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a prominent young activist has been charged with assaulting a guard during a ferguson-related protest just days after meeting with president barack obama at the white house . rasheen aldridge , 20 , the youngest member of the newly-established ferguson commission , was part of a group that rushed the doors at st. louis city hall , missouri , police said . video footage posted online show the group shouting , ` we shut s *** down ' , while storming towards marshals who were blocking the entrance . scroll down for video . rasheen aldridge -lrb- far left -rrb- , who is the youngest member of the newly-established ferguson commission , was charged with assault days after meeting president barack obama -lrb- far right -rrb- . wearing a grey hat , aldridge -lrb- centre -rrb- is seen in at the front of the group and at one point he appears to shove a marshal . wearing a grey hat , aldridge is seen in at the front of the group and at one point he appears to shove a marshal . the 20-year-old was charged with assault along with two other demonstrators , zachary chasnoff from st louis and chelsea carswell from austin , texas . hundreds took to the streets hall last week as part of a protest over a st. louis county grand jury 's decision to not indict ferguson police officer darren wilson in michael brown 's shooting death . a police spokesman said : ` several individuals rushed the doors at city hall , attempting to gain entry . the 20-year-old was charged with third degree assault along with two other demonstrators . ` the individuals broke the door and c.u , a city marshall , stood at the door , blocking the individuals from entering city hall . the defendant was among the individuals attempting to gain entry to city hall . ` while c.u. was blocking entry , defendant and the other individuals were chanting and shouting at c.u. and others posted at the door . defendant and the other individuals continued to attempt to gain entry to city hall and defendant pushed c.u. ' on monday , aldridge and fellow commission member brittany packnett were in washington to visit mr obama . ` one of the most powerful things that happened today was i had the opportunity to meet with some young people , including a couple of young outstanding leaders from the ferguson community , brittany packnett and rasheen aldridge , ' said the us president . ` and what made me concerned was the degree to which they feel as if they are not heard or that the reality of what they experienced has been denied . the member of young activists united admitted he was hesitant to accept an appointment to the commission . ` what made me greatly encouraged was how clear their voices were when they were heard , and how constructive they are in wanting to solve these problems . and i think anybody who had the chance to listen to them here today felt the same way . ' aldridge said he was ` disappointed ' with the president after their meeting because he did n't commit to action in ferguson . the member of young activists united admitted he was hesitant to accept an appointment to the commission . ` that was the most difficult part , to make sure i 'm not turning my back on my people or betraying them or doing any backdoor deals because like i said at the end of the day , i stand with them , ' he said . the 16-person panel of the ferguson commission has been appointed to study and make specific recommendations for how to make progress on the issues raised by events in ferguson . in a written statement , ferguson commission co-chairs rich mcclure and rev starsky wilson said : ` we do not have a lot of information on the situation with rasheen aldridge junior and the misdemeanor charge stemming from an incident at city hall last week . we hope to have a chance to talk to him to understand the facts . rasheen is a valued member of the ferguson commission . '

<s> rasheen aldridge , 20 , was arrested after a ferguson-related protest . </s> <s> he was part of a group that rushed the doors at st. louis city hall . </s> <s> video footage appears to show him pushing and shoving a guard . </s> <s> he is the youngest member of the new ferguson commission . </s> <s> activist met with president obama at the white house this week . </s>

as the king who thought nothing of killing off an inconvenient wife or rival , his place on the history curriculum is assured . but few would single out henry viii as a role model . which is why education secretary nicky morgan was facing ridicule last night after a bizarre interview in which she singled him out when asked to name her favourite monarch . nicky morgan said the controversial king was her favourite monarch in the interview with politics website conservativehome , but opted for elisabeth i on advice from aides after her first choice prompted surprise . the reign of henry viii , pictured , was dominated by his break from the papacy , and he is said to have carried out large numbers of political executions -- 330 in the years 1532-40 alone , with some estimates up to 72,000 . ` well i love the tudor period . i think henry viii , ' she said . the minister quickly withdrew her choice when aides and her interviewer on the politics website , conservativehome , expressed their surprise . she said : ` shall i change that to elizabeth i ? a strong female monarch at a time when there were n't many examples . ' henry 's reign was dominated by his break from the papacy and the establishment of a reformed , national church . but he carried out large numbers of political executions -- 330 in the years 1532-40 alone . a contemporary chronicle says he had 72,000 people killed , although the true figure is likely to be much lower and in line with other monarchs in troubled political and religious times . henry 's most famous victim was the second of his six wives , anne boleyn , who he had accused of adultery . he also had his fifth wife , catherine howard , beheaded for being ` unchaste ' . a conservative campaign for new grammar schools came under fire yesterday -- from the tory education secretary . nicky morgan said she ` was not sure that separating people at the age of 11 ' would improve social mobility or transform education . she insisted instead that she wanted all the country 's state schools to do well . her comments come after senior party figures called for an expansion of grammar schools to be included in next year 's general election manifesto . home secretary theresa may and defence secretary michael fallon have backed plans for new ` satellite ' grammar school campuses in their constituencies . kent county council has asked miss morgan to approve its plans for an extra grammar school to meet demand in sevenoaks , mr fallon 's constituency . earlier proposals were rejected by mrs morgan 's predecessor michael gove . mrs morgan told the conservativehome website it was wrong to think that the only way to get access to good state education was to reintroduce grammar schools : ` i would push back on that and just say actually we want all of our state schools to be good and outstanding . ' his inner circle were never safe and thomas more and thomas cromwell were among many courtiers and nobles put to death in a reign that ran from 1509 to 1547 . chris mcgovern , chairman of the campaign for real education , said mrs morgan 's choice showed appalling ignorance of british history . ` henry viii is a figure more akin to kim jong-un , the north korean leader , ' he said . ` he was a tyrant . he was responsible for the executions of thousands of people . ` he used to burn protestants and catholics in the same place , on the same day , alongside each other . ` what a fool mrs morgan is . it 's laughable . she has to be kidding . it 's someone who does n't know her history . ' asked in the interview to name her political heroes , mrs morgan chose margaret thatcher , mikhail gorbachev and fw de klerk , the last apartheid ruler of south africa . the two men were ` prepared to take on the system , having been elected or appointed in that system ' , she said . mrs morgan was also asked if this country was in need of glasnost -- the policy for openness in government institutions in the soviet union . she replied : ` the westminster system , there 's no doubt about it , people want to know honestly from their politicians about what can change and what ca n't change and why we 're doing things . they want to know what motivates us to be making change . '

<s> nicky morgan singled him out when asked to name her favourite monarch . </s> <s> quickly withdrew her choice after aides and her interviewer were surprised . </s> <s> then decided on elizabeth i who she said was a strong female monarch . </s> <s> henry to blame for at least 330 executions in the years 1532-40 alone . </s> <s> campaign for real education said choice showed ignorance of history . </s> <s> added that ` henry viii is a figure more akin to kim jong-un of north korea ' </s>

a grandmother , who has been left devastated by the discovery of two abandoned babies in one week , has set up a ` safe haven ' on her own doorstep . catherine lucre from camden , south west of sydney , has also set up a facebook page in which she offers to pick up any unwanted children from mothers who prefer to remain anonymous . ' i just want to offer another alternative to mothers than leaving their babies in a drain or burying it at the beach , ' mrs lucre told daily mail australia . scroll down for video . pictured with her granddaughter , catherine lucre is offering to do anything it takes to prevent another child being abandoned in unsafe circumstances . the mother-of-four started the facebook page , operation safe haven , following the discovery of a baby 's body at maroubra beach . the 54-year-old mother-of-four , who works as a midwife , has shared her mobile phone number on the facebook group , titled operation safe haven , and encourages anyone in need to contact her . ` if you 're in distress or do n't know what to do or you 're scared or alone or worried for whatever reason -- if you just have no other means of caring for your infant - contact me , ' she said . ` that 's just one way that i 'm prepared to help people in this situation . if someone said that they lived in wollongong , i 'd be prepared to go down there and meet them somewhere or they can leave the baby somewhere and i 'll get it if they want to remain anonymous . ` they can also leave their baby out the front and ring the doorbell and i 'll leave it for ten seconds before i answer if they do n't want to have a face to face meeting . ' the 54-year-old mother-of-four , who works as a midwife , has also set up a bassinet at her front door . ` i 'll leave it for ten seconds before i answer -lsb- the door -rsb- if they do n't want to have a face to face meeting , ' she told daily mail australia . her offer comes following the discovery of a baby 's body buried in the sand at maroubra beach and a newborn boy who was , only a week earlier , found abandoned in drain at quakers hill . mrs lucre , who called police in 2009 to offer to pay for the funeral of a baby whose body had been found at a rubbish tip , said she has received an enormous amount of positive support for her offer , but is yet to be contacted by any mothers . when that day comes , she said she would immediately take the infant to a hospital and contact the department of community services and police , but promised to maintain the mother 's privacy . the registered nurse said that she would like to see the introduction of baby hatches , adding that she had met many mothers during her career as a midwife who were not aware of the services available to them . ` if you 're in distress or do n't know what to do or you 're scared or alone or worried for whatever reason -- if you just have no other means of caring for your infant - contact me , ' mrs lucre said after sharing her mobile phone number on her facebook page . she has received an enormous amount of positive support for her offer , but is yet to be contacted by any mothers . when that day comes , she said she would immediately take the infant to a hospital and contact the department of community services and police , but promised to maintain the mother 's privacy . ' i understand there are reasons women are pushed to conceal their pregnancies , and there are a lot of women who suffer from depression , ' mrs lucre said . ` they fear what you are going to do about it . for instance , when i was working in aboriginal health with docs , when you 'd mention docs they would automatically think that you 're going to take the baby straight away . ` people do n't know what services are out there , docs can help you with housing for example . ' ' i do n't understand why we as a society are n't outraged by the discovery of babies being buried in the sand . ' ` if the government is n't doing anything , i will . ' the registered nurse said that she would like to see the introduction of baby hatches , adding that she had met many mothers during her career as a midwife who were not aware of the services available to them .

<s> catherine lucre has started a facebook page and handed out her mobile phone number , offering to take any unwanted babies . </s> <s> the grandmother has even offered to travel in order to pick up the infants . </s> <s> she says she will take them directly to a hospital and contact police , but promises to ensure the mother 's anonymity . </s> <s> her offer comes following the discovery of a baby 's body buried in the sand at maroubra beach and a newborn boy who was abandoned in a drain at quakers hill . </s>

from american eagle to apple stores , beacons are popping up everywhere . are they a shopper 's best friend or another pesky big brother monitoring our every move ? the square or rectangular devices , smaller than a smartphone , can hang on a wall or be placed on a machine and communicate with your phone via bluetooth signals . accessed through apps you download to your smartphone , beacon technology can do everything from guide you to the correct airport terminal to turn on your coffee maker as you sleepily enter the kitchen . in retail , beacons aim to entice you to spend money . as you enter a store , your smartphone might light up with a sale alert . stand in the dress section for a while and a coupon may pop up for something on a nearby hanger . we 're watching you : accessed through apps you download to your smartphone , beacon technology can do everything from guide you to the correct airport terminal to turn on your coffee maker . ` the most important thing a shopper might need to get access to when they go into a store are ratings and reviews , coupons and promotions , ' said erik mcmillan , ceo of shelfbucks , which is working with video game retailer gamestop and others on its beacon marketing . beacons give customers that research right there in the store -- when they have their wallets and are looking to buy . macy 's inc. has installed beacons in all of its 840 department stores ; other chains such as kohl 's are testing them in some locations . mcmillan likens beacons to the early days of retail websites in the 1990s when ` all of a sudden it got to the point that ` you ca n't not have a website ' . ' he predicts the technology will skyrocket from the 50,000 beacons in use now to between 5 million and 10 million next year . the vast majority of shopping is still done in stores . e-commerce is fast-growing but accounts for only about 9 percent of total retail sales , according to forrester research . beacons merge in-store shopping with mobile access to information -- and data shows they work . broadcasting : beacons are relatively low tech devices installed in retail locations . they emit low-energy bluetooth signals to detect an app user 's location and proximity in real time . the simplicity and functionality of beacons have the potential to be the most effective location-aware technology for in-store marketing . between july and september , 30 percent of shoppers who received a ` push-ad ' from an in-store beacon used that offer to buy something , according to a survey by swirl , a marketing technology company that has worked with retailers such as lord & taylor , hudson 's bay , alex and ani , kenneth cole and timberland to deploy beacons . sixty percent of shoppers opened beacon-sent messages , and over half of those surveyed said they would do more holiday shopping at the stores as a result of their beacon experience . graham uffelman , a 45-year-old new yorker , said he bought bluetooth headphones at best buy because of a deal he got via the shopkick beacon marketing app . ` the app knew i was in the store and actually suggested a product i wanted , ' he said . ` the experience was great but also a little unnerving in the sense that the store knew who i was and that i was present in their location . it felt a little big brother-like . ' and that 's the challenge . not everyone is thrilled that a beacon app is monitoring them when they walk around with their cellphone . outdoor advertising firm titan drew such outcry last month when it installed beacons in phone booths in new york the city had to take them out . mine of information : using beacons can provide value to your shoppers -lrb- special offers , product information , ratings and reviews , etc. -rrb- , but the most valuable information is the data the app collects as users engage with it . eamon bauman , 24 , an it systems administrator in wisconsin , said he would n't let a store 's app have access to his location even if it meant coupons or deals . ` it 's providing retailers too much information about ourselves , ' he said . ` if a retailer really wants to draw me into their store , showing me deals before i get to the mall is a better way . ' chloe joslin , 22 , a student in jonesboro , arkansas , was taken aback when she drove by a walgreens and a notification on her phone from the walgreens app popped up . ` the app never asked for permission to use location services and to my knowledge i had disabled them from almost every app to avoid such a situation , ' she said . because location settings can be different for individual apps , though , it can sometimes be difficult to disable all services . the pop-up likely resulted from the phone 's location setting for nearby store notifications , said walgreen co. spokesman phil caruso in an email . he said customers can turn off notifications if they prefer not to receive them . currently , the drugstore retailer is using beacon technology on a pilot basis in only a very small number of its duane reade stores . transparency is key , says rob murphy , swirl 's vice president of marketing . ` now it 's pretty standard if anybody is doing this type of marketing to specifically ask for permission , ' he said . ` you have to request an opt-in for location services and in-store push notifications . ' ` you ca n't be interruptive or intrusive , you have to be positive and helpful , ' said alexis rask , chief revenue officer of shopkick , whose app is also used by teen retailer american eagle to provide welcome messages , merchandise tips and styling guidance throughout its nearly 1,000 u.s. stores . that appeals to dan reich , 26 , who works in health care in washington , d.c. ' i would n't mind letting a retailer know my location if it meant i 'd receive coupons or benefits when i 'm in the store , ' he said . ` this type of data is collected when we sign into facebook or twitter or any other social media application . i 'm essentially already providing that information , so i might as well get something out of it in the process . '

<s> stores are using beacons to appeal to customers with relevant and customized deals and experiences . </s> <s> many brands are starting to realize that customers are willing to receive messages via beacon technology if there 's a direct benefit to them . </s> <s> messages are beamed to shoppers who have installed store apps on their phones . </s> <s> beacons are relatively low tech devices installed in retail locations . </s> <s> they emit low-energy bluetooth signals to detect an app user 's location and proximity in real time . </s> <s> less than 1percent of the 3.5 million retail stores in the us have rolled out beacon tech but the number is rapidly growing . </s>

free-to-air channels on foxtel crashed on wednesday afternoon , an outage which came in the middle of cricketer phillip hughes ' funeral . the outage caused all free to air channels to stop broadcasting , but the blackout was particularly bad for viewers watching the hughes funeral on channel nine . it cut out when hughes ' cousin nino ramunno was speaking and resumed broadcast around 20 minutes later . a foxtel spokesperson said they 're yet to identify the reach of the outage but admitted it had a ` reasonably large impact ' . scroll down for video . foxtel users have expressed their outrage as the service went down in the middle of phillip hughes ' funeral . ` some customers have been impacted by some severe storm activity at the satellite site ' , the spokesperson told daily mail australia . they added a failure of their back-up systems and the outage has not ` has not affected foxtel go and foxtel play . ' many angry customers took to social media to express their outrage at the unfortunate timing of the error . foxtel had an error message up on their website confirming there is a signal outage , but asked people to wait until it is resolved rather than contacting them . the outage was due to bad weather at their satellite station and foxtel is yet to determine the reach of it . about an hour after the initial outage foxtel tweeted that it was due to storm activity and a cable failure . ` please be advised that this is an issue at the signal source which has been escalated to our engineers and will be resolved as soon as possible . ` this issue may impact some or all of your channels and will be resolved without you needing to speak to a technical agent or do anything , ' a post from a community manager on the help page reads . the same manager has also advised which other channels viewers could watch phillip hughes ' funeral on . ` if your viewing is affected on channel 9 -lrb- fta -rrb- by this issue , here is a list of alternatives to view phillip hughes funeral coverage : fox sports news sd - channel 254sky news - channel 601foxtel go and foxtel play will not be affected -lrb- sky news or fox sports news available -rrb- , ' the post read . but this did little to calm those on social media upset by the outage . many took to social media to slam foxtel over the inconvenient timing . ` well done foxtel at stuffing up the hughes funeral for alot -lrb- sic -rrb- of people . no signal the entire time , ' one user wrote . another posted a photo showing the error message on their tv screen , calling foxtel a ` disgrace ' . after the channels had been down for around an hour foxtel tweeted their apologies that some customers ' services were down due to ` storm activity and cable failure ' . ` we apologise that some customers may be impacted by storm activity and a cable failure . the issue will be fixed asap ' .

