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A father-of-three died from a burst blood vessel the day after being discharged from hospital with Gaviscon to treat heartburn, an inquest heard. Daren Hooper, 42, was rushed to hospital after collapsing at work and was diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux and given antacids as treatment. But doctors failed to carry out a CT scan which might have spotted that a leaky artery was slowly filling his chest with blood, the hearing was told. Project worker Daren Hooper is pictured here with his wife Kath. He had suffered with digestive problems for the past decade. He collapsed at his home in Ruishton, Somerset, less than 24 hours after being discharged and died en route to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. Recording a narrative verdict, coroner Michael Rose said that ‘not enough consideration’ was given to his diagnosis and that a CT scan could have saved his life. The inquest in Taunton, Somerset, heard how Mr Hooper had suffered from gastrointestinal problems for more than a decade. Three days before he died the project manager collapsed at work and was rushed to the Bristol Royal Infirmary. He was diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux and - despite suffering from severe chest pains - was not given a CT scan that may have spotted any damage to his aorta. Mr Hooper collapsed at home on January 16, 2012, where his young son Archie called an ambulance. He went into cardiac arrest en route to Musgrove Hill hospital in Taunton and neither the paramedics nor the emergency resuscitation team at the hospital were able to revive him. His wife Kath, who was with him in the ambulance, told the inquest: ‘I was leaning over Daren and his eyes went. They just went.’ A post mortem examination recorded . his death to be haemorrhage caused by a ruptured aortic aneurysm - a . massive amount of blood which filled his chest. The . aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body and a rupture is a . catastrophic medical condition which carries just a three per cent . survival rate. Mr Hooper was sent home from the Bristol Royal Infirmary with antacids after he collapsed at work . The inquest heard evidence from five doctors who treated him at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. Dr James Ritchie was a junior doctor at the time and flagged up the possibility Mr Hooper's condition may have been more serious than originally thought. He told the inquest: 'I considered the possibility of aortic dissection. ‘I asked the nurse to check Mr Hooper's blood pressure in both arms and I checked that his right and left pulses were equal in volume and synchronous, which they were.’ He added: ‘I was aware that these were possible signs of aortic dissection but I was unsure how reassuring the normal findings were.’ Dr Ritchie and senior medic Dr Alasdair Macrae checked the chest x-ray, which showed no sign of aortic aneurysm or dissection - where part of the lining of the aorta breaks apart and splits inside the artery. Mr Hooper, a project manager at a property firm, was given Gaviscon during his stay in hospital, the inquest heard. Mr Hooper diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux and given Gaviscon during his stay in hospital, the inquest heard . Coroner Mr Rose said: ‘This is a tragic case. The deceased, Daren Mervyn Hooper, was 42 years of age and I would hope he would have a good life ahead of him. ‘My assessment is I feel not enough consideration was given to what admittedly is a rare but not impossible consideration that something had gone wrong with the aorta. ‘We do not think that full consideration was given to the actual matters that subsequently led to his death. ‘When he was discharged from hospital, he was not the man his wife knew two days earlier." Ruptured aortic aneurysms in the chest affect only one in 100,000 patients, but the chances of suffering one are dramatically reduced with age. Mr Hooper was in an age bracket where the NHS see perhaps only two or three cases a year, the inquest was told. Mr Rose added: ‘Had the consideration that Mr Hooper was suffering from an aortic leak been fully considered, a CT scan would have been conducted. ‘His leaking aortic aneurysm would have been discovered and this may have led to successful surgery.’ Speaking after the hearing, Mr Hooper's wife Kath said: "I am satisfied that today's inquest has acknowledged that there are some serious issues for the . Trust to address following the death of my husband. ‘Expert opinion states that his death could have been avoided if he had been given a CT scan when he visited Bristol Royal Infirmary. ‘Indeed, the doctor dealing with him raised the possibility of such a scan but was informed by a senior that it wasn't necessary - that fateful decision has completely devastated my family. ‘It hasn't been helped by the minimal psychological support offered for myself and my children. ‘I will now campaign for better support for bereaved parents and children who really need it to help them rebuild their lives.’ Mr Hooper is survived by his wife Kath and their three children, Joseph, 15, Archie, nine and Darcy, four. Kath's solicitor Andrew Hannam commented after the case: 'We will now consider our options in terms of pursuing this matter further with the objective of securing the kind of support the Hooper family deserve to help them cope without a husband and a father. ‘Meanwhile, it is important to point out that this tragic event has been investigated thoroughly by the Trust who accepted that Darren Hooper's death was regarded as a Serious Untoward Incident. ‘The Serious Untoward Incident investigation has resulted in training for staff at Bristol Royal Infirmary to ensure this 'knowledge gap' is closed and these circumstances don't occur again.'

Daren Hooper, 42, was rushed to hospital after collapsing at work . Doctors failed to carry out CT scan which would have shown leaky artery . Was sent home with antacids and collapsed less than 24 hours later . Went into cardiac arrest and died in ambulance en route to hospital . He died from a haemorrhage caused by a ruptured aortic aneurysm . Coroner said although condition was rare for someone of Mr Hooper's age,  not enough consideration was given to his diagnosis .

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Country star Trace Adkins has decided not to sing at SeaWorld to avoid controversy over how the Orlando, Florida, theme park treats its orcas. Adkins joins a long list of musical acts who have canceled shows that were scheduled as part of SeaWorld's "Bands, Blues & BBQ" in February and March. "Trace prefers that the focus of his performances be on music, not on controversy," Adkins' representative said in a statement e-mailed to CNN on Thursday. "Therefore, he has decided not to proceed with this show in the midst of this debate." The entertainers' exodus from SeaWorld's calendar begin soon after CNN broadcast the documentary "Blackfish" in October. The film tells the story of the killing of a SeaWorld trainer by an orca in 2010. It raises questions about the safety and humaneness of keeping killer whales in captivity. Online petitions and social media postings targeted the acts who had signed on to play at the park. Only Justin Moore and Scotty McCreery remain from the original list of acts on the event calendar. Their representatives have not responded to CNN's repeated requests for comment. A promoter could put together a whale of a concert series with the acts that have canceled SeaWorld shows, including Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, Cheap Trick, Heart, Barenaked Ladies, Martina McBride and 38 Special. SeaWorld spokesman Nick Gollattscheck confirmed Adkins' cancellation, which CNN was initially alerted to through Twitter postings Thursday. "While we're disappointed a small group of misinformed individuals was able to deny fans what would have been great concerts at SeaWorld, we respect the artists' decisions," Gollattscheck said in an e-mailed statement nearly identical to what was sent to CNN when others canceled last month. "We expect that other artists will be targeted in this campaign." Adkins' show was never officially announced, but it later appeared on his own online schedule for March 2, 2014. The park's six-week concert scheduled disappeared from SeaWorld's website last month. It now simply promises "incredible concerts with top artists in classic rock and country music." SeaWorld is working to book replacement acts, Gollattscheck said. "We'll announce the full lineup of bands when all artists have been confirmed." The Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies was the first to cancel, reacting to a petition posted on Change.org. "This is a complicated issue, and we don't claim to understand all of it, but we don't feel comfortable proceeding with the gig at this time," the band said on its Facebook page. "I don't agree with the way they treat their animals," Willie Nelson said on December 6 when he canceled. "It wasn't that hard a deal for me." Sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart did not elaborate last month when they announced their decision to cancel at SeaWorld, although they acknowledged it was "due to the controversial documentary film." "We're disappointed a small group of misinformed individuals was able to deny fans what would have been great concerts at SeaWorld," Gollattscheck said. SeaWorld said it would like the musical artists to learn for themselves about SeaWorld. "The bands and artists have a standing invitation to visit any of our parks to see firsthand or to speak to any of our animal experts to learn for themselves how we care for animals and how little truth there is to the allegations made by animal extremist groups opposed to the zoological display of marine mammals," Gollattscheck said. SeaWorld says the documentary ignores the park's conservation efforts and research. "More than 11 million people a year visit SeaWorld parks and most will see a killer whale presentation during their visit," Gollattscheck said.  "Over the course of our 50-year history hundreds of millions of people have experienced killer whales in our parks.  There is tremendous appeal in that kind of inspirational and educational experience and we anticipate that killer whale display will continue for generations to come."

Adkins joins a long list of musical acts who have canceled SeaWorld shows recently . Rep: "Trace prefers that the focus of his performances be on music, not on controversy" Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson and others canceled because of 'Blackfish' backlash . Only Justin Moore and Scotty McCreery remain on SeaWorld's original schedule .

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(CNN) -- Cyndi Lauper is one fabulous and fun sage. The girl had it goin' on way back in 1984 when she sang "Money Changes Everything." It does. Oh, I hear you. Everybody knows that. But not so fast. Fresh off her "we were dead broke" when we left the White House gaffe, Hillary Clinton told the British newspaper The Guardian that people in the middle class "don't see me as part of the problem." Why? Because, she says, when it comes to income inequality, "we [Bill and I] pay ordinary income tax, unlike a lot of people who are truly well off ... and we've done it through dint of hard work." The Clintons do come from humble backgrounds and they did work hard back to get to where they are, but Clinton's hard work today is in the eye of the beholder. Writing a speech then delivering it for $200,000 takes some brain work, but it's a lot easier than digging ditches. Or rushing home after an eight-hour shift at Walmart to cook dinner, take care of the kids, do the laundry and then do it all again six hours later. Let's face it, when you and your beloved are worth $100 million, most Americans find it difficult to relate to your past "hard work" when you now have the luxury of drivers, maids, Secret Service and a mansion in Chappaqua, New York. The Guardian reporter observed in his article that laughing appears to be Clinton's "way of acknowledging pain." Perhaps she realized her inelegance on some level, because she let out a burst of laughter after her response. As Lauper said, money changes everything. Wouldn't it have been grand if Clinton had said, "I worked hard, yes, but I've been blessed for so many years. I can't say I totally understand your life, but having been there once, I promise you, I'll try." But, it's a rare wealthy politician or millionaire who will admit they don't "get" the middle class or the working poor. What other explanation is there for Mitt Romney's comments during his 2012 presidential run about 47% of Americans? "All right, there are 47% who are with [President Obama]," Romney said, "who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them. ...These are people who pay no income tax. ... My job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives." Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) was so awesomely right when he said in the movie, "Trading Places," "The best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people." Take Sting. The rock legend is worth a mint, but he, too, came from modest means. He so desperately wants his kids to know what it's like to have a "work ethic" that he expects them to earn their own money. In other words, don't count on a giant inheritance from mom and dad. It's worthy exercise, except you can't change entitled people by simply withholding cash. Alfred Lubrano, an award-winning journalist and author of "Limbo," said Sting's exercise is "doomed to fail." "When you grow up in a white collar home, kids have absorbed so many lessons of being entitled. It's no one's fault; it's simply how it works," Lubrano said. In other words, Sting's kids will never know what it's like to be "seen and not heard." They're used to having a place at the table, not working for one. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, says if the wealthy really want to understand those with more modest means, they should resurrect Sen. Bob Graham's 100 "Workdays." Back in 1977, when Graham was running for governor of Florida, he told voters he would "experience the lives of ordinary Floridians firsthand by working their jobs." In order to accomplish that, as Graham's website put it, he worked 100 days laboring at everything from "changing bedpans and cleaning invalids in a nursing home to wielding blowtorches as a steel worker and going without sleep as a long-haul trucker." Graham told me, "I learned a lot of intangibles. I learned by actually doing something as opposed to learning by listening to a lecture or reading it in a book." Not only that, Graham said, he learned "a lot about what government does that doesn't make sense in the real world." Wow! Perhaps millionaire politicians should give Graham's workdays a try. Or at least get a grip on their talking points. Joe Biden did -- yes, our vice president. He told a group of people at the Summit on Working Families: "Sometimes we talk about this stuff, about struggle. My struggle -- my God, compared to where I grew up and the way people are trying to go through things -- but here is the point I want to make -- I have been really, really fortunate." Did our VP just admit that money does change everything?

Hillary Clinton said she pays ordinary income tax and made money through hard work . Carol Costello says when the Clintons are worth $100 million, it's hard for Americans to relate . Costello: It's rare for wealthy politicians to admit they aren't in touch with middle class . Rich politicians need to concede that "money changes everything," Costello says .

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(CNN) -- The family of Kendrick Johnson has sued a south Georgia school district claiming it was negligent in protecting their son from harassment and bullying, which they contend led to his death. Johnson's body was found in a rolled-up mat in the Lowndes High School gymnasium on January 11, 2013. The lawsuit was filed in State Superior Court on Tuesday. It alleges that Lowndes County Board of Education was negligent and violated Johnson's constitutional right to equal protection based on race. Johnson was African-American. Investigators with the Sheriff's Office ruled his death accidental -- concluding that Johnson climbed into the center of the gym mat to reach for a shoe and got stuck. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson believe that their son was beaten to death. They hired an independent pathologist, who found "unexplained apparent nonaccidental blunt force trauma" to the teen's neck and concluded the death was a homicide. The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia launched a federal investigation into the case on October 31, 2013. An attorney for Lowndes County Schools had not returned CNN's request for comment by Tuesday evening. Sheriff's office: Claim of confession in Johnson's death not credible .

School district failed to protect Kendrick Johnson from bullying, lawsuit claims . The teen was found dead in January 2013 in a rolled-up mat in his high school gym . A sheriff's office investigation ruled the death accidental . An independent pathologist hired by Johnson's parents ruled it a homicide .

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(CNN) -- Most parents think their children share too much information online -- and that search engines and social networks aren't doing enough to protect privacy, according to poll results released Friday. More than 90 percent of the parents surveyed by Zogby International said they are "concerned" that their children share too much information online, and 75 percent said they would rate the job social networks are doing to protect online privacy as "negative." The results, released by the nonprofit advocacy organization Common Sense Media -- which commissioned the poll -- do not mention particular social networks or websites by name. Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer said the need for reform is clear. "Parents want far more education and leadership about online privacy, and they clearly want the industry and the federal government to update privacy policies," Steyer said in a statement. The organization begins a campaign Monday aimed at protecting kids' personal information and reputations online. "We need a 'Do Not Track Kids' approach' similar to the 'Do Not Call' policies that restrict telemarketers," Steyer said. The results also include a survey of 401 teenagers aged 15 to 18. Common Sense Media said 79 percent of the teens surveyed also think their friends share too much personal information online, and 85 percent of them want search engines and social networking sites to ask for permission before using personal information to market products. "The poll results present a clear divide between the industry's view of privacy and the opinion of parents and kids," Steyer said. To conduct the online poll of parents, Zogby International used a sampling of 2,100 adults from its online panel, which the polling firm says is representative of the adult population of the United States. The sampling margin of error is 2.2 percentage points. The sampling margin of error for the online poll of teenagers was 5 percentage points.

Survey: 75 percent of parents rate social networks' privacy protections as "negative" More than 90 percent of parents polled are concerned that teens share too much . Common Sense Media is the poll's sponsor .

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Happy little Vegemites who love the iconic Aussie spread, just not the teaspoons of salt that comes with it, will now be even happier.... or healthier.... with the new version. The overhaul of the brown yeasty concoction will now contain far less salt, 25 per cent to be exact, catering for the more health conscious Vegemite lovers. With demand high for healthier products on supermarket shelves, the makers of the 91 year old savoury condiment decided to come up with a specially formulated Vegemite. SCROLL DOWN TO VIDEO . Vegemite makers are overhauling the savoury iconic spread and have created a healthier version with 25% less salt . Much healthier?: The new less sodium recipe has more than a teaspoon less on salt than the original blend . Vegemite on toast : while the new less salt spread is a step in the right direction the Hart Foundation says the product still contains too much salt . And the low sodium spread is said to contain almost a teaspoon and a half less salt. Modelez Australia (foods) who owns the iconic treat says many Australians are consciously reducing their salt intake for health and wellbeing reasons. They believe older Australians and parents wishing to choose lower salt options for the family will welcome the reduced salt version into their pantries. 'Inspired by requests from around the country, our research and development team here in Port Melbourne, we have created a variety of Australia’s favourite breakfast spread that even more Aussies can enjoy,' said general manager marketing of foods, Mike Waddington. 'We know that Australians don’t want to compromise on the Vegemite taste, and with Reduced Salt, they won’t have to.' So what's the verdict? Is it just as good as it's older brother. A few taste testers told Nine news, 'tastes the same, tastes the same.' 'Pretty good. And the unusual comment, 'tastes like chinese medicine.' So it is really that healthy? Kellie-Ann Jolly, Cardiovascular Health Director, at the Heart Foundation says offering a reduced salt option for such an iconic product is a great step forward, but it remains a high salt product. 'The Heart Foundation encourages all companies to look to reducing the unnecessary salt in their products,' she said. 'Eating too much salt in the long term can increase your risk of high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease, Australia’s number one killer.' Happy little Vegemites : the low sodium option contains about more than a teaspoon less of salt than the original blend . there's no denying the popular Aussie spread has been a favourite with many for years. The Heart Foundation says about one teaspoon of this salt reduced Vegemite on one slice of bread provides about 40 per cent adequate intake for a one to three year old . Vegemite is most enjoyed on a piece of toast with butter . 'We know that Aussie kids are eating more salt than they need to. If there is no action to improve our children’s food habits we are setting them up for a high chance of heart disease later in life.' 'About three quarters of the salt we eat comes from everyday supermarket foods rather than salt added at the table,' she said. Ms Jolly says about one teaspoon of this salt reduced Vegemite on one slice of bread provides about 40 per cent adequate intake for a one to three year old and about 30 per cent for a four to eight year old. Invented in 1922 by Melbourne's Dr. Cyril Callister, the brand is now owned by American company Mondelēz International. The inventor's grandson, Jamie Callister, told Nine news he's not so sure he'd be so pleased with the changes. The original : Vegemite has been around for more than 90 years and has become an iconic popular spread but now there's a new version for the more health conscious . Melbourne's Dr. Cyril Callister invented the popular spread which has been loved by many Aussies for over nine decades . 'I think he'd be pleased that they'd tried to do the right thing but I think in all honesty, you don't much with something that is tried and true and we all love it,' he said. In the past Vegemite hasn't always had a great reputation for launching new products. In 2009, Kraft brought in a spread combining Vegemite and cream cheese which had considerably less salt and a milder taste to the original. To coincide with the new recipe they ran a competition to give the new flavour a name and it was announced as isnack 2.0, hoping to appeal to the younger market. But the choice instantly drew plenty of criticism and ridicule and only four days after its announcement plans were made to abandon the name, Kraft admitting it may have been a mistake. They later called it 'cheesymite'. The new healthier product has 25% less salt than the original blend and is now hitting the shelves across Australia . The good old original blend : Vegemite is one of the world's richest known sources of vitamin B . We're happy little Vegemites as bright as bright can be : one of the iconic advertisements of the brand . Vegemite is one of the world’s richest known sources of B vitamins, with each serve containing 50 per cent of the recommended dietary intake of Thiamine (B1) and Folate (B9) and 25 per cent of Riboflavin (B2) and Niacin (B3). Reduced Salt VEGEMITE is fortified with additional vitamins, including B6 and B12. Vitamins B6 and B12 are necessary for metabolism, supporting the immune system and brain function.

Makers of Vegemite release a new healthier version with 25% less salt . The new savoury delight has more than a teaspoon less salt than its original recipe . Vegemite is 91 years old and a popular favourite with Aussies . Heart Foundation says it's good to see a less salt option but the product is still high in salt . Melbourne's Dr. Cyril Callister, invented the brand in the 1920s which is now owned by an American company .

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(CNN) -- High temperatures in America's Plains States are expected to rival those in Death Valley again Monday, according to the National Weather Service, which predicts a heat wave to roast the county's midsection for yet another day as it spreads to the east. The hottest spots located in Oklahoma through South Dakota should see highs over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and top temps are forecast in the 90's for most of the rest of the county -- with the exception of some mountain and coastal regions. Much of middle America baked in a heat wave Sunday, and the National Weather Service declared excessive heat warnings in at least 14 states, most of those in the upper Midwest. Several daily temperature records were broken -- from Alpena, Michigan, south to Miami, Florida. "Heat index values" -- how hot it feels outside -- have been running over 125 degrees Fahrenheit in the worst-hit areas, the National Weather Service said. The scale designed to describe how intense heat feels also includes factors such as humidity. "This is the hottest it's been for the longest period of time," said Emily McNamara from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the temperatures were expected to hover in the mid-90s through the middle of the week. Extreme heat is forecast to bear down on the eastern United States by the end of this week. Jacob Beitlich, a Des Moines, Iowa-based meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that two factors contribute to make this current heat wave especially dangerous: the lack of a significant drop in temperatures overnight to allow people's bodies to cool down and relatively high humidity, which makes it feel appreciably hotter than the thermostat may indicate. In Iowa, for instance, he noted that the impact of mid-90s temperatures have been compounded by relatively high dew points in the upper 70s and low 80s. These combine to make the heat index -- a meteorological measure for how it feels outside -- spike so that it feels as hot as 126 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the weather service. "That takes a toll on your body," Beitlich explained. "When it's more humid, it's more difficult to cool down from sweating." Prevent heat-related illnesses . The National Weather Service notes that typically extreme heat is the biggest weather-related killer in the United States, taking about 115 lives each year. That's why it and other government agencies urge people to minimize their time outdoors in periods of extreme heat, drink plenty of fluids, and keep especially close tabs on the elderly and young people. In Missouri scores of cooling centers have been established in libraries, senior centers, schools and other sites around the state to help deal with continuously high temperatures. At Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota Twins supporters stood in long lines to get water from coolers, used spray fans, wrapped wet towels on their head during a Sunday game -- anything to keep cool. "It is blistering out," said one fan, Jeff Ferris. "Brutal. I've probably lost 10 pounds today -- it's crazy." While the recent stretch has been particularly difficult, it's all part of what's been a continuously long, hot and in many cases dry summer in numerous locales. The weather service indicates that Oklahoma, for instance, already has had 27 days this year in which the temperature surpassed 100 degrees. Not everyone in the region sweat it out though this weekend. McNamara notes that the Wild West Waterpark, where she is aquatic manager, has had "record-breaking days in terms of attendance" in recent days, with several thousand flooding in to get wet and beat the heat. "It's awesome," she said. "You see people coming out having fun. It makes for a fast day." CNN's Ted Rowlands and Jacqui Jeras contributed to this report.

NEW: No break from the heat Monday, says the National Weather Service . The National Weather Service declared excessive heat warnings Sunday for 14 states . High humidity has driven up heat indices, making it feel as hot as 126 degrees . The extreme heat is forecast to move east by week's end, affecting the East Coast .

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Congratulations are in order! Comedian Mario Cantone has married his partner of 20 years, musical theater director Jerry Dixon, Cantone revealed Friday on The View. "I got married for the same reasons you did," the "Sex and the City" actor, 51, tells fellow newlywed Joy Behar on the show. "We're older now. We've been together 20 years. After 20 years you're like, 'Thanks for the anti-climactic honeymoon, government!' " Cantone says their wedding was officiated by pastor Jay Bakker, the son of the late Tammy Faye Bakker Messner. "It was beautiful, just my family there," Cantone says, adding of his new husband: "I love him. He's a good man." See full article at PEOPLE.com.

Comedian Mario Cantone and his partner Jerry Dixon tied the knot . Cantone and Dixon, a musical theater director, married after 20 years together . "It was beautiful, just my family there," Cantone said .

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(Rolling Stone) -- Steven Tyler walked up the driveway to the entrance of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles like it was a second home. Surrounded by a large entourage as he was led to the red carpet, Tyler stopped to bare a Cheshire Cat's grin as he looked at the four lovely Playboy Bunnies waiting to pose for pictures with him. The rock star and the equally iconic home that has hosted thousands of parties seemed made for each other, but this was Tyler's first visit ever to the Holmby Hills grounds. How was that possible that in all the years of Aerosmith's success, the frontman had never been to one of the famous Halloween parties or a Midsummer Night's Dream? "I was too busy in someone's bathroom getting high," Tyler told Rolling Stone. "I was too busy on tour, I was too busy writing songs. We were just busy." While he had never been to the house that Hef built, Tyler has crossed paths with the famed Lothario, Hugh Hefner. And Tyler is a big fan. "I love people that are committed to their crimes of passion and he is the gentleman of all time," Tyler told us. "He's been on every man's mind around the world at least a hundred times in their lifetime for what he did. So he signifies the joys of womanhood and not the degradation . . . and even women love Playboy." What finally brought Tyler to the mansion after more than 40 years in the spotlight was Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, a program that allows people to live out their rock and roll dreams and spend four intense days training with counselors to play with Tyler or other superstars, such as Kiss' Gene Simmons, who will be the headliner at an upcoming event in Las Vegas from October 10 through 14. Tyler got involved with the camp last year through Mark Hudson, a counselor in the program who co-wrote Aerosmith's "Livin' On The Edge." "We spoke last year, I was doing a book, and they asked me here and I said I would, and I spoke in front of the whole camp. It's called just being a mentor, if not to incite a riot," he says. Tyler had a challenge for this week's campers, who joined him on stage at the mansion last night. "I just dared them all to learn an Aerosmith song to see how good they can do it," he says. "If they do it good, which I'm sure they will, I'm gonna pick the best group of them all, we're gonna pick straws and the best one out of that gets to ride around in my car and hear the new Aerosmith album." When Tyler says, while speaking of the upcoming record, "I'm on fire, as you can tell," he is not exaggerating. Despite being pulled away by several handlers, he doesn't want to stop talking about the new music, which is now in the mixing stages. "It's one of the best Aerosmith albums ever," he says. "I'm one of the worst judges of my own music because I'm very harsh, highly critical. [But] we waited until we had at least four really good songs that were representative and we got 19." See the full story at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone.

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler recently made his first trek to the Playboy Manision . "I was too busy in someone's bathroom getting high," Tyler explained as to why he had not been before . The singer was there to participate in Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp .

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A Texas mother who has been accused of starving her young stepson and keeping him locked in a closed sparked an Amber Alert Monday involving her newborn baby, who was later found safe. Law enforcement officials in Houston launched a search Monday for Tammi Bleimeyer and her six-week-old son, William, but about an hour later the alert was cancelled. Last week, a judge ordered Mrs Bleimeyer, of Houston, to surrender her newborn to child protective services, but on Monday afternoon the mother and son were nowhere to be found, sparking the Amber Alert. Scroll down for video . Amber Alert: Law enforcement officials in Houston launched a search for child abuse suspect Tammi Bleimeyer and her newborn son, William, who was later found unharmed . Bad parenting: The 33-year-old mother (left) and her 24-year-old estranged husband, Bradley Bleimeyer (right), were charged in March with felony child endangerment after 5-year-old Jordan was discovered weighing just 29lbs and living in a cubbyhole under the stairs . Shocking condition: Jordan Belimeyer was taken to a hospital in March to be treated for severe malnutrition . A short time later, the 33-year-old woman and the baby were located in a clinic in Porter. Child Protective Services spokesperson Estella Olguin told the station ABC13 William Bleimeyer appeared to be in good health and showed no visible signs of abuse. Bleimeyer’s newborn now will be placed in a foster home. Meanwhile, Tammi Bleimeyer is expected to appear in court Tuesday for a custody hearing regarding her seven children, who had been removed from her house. The 33-year-old mother and her 24-year-old estranged husband, Bradley Bleimeyer, were charged in March with felony child endangerment after 5-year-old Jordan was discovered weighing just 29lbs and living in a cubbyhole under the stairs. Photos of the little boy taken at the time showed the toddler's severely emaciated body, with bones clearly visibly through his skin covered in bruises. Skin and bones: The toddler's body was horrible emaciated with bones clearly visibly through his skin covered in bruises. On the mend: This photo of Jordan taken in April shows the 5-year-old smiling and looking much healthier while being treated at a hospital . In April, organizers of a Facebook toy drive and fundraiser for Jordan shared a photo of the 5-year-old smiling and looking much healthier while being treated at a hospital. Jordan Bleimeyer allegedly told his biological mother and grandmother that he was padlocked in a closet, fed just a piece of bread and a cup of water or milk each day and plied with drugs when visitors came to the house to keep him quiet. Bradley Bleimeyer's 16-year-old stepson raised the alarm in March and told police he had found his five-year-old stepbrother in a diaper under the stairs. Tammi Bleimeyer has claimed that she never mistreated the child and accused her teenage son for lying to the police because he did not respect his stepfather, who is only eight years older than him.

Tammi Bleimeyer, 33, and her six-week-old son, William, were found at a clinic in Porter an hour after Amber Alert went out Monday . Bleimeyer and her husband were charged in March with felony child endangerment after her stepson Jordan was found weighing just 29lbs . The 5-year-old told a relative he was allegedly being kept in a closet under a staircase, starved and plied with drugs to keep him quiet .

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(CNN) -- IN FOCUS: Ramadan Ratings . Across the Middle East, Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan. From the UAE to Turkey, MME takes a look at how Ramadan is affecting businesses. From the change in working hours to what's being watched on the small screen. FACETIME: Saad Al Barrak . Although businesses generally slow down during Ramadan, it's a peak period for advertising. Some ad agencies spend around 20% of their annual budget at this time of year. It's a profitable time for big name companies, and as MME found out especially for Middle Eastern brands aiming to go global. Saad Al Barrak, former CEO of Zain Telecom shares his experience. Marketplace Middle East airs weekly at the following times (all GMT): . Thursday: 1545, . Friday: 0845, . Saturday: 0615 . Sunday: 0515, 1545 .

Across the Middle East, Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan . MME takes a look at how Ramadan is affecting businesses . Saad Al Barrak, former CEO of Zain Telecom talks about advertising during the holly month .

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A man who was quarantined in a Gold Coast hospital this morning has been cleared by Queensland Health of not contracting the Ebola virus. The 27-year-old man, believed to be Michael Walsh, was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital at 7.40am suffering from Ebola-like symptoms. He is believed to have fallen ill while at a police watchhouse after he was arrested overnight for trespassing at Surfers Paradise. Dr Jeannette Young, Queensland's chief health officer, thanked all health and ambulance staff involved in handling the patient. 'It was a job well done and serves to show the community that our emergency preparedness plans are sound, and that they can rely on their health services,' she said in a statement. Scroll down for video . A 27-year-old man, believed to be Michael Walsh, was rushed to a Gold Coast hospital and quarantined amid fears he had the Ebola virus on Thursday morning . A Gold Coast University Hospital spokeswoman said an incoming patient was being 'isolated and assessed' after being identified by paramedics 'as having symptoms of Ebola virus' Dr Young said it was highly unlikely the Ebola virus would make its way to Queensland.She said anyone who had travelled to West Africa who was concerned about the outbreak and their health should contact their GP. Paramedics were called as a precautionary measure after reportedly telling officers he was unwell. Gold Coast Health is assessing a patient transferred to the Gold Coast University Hospital afterbeing identified by paramedics as having symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease. The patient is being assessed in accordance with universal infection control procedures. Our Director Infectious Diseases Dr John Gerrard had confirmed that Initial clinical assessmentsuggests it is exceedingly unlikely that the patient has Ebola Virus Disease but he is being isolatedin accordance with national guidelines. The Gold Coast University Hospital has been designed to accommodate patients with infectiousdisease. Prior to the results, Dr Young had  said the man would remain in hospital until the results of forensic testing were available. 'It's very unlikely that the results will come back positive,' she told reporters. 'He doesn't have a fever or early symptoms of Ebola.' Dr Young said even if the results were positive, there would not be an outbreak of the deadly disease in Australia. 'We won't have an outbreak here because we are very prepared. We've got systems in place at the border to identify symptoms... and we have good systems of hygiene,' she said. The hospital's Chief Executive Damian Green said earlier on Thursday the patient had been 'isolated and assessed' after being identified by paramedics 'as having symptoms of Ebola virus'. 'Gold Coast Health can confirm a patient has been transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital after being identified by paramedics as having symptoms of Ebola virus,' Mr Green said earlier on Thursday. '(The hospital) is taking necessary precautions and has isolated the patient who is currentlybeing assessed. 'Gold Coast Heath has processes in place to safely manage such circumstances. Universal infection control procedures are in place and there is limited risk to patients and staff.' The Director of Infectious Diseases, Dr John Gerrard, said the man was more likely to be suffering from malaria and his blood test results would be available on Thursday night . It is understood the man was charged with trespass after an incident on the property of the Chevron Renaissance hotel on Ferny Avenue, one of many huge tourist resorts in Surfers Paradise . Police told Daily Mail Australia the man was not complaining of any medical condition at the time of his arrest and subsequently taken to Southport Watchhouse. It is understood he was charged with trespass after an incident on the property of the Chevron Renaissance hotel on Ferny Avenue, one of many huge tourist resorts in Surfers Paradise. The manager of the hotel, Michelle Baldwin, told Daily Mail Australia the incident did not happen inside the building, but she refused to comment on whether it occurred out the front. She said the man was not a guest of the hotel and she had not spoken to authorities about the incident. Police said the man will face court on September 25. The man was isolated in accordance with national guidelines at the Gold Coast University Hospital on Thursday . Paramedics were instructed to wear protective clothing like health workers in Africa (pictured) before they transported the man to Gold Coast University Hospital . The WHO has recorded 4,293 cases of Ebola in five West African countries as of September 6 as a worker sifts through garbage inside a high risk quarantined area at a hospital in Liberia . It comes after British nurse Will Pooley contracted the disease while working in Sierra Leone. Mr Pooley, 29, was rushed back to London's Royal Free Hospital for life-saving treatment and is now planning to return to Africa to continue his work. It comes after British nurse Will Pooley contracted the disease while working in Sierra Leone . 'So while I'm happy to be recovered and alive, there's a lot of stuff on my mind with what's going on back there,' he said. ‘It would be relatively safe for me to go back and work there, and it's really the least I could do having received all this amazing care and have people look after me and potentially save my life. 'It's the least I could do to go back and return the favour to some other people, even just for a little while.' The current epidemic is the largest Ebola outbreak in history and has already claimed the lives of at least 2,296 people. The WHO said on Tuesday that it had recorded 4,293 cases of Ebola in five West African countries as of September 6. The outbreak has already affected multiple countries and sparked several travel warnings. It is a haemorrhagic fever spread through body fluids such as the blood, sweat or vomit of those who are infected with the disease. Mr Pooley, 29, was rushed back to London's Royal Free Hospital for life-saving care in this high level isolation apparatus . Ebola is a haemorrhagic fever spread through body fluids such as the blood, sweat or vomit of those who are infected with the disease . WHAT IS EBOLA?Ebola is a viral illness. Initial symptoms can include a sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Subsequent stages are vomiting, diarrhoea and - in some cases - both internal and external bleeding. WHEN DID THE OUTBREAK BEGIN?In December 2013 in Guinea, but it was not detected until March 2014. HOW MANY HAVE DIED?A total of 2,296 have died out of 4293 recorded Ebola cases in five West African countries, according to the WHO's latest report on September 6. HOW DOES IT SPREAD?It spreads between humans by direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or organs, or indirectly through contact with contaminated environments. WHEN ARE PEOPLE CONTAGIOUS?Ebola isn't contagious until symptoms appear. The incubation period - the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms - is two to 21 days. IS THERE A VACCINE?There is no licensed vaccine for Ebola available. This month scientists said they may have developed an effective vaccine for the Ebola virus after an experimental immunisation gave monkeys long-term protection from the deadly disease. WHEN DID IT FIRST EMERGE?Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter was in a village situated near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name. HOW WAS IT INTRODUCED TO HUMANS?In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys and forest antelope. The current epidemic is the largest Ebola outbreak in history and has already claimed the lives of at least 2,296 people . A pair of experimental Ebola vaccines that protect monkeys from the fatal disease ravaging West Africa have been developed. The vaccine is effective for at least five weeks in lab monkeys but requires boosting with an additional vaccine to extend its protection to 10 months, according to a new study. A pair of experimental Ebola vaccines that protect monkeys from the fatal disease ravaging West Africa have been developed . The findings offer a glimpse of which - if any - of the Ebola vaccines in development will prove effective, and in what form. Pharmaceutical firms are accelerating their efforts to provide Ebola vaccines and treatments as the worst known outbreak of the virus tears through West Africa, killing more than 2,000 people. The results of the new study suggest, for instance, that a vaccine by pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) now being tested on healthy volunteers will protect against Ebola infection in the short term, but may have to be augmented for long-term protection. The study, published in Nature Medicine, is the first to report that a vaccine regimen produced 'durable immunity' against Ebola, protecting four out of four monkeys for 10 months. 'He's had a little chicken soup': Wife of US missionary with Ebola says he is showing signs of improvement since arriving for treatment in Nebraska. The vaccine uses a chimp adenovirus, closely related to a human version that causes upper respiratory tract infections, into which scientists spliced an Ebola gene. The adenovirus infects cells in a vaccinated animal, causing them to take up the gene and produce Ebola proteins. That primes the immune system to attack the proteins of Ebola viruses when an infection occurs.

Queensland health revealed the blood tests had a negative result . 27-year-old man was rushed to Gold Coast University hospital this morning after complaining he felt sick . Paramedics suited up in protective gear after identifying the patient had 'symptoms of Ebola virus' He had been arrested overnight at Surfers Paradise and was being held at a police watchhouse when he said he felt sick . He said he had just returned from The Congo where the largest Ebola outbreak is plaguing Africa . Queenslands chief health officer Jeannette Dr Young said it was 'highly unlikely' the Ebola virus would make its way to Queensland .

