camp has forced tens of thousands to flee, but Mohammed estimates 100,000 remain. "You have 100,000 people trapped under mortar shelling surrounded by a large Syrian Army presence. This could be a true massacre," he said. He called on the international community for help. But a Palestinian politician whose group is believed to support Assad said the Free Syrian Army and its affiliates are responsible for injecting the refugees into the conflict. "The Yarmouk camp was safe business as usual until the last few weeks, when the FSA started shelling the camp from outside," said Hussam Arafat, of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command. "They were clashing and firing mortars on the Syrian army, which was based on the outskirts of the camp ... Then they managed to control the camp after a bloody battle with the Syrian army." Life is dangerous even for the elite in Syria these days. Interior Minister Mohammed Shaar was admitted to the American University Hospital in Beirut on Wednesday for treatment for injuries sustained when his ministry building was bombed last week, the official Lebanese news agency NNA reported Wednesday. "Minister Shaar is in a stable condition, sustaining burns and shrapnel and will not need surgery... He needs observation and treatment," one of the doctors who treated Shaar told NNA. Other Wednesday developments . At least 161 people were killed across Syria Wednesday, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a Syria-based opposition activist network. Of those deaths, 67 occurred in Damascus and its suburbs, and 50 occurred in Aleppo. At least 40 people were killed and dozens were wounded by a car bomb that exploded in Aleppo's Marjeh neighborhood, the LCC said. The Damascus suburb of Deir Al-Asafir endured fierce shelling from rocket launchers, according to the LCC. The FSA downed a war plane in Hama, the LCC said . In Homs, Assad's forces raided university residences near Shamas village and arrested students, the LCC said. CNN's Ivan Watson in Istanbul, Salma Abdelaziz in Atlanta, and Kareem Khadder in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

NEW: At least 161 people killed across Syria Wednesday, according to rebel group . United Nations: A quarter of Syria's population needs food, water, shelter, medical care . The U.N. is seeking more than $520 million in additional aid saying things are likely to worse . Syria has been in the midst of war since March 2011 that pits rebels against al-Assad's forces .

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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:31 EST, 8 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:04 EST, 8 January 2014 . Vince Cable could become Home Secretary in a future coalition, friends have claimed . The Lib Dems’ economic guru has ’given up’ his dream of being Chancellor of the Exchequer, admitting that the larger coalition party should take charge of the Treasury. Aides moved today to insist the Business Secretary was not eying Theresa May's job, as Tory MPs predicted he would be a 'complete and utter disaster' if put in charge of the country's borders. Lib Dem Vince Cable would like to Home Secretary to change the direction of the coalition's immigration policy which he fears his damaging business and universities . As the Lib Dem shadow chancellor in opposition, many had assumed Mr Cable would have taken a job at the Treasury when the coalition was formed in 2010. But his relationship with Conservative George Osborne was so bad he was instead handed the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He regularly launched attacks on Mr Osborne’s economic strategy, most recently warning the Chancellor’s flagship Help to Buy scheme to get more people on the property ladder risked fuelling a new house price bubble. However, Mr Cable has also been outspoken about the Tory target of cutting net migration to the tens of thousands, warning of the impact on attracting highly-skilled immigrants and foreign students. One source told MailOnline that Mr Cable would be open to the Home Office job 'because of the migration thing' and suggested he had 'given up on the Treasury'. Another source insisted Mr Cable did not want Mrs May's job but added: 'He has real concerns about the way the rhetoric on immigration is affecting business and universities.’ However, the idea of the senior Lib Dem taking charge of Britain's law and order was dismissed as laughable but the Conservatives. Tory MP Philip Davies said: I think Vince Cable is an idiot. If you want to have unlimited immigration then I am sure Vince Cable would be a completely brilliant Home Secretary. 'But for the vast majority of the public it would be a complete and utter disaster.’ Fellow Conservative Douglas Carswell thought the idea was a joke: ‘Is it April Fool’s Day yet? I thought we had only just had Christmas.’ Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has complained of having to intervene in policy rows with Home Secretary Theresa May on an 'almost daily basis' Mr Cable reignited coalition tensions on immigration yesterday after warning David Cameron’s target would not be met. He said: 'Setting an arbitrary cap is not helpful, it almost certainly won’t achieve the below 100,000 level the Conservatives have set, so let’s be practical about it.’ Meanwhile, Mr Clegg no longer views as Mr Cable as a threat to his leadership, but expects him to play a key role in the next election campaign. ‘Vince has been put back in his box,’ said a senior Lib Dem source. Another source close to Mr Clegg said: ‘The danger to Nick’s leadership has passed, he is in a stronger position than he has been at any point in the coalition. If the Lib Dems demanded the Home Office in a coalition deal with Labour, shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper would have to be found another job . ‘At the end of the day Vince will be part of the team up to the election and beyond.’ There is little chance of Mr Cable . becoming Home Secretary in this coalition, but it could be a key demand . of any future coalition talks. Making the Home Office a dealbreaker for a future-power sharing deal would be hugely contentious for both Labour and the Tories. It . would mean the Tories ditching Mrs May or Labour leader Ed Miliband not . keeping Yvette Cooper in the job she currently shadows. Mr Cable has repeatedly clashed with current Home Secretary Theresa May, warning curbs on numbers coming to Britain would cause ‘enormous damage’ particularly to universities which rely on income from overseas students. The Lib Dems have grown increasingly frustrated with the Tory-dominated Home Office. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg complains of having to intervene in policy disputes with Mrs May ‘on an almost daily basis’. The political battles escalated when Lib Dem Norman Baker, who claimed MI5 covered up the death of government weapons adviser Dr David Kelly, implicated the security was made a Home Office minister by Mr Clegg in October’s reshuffle. With Labour’s poll lead over the Tories narrowing, a hung parliament looks increasingly likely in 2015. Mr Clegg is being urged to consider demanding control of one, big government instead of spreading ministers too thinly across Whitehall. A Downing Street source said: 'Theresa May is an excellent Home Secretary.'

Lib Dem Business Secretary has given up hope of becoming Chancellor . But now has eye on the Home Office after row with Tories over immigration . Reignited tensions with warning Tory net migration target not realistic . Team Clegg say they no longer see Cable as a leadership threat . Tory MPs predict Cable in charge of borders would be an 'utter disaster'

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A Chinese man is urging officials to toughen up animal protection laws after discovering local children had been using fireworks to play a sick form of Angry Birds with live sparrows. The children trapped the birds in a variety of ways - including using catapults to knock them down - before strapping the stunned or injured birds to fireworks, lighting them and sending them into the air to explode. The sick game was discovered by Huang Chu, 45, from Lantian county in north-western China's Shaanxi province, after he spotted children running away from something in a local park. The sick game was discovered by Huang Chu after he found children had strapped an injured bird to a firework. He took this picture in the hope officials will toughen up animal protection laws in the country . He investigated and discovered it was an unexploded firework. He said: 'I realised it was not going to go off as the fuse had run out, but when I went to walk past it I saw there was a sparrow tied to the side of the firework. 'I took a picture and then I set it free, and it flapped off under a bush.' He then spoke to people in the park - where the children had been setting off fireworks all morning - and found several more bloodied and mutilated dead birds which had already been torn apart by the fireworks. He said: 'I spoke to an older boy who told me that the others had been playing Angry Birds, shooting the fireworks across the park and pretending to be playing the video game of the same name.' The children said they were pretending to play popular video game Angry Birds (pictured) - but with real birds . Angry Birds is a popular video game franchise played primarily on mobile phones. In it, the player must fling a wingless bird at a pig’s fortress in order to gain points and get through to the next round. Mr Chu added: 'I posted images online because people should be aware of what's happening and maybe it will increase pressure for animal rights laws to finally be introduced here in China.'

Huang Chu, 45, saw children had strapped a live sparrow to a firework . The children were pretending to play popular video game Angry Birds . Mr Chu found bodies of birds who had been torn apart by the fireworks . Incident took place in a park in north-western China's Shaanxi province . He is urging officials to toughen up animal protection laws in the country .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . When money in their current account and savings is added to the value of their homes, car and belongings, the average Briton is worth nearly £150,000 . The average Briton is worth nearly £150,000, according to a study. This includes an average current pension pot of £30,000 and mortgage equity of £75,000. Yet the survey found nearly half of us have no idea how much we are worth, while 42 per cent do not think they are worth very much at all. However, the average adult has £1,348.16 in a current account, £5,603.98 stored away in a savings account and a further £3,712.65 in an ISA. With a car valued at £6,706.55 and home contents worth £15,077.90, average net worth tots up to £147,134. The . survey of 2,000 adults by solicitors Irwin Mitchell also found that . despite substantial assets, six in ten adults do not have a will, while a . third have no plans to make one. Gillian . Coverley, a wills expert at the law firm, said: 'Many British adults . feel they have very few assets to their name and consequently is it not . worth them making a will. 'But . the reality is very different in that most people will have assets tied . up in investments they wouldn't even think would count. 'So . while the average British adult doesn't have millions tucked away, they . should still make sensible provisions and arrangements for their . future.' Around . half the people surveyed don't know how assets are distributed after . death, while 54 per cent are clueless about what accounts and . investments their partner or family has. Despite their increasing wealth, six in ten adults do not have a will and a third have no plans to make one . Ms . Coverley added: 'Planning for the future is vital. Many people are . attempting to save money by not making wills and then when the . inevitable happens, they do it themselves in relation to the estate . administration. 'What they find is that this is a specialist area of law and there are potentially serious pitfalls. 'While . some may feel they can save money by avoiding legal advice, our . experience is that such an outlook can create a false economy. 'This . is because ultimately, if they do go it alone and subsequently hit . problems, then it can be more expensive to sort out the situation in the . long run. 'Common . issues from failing to take advice include incorrectly distributing the . estate and a lack of awareness of the tax issues which surround . administering an estate - this can lead to missed tax deadlines and . potential penalty charges. 'Also, . with specialist advice, they may be able to look at ways to reduce the . burden of inheritance tax to the benefit of families and charities. 'Finally, . without the relevant experience, people may often be unable to properly . and thoroughly assess all of the assets and debts of the deceased - an . issue in itself which makes it more likely that distribution of the . estate will not be undertaken correctly. 'The . consequences of getting such issues wrong can be serious and Personal . Representatives are personally and financially liable for any mistakes . they make.'

Average Briton has £30,000 pension pot and £75,000 mortgage equity . They have £1,300 in their current account and around £5,600 in savings . Other assets include value of their car, the contents of their home and ISA . But many people don't know their worth and 60 per cent don't have a will .

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The five victims in last week's shooting at a Washington high school were invited to the same lunch table by the shooter. "It's our understanding he (invited them) via texting," Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary told reporters Monday. Witnesses say Jaylen Fryberg, a popular freshman, opened fire Friday in the crowded lunchroom at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, about 34 miles north of Seattle. Fryberg sent a selfie to his ex-girlfriend showing himself holding a gun not long before the attack, a law enforcement official told CNN. It is unclear if it is the same .40 caliber pistol used in the deadly shootings. He killed Zoe Galasso, 14, at the scene and wounded four others before taking his own life, authorities said. Gia Soriano, 14, who had been in critical condition with head injuries, died at a hospital, the Providence Regional Medical Center said late Sunday night. "We are devastated by this senseless tragedy," Gia's family said in a statement. "Gia is our beautiful daughter and words cannot express how much we will miss her." The family will donate her organs. Condition critical . Of the other three who remain hospitalized, Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, and Andrew Fryberg, 15, are in critical condition. Nate Hatch, 14, is in satisfactory condition. Andrew and Nate were Jaylen's cousins. Don Hatch, Nate's grandfather, told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" that the teenager was walking with the aid of nurse when he went to see the youngster Monday morning. "He just wants to let people know that he's OK. He's getting better," Don Hatch said. Nate Hatch has another surgery scheduled for Thursday and has been told that due to facial injuries he can never play football again. Will there be answers? Students, parents and school leaders met inside the gym at Marysville-Pilchuck High School on Sunday to remember, mourn and talk about ways to move forward. Students and parents were separated for private discussions. "My feeling is that God knows what happened and I think we all ought to leave it alone and leave it there because I don't think we're really going to find out really totally what happened," Don Hatch said. Hatch said Jaylen's family is struggling and like everyone else wants to know why this happened. 'It wasn't just random' Investigators in Marysville have not provided details, but students offered up accounts that painted a terrifying, chaotic picture. Fellow student Jordan Luton was finishing his lunch in the cafeteria when he heard a loud bang. He saw Jaylen go up to a table of students, "came up from behind ... and fired about six bullets into the backs of them," Jordan told CNN. "They were his friends, so it wasn't just random." According to a law enforcement source, witnesses said Jaylen pulled the gun out of a black backpack before he began firing. Witnesses described the look on his face as calm, said the source. Teacher's heroism . There may have been more victims but for the bold actions of a young teacher. Megan Silberberger, a teacher, was in a nearby office when she heard the shots, said Randy Davis, president of the Marysville Education Association. "She ran into the cafeteria and saw students down," said Davis. Silberberger also saw a gunman. "She ran towards the shooter," he said, "to stop ... and help secure (him)." Davis would not reveal details of the confrontation. Silberberger declined CNN's request to be interviewed but issued this statement: "I am thankful and grateful for the support from everyone. At this time I am requesting privacy." Trouble reloading . A law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Jaylen was indeed having trouble reloading and that it was because his hands were trembling. Police have not yet said how many shots were fired, but Jaylen had at least one bullet left before the confrontation with Silberberger, because the final shot was the one that ended Jaylen's life. A Beretta .40-caliber handgun believed to have been used in the shooting has been traced to Jaylen's father, according to the source. The sheriff confirmed the weapon was a Beretta, but only said that it was registered and owned by a "family member." Authorities are trying to determine how the shooter got the gun, Trenary said. Share your perspective on guns with CNN iReport . Grief, disbelief . By all accounts, Jaylen was a popular student. Just a week ago, he had been named the high school's freshman homecoming prince. "It's weird to think about, because you see him and he is such a happy person," sophomore Alex Pietsch said. "You never really see him be so angry and so upset. ... People were telling me who it was when I was getting in my mom's car and I was like, 'What? This is not happening. ... This is crazy.' It was just surprising to me that him, out of all people, would be the one."

Jaylen Fryberg sent a selfie with a gun to an ex-girlfriend, law enforcement source says . The shooter used text messages to get victims to sit at same lunch table, sheriff says . Zoe Galasso died at the scene; Gia Soriano died Sunday . Three students remain hospitalized; one is up and walking .

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By . Philip Quinn . If the final dress rehearsal before the opening night of the Euro 2016 drama wasn’t worth a standing ovation, Republic of Ireland casting director Martin O’Neill will be satisfied things went to script. Seeking pointers for Georgia on a subdued evening in the Aviva Stadium, O’Neill will have noted Kevin Doyle’s well-taken header, Wes Hoolahan’s invention, Robbie Brady’s deliveries and Darron Gibson’s enthusiastic return. At one point, Gibson was a tad too enthusiastic and a crude second half lunge earned the Everton midfielder a deserved caution, and the hook ashore from O’Neill moments later. Opener: Crystal Palace striker Kevin Doyle headed The Republic of Ireland ahead after 20 minutes . Republic of Ireland: Given (Elliot 45), Keogh, Meyler (Murphy 85), Ward, Pearce, Brady, Pilkington (McGeady 59), Quinn, Gibson (Whelan 70), Hoolahan (Keane 59), Doyle (Long 59). Subs Not Used: Forde, Coleman, Wilson, O'Shea, Stokes. Booked: Gibson. Goals: Doyle 20, Pearce 81. Oman: Al-Habsi, Al-Owaisi, Al-Mukhaini, Al-Musalami, Al-Mukhaini, Mudhafar Al Gheilani (Al-Busaidi 60), Al-Farsi( Al-Muqbali 81), Al-Muhaijri (Al-Jabri 60), Saleh (Al-Maashari 87), Hardan (Al-Qasmi 60), Al Seyabi (Al-Hadhri 76). Subs Not Used: Al-Ihsni, Al-Nahar, Al-Rushaidi, Al-Jalabubi, Al-Zaabi. Att: 14,376 . Ireland’s first win, the first in seven games was much-needed; so too was a welcome clean sheet but worryingly for O’Neill, little was created from general play against the plucky Asian visitors – both goals came from corners. For Doyle, the goal was the latest chapter in an encouraging week. First, he jumped two divisions on loan to Crystal Palace; then he got to start, then he scored. It was a trademark Doyle effort too, stealing first run on his marker to meet Brady’s corner, and direct a header into the far corner for his 14th international goal. A week shy of his 31st birthday, Doyle isn’t reaching for the pipe and slippers by a long shot, and the goal will have pleased Neil Warnock as much as O’Neill. It was needed too as the opening 20 minutes was unproductive and devoid of atmosphere in front of the smallest attendance since the Aviva opened in 2010. Those that stayed away didn’t miss a lot, in truth. Perhaps the new-look aspect to the team was responsible as O’Neill made six changes from the side which lost 5-1 to Portugal in June, gave the armband to Richard Keogh, and slotted David Meyler in at right-back. Legend: La Galaxy striker Robbie Keane came on as a substitute but couldn't add to his 62 goals for Ireland . With one eye clearly on Georgia, O'Neill held the bulk of his first XI in reserve. As expected, Shay Given returned in goal for his 126th cap after a two-year absence and there was an ironic cheer when he touched the ball for the first time after three minutes. Given had little to do for 45 minutes apart from bark out orders and instil urgency into an unfamiliar line-up in front of him – only Doyle and Stephen Ward survived from his last game, against Italy in the Euro 2012 finals. Given didn’t have one shot to save so his form has to be taken on trust but his vast experience has put him in position to oust David Forde in Tbilisi on Sunday. Other fringe players didn’t do their Euro cause any harm either. Brady, after a hesitant start, emerged as a key threat from set-piece situations. Tough work: Robbie Brady holds off two Oman players as Ireland controlled the match at the Aviva Stadium . With James McClean ruled out of the Georgia game with injury, Brady is in line for his first competitive start since the trip to the Faroe Islands two years ago. His delivery picked out Doyle for the opener and on the half hour another, pin-point corner was met by Pearce at the far post with a thumping header. As the ball dipped in at the far post, the covering Hassan Al Ghailani athletically headed clear from under the crossbar. By then, the Omanese were on the retreat and Meyler, reveling in his raiding right-back role, showed a dash of skill, and vision, to chip against the angle of post and bar. Meyler was involved going forward to the extent that he picked up the Man of the Match aware – you’d have got long odds on that before kick-off. After a cluster of second half substitutions, which included the arrival of Robbie Keane and Shane Long, a fine goal-line clearance in the 67th minute denied Aiden McGeady as Ireland finally cranked up the pressure. Late on: Reading's Alex Pearce  (right) fired in a late second for Ireland to secure the 2-0 home win . Nine minutes from time, a slightly scuffed Brady corner fell to Pearce in the box and the big stopper nimbly created space to stab a left-footed shot into the bottom corner for his second international goal – his first was also against Oman. McGeady then clipped the crossbar late as on as Ireland toyed with Oman who looked rungs below Ireland, rather than the one place the FIFA rankings tell us. On this one-sided evidence, the gulf is far greater between the teams than the Persian variety which laps their shores. Ireland are headed that way on Friday, if a little further north, to the Caucasus. They travel with a gentle breeze at their backs, nothing more, and while they’d gladly settle for a similar result in Tbilisi, they’ll need to be word perfect to get it. Finally: Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill guided his side to their first win in seven matches .

Robbie Brady crossed for Kevin Doyle to head in the opener on 20 minutes . Doyle is currently on-loan at Crystal Palace in the Premier League . Alex Pearce added a second after 81 minutes from a corner . Martin O'Neill takes the Republic of Ireland for their first Euro 2016 qualifier in Georgia on Sunday .

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Monaco has become a byword for expensive transfers and world-class players once again in recent years with James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao passing through the club and restoring some of the lustre of the Glenn Hoddle and Mark Hateley years. The glamour associated with AS Monaco had faded considerably when Russian owner Dmitry Rybolovlev took over in 2011, when the club were languishing in the French second division. But having finished second to Paris Saint-Germain last season, Rybolovlev has scaled back investments, selling James to Real Madrid and loaning Falcao to Manchester United as the club attempt to establish themselves on an even keel. Radamel Falcao was released by Monaco with Manchester United paying his £285,000-a-week wages . After shining in the World Cup, James Rodriguez joined Real Madrid for £63m last summer . Promotion under Claudio Ranieri in 2013 and an outlay of £140million, which also included the likes of Joao Moutinho, brought its own problem, with some French league sides complaining that Monaco’s tax arrangements — foreign players such as Dimitar Berbatov pay almost no income tax — constituted an unfair advantage. Eventually, Monaco paid £37.5m as a one-off payment to the French League to preserve their unique identity. ‘The idea was to put Monaco back on the map of French football and European football as soon as possible,’ says vice-president, Vadim Vasilyev. ‘I think we did that. I think people recognise that we’re good as we attract attention to the French league.’ Monaco’s win at Nice on Friday leaves them in fourth place. ‘Our ambition is to win the title in the next few years and stay in the top three and be an important actor of the European stage,’ said Vasilyev. ‘We can’t be in the top 10 but we can be an important player.’ Glenn Hoddle (left) and Mark Hateley (right) flank Vadim Vasilyev on their visit to Monaco .

Monaco finished second to PSG last season but let talents such as Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez depart . The club spent £140m in 2013 following relegation and vice-president Vadim Vasilyev is thinking big . 'Our ambition is to win the title in the next few years and stay in the top three and be an important actor of the European stage,' said Vasilyev .

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By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 04:04 EST, 28 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:51 EST, 28 August 2012 . A mixed martial arts fighter allegedly beat his pregnant girlfriend so badly she miscarried, breaking her nose and giving her concussion. Willie 'Slick' Parks, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has now handed himself into the authorities and is being held in custody on aggravated assault charges. Police say 28-year-old Parks beat up his girlfriend after an argument over the clothes she was wearing to a Downtown bar and the fact that men had been complimenting her appearance. 'Aggravated assault': Willie 'Slick' Parks allegedly refused to let his girlfriend see a doctor after the alleged attack . She said he then refused to let her visit a doctor for days. She told police she remembered getting into the driver’s seat of her car . and later waking up in the passenger seat with blood on her face and a . large knot on her forehead. Parks told her she had been in a car . accident and her head had hit the windshield, according to the Albuquerque Journal. He then attempted to treat her swollen face, but would not let her go to hospital. She grew . 'suspicious of the explanation that Parks offered' about her injuries . and the accident, which she said led Parks to change his story and tell her she was . attacked by two men during a drug deal. Police say the woman believes Parks slammed her head into the steering . wheel of her car and that she had 'a bruise on the backside of her right . ear, which would indicate a thumb or finger had pressed against this . area with enough force to cause bleeding.' Erratic: Parks' gym manager said he had been fired for unusual behaviour - which he put down to the fact the fighter had failed to get a spot on reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter . The woman went to the hospital on August 3, where a doctor told her she had a . broken nose, a concussion, and her injuries probably caused the . miscarriage of her unborn child. She was in the first trimester of her . pregnancy. The couple broke up, and Parks . left numerous text messages and voice mails on the woman’s cell phone, police said. A . text message from August 6 read: 'you play with fire and get burned.' A manhunt for the welterweight was launched on Thursday and he is now being held on $50,000 cash bail. Ricky Kottenstette, general manager of the city’s prestigious Jackson-Winkeljohn’s Mixed Martial Arts gym, said Parks was a top-level wrestler and promising fighter who trained and was an instructor at the gym. He said the . gym had got rid of Parks a couple of months ago 'when he wouldn’t . show up to work some days.' Parks’ erratic behavior, according to . Kottenstette, seemed to begin after he learned he would not be getting a . spot on the popular FX reality TV programme The Ultimate Fighter.

Willie 'Slick' Parks allegedly told his girlfriend she had been in an accident . He had smashed her face into the steering wheel of her car, she claimed .

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By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 08:07 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:32 EST, 5 September 2013 . A Harley Street doctor stole a wallet full of cash that had been left on a table in Starbucks, and threatened to have police officers who arrested him on suspicion of the crime fired, a court heard. Abdul Choudhuri, 41, claimed the wallet was his after a Singaporean tourist left it on a nearby table by accident in the Nottingham coffee shop. Dr Choudhuri, who runs cosmetic surgery clinics on London's Harley Street and in Nottingham, then posed as a member of the Crown Prosecution Service to avoid being charged for his crime once arrested a month later. Abdul Choudhuri stole the wallet after a Singaporean tourist left it on a table in Starbucks in Nottingham . Kenny Quek left the wallet which contained a 1,000 dollar Singapore bank note on his table in the coffee shop on South Parade, Nottinghamshire, in October 2010 by mistake. When he returned, staff realised he was the rightful owner of the wallet and phoned police to report Dr Choudhuri who had earlier said it was his. Dr Choudhuri returned to the shop a month later and was recognised by barrista Lisa Wright, who phoned the police after noting the cosmetic surgeon's 'shifty' behaviour. When police arrived at the scene Dr Choudhuri reportedly hid in the toilets, before threatening to have one of the police officers fired. Upon his arrest he told the officer: 'I know Dave Walker (a former Nottinghamshire Police Superintendent) and you are going to lose your job', the court heard. The wallet contained a 1000 dollar Singapore bank note which was discovered in Dr Choudhuri's possession when he was arrested . One of Dr Chouduri's clinics can be found on London's famous Harley Street, a top spot for the city's best medical practices . The Body Perfect clinic which is run by Dr Choudhuri offers surgical and non-surgical cosmetic medical treatments . Prosecutor Jonathan Straw told the a jury . at Nottingham Crown Court: 'Mr Choudhuri is a thoroughly dishonest and . highly manipulative . individual who has gone to extreme lengths in order to avoid . conviction.' The doctor, whose clinics offer cosmetic treatments including liposuction and laser skin surgery, also posed as a member of the CPS to tell a witness the case had been dropped. Following the arrest, Mr Straw said Ms Wright received phone calls from a . withheld number claiming the trial had been cancelled. Mr Straw said the person who made the call claimed to be from the . Nottingham Witness Protection Scheme which is part of the CPS, but in fact was . Dr Choudhuri or someone acting on his behalf. The doctor denies one count of fraud and two counts of perverting the course of justice. PC Richard Shaw searched a wallet found on him which contained a 1,000 dollar Singapore bank note. When the case was adjourned to investigate the source of the calls, it emerged an alibi used given by Dr Choudhuri was also allegedly false. The case continues on Friday. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.

Abdul Choudhuri, 41, has clinics on London’s Harley Street and in Nottingham . Tourist left wallet on table in Starbucks containing £2,500 and a Singaporean 1,000 dollar note . Choudhuri claimed wallet was his and then hid when police arrived, court told . He is accused of threatening officer with sack, and trying to convince witness his trial had been cancelled . Labelled 'thoroughly dishonest' and 'highly manipulative' by prosecution .