<s> free-to-air channels on foxtel are down across the country . </s> <s> channel nine is the worst affected . </s> <s> the channels went down in middle of phillip hughes ' funeral . </s> <s> foxtel said the outage was due to bad weather at their satellite site . </s>

with his regiment weak with hunger and short of ammunition , william davies knew there was only one way to save himself and his fellow soldiers . in an extraordinary act of bravery , the bombardier crawled across no man 's land and into the german trenches in the dead of night to steal rations for his world war i comrades . a few weeks later , he lost an arm and a leg in a german attack , but despite his injuries , miraculously survived for four days in the freezing mud , before being rescued by american medics from the allied army . hero : william davies who crawled into a german trench to steal food for his friends in world war one . a few weeks later , he lost an arm and a leg in a german attack . he is pictured with his wife mary . the act epitomised the courage of mr davies , his granddaughter cathy alderson said , who never once complained about his war time experience or injuries . although he received three war medals , mr davies ' bravery was never formally recognised and she has decided to tell his story for the first time ahead of the 65th anniversary of his death next week . ` he was an extraordinary man , ' mrs alderson said . ` a real character , but very self-effacing . ` his comrades used to come to see him after the war and talk about what he did , but he was always of the attitude that he had been left with no choice , someone had to get a grip of the situation . ` there 's been a lot this year about the 100th anniversary of the great war and honouring those who died , everyone is touched by their stories . stoic : cathy alderson from stoneycroft , liverpool , says he never once complained about his war time experience or injuries . although he received three war medals , mr davies ' bravery was never formally recognised and she has decided to tell his story for the first time ahead of the 65th anniversary of his death . ` but it also struck me that there were a lot of men who came back that suffered terribly and had to scrape together a living . my grandfather was one of those and i wanted to tell his story to coincide with the anniversary of his death next week . ' born in kirkdale , liverpool , in 1881 , mr davies was 34 , married and a father to seven children by the time he was called up with the royal field artillery , in 1915 . his fellow soldiers quickly nicknamed him ` bunloaf ' , after the traditional fruit cake he was sent from home by his ` nanny ' that he generously shared out in the trenches . but by february 1918 , as the war neared its end , food on the frontline were scarce and mr davies ' regiment were starved of rations . despite his injuries , mr davies quickly re-adjusted to civilian life and started selling the liverpool echo from a pitch outside the adelphi hotel for 20 years . ` his regiment were stuck for food and ammunition , ' mrs alderson said . ` he crawled all the way over to the german trenches to steal what they needed , and then crawled back . ` he did it under the cover of darkness , he had to crawl quietly on his stomach , elbows and knees under lines and lines of barbed wire . he said he could hear the germans talking but took what he could , stuffed it under his battle dress and crawled back . it must have taken a great deal of courage . ' a few weeks later , the regiment was situated close to the infamous somme , which claimed so many british lives , when the battle of st quentin began . more than a million shells rained down on the allied positions , in some of the heaviest german bombing of the war . describing the moment which would change her grandfather 's life forever , mrs alderson said : ` he was holding two horses and a copy of tit-bit magazine . ` the magazine had fallen to the floor , and he bent down to pick it up . as he did so a shell crashed down which blew up his horses and the two officers stood up right next to him - taking his left arm and lower leg with them . ' as he lay motionless amid the destruction , a german soldier tried to ` finish him off ' by stabbing a bayonet in mr davies ' neck , she added . mrs davies was sent a telegram to say her husband was presumed dead , but incredibly he survived . ` four days later some young american medical volunteers were sent in to pick up the corpses , ' mrs alderson , a retired macmillan nurse , said . ` miraculously , when they picked william up , they saw his eyes flickering . he must have been hypothermic , as the body can sometimes last much longer when it ' s freezing cold . ' he was initially taken to an american field hospital because he was wearing an american uniform , having discarded his own after a mustard gas attack . what remained of his leg was amputated at the mid-thigh , and he was sent home to be rehabilitated at alder hey hospital , liverpool . despite his injuries , mr davies quickly re-adjusted to civilian life and started selling the local newspaper , the liverpool echo , from a pitch outside the famous adelphi hotel for 20 years . mr davies and his wife also had four more children , including mrs alderson 's mother , veronica , and her twin in 1919 . mr davies wartime experience , however , never left him and he died aged 68 on december 9 1949 of lung problems caused by exposure to mustard gas .

<s> william davies bravely snuck into german trench in the dead of night . </s> <s> his comrades were starving , so he undertook the daring mission . </s> <s> weeks later , a german attack robbed him of his arm and a leg . </s> <s> he survived for four days in freezing mud before he was rescued . </s> <s> the bombardier never complained about ordeal and worked his whole life . </s> <s> now his granddaughter is leading a tribute to the heroic former soldier . </s>

stereosonic music festival is one of the largest and most popular in the australia , and last weekend the festival hit sydney . it 's clear that people are still intent on parting hard . but in a video posted to social media , one man looks as though he was having a little too much fun . sitting in the stands at one of the many stages spread around sydney showgrounds , the reveler is dressed in a rainbow coloured singlet , denim shorts and slip-on shoes . one man at stereosonic festival in sydney at the weekend was so inebriated he tried to take photos with his credit card thinking it was his phone . lost in his own world , the partygoer throws his arms around while still seated , thrashing his head in an attempt to keep up to the beat of the music . as the music pumps around him he stands up and moves to the fence in front of him to look down on the stage and dancers below . then , deciding this would be an appropriate moment to try and capture a photograph , the confused festival goer pulls his wallet out his pocket . while sitting down the partygoer pulls out his wallet , before reaching for his credit card . still dancing , he holds his wallet out in front of him , he fumbles and looks to be trying to swipe his wallet as if it 's an iphone . the man then pulls out a credit card , thinking it is a camera , and clutches it like a phone . he seems to try and take photographs while holding out the card , staring at it as if it has a screen . standing looking down on the crowd below , the man attempts to take photos with his credit card . then , realising that he has been unsuccessful in capturing a ` photo ' - or maybe thinking he had captured some great shots - the man puts his card back into his wallet . the clip has had hundreds of thousands of views on facebook , and has been shared thousands of times by people who ca n't believe what they 're seeing . many social media users have expressed how hilarious they find the footage , while others have expressed their concern for the man , who is clearly very inebriated . holding the item up in front of his face he stares at it as though it has a screen .

<s> the man was at stereosonic music festival at the weekend . </s> <s> while dancing he pulled out his wallet and took out a credit card . </s> <s> he holds the card up and attempts to snap photos with it . </s>

a stunning racehorse has become the most expensive filly in british auction history after being sold for a staggering # 4.7 million . just the judge won the irish 1,000 guineas in 2013 and the grade 1 ep taylor stakes in october . she was the first classic-winning filly to be offered at a tattersalls bloodstock auction in 20 years and bidding started at 500,000 guineas -lrb- # 525,000 -rrb- . there was a fierce bidding war for the four-year-old , with sheikh fahad al-thani eventually paying 4.5 m guineas -lrb- # 4.72 m -rrb- for the filly which he will own in partnership with the china horse club . sheikh fahad al-thani -lrb- pictured -rrb- eventually payed 4.5 m guineas -lrb- # 4.72 m -rrb- for the horse which he he will own in partnership with the china horse club . just the judge is now the most expensive filly in british auction history after it was sold for the staggering sum . just the judge , who has won five of her 14 races , is pictured being ridden by jamie spencer during the ` breakfast with the stars ' morning at epsom racecourse on may 29 , 2014 in epsom . the # 4.72 million smashes the previous record of # 3.57 million paid for a horse in training in 2007 . sheikh fahad had joined the sangster family as a part-owner of just the judge towards the end of her juvenile season . she went onto prove a clever purchase , winning the rockfel stakes at the end of her two-year-old campaign and clinching classic glory as a three-year-old with a her victory in the irish 1,000 guineas . fahad has now bought out the sangster family , but has gained a new partner in the china horse club . just the judge is the first classic-winning filly to be offered at a tattersalls bloodstock auction -lrb- pictured -rrb- in 20 years and bidding started at 500,000 guineas -lrb- # 525,000 -rrb- . there was a fierce bidding war for the four-year-old filly which resulted in # 4.72 million final bid , smashing the previous record of # 3.57 million paid for a horse in training in 2007 . born in 2010 , just the judge was bought as a yearling in ireland for 50,000 euros . in her 14 races , she has picked up 5 wins and a further six places . the charlie hills-trained filly 's finest moment came at the curragh last year where she produced a devastating turn of foot to win last year 's irish 1,000 guineas . sheikh fahad owns the most expensive filly in britihs auction history . sheikh fahad bin abdullah al thani is first cousin to the emir of the state of qatar , while his father sheikh abdullah bin khalifa al thani was prime minister between 1996 and 2007 . he is a director of qatar investments & projects development holding -lrb- qipco -rrb- , one of the world 's leading private investment companies . sheikh fahad is also a major player in qatar horse racing . having only watched his first horse race on tv in 2008 , and first live race in the beginning of 2010 , he had started buying horses in april of that year . in his first year of racing , his horses won an impressive 26 per cent of the races he entered . sheikh fahad now oversees the running of qatar racing and qatar bloodstock , both subsidiaries of qipco holding , along with pearl bloodstock , which is solely his . combined , they have over 200 horses in training in seven different countries . sheikh fahad 's brothers also share his passion for racing . his brother joann has enjoyed widespread success as an owner over the past 18 months with victories including olympic glory in the queen elizabeth ii stakes at ascot as well as toronado in the sussex stakes at goodwood . david redvers , from tweenhill farm and studs , in gloucestershire , entered just the judge on behalf of its owners . he said : ` if anyone wanted a template for a racehorse , they just need to look at her - she is athletic and beautiful and has a fantastic temperament . ` this is a new , one-off tie-up with the china horse club . this has allowed us to race another year with her and keep her - as she was our first classic winner , we were not going to give her up easily . this fits the club 's aims too . ` she will come back to tweenhills for holiday and then go back to trainer charlie hills . she is healthy and well and running as well as ever - she won the ep taylor only a month ago . ` we will campaign in the best races , get the best possible opportunities , and then she will retire to tweenhills and visit the best stallions in the world . ' born in 2010 , just the judge was bought as a yearling in ireland for around # 40,000 . the charlie hills-trained filly 's finest moment came at the curragh last year where she produced a devastating turn of foot to win last year 's irish 1,000 guineas .

<s> just the judge won the irish 1,000 guineas and grade 1 ep taylor stakes . </s> <s> first classic-winning filly sold at tattersalls bloodstock auction in 20 years . </s> <s> fierce bidding war ended with sheikh fahad al-thani paying 4.5 m guineas . </s> <s> the horse is now the most expensive filly in british auction history . </s>

nick clegg today rejected claims he ` snubbed ' the autumn statement after failing to turn up in the commons for george osborne 's autumn statement today . the deputy prime minister spurned the chance to hear the chancellor 's statement in person and instead headed to cornwall to announce funding for coastal defences . liberal democrat aides insisted there had not been a behind-the-scenes fall out over the announcement -- pointing out that the party had promoted many of the reforms . scroll down for video . the deputy pm decided to go to cornwall instead of staying in london for the chancellor 's statement - even though the main announcement - overhauling stamp duty - has been lib dem policy since 2007 . an aide explained he was in penzance to talk to ordinary voters - and rejected claims he did not want to be photographed next to david cameron . he said : ` we are often told politicians should spend more time outside of westminster talking to people and that is exactly what nick is doing . this is not a snub . ' he added : ` i 've spent four years dutifully sitting there on the green benches and this year i thought it would be a nice change to get out of the westminster bubble and say what this autumn statement means to people , their families and businesses . ' the deputy pm decided to stay away from the commons even though the autumn statement 's main announcement - overhauling stamp duty - has been lib dem policy since 2007 . from midnight tonight , stamp duty will no longer leap at each threshold but will rise gradually , with multi-million pound sales costing much more . the stamp duty overhaul will be welcomed by those struggling to get on to the property ladder , or looking to buy a new home just above one of the old thresholds . mr clegg arrived at number 10 downing street this morning ahead of the chancellor 's autumn statement . but it risks angering those living in more expensive properties worth over # 1million , particularly in london . despite the policy victory a source close to mr clegg said there was no point in mr clegg being in london . he said : ` he just sits there so he would rather get out in the country and talk to people about what the autumn statement means for them . '

<s> deputy pm spurned chance to hear chancellor 's statement in person . </s> <s> instead he headed to cornwall to announce funding for coastal defences . </s> <s> ` snub ' comes despite major lib dem policy victory in autumn statement . </s> <s> overhaul of stamp duty announced by chancellor long-term lib dem policy . </s>

the owners of a christmas attraction were left scratching their heads after one of their reindeers shed her antlers hours before visitors were due to arrive . blitzen the reindeer was settled into her new temporary christmas quarters on sunday night ahead of the grand opening of a seasonal festival . but as she was about to welcome families the following morning , her owner opened the doors to her closure and found the animal was missing her trademark antlers . blitzen the reindeer shocked owners of old holly farm in garstang , lancashire by shedding her antlers the day before visitors were due to arrive . the animals shed their antlers annually , usually in the spring , and owners of the farm did not expect the phenomenon to happen before christmas . ian pye , who works at old holly farm in garstang , lancashire , said : ` we 've had so many visitors since we opened on monday and people are really shocked to see a reindeer without antlers . ' i think a lot of people do n't realise that reindeers shed their antlers so they all seem amazed . ` we 've assured the children that it wo n't stop her flying on christmas eve so they do n't seem to mind . ` normally , reindeers shed their antlers in early spring so it 's really unusual to see it this early . i wonder whether it 's because the weather has been really mild and she 's got a bit confused . ' the antlers have now been attached to the fencing posts outside the deers ' enclosure , alongside a note explaining how reindeer regrow their antlers each year . but keeper ian pye say that blitzen - even without her trademark antlers - is still popular with visitors .

<s> reindeer was due to be centrepiece of festive farm attraction . </s> <s> but day before event in lancashire was due to start , she shed her antlers . </s> <s> owners think she became confused by the warm weather . </s> <s> they say visitors are still pleased to see her , even without her antlers . </s>

as sunni extremists claimed the lives of more than a dozen policemen near iraq 's border with syria and airstrikes struck targets near aleppo , dozens of locals lined up to compete in what must be the most dangerous running race in the world . the men yesterday raced through the war-torn streets in aleppo 's rebel-controlled bustan al-qasr neighbourhood . little is known about the race , which was eventually won by ahmed sobhe . he later posed for photographs while holding a trophy aloft . scroll down for video . dozens of men took to the war-torn streets of aleppo yesterday and competed in a running race . the race came as an attack on a police checkpoint near the syrian border town of al-walid claimed the lives of 15 iraqi policemen in an assault that underscored the depth of the country 's turmoil . the race came as an attack on a police checkpoint near the syrian border town of al-walid claimed the lives of 15 iraqi policemen in an assault that underscored the depth of the country 's turmoil . it also followed an announcement on monday from iraq 's prime minister , haider al-abadi , that he had retired 24 officials from the interior ministry . the move is part of efforts to restructure the country 's security apparatus and remove those who failed to confront the crisis caused by the islamic state group 's onslaught , he said . in syria , the u.s. central command said a u.s. airstrike struck a target associated with the so-called khorasan group , which it says is a special cell within the al-qaida-linked nusra front that is plotting attacks against western interests . the attack took place near aleppo , and was among 27 airstrikes since friday that mainly targeted islamic state group militants in kobani and raqqa in northern syria . eventual winner ahmad sobhe looks to have a commanding lead as he passes piles of rubble . sobhe holds up a trophy as he celebrates winning the race through the bustan al-qasr neighbourhood . the strike on the khorasan group marked the fifth time the u.s. has targeted nusra , al-qaida 's syria branch , as part of its broader campaign against the isis group in syria and iraq . the june fall of iraq 's second-largest city , mosul , was a turning point in the war against the jihadi group that calls itself the islamic state . the u.s.-trained iraqi military , harassed for months by small-scale attacks , buckled almost instantly when militants advanced on the city . commanders disappeared , pleas for more ammunition went unanswered and in some cases , soldiers stripped off their uniforms and ran from the fight . since then , u.s.-led coalition airstrikes have served to reinforce iraqi and kurdish security forces as they battle the sunni militants , but major victories have been sparse . at least five other officers were injured during the checkpoint attack on monday . also monday , the u.n. assistance mission for iraq said that 1,232 iraqis were killed and 2,434 were wounded in violence and terror attacks in november . of those killed , at least 296 were members of iraqi and kurdish forces , as well as militias who fight alongside the troops .

<s> the race was held in the rebel-controlled bustan al-qasr neighbourhood . </s> <s> it came as sunni extremists killed 15 iraqi policemen at a checkpoint . </s> <s> and as the iraqi prime minister retired 24 officials from the interior ministry . </s>

watching david silva 's mesmerising display last weekend got me thinking : where does the manchester city winger stand among the great foreign players who have graced our game ? we have been blessed since the inception of the barclays premier league to see a number of players arrive here and produce performances that have ensured their names will stand the test of time , but could you make a team out of them ? so , as it is international week , i 've decided to do something different and name what i consider to be the best foreign xi of the modern era . it has n't been easy and some big reputations have had to miss the cut . see whether you agree with this ... sportsmail columnist jamie carragher -lrb- left -rrb- came up against many of the premier league 's best foreign players , including chelsea 's didier drogba -lrb- pictured wrestling for possession at anfield in november 2010 -rrb- . goalkeeper : peter schmeichel . when people talk about players who made united so successful , he would be competing for one of the top slots . his influence in those initial title triumphs was just as big as eric cantona 's . even towards the end of his career , when he was playing for manchester city , he was making extraordinary saves and one performance at anfield in may 2003 lives in my memory . former denmark international peter schmeichel , pictured making a save for manchester united against tottenham , enjoyed a successful eight-year spell with manchester united . schmeichel also went on to play for premier league sides aston villa and manchester city . right-back : pablo zabaleta . admired throughout the league , he is a top player and what i like most about him is that he just gets on with his job without any fuss , putting the team first . covers miles going up and down the pitch and has the honours his quality deserves . he only cost # 6million and could end up being regarded as one of city 's greatest signings . argentine defender pablo zabaleta -lrb- left -rrb- , pictured sliding to block a shot from aston villa 's kieran richardson , has been instrumental in manchester city 's rise to the top from the right-hand side of the back four . zabaleta , who cost a bargain # 6million from espanyol in 2008 , could become one of city 's greatest players . centre-half : vincent kompany . the biggest compliment i can pay the belgian is that if he maintains his standards for the next four or five years -- and city are successful at home and abroad -- he could outstrip john terry as the premier league 's greatest defender . he has the elegance of rio ferdinand and the steel of nemanja vidic . speaking of him ... manchester city captain vincent kompany lifts the 2013-14 premier league trophy after another fine season . kompany could be regarded as the premier league 's best-ever defender if he continues his form for city . centre-half : nemanja vidic . my type of defender . liverpool tried to buy him in january 2006 but our loss was united 's gain . i 'd have loved to have played alongside him and i 'm sure we could have formed a solid partnership . he loves defending and putting his head in where it hurts . his arrival took ferdinand 's performances up another level . they became the best defensive pairing in europe . nemanja vidic waves goodbye to the old trafford faithful after calling time on his manchester united career . carragher admits he would have loved to have played alongside vidic in the centre of defence . left-back : patrice evra . when he was at his peak , all you could do was toss a coin to decide whether it was him or ashley cole who you selected for the pfa team of the year . a tough , tenacious defender who also scored a number of vital goals . he was n't the tallest but always provided a threat at set pieces . patrice evra , pictured celebrating a goal against newcastle in 2012 , was a big presence at manchester united . the frenchman ended his time at old trafford with a summer move to italian giants juventus . right-midfield : cristiano ronaldo . what more can you say about the man who is currently the best player in the world ? you could see he was going to reach that level with his pace and power . for some reason , he never excelled against liverpool -- he only scored two goals -- but he was the reason manchester united wrestled the initiative back off chelsea and became england 's dominant team . portuguese star cristiano ronaldo , pictured shooting against manchester city in 2009 , was sold to real madrid for # 80million after becoming one of the world 's best players during his time in the premier league . ronaldo helped united overcome chelsea 's dominance under jose mourinho and get back to the top . centre-midfield : patrick vieira . a monster , his partnership with emmanuel petit was as good as anything we have seen . his performance against liverpool in the 2001 fa cup final stands out . he was magnificent and did n't deserve to be on the losing side . in the dressing room afterwards , everyone kept saying : ` how good was vieira ? ' steven gerrard still talks about that game as vieira made him realise he had to climb a few more levels to reach the top . it says everything that clubs , when they sign young midfielders , hope they turn into ` the next vieira ' . frenchman patrick vieira -lrb- centre -rrb- , pictured in action against liverpool 's emile heskey -lrb- left -rrb- and el-hadji diouf at highbury in 2004 , was the driving force in arsenal 's midfield for a number of years . vieira inspired liverpool midfielder steven gerrard to raise his game after his display in the 2001 fa cup final . centre-midfield : yaya toure . his stamp is all over manchester city 's recent trophy-winning exploits and he has always come up with a goal when it matters , be it in a decisive premier league match , the fa cup final or the league cup final . a powerhouse but blessed with great skill . impossible to contain when he builds up a head of steam . manchester city 's ivorian midfielder yaya toure , pictured in action against aston villa in the midlands last weekend , has helped his club to two premier league titles in the last three seasons . toure has proved a huge success at the etihad since his # 25million move from barcelona in 2010 . left-midfield : david silva . i have to include him , as he is a joy to watch . his form has been so good that city fans are debating whether he can become the club 's greatest-ever player . marc overmars , david ginola , robert pires or even eden hazard could have filled this role but silva is so easy on the eye . could score more goals but makes up for that with his assists and the way he controls a game . spaniard david silva shone as champions manchester city beat aston villa 2-0 away from home last saturday . silva is the main creative force in city 's midfield , often laying on chances for sergio aguero and edin dzeko . striker : thierry henry . i 've used this analogy before and i make no apology for using it again . when he hit top gear and ran past you , it was like trying to chase after someone on a motorbike . when arsenal were ` the invincibles ' in the period between 2003-2004 , henry rivalled ronaldinho as the best in the world . a great goal-scorer , not to mention a scorer of great goals , he is the finest player i have seen in the premier league . his game did n't have a weakness . now for the hard bit ... arsenal legend thierry henry celebrates a vital equaliser against rivals tottenham at highbury in april 2006 . arsene wenger helped transform henry from a wide player to one of the deadliest strikers in the world . striker : didier drogba . there were no shortage of contenders for this role , ranging from eric cantona , gianfranco zola and dennis bergkamp to luis suarez and sergio aguero . but even though they were all better players , i kept going back to drogba because he did what all strikers should do and that is score in the biggest games . he scored three winners in the fa cup final , got the crucial goals in two league cup finals and who could forget what he did in munich in the champions league final ? at his best , he was unplayable . so there you have it ! chelsea 's didier drogba -lrb- left -rrb- , pictured scoring against manchester united away at old trafford in 2010 , had a tendency to find the back of the net in the biggest games for various managers at stamford bridge . drogba returned to chelsea on a one-year deal in the summer after two years away from the club .