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Murdered: Christiane Remacle was savagely beaten and raped, and her clothes had been ripped off, apart from one of her stockings . For the family of 19-year-old Christiane Remacle, the unending torment began on New Year’s morning 25 years ago. Entering their daughter’s room to wish her seasonal greetings and ask about the party she’d attended the night before, her parents found her bed empty and undisturbed. As Christiane had never stayed out overnight without telling them, they immediately sensed something was wrong. But when they tried to find out what had happened to the teenager — a pretty, bright girl who was ‘the apple of their eye’, according to her older sister, Annie — her friends were baffled. They’d last seen her setting off to walk home, they said. It was not until mid-January of that year, 1989, that the grim truth emerged. A police search had failed to find Christiane, but her body was discovered by a hunter, in a forest close to the party venue, in Antwerp, Belgium. She had been savagely beaten and raped, and her clothes had been ripped off, apart from one of her stockings. The other, which had been used to strangle her, was still wrapped around her neck. There was one obvious suspect. Then 25, Frank Van Den Bleeken had already committed a string of serious sexual offences, yet thanks to Belgium’s scandalously lenient justice system, he had been freed from jail and was prowling his old haunts again. Desperate to keep his liberty, he denied the murder, and it was only when he was confronted by his mother that he confessed. Cunning as ever, Van Den Bleeken convinced a judge he was insane, and was sent to a secure institution — a decision which satisfied Christiane’s family, since they believed he would be locked away for many years. Disgracefully, the burly sex fiend was freed after just seven years, whereupon he brutally attacked three more victims within a few weeks (one was just 11 years old) before, finally, he was locked away indefinitely. This was in the mid-Nineties. Since then, Christiane’s parents, Gustaaf and Mary, have both died, effectively killed by their grief, their family believes. But Van Den Bleeken, 50, has also been suffering — at least, that is, if we believe his lawyers. Unable to escape his overwhelming predatory urges, and denied the psychiatric treatment that might help him, they say, he has endured terrible mental anguish at the prospect of being trapped with his thoughts for ever. Controversial: Van Den Bleeken's lawyers argue that the 50-year-old has also been suffering in jail . Indeed, they have been arguing in the Belgian courts for the past three years that so unbearable is his existence that he ought to be allowed to end his life — or rather, have doctors end it for him, by a lethal injection — under the country’s liberal euthanasia law. It is rather like Ian Huntley, say, or Rosemary West, asking a British judge for the right to die because they could no longer tolerate life inside their top-security prisons. Just imagine the outcry among both the public and their victims. Remember the furore when Ian Brady tried recently to win permission to move from a secure hospital to prison, so that he could starve himself to death without being stopped by staff. In Belgium, however, as in neighbouring Holland, whose dubious moral and ethical values have permeated across the border, they do things very differently from the rest of Europe. Unlike the assisted dying bill being proposed in Britain, which would give terminally ill people the right to end their lives, and only in the rarest of circumstances, the rules in the Lowland countries are considerably more lax. ‘Unbearable suffering’ is the vague yardstick by which it is permitted. Recently, Belgium even sanctioned euthanasia for children, and last year more than 1,800 people were granted permission to commit suicide — a 27 per cent increase on 2012. Thus, to the disbelief of Christiane’s surviving relatives, this week her killer’s death-wish was finally granted. In ghastly contrast to the suffering he caused his victims and their loved ones, Van Den Bleeken’s end will be pain-free and quick. Early next week, when the final legal formalities have been completed, he will be allowed to spend two days saying his goodbyes to family and friends. Then, in a pleasant hospital room, he will be sent into an everlasting sleep. ‘The process is very simple,’ says a source close to the case. ‘There is no question of any pain. Chemicals are injected into the body, creating a feeling of relaxation, then he will drift into unconsciousness and life will stop. It is utterly humane.’ Van Den Bleeken is in a secure unit in Bruges with some 150 other patients, and his lawyer told the Mail last night: ‘It is unbearable for him. He hears the other patients shouting and crying all day and night, and cannot live with it. ‘He knows he could live for another 30 years — he’s in a good physical state, but his mind is dead. He has stopped walking, as he used to do, and just sits in his cell all the time. He does, however, go to mass once a week. He has become very religious. Plea: It is rather like Ian Huntley (right) or Rosemary West (left), asking a British judge for the right to die because they could no longer tolerate life inside their top-security prisons . ‘He knows he’s made mistakes and in his own mind he doesn’t deserve to be alive.’ The Antwerp-born killer hails from a traditional Belgian working-class Roman Catholic family, an irony given the Catholic Church’s strong opposition to euthanasia. He claims he, too, was raped, when he was 15. Of course, there will be some in Britain who take a cynical view of Van Den Bleeken’s victory. They will point out that there are 11,500 sex offenders in our prisons: one in eight of all inmates. The cost of keeping them off the streets is more than £50,000 per prisoner: a staggering £575 million. If they are really so keen to expunge themselves, why not let those who are seeking an easy way out of their punishment do the taxpayer a favour? Yesterday, however, campaigners on either side of the debate were almost universal in their condemnation of the decision to allow Van Den Bleeken to end his life when he chooses. Christiane Remacle's family can barely believe that Van Den Bleeken (pictured) has been spared a possible 30 or 40 more years of incarceration . According to Dan Boucher, director of parliamentary affairs for the Christian charity CARE, which opposed the UK bill, it proves that, having opened the doors to assisted suicide 12 years ago, Belgium has already slid dangerously far down the slippery slope. Indeed, during the 24 hours since the Van Den Bleeken judgment was handed down, at least 15 more Belgian prisoners have lodged right-to-die requests with the country’s Federal Euthanasia Commission, and many more are expected to follow. ‘Once a country embraces the culture of death with its laws, then it’s not surprising that legality should start to widen the categories of people who can access it,’ Dan Boucher told me. ‘If we allow a sex offender to end his life, then who comes next?’ Who indeed. The respected medical ethicist Dr Helen Watt puts it this way: ‘We should never agree with a suicidal prisoner, or any other suicidal person, that his life is not worth living. Those who are rightly being punished for their crimes should receive proper health care, and their doctors should not be co-opted for procedures that are the very reverse of healthcare. ‘This is not capital punishment, but is billed as a “medical procedure” based on the prisoner’s low sense of self-worth. It is a clear sign of the slippery slope in euthanasia.’ Dr Iain Brassington, meanwhile, a senior lecturer in bioethics at Manchester University Law School, takes a different view. He says the issue hinges largely on whether society sees the purpose of prison as retribution or rehabilitation, and whether a prisoner committing suicide could truly be said to be ‘cheating justice’. Those who have suffered at Van Den Bleeken’s hands have no truck with such intellectual debate. Though his lawyer portrays him as remorseful, and attributes his personality disorder to a disturbed childhood which saw him placed in care at six, they can barely believe that he has been spared a possible 30 or 40 more years of incarceration. ‘Commissions, doctors and other “experts” have all investigated the highs and lows of our sister’s killer,’ Annie Remacle said yesterday. ‘And during all these years, not a single commission has examined the case of our parents’, or ours. ‘Not a single doctor or expert has asked us how we are. Now his lawyers say how much their client suffers! Well, we are suffering, too.’ Quite so, and for all those who loved the pretty young woman who went to a New Year’s party and never returned, there is no easy escape from the agony. Additional reporting: PETER ALLEN .

Frank Van Den Bleeken confessed to the murder of Christiane Remacle . The 50-year-old also committed a string of sexual offences in Belgium . He was locked away indefinitely but claims he has been suffering mentally . Argues anguish is so unbearable that he should be able to end his own life . This week the killer's death wish was finally granted .

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(CNN)A senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria over the weekend, Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency reported. Gen. Mohammed Ali Allahdadi was killed in the same Sunday airstrike that killed six others during a field inspection in Quneitra, a Hezbollah statement said. The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on the strike. The son of a late Hezbollah commander was also killed in the airstrike, Hezbollah said. Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Imad Mughniyeh, was born in 1989. His father was assassinated in Syria in 2008. According to a statement from the Lebanon-based militant group, a group was doing a field inspection in Quneitra when a helicopter opened fire. CNN's Amir Daftari, Hamdi Alkhshali and Kareem Khadder contributed to this report.

Gen. Mohammed Ali Allahdadi of Iran's Revolutionary Guard killed in strike, report says . Six others, including the son of a late Hezbollah commander, also killed in strike, Hezbollah says .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Tyler Perry is known today as the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio. He's a pioneer whose own life story is a rags-to-riches tale that reads like a screenplay. Tyler Perry is the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio. Now a writer, actor, director and producer -- Perry's success grew out of a troubled home in a poor neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. Strong on faith, Perry named his first play "I Know I've Been Changed," after an old Negro spiritual. It was a gospel musical about two adult survivors of child abuse. In 1991, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he worked as a bill collector and eventually scraped together enough money to rent a small theatre and stage the play. With only 30 people in the audience, the play was a flop. For the next several years, he struggled and was often broke and sometimes lived in his car. But Perry refused to give up. He finally got a second chance in 1998, when a promoter booked the show in the Tabernacle, a former church turned concert hall in downtown Atlanta. It was a sold out hit and the little boy from inner-city New Orleans was well on his way. Perry then took his plays on the road and traveled the so-called "chitlin' circuit" to theaters in Memphis, Tennessee, Detroit, Michigan, and Baltimore, Maryland -- where black entertainers historically performed for predominantly black audiences. He began making a name for himself with African-Americans. In 2004, he started looking for backers for his first movie project "Diary of Mad Black Woman," a story about a devoted wife in a bad marriage. He said he faced a wall of ignorance when he pitched white executives in Hollywood. One told him the project was doomed to fail at the box office because the core audience for Perry's stage plays -- black churchgoers -- wouldn't go to the movies. Another said the dialogue for his characters was unrealistic. Though he was largely unknown to white audiences, Perry refused to play by Hollywood's rules and demanded creative control of his projects. Tour of Tyler Perry's back lot » . He was resigned to bankrolling the project himself and selling it as a DVD when he got a call from the independent studio Lionsgate. They struck a deal and he made "Diary" for about $5 million. The movie earned 10 times that at the box office. Since then, Perry's movies have grossed nearly $400 million and he's developed a loyal following. He now demands not only creative control but also ownership of the finished product. Still, it's just the beginning, he said. "I don't necessarily feel like I've arrived." Even so, Perry has a prolific output of stories, including his movies "Why Did I Get Married," "Meet the Browns," "The Family that Preys," and "Madea's Family Reunion." He signed a $200 million deal with TBS (owned by Time Warner, the same company that owns CNN) for 100 episodes of "House of Payne," one of television's most popular shows among black adults. The sitcom is now in syndication, making even more money for Perry. Perry said ownership of the finished product is key to building wealth, a principle he hopes other African-Americans will embrace. How are entertainment heavyweights changing black stereotypes? "If you want to think about longevity," he said, "if you want to think about your family and generations down the line, then you have to own it." And own it he does. Tyler Perry Studios, on 30 acres in Atlanta, is his black Hollywood. But he is quick to acknowledge his debt to the legendary black actors from an earlier generation by naming two of his soundstages after Sidney Poitier and Cicely Tyson. He has also helped introduce them to a new generation by casting Tyson, 76, an Oscar-nominated actress, in two of his films. Tyson opens up about life, career » . A study by the NAACP found that African-Americans are "underrepresented in almost every aspect of the television and film industry," but Perry is able to hire on both sides of the camera. On his production crews, black employees are getting unprecedented career opportunities, and black actors are portraying characters beyond the predictable drug dealers and thugs. "What makes me feel great is to be able to pull up to this place and to be able to have 300 people working and running around, trying to get things done," he said. "That makes me feel great." His greatest accomplishment, he said, has nothing to do with business. "It's more personal than that for me," he said. "My biggest success is getting over the things that have tried to destroy and take me out of this life. Those are my biggest successes. It has nothing to do with work." The NAACP has honored Perry with its Image Award, but there are some who believe his characters don't portray African-Americans positively. "He's made a lot of money, but the quality of work is sorely lacking," said Todd Boyd, a University of Southern California film professor and culture/media critic. Some of Perry's characters rely heavily on exaggerated personalities and slapstick comedy. Boyd is particularly critical of Perry's recurring character, Madea, an over-the-top grandmother who smokes marijuana and brandishes loaded guns she keeps in her purse. Perry himself plays the tough, buxom matriarch, who runs at full throttle fueled by country wisdom and ghetto strength. "It seems a bit ironic that at the moment of the first African-American president, the most popular African-American figure in the media is a man in drag engaging some of the most stereotypical images of African-Americans ever created," Boyd said. Perry said his critics are missing the point. "They miss the messages of empowerment," he said. "Sure, the silliness of 'Madea,' the silliness of 'Brown,' it's broad, it's over the top. Great. Fine. I get it. But how can you miss the message of forgiveness? How can you miss the messages of empowerment? "I would love to share with them the letters that I've gotten from people. 'This helped me get through a tough time.' 'I was gonna commit suicide.' 'My husband and I weren't speaking until we saw "Why Did I Get Married?" It saved our marriage.' " For Perry, his work will always be about writing from his experiences, old and new. "Whatever I'm experiencing in life is what I'll write about," he said. "I'm telling you, just to think this little boy from Louisiana can do it, anybody can do it."

Tyler Perry is the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio . The director, writer and playwright grew up poor in New Orleans, Louisiana . Perry's movies have grossed nearly $400 million; he's developed loyal following . "[If] this little boy from Louisiana can do it, anybody can do it," says Perry .

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By . Ashley Collman . PUBLISHED: . 19:12 EST, 4 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:31 EST, 5 January 2014 . From the end of Prohibition through the 1960s, New York's Stork Club was the epicenter of celebrity society. The night club in Midtown was founded by ex-bootlegger Sherman Billingsley, who kept his famous customers happy with good service - communicating to his wait staff through a secret language of hand signals that ranged from 'No need to pay attention to these folks' to 'Bring a bottle of champagne'. Billingsley revealed his secret code in 1944, and LIFE recently republished the set of the pictures. Perhaps the most surprising hand signal is a simple thumbs up, which meant 'Get them out and don't let them in again'. Secret language: LIFE recently republished Stork Club owner Sherman Billingsley's secret hand signal codes that he used in the legendary New York club. A thumbs up was not a good signal for a customer receive. It meant 'Get them out and don't let them in again' That's a hand signal Milton Berle, Elliott Roosevelt, Humphrey Bogart and Jackie Gleason probably all saw when they visited the legendary club, as all four were eventually banned. But most of the secret signals were good signs, and usually meant a treat for whatever customer Billingsley was chatting up that night. If he adjusted his tie, it meant the table wouldn't be seeing a check - Billingsley was footing the bill. When he grabbed his pocket square, a server somewhere was sent to fetch a $200 bottle of perfume as a gift. 'The music in the main dining room is too loud': Some of Billingsley's hand signals were purely for the servers and not comments about the people he was talking to . Spoiler: Billingsgley often showered his customers with gifts from free rounds of drinks (hand signal left) to $200 bottles of perfume (hand signal right) And more gifts: When he adjusted his tie, it meant he was paying the tables check. And a laid out hand on the table it meant to bring a complimentary bottle of champagne . Billingsley was notorious for his generosity, and customers often left with anything from a gold compact to cigar clippers. Other than getting the boot, the only bad hand signals were the ones labeling customers as bores. When he scratched his nose it meant the table he was talking to had no important people at it. And if he made a cuffing hand over his ear, he wanted a server to pretend he had a call so he could leave. Bores: Scratching his nose meant the table he was talking to wasn't important (left) and cuffing his hand to his ear meant someone needed to pretend he had a call so he could politely excuse himself from the table (right) But with clientele like Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, and Ernest Hemingway, it's hard to imagine Billingsley used those hand signals very often. The Stork Club was torn down in 1965, and today a park sits in its place. But Billingsley's secret language of hand signals lived on even after his club's death and continues to be used in fine-dining restaurants across the nation.

The Stork Club was an upscale Manhattan club located in Midtown from the end of Prohibition to 1965 . In its heydey, the club owned by ex-bootlegger Sherman Billingsley attracted clients like Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Ernest Hemingway . Billingsley created a secret hand signal to communicate with wait staff at his club without attracting the attention of his guests . He shared these signals with LIFE in 1944, and they are now being republished .

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(CNN) -- We've come to expect fees for hotel WiFi and parking, but as lodging fees pile up, there are some that may come as a surprise to even the seasoned business traveler. Early check-in? Some hotels charge for it. Restocking that $5 bottle of water you drank out of the minibar? Yes, some properties charge for that, too. The amount of fees and surcharges being tacked onto hotel bills has reached an all-time high, according to a report from the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies, which estimates that the U.S. lodging industry collected $1.95 billion in fees in 2012 -- up a whopping $100 million from the previous year. Airports where architecture soars . "Fees and surcharges emerged as an industry practice in about 1997," notes Bjorn Hanson, the divisional dean of NYU's Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management, which compiled the NYU-SCPS report. According to the study, the amount of hotel fees collected has risen every year since 1997 except for select periods following 2001 and 2008, when the demand for lodging declined. The rise in hotel fees can be attributed to two things, explains Bill Carroll, a PhoCusWright hotel analyst and senior lecturer at Cornell University. "There is a unique opportunity for hotels to produce additional revenue from their asset. Second, the consumer choice to purchase additional services is not encumbered by competition. The consumer has already chosen among competitors to stay at the property. Given that decision, the property can now offer additional services, without direct (price) competition. In addition, the property knows a lot more about the guest (traveling alone or with family, staying over a weekend as a leisure guest versus midweek as a business traveler, etc.). Targeted service offerings can be made." Check in: World's best airport hotels . Hotel fees for things that add customer value are one thing, says Carroll, but "on the negative side are fees that bet on the guest not paying attention to folio charges." Here are a few examples of the new batch of fees that have been creeping onto hotel bills. Early check-in fee. If you want to check in to your room before the preset time, you could incur a charge of as much as $50 for the privilege. Early check-out fee. You may also be charged anywhere from $50 to the cost of a night's stay if you have to leave a day or more earlier than expected. Cancellation fees. Need to cancel your stay altogether? Whereas before you might have been able to cancel your reservation without penalty by 6 p.m. on the day before your scheduled arrival, some hotels are now charging you a night's stay if you don't cancel within 48 or even 72 hours prior to arrival. Minibar restocking fee. At some hotels you'll not only have to pay to enjoy an item from the minibar, you'll also have to pay a restocking fee to have the item replaced. So that $12 can of nuts may end up costing you more like $19. Automatic gratuities. Before you tip anyone, check to see if an automatic gratuity for their services has already been added. For instance, you may incur a one-time $10 to $30 fee to cover housekeeping and bellman gratuities, while your bill for room service or spa services may already include a 10% to 20% tip. Gym fee. Some hotels are pumping up their bills by charging anywhere from $5 to $40 a day for the use of the fitness facilities. Baggage holding fees. Need to stash your luggage at the bellhop stand? You might have to shell out a couple of bucks per bag to have them tucked away. Tiered WiFi charges. Some hotels are charging for Internet access based on how you use it. For example, basic Internet service for things like checking your e-mail may be free, but if you need high-speed access, then it could cost you upwards of $10 a day. Airlines collect $27 billion beyond ticket revenue . What irks travelers even more than having to pay the growing number of hotel fees is the fact that they may not even know about them until they've already booked the room, or worse, gotten their bill. So you need to do your due diligence and find out ahead of time what to expect. In the minds of some hoteliers, the fees are a way to give guests what they want and not charge them for what they don't. "Many guests don't require the full amenities a hotel offers, so fees are implemented to offer additional services the guests can add to their basic stay without penalizing other guests who don't need them," says Marc Sternagel, general manager of the Novotel New York Times Square. "Guests like the option of choosing additional add-ons, and therefore they are able to customize their experience in accordance with their personal needs for any specific stay." Others hoteliers worry that bombarding their guests with fees will cost them customers. "At all of our resorts, valet parking, Internet and minibar refreshments are extended to our guests on a complimentary basis," says Caroline MacDonald, senior vice president of marketing for Auberge Resorts. "Several resorts also provide breakfast as part of the daily rate. We find that our guests really appreciate the small gestures, and have found that they value the overall experience." World's best airport spas . Benji Homsey, president of Hotel ZaZa, a collection with locations in Dallas and Houston, says his company puts convenience and the guest experience first. "We've never charged for WiFi. We consider technology an investment for the hotel, since 65% of our midweek guests are business travelers." However you see them, hotel fees aren't likely to be going away anytime soon. "Such fees will continue," predicts Carroll. "The smart hotels will structure offerings that are both reasonable to the consumer and add value. A few hotels will challenge the very notion of hospitality — 'Mary and Joseph, there will be an additional straw fee for the manger.'" Hanson forecasts that the number and variety of hotel surcharges will likely taper off, but the number of hotels charging fees will increase, as will the amount of the fees being charged. Explains Melanie Nayer, a veteran travel journalist and hotels expert: "Like everything, prices fluctuate with the economy and also based on demand. And hotels are just calculating appropriately based on industry standards." Besides, she says, you were basically already paying these fees, you just didn't know it since they were lumped into a flat rate. "These aren't new fees so much as they are fees that have been separated from your room charge and put into a different line item." Luckily, there are some ways you can avoid the glut of hotel surcharges. "Loyalty programs are the best way to avoid extra fees and surcharges, since loyalty programs typically offer fee waivers," says Nayer. "You can also avoid fees in many cases by calling ahead to the hotel and asking about packages, many of which include fee waivers, especially for WiFi and parking." Avoiding hotel fees may mean a little extra work on your part, but it could make a noticeable difference, especially for business travelers who may have trouble explaining all those extra line items when they turn in their expense reports. What kinds of hotel fees have you encountered? What's your take on line-item billing?

The U.S. lodging industry collected $1.95 billion in fees in 2012, NYU study says . Fees started to emerge in the hotel industry in 1997, expert says, and fee revenue keeps increasing . Joining hotel loyalty programs is one way to avoid line-item charges .

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Liverpool are keen to add Barcelona and Spain forward Pedro to their ranks this summer, as Brendan Rodgers continues to plan for the dual challenge of Premier League and Champions League football next season according to the Daily Mirror. The Reds have already been heavily linked with Southampton's Adam Lallana, although no deal is likely for the England international until after the World Cup. But with Rodgers determined to add as many as five players to his squad he has already turned his attention to strengthening other positions. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Pedro Rodriquez scores with stunning bicycle kick in Spain training . In demand: Barcelona and Spain attacker Pedro has emerged as a target for Liverpool . Overhaul: The 26-year-old could be moved on from Camp Nou by new manager Luis Enrique . Pedro, 26, will help Spain defend their position as world champions in Brazil this summer, but faces an uncertain future at club level following the appointment of Luis Enrique as Barcelona manager. Enrique revealed at his official unveiling as Barca boss he will make wholesale changes at the club this summer after a disastrous campaign which ended trophyless. He said: 'The players must know that you cannot let a year pass at Barca. If they are not at the level required then there will be changes. 'We will reinforce the team in the best way possible, to be as competitive as possible. There is a market there - teams ask a lot of money for players. You must manage it all. We will reinforce, maybe in all lines of the team, to have the best players for the club and for me. 'I do not want to talk too much about individuals. Good and important players will stay. We will look at everyone and then see what we do. We do not have to make decisions now. We have time.' Versatile: Pedro offers options as he can play comfortably in any position across the attack . Targets: Rodgers is already hard at work assessing potential Liverpool players for next season . Pedro, who has spent his whole career at Barcelona winning four league titles and two Champions Leagues, would fit perfectly into Liverpool's style of play. Versatile enough to play across all three attacking positions he also fits the bill of the calibre of player that Rodgers has designs on. Following the 4-0 friendly victory over Shamrock Rovers on May 14, the Reds boss said: 'Our criteria that we look for is players with strong technique and football intelligence. 'You'll get some players who are specialists and who need to play in particular positions, but if we can get players in who are multi-functional, and can play in different roles and are multi-dimensional in their work, it sets us up and gives me more options as a coach.' Liverpool will be keen to tie up a deal for the player before the World Cup in order to avoid his value soaring should he perform well. Pedro has scored 14 goals in 37 games for La Roja, and was part of the team that won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012. Pedigree: Pedro won Euro 2012 with Spain, the 2010 World Cup and will travel to Brazil this summer . Step up: Southampton captain Adam Lallana is another player Liverpool want to sign this summer .

Liverpool want to strengthen attacking options . Spain international is viewed as ideal candidate to add versatility . New Barcelona manager could be prepared to clear the decks this summer . Pedro Rodriguez faces an uncertain future at club . Brendan Rodgers wants players with strong technique and intelligence . Premier League runners-up have also been heavily linked with Adam Lallana .

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(CNN) -- In the final weeks of his brief life, little Myls Dobson suffered unspeakable acts of neglect and violence. A New York criminal complaint released Friday at the arraignment of Kryzie King, 27, with whom the 4-year-old had been staying since mid-December, said the boy had burn marks and abrasions on his head, neck, face and testicles. There were bruises and numerous marks made by an object on his abdomen and legs and wrists -- bruises consistent with being restrained -- lacerations to his fingers, abrasions to his armpit, and bruises and scars on his back. The child appeared malnourished, the complaint said. Myls suffered "horrific injuries sustained over a period of days," New York Police Commissioner William Bratton told reporters. King pleaded not guilty at her arraignment in Manhattan criminal court on charges of first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful imprisonment. But Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg told the court Friday that King also was being investigated on suspicion of murder, and likely faced additional charges upon the completion of the autopsy. In a statement, King's attorney, Bryan Konoski, said: "My client is not charged with homicide at this time and she is presumed to be innocent of allegations against her. I would tell everyone not jump to any conclusions at this time." Shortly before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, police responding to a 911 call found Myles locked in a bathroom at King's apartment at The Ritz Plaza, a luxury highrise in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan. He appeared battered, was unconscious and unresponsive on the floor, authorities said. The child was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital at 1:52 p.m. King told police that Myls' father dropped the child off for her to watch on December 17 and that she was the "child's primary and sole caretaker" until the time of his death, the complaint said. The father was arrested in December for alleged bank fraud, according to CNN affiliate WCBS. At a news conference Friday, an adviser to the boy's mother, Ashlee Dobson, said that she lost custody of her son for financial reasons. The mother and the adviser, Tony Herbert, demanded answers from child welfare authorities. "The city of New York put the child in the care of the father, who they knew was a felon," Herbert said. "You open up a case and then you close it thinking everything is fine? No. That has to be answered. Who did that, who authorized that?" A call placed to the city Administration for Children's Services was not returned. Dobson lost custody in 2012, according to CNN affiliate WCBS. "She was in a shelter, they didn't think it best that she would be in that shelter with a baby, so they gave him to the father," Herbert said of child welfare authorities. Dobson told reporters Friday that she was turning her life around in hopes of regaining custody of her son. She had weekly visitation rights but last saw her son in November. In tears, Ashlee Dobson said, "I love my son. He always loved me. He always gave me kisses." The complaint portrays the finals weeks of Myls' life as a living hell. King told police that on December 29 she removed a hot rack from an oven with a glove and allegedly placed it against the boy's right leg, leaving linear burn marks, the complaint said. The next day, she told police, she allegedly struck him about his body five to six times with a belt, leaving bruises and scars. The complaint said King admitted that from December 30 to January 4 she allegedly tied the boy's wrists and feet together with shoe laces and gagged him with a piece of cloth. She told police that resulted in scaring on his wrists and ankles. On the day she freed him, the complaint said, King allegedly beat him twelve to thirteen times with a belt. On Tuesday, during subfreezing temperatures, King told police she allegedly locked the the child, wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, outside on a balcony from 20 minutes to an hour, the complaint said. That same day, she allegedly locked the boy inside a dark bathroom for about three hours. King told authorities that the boy was "being very difficult eating and that the last full meal he ate was on December 26, 2013; after that he would only pick at his food," the complaint said. The last time the boy ate or drank anything was on January 3. Aside from her comments about the child not eating well, King gave no indication in the complaint of what might have prompted her purported actions. Since arriving at King's home on December 17, the complaint said, Myls Dobson lost 20 to 25 pounds. Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner's office, said an autopsy was performed Thursday but the cause of death is pending further study. CNN's Julia Talanova contributed to this report.

Four-year-old Myls Dobson was burned and beaten to death . Police commissioner says the child suffered "Horrific injuries sustained over a period of days" Caretaker is charged with assault and unlawful imprisonment . The 27-year-old woman could face additional charges .

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(CNN) -- As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in the constitutionality of the health care reform law, CNN spoke with two experts on opposing sides of the issue. Karen Harned is executive director of Small Business Legal Center for the National Federation of Independent Business. The group, along with 26 states, will appear at the court's oral arguments. NFIB represents 350,000 small-business owners. (Ron Pollack, founding executive director of Families USA, is for the health care reform law. Read his viewpoint here). The following interview with Harned is edited for clarity and brevity: . CNN: Has the U.S. reached a health care crisis that justified the law supported by President Barack Obama and most Democrats in Congress? Karen Harned: "We strongly think that our system is broken, and NFIB for two decades has been aggressively fighting for health insurance reforms. The reforms we wanted unfortunately were not included in the final law. They were reforms that would not drive down the cost of health insurance. That has been the number one issue for small-business owners. "We are very much not of the 'just say no' crowd, we think the status quo is not acceptable. Our members are very vocal on that. The problem is that the reforms that we advocated were the ones that ended up landing on the cutting room floor and that Congress made a bad situation worse." Preview: 'The implications ... are impossible to overstate' CNN: But proponents argue there are tax incentives and other benefits designed to help small businesses provide health coverage for their small staffs. Harned: "Of course, there are provisions in this law that small-business owners like. On the big picture, our small-business owners don't get to pick and choose which provisions of the law apply to them, in addition to the two better provisions. There are numerous new tax increases, but there's also an unconstitutional infringement of individual liberty in the form of individual mandates that require everyone to buy health insurance or pay a fine. So at the end of the day, the small-business owners that we represent saw more bad than good. "The tax credit has been highlighted by the administration as something that's great for small business, but what we have found is that most of our members are not going to get that full credit. And the extent to which they get that credit, it's just not that significant. Because the amount of the tax incentive goes down as you either add employees or pay them more. It's actually disincentivizing small-business owners to grow their businesses." CNN: Why in your view is the individual mandate requiring most Americans to purchase some form of health issuance an unconstitutional provision? Harned: "If it's upheld, then the Constitution is essentially giving Congress the authority to create a command-and-control economy. This is about them telling us all sorts of things that we have to buy or contracts that we need to enter into. This is exactly the opposite of what we want to see -- Congress telling you where you need to be shopping, what you need to buy. Two families, two viewpoints on health reform . "It also is just amending decades -- maybe centuries -- of contract law because you always have two willing participants. Those are things that fundamentally strike at the core of the small-business owners that I represent; it offends them to no end. As a practical matter, there are dollars and cents attached to this. I've talked to members who say, 'Look, this is a no-brainer.' " CNN: So you worry the federal government would only expand its authority over commerce? Harned: "The government has only made this worse in how they've argued this case, because they've been unable in every court they've been in before, to say where it would end. "As recently as the federal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals case, where Judge [Laurence] Silberman asked them [the Justice Department lawyers] point blank, 'Is it unconstitutional to regulate broccoli?' and [the government lawyer] said, 'Well, it depends.' Now it's like we're not citizens of this country anymore, we're merely subjects, if this individual mandate goes through." CNN: Should Congress start all over and craft a new health care bill? Harned: "NFIB went into this with the intention of striking down the entire law. We have demanded for decades that we get health insurance reform that drives down the cost of health insurance for small-business owners because that market is severely broken. "We also believe, as the government has continued to argue, that the individual mandate is key, integral, to its operation. Without the individual mandate, it cannot stand. Even some of the provisions that people think are relatively extraneous come back, at least from a cost perspective, to the individual mandate. And if you don't have that, how does the rest of it work? "... And the answer here is clearly no, because the two things that the law was said to be accomplishing were to increase coverage. The individual mandate is very key to increasing coverage. And reducing costs -- again by getting everybody into the pool, they're basically having the young, healthy people subsidizing the older population. That is supposed to be helping to lower costs for all. "When you take that out, we don't see how the entire law works as Congress intended. And we definitely don't think Congress would have passed it without the individual mandate." CNN: What is your message to the Supreme Court as they take on this legal challenge? Harned: "We think the law is on our side. We think it's very clear that the Founding Fathers never intended to see Congress telling people what products they should buy. If you look at the justifications the government gives, the text doesn't support this mandate, the Constitution doesn't support it, and if the justices rule that the individual mandate is constitutional, they are going to basically open the door for Congress to legislate whatever mandates it finds appropriate that it will impose on individuals. "We think the law, the Constitution, is very much on our side. That's what they're charged with upholding."

Karen Harned speaks for the National Federation of Independent Business . Harned: Reforms that we advocated were the ones that ended up being cut . If health law is upheld, it will "create a command-and-control economy," she says . Her assessment of having reform struck down: "We think the law is on our side"

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(CNN) -- John Memmer said his light bulb moment occurred when he couldn't fit on an amusement park ride with his son. The 39-year-old auto insurance underwriter from Bloomington, Illinois, was on a family outing at a theme park in Missouri and his son, Alex, desperately wanted him to share a seat next to him. "The attendant tried to push and squeeze me into the seat, but to no avail. I was too big to fit," said Memmer. "So there I was with hundreds of people staring at me as all of this was going on, and then I heard my son start to cry as I had to climb off the ride," he said. A stranger in line agreed to sit with his son, but at that moment, Memmer knew it was finally time to lose weight. "All the shoulda, coulda, wouldas catalyzed into an intense desire to finally do something about it," he said. Memmer had noticed before the trip to the amusement park that he would get winded walking up the stairs in his home and had trouble keeping up with his kids while they were playing. And this depressed him. But the incident at the theme park was the "straw that broke the camel's back." He started his weight loss program during the summer of 2009 and eventually lost about 115 pounds over the course of a year. His initial weight was 300 pounds. Memmer said he kept his plan simple: eating less and consuming fewer calories. "While I was losing the weight, hunger was always a factor," he said. "So to counter that, I worked in lots of fruits and vegetables, as they provide lots of nutrients and have a lot of fiber and bulk per serving -- it really helped to satisfy me when I was hungry." Memmer rediscovered his love for soup during his weight loss campaign and has learned his local grocery store stocks a large variety of options to prevent him from getting bored. Although many soups contain a high amount of sodium, Memmer says "this does not weigh on his mind and a recent check with the doctor showed a clean bill of health." It took some time to adjust to his new eating habits. Snacking became a rare event because he knew he was eating fewer calories and wanted to make each calorie count. He didn't want to go on a crash diet, so instead he decreased his daily caloric intake so he'd shed about two pounds a week, which many dietitians consider safe. Memmer changed his mind-set about food, too. "I realized early on that I would just eat absent-mindedly, and all those calories have to go somewhere," he said. He now makes a conscious effort to be aware of what he's consuming and mostly selects nutritious foods to eat. "I'm not on quite as strict a regimen as I was when I was losing my weight, but I've found a nice balance that has allowed me to maintain my current weight level and I don't feel deprived at all." The main staples of his diet are vegetables, whole grains and lean meats, but nothing is forbidden. "I may have a cookie here and there, or even a piece of pie, but I consider it a special treat instead of a daily food item." Memmer does not think in terms of "going on a diet" when he eats, either. "Dieting implies that you're making a temporary change, and what is essential is making a commitment to a different way of living," he noted. "Once you've made the mental leap over that hurdle, you've taken the hardest step." In moments of weakness, Memmer reminds himself to try to stay focused on his goals -- and thinks of his family and how he wants to stay healthy for them. Memmer does not consider himself an athlete and doesn't have a regular workout routine. But he has found ways to incorporate activity into his life. He'll use the stairs at work and parks his car farther away from his office than before his weight drop. Work in his garden keeps him active, too. "If you want an upper body workout, I highly recommend wrestling with a gas-powered tiller on unbroken ground," he chuckled. He enjoys taking walks and appreciates the fact he can get around without his knees hurting or back aching, which wasn't the case before he shed pounds. Memmer says his weight loss has inspired those around him and sparked a lot of conversation around his workplace. In fact, some of his colleagues have started their own campaigns to lose weight and achieve a healthier lifestyle. "Sometimes, all it takes is a spark, someone you can point to and say -- if he can do it, so can I," he said. As for amusement park rides, Memmer has "upped his game" and recently spent a family vacation at Walt Disney World's theme parks in Orlando where he was able to comfortably get on any ride he wanted with his children. "Space Mountain and Tower of Terror were my favorite rides." Do you have a weight loss story? Tell us about it at iReport.com.

John Memmer lost about 115 pounds over the course of a year . Memmer said he kept his plan simple by eating less and consuming fewer calories . His dramatic weight loss has inspired those around him to adopt healthier lifestyles, too .

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By . Associated Press . Joseph Romano, pictured in 2012, claimed Monday the FBI framed him in a plot to kill a judge and prosecutor . A conman already imprisoned in a collectible coin scam was sentenced to a life term on Monday for a bizarre, behind-bars plot to decapitate a judge and a prosecutor. Joseph Romano, of Levittown, New York, was convicted in January on charges he gave orders to have the prosecutor's breasts cut off as well, and that body parts should be preserved in formaldehyde as proof both people were dead. He claimed on Monday that he was framed by federal agents who fabricated the scheme as part of an undercover sting operation. 'I don't care what sentence you give me as long as I know one thing: I'm innocent,' a defiant Joseph Romano told the judge in a rambling statement in federal court in Brooklyn. Romano, 51, went on for more than hour, referencing Charles Manson, literary classics such as Moby Dick and A Christmas Carol and his own weight - 300 pounds. He insisted that the FBI targeted him to silence him. 'They want to bury me,' he said, pointing at grim-faced FBI agents sitting in the audience. 'They want to shut me up... I've never hurt anybody.' U.S. District Judge John Keenan told Romano that he deserved life behind bars because trying to orchestrate a pair of contract killings 'cannot be tolerated in a civilized society' Romano listened quietly, then gathered up a stack of documents and thanked the judge as he was led out of the courtroom. The plot unfolded in 2012 after Romano was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $7 million in the coin scheme, which victimized elderly investors. His business partner, Dejvid Mirkovic, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the same scheme. Six months into Romano's sentence, another inmate reported through his lawyer that he had overheard Romano talk about seeking revenge. Joseph Romano, left, was sentenced to life behind bars on Monday for putting a hit on the federal judge and prosecutor who put him and his business partner, Dejvid Mirkovic, right, away for a collectable coin scheme . The inmate agreed to wear a wire and introduce Romano to an undercover federal agent pretending to be a hit man named Bobby Russo. Over the course of several recorded conversations, Romano arranged through a former business partner to pay the undercover agent $40,000 to carry out the killings, referred to in code as 'Dodge trucks.' Jurors heard one recording where Romano gave instructions to shoot the judge, saying, 'Find out where (the judge) is, go there and - boom - right in' the head. Prosecutors alleged that he wanted the prosecutor's body stuffed in a steel drum and dumped in a place where it could never be found. Romano also was accused of trying to arrange an assault a Long Island mechanic for repossessing one of his vintage muscle cars. Undercover investigators staged a photo to make it look as though the mechanic had been knocked out in a beat-down.

Joseph Romano was convicted on Monday of attempting to have the breasts cut off of the prosecutor who put him behind bars . He also tried to have to have the judge from his previous trial shot . Romano, who referenced Charles Manson and Moby Dick in a bizarre rant at the trial, claims he's a victim of an undercover FBI sting .

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By . Tamara Abraham . A woman whose husband weighs almost 700lbs has shared her painfully honest account of being married to a person so obese. Nissa, from Beaumont, Texas, says her marriage to Chuck, 46, has manifested into something more akin to a carer-patient relationship. Speaking on tonight's episode of TLC's My 600lb Life, which focuses on her husband's plight, the mother-of-one admits that she 'just feels like a servant.' Scroll down for video . Unhappily married: Nissa, from Beaumont, Texas, says her relationship with Chuck, 46, has manifested into something more akin to that of a carer-patient . She told the show: 'Marriage is extremely difficult when you're married to someone who is 600lbs. We don't have an intimate relationship - our marriage is much more caregiver-patient.' Nissa says that taking care of their toddler son Nathan single-handedly also puts a big strain on her. 'Being a single mom is one thing,' she explains. 'But being a single mom when there's another human being there is much harder.' For his part, Chuck feels immensely guilty that he cannot be the husband that he feels his wife deserves. Morbidly obese: The tow truck driver, who has always been heavy, saw his weight spiral out of control in 2006 following the murder of his first wife, and the later passing of his mother and stepfather . Taking its toll: Nissa breaks down as she admits to producers that she 'just feels like a servant' The tow truck driver, who has always . been heavy, saw his weight spiral out of control in 2006 following the . murder of his first wife, and the later passing of his mother and . stepfather. He is now . so obese, he cannot move without getting out of breath, limiting him . from performing basic functions - though he does still work. 'When I met Chuck he was around . 600lbs,' Nissa recalls. 'He was very shy and didn't want to get out of the truck and . introduce himself properly because of his size. Connection: When they first met, Nissa says Chuck was around 600lbs. She decided to give him a chance and not judge him by his weight because she felt that is what other people did with her . 'I felt that I should give . him a chance because all of my relationships, I felt, had . failed because of my weight, and I didn't want to judge him for his . weight.' Having now . remarried and adopted a son with Nissa, Chuck knows he needs to change . his life if he wants to keep his family intact. 'The . main thing that really upsets me is putting a lot of strain on my . wife,' he says. 'I can't do my part of everything that I'm supposed to . do. And I want to provide for Nissa. Give her the life she deserves.' Father-son bonding: Having now remarried and adopted little Nathan with Nissa, Chuck knows he needs to change his life if he wants to keep his family intact . Bed-bound: Chuck is so incapacitated by his weight, he must eat his meals in bed . Nor can Chuck be the father he would like to be. 'I've always wanted a son and we had the opportunity to adopt Nathan, and he's the best thing in the world. . . I'd like to go outside with Nathan and play, but I can hardly walk without getting winded,' he says. Chuck also has a 40lb lymphedema on his leg - fluid retention and tissue swelling that puts him at high risk of infection. His doctor says that he could lose his leg if he does not start losing weight soon. The next installment of My 600-lb Life airs on TLC tonight at 9/8c.

Mother-of-one Nissa, from Beaumont, Texas, says her marriage to Chuck, 46, has manifested into something more akin to a carer-patient relationship .

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An Ohio police officer and his wife were arrested for leaving their two young children in the car unattended with a loaded gun . The couple left their 11-month old and 3-year old boys alone in a parked car while they left to go drinking in a bar . The officer and his wife are charged with aggravated child neglect . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:03 EST, 24 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:31 EST, 24 May 2013 . An Ohio police officer and his wife were arrested for leaving their young children alone in the car with a loaded gun while they went to a bar to drink. Michael Webb, 35 and his wife Staci Hall, 29, who were on vacation with their 11-month old and 3-year old boys in Florida, are charged with aggravated child neglect. The children were found asleep in the backseat of the car by the bar's staff who called the police. Michael Webb (left), 35, an Ohio police officer, and his wife Staci Hall, 29, were charged with aggravated child neglect after leaving their 11-month and 3-year old children in the car with a loaded gun while they went to drink in a bar . When officers appeared on scene they discovered Webb's .40-cailber Glock pistol in the vehicle, loaded and easily within reach of the children, The News Herald of Panama City reported. The gun was discovered out in the open, unholstered on the driver's side door. After the arresting officers found the unattended infant and toddler in the car with the window slightly cracked they proceeded in to The Coyote Ugly Saloon. There they discovered the . couple drinking at the bar, 'with no apparent view of their children,' The News Herald reported. The couple had reportedly been sitting at the bar for close to an hour by the time the police arrived. Michael Webb and Staci Hall were arrested for leaving their two young children unattended in a car outside of Coyote Ugly Saloon (pictured above) in Panama City, Florida with a loaded gun while they went to drink in the bar . Webb is a police officer with the Ross Township Police Department of Ohio. Currently facing charges in Florida, he has been placed on administrative leave at home as a result of his arrest, Ross Township Police Chief Ben Kramer told Cincinnati.com. Webb and Hall were detained at the Bay County Jail and released after posting separate $500 bail bonds. Their children were taken into custody by the Florida Department of Children and Family Services.