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Cairo (CNN) -- Prosecutors presented evidence at a hearing this week for three Al Jazeera English journalists accused of terrorist activity in Egypt, but they did little to explain why everyday broadcast equipment and the defendants' personal belongings would implicate them in any crime. The three journalists at this second hearing are among 20 defendants authorities have charged with crimes; the Qatar-based Al Jazeera says only eight have worked for the network. The trial has drawn international condemnation from human rights groups, who say the arrests indicate authorities in Egypt are stifling dissent and freedom of the press. The case comes amid a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood after the ouster of Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsy. The accused have denied the allegations against them, with the journalists saying they were simply doing their jobs. Detained Al Jazeera journalists appear in court as trial opens . In what was at times a bizarre and confused proceeding Wednesday, a lead investigator took the stand as the state's first witness but refused to answer several questions, saying he could not divulge a secret government source. At one point the witness told the court he could not remember certain details of his investigation. "What we saw in court today was ridiculous," said Adel Fahmy, brother of jailed Al Jazeera English producer Mohamed Fahmy. "It showed that the government has no case and these journalists are innocent." Fahmy, producer Baher Mohamed and award-winning correspondent Peter Greste, an Australian, were arrested December 29 at a Cairo hotel room and later charged with joining a terrorist organization, broadcasting false information and working in Egypt without permits. The three have been denied bail and kept in detention for more than two months. Among the evidence the state claims to have is video of news reports, allegedly fabricated by the Al Jazeera journalists. Fahmy's defense attorney demanded for the reports to be viewed in court and complained the court did not have the equipment necessary to show the video. He also questioned the credibility of statements written by state witnesses because the wording of each was identical. Wednesday's proceeding drew sharp criticism and mocking statements on social media from journalists covering the trial. "Watching judge unseal a steady stream of evidence, often having to use his pen or a lighter, was farcical. This trial is a huge embarrassment," tweeted Cairo-based freelance journalist Louisa Loveluck. Throughout the hearing, the defendants were kept in a caged dock steps away from their family members. On several occasions, the judge gave them permission to address the court. "I would never betray my country," Fahmy told the court. From inside the cage, Greste told reporters he was angry "that we spent two months in prison for such flimsy evidence." The trial was adjourned until March 24.

"What we saw in court today was ridiculous," brother of one accused journalist says . Trial of Al Jazeera English journalists accused of terrorist activity adjourned till late March . Lead investigator declines to answer questions, says he can't divulge secret source . Trial has drawn international condemnation from human rights groups .

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has criticised changes being made to Champions League seedings for next season. UEFA is to implement a radical overhaul that will see the holders, alongside the league champions from the seven top-ranked nations, placed in pot one. Teams are currently seeded according to performances in the Champions League and Europa League rather than domestic competitions. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not agree with the changes being implemented by UEFA . The change has been agreed on the basis on 'sporting merit' and could mean some of the biggest and historically most successful clubs in Europe clashing as early as the group stages. It will also eliminate the possibility of teams from a small number of countries dominating the top seedings. Wenger, speaking ahead of Tuesday night's Group D showdown against Anderlecht at the Emirates Stadium, believes the new method is misguided. 'It's not needed because it's a competition that works best in the world and is most admired. Everyone wants to watch it,' Wenger said. Michel Platini and UEFA are making changes to the way the Champions League seedings work . 'I was quite surprised that they've done that. We'll see how it works. I believe it will just make the seedings useless. 'Logic is not being respected. Logic for me when you play in Europe is results in Europe. 'I'm not really fighting it because it will just make the seeding less interesting. Group one will now have less significance.' Arsenal are three points behind Group D leaders Borussia Dortmund in second place and need to beat Anderlecht for the second time in two weeks to keep snapping at the German club's heals. This year's champions will go into pot one next season with league champions from Europe's best leagues . The Gunners have spluttered through the opening stage of the season despite the £35million arrival of Alexis Sanchez, and Wenger knows there is room for improvement. 'Our attitude and dedication have been fantastic, but on the efficiency front we can do better,' Wenger said. 'We have created many chances and our finishing has not always been at the expected level. 'We give very few chances away but those that we have given away are of quality, and that is what we want to do better.'

UEFA are changing the rules for Champions League seeding . Seven league champions and holders will make up pot one . Current system ranks teams on performances in European competitions . The new rules will take effect next season . Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger described the rules as illogical .

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A fluffy red hat with an ostrich feather which was allegedly thrown in triumph by Henry VIII after his army won a siege in 1544 is set to go on display after being bought for £12,000. The Tudor headwear is set to go on show at Hampton Court Palace in Richmond, Greater London, after the curators acquired it from descendants of Nicholas Bristowe - the courtier who apparently caught it after it was hurled into the air by the king. It is thought Mr Bristowe, who was the king's clerk of the wardrobe, held on to the hat and passed it down through his generations. It has been in his family for the last 470 years. The fluffy red hat, which comes complete with an ostrich feather, will go on display at Hampton Court Palace after being bought for £12,000. It is thought to have been caught after being thrown by Henry VIII in 1544 . It is believed King Henry VII threw the hat in the air in triumph after learning that the fortified city of Boulogne had surrendered to his army, which he led in France in 1544. It was said to be caught by Nicholas Bristowe . The hat, which is made from silver and silk, is now set to go on display at Hampton Court after Historic Royal Palaces, which runs the palace, splashed out £12,000 for it. Eleri Lynn, dress creator for Historic Royal Palaces, said there was no proper evidence to suggest the hat was ever worn by Henry VIII. However, she said the Bristowes' story was acknowledged in a document in the 19th Century. She said it was quite possible that Nicholas Bristowe did obtain the hat from the king, as he was present at Henry VIII's side when he learned that the fortified city of Boulogne had surrendered to his army, which he led in France in 1544. Ms Lynn told The Times: 'It's really tempting to believe it. As a historian you can't say it's Henry's hat, but on this occasion I can't say that it's not because this courtier was so well connected. 'There's every possibility that Henry did throw this hat up into the air and that Nicholas Bristowe caught it. 'We have evidence that it was documented in the family from before the Victorian era, which is great, because the Victorian era is when fakes really started rolling out.' The hat will go on display at Hampton Court Palace (pictured) after the palace's curators bought it for £12,000 . The Siege of Boulogne took place between 19 July and 18 September 1544, during the third invasion of France by Henry VIII. It came to an end after the British dug tunnels underneath the citadel’s walls, forcing the French to surrender. It is thought that upon learning of this victory Henry VIII threw the hat into the air, which was then caught by Bristowe. Records confirm that the courtier was in Boulogne at the time of the siege, making the tale a real possibility. The fluffy hat comes complete with a green ostrich feather, a silver-braid button and features small holes all around the edge which is where the jewels would have sat. The accessory was handed to London auctioneers Christie's in 2007 for £100,000 but it failed to reach its reserve price. It will now go on display to members of the public at Hampton Court in 2016, after it has undergone conservation work. 'Larger than life': A portrait of King Henry VIII . Born at Greenwich Palace in 1491, Henry VIII was the third child and second son of Henry VII and his wife. Only three of his six siblings survived infancy - and he succeeded his father as king following his death on 22 April, 1509. Under Henry VIII's reign, England turned in favour of Protestantism and split from Rome, the Royal Navy built up a fleet of about 50 ships and the country invaded France. Henry VIII was well known for his six marriages, all of which ended in some sort of tragedy - divorce or death - but the Tudor king was also known for other, stranger things. He was known to self-medicate, even going as far as making his own medicines. A record on a prescription for ulcer treatment in the British Museum reads: 'An Oyntment devised by the kinges Majesty made at Westminster, and devised at Grenwich to take away inflammations and to cease payne and heale ulcers called gray plaster.' He was also a musician and composer, owning 78 flutes, 78 recorders, five bagpipes, and has since had his songs covered by Jethro Tull. Many are unaware that he died while heavily in debt, after having such a lavish lifestyle and spending far, far more than taxes would earn him. He also possessed the largest tapestry collection ever documented, and 6,500 pistols. While most portraits show him as a slight man, he was actually very large, with one observer calling him 'an absolute monster'.

Red hat with ostrich feather said to have been thrown in air by Henry VIII . Believed it was caught by courtier after king threw it in triumph over siege . Passed through generations of Nicholas Bristowe's family for 470 years . Set to go on show at Hampton Court Palace after being bought for £12,000 .

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By . Victoria Woollaston . As if claiming a fourth World Cup wasn't enough for Germany, they’ve now received another title. The team’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in last night’s World Cup final set a host of social media records as it generated 280 million interactions on Facebook. It also recorded the highest number of tweets per minute for any sporting event, peaking at 618,725 as the final whistle blew at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina in last night’s World Cup final generated 32.1 million tweets and 280 million interactions on Facebook. It also recorded the highest number of tweets per minute for any sporting event, peaking at 618,725 as the final whistle blew in Rio de Janeiro. Heat map of the match is pictured . This was 38,559 more tweets per minute than the previous high, recorded during Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the semi-final. Facebook’s previous record-breaking sporting event was the 2013 Super Bowl, which saw 245 million interactions. Unsurprisingly, match-winner Mario Gotze was the most talked about player on Twitter during the match, but Argentina's Lionel Messi was the most popular on Facebook. The game generated 32.1 million tweets in total. However, Brazil didn’t walk away empty handed as its defeat is still the most tweeted game of all time, with a total of 35.6 million during the event on 8 July. German Lukas Podolski’s selfie, showing teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger kissing his cheek, has been retweeted more than 90,536 times and received 80,911 favourites since being posted last night. Most Social World Cup Matches . 1. Germany vs. Argentina final - 88 million people with 280 million Facebook interactions) 2. Brazil vs. Germany semifinal - 66 million people with 200 million Facebook interactions) 3. Brazil vs. Croatia opening match - 58 million people with 140 million Facebook interactions) 4. Argentina vs. Netherlands semifinal - 39 million people with 83 million Facebook interactions) 5. Brazil vs. Chile round of 16 match - 31 million people with 75 million Facebook interactions) Most Social World Cup Moments . 1. Brazil vs. Germany semifinal (29’):  Sami Khedira scores Germany’s . fourth goal in seven minutes . 2. Germany vs. Argentina final (full time): Final whistle . 3. Brazil vs. Germany semifinal (26’):  Toni Kroos scores his second goal . of the match . 4. Germany vs. Argentina final (113’):  Mario Götze gives Germany a 1-0 lead over Argentina . 5. Brazil vs. Croatia opening match (29’):  Neymar scores his first World Cup goal . Most Talked About Players . 1. Neymar (Brazil) 2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) 3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 4. Luis Suárez (Uruguay) 5. David Luiz (Brazil) 6. Júlio César (Brazil) 7. Thomas Müller (Germany) 8. Mesut Özil (Germany) 9. Hulk (Brazil) 10. Arjen Robben (Netherlands) Top 5 Player Posts for the World Cup . 1. Neymar and Silva selfie on 21 June . 2. Cristiano Ronaldo posing with melon carving of his likeness on 21 June . 3. Lionel Messi sharing a photo of himself with Neymar to wish him a speedy recovery on 4 July . 4. David Luiz wishing teammate Neymar well on 5 July . 5. Lionel Messi sharing a post-victory shot from the locker room after defeating Switzerland on 1 July . Meanwhile, Podolski’s selfie with German chancellor Angela Merkel, has been retweeted 26,046 time, and received 31,441 favourites. During the game, Facebook saw 88 million global users make interactions, which includes posts, likes and comments - compared to 350 million across the whole tournament. During . the final, men between 18 and 24 generated the most conversation and . Lionel Messi was the most talked about player, being mentioned more than . 4 million times. Unsurprisingly, match-winner Mario Gotze was the most talked about player on Twitter during the final. This graphic reveals the top three German, and Argentinian players mentioned on Twitter during the event . German Lukas Podolski's selfie, showing teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger kissing his cheek (pictured) has been retweeted more than 90,536 times and received 80,911 favourites . Podolski's selfie with German chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured) has been retweeted 26,046 times and has 31,441 favourites . Of the people talking about the final, 10.5 million were based in the U.S., 10 million in Brazil, more than 7 million people in Argentina and 5 million in Germany. The most engaged countries, as a per cent of people on Facebook from those countries, were  Brazil with 57 per cent, Costa Rica and Uruguay with 52 per cent, and Argentina with 50 per cent. The most social moment on Facebook throughout the tournament, was following Sami Khedira’s 29th-minute goal during the Brazil and Germany semi-final. This goal capped four goals in six minutes and took the Germans to 5-0. Brazilian star Neymar missed the semi-final and third place playoff due to injury, but the 22-year-old was the most talked about player on Facebook throughout the whole competition. The Barcelona striker's Facebook account gained more than 15 million new likes since the World Cup began, too. A photo of Neymar with captain Thiago Silva was the most liked image of the tournament. And this was just ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo posing with a melon carving of his likeness. In total, Facebook saw 3 billion interactions about the event over the last four weeks. Brazilian star Neymar (pictured) missed the semi-final and third place playoff due to injury, but the 22-year-old was the most talked about player on Facebook throughout the whole competition. The Barcelona striker's Facebook account gained more than 15 million new Likes since the World Cup began . Tournament sponsor Adidas was the most talked about brand, related to the World Cup, and was mentioned in 1.59 million conversations. Its #allin hashtag was the most used on Twitter with 917,000 mentions. And, Brazuca, the official match ball of the tournament, was the largest growing Twitter account, adding 2.98million followers – up 603 per cent. The left-hand photo of Neymar (pictured right), with Thiago Silva, was the most liked image of the tournament on Facebook. This was ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo posing with a melon carving of his likeness (right) During the final (pictured), Facebook saw 88 million global users make interactions, compared to 350 million across the whole tournament. Men between 18 and 24 generated the most conversation and Lionel Messi was the most talked about player, being mentioned more than 4 million times .

Germany’s 1-0 victory over Argentina generated 32.1 million tweets . It also generated 280 million interactions on Facebook - the biggest sporting event on the site . Tweets per minute peaked at 618,725 as the whistle blew in Rio de Janeiro . This . was 38,559 more tweets per minute than the previous high - recorded . during Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the semi-final . In total, Facebook saw 3 billion interactions about the entire tournament . Match-winner Mario Gotze was most talked about player after the game . But, Brazil’s Neymar was the most talked about player during the contest .

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Fixing jet skis, posting bail and storing lost property are some of the things Australian embassies cannot help with when travellers run into trouble overseas. These may sound like strange demands but remarkably these are the kind of requests embassies have received from Australians every year, which also include borrowing a laptop and providing legal assistance. And Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop thinks it is time for some tough love. The Australian government is cracking down on people who do the wrong thing and request help from the embassies, which include posting their bail . The department has launched a campaign to alert travellers about what is reasonable - and more importantly, unreasonable - to expect from Australia's consular services abroad. 'Our consular staff are not there to pay for the repairs to your jet ski. They are not there to pay your hotel bill,' Ms Bishop said in Canberra. 'Consular assistance is a last resort service.' Australia's diplomats have noticed some trends in recent years as the number of trips taken abroad has exploded to nearly ten million a year. Last year diplomats helped nearly 15,000 Australians in trouble, and juggled more than 1,000 active cases a day . Last year they helped nearly 15,000 Australians in trouble, and juggled more than 1,000 active cases a day. Less people are needing medical evacuation or emergency financial assistance these days but more are dying, getting arrested or winding up in hospital. Bangkok remains the busiest consular post in the world, unsurprising as Thailand's the top destination for Australians dying or getting hospitalised. But hundreds of the cases at that embassy were classed as 'general welfare', and the growing number of travellers seeking help for trivial matters is putting strain on the system. But Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop stressed that those in genuine need - like victims of serious crimes or natural disasters - would not be stranded . Ms Bishop stressed that those in genuine need - like victims of serious crimes or natural disasters - would not be stranded. But she said some people rort the system, pointing to activists who willfully break the law overseas and then demand help. 'And yet the Australian consular staff are meant to get on a plane and fly to some remote place to bail them out,' she said. Last year Ms Bishop suggested the government might ask Greenpeace to repay the tens of thousands of dollars spent helping activist Colin Russell get out of a Russian prison. She's decided not to introduce a cost recovery system for consular services for now, but says it remains a 'live option'. 1) A traveller who was destitute in Europe refused to return to Australia without their pet bird, which could not be returned for quarantine reasons . 2) A mother who wanted the embassy in Bangkok to book accommodation and a return ticket to Australia for her son, then provide an embassy driver to take him to the airport . 3) A request from an Australian traveller for DFAT to feed her dogs while she was away . 4) 'I'm attending a conference overseas with a large group of Australians but I have heard it is a dangerous city. Can the High Commission arrange for a risk assessment and some armoured cars. We only need them for a week.' 5) Multiple enquiries to embassies overseas seeking the closest pub televising State of Origin games . 6) An Australian who had his laptop stolen overseas requested that embassy staff pick him up from the airport, loan him a laptop and provide him with office space for a few days . 7) A traveller who asked whether the sand in Egypt would affect her asthma . 8) Panicked callers regularly reporting Australian travellers missing overseas, after not hearing from them within the first few hours of arriving in country. Consular officers usually explain that getting through customs and immigration can take time . 9) 'Why won't the Australian embassy come and pack my bags for me? I'm an 80 year old architect travelling by myself and too old to pack my own bags' 10) 'I left some items on an aircraft when I changed flights. Can the embassy collect it from the airline lost property?' 11) 'Can the embassy obtain prescription medicine from Australia and send it to me so I can continue my holiday?' 12) Requests for embassies to store luggage, hold mail, provide banking facilities or arrange tours for Australian travellers . 13) 'What is the best way to get a polecat out of your roof?' 14) 'I'm going on a cruise. What will the food be like? Can you drink the water on the ship?' 15) Some travellers evacuated from civil unrest in Egypt on government funded flights questioned why they were not entitled to frequent flyer points. Similarly, some travellers evacuated from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami made seat requests, including for first class . 16) A caller to DFAT's Consular Emergency Centre wanted to know the average salary for an expat to expect in Thailand . 17) 'Does the embassy know if there are any hotels in Phnom Penh with vacant rooms?' 18) 'Can the embassy tell the local police that I have an excellent driving record in Australia and should not have to pay those outstanding speeding fines?' 19) 'What is the best hotel in Phuket?' 20) 'On my last trip to the Philippines I had some trouble with the law. What is the number of the embassy in Manila so I can call them to get me out of jail when I go back?'

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs is cracking down on outrageous requests it gets from travellers . Minister Julie Bishop said staff were not there to pay for repairs to people's jet skis . Diplomats helped nearly 15,000 Australians in trouble overseas last year . Less people need medical evacuation or emergency financial assistance . But more people were dying, getting arrested or winding up in hospital .

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By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . PUBLISHED: . 08:51 EST, 3 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:00 EST, 3 March 2014 . Recent extreme weather events have highlighted just how important it is to understand our planet’s behaviour. And now a new space mission could help do just that by providing real-time measurements of rain and snow every three hours, all over the world. The constellation of satellites will help fill huge gaps in precipitation observations as large areas of the Earth currently do not have radar coverage. The satellite has unprecedented range, and will scan the skies between 65 degrees north and south latitude . The mission, known as Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM), will also help scientists look through storms to see the internal dynamics and intensity of a hurricane. The satellite has unprecedented range, and will scan the skies between 65 degrees north and south latitude. Currently, Nasa’s Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) provides scientists with detailed data on rainfall and storms. But the problem is it only covers a relatively narrow range. For instance, Hurricane Sandy could only be tracked by TRMM until it passed Florida before going out of range. The first satellite of the constellation, known as the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, was launched on Thursday by Nasa and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) While TRMM measures precipitation in the tropics, the new constellation will also expand the coverage area from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. This is vital to understanding extreme events, like blizzards, floods and droughts which have wreaked havoc across the globe in recent months. The first satellite of the constellation, known as the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, was launched on Thursday by Nasa and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa). ‘With this launch, we have taken another giant leap in providing the world with an unprecedented picture of our planet's rain and snow,’ said Nasa administrator Charles Bolden. ‘GPM will help us better understand our ever-changing climate, improve forecasts of extreme weather events like floods, and assist decision makers around the world to better manage water resources.’ GPM is one of the ¿core¿ satellites in the constellation and will be carrying an advanced radar and radiometer system to measure precipitation from space. Pictured is the launch which took place on Thursday . GPM will also be able to detect light rain and snowfall, a major source of available fresh water in some regions. ‘We still have a lot to learn about how rain and snow systems behave in the bigger Earth system,’ said GPM project scientist Gail Skofronick-Jackson of Goddard. ‘With the advanced instruments on the GPM Core Observatory, we will have for the first time frequent unified global observations of all types of precipitation, everything from the rain in your backyard to storms forming over the oceans to the falling snow contributing to water resources.’ GPM is one of nine satellites in the constellation and will be carrying an advanced radar and radiometer system to measure precipitation. The GPM Core Observatory is the first of Nasa’s five Earth science missions launching this year.

Global Precipitation Measurement mission has launched its first satellite . It will provide real-time measurements of rain and snow every three hours . This will extend the detailed radar map of local areas to all over the world . Currently there are huge gaps in precipitation observations, particularly around the north and south poles .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 21:10 EST, 25 February 2013 . Two years after a teenage girl died in an bull riding accident in Brandon, Florida, her father is suing the rodeo for negligence. Brooke Ann Coats, 16, was thrown off the animal during the amateur event at Crosstown Arena on February 18, 2011. The bull kicked her in the chest and the keen rider died just 90 minutes later. Now Keith Coats has filed a suit against 18 defendants involved with the rodeo, including Corey Costa and his company, Remington Rough Stock Inc, who ran the events. Tragic: Brooke Coats, 16, died at an amateur bull riding event in Florida two years ago. Now her family is suing the rodeo for negligence . Keith and his wife Susan allege that Costa allowed their daughter to ride an 'aggressive bull above her skill level,' of failing to provide emergency . personnel at the arena, and of waiting at least 15 to 20 minutes to call an . ambulance after the teenager was kicked. Coats had been bull riding for about a year as a hobby. Her parents were in the stand on the night the tragic accident happened and had signed a waiver allowing the pretty teenager to take part in the event. The 16-year-old managed to stand up and . walk out of the ring after sustaining the massive chest blow, but she . began complaining of breathing difficulties and later collapsed. Miss Coats was rushed to Tampa General Hospital, where she died later in surgery. According to the lawsuit, medics determined the kick had lacerated her liver and she bled to death internally. According to 10 News the rodeo has been shut for sometime and the arena is now for sale. Risk: A video posted on YouTube and since removed showed Coats taking part in a different rodeo in January 2011 . 'Cowgirl': Coats was a keen bull rider and had been taking part in amateur rodeo for a year before her death . As noted by the Herald Tribune, the Coats family filed the suit in in Hillsborough County civil court on February 18 - exactly two years to the day of their daughter's death. The statute of limitations for wrongful death suits in Florida is two years. Family attorney, Patton Youngblood, told the station that Brooke's parents were devastated, adding 'The family knows that the people there that night did not act quickly.' 'This is something the family will never get over. How can they?' added the attorney. Another mother, who has been to the arena, told 10 News she was upset by the tragic incident. 'That girl may have survived if the . ambulance had been there, and it didn't take 10 minutes to get there. So, there was a delay in calling,' said Donna Maggiacomo. Costa has refused to speak to the media since the suit was filed. Authorities said Miss Coats was wearing a protective vest and helmet when she was tossed from the bull. In 2011, Costa called Coats' death a 'freak accident.' According to the Tampa Bay Times he noted that the girl had ridden the same bull - a 900-pound, calf - about 30 times. Tribute: Friends said goodbye to Brooke Coats at the scene of the accident . Shocked schoolfriends placed floral tributes outside the rodeo after learning of their classmate's death. Adrian Guzman, who had known Miss Coats since middle school, said: 'I know that bull riding was one of her really important hobbies. 'She really liked that stuff. She was really quiet and really shy, but she was a beautiful girl. She will be missed.' Others posted messages on a Facebook page set up in memory of Miss Coats. One wrote: 'RIP Cowgirl'. And her swimming coach, Nancy MacLauchlan, told CF News 13: 'Brooke was a beautiful young woman inside and out. She swam, played tennis, and had a great sense of adventure, and was a devoted friend. 'No matter what event we asked her to swim, she would put that incredible smile on her face and go out and do it. She never complained at practice, just gave us her every single day. We will miss her terribly.' Bull riding has been described as the 'most dangerous sport in America'. Riders have to stay on a bucking bull for eight seconds. The rider does not have a saddle but holds on to a braided rope with one hand. Closed: Sources in Florida say the Crosstown Arena is now for sale and has been shut for some time .

Teenage bull rider Brooke Ann Coats died in 2011 about being thrown by a bull which then kicked in the chest, lacerating her liver . Her family are now suing the amateur rodeo for negligence .

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By . Liz Hull . PUBLISHED: . 10:42 EST, 13 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:57 EST, 13 June 2012 . A Muslim mother faces a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of drugging and kidnapping her own daughter when she broke off an arranged marriage and secretly married another man. Shamim Akhtar, 59, plotted with close relatives to abduct her youngest daughter, Naila Afsar, 25, after she refused to marry her first cousin and ran away to marry her lover, Afsar Saddiq. When her family discovered what she had done they threatened to kill her, before giving her a drink laced with a prescription sedative and driving her back to the family home. Shamin Akhtar left) was unanimously found guilty by a jury after a four week trial at Preston Crown Court and her son Shamrez Khan, 34, (right) , and her son-in-law Zahid Mahmood also pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, kidnap and two counts of administering a drug with intent . Preston Crown Court was told that the . family took Mr Saddiq’s mobile phone so he could not contact his bride . and told him she would not be returning. But the plot fell apart when Mr Saddiq . dialled 999. Police stopped the Akhtars’ family car at a petrol . station. They discovered Mrs Afsar drowsy on the back seat and she was . taken to hospital. Following a four week trial, . mother-of-eight Akhtar, of Bradford, was found guilty of false . imprisonment, kidnap and two counts of administering a drug with intent . to commit an indictable offence. Her son Shamrez Khan, 34, also of . Bradford, and her son-in-law Zahid Mahmood, 37, of Accrington, . Lancashire, admitted the same charges. All three were remanded in . custody pending sentence next month. Mrs Afsar broke down in the witness . box as she recounted how she discovered when she was just 15 that her . parents were planning an arranged marriage between her and  her cousin, . Amraiz Khan, who lived in Denmark. Trial: The victim’s father Mohammed Khan, 57, and her sister Saima Mahmood, 30, were both cleared of wrong doing by the jury . She went along with their plans and . agreed to get engaged in May 2009, but soon realised she and her cousin . were incompatible and called off the wedding. Jonathan Dickinson, . prosecuting, said: ‘Her family was upset with her ... that was, perhaps, . putting it mildly.’ Mrs Afsar ran away to . Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where she met and married Mr Saddiq in November . 2009. The couple visited her parents at their home in the hope of . reconciliation shortly afterwards, but they were told to divorce. On the morning of January 17, 2010, the newlyweds were in bed at home when they heard banging on the doors. Khan appeared in their bedroom . shouting, while his mother and brother-in-law waited downstairs. They . persuaded Mrs Afsar to stay at her sister Saima’s house in Accrington . for two nights, claiming that her nieces were missing her. But after she arrived and, unbeknown . to Mrs Afsar, her mother, brother and brother-in-law travelled back to . Newcastle to confront Mr Saddiq. Statement: Speaking outside Preston Crown Court the victim's father Mohammed Khan said: 'I miss my daughter. When I die it is my wish for my youngest daughter to be present at my funeral' They took Mrs Afsar’s belongings, . including her passport, threatened Mr Saddiq and took his mobile phone, . telling him his wife would not be coming back. On their return to Accrington, Khan . slapped his sister twice across the face and took her mobile phone. Mrs . Afsar told the court he was ‘going on about the family honour’. She added: ‘I thought I was in danger of being killed. I kept begging them to take me home and leave me be.’ When she pleaded to be allowed to go . back to Newcastle, Mrs Afsar’s family pretended to agree, before giving . her a warm, milky drink ahead of the journey. The liquid was laced with the prescription sedative lorazepam. Almost immediately Mrs Afsar began to . feel dizzy and sick. She told the court ‘everything became blurred and I . couldn’t keep my eyes open’. She was bundled into a car bound for . Bradford, but police stopped the vehicle not long into the journey, in . Rossendale, Lancashire. Mrs Afsar’s father Mohammed Khan, 57, . of Bradford, and sister Saima Mahmood, 31, of Accrington, were both . cleared of false imprisonment, kidnap and two charges of administering . the drug lorazepam with intent. Detective Inspector Mark Vaughton, of . Lancashire Police, said Mrs Afsar had shown ‘immense courage’ to go . through with  the prosecution.