<s> david silva 's dazzling display against aston villa helped confirm his place as one of the premier league 's best foreign players . </s> <s> manchester united benefited from peter schmeichel 's outstanding performances between 1991 and 1999 . </s> <s> vincent kompany and pablo zabaleta have been key to manchester city winning two titles in three seasons . </s> <s> united are feeling the loss of nemanja vidic and patrice evra , who both left old trafford in the summer . </s> <s> cristiano ronaldo , patrick vieira and yaya toure complete the midfield . </s> <s> didier drogba beats luis suarez and eric cantona to partner thierry henry . </s>

britain still has a chronic shortage of doctors -- and experts warn that the situation is putting patients ' lives at risk . despite recruitment drives , the uk has one of the lowest numbers of practising medics per head in the eu . only ireland , slovenia , romania and poland have fewer physicians , a study by the organisation for economic co-operation and development found . shortage : britain has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios in the eu , says a new report -lrb- file photo -rrb- . britain has 2.8 doctors per thousand people -- less than the eu average of 3.4 and below other major economies including germany , italy and france . even former communist states such as lithuania and the czech republic have a greater proportion and greece has more than twice as many doctors per head than the uk . experts say the shortage in the nhs is most acute among gps and a&e doctors . last night dr cliff mann , president of the college of emergency medicine , which represents a&e doctors , warned the shortage was risking patients . ` when you have shortages of doctors in some areas it means longer waits , ' he said . ` in a&e that 's not really an option , so it means doctors work harder and harder ; it means there is a greater chance of mistakes , and ultimately it means risks to lives . ` this has been going on the last three or four years -- we can not carry on like this . ' long wait : a&e departments are under strain . the report found that the number of doctors in the uk has increased more rapidly than in any other eu country since 2000 , rising by over 50 per cent between 2000 and 2012 . the rise was set in train by the labour government , but has continued under the tories even since the economic crash . ` as a result , the united kingdom had 2.8 practising physicians per 1000 population in 2012 , up from 2.0 in 2000 , ' the oecd report said . ` this nonetheless remains below the eu average of 3.4 doctors per 1000 population . ` while most of the increase in the number of doctors in the united kingdom in the early 2000s came from the entry of foreign-trained doctors , the situation changed just before the economic crisis with most of the increase now driven by a strong rise in the number of graduates from domestic medical education programmes . ` this reflects a deliberate policy in the united kingdom to reduce its reliance on foreign-trained doctors to meet its own needs . ' britain 's proportion of doctors -- 2.8 per 1,000 head of population in 2012 -- is much lower , however , than greece on 6.2 , austria on 4.9 and lithuania on 4.4 . among our major european partners , germany 's rate is 4.0 , italy is on 3.9 , spain is 3.8 and france is on 3.3 . the eu average is 3.4 per 1,000 population . only four countries are below us -- with the lowest being poland on just 2.2 . the oecd said britain 's rapid rise over the past decade had led to fears that doctors were being trained in the wrong specialisms -- meaning they may have to be lain off in future years . ` a growing number of doctors will improve access to health care , but will also put pressure on future health care budgets as more graduates enter the medical workforce , ' the report said . ` there are now concerns that there might be surpluses of certain categories of doctors in the years ahead . this has led to recommendations to reduce slightly student intakes in medical schools or post-graduate training for certain specialties . ' dr mann , from the college of emergency medicine , added : ` we have been warning for some years that we have got fewer doctors than most parts of the developed world . ` when there are n't enough doctors to go round , they can pick and choose speciality and because of the levels of burnout in a&e , that means many are walking away , creating even greater shortages . ` we have now got 500 a&e doctors trained in this country working in australia -- that 's the equivalent of two full years of trained doctors . dr mark porter , chairman of the british medical association , said : ` the nhs is under incredible pressure from rising patient demand and flat-lining funding . ` the government 's announcement of additional resources in the autumn statement for the nhs is a step in the right direction , but it will not solve the long term under-doctoring of many parts of the nhs that is hindering patient care . ` key specialities such as emergency care and gp services are facing particularly acute shortages . ' 1 greece 6.2 . 2 austria 4.9 . 3 lithuania 4.4 . 4 portugal 4.1 . 5 germany 4.0 . 6 sweden 3.9 . 7 italy 3.9 . 8 spain 3.8 . 9 bulgaria 3.7 . 10 czech republic 3.7 . 11 malta 3.5 . 12 denmark 3.5 . european union 3.4 . 13 slovakia 3.4 . 14 france 3.3 . 15 finland 3.3 . 16 estonia 3.3 . 17 latvia 3.1 . 18 netherlands 3.1 . 19 hungary 3.1 . 20 cyprus 3.0 . 21 belgium 2.9 . 22 croatia 2.9 . 23 luxembourg 2.8 . 24 united kingdom 2.8 . 25 ireland 2.7 . 26 slovenia 2.5 . 27 romania 2.5 . 28 poland 2.2 . source : oecd , health at a glance , europe 2014 .

<s> uk has 2.8 doctors per 1,000 people , ranking 24th out of 28 countries . </s> <s> only ireland , slovenia , romania and poland are worse in oecd report . </s> <s> experts say gps and a&e departments are the most acutely hit . </s>

brian bubear , 70 , was beaten by a recovering alcoholic . he escaped by hiding in a toilet while it took three security staff to restrain his attacker . crisis-hit colchester hospital has issued a grovelling apology after a terminally ill pensioner was beaten with his walking stick by a fellow patient . brian bubear , 70 , was sleeping in a private room off the main ward when another patient , an alcoholic who had been brought in to ` detoxify ' , crept in and attacked him . mr bubear only escaped by locking himself in a small toilet attached to the room , while it took three security staff to restrain the attacker . worse still , mr bubear 's 75-year-old wife , elizabeth , said staff did not tell about the incident for four days afterwards . last month colchester hospital was put into special measures by the care quality commission after staff were bullied into changing cancer patients ' records to hide missed targets . mr bubear was attacked in the early hours of november 23 , just a week after inspectors visited the hospital , as he slept in his room . his attacker , who has not been named , crept into his room as he slept , took his walking stick from the windowsill where it was resting , and began attacking mr bubear with it . after the attack mr bubear , who was suffering from a bad infection at the time , was moved on to a general ward . his wife said : ` my husband is terminally ill and he is all i have left and to have this happen to him when his is in hospital is completely disgraceful . ` he was in hospital because he needed to be cared for and looked after . patients should feel safe in a hospital . ' i know he is terminally ill but he will not be going back to that hospital . never . ' mrs bubear , who is recovering from a broken hip which is unconnected to the attack , says she has now taken her husband home , where he is recovering with her . the attack happened at colchester hospital just a week after it was put into special measures after a surprise inspection . the hospital today issued a grovelling apology to mr bubear and his wife , elizabeth . she added : ' i am ashamed of the hospital . it is getting a bad enough name but now i do n't even think it is safe . ` i 'm not telling the story for me or my husband . i want the public to know what can go on there . ` my husband is so frail and he could even have been killed . ' a state of emergency was declared at colchester hospital on november 15 after a surprise visit by health inspectors . they found patients were inappropriately restrained , sedated without consent , and do not resuscitate signs were being ignored . the a&e unit was found to be struggling with demand , while it was claimed that staff had tampered with cancer patients ' records in order to meet waiting targets . a spokesman for the hospital said : ` we apologise unreservedly to mr bubear and his wife for what happened to him while he was in our care on langham ward , which is totally unacceptable . ` unfortunately , this incident could not have been foreseen . ` the patient who hit him was not known to have any mental health issues and had been admitted to the ward shortly before the incident because he was a detoxifying alcoholic with medical needs and did not have any record of carrying out violent acts . ` we have occasionally experienced patients who are detoxifying alcoholics committing criminal damage on the ward , such as smashing a window or pulling equipment off a wall but not attacking other patients . ` as soon as this incident occurred , the trust 's own security staff were called and a member of the security team remained with the patient who hit mr bubear until the ward sister carried out an assessment and decided that one-on-one security was no longer necessary . ` again , we apologise unreservedly to mr and mrs bubear for this appalling experience . '

<s> brian bubear , 70 , was recovering from infection at colchester hospital . </s> <s> was asleep in private room when alcoholic crept in and attacked him . </s> <s> staff did not tell wife elizabeth , 75 , about the incident for four days . </s> <s> she has taken her husband home and vowed not to return to hospital . </s>

a college hired strippers to dress provocatively and pose as admissions workers in order to lure more students , according to a lawsuit . fasttrain college in miami , florida , brought in a team of exotic dancers and encouraged them to wear revealing clothes while they recruited young men , the lawsuit said . the for-profit school has also been accused of fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in federal money and coaching students to lie on financial forms . fasttrain college in miami brought in a team of exotic dancers and encouraged them to wear revealing clothes while they recruited young men , the lawsuit said . former owner alejandro amor , 56 , was criminally indicted in october and faces pending charges of conspiracy and theft of government money . the school promised a free education in recruiting some students to its inner-city campuses , authorities said in the civil complaint . but some former students say they are still struggling with student loan debts , and the lawsuit identifies more than 160 former students who are now in default . former owner alejandro amor , 56 , was criminally indicted in october and faces pending charges of conspiracy and theft of government money . from 2009 to its closing in june 2012 , fasttrain received some $ 35 million in federal funds , including pell grants , providing federal aid to the neediest families . the u.s. government is now claiming damages of more than $ 6 million . ` to generate as much revenue as possible , fasttrain would fill its classes with ineligible students , ' the complaint said . students who never graduated from high school received fake diplomas , the complaint charged , or were coached to lie about their status on financial aid applications . to access taxpayer money , the school needed first-time students to attend class for at least 30 days . if they did n't , fasttrain falsified attendance records or backdated the enrollment so they could collect the money quicker , the lawsuit says . the growth of for-profit colleges , which are governed by private organisations or corporations , has been explosive in florida and across the country . as the schools have grown , numerous whistle-blower lawsuits have been filed against them by ex-employees . some former fasttrain students say they are still struggling with student loan debts . those who were attending around the time of the fbi raid can get their loans discharged under a ` closed school ' provision . the school promised a free education in recruiting some students to its inner-city campuses , authorities said .

<s> fasttrain college ` purposely hired ' a team of exotic dancers , lawsuit says . </s> <s> they were encouraged to dress provocatively to lure more students . </s> <s> school has been accused of fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars . </s> <s> former owner alejandro amor faces pending charges of conspiracy . </s>

the elephants of my childhood , vladimir and evgeny , have probably been killed by now . i was very lucky that i ever got to see them with my own eyes , but such are the perks for a little boy whose grandfather was the soviet union 's top biologist . they were fictitious in the beginning , invented by my grandfather vladimir sokolov , as he tucked me in to bed at night . i would hear how vladimir and evgeny would get stuck in mud holes and roam the african forests getting into adventures , and how vladimir would save little evgeny from the clutches of lions and leopards . in the flickering electricity of the lamps in our soviet flat , it was my first introduction to the wonder of wildlife . scroll down for video . the author evgeny lebedev pictured with a group of armed wildlife rangers in kenya . a few years later , accompanying my grandfather on a government trip to kenya , a battered jeep took us to a ridge a couple of hours ' drive south of nairobi and , as we crested the top , the view opened to reveal a herd of elephants around a waterhole . i stared at the joy of it : the plodding feet , the curling trunks moving across the wide escarpment , the young ones nuzzling at the grown-ups ' tree-trunk legs . almost all the adults were female , my grandfather explained , except for two young males , old enough now to soon start out of their own , their life 's adventures unfolding in front of them like the african savannah . the larger one , he nicknamed vladimir ; the smaller one , evgeny . it was an image of calm perfection -- a scene which , even to my then 14-year-old self , was clearly how nature at its purest should be . vladimir and evgeny were young enough , then , to still be alive now , and they may well be , but the numbers suggest otherwise . they may still be trumpeting around the african bush . but it 's more likely that what remains of them is an ivory dragon somewhere on a chinese mantelpiece . when i saw that herd there were around 1.2 million elephants on the continent . three-quarters of those , including most likely many of the elephants i saw that day , have since been hunted for their tusks -- and the numbers being lost are growing . the reality is that there is a war going on in africa and it is war between wildlife rangers and poachers to ensure the survival of some of the world 's most iconic species . it is also a war that the conservationists are losing . elephants have been poached in such numbers that unless urgent action is taken the reality we face is that they risk extinction in the wild within the next decade . this is not only the case in kenya but across africa . this year alone some 36,000 elephants will be killed across the continent -- an average of one every 20 minutes . an african elephant pictured as it charges towards the photographer . this year alone some 36,000 elephants will be killed across the african continent - an average of one every 20 minutes . in chad , which once had 15,000 elephants , there are now just 400 . in sierra leone , the last elephant disappeared three years ago . the reason is greed -- and specifically the vast profits that can be made from ivory due to the seemingly insatiable demand of asia 's rapidly growing middle-classes . many there still see ivory as an aspirational product and , as people 's bank balances swell , the law of supply and demand has resulted in prices rocketing . a kilogram of ivory is now worth # 1,225 on the black market , three times what it was four years ago . the tragedy is that many do not appreciate the consequence of their purchase as , incredibly , it is not universally known in asia that elephants are killed to extract their ivory . in china , some 70 per cent of people were found in a survey to believe tusks grew back like fingernails . that ignorance is resulting in bloodied carcasses across the savannahs . i recently returned from africa , where i have been working closely with the kenya-based elephant protection charity space for giants to do what we can to help save those elephants that remain . together we have helped finance anti-poaching patrols in laikipia , one of the last great enclaves for elephants in east africa , and helped facilitate the purchase of a new conservancy , loisaba , to act as a vast -- and heavily protected -- sanctuary . rangers look over the carcass of an elephant found shot dead by poachers in cameroon . training programmes have been introduced for local wildlife rangers and the judiciary , and plans are in place to extend our work into tanzania and gabon . the trip rammed home the scale of the threat -- and the urgency of the action required to combat it . those seeking to kill elephants are no longer local farmers armed with a bow and arrow or an old rifle , seeking some extra bucks . increasingly , it is heavily armed professional gangs financed by the same money-men who make their wealth from the smuggling of drugs and people being sold into prostitution . organisations that rank among the most loathsome in the world are culpable . al-shabaab , the somalian extremists who carried out the slaughter in nairobi 's westgate mall ; joseph kony 's lord 's resistance army , which routinely kidnaps and drugs children to turn them into child soldiers ; and janjaweed , the roving gunmen who carried out the genocide in darfur , all resort to ivory poaching to finance their nefarious activities . against them is a thin green line of wildlife rangers . in the face of such a sustained onslaught , they have had to militarise or risk being overrun . pictured is the decomposed carcasses of two elephants found in waza national park , cameroon . in laikipia , i have been on night patrols with units of these brave men . and be in no doubt that the dangers they face are no less than those confronting combatants in a real war . space for giants ' rangers are dressed in combat fatigues . their weapons are heckler & koch g3s , the german-made automatic rifle that is one of the most efficient and modern in the world . their webbing is filled with military supplies , including night-vision goggles and closed-frequency radios . the medic , taking up the rear , normally has the latest combat kit , including bandages dripped in quick-clot -- only just developed by u.s. forces -- to stop the bleeding from a gunshot wound . before we set out one evening , the unit 's commander , jackson kamunya , left me in no doubt as to why such equipment is needed . ` a report came in on the radio that the poachers were active and we mobilised the helicopter to get to them before they could reach the animals , ' he said of a recent patrol . ` it meant we got there ahead of them so we could set our ambush . we could see them , all armed with ak-47s . then everyone started shooting . ' dozens of elephant tusks are laid out on display in a sombre reminder of the illegal ivory trade . twelve people have been killed in the poaching war being waged in just a small area of kenya . to the north , in west pokot county , five poachers were shot dead and two rangers wounded in a further fire-fight . the same story is being repeated across the continent . south africa 's kruger park saw a police constable and a ranger killed as they tried to track poachers seeking rhino horn . in uganda , there have been reports of poachers using attack helicopters to mow down elephants . some 1,000 wildlife rangers -- a third more than the entire losses of the british military in iraq and afghanistan -- have been killed in the past decade . space for giants ' founder , dr max graham , is certain that only ` boots on the ground ' , like those i patrolled with , can blunt the poaching threat until demand in asia is eased through education programmes . changing such beliefs , however , is a process that will likely take decades . ` the illegal trade has already effectively wiped out rhinos from the wild , forcing them to become a highly managed population in a small number of sanctuaries , ' he explained . ` that 's what will happen to elephants if the present rate of slaughter continues . that is the reality of the situation . it 's a war , a war for wildlife , being waged right here , right now . '' my grandfather is no longer with us , although his work is still studied in universities across the former soviet union . he died in 1998 of a rare form of bone cancer , most likely caused as a result of the work he was required to conduct in chernobyl in the immediate aftermath of the reactor meltdown . the demand for ivory has increased in recent years and is largely fuelled by asia 's burgeoning middle classes . he always wanted me to be a zoologist . i let him down in not achieving that but i still gained from him a love of nature and a life-long commitment to conversation and wildlife protection . it is what makes what is now unfolding to the animals he first introduced me to in those make-believe stories so unbearable to watch . i know he would be proud of what -- with space for giants and all the independent and evening standard readers who have supported this cause -- we have achieved so far . in the area of laikipia that is implementing our programmes , poaching rates are already down 60 per cent . and the area we protect will spread . i am committed to that . part of our work involves tracking elephants ' migratory patterns so the alert can be raised if one approaches known poaching hot spots . to do this the animals are darted and a gps collar is fitted . each is then given a name so it can be identified as its progress is charted . late last year we darted a young male , which we nicknamed evgeny . recently , i fitted another collar , this time to a fully-grown bull elephant . we called him vladimir . it means i can now track them both through the elephant-monitoring system fitted to space for giants computers , and watch this new vladimir and evgeny as they really do roam the plains of africa as elephants have since before the dawn of man . long may they do so . and long may all their kind continue to do so , despite the war waged against them so that their tusks can be turned into trinkets . this is a fight for their survival that can not be lost . my grandfather would have told me that . it is what he taught me all those years ago at my bedside .