An Ohio police officer and his wife were arrested for leaving their two young children in the car unattended with a loaded gun . The couple left their 11-month old and 3-year old boys alone in a parked car while they left to go drinking in a bar . The officer and his wife are charged with aggravated child neglect .

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(CNN) -- Emmanuel Adebayor scored a header in each half, while Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo added further goals, as Real Madrid overpowered 10-man Tottenham 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal at the Bernabeu. Real boss Jose Mourinho is attempting to become the first coach in history to win three Champions League titles with three different clubs, and he remains on course to achieve that feat after this comfortable victory. The home side had the perfect start when they took the lead in the fourth minute -- Adebayor climbing above the Spurs defense to head home a Mesut Ozil corner, with goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and Luka Modric getting in each other's way as they attempted to clear the ball on the goalline. Tottenham's task was made even harder when England forward Peter Crouch was sent off in the 15th minute. Booked early on for a sliding tackle, Crouch committed an almost identical foul on Marcelo to receive a second yellow card to leave the visitors with a mountain to climb. And Real made Tottenham pay for Crouch's indiscipline with a second goal 11 minutes after the break, Adebayor converting another header from Marcelo's left-wing cross. It continued former Arsenal striker Adebayor's superb scoring record against Tottenham, with the Togo international having now netted 10 goals in 10 games against Spurs. Adebayor almost made it a hat-trick of headed goals in the 66th minute when he rose at the far post to meet Lassana Diarra's cross, but Gomes did superbly to parry the ball over the crossbar. But, by now, the home side were piling on the pressure and they scored the goal of the night in the 72nd minute with Di Maria curled a delightful left-foot shot into the top corner. And Real added a fourth with three minutes remaining when Ronaldo, who had been doubtful to start the match because of injury, scored from an acute angle, although his weak shot appeared to go straight through Gomes. The result means Real Madrid now have one foot in the semifinals and a potential last four encounter with bitter rivals Barcelona in what could be one of the most anticipated pair of matches in European football history.

Real Madrid overpower 10-man Tottenham 4-0 in Champions League quarterfinal . Emmanuel Adebayor scores twice with Andel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo also netting . Tottenham have Peter Crouch sent off in the first half for two sliding tackles . The result leaves Real Madrid on target for a semifinal clash with rivals Barcelona .

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(CNN) -- Android users beware. Download the wrong version of your favorite pig-killing game and the birds won't be the only ones who are angry. "Angry Birds: Space," the latest installment of the insanely popular mobile game, is being used to mask some fairly nasty malware, according to security experts and Rovio, the maker of "Angry Birds." Graham Cluley, an analyst with Web security firm Sophos, wrote on the company's blog Thursday that they had discovered fake versions of the game on unofficial app stores. The fake games contain a "Trojan horse" virus. A post on Rovio's blog on Thursday also warned fans to watch out for fake versions of the game, urging them to download the new title from their official store. According to Sophos, the Trojan horse, which it identified in a file called Andr/KongFu-L, appears to be a fully functional version of the game, but instead installs a virus on the user's smartphone or tablet. From there, the code tries to install more malware that essentially puts the phone or tablet computer under the control of the cybercriminals behind it, Cluley wrote. "It feels like we have to keep reminding Android users to be on their guard against malware risks, and to be very careful, especially when downloading applications from unofficial Android markets," he said. Unlike Apple, which screens all its apps and requires iPhone and iPad owners to download software from its official App Store, Google maintains less control over what people can install on devices that run its Android operating system. The company allows Android owners to download programs from official and unofficial sources. Security experts say Android device owners should use the official Android Market if they want to avoid downloading fake apps and potentially harmful programs, although there have been instances of malicious software showing up in that official venue, too. From Harry Potter to Ana Kournikova, it's not unusual for malicious hackers to use popular topics, often from the entertainment and celebrity world, to lure potential victims. "Angry Birds: Space" was released March 22 for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices, as well as Macs and PCs. It soared to a mind-blowing 10 million downloads in just three days, three times faster than the franchise's last outing, "Angry Birds: Rio." Released in 2009, "Angry Birds" is the No.1 paid mobile app of all time, crossing 300 million downloads, across multiple platforms, last year. Based in Finland, Rovio parlayed the game's success into a virtual empire, offering everything from comic books and animated videos to plush dolls and cookbooks based on the game.

Fake "Angry Birds: Space" versions may contain dangerous malware . Security analyst says fake versions were found in unofficial Android stores . "Angry Birds: Space" was downloaded 10 million times in three days .

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(CNN) -- I am probably neither the first nor last critic to say this, but Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" is a flawless film. There is literally nothing wrong with it. I don't have a single nit to pick, minor flaw to point out or little bit that annoyed me. It is pure magic from the first frame to the last. It is proof that to be moving, engaging, enthralling and fun, movies have no need for sex or violence, color or even spoken dialog, for that matter. That's not to say I don't love many films with all those things, but "The Artist" has distilled cinema to something it so rarely achieves: pure joy in art. This is not art for art's sake, this is art for enjoyment's sake. It's not an "important" film that we all need to see because it's great art (although it is both important and art) it is a film that everyone should see because it's joyous. It's stunningly beautiful. It's a throwback to some of the things that brought people into the cinema in the first place. The chance to escape their lives and live someone else's for a time. The story is relatively simple and takes plot elements from "Singing in the Rain," "Citizen Kane" and "A Star is Born" as well as the best of Hollywood melodrama. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a matinee idol, a star of the (silent) silver screen. Along with his faithful Jack Russell terrier (Uggie), Valentin stars in action adventures and is revered by men and women alike. It's the age old story: Men want to be him and women want to be with him. At the premiere of his latest blockbuster, as George is mugging for the cameras and signing autographs, he runs into Peppy Miller (a luminous Bérénice Bejo), an aspiring actor. They meet cute when she is caught in the throng of autograph seekers (she is one herself) and suddenly finds herself on the other side of the policemen holding back the crowd and standing right next to her idol. Taking advantage of the situation, Peppy begins to mug, planting one on her idol's cheek, landing the pair on the cover of Variety and setting the plot in motion, a variation on the old "boy meets girl" standard. While George is reveling in his box office glory and Peppy is hoping to make the most of her instant fame, George's wife, Doris (Penelope Ann Miller), is stewing in jealousy and resentment. And while the photo in Variety is completely innocent, one gets the feeling her fears may not be completely groundless. Peppy lands a gig as an extra in George's next film and the obvious attraction between the two begins to manifest itself. Peppy is a starstruck aspiring actress just beginning her career in show business and George is a veteran movie star and ladies man at the top of his game. You also get the feeling he's been in this situation before. Things are going well for George. Despite the unrest at home, he's got a new film, he's got a new crush and all is right in his world, until the head of the studio, Al Zimmer (John Goodman), begins to embrace the talkies. While Al is convinced that the advent of sound is the future of film, George is convinced the public will stick with him, so he bets on the continued popularity of the silent film. Thus, his career begins to wane, just as Peppy's beings to wax. The end of the silent era (and his marriage) and the crash of the stock market send George into a spiral of booze and self-loathing, with only his faithful dog and chauffeur Clifton (James Cromwell) sticking by him. Bitter over the demise of his career, George even lashes out at what he sees as the symbol of that decline, Peppy. "The Artist" isn't actually a silent film per se, as it has a score and well, I won't spoil it for you, but Hazanavicius' use of sound is ingenious. However, for all intents and purposes, it is silent. For the actors, there was very little difference, as they still speak their lines, we just don't hear them, but for the audience, the change is immeasurable. Instead of watching their faces almost exclusively, we find our eyes drifting across the screen and noticing things that perhaps we might not have noticed otherwise. A subtle cue of body language, the placing of objects within the frame, how the music moves the action along, all of these and more come alive when we're not tied to watching the actors speak. Hazanavicius has a deft hand at directing and a delightful sense of whimsey. The film is peppered with sight gags in the best of classic Hollywood tradition, and both Dujardin and Bejo prove more than up for the task. A brief pantomime between Bejo and one of George's suit jackets is worth the price of admission alone -- and keep your eye on the dog! Hazanavicius and his backers took a huge risk in making the film. They funded a black and white, silent film with two unknown (in the United States) leads and a handful of supporting Hollywood talent. However, when Dujardin picked up the best actor prize at Cannes and reviews started to pour in, they knew they had a winner on their hands. A pure and open love letter to the cinema, "The Artist" contains many nods and winks to the history of this art form and clever viewers will pick up on a few cues. It is, as I have mentioned, a comedy, a melodrama and a romance, but above all, it fulfills the promise of what cinema can be at its best. It takes us on a journey up to the peaks and down in the valleys, through love, loss, heartbreak and despair and right back around again to love. "The Artist" is rated PG-13, although it's on the tame end of the scale. A bird is flipped, there are a few moments of characters in jeopardy and quite a bit of smoking, if that sort of thing bothers you.

"The Artist" is a film everyone should see because it's joyous . The story is relatively simple and takes plot elements from "Singing in the Rain" The film is peppered with sight gags in the best of classic Hollywood tradition .

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By . Stephen Wright . and Tom Kelly . and Becky Evans . The wife of Rolf Harris has spoken of her concern for her husband's health since his arrest on suspicion of sexual offences. Alwen Hughes said the legendary entertainer has struggled to sleep since he was quizzed and later arrested by detectives investigating the Jimmy Savile sex scandal. The 83-year-old denies the allegations and has not been seen in public since they were first reported last week. Scroll down for video . Alwen Hughes said husband Rolf Harris (pictured together) has struggled to sleep since his arrest . Welsh sculptress and jeweller Alwen, who married Harris in 1958, has told a friend how worried she is for her husband, who has suffered depression in the past. Harris, pictured walking in London's Soho, is understood to deny the allegations . She told the friend: 'My poor husband. It's terrible, we've been really worrying about it. 'We've both been having sleepless nights over it all', according to The Sunday Mirror. The couple have one daughter, Bindi, who is also an artist. Harris was quizzed by Operation Yewtree detectives in November and arrested three weeks ago. The friend, who says he has known the couple for more than 50 years, was quoted in The Sunday Mirror as saying: 'Rolf is a lovely, loyal devoted husband and father and I can't imagine him ever doing anything to tarnish his image.' Metropolitan Police detectives now plan to fly to Harris' native Australia to interview two potential witnesses, according to the Sydney Sunday Telegraph. Harris – a favourite of the Queen – had been the only high-profile Operation Yewtree suspect not to have been identified by the mainstream media. Lawyers at London law firm Harbottle & Lewis had sent threatening letters to newspapers in a bid to stop the arrest being reported. They cited Lord Justice Leveson’s controversial proposal that the public should be prevented from knowing the names of arrested suspects in all but ‘exceptional’ circumstances. Scroll down for video . Going for a walk: Australian entertainer Harris was pictured outside his Berkshire home in January with a dog . One publisher was told there was ‘no public interest’ in revealing his identity, it was claimed. Yesterday Harris kept silent after The Sun revealed that he had been arrested over historic sex abuse allegations. The aggressive tactics used by his lawyers, who declined to comment yesterday, deepened the row over ‘secret arrests’. The tersely written letters from Harbottle & Lewis were sent amid mounting concern in the media about plans to ban the public from knowing the names of police suspects who have been arrested but not yet charged. Detectives are planning to travel to Australia to interview potential witnesses into the Harris allegations . The allegations do not involve disgraced Savile, who last year – following his death – was revealed to be Britain’s worst paedophile. Harris’s accuser is a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by him when she was a teenager. Published: The Sun produced a 'dummy' front page before later printing details of Harris's arrest (pictured) Although he vehemently denies the allegations, he has declined to issue a formal statement. Channel 5 has pulled Harris's programmes pending the outcome of the police investigation. ‘While this legal matter involving Rolf Harris is on-going we have removed Olive the Ostrich and the repeats of Rolf’s Animal Clinic from the schedule,’ a spokesman said. At last summer’s Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace, Harris famously led the crowd – including Princess Anne – in an impromptu rendition of Two Little Boys, his 1969 Christmas No 1 hit. He is also famed for his 1957 song Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport. Harris's arrest comes after the arrests of pop star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr, DJ Dave Lee Travis, publicist Max Clifford and comedian Jim Davidson. Starr, Travis, Clifford and Davidson have all publicly denied any wrong-doing and gave statements after their arrests. Critics say Yewtree, set up in the . aftermath of the Savile scandal, has turned into a ‘celebrity . witch-hunt’ and police are arresting suspects on flimsy evidence. Police . searched his large, gated home in Bray, Berkshire, on November 24 while . he was out of the country and took away computer equipment and other . items. Harris was first . interviewed under caution – but not arrested – over alleged sex offences . on November 29 after attending a police station by appointment. On March 28 police took the decision to formally arrest him over the allegations. In February, he made a rare stage appearance at London’s Southbank Centre. Passion: Rolf Harris pictured officially unveiling his oil portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2005 - and he is turning to art in difficult times, it has emerged . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Alwen Hughes said Harris has struggled to sleep since arrest . She told a friend of their worry about the allegations, which he denies . Friends rally behind 'lovely, loyal devoted husband and father' Harris . Australian entertainer, 83, was held by Met Police detectives on March 28 . Harris first interviewed in November before his arrest last month . Scotland Yard say offences are not linked to Savile .

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The European Union will crumble if it does not return half of its powers to members states, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said. Sarkozy, who is once again campaigning to lead the country, claims ’the system will explode’ if the EU continues to work in its current Brussels-centric form. The 59-year-old said the EU should only deal with industry, agriculture, competition, trade negotiations, energy and research. Scroll down for video . Nicolas Sarkozy claims the EU will 'explode' if Brussels do not hand back 50 per cent of its power . Speaking from Mulhouse, near the German border, as part of his campaign to become leader of the UMP party once more, Sarkozy said: ’Europe must give back 50 per cent of its competences to member states.’ ’If not, the system is going to explode.’ ‘I no longer believe in the possibility of changing things in Europe from the inside,’ he told the audience according to The Times. Sarkozy has promised that, if he is re-elected as president in 2017, that he will withhold all French business with the EU until Brussels meets his demands for reform. This follows his controversial promise to ‘repeal’ Socialist legislation allowing same-sex unions. 'They have this much power': Sarkozy, who is once against attempting to win the French Presidency, said the EU should only deal with industry, agriculture, competition, trade negotiations, energy and research . Sarkozy is set to regain the leadership of the conservative UMP party, and the remarks came during a debate in Paris between the three candidates hoping to lead the conservative UMP party into the 2017 presidential election. He said the May 2013 law which legalised gay adoption ‘should be written from the ground up’. The predominantly right-wing audience chanted ‘Repeal! Repeal!’, and Mr Sarkozy said: ‘If you prefer that I say repeal the law, it comes down to the same thing.’ Mr Sarkozy did nothing for homosexuals who wanted to marry during his single term as President between 2007 and 2012. The vast majority of French people are at least nominally Catholic, and there has been huge opposition to President Francois Hollande’s liberal social policies. However, an Ifop poll published on Saturday showed 68 per cent of the French were in favour of same-sex unions. It also showed that 53 per cent of the country supported adoption by homosexual couples. Despite facing a long list of corruption enquiries, Mr Sarkozy is convinced he can become head of state again in three years. He has increasingly placed himself to the right of the political agenda, mainly in response to the increasing success of the far-right National Front. Not invited? While Sarkozy was talking about the EU, his successor Francois Hollande (left) and predecessor Jacques Chirac (right) were at the Quai Branly museum in Paris for the Jacques Chirac Foundation .

Nicolas Sarkozy demands the EU hand back 50 per cent of power . EU should only deal with industry, agriculture, competition, trade negotiations, energy and research, Sarkozy says . Sarkozy is campaigning to regain leadership of conservative UMP party .

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(CNN) -- I come from a place where the sky is always grey, where flowers are always grey, and where television is still in black and white. I actually come from a world where color doesn't exist; I was born with achromatopsia, I was born completely colorblind. So I've never seen color, and don't know what it looks like. But since the age of 21, I can hear color. In 2003, after studying fine arts and while studying music at Dartington College of Arts in England, I began a project with computer scientist Adam Montandon with the aim of extending my senses. The result, with further collaborations with Peter Kese and Matias Lizana, is an electronic eye: a color sensor between my eyes connected to a chip installed at the back of my head that transforms color frequencies into sound frequencies that I hear through my bone. Watch Neil Harbisson's TED Talk . I've had the electronic eye permanently attached to my head and I've been listening to colors nonstop since 2004. So I find it completely normal now to hear colors all the time. At first, I had to memorize the sound of each color, but after some time this information became subliminal, I didn't have to think about the notes, color became a perception. And after some months, color became a feeling. I started to have favorite colors and I started to dream in color. When I started to hear colors in my dreams, I noticed that my brain and the software had united and given me a new sense. My brain was creating electronic sounds in my dreams, not the device. That was the point when I started to feel no difference between the software and my brain: The cybernetic device had become an extension of my brain -- an extension of my senses. I started to feel like a cyborg: The cybernetic eye was no longer a device but a part of my body. After some time it even became a part of my official image. You are not allowed to appear with any electronic equipment on the UK passport photo, but I insisted that what they were seeing was not a piece of electronic equipment but a new part of my body. Since I started to hear color, my life has changed dramatically. Art galleries have become concert halls; I can hear a Picasso or a Rothko or an Andy Warhol. And supermarkets have become like night clubs. I love how they sound, especially the aisles with cleaning products. TED.com: We are all cyborgs now . The way I dress has also changed. Before, I used to dress in a way that looked good, now I dress in a way that sounds good. If I'm happy I dress in a major chord. If I'm sad I dress in a minor chord. So if I need to go to a funeral, I might dress in B minor (that's turquoise, purple and orange). My sense of beauty has also changed. Someone might look very beautiful but sound terrible, and someone might sound very harmonious but look awful. So I find it really exciting to create sound portraits of people. Instead of drawing the shape of someone's face I write down the different notes I hear when I look at them, and then I send them an mp3 of their face. Each face sounds different. I can even give face concerts now, concerts where I play the audience faces. The good thing about doing this is that if the concert doesn't sound good, it's their fault. I also found out that things I thought were colorless are not colorless at all. Cities are not grey, Madrid is amber terracotta, Lisbon is yellow turquoise, London is very golden red... and humans are not black and white. Human skins range from light shades of orange to very dark shades of orange, we are never white or black. We are all orange. After some time, an unexpected secondary effect appeared. I started to perceive normal sounds as color too. Telephone tones started to sound green, the BBC pips became turquoise, and listening to Mozart became a yellow experience, even people's voices had dominant colors. So I started to paint the colors of music and the colors of voices. TED.com: Ray Kurzweil on the accelerating power of technology . There was a point when I was able to perceive 360 different colors, one for each degree of the color wheel. I was able to perceive colors just as well as people with color vision. Then I realized that the human visual system is not very impressive: you can't actually see many colors; there are many more colors around us that the human eye can't detect. So I just decided to continue extending my color perception and included infrared and ultraviolet into the color-to-sound scale. So now I can also perceive infrared, which means I can hear if there are movement detectors in a room, or if someone is pointing at me with a remote control. The good thing about hearing ultraviolet is that you can hear if it's a good day or a bad day to sunbathe. Ultraviolet is a dangerous color, a color that can kill us, so it would be useful for all of us to be able to perceive it. We should all have the wish to extend our senses. If we compare ourselves with other animals, our senses are very limited. Some birds can see ultraviolet, dogs can hear ultrasounds, rats can smell much better than us, sharks can detect electromagnetic fields, dolphins can hear through their bones, bats can see through sound. TED.com: The rise of human-computer cooperation . By becoming cyborgs we have the chance to extend our perception to the level of other animal species. We focus so much on extending our knowledge and focus so little on extending our senses. No matter how much I knew about color, as long as I couldn't sense color, color made no sense to me. Knowledge comes from our senses: if we extend our senses, we extend our knowledge. We are the first generation that doesn't need to wait for natural evolution to evolve; we can evolve during our lifetime. There's no need to create new superpowers. Nature already has them. So becoming a cyborg is not about becoming like a machine. It's not about becoming less human; it's about bringing us closer to other animals and to nature. It's about awakening our senses, our instincts, our intuition ... qualities that we seem to have lost due to our constant use of technology as an external tool and not as part of our body. Life will be much more exciting when we stop creating apps for our mobile phones and we start creating apps for our own body. Become a cyborg. You won't be alone. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Neil Harbisson.

Neil Harbisson was born colorblind but now perceives color through hearing . He wears a device that produces sounds based on frequencies of colors . Harbisson says he's become a cyborg, with a color sense beyond the average . He says we don't need evolution to increase our senses, technology can do it .

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The way neurons are interconnected in the brain is complicated. But now scientists have created a new type of computer model to make artificial networks of nerve cells found in the hippocampus region of the brain. The hippocampus helps us form personal memories, and it is hoped the tool will shed more light on how these memories develop as they move through the region's different structures. Scientists have created a new type of computer model to make artificial networks of nerve cells in the hippocampus part of the brain. A model of a rat's hippocampus is pictured, with different colours denoting different regions. It is hoped the tool will shed more light on how the hippocampus forms memories . Scientists will also explore how the structure connects to the the brain, and which information arrives where and when, using models. The model has been created by Dr Martin Pyka and his colleagues from the Mercator Research Group in Germany. Dr Pyka developed a method that allows the brain's anatomic data and neurons to be reconstructed as a 3D model. Once built, this 3D model can be manipulated on a computer. The hippocampus enables humans to navigate space securely and to form personal memories. The region is seahorse shaped and is shaded in red in this illustration . Researchers from the Mercator Research Group in Germany, developed the method that means the brain can be constructed as a 3D model, and can be manipulated on a computer (pictured). Structures that form a rat's hippocampus, including CA1, CA3, subiculum and entorhinal cortex are pictured in blue, red, yellow and green . The hippocampus is a major part of the brains of humans and other vertebrates. It is named after its resemblance to a seahorse, with hippos meaning horse in Greek. It is located in the medial temporal lobe. The hippocampus belongs to the limbic system and plays important roles in the consolidation of information from the short-term memory to the long-term memory. Rodents use the brain region for spatial memory and navigation. In Alzheimer's disease, the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to be damaged, leading to memory loss and disorientation. They claim that their approach is unique because it enables automatic calculation of the neural interconnection based on their position inside the space. Scientists can generate feasible network structures more easily than using other tools. They are using the models to monitor the way neural signals spread throughout the network time-wise, according to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroanatomy. Dr Pyka has, so far, found evidence that the hippocampus' form and size could explain why neurons in those networks fire in certain frequencies. In future, this method may help us understand how animals, for example, combine various information to form memories within the hippocampus, in order to memorise food sources or dangers and to remember them in certain situations. The researchers have so far shown off a model of a rat’s hippocampus including its different layers such as the CA1 and CA3 regions, the subiculum and entorhinal cortex. Dr Pyka has so far found evidence that the hippocampus' form and size could explain why neurons in those networks fire in certain frequencies. Neurons in a mouse hippocampus are pictured .

Scientists at the Mercator Research Group creates the new models . It lets experts make artificial networks of nerve endings in the hippocampus - on a computer screen so they can explore how memories form . The hippocampus is thought to be one of the oldest regions of the brain . Scientists are monitoring the way neural signals spread throughout the network time-wise using their new tool . In the furure they hope to show how animals memorise food and dangers .

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By . Adam Shergold . Tony Adams has urged England to 'throw caution to the wind' in Thursday night's must-win World Cup clash with Uruguay, but warned they must learn the defensive lessons from the loss to Italy. The Arsenal and England legend says Roy Hodgson was too attacking in Saturday night's opener in Manaus and should have concentrated on a strong defensive performance to avoid defeat. But after Mario Balotelli's second-half winner left England's hopes of reaching the last 16 in the balance, Hodgson has been left with little alternative but to go for it against the South Americans. Must win: Former England defender Tony Adams says Roy Hodgson's team must improve defensively if they are to stand a chance of beating Uruguay and stay in the World Cup . International duty: Adams playing for England against Spain in the Euro 96 quarter-final. Adams won 66 caps for England, scoring five times . Former centre-half Adams, who won 66 caps for his country, told Sportsmail: 'The one massive negative from the night was that we were too positive. 'At times we did the English thing and went in with our hearts over our heads. We had a fixation with having a go and Hodgson had 65m England fans screaming for them to attack. 'I thought we were a bit naive, trying to win the World Cup in the first 20 minutes. I'm all in favour of being positive and going forward but only if we have a solid defensive unit. 'We should have worked more on the back four and Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson in front of them and prioritised trying to keep a clean sheet.' Grounded: Gary Cahill is left slumped on the floor and Joe Hart in the net as Mario Balotelli scores Italy's winner against England in Saturday's World Cup opener . Do or die: Roy Hodgson knows England must do everything they can to win against Uruguay . Uruguay are not the same proposition as Italy, as shown by their shock 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica, but with Liverpool star Luis Suarez returning from injury, they have the ability to unlock England's defence. Adams said: 'There is extreme pressure on both England and Uruguay - this is a knockout tie. 'England will want to go forward and impress but they need to keep a clean sheet. Glen Johnson and Leighton Baines need to stay back and stay focused otherwise Suarez will expose them.' Much of the discussion in the days in between the two fixtures has focused on Wayne Rooney's place and position in the team but Adams says others can play the No 10 role. 'If Rooney plays, he should be in the No 10 role but there are lots of options. Personally, I would have liked to have seen Rickie Lambert up there having a go,' Adams said. Mixed bag: Wayne Rooney helped set up England's goal, scored by Daniel Sturridge, but otherwise endured a frustrating evening out on the left wing against Italy . Impact: Adams would like to see Rickie Lambert given an opportunity to impress against Uruguay . Coming for you: Luis Suarez is fit again and determined to knock England out of the World Cup . 'People are over the top with Rooney - what's wrong with taking him off after 60 minutes and letting someone else have a go? 'I'd also back Jack Wilshere in that No 10 role. We do also have plenty of people to open up Uruguay with pace and quality - Welbeck, Sterling, Sturridge. 'Because of the result in the first game, we need to throw caution to the wind. All things considered, we should win.' Teenage kicks: Raheem Sterling was impressive against Italy and England will need another strong performance from the Liverpool tyro . Shining light: Lionel Messi celebrates his splendid solo goal against Bosnia in the Maracana Stadium . With the first round of group stage matches completed and all 32 teams observed, Adams is sticking with his pre-tournament prediction of an Argentina win. Lionel Messi's side weren't at their best in the 2-1 win over Bosnia-Hercegovina but with Iran and Nigeria to come, are well on their way to the last 16. 'I tipped Argentina before the World Cup and I hope Messi can inspire them to win because he's the best player I've ever seen. 'He can never be up there with the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona until he lifts the world Cup.' Tony Adams was talking tactics at Croydon Centrale and Brent Cross shopping centres .

England's defensive weaknesses were exposed in 2-1 defeat to Italy in World Cup opener . Must now beat Uruguay in Sao Paulo to remain in the tournament . Arsenal and England legend Tony Adams says England must be more solid at the back . Believes Rickie Lambert can make an impact late on if England haven't scored .

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By . Kate Lyons for Daily Mail Australia . and Frank Coletta . Qantas has announced a $2.84 billion loss after a battle, the worst result suffered by the airline in its history. The massive after-tax loss was for the year ending June 30, compares to a $6 million profit a year ago. The result is considerably worse than anticipated, with analysts predicting a loss of between $800 million and $1 billion. The loss comes as Qantas is undergoing a transformation program aimed to streamline and modernise its operations. In February it was announced the transformation program will see 5,000 redundancies across the company, 2,500 of which have already taken place. Scroll down for video . Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce announced the company's profits this morning . Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce blamed the loss on the second year of market capacity growth in excess of demand, lower consumer confidence, and high fuel costs, which are up $253 million from last year to a total of $4.5 billion. The losses included a $2.6 billion write-down to the value of its ageing international fleet, which were purchased at a time when the Australian dollar was weaker against the U.S. dollar, such as A380s, purchased in 2000 when the dollar was trading at US$0.57 compared to US$0.93 now. Excluding the writedown and other one-off costs, Qantas made an underlying pre-tax loss of $646 million, compared to a $192 million profit a year ago. Chief executive Alan Joyce described the result as 'confronting', but said the massive loss represented the year that is past. 'We have now come through the worst,' he said in a statement on Thursday, adding that the company is undergoing the biggest transition since Qantas was privatised in 1995. Mr Joyce said the company was 'optimistic' that they would be able to deliver the company back to profitability and post a profit before tax in the first half of next year, saying that the transformation program was working. Qantas reported the worst loss in the company's history today, with an after tax loss of $2.84 billion, almost triple the most dire predictions from analysts . The airline posted a dramatic loss of profits after a brutal year of competition with rival airline Virgin Australia . 'With our accelerated Qantas transformation program we are already emerging as a leaner, more focused and more sustainable Qantas group,' he said. Unions and politicians have joined a chorus of criticism of Qantas management. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has today asked the Australian Securities and Investment Commission to investigate the airline, suggesting Qantas has breached investment regulations. The Senator said Qantas management, led by Mr Joyce, had trashed the reputation of a great airline. 'I cannot believe what Alan Joyce says, I cannot understand why he is still in that position,' he said. 'Alan Joyce has made so many contradictory statements over the years and predictions, that have proved not be carried out. 'There's a case here for ASIC, as the corporate watchdog, to thoroughly investigate the statements made by Alan Joyce and his management team over the years. 'What's at stake here are 30 thousand jobs, the only people who should be sacked are Alan Joyce, Leigh Clifford the chairman and the board - they have presided over this.' Meanwhile, the airline has ruled out selling or floating its profitable frequent flyer business, Qantas Loyalty in order to fund its turnaround. The frequent flyer program reported its fifth straight year of double-digit growth and has increased membership from five to 10 million over the last year. 'After careful consideration, our judgment was that Qantas Loyalty continued to offer major profitable growth opportunities, and there was insufficient justification for a partial sale,' Mr Joyce said. However, Mr Joyce said they may consider the partial sale of the international business, which did not perform as strongly as the domestic business. Qantas Group has established a holding company so they can seek future investment, but would not speculate about how much of when Qantas International would be sold. The poor results were blamed on market capacity growth in excess of demand, lower consumer confidence, and high fuel costs, which are up $253 million from last year to a total of $4.5 billion .

Qantas has announced a $2.84 billion loss for the year ending June 30 . Loss comes after battle with Virgin Australia and poor performance of international Qantas division . The Securities and Investment Commission has been asked to investigate statements and level of disclosures made by Qantas management over several years . Calls for Alan Joyce, Leigh Clifford and the board of Qantas to be sacked . In February, Qantas announced it would fire 5000 staff members .

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(CNN) -- Embroiled by successive racism scandals throughout much of the season, football was engulfed in a sexism storm on Wednesday after a leading ex-French international footballer advised women to look after their "pots and pans" rather than talk about the sport. During a radio phone-in following France's 1-0 defeat to Spain in Tuesday's 2014 World Cup qualifier, Bernard Lacombe, who scored over 100 goals for Lyon between 1969 and 1978 before returning to coach the team in 1996, advise a woman caller Sonia that her place was in the kitchen rather than airing her opinions on football. "I don't talk about football with women," said Lacombe on the RMC radio station. "It's my character, that's my way. They should look after their pots and pans, that would be better." Pedro's Point of View: Juve Europe's dark horses? Sonia had called the station to criticize France striker Karim Benzema, a Real Madrid star who made his name at Lyon, for his performance against Spain. He last scored for France in June 2012. But Lacombe was quickly forced to reconsider his view of women and their right to engage in a football debate as he issued an apology via Lyon's website, explaining he had only meant to defend Benzema. "I'm sorry if my remarks yesterday on RMC have hurt women and in particular sportswomen and female footballers," read the statement on Lyon's website. "My only intention was to respond with a quip to the umpteenth criticism of Karim Benzema about his skills that struck me as particularly gratuitous and unacceptable. "I would like to convey to Sonia and her partners the respect I hold for them and my admiration for their skills as footballers and for their outstanding performances." Benzema has failed to score in any of France's five qualifying matches and hasn't found the net for Les Bleus since a friendly win over Estonia eight months ago. "I want to say that I would have reacted as vehemently if the criticism of Karim Benzema had come from a man, obviously with different words but certainly as colorful," continued Lacombe. "I do not want to attack anyone, but simply to defend a player who does not deserve such treatment." Lacombe now serves as an unofficial "special adviser" Lyon to club president Jean-Michel Aulas and his jibe is acutely embarrassing for the French club given its women's team have dominated European football in recent years . On Sunday, Lyon's women's team underlined their status as the finest in Europe with an 11-0 demolition of Soyaux in the Coupe de France. Patrice Lair's team have won the European Champions League in each of the last two season in addition to collecting 10 French league titles. This is not the first time a senior football figure has uttered sexist remarks. FIFA president Sepp Blatter suggested female players should play in tighter shorts, similar to the ones worn by volleyball players.

Former France striker Bernard Lacombe apologizes following sexist outburst . Lacombe said he doesn't talk about football with women during a French radio show . Lyon unofficial "special adviser" was responding to a caller named Sonia who was criticizing Karim Benzema . France's Benzema has not scored for Les Bleus since June 2012 .

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By . Lizzie Parry for MailOnline . The parents of two step-brothers have spoken of their heartache that both boys are suffering the same muscle-wasting condition. Cameron McKenzie, eight, and Ben Stewart, nine, are unlikely to survive beyond their teenage years after being told they are both suffering Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The condition has left Cameron largely confined to his wheelchair, while the same fate is expected to befall his step-brother Ben in the near future. Step brothers Cameron McKenzie, left, and Ben Stewart, right, both suffer the rare muscle-wasting condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and are not expected to live beyond their teenage years . The condition has left Cameron largely confined to his wheelchair, while the boys' parents Sheryl and Alan Stewart said the same fate is expected to befall Ben in the near future . The brothers, who are also best friends, were both diagnosed as toddlers, but only met four years ago when their parents rekindled a romantic teenage relationship . Around one in 3,500 boys in the UK are born with DMD, but two unrelated brothers having the condition is simply a very unlucky chance association, London-based genetics specialist Dr Anand Saggar, told MailOnline. In the face of their bleak prognosis, the inspiring pair, from Stoneyburn, West Lothian in Scotland, have compiled a bucket list of dreams they aim to complete before their time runs out. Meeting comedian Harry Hill, the cast of Top Gear, a dream holiday to Australia and spending Christmas with Mickey Mouse, all feature on the boys' list. The pair's parents Sheryl and Alan Stewart, both 35, and their sisters Phoebe, six and Layla, two, are helping the boys achieve their dreams before their bodies begin to fail them. Mrs Stewart, who has now become a full-time carer for the brothers, said: 'What's important is fulfilling their dreams and having no regrets. 'If the worst happens sooner rather than later, we want to know we've done everything we could to make their dreams come true. 'The boys have got such a special bond, they would literally do anything for each other. It's good that they've both got each other. 'They're getting a wee bit older and Cameron is deteriorating earlier than we thought - we don't think he'll go another year walking - so now is the time. 'The only thing we are going to be left with when they are gone is memories and photos so it means everything to us.' Ben and Cameron were both diagnosed as toddlers, but only met four years ago when their parents rekindled a romantic teenage relationship. Mr and Mrs Stewart were childhood sweethearts almost 20 years ago, but the love affair waned - until they met years later. Fate brought them back together and they discovered that both their children were suffering from the same illness. They tied the knot in 2011, which made Cameron and Ben step-brothers and the best of friends. Ben and Cameron have compiled a bucket list of adventures they want to complete before their bodies become too affected by their condition . Mrs Stewart, who has now become a full-time carer for the brothers, said: 'What's important is fulfilling their dreams and having no regrets. If the worst happens sooner rather than later, we want to know we've done everything we could to make their dreams come true' Both boys have been on steroids to help keep them mobile for longer, but the side-effects were so severe the family felt there was no alternative but to stop. The drug withdrawal has accelerated their decline . Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a neuromuscular condition caused by a lack of protein called dystrophin. Around 100 boys with the serious condition, which causes progressive muscle weakness, are born in the UK each year. It is a genetic condition and can be inherited. The condition starts early in childhood and maybe detected when noticing a child has difficulty standing up. Children with DMD will struggle to walk, climb and run. The condition causes muscles throughout the body to weaken and waste, including those of the . heart and chest. Around one in 3,500 boys in the UK are born with DMD. Symptoms of the condition include: . Source: Muscular Dystrophy Campaign . Mrs Stewart said: 'It's so rare to even know someone who has a child with DMD, for it to happen to both of us, it's unbelievable. 'It's a one in a million chance that this would happen.' The family have now managed to get financial support from the Fund a Wish Foundation, which will go towards an adventure trip to Lapland in early December. But the pressure is on to get Ben and Cameron to meet their TV idols and their favourite animals in Australia, before their condition deteriorates. Both boys had been on steroids, to help keep them mobile for longer, but the side-effects were so severe the family felt there was no alternative but to stop. The drug withdrawal has accelerated the decline of Cameron's health and he is now showing signs of curvature of the spine - which could crush his lungs and heart. 'We really need to do the bucket list items before they need the respirators, the ventilators, before they need the feeding tubes and things like that,' said Mrs Stewart. 'We're desperate not to leave it too late because we want Cameron to be able to walk at least some parts of it.' Mr Stewart, who works as a graphic designer, added: 'We are on a limited time scale of what the boys can do before their condition deteriorates. 'We have hard times ahead, so we made a conscious decision to make their dreams come true. It won't be easy, but it would mean the world to us.' To help the boys complete their bucket list, visit their website here.

Brothers Cameron McKenzie, eight, and Ben Stewart, nine, suffer the rare muscle-wasting condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) The pair are not expected to live beyond their teenage years . In the face of their bleak future they have compiled a bucket list to complete . Meeting Harry Hill, the cast of Top Gear and going to Australia on the list . Mother Sheryl Stewart, said: 'We want to know we've done everything we could to make their dreams come true' The family are raising money to help the boys complete their list .

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By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 10:00 EST, 15 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:52 EST, 15 August 2012 . Two vast tent cities are to be set up on Pacific islands to house the hundreds of asylum seekers expected to make their way to Australia in coming weeks. The decision to call in the troops to set up the canvas homes on Manus island, off Papua New Guinea, and on Nauru island in the Pacific came as the Australian parliament agreed today to stop boat people reaching the nation’s shores on ill-equipped boats. Parliament approved laws to bring into play off-shore processing of asylum seekers – and the legislation is expected to be passed by the Senate on Thursday. Outraged: Supporters of the Refugee Action Coalition protest outside Sydney Immigration Office as they demonstrate against new legislation that will reopen offshore processing centres on Nauru and Manus Island . Protest: Speakers at the Refugee Action Coalition protest use a megaphone to address the crowd . The tents will house the asylum seekers until disused detention centres on the two islands, abandoned in 2008, can be refurbished. Once broken doors and fences have been repaired and air conditioning units installed, would-be migrants would be checked out in the what are currently run-down concrete structures before they could be considered to be suitable to live in Australia. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she had been advised that the troops would be able to set off for the islands almost immediately . Despite the unattractive prospect of living in tents for what will be weeks, asylum seekers waiting to board boats in Indonesia told local reporters today that they would still be prepared to risk their lives at sea for the chance of an eventual better life. It is expected that preparing the facilities to hold up to 2,100 asylum seekers will cost at least £350 million. Before the tent cities plan was approved, the government had even considered loading asylum seekers onto hired ships – floating islands – until the detention centres could be repaired. The troops are expected to start the task of assessing the state of the detention centres on Manus island – which was abandoned in 2004 – and on Nauru, which was closed in 2008, by the end of this week. Labour Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she had been advised that the troops would be able to set off for the islands almost immediately. She said Defence Force chief General David Hurley had told her that ‘within a month we would hope to see people being processed in Nauru and in PNG (Papua New Guinea).’ She added that the temporary facilities would involve tents and ‘other sorts of temporary structures’. But immigration experts have told of their concerns about housing would-be migrants in tents, when there were problems such as riots in permanent detention centres on Australian territory. Risky: A boat laden with refugees was driven onto rocks at Christmas Island in December 2010, killing many of those on board . Reduced to tears: Asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran had to be rescued after their wooden boat began to sink off the coast of Indonesia in April . On Nauru, local people have raided the abandoned detention centres and taken away air conditioners and other furnishings and in one case an entire hut has been broken down and carted off. After parliament passed the bill to allow offshore processing today, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said this was not the end of efforts to deal with people smuggling. ‘This is not the end of the efforts to deal with what is the very, very, very, very pernicious trade of people smuggling, which trades on people’s lives and gives people the expectation that in return for very significant sums of money they can be brought to Australia for passage.’