Shamin Akhtar of Bradford, West Yorkshire, was unanimously found guilty by a jury at Preston Crown Court . Detectives have described the mother-of-eight’s crime 'as every child’s worst nightmare' Victim was persuaded to have some warm milk, which made her feel dizzy and made her sick . Father and sister were both cleared - outside court the victim’s father Mohammed Khan said: 'I miss my daughter'

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Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israel started building a barrier along its border with Egypt Monday. The Israeli government says it is to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing into the country and to stop smuggling. The 240-kilometer-long, $370 million barrier will be part fence and part surveillance technology. The project was announced in January by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "This is a strategic decision to ensure the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel," he said. The Israeli military estimates around 5,000 infiltrators entered Israel over the past year as well as 1.3 tonnes of hash and 130 kilograms of heroin. Israeli human rights group Hotline for Migrant Workers estimates 90 percent of those crossing the border illegally are refugees from northern Africa. The rest are thought to be migrant workers or traffickers of drugs and women. The barrier could take several years to build across some difficult terrain. Israel's former ambassador to Egypt, Eli Shaked, told CNN there is nothing political about the decision to build it. "It is a necessity. It had to be done a long time ago. It is not something directed at Egypt," he said. Israel has already built a controversial barrier separating the West Bank from Israel. Construction started in 2002 in an attempt to stem the tide of Palestinian suicide bombing attacks during the course of the second intifada, which began in September 2000. Palestinians claim it is a land grab and has separated farmers from their lands and sometimes families from each other. The United Nations says 80 percent of it is built on Palestinian land.

Construction begins on a barrier along Israel's southern border . It will be part fence and part surveillance technology . The barrier, announced in January, will take several years to complete .

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(CNN) -- Freddie Prinze Jr. and Kiefer Sutherland have very different memories of working together on "24." The two actors co-starred on the Fox series in 2010, and according to Prinze the experience was so bad it left him wanting to change careers. "It was terrible," Prinze told ABC News of his stint on "24." "I hated every moment of it. ... I just wanted to quit the business after that. So I just sort of stopped." Prinze didn't leave acting -- he was at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend promoting his Disney XD series "Star Wars Rebels," and has worked on TV series "Bones" and "Witches of East End" within the past year. But according to Prinze, it was Sutherland in particular who made him want to throw in the towel. "Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world," Prinze said of the "24" star. "That's not me talking trash, I'd say it to his face. I think everyone that's worked with him has said that." Well, it doesn't seem that way. In a statement to ABC News, Sutherland's rep said that Sutherland didn't know Prinze wasn't his biggest fan. "Kiefer worked with Freddie Prinze, Jr. more than 5 years ago, and this is the first he has heard of Freddie's grievances," Sutherland's rep said. "Kiefer enjoyed working with Freddie and wishes him the best."

Freddie Prinze Jr. says working with Kiefer Sutherland almost made him quit acting . The actor and Sutherland co-starred on "24" in 2010 . Sutherland's rep says this is the first time Sutherland has heard of Prinze Jr.'s complaints .

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Leicester boss Richard Cockerill hit back at the club's critics after their 22-16 win at home to Harlequins ended a run of three successive Aviva Premiership defeats. Cockerill said some of the 'stick' from the media had been unfair but admitted he was relieved to avoid a repeat of 2003, the last time they lost four in a row. 'I'm relieved, I'm happy for the players and the club because we have had some stick in the last few weeks,' he said. Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill patrols the touchline of the Midlands ground . Blaine Scully of Leicester Tigers runs in for the opening try against Harlequins at Welford Road . 'When people say we have lost the hunger and there's no pride in the shirt, that's just rubbish. 'People who know this place should have a bit of respect. They can shout at me and think I'm poor but don't attack the quality of this club and what it's about. 'We have won the Premiership three times in the last six years, we have won it 10 times. We have won the Heineken twice and produced Lions and England players. 'There are lots of things that are fantastic about this place. You can abuse me but don't abuse the club, that's just not right.' Young Welsh centre Owen Williams kicked 17 points on a filthy night, landing five penalties out of nine and converting a fourth-minute try by winger Blaine Scully to earn Leicester only their third win of the season. It moved them up to seventh place in the table on 14 points, one place behind Harlequins on the same points. Quins, who had few chances, scored a late try through scrum-half Karl Dickson who replaced England's Danny Care after he withdrew due to his wife having a baby. Fly-half Nick Evans kicked 11 points. Cockerill praised his players but insisted there was still plenty to work on before the European Champions Cup clash at home to Ulster next weekend. American winger Blaine Scully slides under the posts to score the first try of the Aviva Premiership match . Nick Evans of Harlequins kicks over Leicester fly-half Freddie Burns as Charlie Matthews watches on . 'There's lots to solve but it's nice to be able to solve it from a winning point of view,' he said. 'It relieves the pressure a bit but we come back next week against Ulster and carry on. There's still lots to do. 'We can be better than we were tonight. But I thought the work-rate and attitude of the players, and the way we managed the game, was fantastic. 'We played some good stuff and controlled the game well. Quins did not have many opportunities.' Cockerill revealed that England flanker Tom Croft will be out for six weeks and will miss the autumn internationals after having a screw removed from the knee which needed a reconstruction last season. Harlequins boss Conor O'Shea said his side had paid the price for losing the kicking game in the rain. He said: 'We got stuck in the middle of the pitch and we did not deal with their kicking game. The only time we held on to the ball was when we scored. 'We did not play in the right areas of the pitch. That's the disappointing thing in conditions like that. 'We are not playing as well as we can and we have to go away and work hard until we turn it around, and we will.' Welsh fly-half Owen Williams, of Leicester kicks a penalty as the hosts pull ahead . England and Lions star Tom Croft faces six weeks on the sidelines with a knee problem .

Leicester beat Quins 22-16 to end their three-match losing run . American winger Blaine Scully scored decisive try for Leicester . Tigers end three-game losing run with victory at Welford Road . Welshman Owen Williams kicked 17 points for the hosts . Karl Dickson salvaged bonus point for Quins with late try . Tom Croft faces six weeks out with fresh injury problem .

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By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 06:08 EST, 3 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:05 EST, 3 July 2013 . A family escaped being hurt after a runaway car ploughed into their sitting room seconds after they left the room to go and inspect the father's DIY in a bedroom. Dylan Harries, wife Jody, and his stepchildren Sam, 19, and Hannah, 15, had just nipped upstairs to admire Mr Harries' work when the Citroen C4 smashed into their house in Penarth, south Wales. The car took out the front wall of the house in a quiet residential street, shattering the windows and television and leaving the room littered with broken glass and splintered wood. The Harries family had left the sitting room just before a car ploughed into the house in Penarth, south Wales . Wreckage: The wall, windows, television, DVD player and ornaments were all smashed in the accident . Mr Harries, 31, a painter and decorator, said: 'I can't bear to think about what might have happened.' He said it sounded 'like a bomb exploding' when the accident happened at 11.45pm on Saturday night. The family ran outside and watched as the driver of the car attempted to reverse out of the wreckage of the house. Mr Harries said they saw a man from the back seat collapse out of the car, and a woman in the front passenger seat. A doctor eating at a restaurant over the road saw what had happened and ran over to help the man from the back seat until an ambulance arrived. Mr Harries said: 'Our whole home is a complete disaster.  Everything has been ruined and there is rubble everywhere. What a mess: The accident happened after Mr Harries had spent hours decorating his step-daughter's room . Structurally unstable: The house is now said to be unsafe and the Harries family are staying with family nearby . 'There is no front wall and he took out the windows too, as well as the TV, the DVDs, the surround sound system, all the ornaments - all have been destroyed.' He added: 'We don’t have contents insurance so that’s all gone, but also priceless stuff like ornaments the kids had given my wife, and the only framed photograph I have of my late dad - all ruined.' After the car was recovered from the house there was a large hole in the front of the £700-a-month rented semi, leaving it structurally unstable, so the Harries family is now staying with family nearby. Police said Sean Richard Sweeney, 30, from . Llandough, has been charged with failing to provide a specimen for . analysis and dangerous driving.  He will appear before Cardiff . Magistrates Court on July 18. The car was removed from the house by a crane, leaving a gaping hole in the front wall of the property . The rented semi-detached house is in a quiet residential street in Penarth, south Wales .

Dylan Harries was upstairs with family when Citroen smashed into lounge . Mr Harries, 31, had asked his wife and children to admire his handiwork . Their rented house in Penarth, south Wales, now 'structurally unstable' Sean Richard Sweeney, of Llandough, charged with dangerous driving .

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(CNN) -- Two Russian bombers have landed at a Venezuelan airfield where they will carry out training flights for several days, the Russian defense ministry said Wednesday. Russia's Tupolev TU-160, pictured here in 2003, is a long-range strategic bomber. The Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers landed at Venezuela's Libertador military airfield and "will spend several days carrying out training flights over neutral waters, after which they will return to the base," the ministry added. NATO fighters followed the bombers on their 13-hour flight over the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic, the defense ministry said. It said the Russian flights were carried out in strict accordance with international rules governing airspace above neutral waters, and that the aircraft did not violate the borders of other states. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said such joint exercises between nations are not unusual. "We exercise all around the globe and have joint exercises with countries all over the world. So do many other nations." The U.S. will monitor the Russian-Venezuelan training, said Pentagon officials who asked not to be identified as they are not authorized to speak on the information. On Monday, Russia announced it might hold joint naval maneuvers with Venezuela in the Caribbean. The declaration came amid increased tension between Russia and the United States over Russia's invasion last month of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, a U.S. ally that aspires to join NATO. On Monday Russia denied any link between that announcement and the conflict in Georgia, although Russia has criticized U.S. support for Georgia. Russia has also objected to the missile defense system agreement, signed between the United States and Poland and the Czech Republic in August, that places a ground-based ballistic defense facility in the two eastern European nations. Russia has said the deal threatens its security, while the United States has said that the system is to guard against rogue states such as Iran. Earlier this month, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whose comments have frequently antagonized Washington, said it would welcome the Russian air force, according to Russian news agency Novosti. "If Russian long-range bombers should need to land in Venezuela, we would not object to that either. We will also welcome them," Chavez said on September 1, according to Novosti. CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this story .

Moscow: Russian bombers using Venezuela airfield to train over neutral waters . Russian defense ministry spokesman: NATO fighters followed bombers . News agency: Venezuelan president says he'd welcome Russian air force . Move comes amid growing tension between Washington and Moscow .

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HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Juan Almeida, a Cuban revolutionary who fought alongside former Communist leader Fidel Castro, died of a heart attack Friday evening, according to state media. Almeida, left, sits with President Raul Castro on January 1, the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Almeida, 82, was among only a handful of surviving Cuban leaders who still bore the title "Commander of the Revolution." A vice president and member of the Communist government Central Committee, Almeida was among only a few black leaders in top government posts. He died of cardiac arrest late Friday evening, according Juventud Rebelde, Cuba's state-run youth newspaper. Widely admired among Cuban nationals, Almeida fought with Fidel and Raul Castro at the start of their campesino-led revolution, participating in the failed attacks on the Moncada army barracks in 1953 and later aboard the famed yacht, "Granma," that carried the small group of Cuban rebels who would later topple U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. Almeida's death highlights the mortality of an aging cast of Cuba's revolutionary leaders. Widespread speculation surrounding the health of Fidel Castro grew in 2006 after the former Communist leader underwent abdominal surgery and later ceded the presidency to his younger brother, Raul. The elder Castro has recently appeared in a series of photos and video looking healthier, though he has not appeared in public since 2006. Cuban state media reported that Sunday will be a day of national mourning and that flags will be flown at half-staff.

Cuban revolutionary Juan Almeida died of a heart attack Friday evening . Almeida, 82, was a vice president and member of the Central Committee . He was among only a few black leaders in top government posts . Almeida fought with the Castros at the start of their campesino-led revolution .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:26 EST, 6 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:11 EST, 6 January 2014 . Georgina Bloomberg, the daughter of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, showed off her fabulous figure just weeks after giving birth to her first child. Miss Bloomberg, 30, who gave birth to son . Jasper on Christmas Eve, also opened up about her new life as a mom - . and the former mayor's new role as a grandfather. The 30-year-old looked healthy and slim in a flowing, red strapless dress as she attended an event in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday at the invitation of the Trump family. Miss Bloomberg grinned as she posed for a picture alongside Ivanka Trump and her daughter Arabella at the second annual Trump Invitational Grand Prix. Grandpa: Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is now a proud grandfather after his daughter gave birth to a baby boy on Christmas Eve . Pictured from left, socialites Paige Bellisimo, Ivanka Trump and Georgina Bloomberg attend the exclusive event in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday . New mother: Ivanka Trump shared an image on her Instagram of herself, her daughter Arabella and Georgina Bloomberg at the second annual Trump Invitational in Florida . The 30-year-old new mom looked svelte just two weeks after giving birth to her first baby on Christmas Eve . Miss Bloomberg describes her . former-mayor father as standoffish with babies, claiming that the only . time she remembers seeing him handle one was while kissing them on the . campaign trail. But . the first time he held his new grandson, Jasper Michael Brown Quintana, . the former leader of Gotham appeared slightly more at home. 'He didn’t drop him!' Miss Bloomberg said in an exclusive interview with the New York Post on Sunday. 'He didn’t choke up or cry,' she continued, 'he was just very happy and thought Jasper was adorable. 'I’ve . said in the past that my dad isn’t good around kids, but I guess when . it’s your own flesh and blood, it comes more naturally.' Shortly after little Jasper was born, her powerful father arrived at New York-Presbyterian Hospital carrying a bouquet of flowers and a gold charm bracelet for his daughter. 'He picked it out himself,' Miss Bloomberg, a 30-year-old professional horsewoman and animal rights activist, told the paper. Georgina and the baby's father, fellow horseman Ramiro Quintana, are now sharing baby-sitting duties but she admits that she and her longtime boyfriend have hired people to help raise the young heir to the $11 billion Bloomberg fortune. Nepotism: . The Trump heiress posed alongside country crooner Hunter Hayes, . equestrian Paige Bellisimo, and equestrian Georgina Bloomberg, whose . father is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg . Powerful . pair: Ivanka and Georgina have more than a little in common, having . both grown up the daughters of such powerful, wealthy men of influence . Melania and Ivanka Trump with Georgina Bloomberg at the 2014 Trump Invitational Grand Prix at The Mar-a-Lago Club . Georgina Bloomberg makes some remarks at the glamorous event in Florida while Ivanka and Melania Trump look on . 'I am lucky enough to be in a position to be able to afford help, but I . really want to be involved and experience the responsibility and, of . course, the bonding,' Georgina says. 'Having a baby is something I’ve . always wanted and I’m obviously going to do as much for him myself as I . possibly can.' Georgina's decision to have a baby out of wedlock with her 36-year-old Argentinian-born boyfriend raised eyebrows amongst her friends and family, but she says people have accepted her non-traditional family situation, noting that becoming pregnant was 'a surprise' 'It was a happy surprise, something that we both wanted and were ready for,' she says. 'When . it happened, we were very happy and so were our parents. My dad and I . are different people, but we are 100 per cent supportive of each other.' Georgina met Quintana when she was 15 and . a member of the East Coast riding circuit. The couple dated on-and-off . for years before becoming serious in October of 2012. The couple began . trying to have a baby in the spring. Miss Bloomberg listens intently as Donald Trump makes a speech at his event in Palm Beach . 'Horse people': Georgina says her unorthodox living situation with boyfriend Ramiro Quintana has been accepted by their families . In September, Georgina sparked controversy when she opted to ride in the Hampton Classic while five months pregnant. 'I felt good and I just listened to my body about when it was time to . stop,' says Georgina, who placed third in the competition. 'I was careful and chose horses which were less prone to anything . happening.' Georgina, it should be noted, is hoping to land a spot on the 2016 Olympic equestrian team. While she and Quintana share an apartment in the posh Central Park West section of New York, the young heiress spends the majority of her time at her farm Upstate and at her estate in Florida. Quintana spends his summers running a stable in Virginia. Of their unorthodox living arrangements as young parents, Georgina says, 'Ramiro and I are horse people, first and foremost. 'That’s . just the challenge of our lifestyle and [in the horse world] you’re not . going to find somebody who can be by your side every day. 'At the same time, I’m not really sure I’m the sort of person who would want that either. We’re both very independent.' The couple has no plans to marry, Georgina says, and she received no pressure from her family to tie the knot after she became pregnant. 'By now, my family has gotten used to the idea that I do things my own way,' she says. 'I love the idea of being with one person for the rest of your life, but I don’t think you need a piece of paper to do that.'

Georgina Bloomberg, 30, gave birth to her son Jasper on Christmas Eve . Jasper is former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg's first and only grandchild . The baby's father is Georgina's longtime boyfriend Ramiro Quintana .

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The sun's magnetic field may be responsible for increasing the number of lightning strikes on Earth, a study has claimed. Research into the UK's weather system found that lightning strikes in the UK increased by up to 50 per cent when our planet's magnetic field was bent by the sun. And the findings could be used to make reliable forecasts of electrical storms in the future. A University of Reading study claims the sun is increasing Earth's lightning (stock image shown). They found that strikes increased when our magnetic field was bent by solar activity. This allows more particles to enter the atmosphere and cause lightning (stock illustration shown) As it rotates, the sun temporarily 'bends' the Earth's magnetic field allowing a shower of energetic particles to enter the upper atmosphere. Normally, the Earth's magnetic field acts as a force-field stopping it from being bombarded by particles from space, known as galactic cosmic rays. These have previously been found to prompt a chain-reaction of events in thunderclouds that trigger lightning bolts. But, research by the University of Reading found over a five-year period the UK experienced around 50 per cent more lightning strikes when the Earth's magnetic field was skewed by the sun's own magnetic field. Previous research from the University of Reading suggested that high-energy particles from the sun, known as the solar wind, creates a ‘pathway’ need for lightning ot travel. They say that the solar wind – in which the particles are propelled from the sun’s atmosphere at around a million miles per hour – charges the air, meaning a lesser current is needed for a lightning bolt to strike. Cosmic rays – another source of charged particles from exploding stars on the other side of the Universe – are thought to be another trigger for lightning. The results could prove useful for weather forecasters, since solar winds synchronise with the rotation of the sun, sweeping into Earth’s atmosphere at regular intervals. Dr Matt Owens said: 'We've discovered that the sun's powerful magnetic field is having a big influence on UK lightning rates. 'The sun's magnetic field is like a bar magnet, so as the sun rotates its magnetic field alternately points toward and away from the Earth, pulling the Earth's own magnetic field one way and then another.' The findings could pave the way for an accurate forecasting system to warn of possible electrical storms many weeks in advance. To do so, weather forecasters would need to combine conventional forecasts with accurate predictions of the sun's spiral-shaped magnetic field known as the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF). This field is spewed out as the sun rotates and is dragged through the solar system by the solar wind. The study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, used satellite and Met Office data to show that between 2001 and 2006, the UK experienced a 50 per cent increase in thunderstorms when the HMF pointed towards the sun and away from Earth. This change of direction can skew or 'bend' the Earth's own magnetic field, which could expose some regions of the upper atmosphere to more galactic cosmic rays - tiny particles from across the universe accelerated to close to the speed of light by exploding stars. Lightning strikes in the UK (stock image shown) were found to increase by 50% when Earth's magnetic field was skewed by the sun. And the findings could allow for accurate predictions of electrical storms . The study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, used satellite and Met Office data to show that between 2001 and 2006, the UK experienced a 50 per cent increase in thunderstorms when the sun's magnetic field pointed towards Earth (bottom), as opposed to away from Earth (top) Dr Owens added: 'From our results, we propose that galactic cosmic rays are channelled to different locations around the globe, which can trigger lightning in already charged-up thunderclouds. 'The changes to our magnetic field could also make thunderstorms more likely by acting like an extra battery in the atmospheric electric circuit, helping to further "charge up" clouds.' It adds to previous research that found an unexpected link between energetic particles from the sun and lightning rates on Earth. Professor Giles Harrison, head of the Department of Meteorology said: 'This latest finding is an important step forward in our knowledge of how the weather on Earth is influenced by what goes on in space. 'The University of Reading's continuing success in this area shows that new insights follow from atmospheric and space scientists working together. 'Scientists have been reliably predicting the solar magnetic field polarity since the 1970s by watching the surface of the sun. 'We just never knew it had any implications on the weather on Earth. We now plan to combine regular weather forecasts, which predict when and where thunderclouds will form, with solar magnetic field predictions. 'This means a reliable lightning forecast could now be a genuine possibility.'

University of Reading study says the sun is increasing Earth's lightning . They found that strikes increased when our magnetic field was bent by solar activity, allowing more cosmic rays to enter the atmosphere . Lightning strikes in the UK were found to increase by 50% when Earth's magnetic field was skewed by the sun . And the findings could allow for accurate predictions of electrical storms .

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(CNN) -- Your grown-up kids aren't coming home for Christmas. They're all married, and it's the in-laws' turn to host dinner in another state. Or your divorce is finally final, and your ex has the kids this year. Yes, you can celebrate a few days later, but what do you do on Christmas? "The holidays are an extremely difficult time and bring up a lot of memories of the missing loved ones," said R. Robert Auger, a psychiatrist with the Mayo Clinic. "Break the familiar routine that could bring up potentially painful memories," Auger suggested. Whatever your circumstances, it's your time. For you, the anti-Christmas crowd, we offer a range of options to get away from St. Nick. While it may be too late for a far-flung escape this year, imagine yourself taking these trips next year and put your name at the top of Santa's list. Spiritual exploration in India . Head to northern India to explore the four major religious traditions of the Indian Himalaya. Asia Transpacific Journeys offers its "In the Realm of the Spirit" tour, which explores the Buddhist tradition in Ladakh, the Sikh tradition in Amritsar, the mystic yogic tradition in Rishikesh and the Dalai Lama's home in exile in Dharamsala. The agency will customize a December trip with a private car and driver at about the same cost as its 17-day tour scheduled for September (which starts at $8,295). This trip ends at the Ananda Spa in the Himalayas, voted as the world's best destination spa by Condé Nast Traveler. iReport: Atheists, do you celebrate the holidays? "The cultures in this area of northern India practice four different religious traditions -- Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism," said Rebecca Mazzaro, Asia Transpacific Journeys' India specialist. "It's a compelling and eye-opening experience to spend Christmas gaining an understanding of other faiths, even while our own culture is celebrating its biggest religious holiday. Visits to sacred religious sites, orphanages and practicing meditation might not be your traditional present-exchange-type thing to do at Christmas. But on a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, it's easy to imagine Christ making a similar pilgrimage." Thai elephant ride . Explore Thailand's Golden Triangle in luxury at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle. A three-day adventure includes private round-trip transfers between Chiang Rai International Airport and the camp, accommodations, food and drink, one spa treatment, training to drive an elephant, trekking and a Golden Triangle trip. "Guests will learn to drive an Asian elephant, travel down the Mekong River, and have the opportunity to relax in this extraordinary jungle location," Ellen Bettridge, vice president of American Express U.S. Retail Travel Network, said in an e-mail. Members of American Express' Fine Hotels & Resorts program who book with a Platinum Card receive guaranteed late checkout and special amenities. Guests may also contribute to the rescue of elephants from Thai cities through donations to the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation. Rates begin at $2,500. It's Vegas, baby . While tourists visiting Las Vegas can celebrate a traditional Christmas, why not be decadent instead? For those looking for a high-end experience, travelers can get 30% off at the Wynn Las Vegas or Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. The Aria is offering 20% off, plus two free buffets. The Mandalay Bay is also offering 20% off, plus two free buffets. "Guests looking for nontraditional celebrations can do anything from take a helicopter ride to see a burlesque show, relax at a spa or even mingle with a celebrity at a nightclub," said Dan Hippler, vice president of marketing for VEGAS.com, where more hotel and show deals are available. Jewish New York . Jewish residents of New York know Christmas Day is the best time to eat Chinese food and see an opening-day movie. To dig a little deeper into the Lower East Side's present-day Jewish worship and rich history dating back to 1654, book a custom tour with the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy, where trained tour guides specializing in different aspects of Jewish life are available, starting at $125. Tours can focus on a group's specific interests, religious traditions and kid-friendly walks. "We make it possible for people to get inside a lot of less well-known but historical centers and sacred sites on the Lower East Side," said Laurie Tobias Cohen, the group's executive director. The conservancy also recommends nearby hotels and restaurants. Call in advance to make reservations, especially for December 23-26. Too much togetherness? Even if you enjoy celebrating with your loved ones, too much togetherness can get overwhelming. Guests at Eventi, a Kimpton Hotel in Manhattan, can take a break with the hotel's In-Law Relief Package during the Christmas weekend. The package is available December 23-26 and includes a $50 credit at the mini bar, 20% off the hotel spa, complimentary gift wrapping, free spiked cider cocktails, eggnog, menorah lighting, dreidels and gelt during wine hour. Call 866-996-8396 and use promo code INLAW when booking. If you're not traveling to Manhattan, consider that any hotel qualifies as a home away from your relatives. Think about someone else . Say you can't afford to travel halfway around the world to get away from Christmas. Call to volunteer at a soup kitchen on the holiday. Head to your local senior living facility, where many staffers want to celebrate Christmas with their families but still have to work on the holiday. Get out of your head and do a good deed. It's good for you.

In India, travelers can explore religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism . Learn to drive an elephant and travel down the Mekong River in Thailand . Go behind the scenes of the Lower East Side's vibrant Jewish community .

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(CNN) -- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that same-sex marriages can resume in California, a move that the Supreme Court paved the way for on Wednesday. Three judges on the appeals court made it possible for local governments to issue marriage certificates for gay and lesbian couples with a few words: "The stay in the above matter is dissolved effective immediately." Very soon after, cheers erupted and camera flashes flickered as Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier obtained a marriage license and wed at San Francisco's city hall. The two were one of the couples who sued to stop a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage from taking effect. "This is a profound day for our country, and it's just the right thing," said California Attorney General Kamala Harris, shortly before presiding over Perry's and Stier's wedding ceremony. "Justice is finally being served." California's Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage in May 2008, ruling that the state's constitution gives "this basic civil right to (marry to) all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples." But months later, 52% of voters backed Proposition 8 to once again restrict marriages so that they can only be between a man and a woman. The measure put gay and lesbian marriages on hold in the state, though lawsuits followed. State officials declined to stand behind Proposition 8 -- and, thus, its prohibition on gay marriage -- though private parties did step in and offer to do so. A federal appeals court later ruled that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional, though it still issued a stay on same-sex marriages until the U.S. Supreme Court could weigh in. That happened in a 5-4 decision Wednesday, when the high court dismissed an appeal of that federal court ruling on jurisdictional grounds. That meant Friday's news -- the resumption of same-sex marriages in the Golden State -- was expected, even though no one knew when it would happen. The Supreme Court ruled that the private parties backing Proposition 8 did not have "standing" to defend the ballot measure. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by fellow conservative Justice Antonin Scalia and more liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan. "We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend a state statute when state officials have chosen not to," wrote Roberts. This decision was cheered by gay marriage supporters in California, though it skirted the larger issue of whether same-sex marriage is a constitutional "equal protection" right that should apply to all states. So, too, did another landmark ruling that same day on United States v. Windsor: It struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act and found that the federal government must recognize legal same-sex marriages, though it did not compel them to be legalized in the 37 states where they currently are not. Supreme Court cases rest of citizens who sued, made history . Still, both decisions were resoundingly cheered by gay rights supporters. Many who believe marriage should only be between a man and a woman, however, were disappointed. And that held to form on Friday as well, after the 9th Circuit's ruling allowing same-sex marriages in California. "This outrageous act tops off a chronic pattern of lawlessness, throughout this case, by judges and politicians hell-bent on thwarting the vote of the people to redefine marriage by any means, even outright corruption," the Proposition Legal Defense Fund said in a statement. "...If our opponents rejoice in achieving their goal in a dishonorable fashion, they should be ashamed." CNN's Erica Henry contributed to this report.

Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier wed at San Francisco City Hall . They do so after a federal appeals court lifts an order banning same-sex marriages . The U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for the move with a ruling Wednesday . Prop 8 supporters say those cheering "should be ashamed"

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(CNN) -- President Obama visits Mexico with many issues on the table, but reinstating the ban on assault weapons in the U.S. isn't likely to be one on which the two countries can reach agreement. Mexican federal police officers this week display an arsenal seized near the U.S. border. Mexican officials say criminals use assault weapons from the U.S. in the violent border region. Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S., say reinstating the ban would stop the deadly flow of weapons across the border. Under the Clinton administration in 1994, Congress banned possession of 19 military-style assault weapons. The ban was allowed to expire 10 years later during the Bush administration. Earlier this year, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that Obama would like to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons, noting, "I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico at a minimum." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last month that as a senator, she supported a measure to reinstate it. And the urban policy section of the White House Web site says Obama and Vice President Joe Biden "support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent." Obama still supports reinstating the ban, as he did during the presidential campaign, but there are no plans to reintroduce it anytime soon, according to an administration official. Obama thinks more can be done to stop the illegal flow of weapons to Mexico within existing laws, the official said, noting that the president has taken steps to deploy more law enforcement to curb the illegal flows of drugs, weapons and cash in both directions across the border. The administration is unaware of any broad-based efforts in Congress to reinstate the ban, the official said. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told CBS on Thursday that reinstating the ban "simply is not part of the plan that we're talking about here." Watch what Napolitano says about drug violence » . The Obama administration says the U.S. shares responsibility for the situation in Mexico, but as far as the ban goes, "there's a lot on our plate," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. Watch what's on the table for Obama's trip to Mexico » . Gun rights advocates stress that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to own firearms without restriction. Gun control supporters interpret the amendment to mean that states shall keep militias but that an individual's right to own firearms may be restricted. Those who support the assault weapons ban as a way to curb violence cite figures from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that say American gun sellers supply the Mexican drug cartels with 95 percent to 100 percent of their guns. But others say that claim cannot be substantiated -- and argue that less that 20 percent of weapons used in crimes in Mexico are traced to the U.S. Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association of America, says U.S. rights are not the cause of Mexico's wrongs. In a commentary on CNN.com, LaPierre wrote that to believe U.S. freedoms are fueling the violence "you have to believe these butchers and beheaders break every Mexican law they want except Mexican gun laws, which they honor -- while they break American gun laws." "Everything Mexico's murderous thugs are doing is already illegal. At issue is not the absence of law, but the absence of political will to enforce the laws that both nations already possess," he wrote. On the other side, however, there are those who say loopholes in America's gun laws fuel violence in both Mexico and the United States. "We need to realize that the Mexican drug cartels are arming themselves here because our gun laws have loopholes so large that criminals and gun traffickers can easily drive gun-laden trucks through them," former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, wrote in a commentary for CNN.com. "We need to prevent Mexican criminals and the traffickers who supply them from buying guns by changing our gun laws and strengthening U.S. law enforcement's ability to crack down on corrupt gun dealers." On the eve of Obama's arrival, Calderon told ABC he thought the weapons ban was "very good legislation." "During that period, we didn't suffer a lot, like we suffered in the four or five years," he said. And Sarukhan told CBS this weekend, "There's a direct correlation between the expiration of the assault weapons ban and our seizures of assault weapons." He said, "We cannot determine how Congress and the administration will move on this. What we will say is that this is one of the instruments by reinstating the ban that could have a profound impact on the number and the caliber of weapons going down to Mexico." Obama was to meet Thursday with Calderon in Mexico City ahead of his trip to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas. But Mexico isn't the only consideration when it comes to gun control. In the United States, gun control is a wedge issue -- and one that can carry serious political ramifications. Democrats tend to shy away from remarks that could be interpreted as anti-gun, especially in swing states and districts. (Remember the frenzy that ensued after then-candidate Obama said people in small towns get bitter and "cling to guns or religion"?) Democrats are usually thought of as the party more likely to enforce ownership restrictions, while Republicans are associated with ownership rights. As a candidate, Obama promised, "I'm not going to take away your guns.'' Any other message would have been unpopular in the traditionally Republican states he won such as North Carolina and Virginia. Other Democrats, such as Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb of Virginia, also are getting elected with the help of NRA supporters. Even so, with a Democrat in the White House and a Democrat-controlled Congress, there's been a surge in requests for background checks of potential gun buyers, according to the FBI, and some gun owners say they think restrictions are somewhere on Obama's to-do list. Asked Thursday if it's just too politically difficult now to reinstate the ban, Gibbs said, "I think the president believes that we can have a greater outcome in the short term working to enforce the laws that are on our books."

Mexico: U.S. ban on assault weapons would curtail flow of weapons into country . Ban instituted in 1994 during Clinton era and expired 10 years later . President Obama has no immediate plans to try to reinstate ban, official says . Obama meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Mexico City .

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A violent temper: Vincent Sisounong has been accused in the grisly crime, one which his brother believes he committed . Two men have been accused of breaking into a Washington home last month looking to torture strangers for a ‘thrill kill' but their target escaped before dying. Vincent Sisounong, 21, and Blessing Gainey, 19, broke into a Kirkland home Oct 12, pulled a teenager from his bed and methodically stabbed and sliced his writhing body while trying to slowly bleed him to death - at one point even trying to hack one of his legs off, officials said. Though Mr Sisounong's mother told MailOnline she does not believe he committed the horrific attack, the troubled man's brother told a local television station he believes the 21-year-old was involved. Prosecutors told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer the 18-year-old victim suffered ‘bone-deep cuts to his legs, shoulder and head and was losing large amounts of blood’ by the time paramedics arrived. Charging papers detailed by the Post-Intelligencer contend the two men broke into the house just before 6am with plans to kill. ‘They broke into the home of complete strangers with the intent to kill,’ said the papers. The son of Laotian immigrants, Mr Sisounong told detectives that he wanted the victim to ‘fight for his life’ and acknowledged the torture was enjoyable. Sound asleep in his bedroom, the unidentified victim was dragged from his bed a knife-point with threats made against his sister and parents if he failed to go along with the plan, said the papers. The doomed teen was moved to the family’s garage, where the two sickos first tried to chop off his leg, detectives said. Quickly losing blood, he somehow broke free and set off a car alarm in the garage - but was ordered to his knees as Mr Sisounong hacked at his shoulder and face - before escaping back into the house and cowering inside a bathroom. Scroll down for video . Shocking crime: This is the neighborhood where the attack happened, though it is not clear in which house it occurred . While Mr Gainey ran from the home, his partner went after the tortured teen, breaking through the door and trying to stab the 18-year-old through the door in a scene reminiscent of the film ‘The Shining.’ The terrified teenager punched his attacker in the face, causing him to flee the grisly scene just before cops arrived. Hospitalized for five days, the teen has mostly recovered from his injuries, but his tormenters remain in custody. Motivated by ‘pleasure and greed,’ the two sociopaths ‘broke into the home of complete strangers and tortured and stabbed a young man,’ the prosecutor said in the charging papers, according to the Post-Intelligencer. ‘They made repeated threats to kill the victim and stabbed him in his legs, shoulder, head and hands,’ the papers continued. Cops charged Mr Gainey after matching a fingerprint left on the teen’s door, he copped to the charged and turned stoolie on Mr Sisounong, said the papers. Further questioning of the duo led investigators to determine that Mr Sinsounong initially found the sleeping teen on the home’s third floor while Mr Gainey waited on the floor below. Also accused: Blessing Gainey, 19, has been accused to trying to hack the teen's leg off . ‘Sisounong stated that after finding (the teen) and his sister asleep in their beds on the third floor, he returned to Gainey on the second floor and stated that they had to kill them,’ detectives said. ‘Sisounong said that Gainey agreed to participate after debating the decision for ‘3-5 minutes,’ setting the horrifying chain of events into motion. Mr Sisounong, who appears to have been the main aggressor in the attack, said he ‘really wanted’ to kill the young man after talking to him for about half an hour, officials said. Phayvanh Sisounong, mother of Mr Sisounong, refuses to believe her son was responsible for the attack. When asked by MailOnline, she replied 'not really, I don't believe my son [would] do anything bad.' The shocked mother said her son is the father of a five-year-old boy. She also revealed that his father was never part of his life and that she hasn't spoken her son since his incarceration. Though not still with the mother of his son, the 22-year-old woman is the only person who can visit Mr Sisounong in jail, as Ms Sisounong must provide round-the-clock care for her disabled daughter. She noted that he has never been in trouble in school or with the law in the past, to her knowledge. Additionally, Dan Sayaseuth, Mr Sisounong's brother, told KIRO that the troubled young man has a violent temper and has threatened him with violence in the past. He also said he does believe Mr Sisounong was capable of the attack. The brothers do not get along, according to Ms Sisounong, who admitted she does not talk to Mr Sayaseuth. Neither has a ‘substantial criminal history,’ according to the Post-Intelligencer. They are scheduled to be arraigned Nov 12, according to the Seattle Times.

Vincent Sisounong, 21, and Blessing Gainey, 19, have been charged with first degree attempted murder and first-degree burglary . The duo dragged a teen from his bed, into the garage and tried to hack off one of his legs . Unsuccessful, Mr Sisounong hacked away at the teenager's head and shoulder before chasing him back into the home . He called the torture 'enjoyable' and said he 'really wanted' to kill the victim . A family member told local media he was threatened with violence in the past by the troubled man, and believes he committed the attack .

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PARIS, France (CNN) -- Opposition lawmakers Tuesday ridiculed President Nicolas Sarkozy for taking France back into NATO's military command after more than 40 years, but were unable to stop the move when it came to a vote. French troops on patrol with the Afghan army as part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The National Assembly voted in favor of Sarkozy's plan, 329-238. Socialist Laurent Fabius, a former prime minister, told Prime Minister Francois Fillon: "You tell us this would mean more independence and more influence. It would probably mean less independence and less influence." The move did not technically require parliamentary approval, but the president's party scheduled the debate to give opponents a chance to voice their opinions -- and to show a majority backed it. Asking the National Assembly to vote on the issue also showed how sensitive the matter is in France. France was a founding member of the NATO alliance in 1949 but it left the military structure in 1966 amid friction with the United States. "To cooperate is to lose your independence," French President Charles de Gaulle said at the time. For the next 43 years, even though France selectively participated in NATO military operations, de Gaulle's principle remained the governing cornerstone of French foreign policy. If Paris took orders from NATO military commanders, it was reasoned, the nation would no longer have complete control of its destiny. Sarkozy, however, believes the opposite -- that cooperation in NATO is a guarantee of French independence. Rejoining NATO's military command, he argued, will give France a seat at the table for decision-making. From its earliest years, the organization's trans-Atlantic ties were strained because U.S. analysts warned that if the European allies failed to increase their contributions to the alliance, they risked losing the support of the United States, according to NATO. Meanwhile, the European nations felt the United States was trying to dominate the organization, according to NATO. De Gaulle's 1966 decision meant no French forces could be under permanent allied command and that France would have no participation in defense planning. In 1995, France rejoined NATO's military committee, which advises NATO's political authorities on military policy and strategy and provides guidance on military matters to NATO's strategic commanders. While France was still not a part of the military command, it contributed troops and funding to NATO activities, including actions in Kosovo and Afghanistan. Half of all French troops outside the country are assigned to NATO military operations. Opponents of Sarkozy's move -- who include some members of his party -- believe de Gaulle, not Sarkozy, had it right. They started a last-minute petition drive to stop his march back into NATO. "With this decision, France will return as a subordinate country and will lose its ability to represent another image in the world," said Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, a member of the French National Assembly. The president's allies calculate Sarkozy's move will strengthen Europe's hand on defense issues. "There will be more European weight in the way decisions will be made," said Louis Giscard d'Estaing, a member of the National Assembly's U.S. Friendship Committee. "Therefore, the balance of power between the USA and Europe will be re-established within this French move." CNN's Sunaina Karkarey and Jim Bittermann contributed to this report .

French National Assembly backs president's plan to rejoin NATO . President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan is politically sensitive . France was a founding member of NATO but left in 1966 . President Charles de Gaulle said in 1966 membership meant losing independence .

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By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 12:23 EST, 26 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:38 EST, 27 February 2013 . Farmers' subsidies: The money is being clawed back because of 'inadequate control procedures' in the handing out of farmer subsidies . The European Commission is demanding £86 million back from Britain for failing to stick EU farming rules. The money is being clawed back because of 'inadequate control procedures' in the use of the farming subsidies member states receive from the EU budget under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget, a commission statement said. National authorities are responsible for managing the bulk of CAP handouts, including checking the validity of farmers' claims for direct payments. The commission carries out more than . 100 random audits annually to monitor national controls - with the legal . power to demand funds back if 'member state management and control is . not good enough to guarantee that EU funds have been spent properly', . said today's statement. The . UK is one of 22 member states targeted for clawbacks totalling nearly . £360 million for 'non-compliance with EU rules or inadequate control . procedures on agriculture expenditure'. The . sum demanded back from London is the biggest single clawback from any . member state - more than double the £42 million being recouped from . Italy for a series of alleged failures to verify the authenticity of . farm subsidies claims. In . the UK's case, the repayment is for five separate cases of 'weaknesses' in England and Northern Ireland in processing applications for CAP . support failure to carry out spot checks, and not adequately controlling . minimum requirements on the use of fertilisers and plant protection. Meanwhile, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Tuesday he was convinced Britain would vote to stay in the European Union if a promised referendum takes place, despite opinion polls showing a plurality in favour of leaving. European Commission HQ in Brussels: The commission carries out more than 100 random audits annually to monitor national controls - with the legal power to demand funds back if 'member state management and control is not good enough to guarantee that EU funds have been spent properly' However, he also told a Reuters Summit on the future of the euro zone the EU could not revise its policies just because one country was thinking of holding a vote on continued membership. Prime Minister David Cameron promised last month to give Britons an in-out choice on whether to remain in the 27-nation bloc if he is re-elected in 2015, after trying to negotiate a reform of EU policies to meet British concerns. 'Knowing Britain a little bit, and knowing how important the business community is and the role that different parts of British society can have on this open debate, in case there is a referendum, I am confident that Britain will remain a member of the European Union,' Barroso said.

'Inadequate control procedures' blamed in handing out farmer subsidies . UK is one of 22 member states targeted for clawbacks totalling . £360 million . The . sum demanded back from London is biggest single clawback in Europe .

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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 16 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:22 EST, 16 September 2013 . Police investigating a brutal attack on a kitten have been left powerless to take court action against the culprits, because they are as young as four. The 14-week-old animal was swung by her tail, thrown against a wall and kicked ‘like a football’ by the group of three youngsters. She was rescued by an onlooker, but police could not arrest the children - aged four, five and six, who are believed to be Romanian brothers. Attack: The 14-week-old animal was swung by her tail, thrown against a wall and kicked 'like a football' by the group of three youngsters (file picture) This was because they are under ten - the age of criminal responsibility. The kitten, Tia, was treated for head injuries, bruised ribs, injured nose and a black eye. She had been choking on blood running from her nose. Today the kitten’s owner Dawn Tunnacliffe, 33, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, said: ‘I’m very angry about what happened. ‘I understand the children are from Romania. Animals may be treated differently in other countries - but they are not treated like that. ‘Tia was lucky because she has soft bones like a new baby. If she had been an older cat she wouldn’t have survived.’ The incident occurred on September 8 at 6.30pm when Miss Tunnacliffe was in the back yard chatting to her neighbour Lizzie Isaacs. She said: ‘Tia was playing with some other kittens in the yard when she suddenly went missing. ‘Lizzie went out to check inside her house but then shouted that some children had got hold of Tia in the alley. 'She said they were holding Tia by her tail and kicking her like a football. When she told them to put Tia down, they threw her against a wall. ‘I ran into the alley to find Tia had run off into garden. She was in a lot of distress.’ Location: The kitten's owner Dawn Tunnacliffe, 33, from Oldham (file picture), Greater Manchester, said she was 'very angry' Miss Isaacs, 23, said: ‘The children . threw the kitten against a back wall and hit her about five times. I . screamed at them to put Tia down. 'But they swung her around four times and three her against a wall. They then ran off laughing as Tia hit the wall. ‘We were so angry that we called police. Another of Dawn’s kittens had gone missing and police spoke to the children about it too. ‘They said they didn’t have it but their dad later found that kitten in a bedroom and took it back to Dawn.’ Miss Isaacs’ fiancee Simon Duffy, 28, said: ‘We have three pet cats and a rabbit and these children were stroking one of our cats only 15 minutes before the attack. Now we’ll need to keep our cats indoors.’ 'I’m very angry about what happened. Tia was lucky because she has soft bones like a new baby' Dawn Tunnacliffe, Tia's owner . A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: ‘Inquiries are continuing and the incident was logged as criminal damage but because of the young ages of the children there were no arrests. ‘Police are now looking at options which could include a criminal warning and restorative justice such as making the children meet the kitten’s owner to discuss what’s happened.’ Children under 10 who break the law regularly can sometimes be taken into care, or their parents could be held responsible. Under current legislation police can ban children for up to 90 days from being in a public place between 9pm and 6am, unless accompanied by an adult under the terms of a Local Child Curfew. If a child breaks their curfew, they can be given a Child Safety Order and placed under the supervision of a youth offending team. If a child does not stick to the rules of an order, the court can consider if the child should be taken into care.

Kitten swung by her tail and thrown against a wall . 14-week-old animal had to be rescued by onlooker . Youngsters are below age of criminal responsibility . Kitten’s owner from Oldham says she's 'very angry'

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A doctor who spent time treating Ebola patients in West Africa died from the virus Monday in Nebraska. The death of Dr. Martin Salia, who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone, marks the second time Ebola has claimed a victim in the United States. "It was an absolute honor to care for Dr. Salia," said Rosanna Morris, Nebraska Medical Center's chief nursing officer, at a news conference in Omaha. She sat alongside four other doctors who said they did everything possible to try to save the surgeon. Salia traveled between Sierra Leone, where he contracted the virus, and his home in Maryland, where his wife and children live. Morris said that caring for Salia taught the Nebraska team a lot. Spending time with Salia's wife, Isatu Salia, shed light on how anguishing it is to have a loved one suffer from Ebola, Morris said. The nursing chief praised the highly skilled and experienced medical team for trying to save a colleague. "I want to thank our local heroes who took care of a global hero these past few days," Morris said. A legal permanent resident of the United States, Salia had been treating patients in Sierra Leone. That nation, Guinea and Liberia have been hit the hardest by the Ebola epidemic that began earlier this year. It is rare for someone to die in the United States from Ebola because medical and monetary resources are extensive -- much more so than in West Africa. At least 5,177 people have died of Ebola, most of them in those West African countries, according to the World Health Organization. Sierra Leone has reported nearly 1,200 deaths. The first Ebola patient to die in the United States was Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national who traveled to Texas in September. Duncan, 42, died at a Dallas hospital. He initially went to the facility's emergency room after he began having symptoms, but he was misdiagnosed and sent home. Two days later, he was back, tested positive for the virus and began treatment. Complete coverage of Ebola . When Salia arrived Saturday at Nebraska Medical Center, he was in "extremely critical" condition, doctors said. His kidneys and respiratory system were failing. Ebola patients must get treatment as early as possible to have a chance at surviving, medical officials say. The doctor received a dose of ZMapp therapy and a blood transfusion from an Ebola survivor, doctors said. They did not disclose the donor's identity. The dose of ZMapp that was given to Salia on Saturday was an existing dose that had been provided to another hospital but had not been used, a spokesperson for Mapp Biopharmaceutical said. Your Ebola questions and answers . Salia had been able to walk himself onto the plane that transported him from Sierra Leone to the United States, but he was in "very bad" condition, recalled Dent Thompson, vice president of operations for the company that transported the doctor, Phoenix Air. Caregiving between countries . Salia split his time between New Carrollton, Maryland, and Sierra Leone, where he worked at a Methodist hospital, CNN affiliate WJZ-TV in Baltimore reported. The team caring for Salia in Sierra Leone characterized him as critical ill, possibly sicker than patients treated successfully in the United States, according to Nebraska health officials. The surgeon had taken a test for Ebola, which came back negative. It's unclear what produced the initial false result. A second test came back positive. Isatu Salia pushed to get her husband evacuated from Sierra Leone, the U.S. State Department said. An air ambulance crew evaluated him in Freetown and determined he was well enough to travel. Isatu Salia spoke to WJZ over the weekend. Too upset to show her face on camera, she described talking to her husband and feeling incredibly concerned. "I know he's sick. He was a little slow talking," she said, breaking down in tears. "I'm worried for him." A reporter asked if she was confident her husband would get the treatment he desperately needed. She said she did and she was "pleased" with the action the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took when she phoned authorities there. It was an "hour-by-hour situation" when the ill surgeon arrived at Nebraska Medical Center, according to Dr. Phil Smith, director of the hospital's biocontainment unit. How the Ebola virus spreads . A man who gave selflessly . Maada Salia spoke admiringly of his father over the weekend. "The fact that he would go back to his country and help is one thing that really amazed me because he showed the love that he has for his country," the son said. "He doesn't think of himself as someone important. He puts himself down and helps those who really need help." The White House released a statement of condolences to the Salia family. "Dr. Salia dedicated his life to saving others. He viewed this vocation as his calling, telling his fellow United Methodist Church members that he pursued medicine not because he wanted to, but because he firmly believed it was God's will for him," the statement reads. "Dr. Salia's passing is another reminder of the human toll of this disease and of the continued imperative to tackle this epidemic on the frontlines, where Dr. Salia was engaged in his calling." Timeline: How the world has reacted to Ebola . In other Ebola-related news, U.N. Ebola crisis manager for Guinea, Marcel Rudasingwa, has died of natural causes, the U.N. Mission for Ebola Emergency Response said Monday.

Dr. Martin Salia's death marks the second U.S. death from Ebola . Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian, was the first to die in the U.S. Salia was already critically ill before he left Sierra Leone, officials say .

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Up to 80 Russian troops were killed in a skirmish in Ukraine last month despite Vladimir Putin's claims that Russia is not fighting there, according to documents released by an opposition politician. Members of an elite Russian paratroop force spoke of the brutal battle near Luhansk, a city in eastern Ukraine, in telephone transcripts leaked to the politician and newspaper publisher Lev Shlosberg. One paratrooper says: 'We're f***ing walking along looking for these f***ing Ukrainians. Vladimir Putin claims that his troops are not fighting in Ukraine but a leaked phone conversation between two Russian paratroopers suggests a skirmish into the country took place last month . 'We get out into the open and are seen, kapow! 'We dashed out onto the road, there was a field, sunflowers, and a checkpoint. They started to bomb it — bam bam bam — and they destroyed it,' the New York post reports. The paratrooper, who was wounded in the attack, claimed that 80 men were killed in the battle and that only ten made it out alive. He was telling the traumatic story to a fellow soldier in a phone call from a hospital where he was being treated. When his comrade asks him if he was aware that he was marching off to battle before the skirmish, he says that he had already told his wife he was 'off to war'. In the leaked telephone transcripts a paratrooper from the 76th Guards Air Assault Division tells his comrade that 80 soldiers were killed in the skirmish in Ukraine (file picture) But he added: 'They don't tell us anything. They say we are off on an exercise.' The conversation was said to have taken place between members of the elite 76th Guards Air Assault Division, which is based in the city of Pskov. Ukrainian officials reported a skirmish with the 76th Guards in mid-August and the country's Defense Ministry said on its website that its troops destroyed three of the unit's tanks and seized two troop carriers. Russia has denied that the battle took place. But despite the denials, last month President Vladimir Putin bestowed one of Russia's highest awards, the Order of Suvorov, on the division. He cited 76th Guards Air Assault Division's 'successful completion of military missions' and 'courage and heroism' - words that would suggest Russian troops have seen military action.