<s> this year alone 36,000 elephants will be killed across the african continent . </s> <s> demand for ivory across asia 's burgeoning middle classes is increasing . </s> <s> african charity space for giants is armed to defend animals using force . </s> <s> militarised conservation groups are engaging in firefights with poachers . </s> <s> poachers include fanatics of al-shabaab and the lord 's resistance army . </s> <s> some 1,000 wildlife rangers have been killed in the past decade . </s>

north korea 's public officials are the most corrupt in the world with bribery , counterfeit medicine and backdoor payments just some of the consequences of its crooked institutions , according to a new study . experts have assessed the public sectors of countries across the globe and placed the authoritarian state dead last , tied with somalia , when compared to the rest of the world . the two countries both received their ranking of 174th - with eight points out of a possible 100 - after factors of corruption within all countries were indexed . in first place with the world 's most honest officials was denmark , on a score of 92 , followed by new zealand , which scored 91 . click on the map to see your country 's score . north korea -lrb- pictured -rrb- is the worst in the world for public official corruption , which includes bribery , backdoor payments and a lack of public accountability . somalia was tied in last place with north korea in the rankings . pictured is mogadishu , the country 's capital . because bribery and backdoor payments are by nature conducted in a clandestine manner , it remains impossible to accurately assess a country 's level of corruption . instead , transparency international 's corruption perception index assesses perceptions of corruption across every country . this includes public officials ' accountability to the public , their likelihood to accept bribes or exploit their position for personal gain , and to what extent rogue officials are prosecuted by their country 's justice system . britain was ranked 14th in the study , behind europe 's scandinavian countries , switzerland , the netherlands and germany . its total points tally was 78 , showing an improvement of four points since 2012 . across the atlantic , the u.s. was ranked 17th on 74 points , trailing canada by seven places but showing a vastly better score than every other country on its continent . many of the central and south american states fared poorly , with venezuela , honduras and haiti among the worst . denmark -lrb- pictured -rrb- topped the list with the world 's most honest officials . the country came first with a score of 92 points out of a possible 100 . jose ugaz , the chair of transparency international , said leading institutions in the u.s. and europe needed to work with fast growing economies to hold the corrupt to account . he said : ` corrupt officials smuggle ill-gotten assets into safe havens through offshore companies with absolute impunity . ` countries at the bottom need to adopt radical anti-corruption measures in favour of their people . ` countries at the top of the index should make sure they do n't export corrupt practices to underdeveloped countries . ' in second place , one point behind denmark , was new zealand . pictured is the view of dunedin in the south island . 1 . denmark , 92 points . 2 . new zealand , 91 points . 3 . finland , 89 points . 4 . sweden , 87 points . 5 . norway , 86 points . 5 . switzerland , 86 points . 7 . singapore , 84 points . 8 . the netherlands , 83 points . 9 . luxembourg , 82 points . 10 . canada , 81 points . 166 . eritrea , 18 points . 166 . libya , 18 points . 166 . uzbekistan , 18 points . 169 . turkmenistan , 17 points . 170 . iraq , 16 points . 171 . south sudan , 15 points . 172 . afghanistan , 12 points . 173 . sudan , 11 points . 174 . north korea , 8 points . 174 . somalia , 8 points . mr ugaz warned of the dire consequences of corruption , which he said included the denial of basic human rights and prevention of economic development . ` grand corruption in big economies not only blocks basic human rights for the poorest but also creates governance problems and instability . ` fast-growing economies whose governments refuse to be transparent and tolerate corruption , create a culture of impunity in which corruption thrives . '

<s> north korea and somalia have the world 's most corrupt public officials . </s> <s> they are considered the worst for bribery and public accountability . </s> <s> the most honest officials were found in denmark and new zealand . </s> <s> study 's authors warn corruption denies the poor their basic human rights . </s> <s> it also impedes economic growth and causes internal instability . </s>

some 100 brains specimens which went missing from the university of texas nearly 30 years ago have been found . the samples - about half of the university 's collection which were preserved in jars of formaldehyde - disappeared from a facility in austin in the 1990s . they were discovered this week at a university building in san antonio . the university of texas at austin has found its 100 missing brain samples at another facility in san antonio -lrb- stock image -rrb- . timothy schallert , a professor of neuroscience and psychology at ut in austin , told the los angeles times : ` they have the brains . they read a media report of the missing brains and they called to say : '' we got those brains ! '' ' the professor said he believed that the brains had been well cared for . his colleague , professor lawrence cormack , had earlier said that students could have stolen the brains as a prank . one of the missing brains belonged to clock tower sniper charles whitman -lrb- pictured -rrb- . the brains were provided from patients at the state mental hospital for research on diseases including alzheimer 's . the austin state hospital had transferred the brains to the university about 28 years ago under a ` temporary possession ' agreement . the psychology lab only had room for 100 brains , so the rest were moved to the basement of the university 's animal resources center . the story came to light this week after a book was published called ` malformed : forgotten brains of the texas state mental hospital ' by adam voorhes and alex hannaford . one of the missing brains reportedly belonged to austin university clock tower sniper charles whitman . whitman 's 1966 rampage at the university of texas killed 16 people , including his mother and wife , and wounded 32 others . the 100 remaining brains at the austin school have been moved to the norman hackerman building , where they are being scanned with high-resolution resonance imaging equipment . mr cormack said : ` these mri images will be both useful teaching and research tools . it keeps the brains intact . ' the university of texas at austin -lrb- pictured -rrb- said the brains went missing some time in the mid 1990s .

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

two days of rain has soothed the parched landscape of california , though relief has also brought flooded roadways and traffic jams in some areas . reservoirs swelled and waterfalls sprung back to life on wednesday , as officials monitored for flooding and mudslides that were possible after one of california 's worst years of drought on record . a sinkhole in san francisco was being blamed on the heavy storm , which also dumped snow over mountains and brought water back to the waterfalls of yosemite national park . scroll down for video . the flood : an officer directed cars through a flooded section of road in mill valley on wednesday after heavy rain soaked a previously drought-stricken terrain . inundated : an empty car is submerged on a flooded section road in mill valley on wednesday after heavy rain soaked a previously drought-stricken terrain . backup : a miles-long traffic jam on the southbound section of highway 101 slowed cars to a crawl ahead of a flooded portion of roadway in mill valley on wednesday . forecast : a satellite image shows the clouds spread across the western united states that were dumping rain across california and causing isolated flooding . the park 's 2,425-foot yosemite falls , which had nearly dried up by mid-july , came roaring back to life . ` with the precipitation , they are looking good . they are flowing nicely , ' park spokeswoman ashley mayer said . one area , yucaipa ridge up in the san bernardino mountains , had received 8.38 inches of rain , according to the national weather service . cbs reports that slick roads and flooding on highways led to an uptick in accident reports across the state . on wednesday , the agency reported that local california highway patrol dispatchers had logged 101 crash reports between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m. . there were 328 throughout the day on tuesday , according to the agency , compared to 50 to 75 crashes on a normal non-rainy day . officials said that , in spite of this week 's rainfall , much more would be needed to reverse three years of drought conditions in the state . the association of california water services notes that the 2014 water year , which ended september 30 , was the fourth driest in california 's history . traffic jam : one onlooker tweeted the sight of cars backed up in sacramento along a highway at dusk . plowing through : a car pushed through deep water on a flooded section of road in mill valley on wednesday after heavy rain soaked a previously drought-stricken terrain . slick : an suv drove over mud-covered roadway in point mugu , after rain brought mud and debris flowing into parts of the highway throughout california . soaked : a cyclist struggled to pedal through the deep waters on a flooded roadway in mill valley on wednesday during the second day of heavy rain . warning signs : signs in tiburon warn drivers off the badly flooded sections of roadway on wednesday after the region was hit with heavy rain , lightning and hail . the drought made terrain in some areas susceptible to mudslides from flash floods on tuesday . residents in camarillo springs were forced to evacuate around 75 homes as rushing water brought mud flowing through the foothills 50 miles northwest of los angeles . homeowners were urged to remain outside the area even after the evacuation order was lifted , though no damage was reported . silverado canyon also had a voluntary evacuation notice in place for around 60 homes in an area that had experienced large fires and mudslides previously . wade on : an employee at a chevron gas station fights through floodwaters outside the building in mill valley on wednesday after days of heavy rain . flooding : a kid 's bike sits locked toa utility pole in mill valley on wednesday after heavy rain soaked a previously drought-stricken terrain . the rain is expected to last through thursday , and has allowed much of the san francisco bay area to catch up to or exceed normal annual rainfall levels . the sierra nevada snowpack , which holds much of the water supply in the state , was at just 24 percent of its average level before the storms . snow has built quickly , with some areas experiencing snowfall of 10 inches at elevations of 8,000 feet .

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

defense secretary chuck hagel said thursday that he and president barack obama had ` no major differences ' and there was no single reason for his resignation . hagel said he simply came to the conclusion that it was the right time for him to step aside , and he leaves believing that he accomplished a great deal . the outgoing pentagon chief 's comments marked the first time he has responded to questions about his resignation since he submitted it nov. 24 . they come on the eve of obama 's plans to announce hagel 's successor and a day after a senior u.s. army officer told mailonline hagel was ` relieved ' to not have to shill for obama anymore . scroll down for video . watch your back : outgoing secretary of defense chuck hagel would n't give a specific reason for his resignation today , again saying that it was a ` mutual decision ' between he and president barack obama and they had ` no major differences ' asked directly whether he felt he was pressured to resign today , hagel was not specific . he called it a ` mutual decision ' with obama based on one-on-one talks at the white house . hagel said he and obama had discussed the coming two years , the last of obama 's term , and saw what hagel called ` another zone ' of challenges ahead for the country . ` leaders have to be wise enough to know that , ' he said . ` we both came to the conclusion , ' he said , referring to his private consultations with obama , ` that i think the country was best served with new leadership . he thought it was -lrb- also -rrb- , over at this institution after we had talked through it . ' the department of defense insider who spoke with mailonline on wednesday said hagel ` jumped at the chance to get out , and could n't wait to announce it so things did n't go more to hell in iraq and he 'd get blamed for it . ' ` no one wants to be disloyal , ' he said . ` but also nobody wants to be on watch while the defense department weakens to the point of disintegrating , and america gets pushed around the -lsb- global -rsb- schoolyard . it 's embarrassing . ' another hagel confidante told cnn on wednesday that the pentagon head ` wanted to move quickly ' toward the exit . juxtaposed with the international turmoil that 's arisen since he vacated his senate seat to join the obama administration less than two years ago , cnn 's source said hagel want to ` at least control his departure . ' arizona sen. john mccain said in a radio interview last month that hagel was ` very , very frustrated ' by the time he put in his notice . in this february 2013 photo , then-deputy defense secretary ashton carter is pictured testifying before the senate armed services committee with chairman of the joint chiefs of staff gen. martin dempsey . obama is expected to nominate carter tomorrow to serve as the next secretary of defense . when obama announced that hagel was leaving , he called the former republican senator from nebraska an ` exemplary ' pentagon chief and indicated that resigning was hagel 's decision . he said hagel approached him and ` determined that ... it was an appropriate time for him to complete his service . ' ` let me just say that chuck is and has been a great friend of mine . i 've known him , admired him and trusted him for nearly a decade since i was a green-behind-the - ears freshman senator and we were both on the senate foreign relations committee , ' obama told reporters gathered in the white house state dining room . it was at a press briefing later that day that the white house said hagel 's departure came after he and hagel came to the decision jointly . ` the two of them arrived together at the determination that new leadership should take over at the pentagon , ' earnest told reporters . rumors immediately began swirling that hagel was asked to leave , however . a senior pentagon official told nbc news that hagel ` was n't up to the job . ' while denying that hagel was forced out , the white house acknowledged last month that the issues plaguing the pentagon require a different type of leadership skills than the ones hagel was brought on to handle . ` when secretary hagel was first nominated for this job ... the threat that was posed by isil was not nearly as significant as it is now , ' earnest told reporters . the white house says it will announce hagel 's replacement on friday . obama is widely to expected to name former deputy defense secretary ashton carter as hagel 's successor . the white house would n't confirm to reporters this week that carter was obama 's pick , but earnest lavished praised on him when probed by reporters for his thoughts of the former dod official . earnest said carter ` certainly deserves and has demonstrated strong bipartisan support for his previous service in government , ' but insisted , ' i do n't have any additional insight to share with you . ' carter left the obama administration in 2013 . unlike hagel , he has never served in the active military , but he is respected by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle . he served as the no. 2 official at the pentagon from october 2011 to december 2013 . he also used to be the pentagon 's chief arms buyer . he has been mum since rumors began swirling that he would be the next defense secretary .

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

a cyclist who wanted to travel the world on a shoestring has returned home from a four-year adventure which saw him pedal 43,000 miles across 61 countries - the equivalent of twice around the planet . charlie walker , 27 , spent 1,606 days cycling through three continents on his second-hand bike ` old geoff ' - despite ` not really being a cyclist ' . the young travel writer headed north to the arctic circle , down to the southern tip of africa , to the far east of asia and into the jungles of vietnam . scroll down for video . charlie walker , 27 , spent 1,606 days cycling through three continents on his second-hand bike ` old geoff ' - despite ` not really being a cyclist ' . pictured : mr walker outside a village shop in hubei province , china . the young travel writer was away for four years and cycled through 60 countries , including turkey -lrb- pictured on the road to noah 's arc -rrb- . mr walker cycled north to the arctic circle , down to the southern tip of africa , to the far east of asia and into the jungles of vietnam . pictured : the cyclist looks over the fish river canyon , namibia . the 27-year-old -lrb- pictured -rrb- started his journey in july 2010 because he wanted to see the world in a ` cheap and slow ' way . during his trip , mr walker found himself chased by elephants , arrested in china and even had to run the gauntlet of a war zone in northern mozambique . now , after four years on the road , charlie has finally crossed the finish line in his home village of bowerchalke , wiltshire . mr walker said : ' i had n't sat on a bike for a couple of months prior to starting so i had to get used to it again . ` i 'm not really a cyclist , the bicycle was a conveniently cheap and deliberately slow means to an end . ` the end being to see the world , meet interesting people and to challenge myself both physically and mentally . hopefully , i 've learnt a thing or two along the way too . ' i cycled out of my village , took a ferry across the channel then did n't stop . i flew a few times over war spots for safety , but other than that , i rode most places . ' this map shows the 43,600 mile route that mr walker carried out solo on his second-hand bike . he covered europe , africa and asia . mr walker is watched by young locals as he fixes his bike in uttar pradesh , india -lrb- left -rrb- after having reached norpkapp , norway -lrb- right -rrb- . the young adventurer also reached cape agulhas , the southern-most tip of africa , west cape province during his travels . during his trip , mr walker cycled through difficult and varied terrain , including through the kurish mountains -lrb- pictured -rrb- . mr walker , a newcastle university graduate , had the idea to take on the challenge while trekking through the himalayas in 2008 . he originally decided to cycle from the dead sea to mount everest . but the route quickly snowballed and soon mr walker had quadrupled the length of his route . before setting off in july 2010 , the travel writer finally decided on three main points to cross off his list - nordkaap in norway ; singapore via the bridge from mainland malaysia , and cape town in south africa . he left the route to ` chance ' , covering the incredible 43,630 miles depending on where the road took him . he did little planning and relied on the kindness of strangers . the cyclist left the route to ` chance ' , covering the incredible 43,630 miles depending on where the road took him . pictured : mr walker cycles through north west tanzania as a storm approaches . but mr walker also had his fair share of trouble , including being arrested in china -lrb- where he is pictured , in henan province -rrb- . mr walker takes a breather in front of a spectacular sunset on the empty road to karima , northern sudan , during the latter part of his journey . the cyclist was faced with clogged brakes and wheels after travelling through a forest track in the republic of congo -lrb- pictured -rrb- . but mr walker also had his fair share of trouble . in iran he was held on suspicion of being a spy , while he was mistaken for jesus while in africa . in china , he was arrested twice after breaking into a tibetan military base . and in botswana , he was chased down ` elephant highway ' by a group of elephants who were not used to seeing two-wheeled vehicles . mr walker also battled searing heat , freezing cold , endless miles of pedalling , an attempt to steal his beloved second-hand bike , called ` old geoff ' , and mended more than 250 punctures . he said : ' i have a lot of stand out memories but one has to be how nice and hospitable people are . the young man even got to have a brew with father christmas when he visited finnish lapland . mr walker , a newcastle university graduate , pictured at a sign reading ` welcome to shout city ' in western iran . england , france , belgium , netherlands , germany , denmark , sweden , norway , finland , estonia , latvia , lithuania , poland , slovakia , hungary , romania , bulgaria , turkey , iran , india , nepal , tibet , china , laos , thailand , malaysia , singapore , cambodia , vietnam , mongolia , kazakhstan , kyrgyzstan , tajikistan , uzbekistan , afghanistan , iraq , egypt , sudan , ethiopia , kenya , uganda , rwanda , burundi , tanzania , malawi , mozambique , swaziland , south africa , lesotho , namibia , botswana , zambia , drc , republic of congo , cameroon , senegal , mauritania , morocco , gibraltar , spain , france . ` there were of course the dangerous times , and the times you do n't think you 're going to make it . ' i was detained at the boarder between afghanistan and iran because they thought , after looking at me , my passport and some of the pictures i had taken i might be a spy . ` they put two and two together and made 12 , but they released me soon after . in botswana i was chased by elephants on a road aptly named `` elephant highway '' . ` the elephants just graze by the side of the road and they are used to vehicles driving past them , but they do n't see so many bicycles . ` it 's an animal shape moving at speed on wheels , they were bound to get a bit jumpy . ' i had a large bull elephant stand there and face up to me flapping his ears before he began chasing towards me . ' i had a heavily laden bicycle that probably weighed about as much as me . ` it was a little bit frantic , there were a good few miles i did n't look behind me and just keep pedalling . ' as his epic journey grew bigger charlie 's regular blogs , updating his friends and family of his adventures , gathered a devoted following . mr walker camped under the stars on several nights , including here at dune 45 camp in namibia . the cyclist gets off his bike as he passes as ovoo - a shamanistic cairn - in the gobi north of zamyn-uud , mongolia . he took some time out of his cycling schedule to enjoy the calm of lake pokhara , nepal -lrb- pictured -rrb- . through his updates he persuaded people to donate to two charities to support his adventure . he chose future hope , which supports street children in kolkatta , india , and the rnli . mr walker said his biggest battle during his four year challenge , was the mental battle he faced . he said : ' i had been travelling for a bit for a few years before and my trips got slowly more intrepid . i wanted to develop myself as a travel writer , so when i finished university and got a job i saved up enough to go . ` thelast few years have certainly been tough , and often lonely but , on balance , an incredible and positive experience . ' to read more about mr walker 's adventures , visit www.charliewalkerexplore.co.uk .