Manus island, off Papua New Guinea, and on Nauru island in the Pacific are both selected . The tents will house the asylum seekers until disused detention centres on the two islands, abandoned in 2008, can be refurbished . Julia Gillard: Advised that the troops would be able to set off for the islands almost immediately .

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(CNN) -- Germany coach Joachim Low has tried to lift the burden of expectation off his young team by claiming that Wednesday's semifinal opponents Spain are favorites to win the World Cup. The Germans, who came into the tournament missing several key injured players, have been tipped to win a fourth title in South Africa after demolishing Argentina 4-0 in the quarterfinals and successfully shackling the attacking talents of Lionel Messi. But Low, whose team were beaten by the Spaniards in the final of Euro 2008, believes that the last-four clash in Durban will be a more difficult proposition. "Spain remain the natural World Cup favorites. They not only have one Messi, but they have several Messis," he told reporters. "They have a whole range of players that can win a game, so we will have to be very watchful against them. They are a team that make very few mistakes. We have to force them into making mistakes." The Germans are the top scorers in this year's tournament, having racked up 13 goals in five games after putting four past Australia, England and Argentina. Defeat in the second group game against Serbia has been the only lapse, as Bastian Schweinsteiger has reveled in his new central midfield role in the absence of injured captain Michael Ballack, while four-goal Thomas Muller and playmaker Mezut Ozil have also been inspirational. Muller will miss the Spain game due to suspension but Low has another potent goal threat in striker Miroslav Klose, who needs one more to join Brazil legend Ronaldo on the all-time record of 15. "In 2008, there is no doubt that Spain were the best team at the tournament. They have shown great consistency and always played at the highest possible level. So they have been impressive," Low said. "But now the situation is different. We too have a good team and we have every reason to believe that we can succeed." Spain reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay thanks to a late winner from striker David Villa, the tournament's top scorer on five goals. Defender Gerard Pique has backed his team to take the next step up. "I think when you are at the semifinal stage, there are no favorites," he told reporters. "We never have any doubts about ourselves. We always play the same way, the results are good and we have to be confident with our play. "Germany and Spain both have new players in the team and it will be a different game to two years ago. We will always keep going. That is the sort of team we are." Pique's defensive partner Carles Puyol has been cleared to play after suffering blurred vision when he was hit in the face by the ball against Paraguay, while midfielder Cesc Fabregas will also be available despite falling heavily on his shoulder. Coach Vicente del Bosque has been under pressure from Spanish media to drop striker Fernando Torres, who has failed to impress after having a pre-tournament knee operation. Torres, who scored the winner in the final of Euro 2008, has been substituted in each of the past four matches after starting the shock defeat by Switzerland on the bench.

Germany coach Joachim Low claims Spain are favorites to win the World Cup . The two teams meet in Wednesday's semifinal in a rematch of the Euro 2008 final . Germans are the top scorers in this year's tournament, netting 13 goals in five games . Spain defender Carles Puyol and midfielder Cesc Fabregas passed fit to play .

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A jilted ex-boyfriend tried to kill his former partner by setting fire to her home after she refused to take him back when he sent her flowers and a card, a court heard. Gary Griffiths, 44, is accused of pouring petrol through the letterbox of ex-girlfriend Tracey Powell's home in Brownhills, West Midlands, the day after his attempts to win her back failed. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard today how Griffiths was caught on CCTV near to her home after the fire broke out in the early hours of March 4 this year. Prior to the blaze, he allegedly sent a text to Miss Powell, a teacher, saying: 'Goodbye Tracey'. Gary Griffiths, 44, is accused of pouring petrol through the letterbox of ex-girlfriend Tracey Powell's home in Brownhills, West Midlands (centre), the day after his attempts to win her back with flowers and cards failed . The court heard she had just dumped Griffiths after a two-month relationship but they had remained in contact. She said: 'He wasn't that happy and said he was annoyed about the fact that we were not seeing each other.' Miss Powell told the jury she was woken up by calls to her work and private mobile phones shortly before the fire broke out but ignored them when she recognised Griffiths' number. As well as the 'Goodbye Tracey' text, she also claims he sent her a message to say she should take her pet dog 'Becks' with her to work and that 'the fire starters are going to burn down' the street. She managed to escape the blaze after calling 999. She said: 'I was shocked and thought it was a bit aggressive. Literally as I read it I realised something was going on outside. 'I heard a noise like a clunk or like something shutting. 'I looked outside and I saw something like hazard lights. 'Instinctively I opened the window and I saw him and saw flames from the footpath below the window. The flames were at the front door. Wolverhampton Crown Court (above) heard today how Griffiths was caught on CCTV nearby after the fire broke out in the early hours of March 4 this year. He denies attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life . 'I asked him, "what are you doing?" 'He said, "I told you not to upset me". There was a lot of thick black smoke at the time. I called 999. 'I could smell smoke and burning and the petrol smell was really strong.' Firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire which caused damage to Miss Powell's front door and smoke damage to her home. Griffiths denies attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life. However, he has admitted a further charge of arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered. The trial continues.

Gary Griffiths, 44, allegedly set fire to ex-girlfriend Tracey Powell's home . Allegedly started blaze after she refused to take him back following split . Court heard he sent her text saying 'Goodbye, Tracey' before fire broke out . Griffiths denies attempted murder and arson with intent - the trial continues .

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(CNN) -- Let's imagine that yesterday there was a front page story in The New York Times that read the following: . "The recent economic crisis left the top 1% of Americans in 2010 with no more wealth than in the early 1990s, erasing almost two decades of accumulated prosperity, the Federal Reserve said Monday." "A hypothetical family richer than the median net worth of the top 1% of the nation's families had a net worth of $77.3 million in 2010, compared with $126.4 million in 2007, the Fed said. The crash of the stock market, in addition to the collapse of housing prices in Greenwich, Connecticut, the Upper East Side of New York City, Beverly Hills, Highland Park in Dallas and the North Shore of Chicago, directly accounted for three-quarters of the loss." What do you think the reaction would be to that? The elite would call for the suspension of habeas corpus, the government would call out the National Guard, invade Honduras and the Supreme Court would announce that it is in session 24/7 to take any action deemed necessary to help their friends. The Wall Street Journal would have a black border on the newspaper. The Financial Times would go from pink to gray. CNBC would play funeral music for nine months. Steve Schwarzman would compare it to the H-word. Cable networks would roadblock all coverage. Minimum wage laws would be suspended, the 40-hour work week would be thrown out, perhaps they would even do away with child labor laws to get productivity up so profits could increase to make up for lost revenue. OK, we know that story did not appear in Wednesday's New York Times, and we would certainly agree that a massive loss of wealth in the top 1% would wreak economic havoc on the country. But there was, if anything, a worse story on that front page with only minor variations from our hypothetical scenario. The story said that the recent economic crisis left the average American family in 2010 with no more wealth than in the early 1990s, erasing almost two decades of accumulated prosperity, reducing their net worth by almost 40%. How are you coping? Share your economy story with CNN iReport . And the response of the national elite, the people Paul Krugman refers to as "very smart people" or I like to call the "chin-scratchers," was a barely audible whimper. To put it bluntly, the middle class in this country has been screwed, blued and tattooed. Rising health care costs, job insecurity, declining real estate values, massive cuts to public education and public safety (no Mitt, we don't need fewer police officers, we actually need more of them and yes, the federal government has a large hand in this.) It is a depressing state of affairs when about two-thirds of our fellow citizens are caught in an economic trap that is wrecking their lives financially and emotionally. And the reaction to all of this has been limp at best. The Republicans say that if we just give the rich more tax cuts, it will make everyone's life better -- seems as though we've tried this before, doesn't it? The Democrats have done some things that have been helpful, such as payroll tax cuts and the Affordable Care Act, but there is much more work to be done. As far as other institutions around the country, the response has been pathetic. Opinion: Why the middle class has taken a big hit . There is an entire industry devoted to denying that this is even a problem. I read a piece written by Andy Kessler in The Wall Street Journal, stating that thanks to "consumption equality," the wealthy work their 60- to 80-hour weeks inventing things for the masses, but there's not much they can buy with their money that the middle class can't afford. You can only afford a product, because some rich person invented it for the masses, just like they did with smartphones, hard drives and affordable air travel. Who cares if you can't afford to send your children to college or pay for your health insurance premium or what you owe on your house is more than what it's worth? Hey, you can buy them a cell phone, now that they don't cost $4,000, and talk to them as they stand in line for a job interview at McDonald's. Where are our nation's institutions that should be raising holy hell about this? Lets start with my own Catholic Church: They are spending all of their time hunting down masturbators and birth-control takers. Academics: Have you ever heard of the Princeton Center for Middle Class Studies? Not hardly. The press: There is much more coverage on George Zimmerman's wife than on the destruction of the middle class in this country. The lobbyists: Give me a break. When was the last time you heard of a lobbyist for the middle class? The point here is that we are reading the most significant economic story of our time and its effect on the psyche of the people who should know better is minimal. In the words of Warren Buffett, "There's class warfare, all right, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning." The big scandal in America is that our middle class is shrinking, and no one seems to care. Maybe someone somewhere somehow should consider doing something else. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of James Carville.

Federal Reserve reported the net worth of middle-class Americans fell to 1992 levels . James Carville: If the wealthy had suffered as much, there would be national panic . He says politicians, clergy, academics, media too often ignore middle class . Carville: The scandal is the middle class is shrinking and no one seems to care .

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At least 30,000 children in Mexico are involved in some sort of organized crime, according to a nationwide alliance of civic and social organizations. The Child Rights Network in Mexico says many of these children are taking part because of death threats or because of economic and social necessity. It is urging the government to start recognizing them as victims of child abuse. "The drug cartels are not training them to be ringleaders," spokeswoman Veronica Morales said. "It is a new form of abuse in which they are being used to commit an offense, to violate the law and to deceive authorities." In the past year, there have been numerous headlines of children being arrested in Mexico. Perhaps the most high-profile case involved a 14-year-old boy known as "El Ponchis" ("The Cloak"). He was found guilty of torturing and beheading at least four people for the South Pacific drug cartel. A month after the boy was sentenced to three years in a correctional facility, a 13-year-old girl was captured in the state of Jalisco and accused of being part of the Zetas drug cartel. Authorities said the girl was receiving 8,000 pesos a month -- almost $800 -- for being a lookout. She would let gang members know who was entering and who was leaving Luis Moya, a municipality in north-central Mexico. In January of last year, a 15-year-old boy was captured in Jiutepec, just outside of Mexico City. During an impromptu news conference on the street, the child confessed that he was a lookout for the South Pacific cartel. He said he was collaborating with the cartel because of death threats. Children are easy prey for organized crime because they lack opportunities, said José Luis Cisneros, a sociologist at the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico City. "Socially, (the children) see the violence as the only way to make people respect them -- and as a way to exercise certain power, something that has been denied to their families," Cisneros said. While the Child Rights Network in Mexico said it has documented at least 30,000 kids involved in some criminal group, the Mexican government said it has not. According to the Agence Presse-France, the government told the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child that it doesn't have information about minors involved in criminal or armed groups. A legal gap for children? Civil organizations in Mexico also said law enforcement officials are violating children's rights when they make arrests. The Child Rights Network in Mexico said it is common for many child suspects -- like the 14-year-old assassin and the 15-year-old boy in Jiutepec -- to be presented to the media without respect for their privacy or their presumption of innocence. "A youth criminal justice law does not exist," Morales said. "There is a proposal in review in the Congress, but even that one has significant omissions. "The (United Nations) Convention (on the Rights of the Child) points out that the children have to be treated and not necessarily imprisoned after having committed a crime." Arturo Argente, director of the law faculty at the Monterrey Institute of Technology of Higher Education (Toluca Campus), agrees that Mexican authorities must protect a child's identity and guarantee that a process will follow "from a child-abuse angle, as a kid who has been working at an illegal business." In addition to that, he said, the children must receive psychological treatment and be taught to respect the law. Morales is calling for a comprehensive law that would "give attention to the kids" with specialized courts, judges, lawyers and specialists. "When there is a child involved in some organized crime act, there is never a suitable investigation," she said. "The authorities justify that it is a drug-trafficking crime and it is treated as a regular case." Experts note that arrested children are not the only young people affected by organized crime. In the past five years, from December 2006 to December 2011, at least 1,188 children have died because of armed clashes, according to the Child Rights Network in Mexico. That represents about 2.5% of the estimated 47,515 drug-related deaths over the last five years reported by Mexican authorities. The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child confirmed that up until 2010, 1,000 children had died in acts linked to organized crime.

The past year has seen numerous headlines of children being arrested in Mexico . At least 30,000 of them are involved in organized crime, says a nationwide group . The group says these children should be treated as abuse victims, not criminals . It is urging the government to rehabilitate the children and protect them .

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Real Madrid continued their impressive Champions League form with a record equaling 10th successive win in the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo helped the La Liga side ease to victory over Schalke and match Bayern Munich's achievement. Manchester City ended Bayern's winning run in December 2013 with a fine comeback and Real now look set to surpass the record. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal in Real Madrid's win against Schalke . Marcelo scored a sensational goal in the second half to help Real Madrid secure a 2-0 victory . Gareth Bale applauded the Real Madrid supporters after his side secured a comfortable away win . The win did mean Ronaldo has now won more champions league knockout games than anyone else. Ronaldo has now scored 58 goals in 58 games and will be looking to lead his side to an 11th consecutive Champions League win at the Bernabeu on 10 March. Schalke have never won the Champions League but manager Roberto Di Matteo did with Chelsea in 2012 and they will be looking for a remarkable turnaround in just under three weeks time.

Real Madrid secured a 2-0 win against Schalke on Wednesday . Cristiano Ronaldo ended his goal drought against the German side . Ronaldo has now scored 58 goals in 58 Champions League matches .

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By . Louise Eccles and Becky Barrow . Last updated at 1:16 AM on 27th January 2012 . Hundreds of railway staff will be paid £2,500 ‘bribes’ simply for  agreeing to work without disruption during the Olympics. It also emerged yesterday that the total bill for the Games could hit £24billion – ten times the original estimate. The rail deal means staff will earn £900 bonuses just for turning up for work. The 500 Docklands Light Railway workers will also be guaranteed five hours of overtime a week, for which they will be paid 75 per cent above their normal shift rate. Driver-less... but staff on the Docklands Light Railway network - which will carry spectators to and from the Olympics - have been offered a 25 per cent increase in overtime . This means some staff could end up with an extra £2,500 by the end of the Olympics and Paralympics. It is the latest in a series of lucrative agreements struck by Bob Crow’s RMT union which have been described as ‘ransom payments’ to prevent chaos on public transport during the Games. And it will antagonise taxpayers who learned yesterday that the cost of the Olympics has soared. When Britain won the bid to host the Games, in 2005, ministers said it would cost £2.37billion. The Coalition has since budgeted £9.3billion to cover venues, policing and security. 'Bragging': Bob Crow, the RMT Union's General Secretary . But hundreds of ‘hidden’ costs mean the true bill could be between £2.4billion and £14billion more than this, according to a Sky News investigation. These costs include land purchases, anti-terrorism funding and transport improvements. Bonuses to stop London Underground staff striking, converting venues for public use after the Games, employing anti-doping officers and investing in tourism also add to the cost. The TaxPayers’ Alliance called on the Government to stop ‘merrily writing cheques’ and remember the millions of ordinary families ‘paying for this event’. Last night, Greg Knight, Tory MP for East Yorkshire, said: ‘This is grotesque. Many people will have to work overtime during the Olympics but they do not get huge payments. ‘Just because the word “Olympics” has been mentioned does not been they should be handed more money.’ And Dominic Raab, Tory MP for Esher and Walton, said: ‘Yet again Bob Crow’s brinkmanship means taxpayers coughing up to pay rail staff bonuses just for doing their job. Let the Games commence: The deal would cover a period of almost nine weeks during the Olympics and Paralympics . ‘This deal shows how out of touch the militant unions are with the reality of the straitened times everyone else faces.’ But Mr Crow, the RMT’s general secretary, said: ‘This is a truly groundbreaking deal, raising the bar in the industry and putting £2,500 in our members’ pockets as a reward for the extra workload and pressure they will carry.’ Serco Docklands, which operates the DLR trains on behalf of Transport for London, said that the deal was ‘fair’ and reflected the extra hours that staff would be asked to work and ‘restrictions to their annual leave’ during that time. The DLR has no drivers, but on-board ‘captains’ responsible for passenger safety are paid an average of £36,000. They are usually paid 50 per cent extra on their normal shift rate for overtime, but this will rise to 75 per cent during the Games. Last night it was unclear which public body would pay. TfL said it would bill the Olympic Delivery Authority for the overtime, but an ODA spokesman said it would only ‘reimburse TfL for normal overtime payments’ incurred during the Olympics and not bonus payments. Tube drivers will be paid up to £1,200 extra for working changed and longer duties during the Olympics. They are also in talks with TfL over a separate bonus.  Train drivers working for London Overground are getting a £500 bonus. A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport denied that the overall cost of the Games would hit £24billion. ‘The Public Sector Funding Package for the Games is £9.3billion and includes all additional security, defence and public transport provision,’ the spokesman said. ‘It is simply not right to start adding budgets that would have been in existence regardless of 2012 and claim that as being an Olympic cost.’

Workers on driver-less DLR network offered 25 per cent overtime increase during the 2012 games . Union describes pay deal as 'truly groundbreaking' Critics accuse rail bosses of 'bribing' staff 'not to strike'

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A streaker standing naked on a highway central reservation in Kazakhstan got a bizarre comeuppance when an airgun-toting gang shot him in the backside. Oddball footage posted online records the drive-by shooting with an air rifle as the 27-year-old victim - later identified as Yuri Baiseitov - stands in the buff on a road's grass central reservation in Shymkent. And to add insult to his injury, police in the southern Kazakh city say that while they have no idea who the anonymous gunmen were, they will definitely be charging Baiseitov with indecent exposure. Scroll down for video . Ouch! Streaker Yuri Baiseitov clutches his bum cheek after he's shot with an air-rifle by louts in a passing car . Yowee! It is not known why Baiseitov was standing naked on the highway in Shymkent, Kazakhstan . Why, you! Baiseitov spins around to catch a glimpse of his assailants, who posted footage of the attack online . The video, taken from the assailants' car, shows the late-night scene where Baiseitov is standing naked in the middle of the road. After first spotting him, the car makes a U-turn to get a better shot at their target. The gunman says to the driver: 'He's driving me crazy. Turn right here. Wait, go on a little bit.' Then, as he opens fire at hapless, naked Baiseitov, the gunman launches into a vile tirade, screaming: 'Get the f*** out of here, f*** your mum. Get out of here quickly. Quicker f*** it you faggot.' Baiseitov's squeals of pain an be heard on the soundtrack as at least three shots hit him in the rear end and elsewhere on his body. Naked criminality: The police in Shymkent say Baiseitov may now be charged with indecent exposure . Police spokesman Volt Beralin said later: 'While is is against the law to discharge firearms in this way, he [Baiseitov] should not have been where he was doing what he was doing.' He added: 'We have not established the gunman's identity but we do know who they were shooting at and he may be charged with indecent exposure.'

Police say Yuri Baiseitov may be charged with indecent exposure . But they say they have no clues as to the identity of his attackers . Streaker was hit at least three times with an air rifle or similar weapon .

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By . Becky Barrow, Business Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 19:45 EST, 6 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:44 EST, 7 November 2013 . Britons pay higher property taxes than any other country in the developed world, forking out around £60billion a year, a report reveals today. Charges like stamp duty, council tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and business rates are higher in the UK than any of the 33 other members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The taxes are worth 4.1 per cent of Britain’s economic output, compared to an average of 1.8 per cent across the OECD. In Germany, it is only 0.9 per cent. A report compiled by think-tank Policy Exchange has found Britons pay higher property taxes than any other country in the developed world . Alex Morton, of the think-tank Policy Exchange, which compiled the report, said: ‘No other developed country taxes property more heavily than the UK. ‘Yet rising house prices and falling levels of home ownership have led to many calling for an increase to land and property taxes. ‘But these issues will only be solved by genuine reform of the outdated planning system, not a tax raid on people’s homes.’ The report also criticised the Lib Dem proposal for a ‘mansion tax’ on properties worth more than £2million – as it would penalise those who live in ‘small but valuable homes’. The report is calling for radical moves to 'make it easier for people to buy their own home' with a massive increase in the number of homes built every year in Britain . It adds: ‘Some people paying will not have an income that in any way relates to the value of their property and capacity to pay the tax.’ There is a ‘strong case’ to cut back stamp duty to ‘a low and reasonably small tax’, which has been repeatedly increased by both Labour and the Conservatives since 1997. By 2018, stamp duty could be worth a record-breaking £9.4billion a year, according to the latest forecast from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. Stamp duty used to be charged at one . per cent on all homes bought for more than £60,000. Today it is levied . at five different rates of up to seven per cent. But . has rejected any proposals for changes to the controversial tax system. Reducing stamp duty cannot be ‘the first priority’ at a time when money . is tight, it said. Concerns: The Council of Mortgage Lenders yesterday raised its fears about the Government's new Help to Buy scheme . The report is calling for radical moves to ‘make it easier for people to buy their own home’ with a massive increase in the number of homes built every year in Britain, including garden cities. Policy Exchange, co-founded by the planning minister Nick Boles before he became a Tory MP, says 1.5million new homes should be built by 2020, equal to 300,000 a year from 2015. At present, just 110,000 homes are being built every year, far below the number that are needed to keep up with people living longer, couples divorcing and immigrants needing a place to live. A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: ‘The Chancellor has been clear there are no plans for a new house price tax on family homes.’ The Council of Mortgage Lenders yesterday raised its fears about the Government’s new Help to Buy scheme.

The taxes are worth 4.1 per cent of Britain’s economic output . Britons pay more in council tax, inheritance tax and business rates . Think-tank report criticises Lib Dem proposal for mansion tax .

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At  the end the scoreboard said the difference was only three points. In reality, the gulf in class between these two teams was seismic. England huffed, puffed and attempted to blow down the New Zealand wall but ultimately the world champions had too much nous, too much power and too much quality. And in Richie McCaw they had one of the greatest players ever to have picked up a rugby ball. The 33-year-old open side won his head-to-head with England captain Chris Robshaw by a distance and showed yet again the value of having a genuine scavenging No 7 in the pack. England simply had no answer. England lost 24-21 against New Zealand at a rain-soaked Twickenham after an impressive second half from the All Blacks on Saturday . England's dominance in the first quarter could not be turned into points and the visitors took charge to settle the match . England players look dejected during the demoralising defeat against New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon . England look frustrated during their 24-21 loss against New Zealand on Saturday afternoon at a rain-soaked Twickenham . England went in at half time with the lead but ultimately lost out to an impressive New Zealand team at Twickenham . New Zealand celebrate as they beat England at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon 24-21 with an impressive second half . England: Mike Brown 6; Semesa Rokoduguni 7, Brad Barritt 8, Kyle Eastmond 7, Jonny May 8; Owen Farrell 6, Danny Care 7; Billy Vunipola 7, Chris Robshaw 7 (capt), Tom Wood 6; Courtney Lawes 6, Dave Attwood 8; David Wilson 7, Dylan Hartley 7, Joe Marler 7 . Replacements: Rob Webber, Matt Mullan, Kieran Brookes, George Kruis, Ben Morgan, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Anthony Watson . New Zealand: Israel Dagg 6; Ben Smith 7, Conrad Smith 6, Sonny Bill Williams 7, Julian Savea 7; Aaron Cruden 8, Aaron Smith 7; Kieran Read 7, Richie McCaw 9 (capt), Jerome Kaino 7; Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick 6; Owen Franks 6, Dane Coles 7, Wyatt Crockett 7 . Replacements: Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, Charlie Faumuina, Patrick Tuipulotu, Liam Messam, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Ryan Crotty . Referee: Nigel Owens (WAL) In truth, New Zealand could have won this game by 15 points as they dominated the second half after England had given the record 82,223 crowd hope with a high-octane display to lead 14-11 at the break. But, with McCaw — one of three New Zealand try scorers — playing so low to the ground he was practically in it, the All Blacks won the all-important breakdown battle and with it the match. Once or twice the All Black skipper, winning his 135th cap, fell foul of referee Nigel Owens. But more often than not his hands did enough to slow down England’s ball or turn it over. One piece of second-half larceny following a charge by Billy Vunipola enabled fly half Aaron Cruden to scuttle up-field before punting the ball away for a gain of fully 80 metres. Even with hooker Dane Coles in the sin bin following a petulant kick at opposite man Dylan Hartley, the All Blacks continued to play with calm authority. Almost every decision they took in the second half proved correct. By contrast, England kicked poorly and failed to gain the territory they craved. With the industrious Kyle Eastmond at inside centre, England lacked a second kicking option alongside Owen Farrell. Well as Eastmond played in marshalling the hulking Sonny Bill Williams, England will surely consider playing Farrell at 12 alongside George Ford next week against South Africa. Coach Stuart Lancaster said: ‘The weather turned and New Zealand maximised that opportunity well. When the hooker was in the sin bin they managed that opportunity well, too. ‘We couldn’t get enough territory in the second half to get close. But we don’t think we’re too far away. ‘We had New Zealand on the ropes but we didn’t finish them off.’ England will put a brave face on this. They have to because they still have three QBE internationals to play this autumn. But there will be serious concern about their continued failure to put chances away, despite Jonny May’s wonderful early try, which will live long in the memory. The All Blacks perform their haka during the QBE International match between England and New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday . New Zealand beat England after a courageous effort from the home side at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon . Jonny May scores a sensational solo try for England after three minutes as the fans at Twickenham celebrate in the background . May celebrates after his superb try against the All Blacks that saw England take an early lead against visitors New Zealand . May and Danny Care celebrate the opening try of the match between England and New Zealand on a wet Saturday afternoon . The England team gather together to celebrate the opening try against the All Blacks, though the conversion was missed afterwards . The Gloucester winger, without a try in his previous seven internationals, received a wonderfully weighted pass from the excellent Brad Barritt and glided past Conrad Smith with astonishing ease before taking the outside line after being offered it by Israel Dagg. The try, finished from 40 metres, provided hope for a repeat of the stunning triumph over the same opponents two years ago. But it was not to be. The All Blacks have lost only twice since lifting the Webb Ellis trophy three years ago and dug deep as England blew two gilt-edged chances. First, May gathered a bouncing ball superbly but failed to spot Owen Farrell on his outside as Dagg made a desperate last-gasp tackle before Mike Brown — normally so reliable — dropped a dipping Eastmond pass with the line at his mercy. England failed to stick the knife in when they had the chance. With almost their first foray into England’s half, the visitors crossed when fly half Aaron Cruden touched down. The crowd were incensed that referee Nigel Owens, who endured one of his poorest internationals, declined to go to the Television Match Official. Replays suggested Cruden may have been inches short. ‘We went to the TMO quite a lot of times but not on that occasion, which we probably need to have a chat about at some point,’ said Lancaster. ‘But we’ll focus on our own performance. It was disappointing not to finish off one or two chances.’ New Zealand's Aaron Cruden dives on the line to score the try that brought the two teams level early in the first half at Twickenham . Cruden of New Zealand takes his kick during the QBE International match at Twickenham on a soggy Saturday in London . England's Owen Farrell takes a penalty during their clash with New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon . The inconsistency in referring to the TMO certainly irritated Lancaster’s opposite number Steve Hansen. He was left fuming at the decision to refer Charlie Faumuina’s 72nd-minute try as replacement fly half Beauden Barrett was lining up the conversion following replays on the big screens. ‘The television producers are starting to have an influence on the game,’ said Hansen. ‘If something goes wrong we see a replay 10 times when the referee, touch judge or TMO hasn’t seen it. It’s not in the spirit of the game. The producers are starting to annoy me.’ England began this game with seven injured British Lions missing and fans have every right to ask serious questions about why a showpiece occasion such as this should be devalued by their absence. There is a lot of talk about the demands put on England players but not enough action to provide adequate rest periods. It would be churlish to ignore the positives, however. Dave Attwood — playing because of injury to Joe Launchbury — was outstanding in the second row. New cap George Kruis also impressed after replacing Courtney Lawes when he suffered a nasty head injury 23 minutes into the game. Fijian-born soldier Semesa Rokoduguni barely put a foot wrong out on the right wing on an occasion charged with pageantry a day before Remembrance Sunday. It was just a shame he didn’t see the ball enough as possession dried up and the rain came down in the second half. The diminutive Eastmond marshalled Sonny Bill Williams well, while Brad Barritt was almost faultless. But ultimately, with 11 games left before next year’s World Cup, there appears to be an inescapable gulf in class that looks increasingly hard to bridge. England have much to ponder. A spell of pressure for New Zealand saw Richie McCaw gather the ball and drive over the line at Twickenham on Saturday . McCaw dives over the line to score a try despite the best efforts of England's Dylan Hartley during some very wet conditions . McCaw gives New Zealand a 16-14 lead against England as the All Blacks went on to win the match at Twickenham . Prince Harry pictured watching the match between England and New Zealand at a rain-soaked Twickenham on Saturday .

Jonny May scored sensational solo try for England after three minutes against New Zealand at Twickenham . Aaron Cruden brought it level to 5-5 but both teams missed conversions on a rain-soaked Saturday afternoon . England went in at half time 14-11 up against All Blacks but the visitors ensured they kept within touching distance . Spell of pressure for New Zealand after break saw captain Richie McCaw score try to make it 16-14 . England ultimately slumped to their fifth successive defeat in a 24-21 demoralising loss against New Zealand .

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Sydney, Australia (CNN) -- The cause of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370's disappearance remains a mystery, but it has put the spotlight on the wildly varying approach governments with a stake in the search have handled the sensitivities and the facts. The Malaysian government has been roundly criticized for weeks of muddled misinformation and its seemingly off-hand dealings with the distraught families of the passengers and crew of the missing airliner. China, which has more than 150 of its citizens aboard the Boeing 777-200, has been unrelenting in its criticism of Malaysia's handling of the search and the lack of transparency in information, while Thailand was accused of withholding what might have been critical information about the MH370's possible flight path because it said no one had asked whether it had any intelligence. Out of the fray emerged Australia and its conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a man known more for his pugilistic, take-no-prisoner style of politics, than his statesmanship and compassion. On neither count has the Australian Premier, until now, impressed. Spy claims . Abbott refused to apologize to the Indonesian President when the leaked Edward Snowden files revealed Australia had been spying on Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his inner circle, including his wife. He has also run a tough, some say brutal, campaign against asylum seekers and the people smugglers who bring them to Australia across treacherous waters from Indonesia. Abbott, who accuses asylum seekers of illegally attempting to enter Australia, is comfortable with the policy masterminded by his predecessor, of sending those who seek refuge in Australia to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru -- neither considered by the UNHCR to be adequate to house them. Recently, the government announced it would stop funding legal assistance for asylum seekers who arrived by boat and are sitting in detention centers awaiting the chance to argue their case. But when he rose to his feet on March 20 to tell the Australian Parliament that new satellite images showed what might be aircraft debris in the Indian Ocean, some 1,550 miles (2,500 kilometers) off the coast of Western Australia and that an Australian-led search party would be investigating, Abbott made international headlines. Statesmanship peaked out from behind the curtains. When days later no debris had been found, Abbott deflected criticism that he had jumped the gun saying the search area was "about the most inaccessible spot that you would imagine on the face of the earth. "But if there is anything down there we will find it. We owe it to the families of those people to do no less." Poll support . An informal poll in the Sydney Morning Herald showed many thought the prime minister had acted properly in announcing news of the satellite images. His compassion was perceived as real rather than political opportunism. After announcing that there would be no time limit on the search effort and that his government would bear the cost of coordinating the international operation, an impassioned Abbott declared: "If the mystery is solvable, we will solve it." It was a personal commitment. His determination to deliver "closure" for the families of those on board the jetliner stands in stark contrast to the approach of his Malaysian counterpart. While Najib Razak sanctioned sending a text message to families informing them that the aircraft had likely ended up in the southern Indian Ocean, Abbott told the families of the six Australian passengers on the flight the country had "an ache in its heart and nothing we can say or do will take that ache away." And as the Australian-led search mission entered its second week, Abbott told grieving relatives what asylum seekers have never heard. ''I want them all to know ... that they will be in the arms of a decent country,'' he said. ''The government has decided to waive visa fees for any relatives wishing to come to Australia.'' 'Eloquent and diplomatic' Even Abbott's most fervent enemies would, if pressed, concede that the Australian premier has been both eloquent and diplomatic in the expression of his sorrow and grief for those who do not know if their relatives are by some miracle, still alive and if they are not, what caused their deaths. But the same fervent enemies might also question whether Abbott sees an upside to statesmanship and compassion. Tragedies of the scale of MH370 are rarely used for political gain without the real and imminent danger of significant political cost. But such tragedies can soften images, turn skeptical minds and give hope to those who've not been recipients of an open heart. When on February 16, a young Iranian asylum seeker was killed in a riot at the Manus Island detention centre, the Australian Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison, claimed Reza Berati had died after leaving the confines of the Australian-run center, placing himself where Australia could not protect him. "This was a very dangerous situation where people decided to protest in a very violent way and to take themselves outside the center and place themselves at great risk," Morrison told Australian media. Soon afterwards, Morrison faced the media to admit Berati had in fact died inside the center. Abbott stood by him. "You don't want a wimp running border protection, you want someone strong and decent. And Scott Morrison is both strong and decent," Abbott told parliament. Different leader . Coming after years of hardline railing against the number of asylum seekers landing on to Australia's shores, with many perishing en route, the government's attitude seemed hard, even callous. Many Australians were shocked and held candlelit vigils around the country. If Australians see the beginnings, perhaps even evidence of a different leader with Abbott's deep, heartfelt concern for the souls who boarded MH370 in Kuala Lumpar on route to Beijing, there's little chance this will wipe the memory of a leader who has shown little mercy to asylum seekers -- some of them children -- languishing in Australia's version of Guantanamo Bay. But Australians might be convinced their prime minister has the capacity to change. OPINION: Pilot: Why Flight 370 may never be found .

Search for MH370 has revealed differing approaches by governments involved . While Malaysian leaders have been criticized, Australia's PM has won praise . Attard: In contrast with Tony Abbott's tough line on issues such as asylum seekers . Abbott has vowed to help bring "closure" to families of those missing on MH370 .

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(CNN) -- The national debt is bad for the military, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen is telling business men and women and others on a three-day "Conversations with the Country" tour across the Midwest. Mullen's trip, which ends Friday in Cleveland, Ohio, is aimed at encouraging business owners to hire veterans. "The most significant threat to our national security is our debt," he told CNN Wednesday. "And the reason I say that is because the ability for our country to resource our military -- and I have a pretty good feeling and understanding about what our national security requirements are -- is going to be directly proportional -- over time, not next year or the year after, but over time -- to help our economy. "That's why it's so important that the economy move in the right direction, because the strength and the support and the resources that our military uses are directly related to the health of our economy over time." The wars on Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed to a more than doubling of the Pentagon budget, which has jumped from $300 billion to $664 billion since 2000. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has called on his department to find $100 billion in overhead savings over the next five years. Speaking Thursday to the Economy Club in Detroit, Michigan, Mullen agreed that the Pentagon needs to "cut the fat." "We're not a business," he said in Detroit. "Part of us does this really well. Parts of us have never had to, plus our budget has doubled over the last 10 years." The admiral said the Pentagon has not been as proactive as it should have been in prioritizing spending and said the department must adopt responsible fiscal practices. "A lot of those skills have to be sharpened," Mullen said. Both industry and the military need to hone those skills, he said, to avoid "this wave of debt." "It's the responsibility of both sides," he said. "We have to gird ourselves for some pretty significant challenges, given the national security challenges that we have as well as the responsibility to steward every dollar that we have." Mullen has been telling his audiences that interest on the debt will nearly equal the defense budget in two years, but Congressional Budget Office numbers, in a report released in January, show the interest payment approaching the Pentagon's 2000 budget in 2012 and reaching its 2010 budget in 2019.

Joint chiefs of staff chairman says debt competes with military spending . The Pentagon budget has more than doubled in 10 years . The Defense Department must "cut the fat," Mullen says.

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KUALA LAMPUR, Malaysia (CNN) -- Malaysia will swear in a new prime minister Friday -- one tasked with reuniting a multi-racial nation and shoring up an economy in dire straits. Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, facing, hugs his successor, Najib Razak last week. Until now, Najib Razak had served as the Southeast Asian country's deputy prime minister. He succeeds Abdullah Badawi who turned in his resignation after five years as leader. Both are part of Malaysia's ruling party, the National Front Coalition, which has ruled the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1957. But last year, a loose coalition of opposition parties won 82 of 222 parliamentary seats in elections. It was only the second time in the country's history that the ruling party failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution. The election upset led to calls for Abdullah to step down. Various challenges await Najib: . In recent months, the country has seen riots with the country's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities who accuse the government of passing laws that favor the Malay majority. Najib has said he will do more to address their concerns. The country, like other nations around the world, has been severely affected by the global economic downturn. Critics are demanding Malaysia diversify its technology-heavy economy. Last month, Najib unveiled a multi-billion dollar stimulus plan for new spending, according to published reports. Najib also brings with him a whiff of controversy. Two former bodyguards are facing charges in connection the murder of a Mongolian model. He has denied all links to the killing.

Najib Razak to become new prime minister for Malaysia on Friday . Abdullah Badawi to step down from PM post . Ruling party has failed to secure majority needed to amend constitution .

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By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 02:11 EST, 29 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:48 EST, 29 May 2013 . An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.8 hit North Wales this morning and caused 'intense shaking'. Officials said the epicentre was in the Irish Sea, just 10 miles off the coast from the town of Abersoch, Gwynedd. The quake, which struck at 4.15am, was . felt over a 90 mile radius in areas as far apart as Southport, in . Merseyside, Dublin, in Ireland, and Douglas, Isle of Man. Although thousands of people are thought to have been woken up by the rumbling this morning, it is not thought to have caused any significant damage. Earthquake: The quake was felt at 4.16am today (3.16am in coordinated universal time) just off the coast of north Wales . The biggest earthquake ever recorded in Britain with a magnitude of 5.4 stuck in the same area in the Llyn Peninsula in 1984. That was 250 times as big and caused chimney stacks to topple, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said. Today an aftershock with a magnitude of 1.7 was measured four minutes later at 4.20am but it was so small that only one person has so far reported feeling it. David Galloway, a seismologist with the BGS, said today: 'We have had 193 reports from people who felt the earthquake already but that number is going up all the time. 'A couple of those reports are from Dublin, some from Douglas on the Isle of Man, and some in Southport. 'We don't expect a quake of this size to cause any damage. A few people might say there were cracks to plaster but there won't be any structural damage. 'With the quake in 1984 there were reports of chimneys coming off rooftops but that earthquake was 250 times as big with a magnitude of 5.4. 'To put it in context, the earthquake which hit Japan in March 2011 with a magnitude of 9.0 was 67million times as big.' Quake: The ground shook in the Llyn Peninsula at around 4.15am today. The epicentre was in the Irish Sea, around 10 miles off the coast . A report by the BGS said that people reported 'gradually grew louder. Classic underground train passing sensation' and 'woke the household any many neighbours'. Mother Eirian Rees, 48, said: 'The earthquake woke me up in the night from a deep sleep. 'The house was shaking - I thought my two boys were running around wildly as the floor was shaking and rumbling. 'It was also very noisy and unreal, my heart was beating and it felt like it lasted quite a long time.' Peter McShane, of Menai Bridge, Isle of Anglesey, told the BBC: 'I woke up, I don't why looked at the clock it was 4.15am and suddenly the rumbling started. 'The one in 1984 was considerably more intense in that I remember in the house in the afternoon when one of them sort of started it sort of blurred your vision and things fell off your bookcase. 'This one was nothing alarming.' The Irish National Seismic Network said tremors were felt in counties in south-east Ireland and its seismic stations in Valentia off the south-west coast, Donegal and Galway all recorded the earthquake. Tom Blake, INSN director and from the school of cosmic physics in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, said there has been a significant increase in seismic activity in the area in recent months. 'It is unlikely that the magnitude of today’s earthquake will be exceeded in the Irish Sea in the coming days but aftershocks can be expected in the hours and days ahead, although many will be too weak to be felt,' he said. There was a far smaller earthquake in Caernarfon Bay, Gwynedd, on February 7 this year, which had a magnitude of 2.3. In February 2008 the last significant earthquake in Britain hit Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, with a magnitude of 5.2.

Epicentre of quake was 10 miles off the coast from Abersoch, Gwynedd . Tremor felt over 90 miles away in Southport, Merseyside . A second quake with a magnitude of 1.7 hit four minutes later .