Russian President has insisted that his troops are not fighting in Ukraine . But leaked phone conversation between two paratroopers talks of battle . One tells the other he was 'walking along looking for f***ing Ukrainians' Recalls traumatic account of being taken by surprise by enemy troops . Says 80 men from the elite division were killed in the skirmish last month . Then claims: 'They don't tell us anything - they say we are off on an exercise'

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(CNN) -- Joseph Wood gasped and struggled to breathe during his nearly two-hour execution involving a novel combination of drugs, some witnesses say. His last breaths were like "a fish on shore gulping for air," reporter Troy Hayden said. Wood's attorneys tried to stop the execution more than halfway through, with one calling it "bungled" and "botched." State officials and his victims' relatives disagreed, saying Wood snored and didn't appear to suffer. Reports that the execution was botched are "erroneous," Charles Ryan, director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, said Thursday. Wood was comatose and never in pain during his execution, Ryan said. The director said: "The record clearly shows the inmate was fully and deeply sedated ... three minutes after the administration of the execution drugs." Suffering or not, Wood's death Wednesday afternoon took too long, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said, and she has ordered the state's Department of Corrections to review it. Wood's slow death is fueling a debate stirred up as states look for new drug combinations for lethal injections, thanks in part to pharmaceutical companies' decisions to withhold or stop making drugs used in the past. "It took Joseph Wood two hours to die, and he gasped and struggled to breathe for about an hour and 40 minutes. We will renew our efforts to get information about the manufacturer of drugs as well as how Arizona came up with the experimental formula of drugs it used today," attorney Dale Baich said in a statement. He added, "Arizona appears to have joined several other states who have been responsible for an entirely preventable horror -- a bungled execution." One of the victims' relatives had a strongly different view -- that he didn't suffer, and that he got what he deserved. "I don't believe he was gasping for air; I don't believe he was suffering. It sounded to me like was snoring," said the relative, Jeanne Brown. "You don't know what excruciating is. What's excruciating is seeing your dad laying there in a pool of blood, seeing your sister laying there in a pool of blood. This man deserved it. And I shouldn't really call him a man," she said. The state used midazolam, an anesthetic, and hydromorphone, a narcotic painkiller that, with an overdose, halts breathing and stops the heart from beating. It's one of the new combinations that states have tried -- with some controversial results -- after manufacturers based or operating in Europe stopped U.S. prisons from using their drugs in executions. Opinion: I was 17, on death row -- and innocent . The execution began at 1:52 p.m. (4:52 p.m. ET) Wednesday and concluded, with Wood being pronounced dead, at 3:49 p.m. (6:49 p.m. ET). Wood, convicted of murder and assault in the 1989 deaths of his estranged girlfriend and her father, objected to the drug combination in courts, arguing that it was experimental, that it would not put him out completely and that it would violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The Arizona Supreme Court briefly delayed Wednesday's execution to consider his last-ditch request before denying it. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to intervene. Arizona execution raises questions over novel lethal injections . A federal judge ordered local officials to preserve all physical evidence in Wood's execution. "One thing is certain, however: Inmate Wood died in a lawful manner and by eyewitness and medical accounts he did not suffer," the governor said. "This is in stark comparison to the gruesome, vicious suffering that he inflicted on his two victims -- and the lifetime of suffering he has caused their family." Lawyers rush to save him after injection . The Corrections Department said it followed protocol, affirming Wood's "deep sedation" seven times before he was pronounced dead. Aside from snoring, he did not grimace or otherwise move, the department said. But as the clock ticked, Wood's attorneys filed an emergency motion to stop the execution and save his life. He was "gasping and snorting for more than an hour," they said. "He is still alive," the motion read. "This execution has violated Mr. Wood's Eighth Amendment right to be executed in the absence of cruel and unusual punishment." Attorney Baich said the room was silent as Wood gasped. "I have witnessed 10 executions, and I had never seen that before," he said. Baich blasted Brewer over her assessment and called for an independent investigation. Witness: Execution 'was tough for everybody' Michael Kiefer, a reporter for The Arizona Republic, said this execution was unlike the other four he has witnessed. "Usually it takes about 10 minutes, the person goes to sleep. This was not that," he told other reporters afterward. "It started off looking as if it was going all right but then obviously something didn't go right. It took two hours." Kiefer described the sound Wood made as a "deep, snoring, sucking air sound." Hayden, a media witness from KSAZ-TV in Phoenix, told reporters the execution was difficult to watch. He likened Wood's breathing to a "fish gulping for air." "It was tough for everybody in that room," he said. Opinion: 5 ways to improve the U.S. death penalty . Drug combination controversy . As with executions in other states with new lethal drug combinations, many of the objections have centered on the drugs themselves. Defense attorney Baich vowed to look into how Arizona came up with the "experimental formula of drugs it used." The American Civil Liberties Union joined in his outrage. "It's time for Arizona and the other states still using lethal injection to admit that this experiment with unreliable drugs is a failure," it said in a statement. It called for Arizona and other states to prove the reliability of the drugs or stop the executions. Some drugs hard to come by now . The quarrel over the drugs used in lethal injections is not new. Executions have commonly been carried out with a combination of three drugs -- an anesthetic to render the inmate unconscious, followed by a paralyzing agent to keep him or her from flailing, then a third drug to kill the inmate, often potassium chloride to halt the heart. The commonly used anesthetic was once sodium thiopental, which can also be used for surgical anesthesia. Its sole U.S. manufacturer, Hospira, based in Illinois, suspended its production in 2009 and ended it for good in 2011. The company said it had never intended it to be used in lethal injections. European manufacturers of the same drug refuse to export it to the United States for the same reason. Some states then looked to pentobarbital, a powerful anesthetic commonly used to euthanize animals. But that drug has been hard to come by since 2011, when Lundbeck, its Denmark-based manufacturer, said it would do its best to keep the drug from U.S. execution programs. Controversies in Oklahoma, Ohio . New drug combinations were a focus of controversial executions this year in Oklahoma and Ohio. Oklahoma put executions on hold after the death of inmate Clayton Lockett in April. Midazolam was part of the injection combination, and it took 43 minutes for him to die, Oklahoma officials said. While state officials said Lockett was unconscious the entire time, a media witness for CNN affiliate KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City said he uttered the words, "Man," "I'm not," and "something's wrong" before blinds to the execution chamber were closed. His attorney, Dean Sanderford, said the inmate's body twitched and convulsed before he died. The state Department of Corrections said an "exploded" vein was part of the problem. "There was some concern at that time that the drugs were not having the effect. So the doctor observed the line and determined that the line had blown," said Robert Patton, director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. In January, Ohio used a midazolam-hydromorphone combination to execute convicted murderer and rapist Dennis McGuire. It took 24 minutes for him to die, and he appeared to gasp and convulse for 10 to 13 minutes, Columbus Dispatch reporter Alan Johnson said. Ohio's correction department said it had wanted to use pentobarbital, but it ran out of its supply in September. Combining new drugs in lethal injections may have sparked controversy, but the use of the old drug combination that included sodium thiopental was also not fail-safe, medical critics have said. It is possible that executions were quicker and inmates flailed less with the old combination, but they may have been conscious as they experienced their executions, some critics say. The real question to some is not if a specific drug is responsible for suffering, but if the method of execution itself is. Mississippi mother swaps death row for jail cell to await trial . Death penalty facts that may surprise you . California's death penalty ruled unconstitutional . CNN's Mayra Cuevas, Dave Alsup, Ross Levitt and Michael Pearson contributed to this report.

NEW: Director of the Arizona Department of Corrections defends execution . Media witnesses say Arizona murderer Joseph Wood gasped intensely . His attorneys tried to halt execution more than halfway through and have Wood revived . New drug combinations in lethal injections have sparked controversy .

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(CNN) -- It took only hours after the identities of the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing were revealed for some politicians and commentators to suggest that the tragedy was somehow the fault of a broken immigration system. Ever since September 11, there has been a strong and understandable desire for a perfect screening system for would-be immigrants. If only the United States could put that system into place, bad people would never be admitted to the country. But such perfection is unachievable, and would not have prevented the Boston attacks. It would be a further tragedy to allow sensible overhaul of the U.S. immigration system to be derailed by such misperceptions. Here's what we know so far. The two brothers suspected in the bombings, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, were brought to the United States by their parents in 2002, likely from the former Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan. That means one was a child and the other in his early teens when they moved to Boston. The younger brother became a U.S. citizen last year and the older brother held a green card. The family was originally from Chechnya, a region that has long resisted Russian rule, and where the mostly Muslim Chechens have been fighting for independence from the Russian government of Vladimir Putin, and have carried out attacks again Russian civilians. Could the two have been stopped by immigration controls? The immigrant and visitor screening systems created by the U.S. government after 9/11 are designed to identify people whose history gives cause for concern. Consular officers and Department of Homeland Security officials check names against long terrorist watch lists and search for criminal records. Those with suspicious travel histories -- to places such as Afghanistan or Yemen -- are subject to extra scrutiny. Secure passports and the fingerprints taken from all new arrivals help prevent fraud. The database also includes records of fingerprints lifted by the U.S. military and intelligence from battlefields and safe houses in Afghanistan, Iraq and other terrorist hot spots. All these systems make the United States far more secure than it was a decade ago against those with terrorist or criminal histories. They do nothing, however, to protect us against the children of immigrants who might later become radicalized. Like Britain after the 2005 London subway bombings, which were committed largely by young, second-generation immigrants, the United States can no longer think this is only a foreign problem. Radicalism can find fertile ground at home as well as overseas. Does that mean the Boston attacks have nothing at all to do with immigration? That would not be a reasonable conclusion either. A country that opens itself to immigrants, as the United States has for many decades, invites in both the goods and ills of the world. Boston, for instance, is a city teeming with bright foreign students, many of whom will go on to make great contributions to the United States. Indeed, one of the victims of Monday's bombing was Lingzi Lu, a Boston University math and statistics graduate student from Shenyang, China, who often told her friends how much she loved Boston. But immigration also brings with it the disputes of other cultures. In 1985, when I was living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- a city that abounds with Asian immigrants -- an Air India flight from Montreal to Delhi was blown up over the Atlantic Ocean, killing 268 Canadians, 27 Britons and 24 Indians. The architects were Sikh extremists who had emigrated from India to Canada and were fighting for causes of which few Canadians had ever heard. The two-decade long investigation that followed was traumatic for Canadians and for the many Indian immigrants with no ties to or cause with the radicals. But Canada moved on and remains a vibrant society that is largely welcoming of immigrants. It is not yet clear what motivated the Tsarnaev brothers to allegedly detonate a pressure cooker filled with explosives, nails and ball bearings at the finish line of one of the greatest foot races in the world. Both could well have become caught up in the extremism that has roiled too much of the Islamic world and caused others to carry out horrifying, senseless attacks against the innocent. Or they may have had other dark reasons. But what is certain is that the United States cannot shield itself by closing its doors to immigrants, or even by coming up with still better screening tools. This country needs and deserves a far better immigration system, which is the goal of the immigration effort under way. But we should be realistic about what it can and cannot do to protect us. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Edward Alden.

After Boston suspects ID'd, politicians start blaming immigration system . Alden: Perfect screening is impossible and wouldn't have prevented the bombings . The U.S. can't shield itself with better screening or by keeping immigrants out . We need immigration reform, but must be realistic about what it can and can't do .

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Comedian Russell Brand is considering running as London Mayor – despite saying that voting is a waste of time. The controversial comic has told close friends he wants to succeed Boris Johnson when the Tory Mayor’s second term ends in 2016. Essex-born Brand would stand for the mayoralty on an independent ‘anti-politics’ ticket. Scroll down for video . Russell Brand, pictured with girlfriend Nicola Schuller, says he has no idea about the ‘obtuse’ FTSE stock exchange index and he declares his support for ‘collectives’ and wants to ban fracking and the monarchy . The comic's new book, Revolution, which includes 9/11 conspiracy theories that have enraged New Yorkers . His spokeswoman did not deny the reports last night. Asked if Brand intended to stand, she said: ‘I’ve spoken to Russell and he has no comment to make on this.’ However he has sketched out his bizarre manifesto in his new book, Revolution. In it he says: ‘I can’t get my head around economics’ and adds that he has no idea about the ‘obtuse’ FTSE stock exchange index. He declares his support for ‘collectives,’ and wants to ban fracking and the monarchy. He shows little interest in promoting exports, saying of cars: ‘I wouldn’t worry too much about exporting them as other countries have their own f***ing cars.’ Brand’s ambition comes despite previously saying: ‘Don’t bother voting. We know it’s not going to make any difference.’ The comedian – who is dating make up artist and mother-of-one Nicola Schuller after breaking up from heiress Jemima Khan – has never hidden his loathing of the Conservatives. Last year he wrote that Margaret Thatcher’s death was only sad for ‘a handful of people’, and in his book, he calls David Cameron the most offensive four-letter word. Brand, pictured here on Newsnight this week setting out his stall for political change, has never hidden his loathing of the Conservatives and last year wrote Margaret Thatcher's death was sad for 'a handful of people' Brand’s popularity among the young is reflected by his 8.4 million Twitter followers. But his outrageous comments and antics, such as leaving obscene telephone messages for Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs in a radio stunt with Jonathan Ross, have caused deep outrage. With nominations for the next London mayoral election not likely to close until five weeks before the contest in May 2016, Mr Brand has plenty of time to decide. But any serious campaign would need to begin sooner, not least to raise funds. Mr Johnson raised £1 million for his 2008 campaign. The BBC came under fire last week for giving Brand a platform on Newsnight for his extreme views, while the comedian said the BBC had an ‘anti-Islamic narrative’ and accused host Evan Davis of being ‘mates with CEOs and big business’ and ‘cosying up’ to Boris Johnson. He previously appeared on Newsnight last year, but now admits he was ‘policy bare’ when interviewed by Jeremy Paxman. He is not the only comedian hoping to become London Mayor, as Eddie Izzard has declared his ambition to stand as Labour’s candidate in 2020. Duchess of Cambridge holds Prince George who is the butt of bizzare comments from Russell Brand . Russell Brand has sparked new outrage with a horrific ‘joke’ suggesting that Prince George should be beheaded. In a shocking passage in his new book Revolution, Brand writes: ‘I note that if that baby royal they’ve just done in Blighty were to ascend the throne he’d be George the Seventh. Seventh?! ‘We’ve already had six and we’re gonna have another one. How long do we intend to let this silliness persist? Surely it’s time for us to invest in a Fisher Price guillotine.’ Tory MP Michael Ellis reacted to what he called ‘odious and obnoxious views’ saying: ‘To make a nauseating reference to the execution of a small child will disgust all right-thinking people. Brand should be treated with the contempt he deserves.’ The former drug addict also faced condemnation for urging society to show ‘loving, inclusive, rehabilitative tolerance’ towards paedophiles. Peter Saunders, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: ‘He should know better than to speak in this way about people who destroy the lives of children.’ Former Cabinet Minister Lord Tebbit dismissed Brand as ‘no more dangerous than a cowpat’. Told of the vile joke about Prince George, he said: ‘If someone were to make the same suggestion about Left-wing comedians, they would be accused of being very stupid.’ The latest controversy for Brand comes just days after he caused fury by suggesting the US Government may have been behind the 9/11 attacks. Clarence House declined to comment. Neither representatives of Brand nor publishers Random House would comment.

Controversial comic told close friends he wants to succeed Boris Johnson . Says he would go for the top job on an independent 'anti-politics' ticket . Spokesman for Brand says he has 'no comment' on stepping into the role . But comedian sketched out his bizarre manifesto in new book, Revolution . Says: 'I can't get my head around economics' and wants to ban monarchy . Snubs promoting car exports as 'other countries have own f**king cars'

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By . Jason Groves . PUBLISHED: . 18:11 EST, 16 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:11 EST, 16 March 2014 . George Osborne’s fashionable 5:2 diet appears to be paying off, with the Chancellor looking noticeably leaner on the breakfast TV sofa yesterday. The Chancellor is said to have shed significant amounts of weight by cutting his calorie intake to just 500 on two days of the week - while David Cameron has sparked speculation he may also be on a new diet. The Prime Minister, who has fought an on-off battle with his weight, tucked into low-fat options on his flight back from a trip to Tel Aviv last week, after Number 10 asked for him to be served a selection containing no dairy products. Squeezed middle? Osborne appeared slimmed down at the BBC yesterday, compared to jogging in 2013 (right) Mr Cameron is also said to be experimenting with alternatives to standard milk, such as almond milk, which is low in calories and fat. Downing Street said it never commented on the Prime Minister’s dietary habits. The PM is not thought to be on a full dairy-free diet. But the revelations will spark speculation about whether Mr Cameron has decided to cut back on dairy products as part of a drive to lose weight ahead of next year’s election. Mr Cameron’s efforts to keep in trim have been hampered by a knee injury, which has curtailed his jogging. He looked far from svelte when he was pictured eating a Byron burger to get through the spending review . On the Andrew Marr Show, however, the Chancellor cut a lean figure after cutting his calorie intake twice a week . Although he has been able to take up the activity again recently, it is still only at a relatively low level. Aides said he had been ‘pounding the streets’ in Jerusalem last week, but sources later revealed his activity had been confined to a short 10-minute jog. The Prime Minister has spoken several times about his battle with middle-age spread. In an interview with Now magazine in 2012 he was asked about his New Year’s resolutions and replied: ‘Probably to lose a bit of weight, I think. That’s the key one for me.’ But last summer he was photographed looking portly and sunburned on a beach while on holiday in Cornwall. At the Conservative Party conference in October he joked that the unflattering photos of him wearing only a Mickey Mouse towel did at least demonstrate he had the ‘stomach for the fight’. David Cameron, who has filled out since taking office in 2010, is said to be trying out dairy alternatives . In an interview in January this year the Prime Minister described himself as a ‘middle-aged, slightly overweight man’. He said he tried to go jogging once or twice a week in parks near Downing Street, and was rarely recognised. ‘The thing about the parks in London is its mostly full of tourists who just see some middle-aged slightly overweight man trotting past them and they just think it’s another one,’ he said. Flight records from last week confirm that a special diet was requested for Mr Cameron on his trip to Israel and Palestine. He was listed as the flight’s ‘VVIP’, with a note to say he should be served ‘non-dairy’ meals. Trending: Education Secretary Michael Gove lost two stone at a £2,500 Austrian 'fat farm' retreat . His main meal on the five-hour flight from Tel Aviv to London was salmon served with salad. He was also served with a snack of tacos with chicken and vegetables. Asked about the meal selection, a Downing Street spokesman said he had ‘no comment’ to make. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, meanwhile, has taken up kickboxing in a bid to get fit and slim down for the general election, and it emerged that the Education Secretary Michael Gove spent a week at an Austrian ‘fat farm’ popular with celebrities. The £2,500 stay is said to have helped him shed two stone.

Osborne slimmed after cutting calorie intake to 500 for two days a week . Cameron also 'on the diet' and 'experimenting with alternatives to dairy' Clegg has started kickboxing, Gove lost 2st on £2,500 Austrian 'fat farm'

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:20 EST, 1 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:01 EST, 2 August 2012 . A 101-year-old Rolls-Royce dubbed the ‘Best Car in the World’ is expected to fetch £550,000 at auction. The stunning Rolls-Royce was the height of luxury when it rolled off the production line in 1911 - costing up to ten times more than the average professional's annual wage at around £1500 each. The same amount would have been enough to buy a large house in the country at the time. The car was officially named the 40/50hp but it soon picked up the 'Silver Ghost' moniker from owners and journalists because of its supreme quality. The best car in the world: A 1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is set to sell for £550,000 at auction . Luxurious: The Silver Ghost, which once belonged to Sir Adolph Tuck - the son of Raphael Tuck who made his fortune in the postcard business, has a red leather interior . The classic car, which was first launched in 1906, was even named the 'Best car in the world' by the prestigious publication Autocar in 1907. This particular model was made in 1911 and delivered on April 1 that year to Sir Adolph Tuck, the son of Raphael Tuck who made his fortune in the postcard industry at the end of the 19th century. Sir Adoph had the Rolls-Royce, which comes with its own champagne holder and picnic basket, fitted with a Landaulette body so he could be chauffeur driven around. It was later re-bodied as a period two-seat tourer by Rippon Brothers Ltd, a coach building company with a proud history dating back centuries, which made a chariot throne for Queen Elizabeth I in 1584. With Ghosts very rarely coming onto the open market, this classic example of luxury British engineering is expected to attract global interest when it is sold at Brooklands on September 1. Auction house Historics, which is managing the sale, has set a guide price of £450,000 to £550,000 for when it goes under the hammer. Fully equipped: The Rolls-Royce comes complete with a picnic basket containing champagne and silver goblets . Classic build: The Silver Ghost boasts a 7.4-litre engine and is known for its quality . Edward Bridger-Stille, Historics auction director, said: 'To find a Silver Ghost for sale is a red letter day. 'The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is a treasured car, it was so advanced and expensive when it was launched. It could cost the same a country home. 'As an auctioneer there are cars you like to be offered to sell and this is certainly one of them. 'The opportunity to acquire a Silver Ghost as beautiful as this is extremely rare and I anticipate that this significant, museum quality example, should generate interest from all corners of the world.' The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was launched in 1906 with Henry Royce building it to showcase the highest level of engineering skill alongside an unrivalled passion for quality. It was an overwhelming success with Autocar calling it the Best Car in the World the following year. Pricey: The Rolls-Royce would have cost around £1500 in 1911 - the equivalent of up to ten times the average professional's wage at the time . This model, which goes by the name ‘Chassis 1557’, was fitted with a 7.4-litre engine which produced between 40bhp and 50bhp. To demonstrate the car’s quality, a Silver Ghost was driven from London to Edinburgh and back in top gear the whole way, managing an incredible 24mpg. In 1977, Chassis 1557 attended the Queen’s Jubilee parade through Windsor Castle to the Silver Ring at Ascot Racecourse. It underwent as full restoration in 2001, and has picked up a number of prizes at concours events organised by the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club. Phillip Brooks, a Rolls-Royce historian, said: 'Silver Ghosts are the cars that made the factory’s reputation, and they were wonderful cars in their day and are still wonderful cars now. 'Chassis 1557 would be great fun to drive from John O’Groats to Lands End, or just as easily from New York to San Francisco.'

Named the 'best car in the world' by Autocar a year after being launched . Model was originally owned by Sir Adolph Tuck - the son of Raphael Tuck who made his fortune through the postcard industry .

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London, England (CNN) -- Working together must be easy for Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, the award-winning movie producers. More often than not, the co-chairmen of Working Title Films finish off each other's sentences, revealing a mutual respect that has its roots in a strong friendship that has spanned two decades. The London-based producers began working together in 1992. Two years later, they had their first massive hit, "Four Weddings and a Funeral." It took $245 million worldwide by then ticket prices, according to boxofficemojo.com, with more than three-quarters of that coming from outside the United States. Since then the pair have been on a rollercoaster ride. Their long list of worldwide blockbusters includes "Bridget Jones Diary," "Notting Hill" and "Billy Elliott," proving, more than once, that you don't have to be American to be a success in Hollywood. Here, the champions of the British film industry talk exclusively to CNN about the future of movies, bad reviews and why they don't sleep at nights. The Screening Room: What exactly does a producer do? Tim Bevan: A producer facilitates a film being made; there are different levels of facilitation. For instance, we work with the Coen [Brothers] a lot on their movies. They know what they're doing. They've got a great deal of experience. So, the facilitation is raising the money and ensuring that it's spent correctly -- but they're responsible in doing that -- and then working on the marketing and distribution of the films. At the other end of the spectrum, we would facilitate a film that is an idea we'd had ourselves and we're intimately involved in all areas of the production, as well as financing it and overseeing the marketing and distribution. Eric Fellner: There are three key components; the financial aspects, the making aspect and the marketing aspect. You've got to come with the idea, get it made brilliantly with the best possible people and then get it to the market as quickly and as effectively as you can. TSR: What are the attributes a producer should have or needs to have in order to survive in this business? TB: The producer needs to be a fool -- a determined fool! You have to be incredibly tenacious because there are a lot of "nos" out there, the whole thing is a bit like herding cats. You have to keep at it and keep at it and one day you get there, to the movie. EF: The natural response to anything one is trying to do is "no." The only way you can make things happen is by turning the "nos" into "yeses." TSR: How have the market conditions changed from when this company first started and when you first made the film that made your name? TB: The biggest thing that has changed is the cost of making films because like everything it's gone up and up and up. Even bigger than the cost of making films is the cost of marketing them. TSR: How has the recession impacted your industry? EF: I think it's a bit too early to say. We've only had nine months worth of films out in this downturn period. From what I see, it looks like as many, if not more, people are going to the cinema but they are going to less types of movies. If they're going to make the effort to go out, it looks to me like they're going out because they want to be purely entertained. They don't want thought-provoking, they don't want difficult, they don't want dark, they don't want dramatic. They want things that are going to take them out of their everyday lives. TSR: How important are negative reviews? TB: Really bad reviews can hurt pretty much any movie. They say that some films are review-proof but I think that's probably big high-concept movies, comedies and so on. But, on the whole, if a film gets dreadful reviews it will affect its business. TSR: Is there a film that has kept you awake at night or you thought would never get made? EF: Every single one. They're all enormously difficult propositions. There's no such thing as an easy film. In terms of a film that was kind of pivotal, boringly we have to say "Four Weddings" because it was the first big hit that we had and it gave everyone a certain confidence that we hadn't had before, that you can make a small British film and take it out around the world as a success. Up until then, a lot of the films we'd been making had critical success, but none of them had really found their mark on a business level. We were probably 25-30 movies in between us. We were a long way into our careers. TB: But it wasn't only for us, it was for British films actually. It proved to the world that a British movie could go out and do Hollywood-style business around the world and, interestingly, as it has been proven in a lot of our subsequent movies, it was out of the territories outside of America where that revenue really came from. TSR: Why does this partnership work so well? TB: I think it's a mutual respect. We learnt very early on that it was much better to make the big decisions together -- shall we make the movie, who's going to be in it, who's going to direct it -- and then for one of us to run with the film from there, because that way we can cover more ground. Also, it's an easy way of doing it. We're not likely to step on each other toes that way around.

Award-winning producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner began their partnership in 1992 . They are responsible for some of the UK movie industry's biggest successes . They talk exclusively about their collaboration, the future of the industry and bad reviews .

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By . Damien Gayle . Throat slashed: The mummy of King Ramesses III wearing the linen bandages which had prevented researchers from discovering the wound to his neck . Researchers have used modern day forensic science techniques to solve the millenia-old mystery of how Egyptian king Ramesses III was assassinated. Scans of the Pharoah's mummy have revealed a wide and deep wound in his neck which indicates that his throat was slashed with a sharp blade. The findings have finally shed light on Ramesses' harrowing final moments, over 3,000 years after his reign was brutally cut short. Until now, precisely how Ramesses III . died has long been hotly debated by Egyptologists. The second Pharaoh of . the 20th dynasty, he is believed to have ruled Egypt from 1186 to 1155 . BC. Papyrus trial documents . have shown that in 1155 BC members of Ramesses' harem made an attempt . on his life as part of a palace coup to change the line of succession. The . conspiracy was led by Tiye, the lesser of his two known wives, and her . son Prince Pentawere - but from the texts it was not clear whether the . plot was successful. Based . on the available documentary evidence, some researchers say it was, . while others have claimed he was merely injured and later died from his . wounds. To resolve the . dispute, a team of researchers conducted a forensic cold case review on . the mummies of Ramesses III and the unidentified remains of a younger . man buried nearby, believed to be Prince Pentawere. Led by Dr Albert Zink from the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman of the European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen in Italy, the team undertook anthropological and forensic analyses of both bodies. Working out of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where the mummies are now kept, the team ran CT scans and DNA tests on the mummies to determine the cause of death and whether they were in fact related. Previously it had been speculated that Ramesses was killed in a manner that left no mark on his body. Among the conspirators were practitioners of magic, who might well have used poison. Others have suggested that a bite from a viper was the cause of the king's death, since his mummy was found with an amulet to protect him from snakes in the afterlife. Scroll down for video . An axial CT section image of the neck of Ramesses III: The stars indicate the margins of the 2.7in gash to his neck, while the arrow points to where embalming material has seeped into the wound . Scans of Ramesses III revealed a deep, 2.7in wound in his throat just beneath the larynx, probably caused by a sharp blade – and which could have caused immediate death, say the researchers. They write in the most recent issue of the British Medical Journal: 'The trachea was clearly cut and its proximal and distal ends were retracted and separated by about 30 mm. 'A small, focal cortical interruption at the anterior surface of vertebral body was visible, at the seventh cervical vertebra. 'Accordingly, all organs in this region (such as the trachea, oesophagus, and large blood vessels) were severed. 'The extent and depth of the wound indicated that it could have caused the immediate death of Ramesses III.' Ramesses III depicted in a relief from the Sanctuary of Khonsu Temple at Karnak . Ramesses . III, the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty, is considered to be . the last great New Kingdom king to wield any substantial authority over . Egypt. His . 31-year reign, from 1186 to 1155BC, was beset by foreign invaders and . experienced the beginnings of increasing economic difficulties and . internal strife which would eventually lead to the collapse of the . Twentieth Dynasty . In . Year 8 of his reign, the Sea Peoples invaded Egypt by land and sea, but . were repelled in two great land and sea battles. He was also compelled . to fight invading Libyan tribesmen in two major campaigns in Egypt's . Western Delta in his Year 6 and Year 11. The . heavy cost of these battles slowly exhausted Egypt's treasury and . contributed to the gradual decline of the Egyptian Empire in Asia. The . severity of these difficulties is stressed by the fact that the first . known labour strike in recorded history occurred during Year 29 of . Ramesses' reign. The . favoured and elite royal tomb-builders and artisans in the village of . Set Maat her imenty Waset downed tools after cuts in food rations in . response to inflation of grain prices. The neck was covered by a collar of thick linen layers from the mummification process, which had prevented researchers from being able to examine this part before. Dr Zink told the BBC: 'Before now we knew more or less nothing about the destiny of Ramesses III. 'People had examined his body before and had done radiographs but they didn't notice any trauma. They did not have access to the CT scans that we do. 'We were very surprised by what we found. We still cannot be sure that the cut killed him, but we think it did.' A Horus eye amulet was also found inside the wound, which the researchers say was most probably inserted by the ancient Egyptian embalmers during the mummification process to promote healing in the afterlife. Analysis of the body of the younger man revealed an age of between 18 and 20 years, while DNA similarities between the pair revealed that he was probably Ramesses son. Documents from the time indicated that . Pentawere was involved in the harem conspiracy, was found guilty at . trial, and then took his own life. Neck region of the unknown man: Arrows point to skin folds and wrinkles under right mandible and neck region, indicating that this man, thought to be Ramesses' son Pentawere, was probably strangled . However, the researchers' analysis of the mummy found and inflated thorax and compressed skinfolds around the neck, suggesting that, if it is the corpse of Pentawere, he may have in fact been strangled. The body was not mummified in the usual way – and was covered with a 'ritually impure' goatskin - evidence for punishment in the form of a non-royal burial procedure. 'He was badly treated for a mummy,' said Dr Zink. DNA analysis revealed that the mummies share the same parental lineage, 'strongly suggesting that they were father and son', say the researchers. The authors believe that unknown man E 'is a good candidate for Pentawere.' However, they stress that the cause of death 'has to remain a matter of speculation.' In the end, the crown passed to the king's designated successor: his eldest son, Ramesses IV.