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

sir bradley wiggins cycling success is believed to be behind the increase in middle-age men buying bicycles . you can perhaps blame cycling knight bradley wiggins for them clogging up the country roads every weekend . now mamils -- or middle-aged men in lycra , to give them their full name - have pedalled into the latest edition of the online oxford dictionary too . it defines as a mamil as ' a middle-aged man who is a very keen road cyclist , typically one who rides an expensive bike and wears the type of clothing associated with professional cyclists ' . the word is among 1,000 new entries added today -lrb- thurs -rrb- to the free online dictionary oxforddictionaries.com , which is updated quarterly and prides itself on tracking new and emerging word trends . mamil has been in use since at least 2010 after research by retail analyst mintel suggested there had been a surge in men of a certain age taking up cycling when they might once have invested in a motorcycle or sports car . the phenomenon of middle aged men buying an expensive bicycle then intensified after sir bradley 's success in the tour de france and olympics in 2012 . celebrity fans of slipping on the lycra and saddling up include actor and spandau ballet guitarist gary kemp , 55 , who once said : ` i 'm obsessed , i 've done all the major routes of the tour de france , including the hill climbs . ' but while there is an amusing side to words such as mamil and other new entries like ` al desko ' , an adjective referring to eating while working at one 's desk in an office , or ` fresh-air fiend ' , meaning a person who is very keen on outdoor activities , some other new entries have been criticised because they risk encouraging children to spell common words incorrectly . the plain english campaign said the inclusion of ` fone ' -lrb- meaning phone -rrb- , ` hawt ' -lrb- a chiefly us spelling of hot -rrb- , ` mahoosive ' -lrb- meaning exceptionally big -rrb- and ` tomoz ' -lrb- an informal version of tomorrow -rrb- could cause problems if youngsters see them and think those are the correct spellings . another new entry is ` duck face ' , defined as ` an exaggerated pouting expression in which the lips are thrust outwards , typically made by a person posing for a photograph ' . yesterday -lrb- wed -rrb- judy pearsall , editorial director for oxford dictionaries , said : ` one of the benefits of our unique language monitoring programme is that it enables us to track in detail how english language evolves over relatively short periods of time . for instance , in this age of the selfie perhaps it 's no surprise that average monthly usage of the term duck face is 35 per cent higher in 2014 than it was last year . ' now mamils -- or middle-aged men in lycra , has been added as a new word in the oxford english dictionary . pictured sir bradley wiggins . finance and business remains a major influence on english , with many terms from there included in the online dictionary today for the first time too . these include ` flash crash ' , which is stock exchange slang for an extremely rapid decline in the price of a commodity , and ` misery index ' , an informal measure of the state of an economy generated by adding together its rate of inflation and its rate of unemployment . new words , senses , and phrases are added to oxforddictionaries.com once its editors have gathered enough independent evidence from a range of sources to be confident that they have widespread currency in english , a spokesman said .

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

a schoolboy died from major internal injuries after falling off a bike while speeding down a hill as he played with friends after school , an inquest heard today . peter mills-coles , eight , was sent flying when he lent over to steer around a corner and his right pedal hit the ground on a residential street in borehamwood , hertfordshire . both he and the bike were sent flying into the air , colliding either before or after peter hit the ground , causing him severe internal injuries . accident : peter mills-coles , eight , -lrb- pictured left , and right -rrb- died from major internal injuries after falling off a bike while speeding down a hill as he played with friends after school . peter was rushed to hospital in barnet but doctors were unable to save him and he died after the accident on may 19 . he had been playing with a group of friends after school when the freak accident occurred , the inquest at hatfield coroner 's court heard . the boy was taking a turn on a friend 's bike and had gone off for a ride around the block , as his friends had before him , but had not returned . one man living nearby had been in his garden when he heard a ` loud thump ' and went out to the road to investigate . ` he saw peter lying on the grass verge on his side , ' said coroner edward thomas . ` the bike was on its side next to a tree by next door 's garden . ' fast : peter had been coming down this hill when he fell off his bike after trying to go around the bend . play : peter and his friends had taken it in turns to ride around the block , and he was taking this right-hand bend when he crashed . police constable robert wagstaff , a collision investigator , told the hearing that while the bike was a ` bit scruffy ' , the brakes , steering and wheels were all in good working order . there were no potholes or any problems with the road surface where peter fell off the bike and no other vehicles were involved . pc wagstaff said : ` where he fell there was a decline and there 's a right-hand bend that he tried to negotiate . ` the right pedal is down , that 's made contact with the ground and the bike and rider were launched . ' the speed peter was riding at meant he would have had to lean quite far over to get around the bend , pc wagstaff added . results from a post-mortem examination showed peter had suffered massive internal bleeding from a liver laceration . neighbours had looked after peter until ambulance staff arrived at around 5.30 pm to take him to hospital . mr thomas said he was really impressed with the responses from passers-by . ' i think the feeling of a lot of people was that they wished they could have done more , ' he said . ' i really want to reassure them that they did everything right - there was nothing more they could have done . ' peter was a year three pupil at summerswood primary school in borehamwood . his school released a tribute , saying : ` peter is much loved and will always be remembered by all his friends and everyone at summerswood . ` he was a popular member of his class and was always recognisable by his cheeky smile . his parents christopher and angela were not at today 's hearing . mr thomas added : ' i just felt so very sad for peter . ' i think all of us remember as children riding our bikes . i remember falling off my bike . ` they were just having such a nice time , just having a little spin around and just a slight misjudgement down quite a steep hill with the pedal , and that 's the jolt . ` no other vehicles had any bearing on this at all . ` i 'm going to record that peter died an accidental death and that concludes the investigation into this awful tragedy . ' speaking to the family liaison officer representing peter 's family , mr thomas said : ` can you please pass on how sorry we all were ? ` what a nice young boy he was . poor peter . '

<s> peter mills-coles was playing on his friend 's bike in borehamwood . </s> <s> friends were taking it in turns to ride around corner and down hill . </s> <s> he was found by a neighbour who heard the crash from his garden . </s> <s> he was taken to hospital but doctors were unable to save him . </s> <s> post-mortem showed he suffered internal bleeding . </s> <s> coroner records peter 's death on may 19 had been an accident . </s>

the mansion of music industry guru graham hutchinson , has been sold for $ 8.2 million to a chinese buyer years after it was first listed . the two acre maryland avenue property at carrara , on the gold coast in queensland is a spectacular waterfront property , equip with seven bedrooms and six bathrooms . offered as two lots , listed to buy both or one , the property includes a pool , pontoon , helipad and tennis court . 30-32 maryland avenue , carrara , owned by music industry guru graham hutchinson , sold for $ 8.2 million to a chinese buyer . the prestigious property has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms and absolute water views . the ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring australia and were in queensland including elton john and fleetwood mac . critton astras at realty special projects confirmed it was sold to prosper holdings pty ltd , which is associated with stanley chan and while quoted as been sold for $ 7.16 , he said it actually went for $ 8.2 million . he says the ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring australia and were in queensland . ` for the last 20 years , he 's had russian acts like the russian ballet stay there , had celebrities like fleetwood mac , elton john , ' he said . ` it was known as the celebrity estate . ' mr critton says the property , which was listed with a number of real estate agencies , has been on the market for around three years and has been kept in immaculate condition . the views are stunning at the carrara property on the gold coast , and the property includes a pontoon , pool and even a helipad . critton astras at realty special projects confirmed it was sold to prosper holdings pty ltd , which is associated with stanley chan . ` he kept it in show style and as the market picked up in the last 18 months , graham was looking for the right buyer for his property which he believed was very unique , ' he said . ` he was a very educated owner , he has a lot more knowledge than a lot of real estate agents in queensland . ' he believes the sale of property could be the second highest for 2014 behind 60 admiralty drive , paradise waters , which sold for $ 8.7 million , reported by the gold coast bulletin . mr critton says about eight years ago , graham purchased the run down property and in the last couple of years spent over $ 1 million redeveloping it . ` graham moved to the sunshine coast , he has two boys , family , grandchildren and he wanted to spend time with them , ' he said . the carrara property owned by music industry guru graham hutchinson had absolute water views . the ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring australia and were in queensland including elton john and fleetwood mac . the two acre property had a whopping seven bedrooms and six bathrooms as well as a pool , tennis court and pontoon out the back . ` chinese buyers have been looking at properties in this area because it 's close to amenities , safe , central , on the water and is large parcels of land . ' ` the chinese have a good eye and look at the value of the property and compare , they definitely know their markets in sydney and melbourne and also brisbane . ' it 's believed there has suddenly been some movement in prestige properties in the area after several years of the market staying stagnant . the real estate agent says another chinese buyer has just signed a contract for a $ 4.5 million property on similar acreage but on a smaller block in the area , but the house will most likely be knocked down and redeveloped . the carrara property sold for $ 8.2 million to a chinese investor has seven bedrooms . critton astras at realty special projects says the chinese have a good eye and look at the value of the property . mr critton says in the last two weeks he has also been contracted to sell a variety of villas , studios and eco cabins at the popular couran cove resort , on stradbroke island . the development by an american billionaire , which cost $ 150 million went into receivership two years ago and brisbane businessman , craig dowling picked up the resort for a steal of less than $ 10 million . the last couple of years have been spent redeveloping the resort and a number of residences are now up for sale . ` villas are from $ 200,000 , ' said mr critton , ` on the water , overlooking the marina . ' ` you can only get there by boat but i 've been contracted to market and sell them , which for that price you would n't be able to get land almost anywhere . '

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

dubai international announced it is set to clock up more than 71 million passengers by the end of the year and could overtake the current busiest airport in the world - heathrow . passenger traffic at dubai international rose 5.7 per cent in october putting the airport on track to eclipse the 71 million passenger mark according to the latest traffic report issued by operator dubai airports . passenger traffic in october totalled 5,989,007 compared to 5,667,698 recorded in the corresponding month last year , an increase of 5.7 per cent . year to date traffic rose 6.1 per cent to 58,411,554 compared to 55,046,863 recorded during the same period in 2013 . passenger traffic at dubai international rose by 5.7 per cent in october compared to the same month in 2013 . passenger numbers for dubai international airport are projected to reach 78.4 million in 2015 . ` we are on track to exceed 71 million passengers by year-end which is a remarkable number when you consider we lost the services of one or our runways for almost three months , ' said paul griffiths , ceo of dubai airports . ` we are neck-and-neck with london heathrow in our race for the number one position coming down the home stretch . it is sure to be a photo finish . ' dubai airports estimate passenger numbers are projected to reach 78.4 million in 2015 and 103.5 million by 2020 . the indian subcontinent was the top market in terms of growth in overall passenger numbers -lrb- +121,669 passengers -rrb- closely followed by western europe -lrb- 113,032 passengers -rrb- , asia -lrb- +73,675 -rrb- and africa -lrb- 31,405 -rrb- . dubai international estimate that they will eclipse 71 million passengers by the end of 2014 . in terms of percentage growth eastern europe -lrb- +22 per cent -rrb- was the strongest market followed by asia -lrb- 15.4 per cent -rrb- while declines were recorded in russia & cis -lrb- -8.2 per cent -rrb- , aggc -lrb- -3.7 per cent -rrb- and middle east -lrb- -3.2 per cent -rrb- . around 72.3 million passengers travelled through heathrow last year , with 191,200 passengers arriving or departing every single day . a recent study has shown that aviation will account for more than a third of dubai 's economy by 2020 , as the gulf emirate has become a major international travel hub . oil-poor dubai has spent years trying to diversify its economy with core sectors now including trade , transport and tourism . aviation contributed 27 percent - or $ 26.7 billion -lrb- 21.4 billion euros -rrb- - to dubai 's gross domestic product in 2013 , oxford economics said in a report for emirates airline and dubai airports . number of terminals - 5 . number of runways - 2 . total passenger destinations served by dubai international - 180 . number of airlines - 82 . number of passengers arriving and departing in 2013 - 72.3 million . cargo tonnage in 2013 : 1.42 million metric tonnes . number of terminals - 3 . number of runways - 2 . total passenger destinations served by dubai international - 239 . number of airlines - 105 . number of passengers arriving and departing in 2013 - 66.4 million . cargo tonnage in 2013 : 2.44 million metric tonnes . heathrow airport remains the world 's busiest , but is dubai international set to take the crown ? the report said the sector would grow to contribute # 33.9 billion -lrb- $ 53.1 billion -rrb- -- equivalent to 37.5 per cent of gdp -- by 2020 . ` between now and 2020 the contribution of the aviation sector to dubai 's economy is expected to grow at a faster rate than the economy as a whole , ' the global research firm said . an increase in passenger numbers and expansion of dubai 's existing airport capacity will help to drive this growth , the report said . dubai international airport is the busiest airport in the middle east . it served 66.4 million passengers in 2013 , and is expected to host more than 100 million in 2020 . also ranked among the world 's busiest airports , dubai international has established itself as a major hub linking the west with asia and australasia . the emirate opened its second passenger airport in october 2013 . when complete , al-maktoum international will handle 120 million passengers annually . government-owned emirates airline , which is based at dubai international , carried 44.5 million passengers in 2013 , compared with 39.4 million the previous year . the airline operates the world 's largest fleets of airbus a380s and boeing 777s , and flies to 146 destinations in 83 countries .

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

there is a speech which george osborne hoped to deliver today which will have to remain in the treasury drawer for a few years yet . it is the one where the chancellor declares that the deficit has been eliminated and the government is raising more in tax than it spends . in 2010 mr osborne confidently declared that he would balance the books by 2014-15 , but today he was forced admit that borrowing remains stubbornly high and balancing the books is still a long way off . in june 2010 , the office for budget for responsibility predicted that in 2014-15 borrowing would fall to just # 37billion , but it has remained high at around # 100billion and is not expected to return a surplus until 2018-19 . in 2010 george osborne remained confident that borrowing would fall sharply , but in 2011 and 2012 a deterioration in the economic picture meant the prospect of balancing the books slipped further into the future . in 2010 , the office for budget responsibility predicted that borrowing would be just # 37billion in 2014-15 . instead it will be # 91.3 billion , which is still # 5billion higher than the obr predicted in march this year . while there are record numbers of people in work , many are in low paid jobs . these workers have benefitted most from the coalition policy of not paying income on the first # 10,000 of earnings . but it means the treasury is raising less than expected from taxes to offset spending . four years ago in june 2010 mr osborne boasted that he would have ` eliminated ' the deficit by 2014-15 . ` we have set the course for a balanced budget and falling national debt by the end of this parliament , ' he predicted in the coalition 's emergency budget . instead borrowing has remained stubbornly high , and barely changed in the last 12 months . revealing that the deficit has been halved over this parliament , mr osborne said the obr now forecasts the deficit will fall slightly from # 97.5 billion last year to # 91.3 billion this year - rather than the # 86.4 billion previously expected . mr osborne will boast that the economy is now growing strongly , and faster than most other countries . but its has failed to keep pace with the predictions made in 2010 . national debt as a proportion of the economy -lrb- gdp -rrb- was supposed to start falling in 2013-14 , but has instead been rising and is not expected to peak until next year . borrowing for 2015-16 is expected to fall to # 75.9 billion , worse than the # 68.3 billion previously expected . but the outlook for 2016-17 of a # 40.9 billion shortfall is better than the # 41.5 billion previously set out . for 2017-18 expected borrowing is likely to be # 14.5 billion , an improvement on the previously pencilled-in # 15.8 billion . mr osborne told mps that by 2019-20 the uk will be spending # 23billion less than it raises in tax . ` out of the red and into the black for the first time in a generation - a country that inspires confidence around the world because it seeks to live within its means , ' he added . it still means that the country will not be in a position where it is spending less than it raises in tax , until 2018-19 - a decade after the financial crash . the obr said : ` despite stronger growth , we have revised up our estimate of the budget deficit this year . ` in headline terms , the uk economy has outperformed our march forecast . ` but wage and productivity growth have once again disappointed , while national income and spending have outperformed most in those areas that yield least tax revenue . ' several times mr osborne claimed that he had brought the british economy back from the brink over the last four years . the chancellor used his autumn statement to plead for time to ` finish the job ' , warning a change of course now would ` squander ' prosperity . four years ago the obr hoped for strong growth in pay , but low wages have persisted and have only just started to outstrip inflation . he revealed growth in this year is now expected to hit 3 per cent , up from 2.7 per cent forecast in march this year . and he told mps that under the coalition , britain has created 1,000 jobs every day since 2010 . but in future years , growth is forecast to be lower than previously thought . the obr now it forecasts growth of 2.4 per cent in 2015 , 2.2 per cent in 2016 , then 2.4 per cent , 2.3 per cent and 2.3 per cent in subsequent years . unemployment has also fallen sharply , dropping to just 6 per cent for the first time since autumn 2008 . pay is also rising faster than the cost of living for the first time in five years . average earnings are 1.3 per cent higher than a year ago , compared to inflation running at 1.2 per cent , with workers in the private sector enjoying even higher pay rises . the obr predicts wages will rise by 1.8 per cent this year , 2 per cent next year and 3.1 per cent in 2016 . employment has surged above expectations , breaking through 30million a year earlier than expected . latest figures show there are 30.8 million in work , a figure which was not expected to be reached until 2016 . with total debt still rising to the vicinity of # 1.4 trillion , mr osborne is set to have borrowed more in five years at the treasury than labour chancellors did in 13 . time and again the chancellor has seen the economic forecasts shift , with hopes of balancing the books drifting further into the future . britain will still not be back in the black , spending less than it raises in tax , until 2018-19 , a decade after the financial crash . labour 's shadow chancellor ed balls said : ` it 's all here in black and white , hard evidence from the budget for responsibility that the chancellor 's borrowing targets are all in tatters . ` we all know he 's changed the way he styles his hair but he ca n't brush away the facts . people are worse off and he 's failed to balance the books in this parliament . ` i 've got to say , for all his strutting , for all his preening , for all his claims to have fixed the economy , he promised to make people better off , working people are worse off . ` he promised we were all in this together and he cut taxes for millionaires . he promised to balance the books in this parliament and that commitment is now in tatters . every target missed , every test failed , every promise broken . '

<s> in 2010 , osborne boasted he would have ` eliminated ' the deficit by 2014-15 . </s> <s> but new figures show britain will borrow around # 91billion this year . </s> <s> treasury is raising less in income tax than thought earlier this year . </s> <s> economic growth has been strong but failed to match 2010 forecasts . </s> <s> pay rises have also been well below expectations four years ago . </s> <s> but employment has soared above 30million much sooner than expected . </s>

earlier this year globally acclaimed artist guo jian was exiled from china . his arrest came after police forced the 42-year-old to destroy his most iconic work , an apocalyptic diorama of tiananmen square which he slathered with ground pork meat . jian , chinese born but a naturalised australian , returned to sydney in june after being detained for two weeks in beijing , and he is now working on his first post-exile exhibition in new york . guo jian 's artwork ` the square ' is a huge diorama of the beijing landmark tiananmen square which he slathered with ground pork meat . jian , -lrb- l -rrb- , walks to a police car in his from his studio in beijing after he collecting his personal belongings . 20 police arrived to his studio in the middle of the night and forced him to smash the controversial artwork . the remains of the artwork , which police forced the 42-year-old to destroy with a hammer . recalling the night of his arrest , the artist said he feared for his life when a mob of 20 police arrived at his studio in eastern beijing to question him over the artwork . ' i was terrified . it was the middle of the night and nobody else was there ; i thought they were going to make me disappear , ' he said . ` they forced me to smash the sculpture with a hammer and filmed me doing it . there was at least 20 of them , so i could hardly say no . ' jian says ` the square ' represents the rapid urbanisation of china , a process which frequently sees cultural landmarks demolished . ' i wanted to show that nothing was safe if we continue down this road , not even the strongest symbols of chinese culture . the meat was a sign that everything will go rotten ' he said . but he says the chinese government did not take kindly to his interpretation of the beijing landmark . chinese-born australian artist guo jian is greeted by friends as he arrives at sydney airport in june , after being exiled for five years from china . jian is adamant that it was the international coverage of ` the square ' that sparked his exile from china , while the chinese government claims it was due to ` visa irregularities ' tiananmen square was the site of a notorious massacre jian himself witnessed in 1989 , which saw the chinese military open fire on thousands of pro-democracy protesters , killing an undisclosed number . jian 's arrest came days before the 25th anniversary of the event , a time when the chinese government was arresting scores of activists and artists in what could be viewed as a crackdown on dissent . a spokeswoman for the department of foreign affairs told the australian jian had been deported , ` reportedly due to visa irregularities ' . but jian is adamant his visa was legitimate , and instead insisted that it was the international coverage of the artwork by news services such as the new york times and the bbc that sparked the ordeal . ' i think ` the square ' was the last straw . even though it never left my studio , the government had been watching me for a long time , even in australia , ' he said . ` when the artwork gained exposure they decided to draw the line . ' jian says he has no regrets about the artwork , despite being separated from his family over the ordeal . jian says he has been blacklisted by the government and would be harshly monitored by government officials if he ever returns . when he arrived at prison , jian says he was interrogated for five hours before being taken into a squalid cell . ` there was one toilet between fifteen men , and the bedding they gave me probably had n't been washed in years , ' he said . but he says the worst of the experience was psychological . ` the worst of it was the mind games . they threaten you and film you all the time to make you paranoid . they never beat me , but they did -lrb- beat -rrb- some inmates . ' jian spent his two weeks in jail speaking to other prisoners and learning their stories . when the short sentence was up , he was whisked to the airport and told he could not return for at least five years . ` at first i was annoyed because they lied until the last minute . i have been dislodged from my family . but when i look at what is going on with the chinese government cracking down on artists and activists , i feel like it would be too dangerous for me to return now . ' jian says he has been blacklisted and would be harshly monitored by government officials if he ever returned . however he told abc he has no regrets about making ` the square . ' ` this make me feel more strong and it gives me the strength to do my art , and also i feel that i should keep going , to make people to know i 'm still standing , even after these things happen to me , nothing can really knock me down . ' jian says the experience gave him the strength to continue his art and show people ` nothing can knock me down ' jian -lrb- second from left -rrb- filming a documentary for his newest exhibition #surrender , which he describes as ' a grassroots cry for non-violence ' instead , jian is now working on his first post exile exhibition , a multidimensional project titled #surrender . jian says the message is ' a grassroots cry for non-violence . we are living in an era of immense violence , ' he said . ` between isis , ukraine and gaza , there is a real militarism resurgence . i feel we need an anti-militant resistance . ' the multimedia exhibition features a war memorial and a documentary about its creation . the exhibition is set to open in early february 2015 , and continue through march . guo jian is raising money for the #surrender project with a kickstarter page .