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By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:27 EST, 9 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:38 EST, 9 October 2013 . Starbucks is offering a free coffee to any customer in the U.S. who buys another person a beverage in one of its stores - to show the government how to work together to end the shutdown. In a memo to all staff, CEO Howard Schultz instructed workers to give away a free tall brewed coffee to any customer who buys a drink for someone else between today and Friday. The offer is a way to help fellow citizens 'support and connect with one another, even as we wait for our elected officials to do the same for our country,' Schultz told staff on Tuesday. Paying it forward: From today until Friday, Starbucks is offering a free tall brewed coffee to any customer in the U.S. who buys another person a beverage at the coffee chain - to set an example for the government . Schultz wrote that he wants to do something about Americans' uncertainty over the federal government shutdown, the pending debt and default crisis and waning consumer confidence. 'In times like these, a small act of generosity and civility can make a big difference,' says an ad in The New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today. 'Let's see what can happen. #payitforward.' It's not the first time Schultz has waded into the national political debate. In 2011, he asked other chief executives to join him in halting campaign contributions until politicians stopped their partisan bickering. The CEOs of more than 100 companies, from AOL to Zipcar, took the pledge. Sharing: Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz sent a memo to all staff announcing the plan on Tuesday . Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at The NPD Group, said the latest campaign won't likely have much political effect because it lacks the kind of punishment that makes lawmakers think twice, like an impeachment drive. But it makes for great marketing, especially since many people, especially younger ones, care about brands that have a strong social conscience, Cohen said. 'Will it work on the political level? No. Won't make a dent. Will it work on the commercial end? Absolutely,' he said. A partial shut down of the government began for the first time in 17 years on October 1, after a partisan stalemate over health insurance reform in Congress blocked the budgeting process.

From today until Friday, Starbucks staff giving coffee to kind customers . CEO Howard Schultz told staff about the plan in a memo and said he wanted citizens to show elected officials how to support each other .

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Repeat criminals convicted of a second serious offence will face a mandatory life sentence, under new ‘two-strikes’ rules. Life terms will automatically go to anyone twice given jail terms of ten years or more for crimes such as rape, child abuse, serious GBH and terrorism offences. They will also apply to the crime of ‘causing or allowing the death of a child’ - the offence for which Baby Peter’s mother and boyfriend were jailed. Life terms will apply to the crime of 'causing or allowing the death of a child' the offence which Baby P's mother Tracey Connelly and Steven Barker were jailed . The sentences will replace Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection (IPPs) which saw dozens of criminals locked up indefinitely without any prospect of parole. As the plans were revealed last night, it emerged Justice Secretary Ken Clarke had suffered a major defeat in his opposition to mandatory jail terms for 16 and 17 year-olds caught wielding a knife. Justice Secretary Ken Clarke suffered a major defeat in his opposition to mandatory jail terms for 16 and 17 year-olds caught wielding a knife . Just 24 hours earlier Mr Clarke had made clear his opposition to such a move. On Tuesday he told the Home Affairs Select Committee compulsory jail terms for young offenders were ‘a bit of a leap’ for the British judicial system. But Mr Clarke faced pressure from his Cabinet colleagues, including Home Secretary Theresa May, to accept tougher terms. On Tuesday he told MPs: ‘The idea that mandatory sentences now apply to certain types of offence, to young offenders, to children, to juveniles, is a bit of a leap for the British judicial system.’ But last night he said the term was necessary to ‘send out a clear message about the seriousness of juvenile knife crime’. The knife sentences apply to any offenders who are convicted of the new offence of ‘aggravated’ knife carrying - when they used the blade to threaten or endanger life. Anyone aged 16 or 17 would face a four-month detention and training order. The Government has already announced proposals for a mandatory six-month sentence for adults convicted of the same offence. As well as mandatory life, Mr Clarke also announced a new ‘Extended Determinate Sentence’ that will see serious offenders required to serve at least two-thirds of their term. Currently they are released automatically at the half-way point. Life terms will automatically go to anyone twice given jail terms of ten years or more for crimes such as rape, child abuse, serious GBH and terrorism offences . It will apply to serious sex and violent crimes and jailed for four years or more. After they have served two-thirds, they will only be released when the Parole Board says they are safe to go back on the streets. Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said: ‘Under our plans we expect more dangerous offenders to receive life sentences. ‘Those getting the new Extended Determinate Sentence will have to serve at least two-thirds of it behind bars before release. ‘We are clear that there will be no automatic release before the end of the full sentence for the most serious cases.’

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke suffers major defeat in his opposition to mandatory jail terms for 16 and 17 year-olds caught wielding a knife . Now declares it is necessary to ‘send out a clear message about the seriousness of juvenile knife crime’

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(CNN)Indianapolis Colts backup linebacker Josh McNary has been charged with felony rape, a spokeswoman for the Marion County, Indiana, Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday. McNary, 26, was in police custody late Wednesday at the Marion County Jail, a booking log on the jail website said. McNary was also charged with felony criminal confinement and misdemeanor battery resulting in bodily injury. According to a probable cause affidavit, a 29-year-old woman reported to police on the morning of December 1 that she was raped hours earlier at the apartment of a man she met while out at a bar. She said she told the man several times she didn't want to have sex and fought with him, scratching him on the face, neck, back and shoulder. The man forced her to have sex on his bed, she told police. She took the man's cell phone as she left the apartment. A forensic nurse examined the woman and found injuries to her vagina and dried blood behind one ear. The document indicates detectives used the cell phone to identify McNary the next day. He was cooperative, police indicated, and he asked for a lawyer after being advised of his rights. A nurse found abrasions and scratches on his stomach, back, neck and shoulder, the document says. Investigators also found the woman's clothing and an earring in McNary's apartment. CNN's attempts to reach McNary's attorney weren't immediately successful. The Colts said they were aware of media reports about the incident. "But unfortunately that's the limit of our knowledge," the Colts said in a written statement. "At this time, we are very concerned and trying to find out what the relevant facts are, but we have insufficient information to venture any opinion. As we learn more, we will make appropriate updates." The National Football League said the matter is "under review." Recently, the NFL revised its Personal Conduct Policy. It includes a minimum six-game suspension for crimes involving violent conduct, including domestic violence and sexual assault. The league reviewed its stance after widespread criticism of its handling of the Ray Rice case. McNary is listed as a second-string inside linebacker for the Colts, who play the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC championship game. He has 28 tackles -- mostly on special teams -- in 15 games this season. He played in the Colts game on November 30 and had one tackle on punt coverage. The 6-foot, 251-pound player is in his second season. He played collegiate football at Army and served in the military from 2011 to 2013 before joining the Colts. CNN's Tina Burnside, Dave Alsup, Erica Henry and Wayne Sterling contributed to this report.

A woman told police she took a phone from the apartment of a man who raped her . In a probable cause affidavit, a detective says the phone belonged to John McNary . CNN is attempting to contact a lawyer for the accused football player, who spent time in the military .

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Madrid (CNN) -- More than 70 people were injured in clashes in Madrid on Wednesday as Spanish police used rubber bullets and batons to disperse anti-austerity protesters, witnesses and emergency workers said. Protesters, including a group of miners who have marched on the capital, are demonstrating against Spain's government and the cuts it is imposing as it seeks to curb the country's debt crisis. Hundreds of people quickly moved out of the area as police moved in, with witnesses reporting the use of rubber bullets and batons by officers. Madrid's ambulance service said 76 people were injured in clashes at or near the Industry Ministry. Miners were among the 43 protesters who were injured, and 33 police also were hurt. Eight are receiving hospital treatment, but the injuries are not serious, the ambulance service said. A number of miners reached Madrid on Tuesday night after taking part in what has been dubbed the "Black March," covering 450 kilometers (280 miles) over the course of two-and-a-half weeks. They were joined by thousands of other miners and supporters in a large protest Tuesday night and another demonstration Wednesday outside the Industry Ministry. The miners are protesting a 64% cut in the government subsidy to the mining sector this year, from 301 million euros to 111 million euros. Unions say this endangers the jobs of 8,000 miners and 22,000 auxiliary jobs that serve mining regions where 200,000 people live and depend on mines. The clashes came as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced an increase in the country's general sales tax from 18% to 21%, as well as spending reductions that include cutting employment benefits after six months. Announcing the measures to lawmakers, Rajoy said they would slash the budget by 65 billion euros ($80 billion) over two-and-a-half years. The European Commission welcomed the move, saying it was an "important step" toward Spain meeting its deficit target for the year, Spain's Efe news agency said. Spain's economic crisis also has worsened since last year. The nation has slipped back into a recession; the unemployment rate has risen to 24% overall, and more than 50% for those under age 25; and the government has already enacted billions of dollars in austerity cuts, along with some tax hikes, to reduce the budget deficit. CNN's Claudia Rebaza contributed to this report.

NEW: 43 protesters and 33 police are injured in clashes, Madrid ambulance service says . Spanish police use rubber bullets and batons to disperse protesters . Miners are protesting cuts to government subsidies for the mining sector . Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announces a sales tax increase and more spending cuts .

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Janet Jackson and four of her siblings sent a scathing letter to the men who control Michael Jackson's estate, accusing them of fraud and of abusing their mother. "THIS HAS TO STOP NOW: NO MORE!!" the Jackson siblings wrote in the letter obtained by CNN. The letter also suggested that their mother, Katherine Jackson, suffered a "mini-stroke" recently, which her lawyer quickly disputed. Family, fans mark Michael Jackson's death three years later . The controversy even led Paris Jackson, the late pop star's 14-year-old daughter, to use her Twitter account to weigh in. "i am going to clarify right now that what has been said about my grandmother is a rumor and nothing has happened, she is completely fine," Paris tweeted. Relations between the Jackson family and executors John Branca and John McClain have been strained for most of the three years since Michael Jackson's sudden death from an overdose of an anesthetic used as a sleep aid. The letter mostly repeats allegations made by family members, but it also threatens new legal action against Branca, an entertainment lawyer, and McClain, a music executive, who worked with Jackson at several points in his career. "We know there is most certainly a conspiracy surrounding our brother's death and now coarse manipulation and fear are being used to cover it up," they wrote. "Your heartless pursuit of wealth, fame and power is at the expense of our family, whose deepest desire is to give to the world a gift of hope, love and unity through our music." Stallone decries 'speculation' over son's death . It was signed by Janet, Jermaine, Tito, Randy and Rebbie Jackson. Jackie, Marlon and La Toya Jackson did not sign it, nor did parents Joe and Katherine Jackson. "We are saddened that false and defamatory accusations grounded in stale Internet conspiracy theories are now being made by certain members of Michael's family whom he chose to leave out of his will," estate spokesman Jim Bates said in a statement to CNN. "We are especially disheartened that they come at a time when remarkable progress has been made to secure the financial future of his children by turning around the estate's finances as well as during a time when so many of Michael's fans, old and new, are enjoying his artistry through exciting new projects." The will, which was validated in probate court in the months after Jackson's June 25, 2009, death, put all Jackson's assets into a trust that benefited his mother, Katherine; his children, Prince, Paris and Blanket; and charities. Branca and McClain were named as executors. The signature page indicated that Michael Jackson signed the will in Los Angeles on July 7, 2002, on which date the Jacksons say he was in New York. The siblings' letter charged that "without question, it's fake, flawed and fraudulent." Rihanna sues her former accountants . "According to what is witnessed in the document, it is impossible and illogical that he could have been in two places at one time," the letter said. "We have evidence that undoubtedly supports and proves that Michael was absolutely not in Los Angeles, California, on the date his signature reflected in the will at hand." They also questioned why their brother would name as executors someone he disliked. "Our brother told us, in no uncertain terms and without hesitation in the months prior to his death, that he despised both of you and that he did not want either of you to have anything to do with his life or estate for that matter," the letter said. "We know that and you know that." Courts have already settled the matter, the estate spokesman said. "Any doubts about the validity of Michael's will and his selection of executors were thoroughly and completely debunked two years ago when a challenge was rejected by the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the California Court of Appeals and, finally, the California Supreme Court," Bates said. The Jackson brothers and sisters also accuse Branca and McClain of abusing their 82-year-old mother through lies and manipulations. "Your actions are affecting her health, and on top of that, we've just found out she recently had a mini-stroke. Please understand, she's not equipped to handle the stress load you are putting on her," her children said. "She feels, as she has said, 'I'm stuck in the middle.' She too knows and acknowledges the will was forged. She wants to do the right thing, and move in the direction of justice for her son and family, yet she fears the POWERS THAT BE." Katherine Jackson's lawyer Perry Sanders disputed that she was in poor health. Glen Campbell cancels tour dates . "Mrs. Jackson is extremely lucid and does a great job caring for Michael's children," Sanders said Wednesday. The siblings also attacked Sanders, Katherine Jackson's manager, Lowell Henry, and adviser Trent Jackson for discouraging her from joining their challenge of the will's validity. "Instead, her so-called advisers are convincing her to let them negotiate 'deals' with Branca and McClain on her behalf, or is it on the behalf of all of you," they wrote. "Her advisers' loyalty seems to be skewed by the percentage you offer them, preventing them from advising her properly." Sanders responded that he's always been available "to speak with or meet with any of Mrs. Jackson's children to answer any questions they might have. It is unfortunate that they haven't taken me up on the offer." "Anyone who actually knows me knows my only loyalty in this matter is to Mrs. Jackson, and the public record of my success for her speaks for itself," Sanders said. He pointed to success in paying off her $14 million civil court judgment to a South Korean company, persuading the estate not to sell the family's Hayvenhurst mansion and "helping get her family allowance increased almost tenfold, to name a few." Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord dies . The siblings' letter told the executors they have "dishonored everything our brother stood for." "Your greed and hasty business decisions have shown that you have no regard for the preservation of his legacy, nor the quality of work that he exemplified," they said. "You have disrespected our parents and family too many times. We do not respect you as executors, and we don't respect the projects and choices you've made, nor do we appreciate the public perception that the Jackson family is behind all of this, exploiting Michael our brother for financial gain, when it's the two of you and your affiliates who do so." Finally, the five Jacksons wrote that they would "take every appropriate action to seek justice and to see to it that the truth be known." "Be informed, we are considering retaining a law firm, Baker Hostetler, who have advised us on the potential criminal misconduct in your actions. We will hand this over to proper authorities," they wrote. Bates said the executors "have diligently carried out their fiduciary duties as well as their obligation to Michael to make sure that his estate benefits the only family members he named in his will, his mother and his three children." Michael Jackson 'Bad' reissue to feature unreleased Wembley Stadium show .

Siblings: "Heartless pursuit of wealth, fame and power is at the expense of our family" Jacksons say brother's will is "Fake, flawed and fraudulent" Charges are "grounded in stale Internet conspiracy theories," estate says . Janet, Jermaine, Tito, Randy and Rebbie Jackson sign letter .

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Washington (CNN) -- Dueling scientists, a former trainer, friends and family are among the witnesses whose testimony a jury will consider as they decide if famed baseball pitcher Roger Clemens lied to Congress during an investigation of steroid use among major league players. The case against Clemens involves one count of obstruction of Congress, three counts of making false statements and two counts of perjury. He is not charged with illicit use of performance-enhancing drugs, but his denial of such use is part of the case against him. Federal prosecutor Courtney Saleski, in closing arguments Tuesday, told the jury Clemens "wanted to protect his brand, he wanted to protect his livelihood," in denying the use of steroids during a 2008 investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives into the problem. "He did that at the expense of our Congress. He threw sand in their eyes. He stole the truth from them," Saleski said. She said a guilty verdict would give that truth back to lawmakers. The Clemens defense team disputed whether the government has made its case, telling the jury all the evidence came through a former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, who had incentive to lie. "You saw Brian McNamee, the only witness in the history of the world who says he gave or saw an injection of that man," said defense attorney Michael Attanasio. "One person in the entire world." During closing arguments, the defense cited the lack of corroborating witnesses, which they said would be a basis for reasonable doubt against any conviction. "McNamee defines reasonable doubt," Attanasio said, because of perceived inconsistencies, retractions and corrections he made while testifying. After verbally providing instructions to the jury late Tuesday, U.S. District judge Reggie Walton sent the jury back to begin deliberations, while acknowledging they may only have time to select a foreperson before letting them go for the day. The trial has run longer than envisioned, and one juror was moved to alternate status Tuesday because of a fellowship in Germany for which he must depart next week. An alternate was then sent back to join the others. It took about eight weeks for the prosecution and defense to question 46 witnesses, and the most direct conflict came among expert witnesses as to how to interpret a collection of discarded medical items that allegedly link Clemens to steroid use. Soiled medical wrappings, cotton balls, drug vials and hypodermic needles that McNamee kept were interpreted differently by both sides. Witnesses for the government said genetic material linked with Clemens suggested it was impossible for McNamee to fabricate the evidence. But defense witnesses on the same topic said storage in a beer can for years allowed commingling and contamination of materials, making reliable conclusions impossible, and the evidence nearly worthless. "If you have garbage at the start, you'll have garbage at the end," said defense expert witness Dr. Bruce Goldberger, who said his lab would refuse to test such materials without a solid basis for their storage and handling before analysis. Prosecution witness Dr. Cynthia Morris-Kukoski, an FBI toxicologist, said it is not up to the toxicology lab to make judgments about the materials submitted for testing, with their job only to determine the substances and any genetic identifiers involved. Former teammate and friend Mike Boddicker testified as to whether Clemens had ever accepted injections, providing an eyewitness account that he had. "I think it was either 1989 or 1990," Boddicker said, referring to their time together with the Boston Red Sox, describing that he "came into the training room, and saw Roger bent over the table with his pants down, getting a shot." The vial, Boddicker said, was clearly marked "B-12" a substance said to provide a pick-me-up after a game or workout. This is the second trial for Clemens. A year ago, a mistrial was declared before the case reached the jury. The government's lawyers played video evidence the judge had already banned. Prosecutors said it was an editing mistake, but the Clemens defense team suggested prosecutors were unprepared and had gotten off to a bad start. "This was a mistake, a regretful mistake," government attorney David Goodhand said in September in arguing for a new trial. But Walton blasted prosecutors for letting inadmissible evidence be shown. "I would hate to believe they just blatantly disregarded rulings that I made, but it's hard for me to reach any other conclusion," Walton said, before rejecting a defense request that he dismiss the indictment entirely. After consideration, Walton then ordered the new trial. Several pretrial hearings this time included protests from defense attorneys that the prosecution was trying to take advantage of having heard the initial opening statement last summer by the defense. In the latest trial, defense attorneys expressed concern that prosecutors were trying to "do over" certain efforts the defense may have refuted. Deliberations Wednesday were set to begin at 1:30 p.m.

Second trial involves 46 witnesses over eight weeks . Jury will weigh opposing "expert witnesses" on DNA evidence . Clemens declines to testify in his defense .

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By . Chris Wheeler . Follow @@ChrisWheelerDM . Liverpool’s penalty shootout win over Manchester City in New York will be little consolation for losing out in the Premier League title race on the final day of last season, but it gave some indication that Brendan Rodgers’s side are set to be contenders again. Both sides are expected to line up quite differently on August 17 and made a number of changes throughout Wednesday’s match, making it difficult to judge their pre-season progress. MailOnline looks at what we learned from the slug-out at Yankee Stadium … . Scroll down for videos . First blood: Liverpool defeated Manchester City on penalties in the International Champions Cup friendly . Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho impressed among the Liverpool starters and Raheem Sterling gave his side a much sharper attacking edge when he came on in the second half before scoring the late equaliser. It wasn’t the best of days again for Steven Gerrard whose latest slip let in Stevan Jovetic for City’s opening goal, but Rodgers has no doubt his skipper will be a key player in that deep-lying role again this season. ‘We were unfortunate with the first goal that deflected off Stevie and Jovetic got a toe on it,’ said the Liverpool boss. ‘But he’s been playing that role for the last 12 months and I’m sure he’ll play it this season as well. He’s got a wonderful range of pass, his movement is good to get on the ball and he’s very committed.’ Red leader: Steven Gerrard (C) is set to resume his deep lying position in midfield . Making up for lost time: Stevan Jovetic scored both of Manchester City's goals in normal time . It’s early days but already Jovetic looks determined to make up for lost time after an injury-hit first season at City. The Montenegro international scored twice to take his total to two in four games on tour, and will be as good as new signing 12 months after arriving from Fiorentina for £22m. Joe Hart made three fantastic saves after coming on at half-time even though he was outshone by Simon Mignolet in the shootout. The Liverpool keeper kept out Yaya Toure’s effort as the Ivorian made a subdued first appearance since threatening to quit the champions this summer. Liverpool changed formation and players so often it was hard to keep track. Rodgers may well settle for his midfield diamond again this season although it is clear he wants his side to be versatile as well. He said: ‘We played two different formations – a 4-4-2 diamond in the first half which refreshed the players from some of the work they had last season. At times we worked it well but it was good to see it. Second half it was more of a 4-3-3 and then we changed again with 20 minutes to 4-2-3-1. Multi-talented: Philippe Coutinho's versaility gave Liverpool plenty of options with formations . Double salvo: Jovetic scores City's second goal but could do nothing to prevent them losing on penalties . ‘We had a connection through Coutinho who played a lot from the sides and the top of the diamond. The last 20 minutes he played in behind Daniel Sturridge to connect midfield and the front men. That made passes shorter and the movement better.’ City lined up in more of a conventional 4-4-2 formation with Edin Dzeko and James Milner their first World Cup players to make an appearance in the US, although Manuel Pellegrini will probably revert to his favoured 4-2-3-1 once the season starts. It will be interesting to see how new £12m signing Fernando fits in with Toure and Fernandinho occupying those defensive midfield slots last season. City certainly have more in reserve with David Silva, Samir Nasri and Alvaro Negredo among the unused substitutes at Yankee Stadium. They are also waiting to welcome back captain Vincent Kompany, Fernandinho and World Cup finalists Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis, who report back on Monday. Super sub: Raheem Sterling made an impression after coming off the bench at the Yankees Stadium . In the family: City goalkeeper Joe Hart embraces brothers Kolo and Yaya Toure at full-time . ‘The five players who arrived last Thursday, Hart, Milner, Yaya, Silva and Dzeko, I think that they will be ready for the Premier League,’ said Pellegrini. ‘We will with see the rest of the players who arrive next Monday. Can they be fit in 15 days? Maybe not all of them will do it.’ Sterling made the biggest impact of Liverpool’s substitutes, but Lucas Leiva supplied a sublime touch for Henderson to score their first goal and Mignolet emerged as the hero of the shootout. Both of the men in charge seemed happy enough with the evening’s exertions, if not the quality of parts of the playing surface. Coach Rodgers was delighted with the way his team twice fought back from a goal down. ‘Even though it was a pre-season game it was highly competitive,’ he said. ‘The players showed the character to keep going and come back. It was a really good game. We have to respect the quality we were playing against. City are a top side, one of the best teams in Europe.’ Coach trip: Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers (L) and Man City's Manuel Pellegrini (R) were generally pleased . Coach Pellegrini knows there is more to come from his squad but was satisfied with what he saw. ‘It was a very useful game for both teams,’ said the City boss. ‘We are trying to prepare our team in the best way. We’ve had a very good pre-season with part of the team. We had another five players playing some minutes today. The rest of the squad arrive next week we are preparing well for the Community Shield and Premier League.’ Liverpool still need to convince people that they can withstand the loss of Luis Suarez and re-establish themselves as title contenders this season. New signing Rickie Lambert wasted a gilt-edged chance in the first half and Daniel Sturridge was also subdued for long periods. Kolo Toure and Sebastian Coates started in central defence but some question if they can be trusted after defensive frailties cost Liverpool dear last season. Weak link: There were question marks over Kolo Toure's performance in central defence . City, meanwhile, need to complete the £32m signing of Eliaquim Mangala which has been dragging on since January. Despite signing Fernando, Bacary Sagna and Willy Caballero, a new centre-back was the priority and Mangala does not seem to be falling over himself to come to Manchester. Judging by the form of Kelechi Iheanacho on tour, City also need to sort out a work permit for the Nigerian teenager as soon as possible. Of the squad that turned up at Yankee Stadium, Scott Sinclair, Matija Nastasic, Micah Richards, Javi Garcia and Jack Rodwell could all be gone by the time the transfer window shuts.

Liverpool defeated Manchester City on penalties in the International Champions Cup pre-season friendly, New York . Steven Gerrard will resume his deep-lying midfield role this season . Stevan Jovetic looks a new signing after scoring both City's goals . Rahem Sterling impressed after coming on as a substitute to score . Brendan Rodgers was able to change formations during the game . Manuel Pellegrini still has the likes of Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho to return . Reds must prove they can compete in Premier League without Luis Suarez . Blues needs to complete the £32m signing of Eliaquim Mangala .

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Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson will go head-to-head as the 40th Ryder Cup gets under way on Friday morning with the match-up everyone wanted to see. American captain Tom Watson sounded like a man who had got what he wanted when he hailed the final fourballs match as the ‘main event’. ‘We’ve certainly got a match in that one, haven’t we?’ enthused the 65-year-old. ‘I will be on the first tee watching the other three matches tee off and then that’s the one I will be watching.’ Team Europe applaud Amc Macdonald as she comes on to sing in the opening ceremony . Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia . Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia celebrate after being named as partners for the fourball competiton . Team Europe take their place on stage at Gleneagles prior to the start of the Ryder Cup . Phil Mickelson puts his thumbs up on the way to the Opening Ceremony, while Rory McIlroy snubs him . Sergio Garcia (left) and Rory McIlroy (r) have been paired together for Europe on day one at the Ryder Cup . 0735: Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson vs Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson . 0750: Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer vs Ricky Fowler and Jimmy Walker . 0805: Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter vs Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed . 0820: Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy vs Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson . The Americans are desperate to knock world No 1 McIlroy off his perch and are clearly buoyant that their star pairing will have the chance in the anchor match, which will also feature Sergio Garcia and Keegan Bradley. On Wednesday, Mickelson tried to needle the Northern Irishman with a pointed comment about the legal action he is taking against his old management company, where Graeme McDowell is a shareholder. ‘At least we don’t litigate against one another,’ he said. Perhaps the only man who looked less than delighted was Europe captain Paul McGinley. ‘I don’t see that match-up as a big deal, to be honest,’ he commented. America will start and finish the fourballs with established pairings — Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson will play the opening match for the visitors against Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose — while Europe will field four new ones. McGinley admitted he hadn’t seen the pairing of McIlroy and Garcia coming but had been persuaded by the players themselves. ‘We started a dialogue back at Wentworth in May and it was clear they formed a bond and friendship during their battles over the summer,’ he said. ‘A big reason why I have put them together is their communication with me.’ Martin Kaymer poses for a selfie with a Team Europe supporter during Thursday's practice session . Ian Poulter of Team Europe takes a stroll through Gleneagles on Thursday afternoon . Scottish supporters in their kilts pay tribute to Ryder Cup legend Seve Ballesteros . Ian Poulter and Justin Rose of Team Europe were in good spirits during Thursday's practice . Ian Poulter and Jamie Donaldson weight up their options on the green on Thursday afternoon . The European Ryder Cup team pose for an official photo at Gleneagles on Thursday . Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson will play together in the fourballs on Friday . Explaining his overall strategy, McGinley said he wanted players in the first and last matches who were at or near the top of the world rankings. It might be the third match before the home crowd really finds its voice as local hero Stephen Gallacher gets a dream Ryder Cup debut alongside Ian Poulter. ‘Stevie’s got a great record at Gleneagles and it’s supposed to be windy in the morning, which will be right up his street,’ reasoned McGinley. ‘He’s got the perfect big-match player alongside him as well. What I will be telling Stevie is that he has nothing to prove. ‘He just needs to be himself and relish it.’ Their opponents are two rookies in Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed and Watson admitted: ‘I’ve said to them I’m throwing you into the ocean without a life preserver.’ But he added: ‘I’m just so impressed with their attitude. Jordan is so strong-willed, while if Patrick gets it going he thinks he can beat the world. I like that in a player.’ Watson caused some raised eyebrows by leaving out Matt Kuchar and Jim Furyk, who are two of the three highest-ranked Americans in the world ratings. ‘You can bet they will both be playing in the afternoon, as will the other two players who are not playing in the morning,’ he said. Similarly, McGinley all but promised that the partnerships of McDowell and Victor Dubuisson and Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson will be utilised in the afternoon foursomes. Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer will be up against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker (below) The US Ryder Cup team watch on during the opening ceremony at Gleneagles .

Rory McIlroy will come up against Phil Mickelson after war of words . Mickelson poked fun at McIlroy's legal wrangle with Graeme McDowell . McIlroy will team up with Sergio Garcia, Mickelson with Keegan Bradley . Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson play Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson . Rickie Fowler with Jimmy Walker, to face Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer . Ian Poulter with Stephen Gallagher, vs Jordan Speith and Patrick Reed . Fourballs starts early on Friday morning . Team USA looking to make up for defeat to Europe in Medinah .

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The Oscars. Perhaps the most sought-after red carpet invitation in the world. And Angela Ahrendts turned it down. It says a lot about the 53-year-old chief executive of Burberry, who today announced she would be leaving the British clothing firm to join technology giant Apple as its new vice president for retail and online stores. This is a woman who prioritizes family above all -- and that includes rubbing shoulders with the crème de la crème of Hollywood at lavish gala events. The same mother-of-three who married her childhood sweetheart Gregg, and reportedly tries to limit herself to one night out a week. And the same woman who this year became the first female to top Britain's executive pay league, taking home a total £16.9 million ($27 million). Unsurprisingly, "balance" is a big word in Ahrendts' life. She turned down an invite to the Academy Awards because: "It's not more important than my husband. It's not more important than my kids. It's not more important than Burberry," she said in an interview with British newspaper The Sunday Times. "I don't want to be a great executive without being a great mom and a great wife. I don't want to look back and say I wish I had done things differently." Fashion forward . Growing up as one of six siblings in the small town of New Palestine in Indiana, Ahrendts gained a merchandise and marketing degree from Ball State University before rising up the ranks of fashion houses Donna Karan International, Henri Bendal, and Liz Claiborne. In 2006 she headed to Britain, joining Burberry as its CEO, and revitalizing the century-old company which had seen its iconic check pattern become the favored print of minor celebrities and rip-off merchants. Indeed, Ahrendts has been credited with rescuing the Burberry brand from the clutches of the masses and placing it on the top shelf of luxury living. Thanks to Ahrendts, Burberry is now not only cool but synonymous with glamor. Revenues have nearly tripled to more than $3 billion and Ahrendt herself was catapulted to 53 on the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women list this year. Watch: Angela Ahrendts -- 'profits are up' "Burberry is in brilliant shape," said Ahrendt in a statement today. "Having built the industry's most powerful management team, converted the business to a dynamic digital global retailer, created a world class supply chain, state of the art technology infrastructure, sensational brand momentum and one of the most closely connected creative cultures in the world today." She will be replaced by chief creative officer Christopher Bailey, who has been in the role for six years, and her departure means there are now just two female chief executives in the FTSE 100 -- Imperial Tobacco chief Alison Cooper and EasyJet's Carolyn McCall. Facebook generation . What's the secret to Ahrendts' enormous success? A seemingly indefatigable work ethic appears to be one. This, after all, is the woman who reportedly rises at 4.35am and has a reliance on Diet Coke. But there's also been her ability to tap into a new generation of digital consumers relying on social media for fashion trends, and increasingly buying online. Burberry's Spring/Summer 2013 campaign video gained over one million YouTube views in just 48 hours. And the luxury brand now has 16 million fans on Facebook and more than two million followers on Twitter. Wander around Burberry's London flagship store on Regent Street and you'll find sales assistants armed with iPads. Meanwhile mirrors transform into screens displaying catwalk images thanks to special technology sewn into some clothing and accessories. What's more is that the actual store has been redesigned to recreate an experience that reflects the company's website, Burberry World Live. "Burberry is a company that's been around 155 years. Nothing's short term. Everything is for the long term," she told CNN of her marketing plan in 2011. After her seven years at Burberry, what Ahrendts will be most remembered for is her digital first approach that helped revitalize the century old fashion house into an upmarket luxury brand. iWatch this space? Ahrendts' fashion credentials helped her breathe new life into a British clothing institution. But with rumors that Apple is now keen to use her expertise on its new iWatch, could they also boost a sector increasingly delving into wearable technology? After all, Apple's decision to hire Ahrendts comes just three months after it recruited Paul Deneve, the former chief executive of French luxury group Yves Saint Laurent. And if anybody's up to the job of keeping up with cool kids of fashion, it's Ahrendts.

Who is Angela Ahrendts, new Apple vice president of retail and online? Mother-of-three snubbed the Oscars to spend time with family . Grew up one of six siblings in Indiana and dreamed of working in fashion . Helped turn around Burberry, fashion know-how may be used in new Apple iWatch .

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By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 15:50 EST, 21 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:17 EST, 21 February 2013 . Charged: Nicholas Gonzales, 27, who was arrested after breaking into a fire station and being caught masturbating . A drunk man was arrested after he was allegedly caught masturbating after smashing his way into a fire station. Nicholas Gonzales was detained by officers after breaking into the Metro Firehouse in Louisville, Kentucky, in the early hours of Saturday morning. It is alleged that he smashed a bay window of the fire station and removed firemen's 'gear' from lockers. When firefighters at the station went to investigate the sound of smashing glass they allegedly found Mr Gonzales, 27, pleasuring himself in front of the equipment. Firefighter Michael Davenport told WHAS-TV that Mr Gonzales never acknowledged him when he caught him. He said: He continued his lewd act and that's when I grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him out. Police were called and Mr Gonzales was arrested. Officers reportedly said that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time. He has since been charged with burglary in the second degree, public intoxication and criminal mischief. According to WLKY.com, when asked by officers why he had broken into the fire station, he replied: 'Because I wanted to.' It is thought that he caused around $1,000 dollars of damage by breaking in. The station belongs to the Louisville Division of Fire, one of 19 fire departments which covers Louisville-Jefferson County in Kentucky. Nicholas Gonzales smashed his way into this fire station in Louisville, Kentucky . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.

Nicholas Gonzales was arrested after the incident in Louisville, Kentucky . He had allegedly smashed his way through a window at the fire station . He was 'caught masturbating over equipment taken from lockers'

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Money doesn't grow on trees because if it did, universities like the University of Michigan wouldn't have to spend almost half-a-million dollars on transporting an old oak. A 250-year-old burr oak tree, the oldest on Michigan's campus, will cost $400,000 to move just 100 feet to a new home in a couple of weeks. There's a 20 to 30 per cent the tree won't survive during the move but school officials are still willing to take a chance, reports Mlive.com. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Expensive by nature: The costly, months-long process of uprooting a 65-foot-tall, 250-year-old tree will culminate later this month as the University of Michigan has set a move day sometime in the coming weeks . The move: A crew began the $400,000 process of excavating and moving the legacy burr oak tree in July in order to make way for the school's $135 million, donor-funded expansion at the school . Large cargo:  Crews have already placed pipes beneath the 700,000 pound tree's roots and will lift the tree from the center of the ground and then transport it  to a new home . The burr oak tree stands at 65-feet tall and carries with it 250 years of history. The incentive to move the tree came after it stood in the way of expanding the M. Ross School of Business as part of a $135 million donor funded project, reports The Washington Post. Funding was made possible in part by real estate tycoon Stephen M. Ross for whom the business school was named. 291 students and faculty signed a petition to save the oak. 'As I see it, the rationale for preserving the (legacy burr oak) tree is about history, tradition, pride and respect,' petition signer Jenny Cooper told the Ann Arbor News. 'The tree is a symbol of strength and resilience and far predates the university as part of the landscape.' The University of Michigan hired specialists from a company called Environmental Design to oversee the project to increase the chances the tree will survive. Big spender:  The expansion of the M. Ross School of Business as part of a $135 million donor funded project is helped much in part by real estate tycoon Stephen M. Ross (right) for whom the school is named . A piece of cake: Crews are planning to isolate the ground where the tree stands and remove it like the center of a piece of cake onto another plot of land on campus . Moving land plots: The plan is to move it from its place in a courtyard at the north side of the Ross complex, facing the School of Education, to a lawn area off Tappan Street on University of Michigan's campus . History:  A 250-year-old oak tree, the oldest on Michigan's campus, will cost $400,000 to move just 100 feet to a new home in a couple of weeks after students and faculty signed a petition to keep the tree alive . Expanding: Tree is being moved in order to make way for the school's $135 million, donor-funded expansion at the school , specifically the M. Ross School of Business . Crews have already placed pipes beneath the 700,000 pound tree's roots and will lift the tree from the center of the ground. Once they've isolated the tree, workers will transport the tree to a rolling platform and they will then place the tree in its final destination on October 25. Despite some critics saying $400,000 is a waste of money to move a tree that may not survive, more people than not are happy the campus appreciates trees and the nature surrounding the school. The University of Michigan released a press release describing announcing the endeavour. 'The transporter has approximately 100 wheels, which all operate independently. This gives us the flexibility to turn the tree as many different directions as needed to safely relocate the tree,' said Paul Cox, vice president of Environmental Design in the release. 'We expect the process of relocating the tree to take all day Saturday, again, weather permitting.' he added. Cox explains that the cost has less to do with the act of moving the tree and more with keeping it alive. 'It’s very much like the Egyptians moved the blocks for the pyramids,' Cox told Fox News. 'The driver of the cost is the amount of weight being moved. When you move things that are 700,000 pounds — which is equivalent to moving 300 average size cars at the same time — that’s what’s driving the cost of it.'

A 250-year-old burr oak tree, the oldest on University of The Michigan's campus, will cost $400,000 to move just 100 feet to a new home . There's a 20 to 30 per cent the tree won't survive during the move but school officials are still willing to take a chance . The tree is being moved because it stands in the way of the school's donor funded $135 million expansion of the M. Ross School of Business . Funding is made possible in part by real estate tycoon Stephen M. Ross for whom the business school is named . 291 students and faculty signed a petition to protect the tree .

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(CNN) -- L'Wren Scott, a noted fashion designer who has been Mick Jagger's companion for more than a decade, was found dead in her New York apartment Monday of an apparent suicide, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. She was 49. Scott's assistant found the designer hanging from a door knob with a scarf around her neck, the official said. There were no signs of forced entry, and police did not find a suicide note, the official said. Her assistant told police Scott sent a text Monday morning asking the assistant to "come by, and when the assistant arrived at approximately 10:02 a.m., Scott was dead in the living room, prompting the assistant to call police," according to the official. The New York Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death, according to Sgt. Nieves with the New York Police Department . A spokesman for Mick Jagger said that the singer was completely shocked and devastated by the news. Scott had been dating Jagger, 70, since at least 2003. The lanky former model designed clothes worn by a number of celebrities, including Madonna, Allison Williams and Christina Hendricks. She also created many of Jagger's looks for the Rolling Stones' 50th anniversary tour, which began in 2012 and is currently in Australia. The band called off Wednesday night's show in Perth, following the news. "Frontier Touring and Concerts West regret to announce that The Rolling Stones concert in Perth will not be going ahead as scheduled for Wednesday 19 March 2014," a statement on the Perth Arena website said. Ticket holders were told to hold on to their tickets for the show. In addition to her haute creations, she designed a collection for Banana Republic that was introduced late last year. "I don't really jump on anything unless I believe it will deliver the quality and standards I stay true to. It is a very fun happy collection and I think it is classic and timeless and elegant," she told Vanity Fair at the introduction last October. Celebrities attending the event included Hendricks, Ke$ha, Rashida Jones and Michael B. Jordan, as well as Jagger. On Monday, several stars mourned Scott on social media. Actress Olivia Munn tweeted, "Shocked and saddened by the passing of @lwrenscott ... she was an amazing soul, talented artist and an unbelievably giving friend. RIP." Fellow designer Rachel Roy tweeted, "Rest in Peace, L'Wren Scott. You will be forever missed." Mick Jagger's first wife, Bianca Jagger, tweeted, "Heartbroken to learn of the loss of the lovely and talented L'Wren Scott. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. May she rest in peace." Singer and actress Bette Midler tweeted, "Just got news of the beautiful L'wren Scott's death perhaps by her own hand. I am devastated. A rare, wonderful, talented soul. Goodbye." Cosmetics maven Bobbi Brown released a statement saying "I'm devastated by the tragic news about L'Wren. She was an incredible designer who I considered my friend. My heartfelt condolences go out to her loved ones during this very sad time." Scott was born Laura "Luann" Bambrough and raised in Utah. The statuesque beauty -- she was 6-foot-4 -- was first spotted by photographer Bruce Weber at a Calvin Klein hosiery shoot, according to Vogue. After modeling for several years, she became a stylist and eventually designed costumes for films such as the 1996 remake of "Diabolique" and 2000's "Mercy." She also received a credit on 2007's "Ocean's Thirteen" as actress Ellen Barkin's consultant. People we lost in 2014 . CNN's Shimon Prokupecz and Elizabeth Landers contributed to this report.

L'Wren Scott, noted fashion designer, found dead . Scott was Mick Jagger's longtime girlfriend . The former model introduced a Banana Republic line last year .