The Pharoah was assassinated in a palace coup in 1155BC, but the manner of his death was previously unknown . Now CT scans show that his neck was brutally slashed, severing all organs and blood vessels, probably killing him instantly . Researchers also study mummy believed to be that of his son Pentawere, who results show was probably strangled .

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A woman in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland who'd fallen ill tested negative for Ebola, the Scottish government said Tuesday. A spokesman for the government said the woman had been in West Africa recently, though she had no direct contact with anyone with Ebola. "A patient at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has tested negative for Ebola," the press release said. "The individual was transferred to the hospital by the Scottish Ambulance Service yesterday after falling ill while visiting Torridon in the Scottish Highlands." Meanwhile, a health care worker who was diagnosed with the Ebola virus after returning to Scotland from Sierra Leone was transferred to the Royal Free Hospital in London. The patient is Pauline Cafferkey, 39, of Glasgow, Scotland, the hospital said. She was working with Save the Children at an Ebola treatment center, said Michael von Bertele, humanitarian director at that organization. She traveled via Casablanca, Morocco, and London Heathrow Airport before arriving at Glasgow Airport on a British Airways flight late Sunday, the health agency NHS Scotland said. After feeling unwell, she sought medical attention and became the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola within the United Kingdom. British media outlets said Cafferkey is a public health nurse in Scotland's South Lanarkshire area who was part of a 30-strong team of medical volunteers deployed to West Africa by the UK government last month in a joint endeavor with Save the Children. She was reportedly transferred to London in a military aircraft fitted with an isolation pod. The Royal Free Hospital is equipped with a high-level isolation unit, with access restricted to specially trained medical staff. A specially designed tent, with controlled ventilation, is set up over the patient's bed. A British volunteer nurse, William Pooley, was successfully treated in the unit after he was brought home from Sierra Leone in August, having been diagnosed with Ebola there. 'Extremely low' risk . UK authorities are working to trace those who have come into contact with Cafferkey. The Scottish government has set up a special number for people to call if they traveled on the same London Heathrow-to-Glasgow flight as Cafferkey. British Airways said it was working closely with health authorities in England and Scotland and would help with any information needed. "The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and the risk to people on board that individual flight is extremely low," the airline said. Ebola patients become infectious only after they display symptoms, such as fever and vomiting. The deadly virus is spread through contact with bodily fluids. A Downing Street spokesman told CNN that British Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had discussed the procedures in place to handle such a case. "They agreed that both governments would remain in close touch and ensure everything possible was done to support the patient and, although the risk to the general population remained low, all measures would be taken to protect public health." Possible case . Another suspected Ebola case is being tested in southwest England at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, health officials said. "We do not expect the results to be known for at least 24 hours and in the meantime the patient is being looked after in isolation, following nationally agreed guidelines and protocols to protect the health of our staff and other patients," said a joint statement from the hospital and Public Health England, a government agency. According to UK government guidelines, humanitarian workers returning from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa who've been at high risk of exposure are expected to monitor their own health for 21 days after they get home. As of December 24, at least 7,693 people had died in the current Ebola outbreak, centered in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the World Health Organization said. There have been at least 19,695 cases.

Woman in the Scottish Highlands tests negative for Ebola, government says . A health care worker diagnosed with the virus is moved to a London hospital . She was working with Save the Children in Sierra Leone as a volunteer nurse . A third suspected Ebola case is being tested in the southwest of England, officials say .

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By . Peter Allen . PUBLISHED: . 13:11 EST, 7 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:11 EST, 7 October 2012 . Dispute: Saad Al-Hilli is reported to have kept a Taser weapon at his home and changed the locks on the doors to stop his brother from entering the property in Claygate, Surrey . A British engineer shot dead during a quadruple murder in the Alps kept an illegal Taser gun in his house where he had also changed the locks to stop his brother getting in, it emerged today. The Taser self-defence weapon is prohibited in Britain and anyone found in possession of one can be sent to prison for up to 10 years. Used by the British police, it fires two darts that deliver a 50,000-volt charge into victims, paralysing them temporarily. Saad Al-Hilli, 50, was in dispute with his brother Zaid, 52, over ownership of the £1m property in Claygate, Surrey. The pair were no longer on speaking terms when he called in locksmiths, making it clear that he feared losing ownership of the house. Shortly afterwards, on September 5th, Saad was killed alongside his dentist wife Iqbal, 47, as they sat in their BMW car close to Lake Annecy, in eastern France. The couple died in a blaze of semi-automatic gunfire which also killed Mr Al-Hilli’s 74-year-old Swedish mother-in-law, Suhaila al-Allaf, as well as Sylvain Mollier, a passing cyclist and father-of-three. Now Annecy prosecutor Eric Maillaud has revealed that a Taser was discovered in the Claygate house. Detectives are trying to work out whether it was kept as a self-defence precaution against the threat of attack. ‘It could be like a woman who carries tear gas in her bag, more as a precaution than because of a specific concern,” said Mr Maillaud. Illegal: The Taser self-defence weapon, such as this model, is prohibited in Britain and anyone found in possession of one can be sent to prison for up to 10 years . Dispute: Mr Al-Hilli and his brother Zaid were no longer on speaking terms following an argument over who owned this £1m property . On Friday a judge in Geneva – less than an hour’s drive from the crime scene – suggested that Saad had visited the city where he had access to a private bank account containing a ‘sizeable amount of cash’. Dario Zanni, who was appointed by French investigators, is working on the theory that the bank account is linked with the murders. While Saad was an engineer on satellite and electronics projects, Zaid works for the Burhill Group, a golf and leisure company, at its head office in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. The brothers became joint-registered owners of the family home in Claygate after their father, Kadhim, died in Spain last year. A published legal document shows that Saad had attempted to block the terms of his father’s will being carried out. The wealth of the family is said to be worth many millions, with reports of properties in Spain, France and Iraq, as well as in Surrey. Murdered: Saad Al-Hilli was shot dead on September 5th alongside his dentist wife Iqbal, 47, heis 74-year-old Swedish mother-in-law, Suhaila al-Allaf, and Sylvain Mollier, a passing cyclist and father-of-three . Zaid al-Hilli has spoken to police on a number of occasions to deny he was in dispute with his brother. Detectives are treating him as a witness and not a suspect in the case. Zaid Alabdi, a dentist who trained alongside Mrs Al-Hilli, has told the BBC’s The Report that he spoke to Saad the day before he headed off on holiday to France last month. ‘Saad said his brother had sacked his solicitor and he had no communication with [his brother] anymore,’ Mr Albdi told the programme, adding: ‘Since I have known Saad the only problem in his life is this recent disagreement with this brother.’ Zaid wanted the money for his share of the house, which was around half-a-million pounds, and friends also confirmed to the BBC that Saad had changed the locks of the Claygate house to stop him getting in. Zaid has not spoken publicly about the murders, but is said to be ‘devastated’ by his brother’s death. The Al-Hilli’s four-year-old daughter, Zeena, survived the attack unscathed after hiding under her mother’s corpse, while her seven-year-old sister, Zainab, was badly injured, suffering serious head injuries and a bullet wound in a shoulder.

Pair were in dispute over ownership of £1m property in Claygate, Surrey . Prosecutors trying to work out if weapon was kept for self-defence .

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Kurdish Peshmerga fighters claimed to take control Saturday of Sinjar, the northern Iraqi town that ISIS militants stormed this summer causing minority Yazidis to flee into nearby mountains and spawning a humanitarian crisis. The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) said on Twitter that its forces entered Sinjar district around 1:45 p.m.(9:45 a.m. ET) and, just over an hour later, "succeeded in taking complete control of it & nearby villages." The message ended "#Shingal #Kurds." Shingal is another name for Sinjar. The advance is the latest in recent days by Kurdish forces against ISIS, which has been blamed for atrocities around the area for its treatment of those by any who resist or don't subscribe to its extremist Islamist beliefs. And few, if any, have gotten worse treatment than the Yazidis -- one of the world's smallest and oldest monotheistic religious minority groups. Yazidis, most of whom are ethnic Kurds, revere an angel figure that some Muslims believe to be the devil. Last summer, ISIS slaughtered Yazidis by the hundreds, according to Vian Dakhil, the only lawmaker representing the Yazidis in Iraq's Parliament. Women in the group were "treated like cattle," Kurdish Regional Government adviser Nazand Begikhani said. Many were enslaved, raped and sold by ISIS. The town of Sinjar became central to this drama, when Yazidi residents ran for their lives to Sinjar Mountain, just to the north. But they had very little food, medical care or water, shortages compounded by Iraq's intense summer heat. Their dire situation, as well as the harsh treatment they got from ISIS simply due to their religious beliefs, spurred an international coalition to act. This effort began with the airdrop of supplies to Sinjar Mountain. Rescues came next. And now, the U.S.-led coalition is waging regular airstrikes targeting ISIS in Iraq and neighboring Syria -- an air campaign that helped pave the way for the recapture of Sinjar. Fight over Sinjar Mountain, surrounding area . This summer's combination of humanitarian and military efforts helped, as thousands of Yazidis fled on foot to Syria. Still, a few hundred remained on Sinjar Mountain. And ISIS never really went away. In fact, the tug-of-war in the region has continued for months -- prompting a fresh allied onslaught in recent days. Tuesday night, coalition aircraft conducted 48 airstrikes near Sinjar -- the heaviest concentration of such airstrikes to date, according to two U.S. defense officials. Masrour Barzani, chancellor of the KRSC, said Thursday this ground-and-air operation helped "open ... a corridor from south of Zummar to the Mountain Sinjar," giving direct access to those displaced on the mountain and in need of aid. ISIS fighters, meanwhile, fled toward the Syrian border and ISIS strongholds such as Mosul and Tal Afar, the Kurdish agency said. Kurdish agency: 'Morale remains high' The Peshmerga are keeping up the heat. A press release Saturday from the Kurdistan Region Security Council indicated these fighters launched a new phase of the offensive around 8 a.m. (midnight ET) south of Rabia to Sinjar Mountain. Three hours later, the KRSC claimed its forces had taken "complete control of Mushrefa" but that they weren't done. "The objective is to surround and clear an area of approximately 2,100 square kilometers (810 square miles)," the Kurdish agency said. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid -- in the form of 32 truckloads of food, water and other needed aid -- began rolling out Saturday morning from Irbil, bound for Sinjar Mountain, the KRSC reported. "Morale remains high as the Peshmerga continue to make advances on both fronts (north and south of Sinjar Mountain)," the Kurdish agency said. Everything to know about the rise of ISIS .

Kurdish council says Peshmerga takes town of Sinjar, nearby villages . Morale is high, ISIS fighters are fleeing toward strongholds, council adds . This push comes against ISIS is part of a recent, coalition push in northern Iraq . 32 truckloads of food, water, other aid head to those on Iraq's Sinjar Mountain .

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Dr. Conrad Murray defended his appellate lawyer from "a slew of disparaging remarks" just days before she files the appeal of the doctor's involuntary manslaughter conviction in Michael Jackson's death. CNN has obtained sections of that 300-page appeal, including the defense argument that the trial judge erred by not allowing the testimony of Dr. Arnold Klein, a dermatologist the defense contended addicted Jackson to Demerol in his last weeks. Murray's appeal, which will be filed Monday, also argues that prosecutors never proved Jackson was hooked up to an IV drip of the drug that killed him. The defense theory was that Jackson had administered the fatal dosage himself while the doctor was away. The coroner ruled that Jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol in combination with sedatives on June 25, 2009. Murray told investigators he used propofol to induce sleep because Jackson was suffering from insomnia. Murray served as Jackson's personal physician as the pop icon prepared for 50 shows that were to debut in London in July 2009, but his patient was fighting a battle for sleep between rehearsals. A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jackson's three children and his mother is set for trial next month. The family accuses concert promoter AEG Live of liability in his death by hiring and supervising the doctor, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in November 2011. Murray takes a side in lawyer dispute . Murray -- during a phone call to CNN Saturday from the Los Angeles County jail where he's been held since he was sentenced to four years in prison -- said he was "impelled to stand up for" attorney Valerie Wass, who has been involved in a personal dispute with Murray's trial lawyer Michael Flanagan. Flanagan was helping Wass, who wrote the appeal, until the two lawyers were involved in a jailhouse argument last January. Flanagan dropped Murray as a client after the incident, but the appeals court later ordered him to respond to requests from Wass for case files, which she said he had withheld. Murray, who witnessed the January incident between his attorneys, issued a strong statement of support for Wass in his call from jail. "In recent weeks, I became keenly aware that a slew of disparaging remarks and personal information about my appellate attorney, Valerie Wass, were unjustly released to the media and the public," Murray said.  "Because of this injustice, I am impelled to stand up for this woman, for whom I have the utmost respect and confidence." Wass completed work on the appeal even though "with the blink of an eye, all of her promised assistance vanished; they abandoned ship," Murray said. Responding to CNN on Sunday, Flanagan said he had no comment. "Although she needed help, she did not quit, did not jump ship, nor did she succumb to pressure while others abdicated their responsibilities," he said.   "She held steadfastly to her professional and moral conduct, which was bolstered by her amazing mettle of mind and spirit." Murray said Wass "stood up for me amidst a most arduous and challenging series of obstacles, and whose loyalty remains indisputable.  It is my belief that she took a personal hit for me, and I want to  let her know that I'll forever be grateful." Murray's appeal: Jackson's Demerol addiction . Although Murray could be freed in about seven months, he is seeking to clear his name and get his medical license back by having his conviction overturned on appeal. The appeal contends that Los Angeles Superior Judge Michael Pastor wrongly prevented Murray's trial lawyers from making their case that Jackson was going through withdrawal from a Demerol addiction the day he died. "The reason it sought to prove that Jackson was going through Demerol withdrawal on June 25th was to show his state of mind -- specifically, that his resulting physiological and psychological state, along with the pressure he was under from preparing for the upcoming tour, rendered him so desperate for sleep that he would take the extraordinary action of self-administering propofol when he was outside the presence of appellant," Wass writes. Defense experts testified at the trial that Jackson's insomnia could have been caused by the withdrawal. The defense wanted Klein and two staff members to testify about Jackson's 23 visits to their Beverly Hills clinic in the three months before his death, including five in June 2009. Jackson was given Demerol during those visits, the last time on June 22, three days before he died. "Michael Jackson could not sleep because of the Demerol," the defense said in pretrial arguments. "Dr. Murray did not know that. But Arnold Klein did. Michael Jackson needed sleep because he was withdrawing and addicted, both addicted and withdrawing from Demerol. That's important to our defense. In fact, it's absolutely vital." Pastor, however, ruled that testimony from Klein and his staff would be a "distraction and divergence" in the trial. "The defense was also unable to prove whether Jackson was addicted to Demerol and going through withdrawal at the time he died, because experts in the case articulated they could not reach conclusions based only on reviewing Klein's records," Wass writes in the appeal. If Klein or his staff had been allowed to testify at the trial, "It is reasonably probable that at least one juror on the panel would have found appellant not guilty of involuntary manslaughter," the appeal argues. "Accordingly, regardless of the applicable standard of review, appellant's conviction must be reversed." Murray's appeal: No proof of IV drip . The prosecution's theory in the trial was that Murray hooked Jackson up to an unusual makeshift IV drip of propofol and then left him alone to make phone calls in an adjacent room. Murray was criminally negligent because he did not properly monitor his patient who later died from an overdose, they argued. The defense argued that the IV drip only sent saline into Jackson's leg to hydrate him and that Murray used a syringe to slowly push a safe dose of propofol into Jackson's blood while he watched him fall asleep. A frustrated Jackson could have awakened while Murray was away and administered the fatal dose himself, the defense said. "The propofol infusion theory offered by the prosecution's expert was not supported by the evidence, and in fact, was so absurd, improbable and unbelievable that a rational trier of fact could not have concluded that the evidence was sufficient to establish that appellant had placed Jackson on a propofol drip on the day of his death," the appeal argues. The prosecution built the IV drip theory based on testimony of one of Jackson's guards who said he saw a propofol bottle hanging above Jackson's death bed when he arrived to help revive him. An investigator also found a saline bag with a slit in it, which the prosecution contended was used to hold the bottle on the IV stand. Defense propofol expert Dr. Paul White testified such an IV drip set up was "befuddling" because a propofol bottle comes with a hanging device. The hanging tab on the bottle was not used, both sides agreed. "The prosecution concocted the novel and ridiculous method of placing the vial into the bag through the slit, hanging the bottle upside down at an angle using the bag for support, and then hanging the bag from the IV stand," the appeal argues. A piece of tubing key to the IV drip was never found, but the prosecution suggested Murray could have slipped it into a pocket before leaving the bedroom to ride to the hospital with Jackson. Wass argues that is "pure speculation, and the absence of evidence of a long IV line with propofol residue is fatal to the prosecution's theory." "If an IV line used in a propofol infusion had been placed in appellant's pocket, it would have been dripping propofol, and resulted in a messy wet pocket," the appeal argues. "Such a result is not reflected in any photograph, testimony, or statement of any witness." Murray's appeal: Jackson gave himself fatal dose . Michael Jackson got little sleep the morning he died, despite Murray's bedside efforts using sedatives, according to Murray. "It is likely that Jackson's heightened insomnia on June 25th was exacerbated by his surreptitious Demerol addiction and the resultant acute withdrawal syndrome therefrom," the appeal says. "Jackson's last Demerol injection was on June 22nd, less than 72 hours before his death, which could have been a peak period for the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms." But he did fall asleep at 10:40 a.m after a single dose of propofol, he told investigators. After watching him for 15 minutes, Murray left him alone, the appeal says. "The evidence is consistent with a scenario in which Jackson quickly self-injected the lethal bolus dose of propofol while appellant was outside the bedroom," the appeal contends. "Based on the toxicology results, it appears that the rapid injection lead to cardiac arrest and a quick death." He may have had access to a bottle of propofol without Murray knowing, the appeal says. "Jackson was very familiar with propofol, as other doctors had administered propofol to him," Wass writes. "It is conceivable that Jackson had obtained a secondary source for the drug, especially because Jackson had been receiving nightly infusions from appellant for the previous two months, and appellant had Sunday nights off." If Jackson -- not Murray -- administered the final and fatal dose, then it was not the doctor's fault the patient died, the argument says. Murray's appeal disputes the prosecution argument that Murray was criminally liable even if Jackson had administered the fatal dose himself because Murray should have known that leaving the drugs near Jackson's bed posed a risk. The risk was "not reasonably foreseeable," it said. The prosecution will have a chance to respond to Murray's arguments before the California appeals court makes a decision.

Murray calls from jail citing "injustice" done to appeal lawyer . Appeal lawyer Valerie Wass " took a personal hit for me," Murray tells CNN . Murray witnessed Wass and trial lawyer Michael Flanagan argue at the jail . Wass will file Murray's appeal on Monday .

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By . David Martosko . PUBLISHED: . 16:28 EST, 12 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:56 EST, 12 April 2013 . The activists who allegedly recorded a private conversation among members of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election team are tied to a liberal political action committee whose co-founder was a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Jacob Conway, an executive committee member of the Jefferson County, Kentucky Democratic Party, told WFPL radio in Louisville that Progress Kentucky co-founders Shawn Reilly and Curtis Morrison bragged to him about how they recorded a February meeting of McConnell campaign staffers. That conversation featured a discussion of how actress Ashley Judd, then a potential challenger for McConnell's Senate seat, could be targeted for her past battles with mental illness that left her 'emotionally unbalanced' and stricken with 'suicidal tendencies.' Judd announced on March 27 that she would not run. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Actress Ashley Judd, shown here in the 1999 film Double Jeopardy, considered running for a US Senate seat in Kentucky, but was dogged by carpetbagger accusations since she lives in Tennessee . Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is preparing for his sixth Senate election in 2014. He and a small group of his campaign staffers were secretly recorded during a Feb. 4 strategy session in their Kentucky campaign headquarters . On the tape, which swiftly made the rounds April 9, McConnell is heard suggesting a 'Whac-a-Mole' strategy against Judd. 'When anybody sticks their head up,' he said, 'do them out.' Reilly and Morrison were reportedly at McConnell's Kentucky campaign headquarters for its Feb. 2 grand opening, and remained in the building long enough to overhear the campaign team's strategy session from outside a closed door, and to decide to record it. The Daily Caller reported that Reilly was a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. It cited a Huffington Post story which noted that before he co-founded Progress Kentucky, Reilly 'was a member of the executive committee of the state Democratic Party.' 'Although Reilly appears to be a member of the Democratic Party establishment,' the Caller reported, 'media outlets are now propagating a version of the illegal bugging story in which Democratic officials claim to have been blindsided by a scandal foisted on them by an unaccountable outside group.' Curtis Morrison (R) is one of two Progress Kentucky co-founders accused of making the unauthorized recording and giving it to Mother Jones reporter David Corn. The other man, Shawn Reilly, claims he was a 'witness.' his lawyer blames Morrison for any alleged illegal activity . Conway, the county-level Democratic . Party executive who blew the whistle on Progress Kentucky's recording . exploit, told the Fox News Channel that Reilly and Morrison bragged to . him about what they had done. 'They mentioned that they were there. ... I don't know why they were at the grand opening of his campaign office, but they were there after the event had ended, and were in the hallway. And they overheard the conversation going on,' Conway told anchor Megyn Kelly. 'It was a very tasteless thing that the McConnell campaign did,' he added, 'but it was a private conversation nonetheless.' They decided the record it,' he added, and they told me about this.' Progress Kentucky's main purpose seems to be to oust McConnell from his perch at the top of the Senate's Republican pecking order. Politico reported in January that the group was approaching tea party-affiliated Republicans in an effort to persuade someone to challenge the five-term 71-year-old politician. A YouTube video published in December shows the group organizing a 'fiscal cliff caroling' event on the sidewalk in front of McConnell's home. Jacob Conway, a committee member of the Jefferson County, Kentucky Democratic Party, said during a radio interview that Reilly and Morrison bragged about making the tape . The group describes itself as 'a different kind of Super PAC: a grassroots movement that will use traditional media, new media, and direct action to hold Senator Mitch McConnell accountable for his failed record.' Reilly has taken the position that he was an innocent bystander, placing the blame squarely on Morrison. 'Shawn is completely innocent of any criminal wrongdoing,' Reilly attorney Annie O'Connell told Buzzfeed. 'He is a witness, not a suspect. He has fully cooperated with the United States Attorney's office for the Western district of Kentucky since the recording became public,' and has provided 'material assistance to the investigators.' That appears consistent with what Conway told WFPL he learned from the men he says made the tape. 'One of them held the elevator, the other one did the recording and they left,' Conway said. McConnell played jiu-jitsu with his liberal antagonists, turning negative publicity from the damaging recording into a positive fundraising windfall for his campaign . McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton said in a statement that 'WFPL’s reports that left-wing activists illegally recorded a private meeting inside our campaign headquarters are very disturbing.' Sen. McConnell himself called the apparent wiretapping incident 'Nixonian' in a successful rapid-response fundraising campaign, is 'very disturbing.' 'At this point, we understand that the FBI is immersed in an intensive criminal investigation,' he said. The FBI's Louisville office declined to make a comment. Mother Jones magazine, the non-profit liberal magazine that published the recording, may be in legal jeopardy - or in danger of losing its tax-exempt status - if it's determined that the tape was made illegally. It's a crime in Kentucky to record or publish the contents of a private conversation unless all its participants consent. And crossing state lines with such a recording, an FBI source told MailOnline on condition of anonymity, is a 'slam-dunk federal case.' Judd read the vote totals for Tennessee - not Kentucky - during the presidential nomination roll call vote for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2012 . Mother Jones is headquartered in California. David Corn, the reporter who broke the story, is based in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, Progress Kentucky Treasurer Douglas David confirmed to NBC News that he resigned from the group after the audio recording was made, but before his organization was named publicly in connection with it. 'I have resigned my position as treasurer and did not and do not condone any allegations of illegal activity that might have taken place,' he said.

One Progress Kentucky founder fingers another, claims he was a 'witness' County Democratic officer fingered the pair in a Louisville radio interview . Potential suspect was longtime Democratic insider, despite party's claim it was blindsided by investigation . Liberal magazine that published recording may have received the product of a federal wiretapping felony .

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By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 06:54 EST, 21 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:44 EST, 21 December 2013 . Convicted: Colton Bridgeman, 20, was jailed for five years for robbing two elderly shoppers . A robber who mugged a disabled pensioner man for £10 and a 78-year-old woman for £6 wept as he was jailed for five years. Colton Bridgeman, 20, ran up behind the elderly man as he walked with a zimmer frame in Ipswich, Suffolk. Bridgeman, a drug addict, rifled through the shell-shocked 89-year-old's pockets, taking out his belongings and throwing them on the floor. The callous man pushed his victim against a wall before running off with just £10 on August 10. Two days later a 78-year-old woman was cruelly targeted. Again Bridgeman ran up behind her and snatched her purse containing just £6 cash from her handbag. Both victims were targeted after they had been shopping in a town centre Sainsbury's. Bridgeman, of Harwich, Essex, admitted two offences of robbery. He also asked for seven offences, including theft and burglary, to be considered. He wept as he was given five years detention at a young offenders' institution. Ipswich Crown Court heard how the robber had caused great distress to his elderly victims. Speaking about the disabled pensioner, Marcus Croskell, prosecuting, said: 'He was so flabbergasted he sat down. He was very upset.' Mr Croskell said Bridgeman was later picked out on a video identification parade by a woman in an electric wheelchair who went to the man's aid and challenged the thug. 'She was shocked and shouted after him,' said Mr Croskell. Recorder Stephen Solley, QC, told . Bridgeman, who was crying as he was taken down, that his robberies were . 'crimes of great cowardice'. Sent down: Bridgeman wept at Ipswich Crown Court, pictured, as he was sentenced for stealing a total of £16 from his victims . Mr Solley said he was staggered' that anyone could commit such crimes against two elderly people. Paul Donegan, defending, said Bridgeman had a tough time as a teenager but that did not excuse his offending. He said Bridgeman had used Class A drugs and had committed offences to feed his drug habit. Mr Donegan branded his robberies 'opportunistic'.