<s> guo jian was forced to smash his most iconic artwork . </s> <s> he feared for his life when 20 police arrested him in the middle of the night . </s> <s> the chinese government alleged he was banished over ` visa irregularities ' </s> <s> but the artist is adamant it was because of his sculpture ` the square ' </s> <s> jian is raising funds for a new project in new york called #surrender . </s>

a django unchained actress is claiming she was ` handcuffed and detained ' by police after being mistaken for a prostitute as she kissed her white husband . daniele watts , who played slave coco in the award-winning film , posted the news on her facebook page on 2 september and said her arm was cut when she was handcuffed . watts and her husband brian james lucas claim that they were kissing on a hollywood street when police were called and they were asked to show their id card to which watts refused . scroll down for video . django unchained actress daniele watts is claiming she was ` handcuffed and detained ' by police after being mistaken for a prostitute as she kissed her white husband . she posted this photo of the alleged september 2 incident on facebook . watts and her husband brian james lucas claim that they were kissing on a hollywood street when police were called and they were asked to show their id card to which watts refused . watts posted the news on her facebook page and said her arm was cut when she was handcuffed . watt 's husband wrote : ` so they handcuffed her and threw her roughly into the back of the cop car until they could figure out who she was . in the process of handcuffing her , they cut her wrist ' watts wrote on her facebook page : ` today i was handcuffed and detained by 2 police officers from the studio city police department after refusing to agree that i had done something wrong by showing affection , fully clothed , in a public place . ' she also posted a photo of crying as she stood in the street wearing patterned shorts , a t-shirt with ` new york ' written on it and running shoes with a policeman next to her . watts , who plays martin lawrence 's daughter on the new fx comedy partners , continued : ` when the officer arrived , i was standing on the sidewalk by a tree . watts and her husband pose for a photo on her facebook page . he posted the social media network that he thought that the person who called the police had decided they looked like a prostitute and a client . the pair both wrote about the alleged incident on their respective facebook pages . ' i was talking to my father on my cell phone . ' i knew that i had done nothing wrong , that i was n't harming anyone , so i walked away . ' a few minutes later , i was still talking to my dad when 2 different police officers accosted me and forced me into handcuffs . ` as i was sitting in the back of the police car , i remembered the countless times my father came home frustrated or humiliated by the cops when he had done nothing wrong . ' i allowed myself to be honest about my anger , frustration , and rage as tears flowed from my eyes . the actress in her role as house slave coco quentin tarantino 's 2012 film django . ` the tears i cry for a country that calls itself ` the land of the free and the home of the brave ' and yet detains people for claiming that very right . separately her chef husband posted on his facebook page that he thought that the person who called the police had decided they looked like a prostitute and a client . he wrote : ` from the questions that he asked me as d was already on her phone with her dad , i could tell that whoever called on us -lrb- including the officers -rrb- , saw a tatted rawker white boy and a hot bootie shorted black girl and thought we were a h * -lrb- prostitute -rrb- & a trick -lrb- client -rrb- . ` what an assumption to make !!! because of my past experience with the law , i gave him my id knowing we did nothing wrong and when they asked d for hers , she refused to give it because they had no right to do so . ` so they handcuffed her and threw her roughly into the back of the cop car until they could figure out who she was . in the process of handcuffing her , they cut her wrist , which was truly not cool !!! ' an lapd public information officer said there was no record of the incident as watts was not arrested or brought into the station for questioning , according to the chicago tribune .

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

the transgender son who sparked a social media storm after his parents placed an amended birth notice in the newspaper says the moment he told his mother he was a boy was nothing special . kai bogert , 19 , said his mother accepted it with little fanfare and he described the event as ` extremely boring ' and ` dull ' . ` she said `` oh you 're trans '' and i said `` yeah '' and she went `` oh cool '' , got up , gave me a hug and again went back to playing world of warcraft , ' kai told the today show . scroll down for video . this ` birth ' announcement appeared in tuesday 's edition of queensland paper , the courier mail . brisbane 's kai bogert is 19 years old and was born elizabeth anne bogert in 1995 . kai 's mother yolanda bogert , who put the notice in the december 2 edition of the courier mail to correct their ` mistake ' at announcing the birth of their daughter , agreed . ` it was n't a big deal it was n't anything , ' ms bogert said . ` the social media hype 's gone crazy but the moment itself was n't very big . ' ms bogert said she placed the ad because she wanted to celebrate kai 's revelation . ` somehow it just seemed like this big moment for him needed something to market , something he could keep , ' she said . the 19-year-old , from brisbane , born elizabeth anne now identifies as a man and goes by the name of kai bogert . ` in 1995 we announced the arrival of our sprogget , elizabeth anne , as a daughter , ' the loving message read . ` he informs us that we were mistaken . oops ! our bad . we would now like to present , our wonderful son -- kai bogert . loving you is the easiest thing in the world . ' a tweet of the notice has gone viral on twitter , attracting almost 2,000 retweets in just eight hours . ` in 1995 we announced the arrival of our sprogget , elizabeth anne , as a daughter , ' the loving message read . kai bogert , 19 , said his mother accepted his announcement with little fanfare . but the proud parents could not resist poking fun at the teenager and added : ` tidy your room . ' on the today show kai said he was hoping for an appearance on the ellen degeneres show , and would tidy his room is ellen asked him to . placing the ad in the paper seemed like a ` no brainer ' for ms bogert . ' i needed to show my son i support him 100 per cent and wanted to let the world know that , ' she told the courier mail . ` it is all very new to us . kai just told me a few days ago that he no longer wanted to live as a girl . ' ms bogert said there was always ` something different ' about kai who at first showed little signs but then later on it became more evident . shocked about his mum 's openness , kai said he was happy with what she had done . mr bogert is yet to undergo a gender re-assignment procedure . ` this last week has changed everything for me . i am still me but i am more me than i was a few days ago and feel free , ' kai told the courier mail . within eight hours of twitter user lisa dart sharing a photo of the notice , it had been retweeted almost 2,000 times and favourited almost 1,800 times . it attracted messages of support , including one from ms dart who wrote : ` best birth announcement ever . today 's cm . what a wonderful family . ' the announcement also warmed the heart of aunty miche who said : ` parentin , ur doin it rite -lrb- sic -rrb- . ' while goldie pwn wrote : ' i wan na be this cool a mom when i grow up . ' a gushing king k said : ` how cute is that !!!! ' kai is yet to undergo a gender re-assignment procedure and has not yet had any hormones .

<s> brisbane 's yolanda bogert and guy kershaw put classified in on tuesday . </s> <s> according to the ad , the 19-year-old man was born elizabeth anne bogert . </s> <s> within eight hours , the announcement had gone viral on social media . </s> <s> it attracted almost 2,000 retweets and almost 1,800 favourites on twitter . </s>

australians are set to spend big on this year 's christmas groceries , with the average expenditure figure doubling since 2012 . an estimated $ 1.3 billion is expected to be spent on festive produce with a family bill of about $ 341.90 , according to a survey by supermarket chain aldi . while popular products for modern aussie families still remain to be prawns and a leg of ham , it is believed food options have become more lavish in recent years . australians are set to spend big on this year 's christmas groceries , with the average expenditure figure doubling since 2012 . while popular products for modern aussie families still remain to be prawns and a leg of ham , it is believed food options have become more luxurious in recent years . a smorgasbord if more modern delicacies such as lobster tails and luxury salads are becoming customary staples on the christmas table . almost half of the 1,000 surveyed mums - 43 per cent - say food options have become more up market compared since 10 years ago . the survey also reveals social and food occasions are becoming more popular while the significance of gifts is on the decline . as a result , aussie are spending more during the christmas season as they 're celebrating over a longer period of time compared to a decade ago . they include picnics at carol singing events , family gatherings at the beach and decorating the house or tree . back in 2012 , christmas celebrations were shorter and families spent an average of $ 170 . most mothers said they try to save money by keeping an eye out for special deals and stocking up during the weeks before christmas . but there are distinct trends for being thrifty , as most mothers say they save money by keeping an eye out for special deals , stocking up during the weeks before christmas or by doing the christmas shop gradually . this comes after a global christmas survey of over 12,000 people by groupon showed that 35 per cent of australians admitted they buy gifts out of pure obligation . the average australian will not only purchase at least three obli-gifts this christmas season , but they 'll spend about $ 150 doing so , amounting to $ 855 million worth of obli-gifts being received across the country . at least 57 per cent of australians , most of them no doubt on the receiving end of an obli-gift , admitted to re-gifting an unwanted present . meanwhile , about 55 per cent of respondents who forgot someone on their present list , confess that they prefer to lie , with the most popular excuse being that the receivers non-existent present had been bought online , with the post office copping the blame .

<s> in 2012 the average australian family spent about $ 170 . </s> <s> it is believed aussies are spending more as they 're celebrating christmas longer . </s> <s> food options are also seen to be more lavish compared with 10 years ago . </s> <s> prawns and a leg of ham remain to be popular items bought for christmas feasts . </s> <s> but modern delicacies such as lobster tails and luxury salads are also increasingly popular . </s>

a string of car bomb attacks across iraq killed at least 37 people and wounded dozens more , iraqi officials said . three of the attacks targeted shi'ite districts in the capital , baghdad , while the fourth targeted a kurdish neighborhood in the oil-rich northern city of kirkuk . police officials said the first attack targeted a line of small restaurants in the shi'ite district of sadr city on thursday night , killing 11 people and wounding 25 others . scroll down for video . carnage : iraqis inspect the aftermath of a car bomb explosion in the shi'ite enclave of sadr city in baghdad . the blasts come as shi'ite militia and kurdish peshmerga fighters battle sunni militants from islamic state . the first attack targeted a line of small restaurants in sadr city , killing 11 people and wounding 25 others . bombs in the iraqi capital baghdad targeted mostly shi'ite muslim and kurdish neighbourhoods , police said . minutes later , a second car bomb blast near an outdoor market in the same district killed seven people and wounded 21 others . later on , a bomb exploded near a restaurant in baghdad 's shi'ite northern neighborhood of shaab , killing three people and wounding 12 others . ` it 's a busy street with restaurants and shops , there is great destruction , ' a kirkuk police colonel said , adding that a suicide car bomb was used . in the oil-rich city of kirkuk , a car bomb attack near a cafe killed 16 people , said deputy chief of the kirkuk police , maj. gen. torhan abdul-rahman youssef . iraq sees near-daily bombings and other attacks mainly targeting shi'ite neighborhoods and security forces . people walk past at the wreckage after a car bomb attack in baghdad 's sadr city . friends and relatives take the body for burial of ali hashim , 30 , who was killed in a blast in baghdad . an armed iraqi walks behind the vehicle carrying the coffin of one of the victims of a bomb attack in the baghdad shi'ite suburb of sadr city . the blast took place in a kurdish district in the city , 290 kilometers -lrb- 180 miles -rrb- north of baghdad . medics in a nearby hospital confirmed the causalities . all officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media . iraq sees near-daily bombings and other attacks mainly targeting shi'ite neighborhoods and security forces . the attacks are often claimed by the sunni extremist islamic state group which seized much of northern and western iraq in a summer offensive . destroyed : a fourth blast targeted a kurdish neighbourhood in the oil-rich northern city of kirkuk . iraqis inspect the site of a suicide bomb attack that hit the shorja district in kirkuk , killing 16 people . the disputed oil hub of kirkuk , about 240 kilometres -lrb- 150 miles -rrb- north of baghdad , is an ethnically mixed city which lies outside the recognised autonomous kurdish region but is currently under the full control of the kurdish peshmerga forces . the last major bomb attack in kirkuk was in august when triple blasts , including two targeting the kurdish security forces , left 38 dead . violence has increased in the kirkuk region in recent weeks as isis fighters are being squeezed out of some of the positions they had held in the east of the country since june . emergency workers and pedestrians walk past the scene of a bombing that targeted a cafe in kirkuk .

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

a new jersey man was convicted of murder on thursday for bludgeoning his wife with a frying pan then strangling her , apparently after they argued over the dire state of their finances . former securities salesman patrick allen had been trying to hide the family 's financial difficulties from his wife , kimberly , before the argument that led to her death in 2011 , prosecutors said . allen , 47 , of middletown , had been concealing the fact that they were about to lose their home to foreclosure , prosecutors said . convicted : patrick allen sits in judge john t. mullaney 's courtroom where he was found guilty on thursday of murdering his wife with a frying pan in 2011 . he also had more than $ 600,000 in debt , between two mortgages on the family 's house and $ 25,000 in credit card debt , they said . prosecutors claimed an argument ensued when his wife learned of the situation and allen killed her while the couple 's two children were at school . monmouth county assistant prosecutor maria franceschini said she was pleased with the verdict . ` it 's been a long trial , ' she said . in her closing statement wednesday , she picked up the frying pan wrapped in plastic and swung it to show jurors how allen struck his wife over the head . she then showed jurors autopsy photos showing the result of kimberly allen being struck by the frying pan . allen 's attorney argued his client was about to come into some money that would have held off the foreclosure . he also claimed a mistrial should have been declared in the case because prosecutors on the eve of trial said they would not use interview footage of allen , but changed their minds mid-trial and showed the footage to jurors . the lawyer said he would consult with his client about a possible appeal . the victim 's sister , barbara stauff , held back tears as she thanked jurors and prosecutors for ` countless hours over the past three years ' analyzing the evidence , the asbury park press reported . allen was convicted of first-degree murder and other counts . he is scheduled to be sentenced jan. 29 . the tool : in this photo taken on tuesday , 4 , assistant monmouth county prosecutor maria franceschini swings the frying pan that was used in the murder of kimberly allen by her husband patrick allen .

<s> patrick allen had been trying to hide the family 's financial difficulties from his wife , kimberly , before the argument that led to her death in 2011 . </s> <s> allen , 47 , of middletown , had been concealing the fact that they were about to lose their home to foreclosure , prosecutors said . </s> <s> he also had more than $ 600,000 in debt , between two mortgages on the family 's house and $ 25,000 in credit card debt . </s>

bryan kryscio who is accused of stealing an ambulance from a hospital and then telling police he took it to drive to a strip club . a man who is accused of stealing an ambulance from a hospital in michigan told police when he was arrested that he took the vehicle so he could drive to a strip club . bryan kryscio was arrested on sunday after he was found behind the wheel of the emergency vehicle when police pulled him over . but when they asked him why he took the ambulance he told them he was on his way to a pole dancing club . earlier in the evening , officers had been called to mclaren oakland hospital in pontiac , after reports that an ambulance was taken after it was left outside unlocked with the engine running . according to foxdc.com , emergency workers were returning a stretcher to the ambulance when they saw it being driven off . one of the ambulance workers had left their cell phone inside and officers were able to use it to trace the vehicle to sterling heights , 14 miles away . krysico , who is homeless and said to have mental health issues , was then found behind the wheel and immediately arrested . when officers then asked him why he took the ambulance , he told them he was on his way to the ` booby trap ' , a topless bar in detroit to see pole dancing , even though the club has been closed for years . police confirmed that even though the ambulance had been taken there was n't any damage and it was returned to the emergency services . undersheriff mike mccabe of oakland county police told the detroit free press : ` the caller advised that the ambulance was not locked and that a cellular phone had been left inside . ` the medication box , ems radio and ekg monitor were all intact . ' officers had been called to mclaren oakland hospital in pontiac , michigan , pictured , earlier in the evening after staff reported the theft of an ambulance . police also added that he has convictions for robbery in florida , as well as breaking and entering , trespassing and possession of marijuana convictions in michigan . kryscio , 50 , was arraigned yesterday on a charge of unlawfully driving away an automobile and is currently being held at oakland county jail . he is scheduled to appear at pontiac district court later this month .