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Sir Richard Branson insists he still intends to travel to space with his family on Virgin Galactic, despite a test flight crash last week that killed one pilot. Speaking from Necker Island - his private resort in the Caribbean - Branson said surviving pilot Peter Siebold, 43, escaped serious injury and should be out of hospital in the next few days. US investigators say they have not ruled out the possibility of pilot error on board SpaceShipTwo, which crashed in the Mojave Desert in California on Friday, killing co-pilot Michael Alsbury, 39. Scroll down for video . Branson told Sky News he still intends on travelling to space with his family on the Virgin Galactic despite the fatal crash during a test flight last week . Branson the Virgin group's founder, said Virgin Galactic could 'move forward' following the disaster as he vowed to travel on board the space flight with his relatives once safety tests have been completed. Branson told Sky News: 'We've spent many, many years building a spacecraft, a mothership, a space port, that I think can do the job and do the job safely. 'We will not start taking people until we've finished a whole massive series of test flights and until myself and my family have gone up, and until we feel that we can safely say to people 'we're ready to go'.' He added: 'All I can say is we will not fly members of the public unless we can fly myself and family members. Sheriffs' deputies look at wreckage from the crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo . 'We need to be absolutely certain our spaceship has been thoroughly tested - and that it will be - and once it's thoroughly tested and we can go to space, we will go to space. 'We must push on. There are incredible things that can happen through mankind being able to explore space properly.' Sir Richard insisted that 'we must push on' following the disaster that killed one pilot on Friday . Speaking on the Today show this morning, Branson insisted the team intends to continue working on the spaceship, despite what he called a 'horrible setback'. 'We have a wonderful spaceship,' he said. 'They're not going to down tools - they're going to move forward and create a spaceship company that will one day be the marvel of the world… It's worth the risks.' He added they owed it to Alsbury to carry on with the project. 'We owe it to him to continue and that we will do,' he said. 'It's a grand program which has had a horrible setback, but I don't think anyone watching this program would want us to abandon it at this stage.' He would not speculate on the cause of the crash and said he will follow the National Transit Safety Board's (NTSB) lead. Speaking to Sky News, Branson also criticised the 'irresponsible innuendo' in some of the reports of the crash, including claims there had been a mid-air explosion and that some engineers had left the project over safety concerns. 'It was incredibly hurtful to the 400 engineers who have worked so gallantly at Virgin Galactic,' he said. 'It was insulting. If the press had looked at the photographs they would have seen full fuel tanks and engines all intact on the ground and yet they were talking about a massive explosion. 'They were talking about people ejecting out of the plane and ejector seats. We don't have ejector seats. 'It was the British press at its worst and some of them should hang their heads in shame.' Speaking on the Today show this morning, Sir Richard insisted the team will continue working on the spaceship, despite what he called a 'horrible setback' Last year, Branson said he hoped to to take his children Sam (left), 29, and Holly (right), 32, into space with him aboard Virgin Galactic's first passenger spaceflight on SpaceShipTwo . Branson said there was 'overwhelming global support' for the project and he had received hundreds of supportive emails, including two people who signed up for flights on the day of the disaster. 'I'm absolutely convinced Virgin Galactic has a great future,' he added. Last year, Branson spoke about his hopes to take his children Sam, 29, and Holly, 32, into space with him aboard Virgin Galactic's first passenger spaceflight on SpaceShipTwo. 'I think any rational person would be slightly nervous, but it's going to be the most incredible experience ever,' Sam Branson told NBC in an interview. These images show the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo rocket separating from the carrier aircraft, left, and then disintegrating, right, during a test flight on Friday . 'We've had people like myself who booked the whole spaceship for their families,' Richard Branson added, 'and I think you know it'll be just a magnificent experience for everybody.' NTSB, which is leading the probe into the crash, has revealed that seconds before the crash a safety device to slow the descent of the craft had been deployed prematurely. Investigators found that the spaceship's 'feathering' system - which lifts and rotates the tail to create drag - was activated before the craft reached the appropriate speed. The system of deployment is a two-step process, but Christopher Hart, acting chairman of the NTSB, said that, while the co-pilot unlocked the system, the second step occurred 'without being commanded'. Debris from Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 sits in a desert field north of Mojave, following the crash that killed one of the two pilots . Michael Alsbury (left) was killed in the crash on Friday, while co-pilot Peter Siebold (right) survived . 'After it was unlocked, the feathers moved into the deployed position and two seconds later we saw disintegration,' he told a press conference. Mr Hart said investigators would look at a wide range of issues including training, the spacecraft's design and whether there was pressure to continue testing, over the coming months to determine the cause of the crash. Asked whether investigators were 'edging' towards the possibility of pilot error, Mr Hart replied: 'We're not edging towards anything. We're not ruling anything out. 'We're looking at all of these issues to determine what was the root cause of this mishap. 'We are looking at a number of possibilities including that possibility (pilot error).' A piece of debris is seen near the scene of the crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo . Virgin Galactic pilot Todd Erikson (left) shares information with NTSB Acting Chairman Christopher Hart (right) at a section of the crash site of the Virgin Galactic prototype space tourism rocket in the Mojave desert . Virgin Galactic - owned by Sir Richard's Virgin Group and Aabar Investments PJS of Abu Dhabi - plans to fly passengers to altitudes more than 62 miles (100km) above Earth. The company, which sells seats on each prospective journey for 250,000 US dollars (£156,000), has denied reports it ignored safety warnings ahead of the test flight crash. In a statement, the company said: 'At Virgin Galactic, we are dedicated to opening the space frontier, while keeping safety as our 'North Star'. This has guided every decision we have made over the past decade, and any suggestion to the contrary is categorically untrue.' Billionaire Richard Branson was speaking from his home on Necker Island - his private resort in the Caribbean .

Billionaire insisted he still intends to travel with his family on Virgin Galactic . He claimed Virgin Galactic could 'move forward' despite disaster last week . Said surviving pilot Peter Siebold should be out of hospital in next few days . Also criticised 'irresponsible innuendo' in some reports of the crash . On the Today show, Branson described crash as a 'horrible setback' Branson was speaking from his private Caribbean resort .

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By . Pa Reporter . Australia captain Michael Clarke will miss next month's one-day international series against Pakistan because of the hamstring injury which ruled him out of much of the recent tour to Zimbabwe. Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris has explained Clarke's injury is more serious than first hoped, and the 33-year-old batsman must therefore sit out the ODI leg of his team's final tour - to be played in the United Arab Emirates - before they host the World Cup next winter. Kountouris said: 'Since returning to Australia, Michael has had a series of investigations that have confirmed a significant hamstring injury. Australia captain Michael Clarke will miss the ODI series against Pakistan due to a hamstring injury . Clarke and England's Eoin Morgan clash during a One Day International in Sydney earlier this year . 'Importantly, the scans have demonstrated tendon damage - which complicates the recovery from this injury. 'As such, he will not recover in time to be available for the ODI series in the UAE. 'We hope he will be available for the Test series, but this will be determined at a date closer to the first Test.'

Clarke missed out on recent tour to Zimbabwe with problem . Australia captain is to be rested with the hope of playing in World Cup . Clarke may be available for the Test series .

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(CNN) -- The sisters of an Iowa politician were found shot to death at their Pennsylvania home last week, according to Pittsburgh police. The bodies of Sarah and Susan Wolfe -- the sisters of Iowa state Rep. Mary Wolfe -- were found in their basement Friday after officers were sent to the home to check on the well-being of one sister when she didn't show up for work. Each died of a single gunshot wound to the head, and their deaths were ruled homicides, the Allegheny County medical examiner's office said Monday. On Facebook, Mary Wolfe thanked those who had extended their sympathies, saying the family was "heartbroken, but grateful." Mary Wolfe is the oldest of eight children, according to her website. Police haven't identified a motive for the shootings. A car belonging to the women was missing but was recovered early Saturday, police said.

NEW: Each died of a single gunshot wound to the head, medical examiner's office says . Two sisters of Iowa state Rep. Mary Wolfe were found shot to death Friday . Pittsburgh police haven't identified a motive for the shootings .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama hosted a White House reception Monday in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, but faced criticism for not keeping campaign promises to the community. President Obama signed same-sex benefits legislation earlier this month. "I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans," the president said in a proclamation this month. "These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing 'don't ask, don't tell' policy in a way that strengthens our armed forces and our national security." But critics say it's too little, too late. A memorandum signed this month by Obama means same-sex partners of civil service employees can be added to the long-term care program, employees can use their sick leave to take care of domestic partners, and children and same-sex partners of Foreign Service employees will be included in medical evacuations and housing allocations, according to the White House. But it does not extend full health care coverage, which would require an act of Congress. "It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture, but a disappointment," Richard Kim, a senior editor at The Nation magazine, said at the time. "It will absolutely be seen as something good. But I think, for example, it not including full health insurance, that is going to put a real microscope on that question. You know, why not?" Kim said, adding that memo applies only to federal employees, so most people will not be affected by it. The extension of health and retirement benefits to same-sex partners is prohibited under the Defense of Marriage Act. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said the entire memorandum violates the act. "President Obama's ... executive order uses taxpayer money to placate an angry portion of his base at the expense of the rule of law," Perkins said this month in a written statement. "This order raises the question of whether the president has the authority to ignore (the Defense of Marriage Act) and bypass the legislative process." Charles Moran, the spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans, said the lack of full benefits in the June 18 memorandum shows a lack of commitment to the gay community. "That's the part that just shows that the Obama administration really isn't serious about their promises to the gay and lesbian community. Things like the health benefits, things like retirement benefits and coverage for spouses -- these are the core issues," Moran said. He said Obama has had multiple opportunities to fulfill his promises to the gay and lesbian community -- including by repealing the military's don't ask, don't tell policy and standing against the Justice Department motion filed this month in support of the Defense of Marriage Act. "Here we are, several months after he's been inaugurated, and we've gotten basically nothing. So it is too little, too late," Moran said. Obama said he still wants to repeal the act, as he advocated during last year's election campaign. "I believe it's discriminatory. I think it interferes with states' rights, and we will work with Congress to overturn it," he said. Obama frequently spoke in favor of gay and lesbian rights during the presidential campaign, but also has said he opposes same-sex marriage. In the run up to his inauguration, he declared himself "a fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans." Given the support Obama received from the gay community during the campaign season, Kim said, so far the Obama administration has let gay and lesbian rights activists down. Obama got 70 percent of the vote from those who identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, according to CNN exit polls. "I think there is an overwhelming feeling that he has not lived up to expectations on these matters," he said. Obama is the second U.S. president to recognize the community. Bill Clinton designated June 2000 as Gay and Lesbian Pride month.

Obama stops short of giving full health care coverage to same-sex partners . President's support for gay issues doesn't go far enough, some say . Obama's actions "too little, too late," say GOP gay leader .

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(CNN) -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter believes Spain's La Liga is the best football league in the world, and claims that England's top division can learn from it. In an exclusive interview with CNN's World Sport, Blatter pointed to the eight Spain-based players in the 2010 FIFA World XI and Spain's World Cup success as justification. "(Looking at the World XI) it must be the strongest league in the world," he said. "And when you see the starting XI of the Spanish national team (who won the World Cup), all of them play their football in Spain. The Spanish league also has the highest number of local players." Why were EPL players snubbed in all-star team? Blatter told World Sport's Pedro Pinto the lack of England-based players in the FIFA World XI undermined the quality of the country's Premier League. "The Premier League is the best-marketed league in the world," he said. "It's a good league, with good players, but when you consider not one player made the best XI of the world, maybe they should think about whether something can be adapted." The FIFA World XI featured six players from Barcelona and two from Real Madrid, with the other three from Italian Serie A champions Inter Milan. Among their number was the 2010 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, the 23-year-old midfielder who beat his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Andres Iniesta to be named the world's best player for the second year in a row. "Leo Messi is what I identify as a wonderful football player and a good boy. He is really humble. It's not a game he's playing, he's not an actor," Blatter said. Have your say on Blatter's decisions . Blatter said Messi needed to win a World Cup before he could be compared to fellow Argentine Diego Maradona, captain of the 1986 champion side. "When I compare Messi to Maradona, both are excellent, talented players. They could not be more talented. But the difference is their personal educational characteristics," Blatter said. "One is still in football, modest and not trying to get into the extravaganza. The other did it."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter believes Spanish La Liga is best in the world . Eight of the players in the FIFA 2010 World XI play for Barcelona or Real Madrid . Lionel Messi awarded Ballon d'Or ahead of Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta . Blatter hails Messi as a wonderful footballer who is humble and a "good boy"

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Roger Federer survived a scare to reach the quarter-finals of his home-town tournament in Basle, while 17-year-old Borna Coric set up a clash with Rafael Nadal. Federer has not failed to reach the final of the Swiss Indoors since 2003, but he had to fight back from a set down to see off Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. In the last eight, the 33-year-old will play fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov, who defeated Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 6-2. Roger Federer lets out a roar as he fights back from a set down to beat Denis Istomin in Basle . Federer reaches to play the volley as the Swiss progresses to the quarter-finals of his home tournament . Coric is at the forefront of an exciting new generation in men's tennis and he followed up his upset of Ernests Gulbis in round one by seeing off Andrey Golubev 6-4, 6-4. Nadal was the Croatian teenager's hero growing up and Coric said on the ATP website: 'I think it's going to be a great match. 'He's an unbelievable tennis player. It's a privilege to play against him. I hope I can play the best I can and we'll see what happens.' Croatian 17-year-old wildcard Borna Coris celebrates as he reaches the last eight in Basle . Grigor Dimitrov plays a forehand as the Bulgarian seals a last-eight encounter with top seed Federer . Fourth seed Milos Raonic strengthened his hopes of qualifying for the World Tour Finals by holding off Donald Young 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-2), and next plays in-form David Goffin. The other quarter-final will be between eighth seed Ivo Karlovic and Germany's Benjamin Becker. Karlovic battled to a 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-3 win over Kenny De Schepper, while Becker was leading 4-0 in the decider against Mikhail Kukushkin when the Kazakh retired.

Roger Federer beat Denis Istomin 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round . The Swiss goes through to the last eight to play Grigor Dimitrov . Croatian 17-year-old Borna Coric set up a meeting with Rafael Nadal .

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By . Leon Watson . Seattle's first and only legal marijuana store has run out of stock and been forced to shut up shop just three days after opening. Cannabis City, south of downtown, expects to reopen on July 21, according to a voicemail message for incoming callers. The shop is one of a few dozen across the state to receive a license to sell marijuana legally in Washington, where a state law legalizing the sell of recreational marijuana went into effect last week. Now closed: James Lathrop, the owner of recreational marijuana store Cannabis City, pumps his fist in the air before opening the shop on the first day in which retail marijuana sales were legal in Seattle, Washington . The store sold 11 pounds of the drug between opening day on July 8 and the end of the day on Thursday, the shop’s owner told the Tacoma News Tribune. 'We knew it was coming,' said owner James Lathrop. 'We didn’t have any guaranteed additional deliveries.' Twenty months after voters legalized recreational cannabis for adults over 21, Washington state's first few licensed pot shops opened for business last week. The shops catered to hundreds of customers who were thrilled to be part of the historic moment. The state eventually plans to have more than 300 shops operating. Washington is the second state to allow marijuana sales without a doctor's note. Voters in Colorado also legalized pot in 2012, and sales began there January 1. Washington's Liquor Control Board began working right away to develop rules governing just about every aspect of the industry, from what fertilizers can be used to how extracts are produced. Out of stock: James Lathrop, left, the owner of the recreational marijuana store Cannabis City, sold 11 pounds of the drug between opening day on July 8 and the end of the day on Thursday . Nearly 7,000 people applied to grow, process or sell pot in Washington, but fewer than 100 growers have been approved . A crowd waited to buy legal recreational marijuana outside of recreational marijuana store Cannabis City, on its opening day . But the board has been overwhelmed: Nearly 7,000 people applied to grow, process or sell pot, and those licenses are being reviewed glacially by the board's 18 investigators. Fewer than 100 growers have been approved, and only about a dozen were ready to harvest in time for the market's launch. As for the stores, most first had to get lucky in state-run lotteries for 300-plus retail licenses being issued. Then they had to strike deals to buy product from the growers — in many cases at exorbitant prices. Much of the marijuana being sold last Tuesday cost at least twice the $10 to $12 per gram offered by the state's unregulated medical dispensaries. In Seattle, hundreds of people waited in the warm sunshine outside for Cannabis City to open at noon. Store owner James Lathrop declared it time to 'free the weed' and cut the ribbon — actually yellow police tape strung across the shop's door.

Cannabis City, south of downtown, expects to reopen on July 21 . The store sold 11 pounds of the drug in three days after opening . It is one of a few dozen across the state to receive a license . State eventually plans to have more than 300 shops operating .

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As the government's austerity programme rolls on, and the UK tightens its belt, Britain is a nation in need of something to smile about. And it seems a Shetland pony moon-walking to the strains of an '80s pop tune could be just the thing. An advert for mobile internet firm 3, which sees a pony tapping its hooves to Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac, has been lauded as 'the best thing ever' by fans on Twitter. Scroll down for video . Silly: The Shetland pony is seen moon-walking to the sounds of Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac in the advert . The quirky clip has racked up more than two million YouTube hits in less than a week. 'Seeing the dancing pony advert brightens up my day,' said Twitter user @_5ophie, while @Lozzaap tweeted that it would 'always be my favourite advert'. Another fan, @Anthonyshaw_, posted: 'Love that dancing pony in the new 3 advert', adding 'It'll probably be in a lasagne by next week though' - referencing the recent horse meat scandal. Today, Mari Williamson, the owner of Socks told of her pride. Mrs Williamson, 42, who runs the Benston stud farm on Shetland, said she was amazed at the five-year-old's new found fame. He was even given the VIP treatment during the shoot by having his own hairdresser who attached 40 clips to his locks for each day of filming. 'Brightens my day': One Twitter user described the 3 advert as 'the best thing I've ever seen' Baffled: A grey horse peers over a wall at the dancing pony in the quirky ad . In the zone: The dancing Shetland pony moon-walks to the edge of a cliff in the advert, which ends with the caption: 'Silly stuff. It matters' Mrs Williamson was approached last year to supply the ponies for the advert, which was filmed on the cliffs of Eshaness on the islands. She said: 'The reaction has been . incredible, we have had phone calls and emails from all over the world. I . thought they did a terrific job with the advert and it was surreal . watching it for the first time. 'Socks is a plucky pony who just . loves attention and I think that's why he was picked out to be the star. He spent a week filming the advert and he took it all in his stride. 'It's gone viral now with millions of . people watching him but he is blissfully unaware and is keeping his . hoofs firmly on the ground.' Socks was prepared for his starring . role for two weeks by local animal trainer Elaine Tait, who told how she . taught him to 'moonwalk' by giving him carrots as gifts. She said: 'Since I only had two weeks in order to get Socks ready to moonwalk, I had to work quickly to gain his trust. Quirky: The advert has received over two million hits on YouTube . Standing out in a crowd: The other Shetlands carry on grazing as the dancing pony moon-walks past . 'I had to encourage him to go up on . his rear legs as well - usually this is something that a trainer tries . to get his horse or pony not to do, but because of the choreography of . the ad, it was something we had to do. 'In order to get him to paw the . ground, which is probably one of the most important parts of the . moonwalk process, I placed a facecloth to the ground that he would paw. 'Eventually, he would know to paw the ground without the facecloth being there.' The moonwalking Shetland horse advert . was filmed by award-winning filmmaker Dougal Wilson, famed for his . tear-jerking festive films for John Lewis. Local hairstylist Bjoern Larson fitted Socks with extensions and used luxury products on him for the shoot. One of Mrs Williamson's other ponies, Hugh, also starred on the advert, which launched during Coronation Street last week. However, she insisted that despite his fame she will not be cashing in by selling Socks. She added: 'He has never been for sale and I won't be selling him no matter what the price. 'He's a very special little pony.' Mash-up versions of the popular . advert have also been cropping up on YouTube, including one in which the . Fleetwood Mac song has been replaced by Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, . and another which sees the pony trotting to the sounds of Teenage Kicks . by The Undertones.

Dancing Shetland pony has racked up millions of YouTube hits . Ad for mobile network 3 described as 'best thing ever' by fans . Mari Williamson, the owner of the stallion Socks, told of her pride .

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The Department of Homeland Security was dragging its feet on processing Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev's U.S. citizenship after a routine background check revealed he had been questioned by the FBI in 2011. Tamerlan, 26, filed an application for citizenship six months ago but immigration officials had not yet made a decision on his case at the time of the Boston Marathon bombings. Authorities knew the alleged bomber had a domestic violence charge on his record but the fact he had been grilled by federal agents is reportedly what threw up red flags, halting the progress of his application. It's not clear what the 26-year-old, who was killed early Friday, was told about why his application was facing delays. Pending: Homeland Security hadn't granted US citizenship to Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, pictured left in 2010, and right, last Monday, minutes before the attack . In custody: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, is in critical condition at a Boston hospital after he was discovered Friday evening hiding in a boat in Watertown . Official reported on Friday that the . F.B.I. interviewed the older Tsarnaev brother in January 2011 at the . request of the Russian government, which suspected that he had ties to . Chechen terrorists. They said this decision to delay his . application proved his encounter with the F.B.I. did not go unnoticed by . the Department of Homeland security. According to The New York Times, the . terror suspect's application, presented on September 5, also prompted . the FBI to do 'additional investigation' of him this year. They didn't reveal how far the probe had gone or what it covered. Tamerlan's papers were submitted just days after his brother, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, had his own citizenship application approved. According to the Times, officials with Homeland Security contacted the FBI late last year to learn more about its interview with the terror suspect and the agency reported its conclusion that he did not present a threat. However, immigration officials did not move to approve or deny the application, choosing instead to leave it open for 'additional review.' On Sunday, U.S. lawmakers from both parties criticized the FBI for failing to spot the extremist leanings of Tamerlan Tsarnaev . and demanded to know why the agency did not at least follow up with the . elder brother following a six-month trip to Russia in 2012. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-South . Carolina) went so far as to say 'the ball was dropped' by the federal . agency by either missing 'a lot of things' during their initial . investigation of the suspect or did not allow investigators to 'follow . up in a sound, solid way.' Outspoken: New York Sen. Charles Schumer, left, D-New York, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, raised questions on CNN over the FBI's follow-up on the elder Tsarnaev brother . Under . the barrage of attacks, the FBI has stood by their initial public . statement issued earlier last week, which said that the agency closed . their investigation on the ethnic Chechen in 2011 after failing to find . any ‘terrorism activity, domestic or foreign.’ On Sunday, House of Representatives . Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul wrote to the FBI and . other officials asking why Tamerlan Tsarnaev did not raise suspicions . after Russia asked the bureau to investigate him two years ago. 'Because if he was on the radar and . they let him go, he's on the Russians' radar, why wasn't a flag put on . him, some sort of customs flag?,' McCaul, a Texas Republican, said on . CNN's 'State of the Union.’ 'And I'd like to know what intelligence Russia has on him as well.' Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) was largely supportive of the FBI’s . efforts, but questioned why Tamerlan wasn’t interviewed upon his return . from Russia, where he had been for six months in 2012. ‘There . were things on his website that indicated that he had been . radicalized,’ Schumer said. ‘I think there’s a lot of questions that . have to be answered.’ Dwelling: The Tsarnaev brothers lived in this nondescript house in Cambridge, just across the river from Boston . Frequent: Tamerlan was said to often visit the Islamic Society of Boston mosque in Cambridge, pictured . The . FBI interviewed Tsarnaev in 2011, shortly after Russia's Federal . Security Service asked the agency to look into him as a possible . Islamist radical who might soon travel to Russia. It was unclear before . yesterday which foreign country had tipped off the FBI. When contacted, the FBI referred . MailOnline to the statement it issued on April 19, saying the FBI’s . search into Tamerlan’s records, travel history, and internet use yielded . no results. Meanwhile, the organization has . vehemently refuting a claim by the mother of the Tsarnaev brothers who . said the bureau had spoken to Tamerlan following the two bombs exploding . at last Monday’s marathon. FBI . spokesman Michael Kortan told the Associated Press Sunday that the . interviews in 2011 with Tamerlan and family members were the agency’s . only contact with the bombing suspect. The Tsarnaev’s parents, who live . in Russia, . Less than a . year after the FBI interview, Tsarnaev did in fact travel to the . volatile Dagestan region of southern Russia on a six-month trip out of . the United States. Much of what Tsarnaev did on that trip is still a . mystery to U.S. investigators, Reuters reported. Neighbors . contacted by Reuters say Tsarnaev spent at least a few weeks in . Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus mountains . where Islamist militants have long been a thorn in the side of . governments in Moscow. Guarded: Police guard the entrance to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Saturday, where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is being treated, rooms away from 11 of the bombing victims . Critical: Tsarnaev, who was arrested Friday night, remains in critical condition under heavy guard after he was apprehended in Watertown . Republican Representative Peter King . of New York told 'Fox News Sunday' he wondered why the FBI did not take . more action after Tsarnaev returned to the United States last year and . put statements on his website 'talking about radical imams.' Tamerlan Tsarnaev was not put on any . no-fly list of suspected terrorists, U.S. officials said. But his brush . with the FBI did raise concerns when he applied for U.S. citizenship . last year, a source close to the bombing investigation said. Officials . of the Homeland Security Department decided to give his application . extra scrutiny because of the FBI interview and also due to an . allegation against him of domestic abuse on a girlfriend in 2009, the . source said. The citizenship application was still under consideration . when Monday's bombing happened. Tamerlan . Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with U.S. police. and his brother . Dzhokhar, 19, remained hospitalized in serious condition on Sunday, . unable to speak. Three people were killed in Monday's bombing and 176 . were injured. Republican . Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said 'the FBI or the system . dropped the ball' on the elder Tsarnaev. Graham told CNN that U.S. laws . do not allow the FBI to follow up enough even if it does spot danger. Democratic . Senator Charles Schumer of New York told CNN 'there's certainly a lot . of questions' about the FBI's handling of the case. One . U.S. counterterrorism official urged perspective. 'If we thoroughly . investigated every one of these terrorism tips we get, we'd never get . anything done,' he said. Captured: The FBI wanted poster released last night was updated to show that Dzhokhar was in custody . A senior U.S. law enforcement source . said that the number of tips received from Russian intelligence to the . FBI each year is 'not that many.' But . nationally, he said, the FBI receives at least 100 terrorism tips a day . - from the public, local and state law enforcement, other federal . agencies and the intelligence community. House . Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent, . defended the agency. The Michigan Republican said the FBI had performed a . 'very thorough' review of the older brother in 2011, but then it failed . to receive further cooperation from Russia. 'That case was closed prior to his travel, so I don't think we missed anything,' Rogers said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' 'At . some point they (the FBI) asked, is there more clarifying information, . and never received that clarifying information, and at some point they . have nothing. You can't ask them to do something with nothing,' Rogers . said. But McCaul and King said the handling of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's case looked like it was part of a pattern. Open investigation: Law enforcement evidence technicians continue to investigate the scene of the Boston Marathon bombings on Saturday . The . 26-year-old 'appears to be the fifth person since September 11, 2001, . to participate in terror attacks despite being under investigation by . the FBI,' the pair said in a joint letter. They . named the others as Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric and leader of . al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen who was killed in a U.S. drone strike; . David Headley, an American who admitted scouting targets for a 2008 . Islamic militant raid on Mumbai; Carlos Bledsoe, who killed an Army . private outside a military recruiting office in Arkansas in 2009; and . Nidal Hasan, who is accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in . 2009. In addition, Umar . Farouk Abdulmutallab, who tried to bring down a U.S. jetliner over . Detroit on Christmas Day 2009, had been identified to the CIA as a . potential terrorist, the letter said, adding the cases 'raise the most . serious questions about the efficacy of federal counterterrorism . efforts.' The McCaul-King . letter asked for all information the U.S. government had on Tamerlan . Tsarnaev before April 15. It was also addressed to Director of National . Intelligence James Clapper and Homeland Security Secretary Janet . Napolitano.

Homeland Security had put a hold on Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan . Tsarnaev's U.S. citizenship application because of 2011 FBI interrogation . Lawmakers have blasted the FBI's handling of Tsarnaev case claiming the agency should have done more . Russia tipped FBI off to potential terrorist links but he was found to be clear of 'terrorism activity' South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said agency 'dropped the ball' on several fronts .

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Arroyo Grande, California (CNN) -- First, an 11-foot wooden cross was stolen from Saint John's Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande, California. Then, weeks later, the cross was discovered set aflame in the middle of the night outside the bedroom window of a 19-year-old woman of mixed race. Now authorities are investigating the case as a theft, arson and hate crime, police said Tuesday. The burning cross was erected in a neighbor's large front yard adjacent to the house rented by the woman and her mother. The mystery of who stole the cross and set it afire has deeply disturbed the small coastal town of Arroyo Grande, located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It sits in the heart of a wine region, just 47 miles northwest of the vineyards depicted in the movie "Sideways." Police Chief Steven Annibali told CNN Tuesday that a cross-burning is unheard of for his community of 17,000, and that only three hate crimes have been reported in his town the past 15 years, mostly for uttering slurs. That figure is the lowest for San Luis Obispo County, he said. With a picturesque mountain backdrop and only about 5.5 square miles in size, Arroyo Grande calls itself "the gem" of the central California coast. Authorities have announced a $3,500 reward in the case and even established a "Justice for All in Arroyo Grande" fund-raiser to raise that amount. But an attorney for the alleged victim and her mother has criticized the police investigation. "The family is trying to go about daily business, but they have ongoing concerns about their security and the direction of the investigation," attorney Louis Koory told CNN on Tuesday. "For example, if there are known racist elements in the community, it is not clear that the police are looking at these groups. It appears that it would be a logical starting point for an investigation, if there are known racist groups in the community. The first problem is that the police initially treated this as a prank and may have lost the opportunity to conduct an effective investigation," Koory said. Arroyo Grande police have not released the name of the 19-year-old woman, citing confidentiality provisions under California hate-crime laws. Annibali, the police chief, said his agency moved quickly over the weekend following the cross burning, which occurred on a Friday, and is now working with the FBI, the California Department of Justice, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's investigators and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department. His agency is also working with the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP, he said. "It's funny that he would even say that because we have a very good relationship with the victim and the mother from the start," Annibali said about the family's attorney. "Like with most crimes, you look at who would want to do this, and have you been involved in any activities that would lead someone to do this, or do you know somebody who would," the police chief said. "I'm very comfortable that we handled this appropriately," he continued. "We have been given access to any resources that the FBI has. And for a local agency like this, it's unprecedented." Annibali said police never called the cross-burning a "prank," saying that word was misattributed by local media. Agencies are now pursuing several leads, and he believes the cross-burning isn't the work of an organized hate group, he said. "We feel right now that it's people who are local. We don't think it's an organized group or anything like that. It's bloggers who want to raise that issue," the chief said. "There's no active hate groups in Arroyo Grande, none that we're aware of. We're working with the FBI, so we're pretty confident." Arroyo Grande police submitted physical evidence from the cross-burning scene to an independent crime lab for forensic analysis, authorities said. Authorities are also analyzing an "accelerant" used on the cross, Annibali said. In an interview with CNN at her home, the mother said she and her daughter looked out their window after midnight March 18 and were horrified by the sight of a burning cross just 12 feet from their house. "We were just blindsided. My daughter does not have a beef with anyone. We were both terrified. My daughter had a friend over and we looked out the window and there it was, a huge burning cross," the mother said. "We are just trying to maintain normalcy. We would like to see whoever did this caught," the mother said. She added that her daughter "is doing better now -- I bought her a puppy. She can give some love instead of all that hate and anger." The cross was stolen from the grounds of Saint John's Lutheran Church between February 5 and March 5, police said. The exact date is uncertain because church members weren't aware of the theft for a month, police said. The cross is ceremonial and wasn't an architectural fixture on the church, police said. At 12:30 a.m. on March 18, local police and firefighters were called about the cross-burning. By the time they arrived, they found large pieces of charred wood in the wet grass, still burning with about 5 inches of flame, police said. Randy Ouimette, pastor of the church where the cross was stolen, said he was disturbed that "a cross which is revered and gives hope was used to put fear into this family and disgust into the community." "First, the cross in Roman times became this symbol of crucifixion, punishment and awful death. Then it became the symbol of resurrection, renewal, the symbol of Jesus Christ of reconciliation, peace and hope. Now to see it used as a symbol of hate, intolerance and rejection is a misuse and desecration," Ouimette told CNN. The cross, which was hollow and made of different types of wood, had been used in a local production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in the community theater, Ouimette said. It was often brought to the beach on Easter mornings and adorned with bright flowers, Ouimette said. Many in the community are outraged at the incident. The Rev. Stephanie Raphael, president of the San Luis Obispo County Ministerial Association, said the group's 35 religious leaders representing Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others, signed a letter to the San Luis Obispo Tribune condemning the incident. "Catching someone is less important to me as people coming to grips with the fact that we do not live up to all the ideals of our democracy here in America," Raphael told CNN. "Even in a wonderful place like Arroyo Grande, bad things happen. I think that that is why some people in Arroyo Grande had such a hard time dealing with this: They did not think a cross-burning could happen in their city," she said. "But I think the good thing is that people are talking about this, discussing this, people of all faiths engaging in dialogue about what happened. I think that is very healthy." The police chief described his community as "one of the best secret places in California to be." "It's not what I would describe as a heavily multicultural community. It's heavily white, but we do have a number of other cultures represented in the community," Annibali said. CNN's Paul Vercammen contributed to this report .

Police in Arroyo Grande, California, are investigating a cross-burning as a hate crime . A 19-year-old biracial woman found an 11-foot cross burning outside her bedroom window . The police chief defends his investigation from criticism by the victim's family attorney .

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He's known for his love of skin tight denim. But Russell Brand was spotted hanging loose in a very baggy get-up as he stepped out with a lady friend. In what could only be described as a white pair of harem pants teamed with leg warmers, Russell paraded his eccentric sartorial style while out for a coffee in West Hollywood. Perhaps the comedian and actor was taking preventative action against revelations that skinny jeans could be bad for your health if you're a man. Hanging loose: Russell Brand stepped out for a coffee with a lady friend wearing what looked like harem pants teamed with leg warmers . Baggy trousers: Perhaps the comedian was taking preventative action against revelations that skinny jeans are bad for men's health . Experts revealed today that the number of men suffering painful testicular problems is on the rise because of tight jeans. Doctors, including top TV doctor Hilary Jones, have reported an increase in injuries being caused by the jeans, which are favoured by celebrities like Russell Brand, Jude Law and Joey Essex. The trendy denims are causing twisted testicles, bladder weakness and even urinary tract infections. Trousers too tight to mention: Skinny jeans made fashionable by celebrities like Russell . Brand (left) cause twisted testicles, bladder weakness and urinary . tract infections, TV doctor Hilary Jones (right) says . Low sperm count and fungal infections are also being put down to the tight-fitting jeans. Dr Jones, who is working with TENA on a project to highlight the dangers, said: ‘I have seen several cases of men who have twisted their testicles due to wearing jeans that are far too tight. ‘My advice would be to make sure you leave plenty of room around the groin area and that your pants and trousers feel comfortable so you’re not being restricted in any way. Tricky trends: Jude Law likes to stay trendy with tight jeans but he might also need to run to the toilet more often as tight-fitting jeans can put additional pressure on the bladder . ‘Men who wear tight or ill-fitting . trousers or underwear which is restrictive around the groin area could . be damaging their health. ‘Wearing tight-fitting clothing over a . prolonged period of time can lead to urinary tract infections leading . to over-activity of the bladder - a type of bladder weakness as well as a . low sperm count and fungal infections. ‘Please don’t put style before health.’ Twisted . testicles occur when tight trousers prevent the spermatic cord from . moving freely, meaning it twists and leads to testicular torsion which . cuts off the blood supply requiring immediate surgery to prevent a . gangrenous testicle. Tight-fitting jeans around the groin area can put additional pressure on the bladder but can also lead to bacteria breeding and re-entering the body causing urinary tract infections. This increases the need to urinate more frequently and can cause severe pain. In study of 2,000 British men: . Dr Hilary’s warning comes as a study of . 2,000 British men conducted by TENA Men revealed one in 10 men have . experienced an unpleasant side-effect as a result of wearing skinny . jeans. Of those men . suffering from wearing skinny jeans, half had experienced groin . discomfort, over a quarter had bladder troubles while one in five . suffered a twisted testicle. Worryingly, . one in four regularly squeeze into jeans- with the biggest reasons . given for enduring tightness being ‘to show I can still fit in them’ and . ‘because they look good.’ In . fact, three in 10 has suffered discomfort from tight jeans and forty . per cent of men admit they sometimes sacrifice comfort over style. One . in seven British men regularly wear skinny jeans, but more than a third . confess they don’t actually know their correct jean size. And when it comes to picking jeans, just seven per cent described softness and comfort as an important factor. Zoe Brimfield, TENA Men Brand Manager said: ‘With this survey we were keen to highlight that while men may like the look of tight-fitting jeans, it’s important that they are not compromising their health. ‘Wearing skinny or ill-fitting jeans can lead to bladder weakness as a longer-term consequence. Male bladder weakness is more common than people think, with 1 in 9 men in the UK currently experiencing some form of the condition.’ * For further help and advice on male bladder weakness visit tenamen.co.uk or seek medical advice. Sales executive James Coleman, 27, of Ealing, west London has suffered bladder issues from wearing tight jeans. He said: ‘I bought my pair of skinny jeans because they were fashionable, I’d recently moved to London where every street feels like a catwalk so I wanted to look good. ‘My friends used to joke I looked like something out of the Wanted or One Direction but I didn’t take notice. ‘At first I didn’t really have a problem and felt good wearing them but a couple of colleagues did comment on the fact they were skin tight and made my legs look ridiculously long. Sales executive James Coleman bought . skinny jeans to 'look good' but found not only getting dressed was . uncomfortable but that the jeans put pressure on his bladder, making him . go to the toilet more frequently . ‘I then noticed they felt uncomfortable to wear, especially when sat down and put pressure against my bladder and stomach. ‘I found myself going to the toilet more frequently than normal, which just became annoying. ‘I didn’t bother going to the doctors or anything because it’s not something you want to admit - and it never occurred to me that it may have been caused by my skinny jeans. ‘Since moving to London I cycle more and I decided to finally ditch the jeans after I split a seam on the tube after bending down to pick up my Oyster card. ‘And since reverting back to smarter, looser fitting jeans and trousers I’ve found the problem has gone away.’

Tight jeans are causing more testicular problems in men, says Dr Hilary Jones . Russell Brand, Jude Law and Joey Essex wear tight jeans . Tight jeans cause twisted testicles, bladder weakness and low sperm count . Men need to leave room in groin area of pants so not restricted .

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Sir Andrew Green, a leading opponent of mass immigration to Britain, is to become a peer. David Cameron personally nominated the chairman of MigrationWatch for a seat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher for his public service as a former diplomat and for his role in the immigration debate. The appointment comes amid a growing public clamour for tighter controls on immigration, with Mr Cameron promising to impose curbs on EU migrants as part of his plan to claw powers back from Brussels. Sir Andrew Green, chairman of MigrationWatch, is to join the House of Lords as a crossbench peer . MigrationWatch is a think tank which campaigns against Britain's open borders with Europe, warning levels of immigration are unsustainable. Three other people will also become crossbench peers. They include former MI5 boss Sir Jonathan Evans and education expert Professor Alison Wolf. One appointment which is likely to raise eyebrows in Westminster is that of Sir Robert Rogers, who this year quit as the clerk to the Commons after reports of rows with Speaker John Bercow. However, Sir Andrew's elevation to the Lords at a time when immigration is dominating political debate is likely to prove the most controversial. He co-founded the MigrationWatch think tank in 2001, after a career as a diplomat in the civil service, retiring in 2000 after four years a Britain's ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He has become a leading voice against immigration and a supporter of Mr Cameron's promise to cut net migration to the tens of thousands. The official citation for Sir Andrew states: 'Sir Andrew Green KCMG was the British Ambassador to Syria from 1991 to 1994, and to Saudi Arabia, 1996 to 2000. 'He served for over 35 years in the Diplomatic Service. Since retirement in 2000, he has carried out a wide range of voluntary work. This includes MigrationWatch UK which he co-founded in 2001 and still chairs.' The decision to reward such an outspoken opponent of mass immigration comes as Mr Cameron is in the grip of a major row with the EU over attempts to curb freedom of movement. Former MI5 boss Sir Jonathan Evans also becomes a crossbench peer in the list announced today . Former Commons clerk Sir Robert Rogers and education expert Alison Wolf also become peers . The Premier has pledged to put immigration 'at the very heart' of his renegotiation strategy for Europe, which he has promised before staging an in-out referendum by 2017. The Tories promised to cut net migration to the tens of thousands, but latest figures show it has topped 200,000. Sir Andrew has warned that 'immigration on this scale is simply not sustainable'. He has urged the government to consider 'what reforms can be made to Freedom of Movement in the EU, so as to limit the number of low skilled EU migrants coming to the UK, at least until migratory pressures abate.' Senior Conservatives are considering a proposal to impose quote on 'time-limited national insurance numbers' to limit the numbers of people able to move to Britain for work. But outgoing European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has warned restricting migrant numbers would 'not be in conformity with European laws'. As Prime Minister, Mr Cameron personally nominates crossbench peers to the Queen in recognition of their public service. The number of appointments covered under this arrangement is a maximum of 10 in any one Parliament, Downing Street said.