Colton Bridgeman, 20, robbed man, 89, as he walked with a zimmer frame . He rifled through the pensioner's pockets and ran off with just £10 . Two days later he targeted a 78-year-old woman and stole £6 from her purse . He was given five years detention at a young offenders' institution .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . A 27-year-old man has been accused of fatally stabbing his elderly father and seriously wounding his mother in a savage scissor attack in their New York apartment this morning. New York Post reported Anthony Powe was taken into custody in his underwear shortly after the 5.45am attack at the apartment at 784 Columbus Avenue, Manhattan. The mentally ill son allegedly ran from the Upper West Side building near West 97th Street, through Central Park to East 96th Street on the other side of the city, where he was nabbed by police. Scroll down for video . Scene: Anthony Powe, 27, is accused of knifing his parents inside their apartment on Columbus Avenue, Manhattan (pictured) about 6am this morning . Darlington Powe, 71, was found dead inside the eighth-floor apartment while his wife, Alicia Powe, 56, was rushed to St. Luke’s . Hospital in a serious condition. The father, reportedly an accountant at Bellevue Hospital Center, had allegedly been repeatedly stabbed in the face and chest, and the mother had been stabbed in the chest. Neighbors heard screams and called the police, who reportedly found a pair of bloody scissors in the apartment. An upstairs neighbor told the Post she heard a woman yelling and begging the attacker to stop. 'Oh my god! I heard it! I heard a woman screaming in the apartment below. I heard her say, ‘Stop, you’re going to kill him! Oh my God, no!’ They are such beautiful people,' she said. Scene: Police were called to the Manhattan apartment this morning following reports of an assault . Powe's distraught sister said her brother loved his family and blamed his history of mental issues for the alleged attack, but said he had never been violent. 'I can't believe this is happening. He is schizophrenic. Once he realizes what he did, he's going to freak out,' Rochelle Powe, 44, told DNAinfo. 'He goes to hospitals on a regular basis . and went to peer groups. He heard voices in his head. He had to stay on . his medications.' She said her father was a 'wonderful, fun-loving dad' who was good at math and created oil paintings. Darlington Powe's ex-wife, Martha Powe, 70, said the alleged attacker 'always had problems'. 'He always had nervous problems. Darlington was worried about him,' she said. 'He was really worried. It was a major concern. He thought he needed treatment.' Violent: An upstairs neighbor reportedly heard a woman screaming and begging the attacker to stop this morning . Troubled: Rochelle Powe said her brother adored his family and was particularly close with his father, who he lived with in this Upper West Side apartment building . Pablo Maria, a 63-year-old maintenance worker in the building, told the Post the son had a history of troubling behavior. 'His son is crazy. Always walking around with capri pants, you know, short pants, making weird faces. He crazy!' Maria, who had worked in the building for 18 years, said. 'The . problem [is] because too many people live in that apartment. Seven . people in a studio! Two sons, two daughters, mother, father and . grandmother in wheelchair. And crazy son!' He said the son worked the night shift at a local food store. A former neighbor who lived one door down for six years told DNAinfo she frequently heard fights in the apartment. She moved out of the complex about a week ago. 'They fought a lot. I shared a wall with them and they were always fighting, always screaming and fighting,' Fruma Reiss, 36, said. Hospitalized: Alicia Powe was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital (pictured) in a serious condition after being stabbed in the chest with a pair of scissors . A police spokesman told DNAinfo the suspect allegedly attacked his parents over a domestic dispute. The Post reported police had responded to calls about domestic incidents eight times since December 2004, with the last call received on December 29 last year. Charges against the son are pending. The Columbus Avenue building where the attack occured is part of Park West Village, according to their tenants association website.

Anthony Powe allegedly attacked his parents in their Manhattan apartment about 5.45am this morning . He is accused of fatally stabbing Darlington Powe, 71, in the face and chest, and stabbing Alicia Powe, 56, in the chest with scissors . The son was arrested in his underwear on the other side of the city . Charges are pending . Rochelle Powe said her brother was schizophrenic . Police had responded to eight calls about domestic incidents since 2004 .

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- A Los Angeles elementary school teacher allegedly took bondage photos of more than two dozen students in his classroom, including some with suspected semen-filled spoons at their mouths, investigators said Tuesday. The young students "didn't realize they were victimized," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Dan Scott told CNN Tuesday. "They thought they were being blindfolded and gagged as a game," he said. "And they were rewarded with cookies or spoons full of sugar (but) they did not realize the spoon contained semen." The photographs also showed "a large 3-inch cockroach that would crawl on their face," Scott said. Mark Berndt, 61, was arrested on child molestation charges at his Torrance, California, home Monday and is being held pending $2.3 million bond in a Los Angeles County jail, according to Sheriff's Lt. Carlos Marquez. He is scheduled to make a first appearance before a judge Wednesday morning on 23 counts of lewd acts on a child, according to the county's district attorney. CNN was not able to immediately identify or reach Berndt's lawyer. While the investigation began more than a year ago, the arrest came soon after lab testing matched Berndt's DNA with semen found on a spoon recovered from his classroom, Scott said. Investigators persuaded the suspect to voluntarily give them a DNA sample just two months ago, he said. The 30-year teaching veteran was removed from his job at Miramonte Elementary School in south Los Angeles on January 7, 2011, the day the sheriff's department told the school district about the investigation, Los Angeles School Superintendent John Deasy said. "I am sickened and horrified by the behavior of Mark Berndt. This individual and his conduct do not reflect on the quality of the teachers who work so hard on behalf of the students in the Los Angeles Unified School District," Deasy said in a written statement. The probe started when a film processor gave investigators "over 40 photographs depicting children in a school classroom, with their eyes blindfolded and mouths covered with tape," the sheriff's statement said. "Investigators learned that some of the photos depicted suspect Mark Berndt with his arm around the children, or with his hand over their mouths," it said. Some photos show female students with "what appeared to be a blue plastic spoon, filled with an unknown clear/white liquid substance, up to their mouths as if they were going to ingest the substance," the statement said. Other photos showed "children with large live Madagascar-type cockroaches on their faces and mouths," it said. Investigators, who interviewed more than 80 current and former students and school employees, identified 23 boys and girls then between the ages of 7 and 10 years old as victims in crimes that are believed to have been committed between 2005 and 2010, it said. A search of Berndt's home found more than 100 more similar photographs depicting children and a video depicting adult sexual "bondage" activity "which mirrored the bondage-type photos of the children," investigators said. The film processor later gave investigators an additional 250 photographs, it said. About 10 children seen in the more than 400 images have not yet been identified, it said. "Early in the investigation, Special Victims Bureau detectives recovered a blue plastic spoon and an empty container from the trash within the suspect's classroom," the sheriff's statement said. "The recovered items tested positive for semen. Through further investigation, the suspect's DNA was obtained and tested, and (investigators) determined that it matched that of the DNA profile found on the spoon and container." Investigators did not reveal the contents of the fluid to the children or tell them that the case involved child molestation allegations, Scott said. CNN's Stan Wilson contributed to this report.

The young students "didn't realize they were victimized," an investigator says . Children were told they were playing a game, may have been spoon-fed semen . In classroom photos, students had "eyes blindfolded and mouths covered," officials say . Mark Berndt, a 30-year teaching vet, is charged with child molestation .

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(CNN)The Spanish nurse's aide who contracted Ebola after treating virus-stricken patients in Madrid is now free of the virus, her doctors announced Tuesday after another test on her. Teresa Romero Ramos is clear of Ebola, physicians at Carlos III hospital said. She received an initial test, which turned up no virus in her blood, doctors said Sunday. More tests were administered to be sure she was virus-free. While Spain welcomes the good news about Ebola, the United States is doing more to help prevent the spread of the virus. The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that all arriving passengers from West African countries that Ebola has hit hardest -- Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea -- must land in one of the five U.S. airports that have enhanced Ebola screening. Those airports are New York's John F. Kennedy International; D.C.'s Washington Dulles; New Jersey's Newark Liberty International; Chicago's O'Hare International; and Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta. On its website, the Department of Homeland Security shows how many people have been screened and then taken to health care facilities for further checks. JFK appears to be outpacing the other airports in screenings. Also Tuesday, the World Health Organization announced that testing was underway at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland for an Ebola vaccine; and a trial for a second vaccine, initially developed in Canada, has started at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring. The goal is to launch vaccine trials in West Africa by January, said Dr. Marie Paule Kieny, the WHO's assistant director general for health systems and innovation. The initial vaccine tests are being given to volunteers in countries such as Mali, the United States and England. It is impossible to get Ebola from the vaccines, Kieny said, because they do not contain enough of the virus's genetic material. But "there is no vaccine that has no side effects at all," she added. It's not clear when vaccines could be distributed to the masses. That won't be determined until after test results come in. When the testing reaches West Africa, candidates could include relatives of infected Ebola patients, Kieny said. Debate over experimental drugs . The WHO said it is also visiting sites in the three countries most devastated by Ebola -- Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia -- to see which treatment centers could participate in the testing of experimental Ebola drugs. But there is debate among medical ethicists about the drug trials -- namely, whether to use placebos in testing. While some say placebos are necessary to gauge the effectiveness of drugs, others say it's unethical to withhold treatment for a disease with a mortality rate of about 50%. CDC gives new guidelines . The news from the WHO comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated Ebola guidelines, focusing on better protecting health care workers. Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of the CDC, stressed the importance of more training and supervision, and he said no skin should be exposed when workers are wearing personal protective equipment, or PPE. "We're increasing the margin of safety with a real consensus guideline that has three key changes. One, training, practicing -- demonstrated hands-on experience so that the health care workers are comfortable donning and doffing PPE. Two, no skin exposure. Three, observation of every single step, putting on and taking off the PPE," Frieden said. CNN's Lindsay Isaac contributed to this report.

U.S. restricts passenger arrivals from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea to five airports . Spanish nurse's aide is free of the Ebola virus after another test, doctors say . National Institutes of Health has begun testing Ebola vaccine . WHO hopes to start vaccine trials in West Africa by January 2015 .

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(CNN) -- The investigation into the controversial shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a police officer in a St. Louis suburb has been completed, the St. Louis County prosecutor's office said Wednesday. Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed the 18-year-old in the middle of the day on August 9 after telling Brown and a friend to get out of the street. Authorities could have charged Wilson themselves by filing a criminal complaint, but St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch instead opted to present the case to a grand jury to decide whether to indict the officer. Ferguson mayor: Our eyes opened to racial problems . "The investigation has been basically completed that is being conducted by both the FBI and St. Louis County PD," Ed Magee, the spokesman for the prosecutor's office, told CNN. A grand jury is expected to decide by mid-November whether Wilson will be charged criminally for the shooting, which sparked weeks of unrest on the streets of Ferguson and calls for a federal civil rights investigation. The white police officer's shooting of the black teenager was heavily debated throughout the nation. The grand jury, which began meeting in August, is expected to consider whether a crime was committed and if "probable cause" exist that Wilson committed that crime. Some witnesses have said Brown assaulted the officer at the outset and tried to grab his gun. Others fingered Wilson as the aggressor. A private autopsy conducted for the Brown family showed that Brown had been shot at least six times, including twice in the head. Last month, two contractors doing construction work in Ferguson on the day Brown was killed, describe the teenager with his hands up in the air as he was gunned down. The men, who asked not to be identified after CNN contacted them, said they were about 50 feet away from Wilson when he opened fire. A video captured their reactions during the moments just after the shooting. "He had his f**n hands up," one of the men said in the video. The men said they didn't see how the confrontation started. Dueling narratives in Michael Brown shooting . Feds scrutinizing shooting, police department . Federal officials are conducting two civil rights investigations -- one into Brown's killing and the other into Ferguson Police Department's overall track record with minorities. One investigation will review the shooting by Wilson, a 28-year-old officer with six years of experience, including four in Ferguson. A civil rights violation would require that Wilson had shown "racial hostility" against Brown in the shooting, legal analysts have said. The U.S. Justice Department also announced a second inquiry to examine accusations that the police department as a whole practiced racial profiling and heavy-handed tactics. The shooting ignited angry protests and instances of looting on the streets of Ferguson. Community leaders criticized what they said was an excessive show of force by police to the demonstrations. Local officials have failed to soothe public outrage. Last week, even after apologizing for his department's actions following the shooting, Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, insisted that he's not stepping down. "This is mine," he told CNN. "I'm taking ownership of it." Jackson acknowledged that he's heard calls for his ouster but that doesn't mean he'll answer them. "I've talked to a lot of people who have initially called for that and then changed their mind after having meetings and discussions about moving forward," Jackson said. "Realistically, I'm going to stay here and see this through." An apology, with continued unrest . The Brown shooting stirred complaints of widespread racial profiling in Ferguson, which Jackson has rejected. "It's never been the intention of the Ferguson police department -- or any police department that I know -- to intentionally target individuals because of race," the chief said. "If there is that happening, it's a crime and it needs to be addressed." Jackson released a video apology to Brown's parents and the peaceful demonstrators who took to Ferguson's streets to protest the young man's death. In that video, the chief expressed regret that it took investigating officers four hours to remove Brown's body from the street after he was shot dead. The St. Louis suburb of 21,000 erupted again last week after one of three Brown memorials at the site of the shooting burned. While many peaceful protesters took to the street September 23, violent elements within the demonstration stoked chaos, attacking police with guns, rocks and bottles and vandalizing and looting businesses, Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said. One person threw a Molotov cocktail at a parking structure, and there was an attempt to set a gasoline fire at a custard shop, he said. Two officers were injured, one of whom was struck by a rock below the eye, Johnson said. The City Council has recently taken up measures to reform court procedures and the way the city handles certain fines. The council is also considering a citizen review board to monitor the police department. Complete coverage of Brown shooting and protests . CNN's Sara Sidner in Ferguson contributed to this report.

Investigation into police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown is complete, prosecutor's office says . Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed the 18-year-old on August 9 . A grand jury is expected to decide by the middle of next month whether Wilson will be charged .

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The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) is pulling millions of dollars in investments out of three U.S. companies tied to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. In a close vote at its annual assembly in Detroit on Friday, the church voted 310-303 to divest $21 million from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions. The church says Caterpillar supplies products to Israel that are used to destroy Palestinian homes, Hewlett-Packard provides logistics and technology to help enforce the naval blockade of Gaza, and Motorola Solutions provides military and surveillance systems in illegal Israeli settlements. But immediately after the vote, church leaders said the decision was not a judgment against Israel. "In no way is this a reflection for our lack of love for our Jewish sisters and brothers," Moderator Heath Rada said. The approved divestment proposal included a preface underscoring the denomination's longstanding commitment to peace in the region and the suffering on both sides. "We recognize the complexity of the issues, the decades-long struggle, the pain suffered and inflicted by policies and practices of both the Israeli government and the Palestinian entities," it said. The church also stressed it still supports Israel and that the vote was not connected to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign to punish the Jewish state over the occupation of Palestinian lands and other hotly contested issues. Vote stirs passionate responses . But some Jewish organizations, even those that support a two-state solution to the ongoing crisis in the region, see the decision as a direct result of and support for the BDS movement. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) says the decision undermines the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. "It is a very sad day for Presbyterian-Jewish relations when church leaders from across the U.S. align with the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement," Rabbi Noam Marans, the AJC's director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations, said in a statement. "This is an affront to all who are committed to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Marans said. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, issued a statement after the vote calling it "a preference for a policy of isolation, rather than one of engagement." "Of course, we will continue to partner with our allies within the church who are committed to a two-state solution, reject the effort of the BDS campaign to delegitimize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and work toward a just and fair solution to enable the Palestinians to achieve the state that they deserve," Jacobs said. The Anti-Defamation League called the move "out of step" with the majority of Presbyterians in churches across the United States. The ADL's National Director Abraham J. Foxman said the decision also creates an atmosphere of open hostility." "This resolution sends a painful message to American Jews and threatens the long-standing relationship between the Jewish community and the national Presbyterian Church with whom we have worked closely on many issues of mutual concern." Some Presbyterians are condemning the vote, as well. The Rev. Katharine Rhodes Henderson, the president of New York's Auburn Seminary, is calling on Presbyterians opposed to the decision to reach out to their local Jewish communities to try to repair relationships following the controversial vote. Henderson said the vote "sets back the work toward a just and peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict." "It hurts the Presbyterian place at the table for peacemaking, and creates barriers not just between Presbyterians and Jews, and Israelis and Palestinians, but also within the Presbyterian body." Palestinian supporters of the BDS movement, meantime, said they are pleased with the church's divestment decision and see it as a sign the movement is gaining momentum in United States. Omar Barghouti, for one, calls the vote a "sweet victory." "Presbyterian supporters of Palestinian rights have not only solidly introduced divestment from Israel's occupation to the U.S. mainstream, they have given the Palestinian people real hope in the face of the relentless cruelty of Israel's regime of occupation, settler colonialism and apartheid," said Barghouti, a founding committee member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Not a snap decision . The denomination, the largest Presbyterian body in the United States, says it still supports the Jewish state. "We have significant investments in Israel," said church spokeswoman Kathy Francis. And the church is keeping them. The decision was about morality, not politics, she said. There are many Palestinian Christians in the occupied territories that the church is concerned about and obligated to support. Francis said the church no longer wanted to profit from investing in companies that have a hand in the destruction of people's homes and lives. Instead, she said, it will now shift some of its investments into economic development programs in the Palestinian territories. The divestment from the three companies was not a snap decision. The church has discussed and considered the issue for the past 10 years. It almost passed a divestment proposal at its 2012 assembly, narrowly voting it down by just two votes. Francis said the vote may make the Presbyterians seem unique among American Protestants, but they are not alone. "There are other denominations that are grappling with this," she said.

In a 310-303 vote, the church decides to pull $21 million in investments . It is divesting from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions . Jewish groups, and some Presbyterians, condemn the decision . The church is keeping other investments in Israel, while investing in Palestinian territories, too .

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Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The captors of a kidnapped 5-year-old British boy included someone who was close to the family, Pakistan's Interior Minister said Sunday. "There is someone who is very close to the family because the way the situation happened; the way the entry was made," Minister Rehman Malik said. Malik, who spoke to reporters after meeting the boy's father in the Pakistani town of Jhelum, said authorities were close to finding the kidnappers. "We have certain leads which we would not like to disclose, but I have a warning to those who abducted the boy: leave the boy because we are very near to you," he said. The boy, Sahil Saeed, is of Pakistani descent. He was on the last day of a two-week vacation in Pakistan before he planned to return home to Oldham in northern England. Gunmen barged into Sahil's grandmother's home in the eastern province of Punjab and took him at gunpoint Wednesday. They have reportedly demanded a ransom of 10 million rupees ($118,000).

Five-year-old snatched by armed robbers while on holiday with family in Punjab . Sahil Saeed, of Pakistani descent, was on a two-week vacation in Punjab . Kidnappers have reportedly demanded a ransom of $118,000 .

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By . Charlie Scott . Follow @@charliefscott . Ahead of their must-win World Cup . semi-final against Argentina in Sao Paulo, Sportsmail . takes a closer look at Louis van Gaal's Holland side. Player of the tournament: Arjen Robben (5 games, 3 goals) The Flying Dutchman has been his side’s stand-out player, terrorising defenders in each of their five games. He scored two fine goals against Spain in their first match and was also on the scoresheet in the 3-2 win against Australia. At 30, it seems Robben has got quicker with age, and his pace, particularly on the counter, has been pivotal to Holland’s progress thus far. VIDEO Scroll down for Netherland's team profile and qualifying highlights . Wing wizard: Arjen Robben celebrates reaching the semi-finals after scoring three goals during Holland's campaign . Tournament highlight: Demolishing Spain . Four years ago the only thing that stood between Holland and the World Cup trophy was Spain. A goal from Andres Iniesta in extra-time won La Roja the trophy in South Africa. There was redemption for Arjen Robben and Holland in their match against Vicente Del Bosque’s side this time round, as the Bayern Munich winger and Robin van Persie tormented Iker Casillas and his defence. Both scored twice. Spain never recovered from that emphatic 5-1 defeat in Salvador, exiting the tournament at the earliest opportunity having failed to win any of their group games. Deadly: Robben puts Holland 2-1 up against Spain during their spectacular 5-1 victory in Salvador . Lowlight: Nigel de Jong’s injury against Mexico . The holding midfielder was forced off nine minutes into the Oranje’s last-16 clash with Mexico after suffering a groin injury, ruling him out of the rest of the tournament. A mainstay in the Dutch starting XI for years, De Jong’s absence has been felt in midfield, with no like-for-like replacement capable of replicating his tenacious style. Ruled out: Nigel de Jong was unavailable against Costa Rica after being forced off with a groin injury against Mexico . Best goal: Robin van Persie v Spain, 5-1 group stage, Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador . On the brink of half-time - with Spain 1-0 up - Daley Blind played a stunning crossfield ball from the left to van Persie. The Manchester United forward repositioned himself brilliantly to throw himself at the pass and connect with a diving header rather than attempting a volley. His improvised effort lobbed the stranded Casillas as prompted chaotic celebrations in the Dutch dugout. The comeback had begun. Up and over: Robin van Persie loops a header of Iker Casillas to equalise against Spain at the Arena Fonte Nova . VIDEO Van Gaal hopeful on Van Persie fitness . How has the boss performed? Brilliantly. Van Gaal has never had a problem telling people how great he is and now . he has proved himself on the biggest stage of all. The Dutchman has . juggled his squad superbly and used substitutions to fantastic effect. Eyebrows were raised when he hauled Van Persie off against Mexico, only . for his replacement Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to score the winner. Those same . eyebrows nearly fell off when he subbed first-choice goalkeeper Jasper . Cillessen for Tim Krul in the 119th minute versus Costa Rica. Again his . decision was vindicated though, as Krul proved the hero in the . shoot-out, saving two spot-kicks. Inspired: Holland boss Louis van Gaal has made some key decisions to help his country reach the last four . Top scorer: Arjen Robben and Robin van Perise (3 goals each) Killer stat: Holland’s 5-1 thrashing of Spain was the first time La Roja had conceded 5+ goals since losing 6-2 to Scotland in June 1963 . Results in 9pm kick-offs: Played 1 (vs Costa Rica), W 1, D 0, L 0 . BBC v ITV: Played on BBC 2, W 2, D 0, L 0; Played on ITV 3, W 3, D 0, L 0 . Route to semi-finals: Group B winners (Beat Spain 5-1, Australia 3-2 and Chile 2-0) Last 16: Holland 2-1 Mexico . Quarter-final: Holland 0-0 Costa Rica (Holland won 4-3 on penalties) FIFA ranking: 15th . Likely line-up: (3-5-2): Cilessen; De Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi, Janmaat, Wijnaldum, Sneijder, Blind, Kuyt; Robben, Van Persie . World Cup pedigree: Winners - never, Finalist in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Semis in 1998. Reached 4 semi-finals W 3, L 1 . VIDEO Team Profile: Netherlands highlights .

Arjen Robben has been Holland's star man in Brazil so far . The 5-1 thrashing of Spain was a highlight for Van Gaal's squad . Robin van Persie scored a stunning header to equalise against Vincente del Bosque's men . The Dutch are missing injured midfielder Nigel de Jong . Louis van Gaal has been instrumental in his side's progress to the last four . Holland face Argentina in Sao Paulo on Wednesday .

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(CNN) -- What are the chances you walk into work and the lead story is Angelina Jolie has had a double mastectomy when you are facing one yourself? I have been struggling for weeks with how to tell my co-workers and viewers that I have breast cancer and have chosen to have a double mastectomy. How much should I share? Will I be an emotional wreck? Do I want people feeling sorry for me? Angelina empowered me to share my story. I was diagnosed with breast cancer five weeks ago, on April 9. Saying it, talking about it, dealing with it has been a complicated journey. Luckily, I have a very early form of breast cancer called DCIS. MRI scans show some questionable areas in my left breast and many in my right. After several consultations with some of the finest doctors in New York and Chicago (my hometown), volumes of research and some serious soul searching, I have chosen to have a double mastectomy. Angelina Jolie chose to bear her soul in writing and I chose to follow her lead in front of all our viewers Tuesday. I identified with some of the issues she candidly discussed, such as her children, her sexuality and her femininity. I never expected to share this news so publicly and I certainly did not want to become the story. But judging from the outpouring of support, I am not alone. I have a history of fibrocystic breast tissue, which is very dense and complicated to read in a mammogram. For years, I've had biopsies and two years ago, prior to starting at CNN, I had a lumpectomy to remove abnormal tissue that doctors thought was cancer. One doctor said that in my case cancer was a matter of when, not if. Still, when I got the call five weeks ago, it knocked me over. My greatest challenge was sharing the news with the people who love me. My son Nico and my daughter Sofia were the hardest. I sat with Nico, 14, and asked him what came to mind when he thought of breast cancer. His response was a fight. I knew then he had the right attitude. I pulled out the book "Breast Cancer for Dummies" and explained in great detail what my diagnosis was and how I chose to treat it. He listened intently but still worried I was going to die. I explained that my decision gave me the best chance of survival long term. I promised this would not kill me. I agonized for weeks about how to tell my daughter, and even consulted a psychologist. Would she instantly think her breasts were sick, too? Were they? Would the information scare her and would she be overwhelmed by fear of losing me and potentially getting sick herself? I worried about nothing. I asked her the same question I asked Nico and her response was that breast cancer makes people's hair fall out and that they get sick. I told her neither would happen to me and that I would have surgery and be back in no time. That was plenty for her. I surprised myself by worrying about my sexuality. Logically, I knew that getting rid of all the breast tissue was the best decision for me. But would I still be attractive and desirable to my partner? I was angry at myself for even caring about that, but I did. I was choosing reconstruction, so that to the outside world nothing would look different -- but I knew and he knew. Kenny, my fiancé, was focused on making me whole. He said nothing mattered more to him than having me alive. Yet I still worried. Kenny happens to be executive vice president of the Chicago White Sox and travels nonstop. But he halted his schedule so he could be by my side for every appointment and every moment of vulnerability. He held my hand and sat with me when I cried. We have talked in great detail with doctors about the changes ahead, and privately about our personal feelings. They have been graphic, emotional conversations that have made us stronger. Early on, a very dear friend told me very matter-of-factly to treat this cancer as a pain-in-the-ass inconvenience. Getting there takes time and, in my case, a lot of prayer and a lot of research. I hope that every woman facing this decision takes the time to understand her options and surrounds herself with the support she needs to get through the difficult times. There are challenges to access that need to be tackled, especially for our Latina women. There is a lot of work and I am poised for the challenge to help others like me. I am grateful for the support and information available to me. My goal is to pay my many blessings forward. What I know, you will know. I am not yet on the other side, but judging by all the e-mails I've received from survivors, I am headed to a place that is stronger, wiser and definitely more empowered. My final words here are thank you -- for the many blessings, thoughts, prayers and even hugs you have sent my way today. Keep them coming!

CNN's Zoraida Sambolin discloses that she has breast cancer . She felt empowered to reveal it after Angelina Jolie spoke out . She thanks family, viewers for their support .

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By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 12:41 EST, 30 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:53 EST, 31 July 2013 . Ancient 'halls of the dead' pre-dating Stonehenge are being heralded by archaeologists as the first monuments of their kind to be found in the UK. The two earth long barrows were uncovered on top of Dorstone Hill in Herefordshire and are thought to date to about 3,800BC, almost 1,000 years before the famous stone circle in Wiltshire was built, according to Professor Julian Thomas, of the University of Manchester. Archaeologists who have spent a month excavating the mounds say they have removed fine examples of flint weapons and tools, thought to have been buried in the barrows when first created or later left as offerings to the dead. A flaked flint knife (pictured) was found in a cremation pit dug into the side of one of the two long barrows as the remains of two large 6000-year-old halls, each buried within a prehistoric burial mound, have been discovered in Herefordshire . Professor Thomas said the site was the only one of its type in the UK where 'the halls of the living became the halls of the dead', with the long communal halls first 'ritually' burned and then covered over with soil and turf to form the large barrows. He said: 'With this phenomenon of deliberately burning down buildings, tending the fire over a period of days, the argument is that you burn these down when the head of the family dies. 'Here, no new house has been built, but instead they have shovelled up the remains into these barrows and enclosed them with turf. He added: 'It's a very important site.' Among the finds are two stone axe-heads, a flint hand knife and an arrowhead, with some of the raw materials used in their construction pointing to origins hundreds of miles away from where they were found, according to the dig team. An artist's impression of the Neolithic long hall. Two earth long barrows were uncovered that archeologists believe date to about 3,800BC, almost 1,000 years before Stonehenge was built . The barrows themselves date to the early Neolithic period when the ancient Britons were starting to settle into small communities. In one possible clue to the violence of the period, a broken flint arrowhead was discovered in a stone burial chamber uncovered off the side of one of the barrows - although the human remains of the arrow's possible victim which would have lain within the cairn have long since disappeared due to the acidity of the soil, Professor Thomas said. Archaeologists have also been excited by the level of preservation in the timber construction of the original hall buildings, with the intense heat of the fire carbonising the wood's form even, including the joints and post holes. The barrows measure 30 metres and 70 metres in length, with a single main burial chamber at each end. Although made originally of earth, at a later date they were covered in stone like cairns found in the Black Mountains of Wales, Professor Thomas said. Investigation trenches dug at the site on top of Dorstone Hill in Herefordshire. Professor Thomas said the site was the only one of its type in the UK where 'the halls of the living became the halls of the dead,' with the long communal halls first 'ritually' burned and then covered over with soil and turf to form the large barrows . The smaller of the barrows has the remains of holes, thought to have contained two metre-wide upright oak posts between which was supported a trough lined with planks upon which the human remains would be placed. The dig has been carried out by a team from the Manchester university, the University of Kyushu and Herefordshire Council, who will return to the site to continue work next year. Dr Keith Ray, Herefordshire county archaeologist and dig co-director, said: 'In the British context, the Dorstone find is unique and unprecedented.' Professor Thomas said they had uncovered a picture of a 'monument that keeps changing' with the needs of the people living around it at the time. He added: 'This is a special place with significance as new bodies and new offerings are deposited here. 'Hundreds of years after the first burial, there are very fine flint objects being left here. Professor Julian Thomas professor of archaeology at the University of Manchester (pictured) described the site as 'a very important find'. Archaeologists have also been excited by the level of preservation in the timber construction of the original hall buildings . 'It's a very important site, firstly because for the first time we have the fabric of an early Neolithic hall being incorporated into the building of a funerary monument. 'Also, because of the preservation of the remains of the structure including evidence of carpentry, we are going to be able to say rather more about the character of these early Neolithic buildings.' Dr Ray said the fact more burial chambers and artefacts had been left at the site hundreds of years after it was first created showed its national importance. 'These subsequent finds show that 1,000 years after the hall burial mounds were made, the site is still important to later generations living 200 miles away - a vast distance in Neolithic terms,' he said. 'For example, the axe and knife may not have been traded, but placed there as part of a ceremony or an ancestral pilgrimage from what is now East Yorkshire. 'So we witness an inter-connected community linking Herefordshire and East Yorkshire by marriage and by descent 5,000 years ago.'