<s> police were called after an ambulance was stolen from a michigan hospital . </s> <s> was tracked down with 50-year-old bryan kryscio found behind the wheel . </s> <s> the homeless man was arrested and then driven to the nearest jail . </s> <s> on the way he told officers he was driving vehicle to a strip bar . </s> <s> explained that he wanted to go see pole dancing at the ` booby trap ' club . </s> <s> was charged with unlawfully driving away an automobile and is being held in jail . </s>

shannon kepler , who was charged with murder in the shooting of his daughter 's boyfriend , retired last month and collected a pension payout of $ 160,000 . a police officer charged with first-degree murder over the off-duty shooting of his daughter 's boyfriend in august , retired last month and collected a lump sum pension payout of $ 160,000 . the oklahoma state police pension and retirement board approved shannon kepler 's request to retire and collect his pension on november 19 . kepler , 54 , was formally charged on august 18 by tulsa prosecutors with the august 5 killing of 19-year-old jeremey lake , who was dating his daughter lisa . he was also charged with one count of shooting with intent to kill because prosecutors said he shot at his daughter during an alleged confrontation . kepler pleaded not guilty and was released from jail on a $ 825,000 bond . he was suspended without pay at the time of the shooting - but is now eligible to collect both the lump sum , and begin drawing his monthly pension . his retirement officially began on november 1 . kepler chose to participate in the state 's deferred option pension plan in 2010 . this allowed him to collect approximately four years ' worth of monthly pension payments , plus interest , in a lump sum on retirement , the tulsa world reports . records show his monthly pension is $ 2,947 , and the plan has a minimum interest rate of 7.5 per cent , bringing the lump sum total to approximately $ 162,000 . a 2011 state law was introduced to close a loophole that allowed some government employees to collect pensions even if they were convicted of felonies . jeremey lake , 19 , was allegedly shot dead by the father of his girlfriend , lisa kepler , 18 , on august 5 . the law bars police officers and other municipal workers from collecting retirement pay if they plead guilty , no contest , or are convicted of a felony for bribery , corruption , forgery , perjury or ` any other crime related to their office or employment ' . steven snyder , executive director of the police pension and retirement board , told tulsa world that kepler would forfeit his monthly pension if convicted of a felony not resulting in a deferred sentence , but gets to keep his lump sum payment . kepler 's attorney , richard o'carroll , argues that he believes the law allows kepler to keep his monthly payments as well . kepler 's wife , gina kepler , 48 , also a tulsa police officer , surrendered to authorities with him the morning after the shooting . she was arrested along with her husband on a complaint of being an accessory after the fact of murder , but was not charged because prosecutors said there was n't evidence to support it . kepler 's wife , gina , 48 , also a police officer , was not charged as an accessory after the fact of murder . she too is on leave from the police , but with pay according to a spokesperson for the department . the keplers ` are solid folks ' who ` did everything they knew to protect their daughter , ' o'carroll said . the daughter , lisa kepler , was among three sisters whom the keplers adopted from a troubled home . lisa kepler , 18 , has said that her parents had kicked her out of their home in late july . she met lake while he was volunteering at the shelter where she was staying . he offered her a place to stay at the home he shared with his aunt , kepler said . the young couple were walking to lake 's aunt 's house on august 5 when her father turned up in his car . she said that he asked what she was doing in the neighborhood . when she walked away , lake tried to introduce himself . the police officer then shot lake two or three times , fled in his vehicle and later turned himself in , court records show . lisa started to run and was shot at -- but the bullet missed her , authorities said . the police officer fled in his vehicle , but later turned himself in . in an interview , lisa kepler told nbc that lake was her ` everything ' . she told tulsa world : ' i really hope they rot in prison for a very long time . ' lisa kepler -lrb- left -rrb- turned her parents in after she watched them allegedly shoot her new boyfriend , 19-year-old jeremey lake , dead in a tulsa street .

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

this is the terrifying moment a flyaway stroller tumbles onto train tracks with bystanders scrambling to rescue the infant . cctv footage captured at diamond creek station in melbourne , australia , shows the unidentified 18-month-old girl slowly rolling away from her grandfather , who stands distracted at a ticket machine with his back turned . she then reaches the platform edge and plummets headfirst . caught on camera : this is the terrifying moment a flyaway stroller tumbles onto train tracks with bystanders scrambling to rescue the infant . on the move : cctv footage captured at diamond creek station in australia shows the unidentified 18-month-old girl slowly rolling away from her grandfather , who stands distracted with his back turned . potentially fatal : she then reaches the platform edge and plummets head-first . lucky escape : the accident left her with a minor fracture to her nose . her grandfather is seen panicking as he turns around and realizes what 's happened . he manages to get down to the tracks before several others join him in the rescue effort . the stroller and little girl are eventually hauled back to safety before any traffic approaches . all in a flash : her grandfather is seen panicking as he turns around and realizes what 's happened . quick action : he manages to get down on to the tracks before several others join him in the rescue effort . nailbiting : the stroller and little girl are eventually hauled back to safety before any traffic approaches . in safe hands : the toddler remains in a stable condition at royal children 's hospital . phillip evrall , who saw the accident unfold just before 11.30 am on wednesday , told nine news the girl suffered a ` serious injury ' around her eye-socket and was bleeding from her nose after hitting a steel rail . ` we were concerned that the child might be losing consciousness so we tried to keep her awake and alert , ' he added . the toddler remains in a stable condition at royal children 's hospital with a minor fracture to her nose . faulty brakes on the stroller are being blamed for the incident .

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

the british businessman on trial for murdering his fiancee at a five-star hotel in paris , had allegedly crashed his mercedes into her house , and beat her up , just one month earlier , a court heard today . ian griffin , 45 , drove his car into the # 3million home of kinga legg , 36 , in oxshott , surrey , just weeks before she was found dead in a hotel room in the french capital in 2009 . mr griffin has been protesting his innocence in court , claiming polish-born ms legg died by accident after she tried to jump on him and ended up injuring her head when he kicked her off . on trial : british businessman ian griffin , 45 , leaves the criminal court in paris during a break in his trial for the 2009 murder of his fiancee kinga wolf , 36 . but jane carrigan , a friend of ms legg 's , told paris assizes : ` on one occasion kinga phoned me to say she has been badly beaten by ian , and was in the bath trying to recover . ' ` she told me that he had driven his mercedes through the front door of the house , then he beat her and left . this was approximately one month prior to her death . ` i was so worried about her , i asked her to contact the police and an ambulance to see what state she was in , because the next time she may be dead . she said no . the next thing i heard , she was dead . ' griffin had caused # 30,000-worth of damage to ms legg 's house in oxshott but he eventually moved in with her . ms legg 's lifeless body was covered in almost 100 bruises , and she had a fatal head injury , when it was found in the bath of the # 1000 room in the bristol hotel in may 2009 . accused of murder : ian griffin is pictured with current fiancee tracey baker , who appeared on dragon 's den . when griffin found ms legg 's body , he said he did n't realise she was dead at first , and put her in a bath to warm up while he placed a ` do not disturb ' sign on the door and cleaned the room . mr griffin , 45 , drove his car into the front door of ms legg 's # 3million home in oxshott , surrey , just weeks before she was found dead in a hotel room in the french capital in 2009 . ms carrigan , who was with ms legg when she first met griffin in a cheshire wine bar in the 1990s , said her friend was unlikely to have attacked anyone . ` kinga was not aggressive . in all the years i 've known her , i 've never seen her hurt anyone . she was one of the kindest , most generous people i have ever met . ' ms carrigan said griffin was drinking up to three bottles of wine a day and she had seen legg give him # 20,000 to spend , and a credit card . guillaume trayard , the barrister representing ms legg 's polish family , said : ` did this love she had for griffin place her under his power and grip ? ' , and ms carrigan replied : ` yes ' . in turn , griffin told the court he was sleeping with other women , and ms legg became abusive on drink and medication . ` kinga would drink at nine o'clock in the morning , ' said griffin . ` in our lives , kinga would open a bottle of champagne at any time of the morning . ' asked why he had n't left ms legg following earlier fights , griffin said : ` when you love somebody , and get on really well , and some of it was my fault , you do n't . ' referring back to his regularly physical arguments with ms legg , griffin said : ` kinga would throw herself on top of me , and i would kick back with my feet . ` if kinga jumped on me , i kicked out and she would land on her back , that would always happen . ` it would always start when she ran at me , and i would kick her off . i 'm only going on history , i do n't know what happened on the night . historically , she would fall back on the table or on to a tv . ' griffin says he argued with ms legg in the bedroom of the five-star bristol hotel , paris -lrb- pictured -rrb- , but blacked out . when he woke he claims he found blood on the sheets , but had no memory of attacking ms legg . the prosecutor , philippe courroye , interjected at this point and , holding up a picture of kinga 's dead body lying in the smashed up hotel room , said : ` this is n't history , she died from trauma to the head . ' mr courroye also asked griffin to explain how ms legg ended up with so many defensive wounds , and griffin said : ` i ca n't tell you . i do n't know if they were her jumping on me , or me jumping on her . i ca n't remember ' . griffin , a former rugby player , is 6ft1in , and weighs more than 14 stone . he said ms legg was 5ft8ins , and weighed eight , but said she was ` incredibly strong , she had a six pack because she took slimming tablets and was very sporty ' . asked why he had begun cleaning up the room when he woke up , rather than attending to ms legg 's dead body , griffin said : ` it 's hard to people to understand . it sounds stupid but all i focused on was the cleaning of the room . ` i thought `` oh my god , there 's blood on the floor '' but that was why i was so desperate . i did n't know what to do . ' ms legg was later found floating in the bathtub of the couple 's # 1,000-a-night room with almost 100 bruises covering her body -lrb- file picture -rrb- . griffin said ms legg was used to attacking lovers , explaining : ` kinga did it to her last boyfriend . i 'm not the only one . i realise things went too far , for too long . i 'm terribly sorry , but it was n't me . kinga was angry because i was leaving her . ' the prosecutor , mr courroye , again held up pictures of the bristol room , saying : ` she did this alone ? ' griffin replied ; ` no , but we were getting married . she was the most important person to me . i would n't have done this . ' ms legg wrote an email in april 2009 , a month before her death , accusing griffin of being the violent one , saying : ` i never had anyone who beat me , who threw me down on the ground , i 'm afraid . ' griffin insists his memory had blacked out when the couple return to their room at the bristol following an argument in a restaurant about his poor sex drive , and he only recovered it after her death . he said he first met ms legg in a cheshire wine bar ` around 20 years ago ' , and then the couple renewed their relationship in sandbanks , bournemouth , in 2008 . at the time of the death , they had been dating for 12 months , and lived together in ms legg 's mansion . griffin said : ` we were like twins , we worked together , we had a fantastic time 95 per cent of the time . ` she was somebody i just wanted to be with . when you meet someone who is special and makes you feel alive , you just want to be with her , but there were problems . ' griffin 's trial is expected to end on friday . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .

<s> ian griffin , 45 , on paris holiday with fiancee kinga legg , 36 , in 2009 . </s> <s> told court she took antidepressant pills from him to ` become intimate ' </s> <s> she then loudly demanded sex during dinner sparking a row , he claims . </s> <s> says argument continued in bristol hotel where ms legg 's body was found . </s> <s> claims to have no memory of fight saying he blacked out beforehand . </s>

the cost to arizona taxpayers for jodi arias ' defense now tops $ 2.7 million , and the figure will keep rising as her penalty phase retrial continues in a phoenix courtroom . maricopa county spokeswoman cari gerchick released thursday the amount billed so far by arias ' two court-appointed attorneys after the former waitress was unable to pay for her own defense . the figure is up more than $ 200,000 from the one released in late september . scroll down for video . on trial this week : the cost to arizona taxpayers for jodi arias ' defense now tops $ 2.7 million , and the figure will keep rising as her penalty phase retrial continues in a phoenix courtroom . prosecutors have declined to provide their costs to try the case . arias was convicted last year for brutally murdering her ex-boyfrined , travis alexander , in 2008 but jurors deadlocked on her punishment . during the murder , alexander suffered nearly 30 knife wounds to his body , was shot in the head and had his throat slit so deeply he was almost decapitated . arias initially denied any involvement - even calling alexander in the days after the killing and leaving friendly messages on his voicemail . under supervision : arias stands next to her attorney , jennifer willmott , during the sentencing phase at her trial at maricopa county superior court in phoenix on thursday , december 4 . ongoing case : arias was convicted of murder last year in the 2008 killing of ex-boyfriend travis alexander but jurors were unable to agree on a sentence . but two years after her arrest , she eventually admitted to killing him - but said it was in self-defense . she said she recalled alexander attacking her in fury for dropping his camera after a day of sex at his home . a new jury is now deciding her whether to sentence her to life in prison or death for the killing of alexander . an appeals court decision last week overturned a ruling that closed the courtroom as arias ' first witness testified . her lawyers previously said the witness would testify only in a closed courtroom . some of the testimony in question was conducted in private . the arizona republic and three phoenix tv stations - kpnx , kpho and ktvk - protested the closure and ultimately succeeded in getting the ruling by maricopa county superior court judge sherry stephens thrown out . flashback : two years after her arrest , aris -lrb- right -rrb- eventually admitted to killing her ex-boyfriend alexander -lrb- left -rrb- - but said it was in self-defense . the arizona court of appeals suggested in its ruling last week that the previously unidentified witness might have been arias herself , though it remains unclear . the news organizations are now urging stephens to release a transcript of the oct. 30 testimony . the arias case has been marked by secrecy since the conclusion of the first trial , where salacious and violent details about arias and alexander were broadcast live around the world . since then , the judge has held one secret hearing after another and barred the broadcast of footage from the sentencing retrial until after a verdict is reached . arias ' lawyers had argued that daily broadcasts of the trial would lead to defense witnesses backing out for fear of being harassed or threatened .

<s> a maricopa county spokeswoman released thursday the amount billed so far by arias ' two court-appointed attorneys . </s> <s> she was unable to pay for her own defense . </s> <s> the figure is up more than $ 200,000 from the one released in september . </s> <s> arias was convicted last year for murdering ex-boyfrined , travis alexander , in 2008 but jurors deadlocked on her punishment . </s>

foreign minister julie bishop has reportedly argued with the prime minister after reading media reports that a male colleague would ` chaperone ' her to the united nations climate change conference next week . ms bishop supposedly confronted tony abbott this week after reading in the sun-herald that he had personally requested trade minister andrew robb to chaperone her to the international summit in lima , peru . ` julie went bananas at the pm , ' a source told the australian financial review . scroll down for video . foreign minister julie bishop reportedly confronted tony abbott this week after reading media reports that trade minister andrew robb would ` chaperone ' her to a climate change summit in peru . the foreign minister was not consulted about mr robb shadowing her and is said to have confronted him over the matter as well . it comes amid suggestions that mr robb , who is below ms bishop in the cabinet ranks , was being sent to peru to ensure australia was n't over-committing on its climate change policy promises . ` it 's like they do n't trust julie , ' a source told the newspaper . mr robb , who is currently in china , is being sent to the climate change summit over environment minister greg hunt . ms bishop supposedly confronted tony abbott this week after reading he personally requested the trade minister accompany her to peru next week . the foreign minister was not consulted about mr robb shadowing her at the united nations climate change conference and is said to have confronted him over the matter as well . the sun-herald reported on sunday that mr robb would ` chaperone ms bishop so he can factor in the economic impacts of any new targets australia considers ' . mr robb was instrumental in triggering the end of malcolm turnbull 's leadership when he turned against the former leader in 2009 and criticised carbon pricing . when contacted by daily mail australia on thursday , ms bishop 's office would not be drawn on the exchange with mr abbott . but the foreign minister told reporters on wednesday it was important for both mr robb and herself to attend . ms bishop , pictured here with fitness guru michelle bridges , reportedly went ` bananas at the pm ' ms bishop stepped out at the melbourne cup races last month , fueling speculation that she was in a relationship with businessman david panton . ` this has significant economic impacts , so both the trade minister and foreign minister will be there , ' she said . ` we will most certainly be involved in the conversation about post-2020 targets , that 's what the lima conference is all about in the lead up to the paris conference next year . what i 'll be particularly interested in is hearing from the major emitters as to their targets and whether they 'll be binding targets . ` it 's all very well for australia to be lectured by countries that wo n't meet their kyoto targets and refuse to be committed to binding targets , but we will most certainly be involved in the conversation as to what is do-able , economy-by-economy , country-by-country , that 's why both andrew robb and i will be there . ' when contacted by daily mail australia on thursday , ms bishop 's office would not be drawn on the exchange with mr abbott . ms bishop told reporters on wednesday is was important for both mr robb and herself to attend to international climate change summit .

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

the brother of honeymoon murder victim anni dewani today made an emotional appeal for her husband to be forced to ` tell the world ' how she died . with his sister 's photograph pinned to his jacket , anish hindocha , 25 , said shrien dewani should not be allowed to ` walk away ' without revealing in his own words how she met her death . dewani , who has been on trial since early october accused of his wife 's murder , has lodged a bid to be freed next week claiming there is insufficient evidence against him for the trial to continue and the charges should be thrown out . judge jeanette traverso will deliver her decision on monday on whether she agrees that dewani has no case to answer or whether there is enough evidence for the case to continue . despite glaring variations in his version of events leading up to , and after , his wife 's fatal shooting two weeks after their wedding , dewani is next week widely expected to be cleared of having any hand in it . but anish , who has been supporting his parents in cape town since the first day of the trial , said : ` it would be a terrible development to what has been a four-year wait , if we and the people of south africa are not afforded the full story . ' scroll down for exclusive video . ` give us the full story ' : shrien dewani 's brother anish hindocha -lrb- pictured , left , with his sister ami denborg , centre , and parents vinod and nilam hindocha , behind , at a court hearing last year -rrb- made an emotional appeal for her husband to be forced to explain how she died . he said dewani 's counsel francois van zyl had told the court repeatedly that the accused would explain to the court his version of events . anish said : ` the phrase `` my client will tell the court '' has become like a mantra to the judge , media and members of the public who have attended the western cape court . ` shrien dewani has insisted all along that he would clear his name and his legal team have promised the court since the trial began dozens of times that he would help the court with his own version of events . ` well , let 's have him `` tell the court '' then . that has been his pledge throughout the trial . ` it would be wrong for him to walk away from south africa without explaining himself what happened on the night of anni 's murder in this country . ' intention : the parents of murdered honeymoon bride anni dewani , vinod and nilam hindocha , say they will sue their accused son-in-law shrien dewani for not disclosing his bisexuality before marrying their daughter . accused : shrien dewani -lrb- left -rrb- is charged with five counts relating to the kidnapping and murder of his wife of two weeks , anni , -lrb- right -rrb- in a carjacking during their honeymoon to cape town in november 2010 . he said anni 's family had been overwhelmed with support from well wishers who clearly wanted a full trial to be conducted . ` the people here have been , overall , fantastic in their support of us as anni 's family . ` we can not thank them enough for the warmth they have shown us and we really appreciate it . thousands of messages arrive through social media and other means and they mean a lot . ` but they also show that south africa , after spending a vast amount of money , time and expertise on bringing shrien dewani to trial , is demanding the full story . unaware : nilam hindocha , who is recovering from stomach cancer , said : ` if i knew shrien was gay or bisexual i would never have allowed anni to get married ' back in court : speaking for the first time since the trial began , vinod hindocha -lrb- pictured -rrb- said he intends to pursue the civil action against dewani in london , but stressed it was not financially motivated . version : anni 's parents said they will struggle to find closure if they do not hear shien dewani -lrb- pictured earlier in the trial -rrb- giving evidence in court . ` if the full facts are not given and by that i mean shrien dewani telling the court his version , than anni 's death will remain on the conscience of south africa forever . ` it will also mean a lifetime of further torture for me and my family , particularly my parents . ' anni 's parents revealed to mailonline earlier this week that they were unaware of their son-in-law 's secret trysts with male prostitutes , including one called leopold leisser , which he confessed to on the first day of the trial while also admitting he was bisexual . they declared they would not have agreed to the marriage and anni herself would have walked away if the facts of his sexuality and meetings with male prostitutes had been revealed . they are also set to examine taking legal action against him once the criminal case has been completed . anish added : ` there have been reports that we as a family are planning to take legal action of our own and sue shrien dewani after this murder trial is over . ` this is not the right time to discuss this . however , our motivation is not , and never has been financial . we just demand the truth . ` and we do that with heavy hearts after such a long time . ' anni , who had been married less than a fortnight after their # 200,000 wedding , died from a single gunshot to the neck as she was driven through khayelitsha , part of a run-down suburb , with her husband in a taxi in november 2010 . dewani was released unharmed , claiming he was pushed through the passenger rear window , but his wife was found dead the next day . support : ani 's sister ami denborg -lrb- right -rrb- also said she wants the south african trial judge to ensure that shrien dewani explains his side of the story on how his wife anni -lrb- left -rrb- was killed in november 2010 . trouble : shrien dewani -lrb- right -rrb- told anni -lrb- left -rrb- he had fertility problems . the cape town murder trial has since heard how he went to thailand for kick-boxing to help boost his testosterone levels . three men were later jailed for the car jacking , but the trio said the murder was planned and two told the trial they were hired by dewani , a wealthy businessman from bristol . the third has died from a brain tumour while serving his life sentence . taxi driver zola tongo said dewani had offered him # 1,400 to help organise the hit and enlist gangsters to carry out a staged hit on anni . dewani , 34 , was arrested soon after an extradition order was granted to take him back to south africa to face trial . but he fought against his removal from britain through the courts and was assessed as suffering from post traumatic shock and other mental health issues for three-and-a-half years . in the dark : mr and mrs hindocha -lrb- pictured in cape town last week -rrb- revealed they were totally unaware that dewani was bisexual and slept with gay prostitutes until details of his secret sex life were emerged in court . claims : police say dewani -lrb- striped shirt -rrb- masterminded the murder of anni -lrb- right -rrb- , but he denies the charge accusing the three killers of concocting a yarn to reduce their own prison terms of at least 25 years . shrien dewani told the cape town court that he had hired a london prostitute , who went under the name the german master -lrb- pictured -rrb- , for sexual liaisons . he was returned in april by a private charter plane and is being detained in a secure hospital wing . he denies any involvement in the murder and insists he has been set up by the killers and was deeply in love with his wife . mr leisser and a senior scotland yard officer were banned by the judge from revealing details of dewani 's homosexual activities as they were about to give the evidence from the witness box . anish added : ' i fully expect the south african trail against shrien dewani to continue and for his application to end the case to be rejected . ` we have been made aware that there has been a petition against the judge in the this case and we would like to point out that it has nothing to do with our own case for justice and the full story we want . ' he made a direct plea to the court to hear the full evidence available and for the defence to put is case . he added : ` please allow us the opportunity to demand justice for my sister . please allow us the full story . ` we do n't want to return to our homes in the uk and sweden carrying any doubts at all about whether anni 's murder received a fair and proper hearing in south africa . ` we have been promised it for four painful years which have devastated our lives . i worry about my parents health and they need this closure . ` my message is simple . do n't let shrien dewani walk away without giving us , south africa and people all over the world the full story . ` let the law take its full and proper course . ' millionaire businessman shrien dewani -lrb- pictured arriving at court earlier in the trial -rrb- is said to have already packed his bags in the expectation that a judge will find in his favour over his claim that he should walk free because of a lack of evidence without being forced into the witness box and cross-examination .