Prime Minister personally nominates appointment to the Queen . Peerage for Sir Andrew's diplomatic career and role in immigration debate . Sir Robert Rogers, who quit early as Commons clerk, also becomes a peer . Ex-MI5 boss Sir Jonathan Evans given a peerage for public service . Seat in the Lords for education expert and Gove ally Professor Alison Wolf .

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An elementary school teacher has been charged over alleged sexual activity with a 12-year-old male student. Whitney Fair Mullen, 34, was in court on Thursday in Senatobia, Mississippi on charges of molestation and sexual battery of a child. Mullen is a former teacher at Strayhorn Elementary School in Tate County and is believed to have a young daughter. Scroll down for video . Former elementary school teacher Whitney Fair Mullen, 34, appeared in court Thursday morning in Senatobia, Mississippi on charges of molestation and sexual battery of a child . The boy, now 18, came forward recently and claimed that he had been abused by Mullen when he was just 12 years old back in 2008 . Senatobia police said the alleged victim, who is now 18, recently revealed the alleged abuse. Police reported uncovering messages exchanged between the teacher and student. The teen claimed that the abuse had taken place since 2008 but investigators said that it did not take place on school grounds. Mullen no longer works for Tate County schools. It is unclear if there are other victims. It is alleged that the victim was abused at Mullen's home where he was doing odd jobs. The court set Mullen's initial bond at $5million but it was later reduced to $250,000. She hid her face with her hair from TV cameras as she exited court escorted by two police officers in handcuffs and wearing an orange jumpsuit. The alleged victim and his family described the torment they have suffered following the alleged abuse. The father, who remained anonymous to protect his son, said that the family had great respect for teachers and perhaps had placed too much trust in Mullen. He told WMC: 'Maybe it was a little too naive, I guess is the word, but a terrible price was paid. It's impacted his life, from the time he was 12 'til now.' The case is due to heard by a grand jury. Mullen hid her face with her hair from TV cameras as she exited court escorted by two officers in handcuffs and wearing an orange jumpsuit .

Whitney Fair Mullen, 34, was in court on Thursday in Senatobia, Mississippi on charges of molestation and sexual battery of a child . Mullen is a former teacher at Strayhorn Elementary School in Tate County and is believed to have a daughter . The boy, 18, recently came forward with the allegations - investigators uncovered messages exchanged between the pair .

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WASHAKIE COUNTY, Wyoming (CNN) -- In the predawn darkness the agents switch the federal plates on their vehicles to local Wyoming tags and check they have no other signs showing they are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Edward Eugene Harper is believed to have lived a nomadic lifestyle since fleeing Mississippi. They want to give the impression that they are fish and wildlife officers, certainly not what they really are -- an elite squad in search of one of the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives. Their target lives eight miles up a dirt road in the Big Horn mountains of Washakie County -- and he is also not what he seems. For the past few years Edward Eugene Harper has been tending a flock of sheep in the semi-wilderness of the region. But 15 years ago he failed to turn up for a court appearance in Mississippi on charges he had molested two girls, aged 3 and 8. He'd been on the lam ever since. Recently the FBI had received a tip on his whereabouts. Watch how FBI planned hunt for fugitive » . Snipers spent the night watching the truck with a camper top where Harper, 63, has been sleeping for the past few weeks. Michael Rankin, assistant special agent in charge at the FBI's Denver, Colorado, field office and leader of the operation to capture Harper, said he wanted to use a ruse to get close to Harper. "We don't want to alert him or anybody who might be a supporter of his, and we want to get as close to him without somehow raising his antenna that we may be law enforcement and we may be wanting to take him into custody," Rankin said. "It's an individual that has been a fugitive for almost 15 years, so he certainly doesn't want to go to jail or be put into the system after being on the lam for this length of time." The locals are used to seeing officers from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and it's one of their men who will make the first contact and perhaps lead Harper to think the accompanying agents are also wildlife officials. The sun is up now and it is dusty and hot. At the end of the dirt road the FBI has officers working the command and control element, a team of crisis negotiators and investigators who will confirm Harper's identity, and a tactical unit aiming to make the arrest. FBI sources say they are concerned about another "Ruby Ridge incident." In August 1992, more than 400 members of federal and local law enforcement and the military converged on the Idaho hillside where a white separatist, Randy Weaver, lived in a cabin with his family. By the end of the operation, there had been a 12-day siege and a U.S. marshal, Weaver's wife and his 14-year-old son were dead. Ruby Ridge became a rallying cry for right-wing militias, and agents do not want this arrest mission spiraling out of control. Harper subscribes to "sovereign citizen" ideology and once claimed to be a member of the Montana Freemen, a group that rejected the authority of the U.S. government, the FBI said. In the end, the arrest of Harper is nothing like Ruby Ridge. He puts up no resistance, no shots are fired and there is no standoff. Harper, now with a heavy beard, shaggy hair and wearing a black patch on his left eye, sits calmly in a government SUV heading back into the system and a county jail in Casper, Wyoming, as authorities begin the process of extraditing him to Mississippi. He has requested a public defender. "It feels very good that everybody's safe," Rankin said as the teams leave the wilderness to head back to base where they can strike a name off their most wanted list.

Accused child-molester Edward Eugene Harper detained in Wyoming . FBI snipers, investigators headed into wilderness before dawn to catch him . Harper skipped court date in 1994 and had been on the lam since .

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By . Rebecca English . PUBLISHED: . 11:57 EST, 10 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:58 EST, 10 October 2013 . The Queen has voiced her concern about children being attracted to computer games and e-books rather than reading traditional materials. Although it is highly unusual for the monarch to openly express an opinion on such issues, as a mother, grandmother and now great-grandmother, it is clearly a problem close to her heart. The monarch commented as she presented author Joanne Harris with an MBE for services to literature at Buckingham Palace yesterday. The Queen has voiced her concern about children being attracted to computer games and e-books rather than reading traditional materials. She made the comments as she presented author Joanne Harris (right) with an MBE for services to literature at Buckingham Palace yesterday . Harris, whose books have been published in more than 40 countries, came to prominence when her 1999 novel Chocolat topped the best-seller lists that year. Speaking after today's investiture ceremony, the writer, whose books have been translated in more than 50 languages, said of her chat with the Queen: ‘She asked me what I thought about e-books and computer games and said that she feared that children were playing with those more than they were reading books. ‘So I told her that we start them on e-books and computer games and TV and then try to get them on to books later.’ She added of her MBE: ‘It's wonderful to be recognised and it's wonderful to see the world of literature be recognised every time this happens to one of us.' Computer games and television have long been accused of distracting youngsters from reading. Posed by model . ‘Books may change shape but people will always need stories, and the shape of those stories may alter. 'I think hard copy books are here to stay for a long time. The fact they're branching out into other areas doesn't feel threatening at all.’ Computer games and television have long been accused of distracting youngsters from reading. Research by the National Literacy Trust published earlier this year found that a majority of children preferred to read on screens rather than from books but those who used the new technology had weaker literacy skills. New research published this week also shows tablets have become a ‘must-have accessory’ for the country’s toddlers, with 50 per cent of the UK’s two and three-year-olds using one. A survey, by OnePoll, showed 61 per cent of three-year-olds and 38 per cent of two-year-olds play and learn on iPads. Conducted on behalf of the children’s app range Justin’s World, it questioned 1,000 parents who have children between the ages of two and six. The poll  showed 4 per cent of two-year-olds have their own tablet and this doubles to 8 per cent of three-year-olds. By the time they are four, it more than doubles again - almost one fifth (19 per cent) of four-year-olds own their own tablet. The majority of two-year-olds who use a tablet spend one hour a week on it, rising to one hour a day for three-year-olds. And a third of parents think their toddler is more proficient at using a tablet than them. The Queen’s daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cornwall, is a great advocate of literacy in children and is patron of the charity Booktrust. Its Chief Executive, Viv Bird, said of the Queen’s comments: ‘At Booktrust, we share the Queen’s love of the physical book, and appreciate that this is how many people choose to read, and will continue to do so. ‘We feel that the important point is that children read, rather than how they go about doing so. ‘Digital books are valuable as they offer an opportunity to engage new generations of readers - we have recently published a list of the best 100 books to read before the age of 14, many of which are now available digitally. ‘We feel that children should be given the choice. Let’s give them both of these fantastic options to pick from and get them reading.’

Monarch spoke as she . presented author with MBE for services to literature . Tablets are now ‘must-have accessory’ for toddlers, with 50% of UK’s two and three-year-olds using . one, new research shows .

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By . Kirsty Mccormack . Last updated at 8:46 AM on 18th November 2011 . There may be 15 years between them but it seems that age is nothing but a number to Caroline Flack and Harry Styles. The One Direction singer has shared a passionate kiss with the 32-year-old star and now it seems the pair enjoyed dinner together on Tuesday night. Styles, 17, believes he's found 'the one' according to his fellow band mate, Louis Tomlinson, but his fans are less fond of her as the star has apparently been receiving death threats. Scroll down to watch a video of Harry talking about Caroline . Out together: Caroline Flack and Harry Styles were spotted enjoying an intimate dinner together at the St Martins Lane hotel on November 15 . Flack took to her Twitter page this morning to deny the rumours saying: 'Hi One Direction fans! To clarify. I'm close friends with . harry.. He's one of the nicest people I know...I don't deserve death . threats. :) x.' Hardcore fans of the boy band, and Styles in particular, have been out in force on the social networking site over the past 24 hours. Many have been making humorous comments . and digs at the news, whilst others have been supporting Flack - . insisting that those who post death threats are giving them a bad name. Speaking out: Flack decided to squash the rumours by taking to her Twitter page early this morning . One fan was obviously so fed up of hearing the rumours that they write: 'I don't even care anymore. If Harry wants to date an oldie let him be.' Other fans joked about the age gap by saying: 'it's okay, I'm close friends with the toddler down my road too.' But others decided to stick up for . the TV star with matty1dir tweeting: 'If you love harry ... You wont . give @carolineflack1 any of this! She said they are friends :) thats it! H wouldnt want you being nasty!' Fed up: Hardcore fans of the boy band member have been tweeting about the rumours of him dating an older woman . The rumours were fueled when The Sun revealed that Flack and Styles were seen sharing desserts at a restaurant in St Martin's Lane Hotel in London and were being very open about being out together. 'They were clearly enjoying being together and didn't seem to care who saw them,' said a source. 'Two other friends joined them while they were eating, but it was clear they only had eyes for each other.' However their night didn't end there, as Styles and Flack were seen getting into the same taxi and leaving together - something else they weren't bothered about hiding. Bit of an age gap: The TV presenter is 15 years older than 17-year-old Styles . The Xtra Factor host was first linked to the boy band member last month after it emerged that they had kissed whilst on a night out. But it seemed it was more than just a kiss to Styles as he took to his Twitter page to write: 'Sometimes things happen and you suddenly get a whole new outlook on life.' Things seemed a bit awkward between the pair on last weekend's show as Flack and her co-host, Olly Murs, interviewed One Direction. 'Close friends': Flack was pictured hugging One Direction's Niall Horan after the band's appearance in The X Factor but she stayed away from Styles . And Styles hinted at his love for older women when he was asked which of the current female contestants on the show was his favourite. 'They're all a bit young for me,' he replied, even though they are all the same age of older than the boy bander. Unfortunately though his comments have angered the group's hardcore fans and has forced Flack to deny their close relationship. This is not the first time Flack has been linked to a Harry as she was reported to have had a brief relationship with Prince Harry two years ago, but he is believed to have called time on their romance after he revealed he was still in love with his heiress ex Chelsy Davy. More than just a record deal: Styles may have enjoyed success with One Direction following the X Factor but it seems he may have found 'the one' too .

Flack was was previously linked to Prince Harry .

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Richmond (CNN) -- Closing arguments concluded Friday in the trial of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen. The two are accused of conspiring to commit corruption after accepting money loans from a person hoping to gain the governor's influential support for a business product. Prosecutors argued during their closing that McDonnell, while seemingly taking responsibility for his actions, blamed others at every turn. McDonnell's defense rides on the claim that he did not know his wife Maureen had accepted loans from Jonnie Williams, who was seeking support from the governor for a product from his nutritional supplement company. Nor did he know that she had accepted designer dresses or a Rolex watch as a gift from Williams, defense lawyers said. During the trial, salacious details about the couple's marriage came out, detailing that purportedly they barely spoke after 38 years of marriage and thus, said the defense, could not have conspired to corrupt. Prosecutors said the two didn't need to like each other to conspire. "He was a strong governor. He was a weak husband," prosecutor Michael Dry said of the one-time rising star in the Republican Party who had potential presidential ambitions. McDonnell, wife plead not guilty to gift charges . Prosecutors alleged that once Maureen McDonnell became aware of the investigation about the corruption, she returned the designer dresses that she received from Williams. She wrote a note to Williams saying that she hoped his daughters could wear the dresses after she received them on loan, or that even they could be auctioned for a worthy charity. The prosecution pointed out that Williams' daughters are smaller in size than Maureen McConnell . If the dresses were in fact on loan, that would not be a crime. The governor's wife waited two years to return them, however. The defense also argued that there is no direct effect of those loans or other gifts given to the McDonnells that caused the governor use official actions to help Williams and his business, . Prosecutors said they don't need to prove there was a direct action based on the alleged bribes but did note Williams was able to have his business featured during an event at the executive mansion, and the governor pitched his product during a meeting with state workers. Defense lawyers also contended Williams was only out for himself, selling out the governor to gain immunity from alleged crimes. They also argued that Williams made up a lot of his story to give the government a bigger prize in the former governor. Jurors will return after the Labor Day weekend to receive instructions from the judge and then head to deliberations. The former governor was once rumored to be a potential vice presidential candidate with Mitt Romney. "It's sad for the McDonald family and sad for the state of Virginia. Regardless of the verdict, there will be no winners," prosecutor Dry said.

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was a rising star in the Republican Party . He and his wife are on trial on federal charges . They are accused of accepting loans and gifts from a businessman . Closing arguments in the trial concluded Friday; the case will go to the jury next week .

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Goree island, Senegal (CNN) -- A short ferry ride away from Dakar, lies the quiet and picturesque Goree Island. Three kilometers off the coast, the Senegalese island is tiny and easily accessible by foot. Without cars or roads, the island preserves a charming ambiance with faded buildings revealing its European colonial history. Beneath its quaint facade, however, the island hides a brutal history. Known as Senegambia at the time and located at the westernmost point in West Africa, Goree Island used to serve as a strategic trading post for the transatlantic slave trade -- African men, women and children were held and traded here before being loaded onto ships to the Americas. Estimates vary, but all of them place the number of Africans who died while in transit in the millions. Eloi Coly has worked on the island for 26 years as a site manager. He is also the chief curator of the "House of Slaves," built by the Dutch in 1776, and is the last slave house remaining on the island and Coly has painstakingly preserved its history. See also: Beach life gives a taste of real Senegal . "The 900 meter-long island used to host around 28 slave houses. Today most have disappeared and turned into private houses," Coly told CNN during a tour of the house. "This one was chosen by the Senegalese state to keep the memory and remind all the people about the fragility of the liberties. People come from different countries... It's a place of memory and reconciliation." On the ground floor of the house is the men's quarters where male slaves were housed in a row of cement cells. According to Coly, about 15-20 male slaves were packed in these 2.6 meter by 2.6 meter rooms; seated with their backs against the wall, chained around the neck and arms, they would usually have to wait in the room for about three months. The conditions were so appalling and unsanitary that a major epidemic that ravaged the island in the 18th century started in these rooms, Coly said. After the waiting period, the slaves would then be taken out of the cells for trade. They were then stripped naked and gathered in the courtyard in the middle of the house. The buyers and traders would lean over the balcony overlooking the courtyard and observe the slaves while negotiating prices. "Each ethnic group used to have a quoted price." said Coly, "They were treated exactly as merchandise not as human beings." See also: Congo's dedicated designer dandies . The selected slaves would then be taken from the courtyard through the corridor to the 'door-of-no-return'. Located at the very back of the house, facing the Atlantic Ocean, the door leads to a wharf made of palm wood, where there would be a ship waiting to take the Africans across the ocean, never to return to their homes. Slaves that had fallen ill or died were also thrown into the ocean from this door, Coly said. According to Coly, all parts of the house were utilized to facilitate the slave trade: small dark rooms underneath the staircases were used as punishment rooms, and the damp little rooms kept young girls and children separately from men for sale or the pleasure of the traders. When asked how he could face the horrors done to his ancestors every day, Coly's answer came rather calmly: 'It is important to keep the memory of the victims, to consider that what happened is a part of the history of human being, not only history of Africans or blacks or whites.' Beibei Yin contributed to this article.

The charming Senegalese island of Goree hides a brutal history of slave trade. Senegalese government kept an old slave house as a museum for people to see the history . The House of Slaves highlights the appalling conditions Africans experienced . The House keeps the history of human being, not only for Africans, says the curator .

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By . Stephanie Linning . This is the dramatic moment that a 15-year-old girl feared she would die after being sucked waist-deep into the mud during a stroll with friends. GCSE student Sophie, from Stretford, Greater Manchester, who has asked us not to use her surname, spent more than an hour trapped in Urmston Meadows in Manchester after veering from stable ground while out for a walk. She and her friends first laughed off the experience but soon panicked when they couldn't pull her out of the cold ground - and the teenager began to fear for her life. Scroll down for video . Trapped: Sophie was sucked waist-deep into the mud after veering off solid ground while out for a stroll with friends on Urmston Meadows, Manchester. Without anything to hold on to, the teenager sunk into the ground . She said: 'I was terrified, thought I’d never get out. At first my friends were laughing, but after an hour I still couldn’t get out so they decided to call the fire brigade. 'I thought they might send three firemen, but about 20 people turned up, fire engine, paramedics. the police... It’s not what I expected.' Sophie walked on the ground, which looked solid but she was quickly sucked below in to her waist with nothing to hold on to. The mud was so thick that her friends were unable to help her out. Sophie, who wanted to send a warning out to other walkers, has heaped praise on the rescuers who saved her on Sunday. She said: 'I would just say to people to check the ground before you walk on it, because it might look safer than it is. 'I don’t want to stop people going up there at all, it’s a beautiful place, but just be a bit careful. Warning: Sophie has told other walkers to pay extra attention to where they are walking, saying that the ground might look more stable than it is. Sophie was rescued by 20 firefighters an hour after she became stuck . 'I was lucky my friends had their phones with them, but I have seen people on their own. If you don’t have a phone to call for help you’d be in trouble. 'I’d like to thank all the firemen and the paramedics and the policewoman who drove me home afterwards.' Stretford fire crew manager Dave Price, who helped in the rescue, said: 'Where this incident was, the water rises rapidly - we have seen it at 20ft. Hidden dangers: Urmston Meadows in Manchester, where Sophie was sucked into the mud. A firefighter involved in the rescue said that the incident could have been much worse as the water level can rise to 20ft . 'We hope speaking to people in the area and prominently displaying warning posters, more people will be aware of the hidden dangers and that we can prevent any further incidents like we had on Sunday. 'We managed to get the girl out quickly, but she was up to her waist in mud and the water was very cold, so it could have been a far more serious outcome.' Sophie’s mum praised the firefighters, adding: 'Nothing like this has ever happened, it was horrifying.'

Sophie veered off stable ground while walking with friends in Manchester . Before long she was sucked in up to her waist and feared she would die . Spent more than an hour trapped in Urmston Meadows, near River Mersey . Friends phoned fire services and 20 firefighters turned up to pull her out .

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(CNN) -- Backup quarterback Tim Tebow was released by the New England Patriots on Saturday after failing to make the final roster for the new season. Tebow, who was signed to the Patriots in June, made the final 75 earlier in the week but lost out in the final cut. NFL teams had until 6 p.m. ET Saturday to reduce their rosters to a maximum of 53 players before the season kicks off Thursday. The former Heisman Trophy winner has been praised and panned for being outspoken about his Christian faith, including taking a prayerful position at games that has led to an Internet photo craze known as "Tebowing." Heisman Trophy 101 . Critics have said the 26-year-old doesn't throw well enough to be an NFL quarterback. In three NFL seasons, Tebow, who was waived by the New York Jets in April, has played 35 games and completed 48% of his passes. The 26-year-old previously played for the Denver Broncos, who drafted Tebow in the first round in 2010. In a series of statements on Twitter, Tebow quoted a Bible verse and thanked the Patriots' president and coaches "for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a classy organization. "I pray for nothing but the best for you all. I will remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback," he wrote. In addition to Tebow, the Patriots said Saturday that they released 12 other players and placed veteran safety Adrian Wilson on injured reserve. CNN's Jillian Martin and Marcus Hooper contributed to this report.

NEW: Tebow to Patriots on Twitter: "I pray for nothing but the best for you" Quarterback Tim Tebow is released by the New England Patriots . He was signed by the Patriots in June after being waived by the New York Jets . Tebow is known for being outspoken about his faith .

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London (CNN) -- British government ministers fought back Sunday against accusations they had taken their eye off the Olympic security ball, rejecting accusations they were warned nearly a year ago about the security giant contracted to provide guards for the Games. G4S, the security contractor, admitted on Wednesday that it would not be able to provide more than 10,000 security staffers by the time the Olympics begin in less than two weeks. The government hurriedly announced it would bring in 3,500 military personnel to boost security for the Games. Sports Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Sunday it should be no surprise that some contractors were unable to meet their commitments. "It's completely normal that you're going to find some contractors on a project of this size who aren't going to be able to deliver what they promised," he said on the BBC's Andrew Marr show. He praised the contractor as being "honorable" for having admitted the problem, apologizing and covering the costs of bringing in military personnel. And he reiterated that the government learned only last week that G4S would not meet its commitment. "Management told us right up until last week that everything was on track," Hunt said. The contractor said Saturday it stands to lose up to $77 million after failing to recruit enough staff. Also on Sunday, the Home Office rejected a newspaper report that it had been cautioned about G4S in September of last year. The Home Office, which is responsible for domestic security, said it was "inaccurate" that a report by the police watchdog agency Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary "should have raised alarm bells about the readiness of G4S." The report "into Olympics security preparedness -- which has never been published -- raised serious issues over G4S last year," the Independent on Sunday said. The Home Office denied that. "While an early inspection highlighted issues to be addressed, a report in February 2012 said that LOCOG was on track to deliver the required number of security personnel," the Home Office said in a statement. LOGOC is the London Olympic Games Organising Committee, which is running the Games. G4S chief executive Nick Buckles said Saturday he was "deeply disappointed" the firm was unable to live up to its contract with LOCOG. "We clearly took in a contract in good faith," Buckles said. "We were a vital part of securing the games. The military would have to be called in to help us through that process. We know a number of these soldiers had had to cancel leave to come back and help us with the process ... we feel we caused a huge problem." Buckles acknowledged the company was at fault and said it was grateful the military is providing support. "We are sorry they had to give up leave, truly," he said. "It is down to G4S ... we were contracted to deliver staff. We should have done that." London Olympics organizer defends security contractor . The military deployment means that 17,000 military personnel will be on duty in the United Kingdom during the Games, compared with the 9,500 currently in Afghanistan. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the security operation will not impact operations in Afghanistan, which is the main effort for the military. Some personnel who would have had leave over the Olympic period will have the leave rescheduled, the spokesman said. G4S had been expected to recruit a staff of about 10,400 as part of a total security force of 23,700 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The staffers were to provide venue perimeter security, including manning X-ray machines, conducting spectator and vehicle searches and operating closed-circuit television, said G4S spokesman Adam Mynott. The contractor said this week that while 4,000 are already at work across 100 venues, more than 9,000 are still going through the training and vetting process. In a statement Saturday, the company said it had "encountered significant difficulties in processing applicants in sufficient numbers through the necessary training, vetting and accreditation procedures. As a result, we will be unable to deliver all of the necessary workforce numbers." UK: 3,500 extra troops called in for Olympic security . That failure is likely to cost the firm between £35m and £50m ($54 million -$77 million), it said. G4S "deeply regrets that, despite the relentless efforts of so many of its people, it is unlikely to deliver in full its obligations to LOCOG, to the government and to everyone with an interest in these Games." Britain is on a heightened state of alert ahead of the Games, which open on July 27. Home Secretary Theresa May said Thursday that "there is no question of Olympic security being compromised." But opposition lawmakers have described the situation as a "shambles," saying it raises concerns over the government's grip on the preparations for the Olympics and Paralympics. LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe said Friday he was "extraordinarily impressed with" private contractor G4S so far. Coe said he was happy with the security staff on site and that while G4S has "challenges," it would get there. Olympic organizers have agreed to give 10,000 tickets to the armed forces to compensate for the short-notice deployment, the Ministry of Defence said. The questions over security staff come as Britain gears up to welcome many of the visiting teams' officials this weekend ahead of the athletes' arrival on Monday. One headache was removed for organizers with the reopening Friday of the main highway linking Heathrow airport with central London. The busy M4 motorway had been closed for a week for emergency repairs to a viaduct. Is Olympic-level security already under way in Britain? CNN's Erin McLaughlin, Susannah Palk and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.

Sports Secretary Jeremy Hunt says it's normal for some contractors to fall through . G4S admits it cannot provide all the Olympic security guards it's contracted to deliver . The government said this week it will bring in 3,500 extra troops to cover the gap . The London Olympics open in less than two weeks .

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By . Associated Press . Jan Harding (left) nearly died after ingesting a lye-laced iced tea earlier this month. However, she made a miraculous recovery and was released from the hospital on Saturday . A Utah woman who nearly died after unknowingly drinking iced tea mixed with chemicals has been released from a Salt Lake City hospital. Jan Harding, 67, was released Saturday morning, University of Utah Health Care spokeswoman Marissa Villasenor said Sunday. Harding is now recovering at home after making progress during the last week that is 'nothing short of miraculous,' family attorney Paxton Guymon said in an email Sunday. Harding must still undergo tests and procedures to determine any long-term complications, Guymon said. 'The family sincerely appreciates all of the support and prayers from everyone who has followed her story,' he said. Harding has been slowly improving since August 10, when she drank a single sip of sweetened iced tea at Dickey's Barbecue in South Jordan, a Salt Lake City suburb. An industrial cleaning solution mixed into the tea caused deep, ulcerated burns in Harding's esophagus. On Thursday, her husband, Jim Harding, told reporters that his wife has had nightmares about the moment that made her say, 'I think I drank acid.' Jim Harding, 66, said he's focused on his wife's recovery and not criminal charges or lawsuits. Salt Lake County prosecutors are reviewing a police investigation and have not announced if charges will be filed. Authorities have said a restaurant employee unintentionally put the heavy-duty cleaner lye in a sugar bag, and another worker mistakenly mixed it into the iced tea dispenser. Lye, which looks like sugar, is an odorless chemical used for degreasing deep fryers. Harding's husband Jim spoke at a press conference last week, to give an update about his wife's condition . This file photo shows the exterior of the Dickey's Barbecue Pit in South Jordan, Utah where the incident happened . Jan Harding was the first one to drink from the chemically laced batch of tea, and no one else was harmed. The Dallas-based Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants Inc. has said the incident was isolated and unprecedented in the chain's 73-year history. After investigating, Guyman said last week that had discovered another lye incident at the South Jordan restaurant in July. An employee at the South Jordan restaurant burned herself when she stuck her finger in a sugar container and licked it to test for the chemical cleaner, he said. The employee's tongue began bleeding and blistering. She quit on August 9, the day before Harding was burned, Guymon said. Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants has not commented on the new allegations.

Jan Harding, 67, almost died after drinking iced tea mixed cleaning-compound lye . The deep-fryer de-greaser was accidentally mistaken for sugar and mixed into the tea served at Dickey's Barbecue in South Jordan, Utah . Harding was released from the hospital on Saturday after making an amazing recovery .

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By . David Wilkes . An eco-warrior has made his home in an apple tree to prevent developers chopping it down. Rowan Burrough has spent most of the past week in the 150-year-old tree, in the heart of Cider With Rosie country in Gloucestershire. His efforts have drawn comparisons with those of Swampy – real name Daniel Hooper – the campaigner who hit the headlines in 1996 when he dug tunnels under the proposed routes of major road projects. Shall not be moved: Rowan Burrough has been camping out in the boughs of this apple tree for the past week . Happy camper: Mr Burrough has constructed a bed and brought up other essentials . He has garnered overwhelming support from residents, who have been bringing him soup, sandwiches and water. But the protest was almost ended yesterday when the 44-year-old climbed down at 3am to try to sneak a few hours' sleep in a bed. By 5am contractors had moved in and begun lopping the 20ft tree. Mr Burrough raced back, evaded police and scaled the tree again, joined by a second protester, Matthew Sell, 39. They want to protect the tree – and a thriving colony of badgers beneath it. Prime land: The apple tree is part of a site set to be turned into luxury homes . Support: Locals of Stroud, Gloucestershire, have shown their support for the protest . Supplies: Enthusiastic local supporters have been supplying Mr Burrough with soup, sandwiches and water . Teamwork: Mr Burrough was far from alone in his efforts . Developers want to build 14 luxury homes on the one-acre site at Stroud, near the childhood home of Cider With Rosie author Laurie Lee. Mr Burrough said: ‘This is an old tree and the badger sett . is unusually large. There’s a growing movement in Britain to save . orchard trees and I personally want the badger sett fenced off as mini . nature reserve rather than moved. 'Or why can’t they incorporate it as . part of the houses’ gardens? ‘Just because something has been given . planning permission doesn’t mean it’s correct. If more people did what . I’m doing more often, councils would get a bit tired and change the . rules so they can retract their decision.’ Poised: Developers are waiting to chop the tree down and continue building . The peculiarly English . stand-off is happening on the edge of Stroud, Gloucestershire, on a . patch of land which was in years gone by an orchard and a market garden, . then became a much-loved green space which planning officers called the . ‘last breathing space for local people’. But . planning permission to build the 12 three-bedroom and two four-bedroom . houses in terrace blocks was granted to developer Gerry Walsh after he . bought the land - despite more than 100 letters of objection about his . controversial plans to Stroud District Council. The . site is just two miles from Slad, the village where Laurie Lee lived . and around which he based his famous novel about his bucolic childhood, . ‘Cider With Rosie’, and in this little corner of the country feelings . run high particularly about protecting the countryside and conserving . nature. Contractors began . clearing the site a fortnight ago, but at first the 20ft apple tree . remained intact thanks in no small part to Mr Burrough’s tree-scaling . prowess. Opposition: The local council received more than 100 letters opposing the development . A . steady stream of locals have been supporting his cause by coming to the . site with supplies for him and banners saying ‘Stroud apple town’ and . ‘Houses out, badger in’. Some children have made t-shirts with the logo . ‘Paws off our setts’. Judith . Pfeifer, 35, a landscape architect, whose home borders the site, said: . ‘I’m not against building homes, we need homes, but there should be . space for wildlife as well - human habitation and precious wildlife . should find a way to live together. ‘This . was a wildlife haven and the apple tree was part of our heritage. It . was so peaceful here before. Since the work began it feels like we’re . under siege.’ Under the planning permission, Mr Walsh must leave a 2.5m . wide dedicated ‘wildlife corridor’ along the western and southern . boundaries of the site. He . has also been granted a licence from Natural England for the badgers to . be moved. This is likely to be done by installing one-way gates over . the 22 entrances to their sett so they can get out, but can’t go back in . again.' Battle ground: Neither side had showed any sign of relenting . It is expected they will then wander off and make a find a new home with another nearby colony. Mr . Walsh’s planning agent Ben Read, of Hunter Page Planning, said: ‘He is . doing everything in accordance with the policies and has the necessary . planning permissions and consents. ‘The trees were looked at as part of the planning application and no preservation orders were put in place. 'An ecologist was appointed to deal with badger relocation and is on site to make sure that everything is done correctly.’ After yesterday’s early morning drama, the contractors stopped working temporarily and a single bulldozer sat idle on the site. A . Gloucestershire Police spokesman confirmed that contractors started . taking the apple tree down early yesterday when no one was in it, but . two-thirds of the way into their work a protester climbed back up the . tree. He added: ‘No one . was arrested or threatened with arrest. The Chief Inspector responsible . for Stroud is meeting with the owner of the land and we believe that no . action will be taken against any of the protesters because the . contractors what things done as low key as possible.’ Developer Gerard Walsh said: 'I hope we can have a reasonable discussion with the guys up the tree and persuade them what we're doing is the best that could be hoped for from any developer on this site.'

Rowan Burrough, 44, has been camping out in the tree all week . He wants to stop builders chopping it down and displacing a badger family . Locals in Stroud, Gloucestershire have supported his protest . But the tree was nearly felled when Mr Burrough climbed down to sleep in a proper bed .

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By . Deni Kirkova . A mother-of-two has lost eight stone in weight after pledging to give herself a new body for her 50th birthday. Diane Purdey, from Poole, once wore size 26 clothing and weighed 21st 12lb. But she banished biscuits and unhealthy food from her diet after deciding she did not want her 50th birthday celebrations to be marked by ill health. Diane pictured after losing more than 8st (left) and before her weight loss, when she wore a size 26 (right) She said: 'I reached the point in my life where I'd had enough of being the size that I was. I knew I had a special birthday coming up and I had to do something. 'I wanted to look good in photos and feel proud of myself.' Diane, now 51, lost control of her weight in the years after she gave birth to her sons Russell, 29, and Ian, 27. She said: 'I had only been a stone overweight before I had children. 'Over the years my eating habits just got worse and the weight crept on. I could eat half a large packet of Jaffa cakes or half a full-sized loaf of tiger bread for a snack, and I didn't take any exercise. 'I'd tried to lose weight a few times never got near my goal so had given up.' Diane could eat half a large packet of Jaffa cakes or half a full-sized loaf of tiger bread - as a snack . Her steadily declining health caused doctors to prescribe tablets to ease her high blood pressure and by June 2012 she was suffering with nagging pain in her joints caused by poor diet and inactivity. She decided to join her local branch of Slimming World with her husband Trevor, 53, a mechanical engineer. She said: 'My birthday was four months away and I doubted whether I would be able to make a meaningful difference, but it was very helpful to have Trevor there with me in the early days.' In the first week of her new eating programme, she lost 9lb. By the time her husband surprised her with a dream holiday to Mexico for her 50th birthday, Diane had made significant changes . Diane had already lost four stone by the time she went to Mexico for her surprise 50th birthday celebration . Four months later, by the time her husband surprised her with a dream holiday to Mexico to mark her 50th birthday, Diane had made significant changes to her diet and lifestyle and had already lost an impressive four stone in weight. Before she began her new regime, Diane typically ate sugary cereal for breakfast, followed by chicken mayonnaise sandwiches for lunch with pie and chips for evening meal, with biscuits as snacks throughout the day. Today, she eats Weetabix for breakfast, followed by sushi for lunch and fish with rice for an evening meal. She has replaced sugary snacks with pieces of fruit. Breakfast: Sugary cereal . Lunch: Chicken mayo sandwiches . Dinner: Pie and chips . Snacks: Loaf tiger bread, Jaffa cakes . Breakfast: Weetabix . Lunch: Sushi . Dinner: Fish and rice . Snacks: Fruit . Diane now weighs 13st 9lb and wears size 16 clothes. She is now determined to lose the final pounds to reach her target weight of 13st. In an incredible turnaround, she has also been taken off medication for high blood pressure, having relied on daily tablets for the previous ten years. She now runs five kilometres every Saturday and has started her own mid-week running club. She also cycles and attends dancing classes with her husband, who has lost more than two stone since starting his own weight loss journey. Diane, an accounts administrator, said: 'I'm so happy to have achieved all I have. When I look back at the photos how big I became I'm quite ashamed of how bad I let things get. 'Now, I try to encourage people around me to eat healthier. I want other people to realise what they can do if they put their minds to it.' Diane, now 51, has managed to slim down even more - and, most importantly,  keep the weight off . Diane and husband Trevor, who surprised her with a dream holiday to Mexico to mark her 50th .

Diane Purdey, from Poole, once wore dress size 26 and weighed 21st 12lb . Mother-of-two had high blood pressure and nagging pain in her joints . Decided to get fit and healthy for milestone and shed more than 8st . Diane, now 51, weighs 13st 9lb and wears size 16. Her target is 13st .

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Killed by racists? Alfred Wright, 28, whose . family have raised questions after his mutilated body was found in an area of Texas notorious . for its racism . The brother of an American Idol . contestant whose mutilated body was found in brush in East Texas may have been the . victim of a racist murder, his family claim. Alfred . Wright from Jasper, Texas, the brother of American Idol contestant . Savion, was found dead last November with his eyes, several teeth, his left ear and his tongue missing. Nevertheless, authorities concluded that he died from a drugs overdose. A . small town near the Louisiana border, Jasper is infamous as the site of . the 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr, who was tied to the back of a pick up . by white supremacists and dragged for three miles along an asphalt . road. Now suspicions have . been raised that Mr Wright's death, like that of Mr Byrd's, was also a . racist murder, after a claim that he was carrying on an affair with the . relative of a white police officer. A local source told Radar: 'Alfred was dating the white relative of someone in law enforcement. 'You can’t do that in East Texas. If you’re a black man, you’ll get killed.They still have cross burnings in that area!' Further deepening the mystery surrounding Mr Wright's death, his wife claims that she found three charges he made at local hotels while she and their children were away in the month before he died. And a private investigator hired by Mr Wright's family claims that local police knew that he had been in some kind of relationship, the nature of which is unclear, with a woman related to the sheriff. '[They] knew about the rumours,' Chuck Foreman told Radar. 'That's what makes it interesting. [They] definitely knew.' The . body of Mr Wright, who was just 28 years old, was discovered by . volunteers last November, in an area of thick East Texas underbrush that . had been supposedly already scoured by Sabine County sheriff's . deputies. His family felt . forced to act themselves to track down their son after the initial . police search - which found some of his possessions and portions of his . clothing - was called off after just four days. Dressed . in just underwear, a pair of spotless tennis shoes, and with one sock . on his left foot, his body was badly disfigured - his eyes, left ear and . several teeth were missing, and his tongue had apparently been torn . out. According to some reports, his throat also appeared to have been slashed. Close: Alfred Wright (right) pictured with his brother Savion, a contestant in American Idol . Tribute: Savion was eliminated from the competition last week after singing a song dedicated to his brother . Mr Wright pictured with his wife Lauren: There . is a suggestion that he had been having an affair with the relative of a . policeman, and his wife said she found he had made payments at a hotel shortly before his death . Mr Wright's father Douglas was one of . the first to the scene where his son's body was discovered amid brambles . on that rainy November night. 'He was just, if I might say, he was neatly laid. He was neatly laid,' he told CNN. 'What . was weird about his sock,' the elder Mr Wright went on, was that it . 'was clean, and his sock was pulled up with his phone stuck in it as if . he was in a Sunday school class. Neat. His tennis shoes was very clean.' An . official post-mortem investigation concluded that Mr Wright had died . accidentally as a result of drug intoxication, and that his mutilations . were the result of animal and insect activity. But . Dr Lee Ann Grossberg, a forensic pathologist hired by Wright's family, . said her preliminary review made findings that were 'suspicious of . homicidal violence'. The questions Alfred Wright's have posed to the authorities include: . Dr . Grossberg said she needs more photos and documents from the . investigation to determine if tissue missing from Mr Wright's neck and . face might have been caused before his death. 'For . me, the most frustrating thing has been not knowing what happened,' said Lauren Wright, Alfred Wright's widow. 'We don't have closure.' Mr . Wright was last seen on November 7. He had been driving around, . visiting his physical therapy patients, when his truck broke down at . around dusk by grocery store in a rural area just south of Hemphill, . about 170 miles north-east of Houston. He called his wife in Jasper, who sent his parents to pick him up. When his parents arrived about an hour later, Mr Wright's truck was there but he had vanished. Wright's wristwatch and pieces of the scrubs he had been wearing were found in a nearby pasture a day later. The search was called off just after four days, with Sabine County Sheriff Thomas Maddox telling reporters all resources had been exhausted and he believed this was a missing person case. Mutilated: Mr Wright was found dead last November with body parts, including his eyes, several teeth and tongue missing, and stripped to his underwear. But authorities claim he died from a drugs overdose . The U.S. Department of Justice this . week took over the investigation into Mr Wright's death, which has been . headed by Texas Rangers since the Sabine County Sheriff's Office handed . it over in November. Tom . Vinger, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, which . oversees the Texas Rangers, said his agency could not comment on details . of the case because of the ongoing investigation. Cade Bernsen, one of the attorneys for . the Wright family, said that he thought the initial search for their . son's remains had been 'incredibly ill-performed'. 'It's questionable how his body was not found when the sheriff said (they) ran dogs through there.' he added. A . toxicology report found drugs in Wright's body, including cocaine and . methamphetamine. The autopsy report did not narrow down when Wright . died. 'I don't feel (the drugs in his system) had anything to do with his demise,' Mrs Wright said. Though . Mr Wright had been facing a federal embezzlement charge in Tennessee, . his wife said she doesn't believe that had anything to do with his . disappearance. Much to live for: A toxicology report found . drugs in Wright's body, including cocaine and methamphetamine, but his . wife said she can't believe that the drugs had anything to do with his untimely death . Mr Bernsen said the Texas Rangers have refused to provide additional information that Grossberg needs to finish her report. And . while the attorney added that there is no evidence this was a hate . crime, Mrs Wright, who is white, said she is not ruling out the . possibility. 'We can't forget the history of the area because we're both from here,' she said. She described her husband as a hard-working, dedicated father. Eerie similarities: Mr Wright's death has awoken memories of the killing of James Byrd Jr, who was tied to a truck by white supremacists and dragged to his death along a rural road in the same area . Davilyn . Walston, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern . District of Texas, said her agency is reviewing the investigation but . declined further comment. J. Kevin Dutton, district attorney for Sabine and San Augustine counties, . said in a statement he 'welcomes the investigation by the Justice . Department as there are serious allegations being made that need to be . resolved.'] . Mr Wright's younger brother, Savion, was eliminated from American Idol last week after singing a song dedicated to his late brother. Sheriff Maddox said on Friday that he could not comment on an open investigation.