Manchester archaeologists have found communal halls that were first 'ritually' burned and then covered over with soil to form large barrows . The buildings were burned down when the head of the family died . The structures were discovered on top of Dorstone Hill in Herefordshire and are thought to date to about 3,800BC . Archeologists have found two stone axe-heads, a flint hand knife and an arrowhead and have described the discovery as a 'very important find'

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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 11:21 EST, 18 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:34 EST, 18 February 2013 . Tragic: Ritchie Allsop, 13, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was found hanged in December 2011 . A 13-year-old schoolboy was found hanged by his old school tie which he used to do pull-ups. Ritchie Allsop, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, had been arguing with his sister Skye, 11, before the death and his new mobile phone had ended up in a sink of water, an inquest heard. He retrieved the phone and tried to dry it out but was later found dead by his mother Lisa Brown when she arrived home from work. She described her ‘hyperactive’ son’s death as a tragic accident. A coroner ruled out suicide, and Miss Brown, 41, told the inquest at Sheffield Coroner’s Court that Ritchie was always ‘messing about’ and often lay on his bed playing about with the tie. She said: ‘I found out after the event that the tie had already been suspended on his bottom bunk. 'He often used to put his legs in it and his neck and mess about. It had been there for a while.’ She earlier said that Skye told her Ritchie used to play around with the tie ‘all the time’ and the girl had told him off over fears he would hurt himself. ‘The way I found him I think he's just slipped while he's been messing,’ she said. ‘He was hyperactive, he was continually talking about rubbish. He was interested in everything that went on and everything around him. He was just daft and silly and always laughing. 'Sometimes he would get stressed out and kick off but he was full of life. He had lots of friends. He would have spoken to me or his elder brother Jamie if anything was worrying him.’ She said her son had no reason to hurt himself, he had never tried to hang himself in the past and he had never spoken to anyone of self-harming. A 16-year-old friend of Ritchie said he had had just changed schools but never mentioned any problems with bullying. He . got on ‘really, really well’ but often had arguments with his sister . although they would soon calm down. He said the tie had been in . Ritchie's bedroom for about a year. Location: Ritchie died at his home on this road in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, more than a year ago . ‘He used to do pull-ups with it,’ the friend said. He had never seen Ritchie down or depressed. ‘He used to pull a face and look at me then start laughing,’ the friend added. Ritchie loved ‘messing about’ with his friends and family and would often play jokes on them. ‘He would play tricks and joke about,’ the friend said. Detective Constable Gary Henshaw, who . investigated the incident which happened in December 2011, said there . were no suspicious circumstances about the death. ‘There . were no issues at school, he was very settled in and happy and . outgoing,’ he said. ‘A child had posted an entry on Facebook saying a . bully was involved but it was just a throwaway remark. There was no . substance to it.’ 'The way I found him I think he's just slipped while he's been messing. He was hyperactive, he was continually talking about rubbish. He was interested in everything that went on and everything around him' Lisa Brown, mother of Ritchie Allsop . Police officers examined his mobile phone and laptop computer. ‘There was nothing at all to cause us any concern and no indication of unhappiness,’ he said. That day Ritchie had cycled to his father’s house with his brother and returned home to play games and watch TV before he started arguing with his sister about 4pm. ‘The argument continued and at some point Ritchie's new phone got knocked into the sink and it is assumed it had been damaged with water,’ he said. Miss Brown said Skye had been over to the pub where she worked as a supervisor at 5.55pm to tell her she had been arguing with Ritchie. She told her daughter: ‘Come on, we're going straight home.’ Skye told her she had knocked her brother's phone into the sink and Miss Brown went to her son's bedroom ‘to see what had gone off’. She found her son hanged. Assistant deputy coroner Louise Slater said there was ‘absolutely’ no evidence of suicide and she added: ‘I don't think we have established exactly what was going on.’ She recorded a narrative verdict which said: ‘Ritchie Allsop died as a consequence of suspension by ligature at his home. There is no indication how he came to be in that position and intention remains wholly unclear.'

Ritchie Allsop, 13, of Sheffield, had been arguing with his sister Skye, 11 . His mobile phone had ended up in a sink of water before he retrieved it . But he was later found dead by mother Lisa when she returned from work . Sheffield coroner records narrative verdict, saying intention was unclear .

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By . Zoe Szathmary . A Michigan newlywed weeks into her marriage died Monday, due to cancer. Newlywed Jennifer Korth, 30, learned five years ago she had esophageal cancer, The Flint Journal reported. Jennifer underwent both radiation and chemotherapy as part of her struggle. She married her boyfriend of nine years Allen Korth, 49, on July 6. Scroll down for video . Couple: Jennifer Korth, nee Hutcheson, died Monday. She married husband Allen Korth just weeks ago on July 6 . Tragic: Korth learned she had esophageal cancer five years ago . Allen said in a statement to the newspaper 'My wife (I just love saying that) has affected my life in just about every way imaginable. ... So many people enter relationships thinking they have some kind of void to fill, and we weren't like that. 'We already felt complete as individuals, but as spending time together made life even more special, taking the road together felt as natural as the sunrise. Both of us are better for it.' Maid of honor Alexis Cook told The Flint Journal 'I hope that [Jennifer] knows that she has made the world a better place [....] (She taught us) you should appreciate what you have every day.' At the Korths' wedding last month, Jennifer wore a wig and spent most of the ceremony and reception in a wheelchair, the newspaper reported. Photographs revealed the wedding's pink, black and white color scheme. The bride's bouquet included flowers in white and shades of pink. The big day: The Korths' wedding was arranged by group Wish Upon a Wedding, which aims to help couples in which one or both partners are terminally ill or face life-altering conditions . Allen was stunned with his mouth wide open when Jennifer gave him a guitar as a present, the newspaper said. By the time the couple married, Jennifer was already in hospice care. They did not marry earlier because they feared losing her insurance, The Flint Journal reported. Before her wedding, she told the paper 'When there's something you've always wanted and you're faced with death ... it kind of brings peace to you. There's something about changing your last name to the person you love. It's just important to me that I get to do that.' 'We played married already,' she also said. Wish Upon a Wedding helped with the couple's wedding arrangements.

Jennifer Korth, 30, learned five years ago she had esophageal cancer . She underwent both radiation and chemotherapy as part of her struggle . Jennifer married her boyfriend of nine years Allen Korth, 49, on July 6 . By the time the couple married, Jennifer was already in hospice care. They did not marry earlier because they feared she would lose her insurance .

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By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 08:48 EST, 8 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:44 EST, 8 March 2013 . One of the oldest houses in Britain which was once won by Sir Francis Drake in a bet has gone on sale for £1.25 million, with a Lordship thrown in for good measure. The Grade II-listed Manor at Sampford Spiney in Devon is thought to date back to the 800s and was noted in the Domesday Book. It is now a quaint bed and breakfast on the edge of Dartmoor but was once the historic seat of Gerard de Spineto, Lord of Sampford. Charming: This 1,000-year-old house once won by Sir Francis Drake on a bet has gone on sale for £1.25m . Historic: The ancient grade II listed Manor at Sampford Spiney in Devon is thought to date back to the 800s and was noted in the Domesday Book . In 1581, his descendants gambled away the five-bed property and were forced to hand over the deeds to Drake after losing a £500 wager. A modern buyer will have to shell out 2,500 times that sum to land the remote property but will at least earn themselves the title 'Lord of the Manor'. Current owners John Pugh, 80, and his wife Rosalind, 70, bought the Manor 25 years ago as a derelict shell but have worked with English Heritage to rebuild and refurbish it. They are not sure if Drake ever lived in the house itself but the legendary adventurer certainly had ties to the village and spent his honeymoon there. The kitchen: It is not known if Drake ever lived in the house itself but the legendary adventurer certainly had ties to the village and spent his honeymoon there . Grand designs: Current owners John Pugh, 80, and his wife Rosalind, 70, bought the manor 25 years ago as a derelict shell but have worked with English Heritage to rebuild and refurbish it . Quaint: Inside the house, there are centuries-old features including large granite fireplaces, arched granite doorways, granite mullion windows and a bread oven . Good gamble: Sir Francis Drake was given the deeds to the property in 1581 when he won a £500 wager with the descendents of Gerard de Spineto, the Lord of Sampford . Mrs Pugh said: 'We don't believe Drake ever lived here permanently. He owned a lot of property in the area and his main home was nearby at Buckland Abbey. 'Our research suggests he obtained it for £500 and that it was part-payment of a wager.' Drake, who defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, bought Buckland Abbey in 1580 and obtained the Manor the following year, around the time he became an MP and Mayor of Plymouth. He died in 1596 without leaving an heir and the house passed into the hands of his second in command, Jonas Bodenham, whom he treated as a son. Bodenham eventually sold the Manor back to Sir Francis' brother Thomas. It was rebuilt in 1607, restored again in 1935, and for a while became known as Hall Farm, due to its owner the Rev John Hall Parlby. Following Parlby's departure from the farm it fell into disrepair but in 1987 it was saved by the Pughs. Their property comes with three . reception rooms, two large 17th and 19th century barns and a cluster of . farm buildings set in an acre of woodland and 202 acres of common land. Inside . the house there are centuries-old features including large granite . fireplaces, arched granite doorways, granite mullion windows and a bread . oven. One of the bedrooms: The house was rebuilt in 1607, restored again in 1935 and for a while became known as Hall Farm, due to its owner the Rev John Hall Parlby . The dining room: The property comes with three reception rooms, two large 17th and 19th century barns and a cluster of farm buildings set in an acre of woodland . Inflation:A modern buyer will have to shell out 2,500 times the £500 wager which reputedly won Drake the remote property . Mrs Pugh added: 'Nobody can quite say exactly when the house was built. It was first recorded in 1028 but we think it could have been build as far back as the 800s. 'It was certainly well-established by the time of the Doomsday Book in 1086 when people were bringing their tithes here. 'It was rebuilt and extended in the early 17th century after it fell into his disrepair after Drake's death. 'He was a local man, he was born in nearby Tavistock, and after his seafaring he bought Buckland Abbey, at that time the adjoining parish to Sampford. Location, location: The manor in Devon was obtained by Drake, who defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, in 1581, around the time he became an MP and Mayor of Plymouth . Idyllic: Mrs Pugh said her research suggested Drake stayed at the Manor when he went riding on Dartmoor, but it is not believed he ever lived there permanently . Legacy: Drake died in 1596 without leaving an heir and the house passed into the hands of his second in command, Jonas Bodenham, whom he treated as a son . 'He acquired more and more property as they did in those days. There are various writings people have done over the years about he came to own it. 'Interestingly, there's no paperwork revealing much he paid for it and there are no receipts, which does rather lend credence to the story that it was a wager.' Mrs Pugh said her research suggested Drake stayed at the Manor when he went riding on Dartmoor, where he built Drake's Leat, one of the first municipal watercourses in the country that supplied Plymouth with its drinking water. Mrs Pugh, who has two adult children and a grandson, said: 'Inside the house we have the biggest bread oven you'll ever see, they would have baked bread here for the whole of the village. 'When I arrived there were stories of judges robes being found under the staircase and the kitchen was called the courtroom. It would have been the civic centre of the parish. 'I'm going to live near my grandson in Cornwall and I'll be very sorry to leave the place - it's a magical spot.'

Sampford Manor on edge of Dartmoor thought to date back to 800s . Was once historic seat of the Lord of Sampford, Gerard de Spineto . His descendants had to give deeds to Drake after losing £500 wager . Current owners bought the house as a derelict shell 25 years ago . But . have worked with English Heritage to rebuild and refurbish it .

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By . Ashley Collman . They aren't soul mates, but ex-couple Sabrina Timms and Daniel Burdick are a perfect match in another, life-saving, way. When 35-year-old Timms, of Petaluma, California was diagnosed with double kidney failure in January 2013, Burdick got tested and turned out to be the perfect organ donor. Burdick immediately volunteered to give up one of his kidneys to the mother of his young daughter named Hope - a selfless act that required the singer-songwriter to cancel a national music tour. Perfect match: Singer-songwriter Daniel Burdick (left) is donating one of his kidneys to Sabrina Timms (right), his ex-fiancé . Still close: Burdick and Timms were engaged to be married eight years ago, but broke it off when he decided to focus on his music. Burdick is pictured above with their young daughter Hope. He and Timms remained friends and co-parent their daughter . The co-parents were engaged eight years ago, but decided to call things off when Burdick chose to focus on his music instead. Gift: When Timms was diagnosed with double kidney failure in January 2013, her ex got tested and turned out to be a perfect organ donor. They undergo transplant surgery Tuesday at noon in San Francisco. Timms is pictured above in a photo from her Facebook . 'We had a difference of opinions about what we wanted for the future,' Timms told KGO. 'I wanted to settle down.' 'And I wanted to follow my dreams,' Burdick said. 'He wanted to do his music,' Timms finished. However, the two remained friends as they worked to raise their daughter together. 'The love stills stands,' Burdick said. So when Timms' kidneys failed a year and a half ago, she started dialysis while waiting to find a donor. Burdick joined other friends and family members and underwent a test to see if he was eligible to be a donor. Timms' father and uncle were both tested and neither qualified. Finding the perfect donor is a rarity, and sometimes patients wait decades on lists to get an organ. Currently there are more than 120,00 people on donor lists across the country, and about 18 die a day waiting. Burdick decided to give up his music tour for Timms and their daughter Hope. 'That tour was my biggest dream,' he told KTVU. 'In the end, though, this is more important. She is my child's mother.' Timms hopes her unlikely story will lead others to get tested to be live donors. Music can wait: Burdick, a singer-songwriter, had to give up a national music tour in order to undergo surgery but he says it's worth it .

Sabrina Timms was diagnosed with double kidney failure in January 2013 . Ex-fiancé and father of her daughter Hope, Daniel Burdick, got tested and turned out to be a perfect organ-donor match . Burdick, a singer-songwriter, cancelled a national music tour to undergo surgery to donate his kidney . The ex-couple undergo transplant surgery at noon on Tuesday .

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(CNN) -- A 13-year-old girl is dead and her mother is behind bars, accused of stabbing her ex-husband and trying to kill her children by poisoning them. Officers in Casa Grande, Arizona, responded to a 911 call on Christmas Day. A man said that his ex-wife, 35-year-old Connie Villa, had stabbed him but that he had managed to escape and was driving himself to a hospital, police said in a statement. When officers arrived at the home, they found Villa with stab wounds, holding a knife to her chest. They managed to subdue her and conducted a sweep of the home. Police found the body of Aniarael Macias, Villa's daughter, in the bathroom. "Although an autopsy for Aniarael was conducted yesterday in Pima County, the results of which did not identify a cause of death, investigators feel the evidence found at the scene of the crime along with interviews and medical information of the surviving children, give our Department cause to believe Connie Villa was attempting to end the lives of all of her children and her ex-husband, Adam Villa," the statement read. Connie Villa faces one count of first degree murder in the death of her daughter. She is also being charged with four counts of attempted murder of her ex-husband and her three surviving children, ages 3, 5 and 8. Police say she forced her children to take prescription narcotic drugs. The three children had trace amounts of opiates in their systems. All are in good condition and were placed with the family of their father, Adam Villa, 33. He is in stable condition. Connie Villa was released Sunday from Maricopa Medical Center, where she was treated for what investigators believe were self-inflicted stab wounds. She was arrested the same day. According to Thomas Anderson, a police spokesman, she has made an initial appearance in court. No bond was given. Aniarael's father released a statement asking for privacy and prayers. "On behalf of Michael Macias, Ania's father, Vera Macias, Ania's grandmother and extended family, we request that the focus of this tragedy be a celebration of our precious Ania's life. She was a gentle, kind and beautiful spirit who was taken from us much too soon. Michael and his family are heartbroken," it read. "We are writing this statement in hopes that the media and other outlets will allow Michael and our family to grieve peacefully. We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our family. We appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts. We pray that justice will be served."

Connie Villa faces one count of murder in the death of her daughter, Aniarael . She is also being charged with four counts of attempted murder . Her surviving children had trace amounts of opiates in their systems, police say . Aniarael's father asks for privacy and prayers .

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By . Alasdair Glennie for the Daily Mail . The two bakers at the centre of the Great British Bake Off row will be reunited in the programme’s final episode in October, the BBC confirmed yesterday. Iain Watters and Diana Beard have insisted there are ‘no hard feelings’ between them following the ‘bingate’ row, in which the latter was accused of sabotaging her rival’s baked Alaska. Mr Watters became the losing baker in the episode after yelling in frustration and presenting his melted ice-cream pudding to the judges from a bin. His exit triggered a storm of criticism among viewers, and the BBC has received 800 complaints about the episode which aired this week. Scroll down for video . Magnanimous: Iain Watters shares a slice of sponge with Newsnight's Kirsty Wark this week . Mrs Beard, 69, will also take no further part in the competition after a head injury left her with no sense of smell. But the pair will be seen together in the show’s traditional finale reunion. Yesterday one of last year’s Bake Off finalists Ruby Tandoh waded in to the row, blaming the show’s editors for making Mr Watters’s meltdown look worse than it really was in a bid to boost ratings. The hit BBC1 programme has been embroiled in a furore after it appeared to show Mrs Beard taking her rival’s baked Alaska out of the freezer and leaving it to melt. Show host Sue Perkins insisted there had been ‘no sabotage’. Mrs Beard blamed the BBC for editing the programme to make her look like the culprit, and said the cake had been out of the freezer for no more than 40 seconds. Diana Beard: Blamed the BBC . Miss Tandoh, who was at the heart of her own Bake Off storm last year when viewers accused her of trying to flirt her way to victory, agreed. She said: ‘If there was nastiness in the tent this week, it came in the form of making a humiliated Iain parade the dustbin to the judge’s table. ‘Nastiness was spinning a story that cast an old lady as a pantomime villain.’ Miss Tandoh also criticised viewers for their Twitter ‘hate campaign’ against Mrs Beard, saying: ‘Shame on the online lynch mobs.’ It is the first year Bake Off has been shown on BBC1, and it has seen ratings soar as a result. But an insider said yesterday: ‘The danger is the makers try to turn it into a prime-time reality show like X Factor by exaggerating the drama. ‘It started out as a gentle baking show, but it is building into a juggernaut. The format seems to be getting bigger than the individual contestants.’ Mr Watters, who appeared on Newsnight on Thursday, was magnanimous in defeat and refused to blame Mrs Beard for his exit.

Diana Beard, 69, was accused of sabotaging Iain Watters' baked Alaska . BBC received 800 complaints about the so-called 'bingate' row episode . Watters appeared on Newsnight this week but refused to blame Mrs Beard . Mrs Beard left show for health reasons - rivals will be seen together in finale .

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(Rolling Stone) -- The FX television series "Sons of Anarchy" is known for its brutal depiction of biker life in the fictional town of Charming, California, but another hallmark of the series is its clever use of independent music. Its new soundtrack, "Songs of Anarchy," explores the program's use of up-and-coming artists to convey the gritty reality of the motorcycle club's members and those closest to them. "I think sometimes of the music as a character in and of itself," music supervisor Bob Thiele, Jr. tells Rolling Stone. "The songs become the narrative. They're moving the story and functioning emotionally like some of the characters would." Thiele is a member of what he calls the Sons' "house band," the Forest Rangers, who play on the majority of "Songs of Anarchy" and have appeared in a few episodes. "Sons" actress Katey Sagal sings on four of the album's tracks, and Kills singer and "SoA" fan Alison Mosshart joins the Forest Rangers on a cover of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." Despite music's major presence on the show, producers have waited four seasons to release a soundtrack. "Halfway through season two, we knew there was a soundtrack somewhere, but Fox is a big company and they had a little show called 'Glee,'" says Thiele. "It's hard to measure up to that." Adds fellow "SoA" music supervisor Michelle Kuznetsky, "I think that now is the right time, exactly." And perhaps it is: season four is the highest-rated one yet for the series. The finale airs December 6 at 10pm ET on FX. See the full article at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone.

"Songs of Anarchy," explores "Sons of Anarchy's" use of up-and-coming artists . Forest Rangers, who play on the majority of "Songs of Anarchy," have appeared in episodes . "SoA" fan Alison Mosshart joins the Forest Rangers on a cover of "What a Wonderful World"

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Most expectant mother's would laugh if someone were to ask them if they were a man or a woman because the answer may seem obvious. However, one simple question on a health questionnaire has the power to change the way society defines motherhood as a whole. A New York City Health Department form for parents requesting birth certificates now asks new mothers if they identify as male or female. The change in form is aimed at transgender women who may identify as male but still are able to give birth because of their female anatomy. Heath Department: A New York City Health Department Form for parents requesting birth certificates now asks new mothers if they identify as male or female . The form also asks the father what gender he identifies as but there is no 'giving birth' notation on the father's copy. Along with the gender question are standard questions such as name, age and social security number putting gender choice in as banal a category as a standard questionnaire as it because more of a social norm. The New York Post reports that while the question over 'sex' may seem shocking to some parents, it was created a few years ago as soon as same sex marriages became legal. Before the change on the form was made, married gay couples had to go to a courtroom to secure their name on birth certificates, something that often blocked their parental rights. In 2008 the then Governor David Patterson changed the form everywhere in New York state except New York City who reviewed their policy and made their own change in 2009. 'To be clear, it is possible for a person who has given birth to a child to identify as male,' said Susan Sommer, a lawyer for an advocacy group for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgenders. 'A form that is respectful and doesn’t make assumptions about sex or gender of people parenting children is fine to me,' Sommer said. Same-sex couples are encourages to adopt because it grants them even more legal protection. The birth-certificate change is especially helpful in clarifying parental rights in a hospital nursery or while helping their kids apply to school. Male or female?: The change in form is aimed at transgender women who may identify as male but still are able to give birth because of their female anatomy .

The change in form is aimed at transgender women who may identify as male but still are able to give birth because of their female anatomy . In 2008 Governor David Patterson changed the form everywhere in New York state except New York City who changed their policy in 2009 . Before the change on the form was made, married gay couples had to go to a courtroom to secure their name on birth certificates .

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America's oldest person has passed away in her Clearwater, Florida, home, just weeks before her 114th birthday. Born on April 5, 1899, Elsie Calvert Thompson was the fourth-oldest person in the world. She died peacefully on March 21 and her family held a memorial service in Clearwater. Her ashes will be buried in Pennsylvania, next to her late husband. Thompson's only child George Thompson, 72, said she died as he flew from his home in California to see her. She had congestive heart failure. Aged nicely: Thompson, pictured with a friend in 1999, enjoyed dancing and singing until the end . 'She had such a big heart,' he told The Tampa Bay Times on Sunday. 'She was such a large person.' Thompson passed the baton to Jeralean Talley, who was born on May 23, 1899. As well as being the oldest person in the US, Talley, from Inkster, Michigan, is the oldest living black person and credits 'the Lord' as her secret to a long life. Thompson was born during the administration of President William McKinley and just a year after the close of the Spanish-American War. She was a stylish dresser who enjoyed ballroom dancing until shortly before her death. She also loved to sing and play the piano, the Times reported. Susie Harper, 59, Thompson's caregiver of 13 years, said she never saw the elderly woman in a bad mood. Long life: On the brink of her 114th birthday, Elsie Calvert Thompson, pictured, died peacefully in her Florida apartment . Secret: At age 111, Thompson divulged the secret to longevity: 'I love people,' she said . In fact, Harper said the 113-year-old . told the Times she glided from bed every morning with a smile and was a . 'tireless hostess' who always offered guests food and drink despite . being well over a century old. 'She would wake up and say, "Oh my, . won't you look outside? Isn't it beautiful?" And if it was raining, she . would say, "That's okay, we'll make our own sunshine,"' Harper said. Thompson . had been in the record books for her remarkable age for four years . before she won the distinguished title of being the oldest living . American. At age 111, Thompson divulged the secret to longevity. 'I love people,' she told the Times back then. She always loved entertaining and . welcoming to visitors, but she wasn't able to celebrate earning her new . title of America's oldest person in January as she had been advised to avoid outside contact . because of the flu epidemic. Record books: Elsie Calvert Thompson was the fourth-oldest person in the world . Big milestone: Elsie Thompson, pictured on her last birthday, was just weeks shy of turning 114 . Those steps are seen as wise by many, as two of the previous title-holders died as a result of infections last month. Both 116-year-old Besse Cooper and 115-year-old Dina Manfredini died in December. Reporters from The Tampa Bay Times . met with Thompson on her 111th, 112th, and 113th birthdays, but the flu . precautions kept them away when she earned her title recently. Thompson was known for having a zest for life that many did not expect of someone her age. 'You'll say, "Elsie, honey, you wanna get up?" And she'll say, "You betcha." Sometimes she'll talk and talk,' Harper said of the woman in January. Harper had worked with Thompson for the past 13 years as she continued to live in her own condominium in Clearwater, Florida as opposed to an assisted living facility. New elder: Thompson passed the baton to Jeralean Talley, pictured left, who was born on May 23, 1899. As well as being the oldest person in the US, Talley, from Inkster, Michigan, is the oldest living black person . In the record books: Dina Manfredini (left) died due to infection last month at the age of 115, while Japan's Jiroemon Kimura (right) remains the world's oldest person at 115 as well . 'Sometimes when she's tired, she . doesn't want to say anything. But she has a happy and uplifting spirit . about her,' Ms Harper told The Tampa Bay Times. Thompson is one of the only 14 people left on Earth who were on the planet during the 19th century. Thompson stopped traveling to California to visit her son and his family son time before her death. He initially pushed for her to move to be nearer to him and his family when his father- her longtime husband- died in 1986, but she opted to stay in Florida. 'It has continued to work because she's well taken care of,' he told The Tampa Bay Times in January. 'It's a different world here, and she's so familiar with everything there. You should see how she gets around her apartment. She knows exactly where everything is.'

Elsie Calvert Thompson died peacefully on March 21 . She was born on April 5, 1899 . Oldest living American is now Jeralean Talley, who was born on May 23, 1899 .

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