Alfred Wright is the brother of American Idol contestant Savion . It is claimed he was having an affair with a relative of a white police officer . He was found dead last November with missing eyes, left ear and teeth . Mr Wright lived in Jasper, notorious for the racist murder of James Byrd Jr .

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(CNN) -- Jerry Sandusky will probably be incarcerated for the rest of his life for child sex abuse convictions, but the former Penn State assistant football coach is making sure he has his say outside the prison walls. Documentary filmmaker John Ziegler interviewed Sandusky, 68, for a project he calls "The Framing of Joe Paterno." On Monday, NBC's "Today" show aired a portion of a phone conversation between the two men. In the broadcast excerpts, Sandusky questioned the credibility of prosecution witness Mike McQueary, another former Penn State assistant coach, who testified that he walked in on Sandusky raping a child in the showers at a school facility. "I think there's a lot of things that transpired. I think these investigators, the way they went about business, you know, his story changed a lot. I think he said some things, and then it escalated on him," Sandusky said. "I don't understand how anybody would have walked into that locker room from where he was and heard sounds associated that was sex going on. (laughter) You know, like he said that could've been, I mean, there was ... that would have been the last thing I would have thought about. I would've thought maybe fooling around or something like that. (laughter)" Sandusky also discussed what Joe Paterno, the legendary Penn State head coach who was forced out as a result of the scandal, knew -- or didn't know. Paterno family: Freeh report 'factually wrong' "If he absolutely thought I was (a pedophile), I'd say no. If he had a suspicion, I don't know the answer to that," Sandusky said. Ziegler wrote an open letter to the media on Sunday, and said on the "Today" show that "the media, in this particular case, has an agenda. They don't want to hear what the truth is. This has been a rush to judgment from the very beginning." "Jerry Sandusky had his day in court. Joe Paterno never did. I am trying to get Joe Paterno, effectively, his day in court," Ziegler said, later adding, "This is all about Joe Paterno's alleged culpability, which I don't believe the facts back up. I think he was railroaded." Both Penn State and the Paterno family lambasted Sandusky and the release of his audio. "Jerry Sandusky's statements today continue to open wounds for his victims, and the victims of child sexual abuse everywhere. We have tremendous respect for the men who came forward to tell their stories publicly," said Penn State spokesman David La Torre. 'The Sandusky 8' describe seduction, molestation and betrayal . And Paterno family attorney Wick Sollers released a statement saying, "The release of the audio recording of Jerry Sandusky is a sad and unfortunate development. Sandusky had the opportunity to speak, under oath, during his trial and he chose not to do so. Releasing a recording at this time, nearly a year after he was found guilty on 45 counts, is transparently self-serving and yet another insult to the victims and anyone who cares about the truth in this tragic story. "The Paterno family would prefer to remain silent on this matter, but they feel it is important to make it clear that they had no role in obtaining or releasing this recording. Moreover, they believe that any attempt to use this recording as a defense of Joe Paterno is misguided and inappropriate. I encourage anyone who wants to understand the facts of this case to go to Paterno.com and read the reports of former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, former FBI profiler, James Clemente, noted pedophilia expert, Dr. Fred Berlin and the King and Spalding legal team. "From the beginning, the family has been committed to due process and a careful, objective examination of the facts. This is the path they will continue to follow." Sandusky was sentenced in October to 30 to 60 years in prison for abusing 10 boys during a 15-year period. On February 21, he filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence with the Pennsylvania Superior Court, according to court records. Letters by Sandusky, wife blame everyone else . CNN's Sara Ganim and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report .

NBC's "Today" show airs audio excerpts of an interview with Jerry Sandusky in prison . The former Penn State assistant football coach raps prosecution witness Mike McQueary . Sandusky says he's not sure if head coach Joe Paterno suspected he was a pedophile . The filmmaker says he's trying to give Paterno "his day in court" after "he was railroaded"

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United Nations (CNN) -- In a contentious closed-door U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday, Russia criticized France's decision to airlift weapons to rebel forces in Libya, according to a Western diplomat present during the discussions. Earlier Tuesday, French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet told reporters that parachute drops of weapons into the North African nation were "no longer necessary" because opposition forces had become organized enough to procure their own arms. Rebels battling Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi are "becoming more autonomous," Longuet said. "This autonomy allows them to build relationships with external partners, including when it comes to equipping themselves in self-defense," he said. But even as Longuet said the weapons drops were no longer needed, debate over the approach continued. Russia brought up the issue at the U.N. Security Council session Tuesday, arguing that by sending weapons, France had violated the council's resolution that authorized NATO force in Libya, the Western diplomat said. France offered a detailed defense of the country's actions, arguing that supplying weapons was "the only practical way of fulfilling" the council's mandate authorizing force to take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians, the diplomat said. During Tuesday's meeting, ambassadors from the United Kingdom and United States defended France's actions, according to the Western diplomat. France acknowledged last Wednesday that it had supplied weapons to anti-Gadhafi forces, saying the weapons were provided for self-defense. "It became clear that people there were defenseless and very much threatened by Gadhafi's forces," French Ministry of Defense spokesman Colonel Thierry Burkhard said last Wednesday. Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi told reporters last week that rebel forces were receiving arms from France but were not trained in their use. He said it was reckless of France to take such action, saying it went "against all of the proclaimed aims of NATO's intervention in Libya." Meanwhile, in Libya, a rebel spokesman said fighting had moved Tuesday westward from Misrata, which rebel forces say they continue to hold. Eleven rebels were killed in Dafniya, and one was killed in Zliten, said Mohammed Ibrahim, the spokesman. Another 60 rebels were wounded in the two cities, he said, citing figures from Al-Hekma Hospital, in Misrata. Pro-Gadhafi forces fired some six rockets into Misrata, but they caused no casualties, he said. The opposition website freemisurata.com, published by Ibrahim's group, said at least 20 members of Gadhafi's forces were killed and six were captured Tuesday in Dafniya and Zliten. CNN's Richard Roth and Mick B. Krever and journalists Catherine Clifford and Dheepthi Namasivayam contributed to this report.

Russia argues that France violated a U.N. Security Council resolution, a diplomat says . Diplomat: Drops were "the only practical way of fulfilling" the council's mandate . United States, United Kingdom defend France, the diplomat says . France's defense minister says the weapons drops are no longer necessary .

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Six of North Korea’s high ranking officials have ‘disappeared’ in the latest blood-thirsty purge of the regime, it has been reported. The officials – including the commanding officer of North Korea’s air force, the minister of posts and telecommunications and a key official in the North’s sport programmes - have not been present at a series of important events in recent months. An intelligence source told South Korea’s respected JoongAng Ilbo newspaper that ‘six minister-level officials were executed’. If true, it would be the third major purge since the dictator Kim Jong-un assumed power in 2011. Scroll down for video . epa04457258 An undated photograph made available by the Rodong Sinmun newspaper of the North Korean ruling Workers' Party on 22 October 2014 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting the newly completed Yonphung Scientists Rest Home, south of Pyongyang, North Korea. EPA/RODONG SINMUN SOUTH KOREA OUT . The leader’s health and grip on the nation was recently questioned after he disappeared from local media reports for more than 40 days. However, Kim has quelled the rumours of ill-health and unrest by being shown on state media visiting military facilities and construction sites. Now speculation is growing he may have used the time to oversee another brutal purge of the regime. The officials that have disappeared include General Ri Pyong-chol, who has not been seen in public since late August. He was absent on October 19, when Kim provided ‘on-the-spot guidance’ to senior officials of the North Korean air force. Another reported to be missing is Ma Won-chun, a prominent architect and construction official, who was not present when Kim toured construction projects in North Korea recently. Kim Jong Un is accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-Ju (second right) as he meets gold medal winners from the 17th Asian Games and world championships. Kim has quelled the rumours of ill-health and unrest by also being shown on state media visiting military facilities and construction sites . Ri Yong-gil, chief of the General Staff of the North Korean People’s Army, was expected to be present at a ceremony to congratulate athletes who returned from this month’s Asian Games in South Korea, but did not attend. Sim Chol-ho, the posts minster, was reportedly close to Kim Jong-il and failed to attend a meeting with representatives of the Egyptian company that provides North Korea’s mobile phone network. Another official, Chang Ung, is understood to have had close ties with Mr Kim’s influential uncle Jang Song-thaek. Mr Song-theaek was arrested in December 2013 and later executed for 24 abuses of power or contraventions of North Korean law, including ‘gnawing at the unity and cohesion of the party’ and ‘dreaming different dreams’. Many of Jang’s closest allies were also purged at the time. ‘He was known as an associate of Jang Song-thaek and in investigation into him revealed that he had embezzled IOC funds and hidden the money in overseas accounts,’ a defector with knowledge of North Korea’s sporting circles told the JoongAng Ilbo.

Air force chief and ministers among staff gone missing in recent months . Would be third major purge since Kim assumed power three years ago . His health and power was questioned after he disappeared for 40 days .

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By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 03:09 EST, 22 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:20 EST, 22 August 2012 . She has had a successful Hollywood career since appearing in Leon at the age of 13. And in 2011 she won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her performance in ballet thriller Black Swan. But 31-year-old American-Israeli actress Natalie Portman has admitted that her family life as a wife and mother will always come first, and that she is even considering becoming a French citizen in order to have the same nationality as her husband and baby son. Natalie Portman with her French husband Benjamin Millepied at the 2011 Golden Globe awards in LA . Natalie Portman with her husband - then partner - Benjamin Millepied and their baby Aleph in Paris in June . Portman married her 35-year-old French ballet dancer-choreographer beau . Benjamin Millepied in California at the beginning of the month, and the couple have a one-year-old son, Aleph, . 'Nothing is more important than my personal life,' Portman recently told France's Madame Figaro magazine. 'It's something which comes first, always makes sense, and compared to the happiness of a successful family life, everything else is practically superficial.' Portman went on to say: 'I now have the possibility of taking on French nationality. It would accomplish the Francophile dreams of my father and myself. 'I lived in Paris when I was 12 and my father gave me the name Natalie as an homage to Gilbert Bécaud's song. Everything in my life has drawn me towards a French family.' Natalie Portman in LA with adorable baby Aleph who she has admitted is more important than any acting role . Indeed, we have become so used to . seeing Portman in family mode - dressed down and . with her adorable baby fastened to her hip - that it was quite a surprise when the star appeared even more dressed down: stripping off and going topless for a new Christian Dior beauty advert. But little Aleph, one, needn't worry about his mother embarrassing him just yet. The Oscar-winner de-robed for the classy photo shoot with photographer Mario Sorrenti to promote the brand's new Diorskin Nude range. In one picture, she is draped topless over a chaise lounge pulling her hair off her face which is made up naturally with products including Dior lip colour 169 Grège. Natalie Portman strips off in the new advert for Christian Dior Rouge Dior Nude Lipcolor . In another close-up shot, she faces the camera with her arms and hair covering her chest to protect her modesty, while in another she is completely naked curled in the foetal position on a rug. In an accompanying statement, Portman said: 'I chose the colour Grège because it's the one I'd pick to wear myself.The number [169] contains different dates that . are important to me and my family.' Dior promise their foundation, which will be on sale nationwide from 14 September, will give wearers a natural, radiant glow. As well as the foundations, priced at £31, lip and nail shades in a nude palette are also available. Natalie wears one of the Rouge Dior Nude shades in the adverts. Dior said the lipsticks, which cost £25, are innovative because they don't colour lips but 'blush' them for a more natural look. The Oscar-winning actress wears the brand's new 'nude' range which promises a more natural look . Natalie Portman has stripped off completely for Dior's new make-up campaign . It is, of course, not the first time Mrs Portman-Millepied has taken her top off for Dior. That first happened when she appeared in an advert to promote the brand's Miss Dior Cherie perfume in Janaury 2011. Natalie Portman first posed topless for Dior in an advertisement for Miss Dior Cherie fragrance in January 2011 . Natalie Portman strips off for Miss Dior perfume . Portamn in a still for Black Swan, left, the film for which she won an Oscar, right, and on which she met her dancer-choreographer husband Benjamin Millepied .

'Everything has drawn me towards having a French family,' says actress .

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A stunning video shot by a GoPro camera attached to a drone is giving viewers a revealing behind-the-scenes glimpse of an airport like it has never been seen before. The nearly four-minute video contains a series of fascinating scenes, including slow-motion shots of planes landing and taking off, overhead views of aircraft taxiing, and an air traffic control tower at sunrise. The incredible footage was recorded by Postandfly at Mexico City International Airport after it was granted aerial access and the rare opportunity to fly a remote-controlled drone in close proximity to planes. Overhead view: The incredible footage was recorded by Postandfly at Mexico City International Airport . Postandfly was given the rare opportunity to fly a remote-controlled drone in close proximity to planes . Set to dramatic music, the mesmerising video acts as a digital love letter to planes and airports, and it has been a huge hit with aviation and drone enthusiasts. It has more than 150,000 views since it was uploaded to Postandfly’s YouTube channel two weeks ago. Set to dramatic music, the mesmerising video acts as a digital love letter to planes and airports . The video includes slow-motion shots of planes landing and taking off, and overhead views of aircraft taxiing . Postandfly said it created the video at the request of Mexican Air and Space Navigation Services . The video has more than 150,000 views since it was uploaded to Postandfly’s YouTube channel two weeks ago . Postandfly said it created the video at the request of Mexican Air and Space Navigation Services (SENEAM). The Mexico City-based drone video and photography company said: ‘SENEAM personnel, the General Administration of Civil Aeronautics and Postandfly working in conjunction with the control tower and pilots managed to take necessary precautions, in order to create this shots.’ Postandfly's portfolio includes a number of incredible videos of Mexico City landmarks, waterfalls, cliffs, turquoise blue waters and other breath-taking locations.

Postandfly was granted rare aerial access to planes in the Mexican capital . Video includes overhead views of aircraft taxiing to and from terminals . Fascinating slow-motion shots show planes landing and taking off . Mexican Air and Space Navigation Services asked company to create video .

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When 24-year-old Alex Hopwood received a terminal cancer diagnosis two months ago, she was determined not to let it stop her enjoying her life. In fact, the childcare worker from Hinckley, Leicestershire, created a glamorous bucket list fit for an A-Lister and has been working her way through it ever since. Alex has travelled to three continents and seen some of the world's most famous sites, in a bid to make some treasured memories with her beloved friends and family. Jetsetter Alex Hopwood, pictured before she was diagnosed with terminal cancer . Alex, pictured in hospital with her mother, left, was first diagnosed with cancer in September 2013 . Since her diagnosis Alex has travelled to Dubai with her Mum (left) and taken a trip to Las Vegas (right) And despite her hectic schedule, Alex, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013, has even found the time to set up a charity to help others in her position. As well as having tea at the Ritz in London and visiting Disneyland Paris, Alex has also watched Britney Spears perform in Las Vegas - flying out with her friends and family. She has visited Dubai, Iceland, and rented out a cottage with her friends, had a pretend Christmas Day, and visited country houses around her home county of Leicestershire. Alex said: 'As soon as I was told the news that there was no more treatment available to me, I came home and a friend encouraged me to write a list of things I wanted to do. 'All the trips and days out that I was hoping to do once I'd got better, I decided to do them now. I've flown over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, and watched the Northern Lights in Iceland. Alex and her friends took a helicopter ride in Las Vegas as part of her bucket list . Alex's brother Dane donated bone marrow to his sister twice but Alex's cancer came back . 'I've had tea at the Ritz and taken my little niece to Disneyland - it's all been incredible. 'I'm lucky enough to have some amazing friends and family, so I just want to spend as much time with them as possible. I'm just so grateful for every single day.' Alex was first diagnosed with the disease after noticing unusual bruises appearing on her body in September 2013. After a bone marrow transplant from her brother, Dane, she was told she was in remission just four months later. She said: 'When I was told the cancer was gone, it was such a relief. My brother had been amazing to donate his bone marrow and I was so excited to get back on with my life. But she was given the devastating news when a routine scan earlier this year revealed the cancer was back. Alex said: 'I was going for routine scans and everything was positive until about May when the scans had come back. Alex (second from the left, top) and her friends enjoyed a silent disco at a cottage in the Cotswolds . Alex (left) has used her spare time to set up a charity to help other people in her position . 'It was such a shock but I just threw myself back into chemo again - I had every treatment possible and my brother donated his bone marrow again. 'Once again we thought everything was going well, and I had to wait 100 days until after the transplant to have a biopsy to check it had worked. 'I was hoping for the best, but in the middle of October this year the doctors explained that it hadn't worked, and there was nothing more that they could do. Alex was then faced with having to tell her friends and family that she didn't have long left to live. 'I had sort of prepared myself for bad news, but it was just devastating - I hated that I was going to have to tell all the people I loved the bad news - I didn't want to upset them,' she said. Alex having a glass of Champagne with her pals in Las Vegas as part of her A-list bucket list . After returning home from hospital, a friend suggested Alex write a list of things she wanted to do. Alex said: 'It wasn't a set list of things I definitely had to tick off, but more a list of wishes. 'It included big things like Vegas, Dubai and Iceland, but also smaller things like staying in the Cotswolds with my friends and going on days out with my family. 'As soon as I'd done it, I messaged my friends asking if they wanted to come to Vegas - I couldn't believe it when so many people replied saying they wanted to come with me. 'Thirty-one of us - including my mum, Jacky, flew out all together and it was just incredible. 'We flew over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, watched Britney Spears perform, visited the famous Vegas sign, and sped around the city in a limo. Alex, centre, pictured outside The Ritz in London where she went for tea with her friend and mum, right . 'It was one of the best experiences of my life.' She added: 'A lot of people can't get over the news that they are very ill, but I just thought that there was no point in dwelling on it. I didn't want this cancer to stop me from doing anything. 'I know I'm lucky to have so many amazing people in my life, so I just want to spend lots of time with them.' However, it is not always easy going: 'I do feel more poorly now since I first went away, but I just want to keep going for as long as possible.' Alex has also set up a charity to support other young people in her position. All wrapped up in Iceland in front of a glacier, Alex has made sure to snap pictures as she enjoys her travels . Alex said it was important to involve her family in her journey, including on this trip to Disneyland Paris . She said: 'I set up a charity throughout my ongoing battle as it gave me a lift helping others - I was inspired to create something positive out of something so negative. 'It gave me a purpose in life when I was going through treatment. It was really important to me to raise awareness and reach out to other people, so I created a charity called A Gift To Lift. 'It's a charity to create memorable experiences for blood cancer patients, and I aim to raise enough funds to have a special holiday lodge for patients and their families to spend quality time at. 'I gave my first experience to a girl who was treated in the same hospital as me and it was just incredible. 'I also make accessories for the charity to raise funds. I've organised a fundraising night where we raised over £8,000.' Alex and her pals looked glamorous at a themed night for her A Gift To Lift charity where she raised £8000 . Before she was diagnosed with cancer Alex had long hair (left), now she wears a similar-coloured wig (right) And despite her terminal prognosis, Alex continues to live every day to its fullest. She said: 'I never asked how much time I have left as I don't want to know, but more recently some of the doctors and nurses have been talking to me about arranging somewhere I'd want to be when I might pass away. 'Whatever happens now, I know I've experienced some of the most incredible things, and I'll always be grateful for that. 'It's my friends and family, especially my mum, that have kept me going and supported me. Life is for living - I'm determined to keep smiling, and appreciate every single day.' To donate to Alex's charity, visit A Gift To Lift.

Alex Hopwood was diagnosed with terminal cancer two months ago . Has now travelled to Dubai, Las Vegas and Iceland as part of her bucket list . Has said she does not want to be told how long she has left to live . 24-year-old has also set up a charity to help people in a similar position .

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(CNN)In the climactic final battle in the 1986 movie "Top Gun," an officer tells Stinger, the battle commander, that the aircraft carrier's catapults are broken and it's unable to launch planes. Stinger asks how long a fix will take. "It'll take 10 minutes," the officer replies. "Bull---- 10 minutes! This thing will be over in two minutes! Get on it!" Stinger says. Fast-forward to 2015, and the fate of the carrier in "Top Gun" is in similar peril. The USS Ranger, decommissioned by the Navy in 1993, is scheduled to be towed from storage in Bremerton, Washington, to a wrecking yard in Texas in about a month. Coming in with a bid to save it is Top Gun Super Carrier of Long Beach, which hopes to stop the carrier's final journey in the California port city, with hopes to turn it into a tourist and business destination. "Right now, we just want a stay of execution," Michael B. Shanahan, project manager for the Long Beach rescue effort, said in a statement on a Change.org petition to save the carrier. "This is our last chance to stop the loss of an irreplaceable cultural and historic asset." That chance appears to be slim. In December, the Navy paid International Shipbreaking of Brownsville, Texas, a penny to take the 56,000-ton warship off its hands. The shipbreaker makes its profit by selling the parts of the ship for scrap. Although the Ranger was decommissioned in 1993, the Navy kept it around for possible reactivation until March 2004, when it was stricken from the Naval Register and made available for donation to a group that could preserve it. An attempt by the USS Ranger Foundation to turn the carrier into a museum in Oregon fell short financially, and it could not figure out a way to get the huge ship up the Columbia River to Fairview, Oregon, according to a Navy statement. When it finalized the contract to scrap the Ranger in December, the Navy said it could not afford to maintain it indefinitely while waiting for a suitable organization to take it over. Shanahan said the Top Gun group will cover all costs to keep the Ranger from the scrapyard. "Sparing the ship now presents NO financial risk to the federal government," he said in a statement. The group says it has secured $14 million in donations so far and will cover the $200,000 in annual maintenance costs until a permanent berth for the ship is found, according to a story in the Long Beach Post. But Chris Johnson, a spokesman for Naval Sea Systems Command, which was responsible for disposing of the carrier, told the Navy Times that the Top Gun plan wouldn't pass muster. "We cannot take private funding for inherently military purposes, so it's not accurate when the group says it can raise funds to keep the ship on donation hold," the Navy Times quoted Johnson as saying. So unless another plan comes together quickly, the Ranger is likely to follow two of its predecessors in the Forrestal class of carriers -- the Forrestal and the Saratoga -- to scrapyards in Brownsville. Another carrier, the USS Constellation, part of the Kitty Hawk class, was towed to Brownsville late last year. Like the Ranger, the Constellation was stored in Washington and because of its size had to be towed all the way around the southern tip of South America, as it would not fit through the Panama Canal. The Ranger's final journey is expected to take four to five months, the Navy says. The Ranger spent more than 35 years on active service, including missions off Vietnam and in support of Operation Desert Storm.

The USS Ranger was featured in the 1986 movie "Top Gun" The Navy decommissioned the aircraft carrier in 1993, and it's scheduled to be scrapped . Top Gun Super Carrier of Long Beach, California, hopes to turn it into a tourist and business destination .

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By . Victoria Woollaston . Vegans and those suffering from lactose intolerance could soon be eating 'cheese' grown in a lab, made using yeast, vegetable butter and water. Biohackers in California have found a way to create cheese protein genes based on sequences in cow DNA, before growing them in baker’s yeast and using them to create a ‘milk’ substitute. This milk can then be churned using traditional cheese-making methods to become real vegan cheese. Scroll down for video . Real vegan cheese is the brainchild of biohackers from Counter Culture Labs and BioCurious in California (pictured). They create cheese protein genes based on sequences in cow DNA, before growing them in baker's yeast and using them to create a 'milk'. This can then be churned using traditional cheese-making methods . ‘We live in an unsustainable world. The cheese we eat today is produced by commercial dairy cows which, though they produce delicious milk and cheese, have an exceptionally large carbon footprint,’ explained the biohackers from Counter Culture Labs and BioCurious. The process begins by taking genetic sequences inspired by cow DNA, and creating cheese protein genes that function in yeast. To create the proteins, the researchers studied animal genomes to find natural milk-protein genetic sequences. They optimised the genes for use in yeast, and created the resulting yeast milk protein DNA from scratch. This . DNA is then put into yeast cells where the cells take over and produce . real milk-protein. The . genetically modified yeast creates cheese protein as it grows. The raw . cheese protein is extracted and separated from the yeast. To . make real vegan cheese, the researchers then take the cheese protein . and combine it with the three other main cheese ingredients, including, . fat, or in this case vegetable butter, vegan sugar in place of . lactose, and water. Mixing these creates the vegan milk, which can then be then turned into cheese. ‘By creating an alternative pathway to cheese, we help the environment, increase access to tasty and healthy food. The process begins by taking genetic sequences from cow DNA and creating cheese protein genes that function in yeast. To create the proteins, the researchers studied animal genomes to find natural milk-protein genetic sequences. They optimised the genes for use in yeast, and created the resulting yeast milk protein DNA from scratch. This DNA is then put into yeast cells where the cells take over and produce real milk-protein. The genetically modified yeast creates cheese protein as it grows, and raw cheese protein is extracted and separated from the yeast. To make real vegan cheese, the researchers then take the cheese protein and combine it with the three other main cheese ingredients, including, fat, or in this case vegetable butter, vegan sugar in place of lactose, and water. Mixing these creates the vegan milk, which can then be then turned into cheese. Although the genes are inspired by the genetic sequencing of mammals, they are actually made from scratch. The first steps of the process (pictured in this graphic) include taking genetic sequences inspired by cow DNA and creating cheese protein genes that function in yeast. To create the proteins, the researchers studied animal genomes to find natural milk-protein genetic sequences . The genetically modified yeast creates cheese protein as it grows. It is then extracted and separated. To make real vegan cheese, the researchers take the cheese protein and combine it with the three other main cheese ingredients, including, fat, or in this case vegetable butter, vegan sugar in place of lactose, and water . Start-up company Muufri is planning to produce a cow-free milk. The team, from University College Cork, Ireland, said the product is not only artificial, but also free of lactose and cholesterol. Manufacturing process is set to begin this year, and the final product should be ready by July 2015. Ultimately the team hopes to bring their artificial milk to mark in three years. This means none of the genes have ever been part of an animal, making them truly vegan. ‘We believe that using animals as large-scale food production machines is ethically and environmentally irresponsible.’ ‘[But] all humans, vegans included, should have access to delicious and healthy cheese. ‘As with all scientific research, we can’t be completely certain this will work until we try it. 'But we’re confident we will be able to make vegan cheese protein and turn it into the world’s first real vegan cheese.’ They also claim the cheese would be healthier. For . example, for each of the four main proteins found in cheese, there are . genetic variants found in humans and in different breeds of cows. Although the genes are inspired by the genetic sequencing of mammals, they are actually made from scratch (pictured left). The biohackers have already raised more than $15,605 (£9,100) on Indiegogo and the next step is to turn the milk into cheese. Protein purification system is pictured right . Researchers claim the vegan cheese would be healthier. For each of the four main proteins found in cheese (stock image pictured) there are genetic variants. Some increase the risks of allergic response. As a result, the biohackers claim they can select the most desirable variants of these naturally occurring proteins . Some of these versions of the proteins are associated with various health benefits, or increased risks of allergic response. As a result, the researchers claim they can pick and choose the most desirable variants of these naturally occurring proteins, increasing health benefits and removing allergens. The biohackers have already raised more than $15,605 (£9,100) on Indiegogo and the next step is to turn the milk into cheese.

Real vegan cheese is the brainchild of biohackers from California . They create cheese protein genes from sequences based on cow DNA . These genes are grown in baker’s yeast before being extracted . They are then mixed with vegetable butter, vegan sugar and water . In theory, this ‘milk’ can then be churned using cheese-making methods . Biohackers have raised more than $15,605 (£9,100) on Indiegogo and the next step is to create the cheese .

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By . Aaron Sharp . PUBLISHED: . 04:44 EST, 26 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:45 EST, 26 September 2013 . Attack: Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, above, stated his opposition to Barack Obama over action in Syria, branding the president an 'assassin' The Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, staged a private dinner party in a New York which was attended by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, it has been revealed. Farrakhan, who famously branded Barack Obama a 'murderer' over the death of former Libya leader Colonel Gaddafi, attended the event in the UN Hotel in Manhattan on Tuesday night. Rouhani’s dinner party was held on the second floor of the hotel, where the Iranian delegation is staying. At the same time, President Obama and his party are at the Waldorf Astoria just blocks away. The private party was hosted by the Iranian leader after he gave a speech to the UN general assembly earlier that day. Farrakhan, accompanied by a huge entourage of hired security was spotted leaving the hotel at around 10pm on Tuesday. They stopped traffic while the leader of the religious movement and his staff piled into cars with lights, sirens and New Jersey license plates. Also at Rouhani’s event was the German Deputy Foreign Minister Peter Florin, who was elected president of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. Farrakhan made headlines during the General Assembly last year when he dined with Rouhani's predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Leader: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses the 68th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, before staging a private dinner at the UN Hotel . Farrakhan is no stranger to controversy having caused a row with anti-Semitic remarks which aligned himself with former Iranian presidents and other controversial world leaders. Two years ago Farrakhan launched a verbal attack on Barack Obama, saying the president was a 'murderer' in response to the death of Libyan dictator Colonal Gadaffi. Speaking at the time, he said: 'We voted for our brother Barack, a beautiful human being with a sweet heart... now he's an assassin.' Summit: World leaders had gathered at the United Nations in New York, above .

NOI's Louis Farrakhan is guest at party held by Iranian delegation . He dined with Middle Eastern leader who is in town to give UN speech . Both men are critics of the Obama regime .

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By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 20:16 EST, 1 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:16 EST, 1 January 2013 . Singletons in search of love should take note - 8.52pm tonight will be the best time this year to find a date online. Researchers believe people looking for a date will have the best chance of finding someone compatible shortly before 9pm as the number of people logging on to internet dating sites peaks. They believe a combination of back to work blues and New Year's resolutions to find a partner will send millions of people to online dating sites. Researchers say the numbers of people logging on to internet dating sites will peak at 8.52pm . It will conclude what is traditionally the busiest week of the year for online dating. On match.com alone, interactions between members over the past seven days were 11 per cent higher than average. In January, an estimated 3.2million people will go online in search of a date. Kate Taylor, resident relationship . expert at match.com, said: 'It's the time of year when we vow to eat . more healthily, exercise more frequently and budget better. 'As . the Christmas festivities calm down and we re-evaluate our lives, it's . little wonder that looking for a partner will top the list of New Year . priorities for many single people. Match.com said people are happier in a relationship and many singletons will have made it a New Year's resolution to find a partner . 'If you make sure you're online during the busiest time of the . whole year you'll have an even better chance of meeting someone . special.' Match.com found that financial security, work performance, family relationships and body confidence improved when people are in a relationship. Internet dating is now the third most popular way to meet a partner in Britain, along with meeting someone at work. It has become so central that it is now included in the Office for National Statistic's UK 'shopping basket' of goods and services that measures the UK's cost of living.

Combination of going back to work and New Year resolutions will send millions to internet dating sites .

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Arsene Wenger is considering offering an Arsenal coaching role to Thierry Henry who is ready to tackle the next stage of his glittering career. Henry’s contract with New York Red Bulls expires next month at the end of the MLS season and although he is yet to announce his retirement, many believe he will finish as a player. ‘It’s not impossible,’ said Wenger, when asked if the 37-year-old former Arsenal captain could return to coach. ‘I welcome people who have played for us to come back but not (for just) an honorary job. VIDEO Scroll down to watch a nostalgic Thierry Henry talk about Arsenal . Arsene Wenger says it is 'not impossible' for Thierry Henry to return to Arsenal in a coaching role . Wenger speaks with Alexis Sanchez during training ahead of Arsenal's clash with Manchester United . Henry is expected to retire once his contract with New York Red Bulls expires at the end of the MLS season . ‘It has to be a job that is available and one where you get up in the morning and do something.’ Henry has said he would like to manage Arsenal, where he played for eight years, won two League titles and became club leading scorer before joining Barcelona in 2007. He returned briefly on loan from New York in January 2012 and has a total of 228 goals for the north London club. Wenger said: ‘Has he the quality to be a manager? Yes... but he has to decide to sacrifice his life. When you’re a player, you think it’s so simple to be a manager. When you are a manager, you think it’s so complicated suddenly and if you’re not prepared for that you cannot survive. ‘One quality that you need is resistance to criticism when you feel it’s not justified. I don’t know how he’ll handle that. Henry (left) celebrates one of two league titles won with Robert Pires (centre) and Sol Campbell (right) Wenger believes Henry has the quality to eventually become a manager if he is prepared to sacrifice . Ryan Giggs (left) has taken a coaching role under Louis van Gaal at Saturday's opponents Manchester UNited . ‘He has to learn the job first. I have seen so many who have the qualities and they have not survived their first job because they are not ready.’ Ryan Giggs is learning to coach as Louis van Gaal’s assistant with Saturday's visitors Manchester United, but Wenger believes those with serious ambitions need total control, like Henry’s former France team-mate Zinedine Zidane, who runs Real Madrid’s B team. ‘It is better to have the responsibility,’ said Wenger. ‘You learn to handle a dressing-room. If Henry does retire he will play his final home game tomorrow against New England Revolution in the first leg of the Eastern Conference final.

Arsene Wenger would welcome Thierry Henry back to Arsenal as a coach . The Gunners all-time record scorer is expected to retire after his contract with New York Red Bulls expires at the end of the season . Arsenal face Manchester United in their Premier League clash on Saturday .

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(RS.com) -- The Beastie Boys are planning a memoir commemorating their music and career, but it won't be a straightforward narrative-style remembrance. Adam Yauch's film company carrying out his vision . Instead, surviving members Mike D and Ad-Rock plan to create a loosely structured oral history featuring a mix of their voices, outside contributors and images, cut through with their characteristic irreverent humor, The New York Times reports. Mike Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) have signed a deal with the Random House imprint Spiegel & Grau for the still-untitled book, which will be edited by hip-hop journalist Sacha Jenkins for a planned release in the fall of 2015. How the Beastie Boys made their masterpiece . Diamond and Horovitz are "interested in challenging the form and making the book a multidimensional experience," Julie Grau, the publisher of Spiegel & Grau, said. "There is a kaleidoscopic frame of reference, and it asks a reader to keep up." The MCs want to strike a tone similar to Grand Royal, the magazine they published briefly in the '90s to dig into their pop-culture interests, their agent, Luke Janklow, said. Beastie Boys' Mike D feeds Hurricane Sandy victims with free food truck . "The first words out of Mike's mouth were, 'I don't want to do a straight memoir,'" Janklow said. He noted that the band had discussed the idea of a book several years ago before Beastie Boys co-founder Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland. Yauch, known as MCA, died last year at 47. Their publisher has experience with untraditional memoirs by rappers: Spiegel & Grau also published Jay-Z's 2010 book, "Decoded." See the original story at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone.

The Beastie Boys are planning a memoir commemorating their music and career . Surviving members Mike D and Ad-Rock plan to create a loosely structured oral history . The still-untitled book has a planned release date of fall 2015 .

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(CNN)If you've always wanted to have a beer with "Family Guy's" Peter Griffin in real life, give Robert Franzese a call. Franzese is a New York-based cosplayer who also happens to do an insanely accurate impression of the cartoon dad from Quahog, Rhode Island. With a white button-down shirt, a pair of green pants, round glasses and his spot-on vocal work, Franzese can transform from everyday guy into something right out of a "Family Guy" episode. Franzese's character has been a hit at conventions like New York Comic-Con, and a recent YouTube video from BOOM! Big Pants shows just how much of a celebrity he has become. "Impressions just really came naturally to me," Franzese explains in the clip, which -- be warned -- contains coarse language. "So I slapped together stuff that I had. ... and was like, great, Peter Griffin. Just one stupid joke, where I go to the ATM, and I'm like, 'Oh, my God, I won!' And from then on, it's just caught like wildfire." He's become so popular that he's caught the eye of "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, who retweeted the YouTube video of Franzese on Wednesday. In his everyday life, Franzese swears he's a "nobody": "I have a nobody job, making nobody pay," he says in the video. But when he goes to Comic-Con, "people are pulling out phones like I'm freaking Brad Pitt," he continues. "It makes me feel like a million bucks. It's the reactions that I get out of what I do that gives me the joy of what I do."

A cosplayer does a wicked impression of "Family Guy's" Peter Griffin . The creator of "Family Guy" has acknowledged the impression on Twitter .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- U.S. safety officials have recalled about 4.2 million Chinese-made Aqua Dots bead toys that contain a chemical that has caused some children to vomit and become comatose after swallowing them. Bindeez, which were named Australia's toy of the year, contain a chemical that converts into a "date rape" drug. Scientists have found the popular toy's coating contains a chemical that, once metabolized, converts into the toxic "date rape" drug GHB, or gamma-hydroxy butyrate, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Scott Wolfson told CNN. "GHB is this drug that in low doses actually causes euphoria," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent. "In higher doses, it can cause people to go into a coma. It can cause seizures. It can cause something known as hypotonia, where all your muscles just become very flaccid. "And it can cause people to become amnestic, ... which is why it became a date-rape drug," Gupta said. "So this is nasty stuff, and it appears that the chemical is actually converting into it in the body." The arts and craft beads, aimed at children 4 years and older, have been selling since April at major U.S. retail stores as "Aqua Dots" and in Australia under the name "Bindeez Beads." CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese said anyone with Aqua Dots at home should immediately take the toy away from children and contact distributor Spin Master Ltd. to return for free replacement beads or a toy of equal value. For additional information, contact Spin Master at 1-800-622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. The toy was named toy of the year in Australia and recently made Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s list of top 12 Christmas toys. Wal-Mart on Thursday listed Aqua Dots on its Web site as "out of stock online" and had removed them from its top toy list. Toronto-based Spin Master stopped shipping Aqua Dots and asked retailers to pull them off their shelves, where they had sold for $17 to $30. Watch what's known about the beads » . Melbourne-based Moose Enterprise Pty. Ltd. recalled Bindeez Beads on Tuesday after three children in Australia swallowed large quantities of the beads and were hospitalized. "I was so frightened because I thought she wasn't going to make it," Heather Lehane told CNN affiliate Network 7 of her 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte, who was sickened by the beads. In the United States, the Washington-based safety commission said it has received two reports detailing the severe effects of the digested beads. The CPSC said a boy nearly 2 years old "swallowed several dozen beads. He became dizzy and vomited several times before slipping into a comatose state." The toddler was hospitalized and has since fully recovered, the commission added. In the second incident, a child vomited, fell into a coma and was hospitalized for five days. It was not immediately clear whether the child had made a full recovery. The recall is the latest to target Chinese-made toys. See if your child has any recalled toys » . Last month, U.S. government safety officials and retailers recalled at least 69,000 Chinese-made toys over concerns of excessive amounts of lead paint, which can cause lead poisoning. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Janine Brady, Jason Carroll, Laura Dolan, Julie O'Neill and Leslie Wiggins contributed to this report.

NEW: Distributor provides phone number for return and replacement . Children who swallow the beads can become comatose or have seizures . Toys are sold as Aqua Dots in the U.S., as Bindeez Beads in Australia . Three children were hospitalized in Australia after swallowing large quantities .

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