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

it must have seemed like such a good idea at the time to the european team 's brains trust , pairing the plucky local hero with the seasoned campaigner who can transform himself into superman once every two years . unfortunately , nine holes later , stephen gallacher and ian poulter seemed to be going through some sort of conscious uncoupling , as they fell four behind the youngest ever partnership to take to the course for an american ryder cup team . it was an example of anglo-scottish collaboration that would have appealed more to alex salmond than the better together campaign , and by the 14th green they were shaking hands with young tyros jordan spieth and patrick reed . europe 's ian poulter assesses his options during the first day of the 2014 ryder cup on friday . ian poulter comes out of a bunker on the third on friday but could ultimately do little to help europe . afternoon foursomes scores . 1315 : jamie donaldson and lee westwood vs jim furyk and matt kuchar - europe 2up after 18 . 1330 : justin rose and henrik stenson vs hunter mahan and zach johnson - europe win 2 & 1 . 1421 : rory mcilroy and sergio garcia vs jimmy walker and rickie fowler - a/s after 18 . 1436 : victor dubuisson and graeme mcdowell vs phil mickelson and keegan bradley - europe win 3 & 2 . morning fourballs scores . 0735 : justin rose and henrik stenson vs bubba watson and webb simpson - europe win 5 & 4 . 0750 : thomas bjorn and martin kaymer vs rickie fowler and jimmy walker - a/s after 18 . 0805 : stephen gallacher and ian poulter vs jordan spieth and patrick reed - usa win 5 & 4 . 0820 : sergio garcia and rory mcilroy vs keegan bradley and phil mickelson - usa 1up after 18 . this looked like an example of modern sport 's tendency towards paralysis by analysis . paul mcginley and his five vice-captains must have looked at this from a hundred different angles , and still managed to come up with a combination that simply did not work . factors such as gallacher feeling the pressure in this elevated company before a crowd that yearned for him to succeed , and of poulter arriving here with desperately little form appeared to weigh heavily . as spieth ventured afterwards , it was a major morale booster for the americans to take down the local specialist and the man who has caused them so much misery in recent editions . poulter even offered an unlikely note of introspection afterwards as he explained that the plan was always for him to sit out the afternoon foursomes instead of trying to play five matches . ` not many people have been able to play five and the reason is it 's very tiring , ' he said . ` i 'm 38 , we 've got some younger pups on the team that might be able to do it better than i can . ' poulter should not be written off as three times before he has lost his first match before coming back to wreak damage . but he has never lost one as heavily as this , unable to contribute so much as a birdie in the course of a 5 & 4 defeat . by the time the euro pair slightly revived after the turn , the huge galleries recognised the match as a lost cause and could not muster much in the way of support . ian poulter was unable to salvage anything for europe on friday morning , losing a tough 5 & 4 against usa . 7.35 am : justin rose and henrik stenson v bubba watson and matt kuchar . 7.50 am : jamie donaldson and lee westwood v jim furyk and hunter mahan . 8.05 am : thomas bjorn and martin kaymer v patrick reed and jordan spieth . 8.20 am : rory mcilroy and ian poulter v jimmy walker and rickie fowler . many duos would have struggled against the americans who , despite being the first us partnership both aged 25 or below , went round the first 11 holes in six under par , playing with the absence of fear that youth can bring . ` when you 're playing against guys who are rolling putts in then they are going to be very hard to beat , ' said poulter , who pointed out how they dovetailed . ` they ham-and-egged very well . obviously my record has been pretty good and has taken a dent . but this is a team game , not just about singling one or two guys out . ' you would need a heart of stone not to feel for gallacher , who was followed round by his ryder cup legend uncle bernard , lending his vast experience to his radio commentary duties . his nephew admitted afterwards : ` your first ryder cup there 's a bit of excitement and you do n't know what to expect . it took me maybe about five or six holes to get into it . i was a bit out of rhythm . it was a special reception on the first tee , something that i will definitely remember for the rest of my life . ' that was short-lived as he pushed his tee shot wide towards the huge corporate construct and then watched as poulter missed an easy two-footer on the first green . no amount of adrenaline could get either player going after that , and it may have been that poulter was so pre-occupied with discovering any kind of form for himself that he was unable to give his rookie partner the benefit of his experience . europe 's self-styled ` postman ' will want to improve his delivery on saturday . europe 's ian poulter will want to improve his delivery on saturday to live up to his self-styled ` postman ' name .

<s> ian poulter and stephen gallacher lost against usa 's jordan spieth and patrick reed 5 & 4 on friday morning on the 2014 ryder cup opening day . </s> <s> europe duo fell four behind the youngest ever partnership to take to the course for an american ryder cup team . </s> <s> rory mcilroy and poulter partnered for saturday morning 's fourballs against usa 's jimmy walker and rickie fowler . </s>

a council which has been forced to slash millions from its budget spent # 17,000 on an extravagant ceremony to switch on its christmas lights . crawley borough council has been forced to make savings of # 7.3 million from its budget during the last five years - cutting services for residents . but the council decided to spare no expense when it hired barriers , bouncers and put up a stage , as well as organised a fireworks display and street entertainment for the switch-on event , which cost # 16,882 . crawley council spent # 17,000 on an extravagant christmas lights switch on event , which residents branded a shambles and criticised as the council has slashed millions off its budget in the last five years . it also drafted in stephen mulhern , the presenter , for the event - but residents complained it was a waste of money , with bad decorations and a poor fireworks display . steve burbidge was at the event with his daughter and said : ` all i can say is it was unbelievable . ` my daughter asked me when they were putting the lights on - but they already had . ' another resident , who asked not to be named , said : ` it was a joke - we could n't see the fireworks and the decorations themselves are dreadful . ` it was a shambles and an embarrassment . spending # 100 on the event would have been too much , let alone # 17,000 . ' last year crawley borough council announced it would close 22 playgrounds which were under used and cost too much to maintain . this was reduced to four after a backlash . stephen mulhern -lrb- holding microphone -rrb- was drafted in to turn on crawley 's christmas lights , while the council also spent thousands on a stage , bouncers , barriers and decorations - which residents said were rubbish . people said they were unable to see the town 's expensive fireworks display because of the barriers they used . the council merged community wardens and civil enforcement officers , which it claimed saved # 50,000 . the taxpayers ' alliance also criticised the council for trying to create festive cheer by spending money . andy silvester said : ` it 's easy to sound like the grinch but at a time when we 're struggling to pay for social care and children 's services , every penny of unnecessary spending has to be questioned . ` it 's a small figure in the grand scheme of things , but this money could have been spent better . ` festive cheer is n't created by councils , no matter how hard they try . ' a council spokesman described the switch-on as ' a great event ' which attracted 2,500 people into the town centre , and added : ` the economic benefit to the town was almost certainly higher and feedback from local organisations , was extremely positive . '

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

a harbourmaster says britain 's ports are being littered with sunken boats which are being bought online by drunk amateur sailors . captain paul thomas has spent the past year clearing out all abandoned vessels from fowey harbour in cornwall at a cost of thousands of pounds . he believes that would-be sailors are getting carried away after a few drinks and impulse buying second-hand fishing vessels through online auction site ebay . captain paul thomas pictured , believes that too many amateur sailors are buying boats online using services like ebay without actually realising the additional costs associated with keeping a vessel seaworthy . many boats , such as this one in fowey harbour in cornwall are being left to rot by their owners . fowey is an incredibly popular destination for boaters with a sheltered harbour and excellent mooring . the hidden costs incurred with a boat such as mooring rates , maintenance and insurance , then scare the new owners who abandon their boats to rot in the harbour . in the past week the authorities have rounded up a catamaran , a fishing boat , a yacht and other miscellaneous vessels that had been abandoned and fallen into disrepair . when an abandoned vessel is identified a notice is issued to the owner , informing them they are required to either repair or remove the vessels . if this is not done , the authorities assess the vessel , before selling it off if it is still sea-worthy , or scrapping it if it is too damaged . captain thomas said : ` it 's one of the plagues of harbour masters . ` people can be seduced into buying a boat really easily , often late at night and maybe after a few drinks , but buying it is the easy part - then there is mooring it , maintaining it and insuring it . ` they do n't realise how expensive it is , ca n't afford it , and then we get left with the boats and the costs . ` it is time-consuming , and we have better things to do . leaving a boat to rot is simply marine fly-tipping and we 're not having it . ` people have a responsibility to the community , the environment and the harbour users . ` fowey is a beautiful place and we want it to remain that way . ` we do n't want derelicts making it look untidy and causing a possible environmental hazard . ' captain thomas said people were making ` impulse buys ' on ebay without knowing the true cost of ownership .

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

a u.s. production company has launched a desperate online search to help the father of a boy who penned a touching note about his son who suffers from cystic fibrosis . north carolina-based horizon productions received the letter from ` lee of australia ' asking for a dvd of the disney tv show kirby buckets for his son to watch while he is in hospital . but lee sent the letter to the wrong company , so horizon employee ben park posted a picture of the letter to reddit in an effort to track the right company down and get a dvd to lee 's son . lee , who lives in a caravan park brisbane , wrote that his son has limited opportunity to move around because of his illness . scroll down for video . the touching note a brisbane father wrote to try to get his son , who suffers cystic fibrosis , a tv show dvd . lee 's son wants to watch the disney tv show kirby buckets -lrb- pictured -rrb- while he is in hospital . he added that his son has seen clips of the show online . no dvds have been officially released yet and the show is available on itunes in the u.s. but not australia . ` he gets really ill at times and spends time in hospital he loves the show and he watched a trailer on youtube , ' lee wrote . ` we are waiting for a double lung transplant which will make his life a lot better . ` we have what we call a happy wall in the ward at hospital where kids and parents put names on smiling faces of people and companies who make the children forget about their illness and smile and laugh awhile so could you help us by sending us a copy of `` kirby buckets '' . ' lee , who lives in a caravan park brisbane , said his son has limited opportunity to move because of his illness . mr park , 29 , said he received the letter last month but decided to post it online on thursday -lrb- wednesday us time -rrb- because it had stuck with him . ben park , 29 , said he received the letter last month but decided to post it online on thursday . ` more and more as i read through it , it seems like a desperate plea from a father trying to bring some amount of joy into his son 's life , ' he told daily mail australia . ' i felt what he felt because i just had my first child - a boy - in the summer and i just wanted to do whatever i could do to help this father . ` he 's in pain seeing his child go through this , especially through the christmas holiday . ' mr park added that he was able to contact the owner of titmouse animation , which does the cartoons for the show , but said he had not heard back from the show 's producers . ` he said that he would forward it on to the showrunners of `` kirby buckets '' , ' mr park said . ` showrunners can be extremely busy so i do n't know if this letter will actually reach them or not . ' mr park clarified that : ` this is n't a marketing scheme or a grab for karma . ' people who suffer from cystic fibrosis develop an abnormal amount of excessively thick and sticky mucus within the lungs , airways and the digestive system , according to cystic fibrosis australia . ` the mucus causes impairment of the digestive functions of the pancreas and traps bacteria in the lungs resulting in recurrent infections which lead to irreversible damage , ' the organisation 's website states . lee sent the letter to the wrong company , so horizon posted a picture of the letter to reddit .

<s> u.s. production company horizon launched an online search for ` lee ' </s> <s> lee lives in a brisbane caravan park with his son who has cystic fibrosis . </s> <s> he wrote a letter asking for a dvd of his favourite show ` kirby buckets ' </s> <s> but lee sent it to the wrong company so they posted it online to help track down the right people and get the tv show to lee 's son . </s>

a man who says he suffered a serious heart condition after wearing a donkey kong ape costume is suing nintendo . parker mills was hired to play the ape character for the launch of a nintendo 3ds game at los angeles zoo in california . but he filed a lawsuit against the video games firm at los angeles county superior court claiming that the job ended up damaging his health . scroll down for video . a man hired to wear a donkey kong ape costume is suing gaming giant nintendo over claims that it left him with a heart condition . the image above is a file picture . his attorney , tyler barnett , said he was hired for the role in may last year for the launch of ` donkey kong country returns 3d , ' the los angeles times reports . mills claims he was denied breaks while talking to zoo guests and did not get a required ice pack to cool him . his lawsuit says a company ambassador hired to escort mills did not provide proper oversight . his attorneys say mills suffered a tearing of his aortic walls and now has a permanent heart defibrillator . parker mills was hired to play the ape character for the launch of a nintendo 3ds game at los angeles zoo in california . pictured is a how donkey kong appears in the ` donkey kong country returns ' game . donkey kong , based on the adventures of a gorilla character , has featured in a series of video games over the last three decades . the times reports that nintendo last year publicised the launch event as a chance for fans ` to take pictures with the costumed donkey kong character around the zoo . ' a call seeking comment from nintendo representatives was n't immediately returned . donkey kong , based on the adventures of a gorilla character , has featured in a series of video games over the last three decades .

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

found : a body thought to belong to ypsilanti resident brian martin , was found monday in putnam county . police have found a body believed to be a man who was likely bludgeoned to death by his lover and her husband in june . a body thought to belong to brian martin from ypsilanti , michigan , was found monday in putnam county , ohio , according to the report by wxyz . police believe couple robert and desirae strauss , bludgeoned the 54-year-old to death in their toledo home . martin is thought to have had an affair with desirae strauss , 36 , and may have believed he was the father of her children . robert and desirae have five children , ages 11 , 10 , eight and twins born in april . martin , a father-of-two , went missing after coaching a softball game in holland , ohio . a friend of the couple handed evidence to police that she said showed that desirae had been having an affair with martin for the past few years . trisha curtis said after she heard of their arrest she remembered desirae had hidden letters from martin in her van because she did n't want her husband to find them . ' i went searching for it because i remembered she stuck something in there , ' she told 13abc . accused : robert -lrb- left -rrb- and desirae strauss , 36 , were indicted by a lucas county grand jury in july on charges of aggravated murder , murder , tampering with evidence and grand theft of a motor vehicle . affair : martin may have believed he was the father of her children . desirae gave birth to twins -lrb- pictured -rrb- born in april . ' i sat there and cried over it . i did n't know what i should do . ` me and my husband talked about it and we decided that was the best thing to do . ' ` it 's tearing me up . i 've been crying almost every day about it . i 've been worried about the kids . ' martin 's daughters rachel and andrea said they have mixed emotions after hearing the news that police believe their father 's body has been found , reports 19 action news . family : martin with one of his daughters . they said they have mixed emotions after hearing the news that police believe their father 's body has been found . waiting : martin with his daughters rachel and andrea - they have been waiting for five months for news of their father 's whereabouts . grief : ` we just really want to bring him home and give him a proper burial , because he did n't deserve to have any of this happen to him and he did n't deserve to you know , be put somewhere , ' said daughter rachel martin . ' i think that was a lot of our feelings recently . we just really want to bring him home and give him a proper burial , because he did n't deserve to have any of this happen to him and he did n't deserve to you know , be put somewhere , ' said daughter rachel martin . ' i think when i saw the call come up on my phone i knew that it was probably the news that they found my dad . i think it 's mixed emotions . it 's still something that i ca n't really organize in my head right now . ' the strausses were indicted by a lucas county grand jury in july on charges of aggravated murder , murder , tampering with evidence and grand theft of a motor vehicle . the lucas county coroner 's office will make the official identification . on her facebook page desirae has posted several pictures of her children . one of them shows her three older children next to a ` tree where me and rob got married 12 years ago . ' next to a photo of her during her most recent pregnancy she wrote : ` i 'm 36 , definitely a suprise !! lol but were super excited and the kids ca n't wait . ' scene : police believe the couple bludgeoned the 54-year-old to death in their toledo home -lrb- pictured -rrb- . .

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

plans to make one of heathrow airport 's runways more than four miles long in a move campaigners say will cut night-time noise over london have gone on show to the public . the so-called ` heathrow hub ' plans will see the northern runway at the west london terminal doubled in size and divided into two - with a 650-metre ` safety zone ' in the middle - allowing planes to use either end at the same time . the proposal - which would see the m25 diverted into a tunnel beneath the super-sized landing strip - is an alternative to plans to build entirely new runways either at heathrow or gatwick airports . organisers of the third option - which say it could be finished by 2023 - have shown off their plans in an advert taken out in national newspapers over the past week . scroll down for video . an aerial view of how heathrow 's new 6,800-metre runway - which would be divided into two separate landing/take-off strips - would look . the idea has been put forward as an alternative to building entirely new runways at either heathrow or gatwick to boost airport capacity . the artists ' impressions of the plan show the runway extending way out to the west of the airport , north of a proposed terminal six , which would be built next to the current terminal five . those behind the campaign say it would cut the noise of flights over london by shifting early morning flights to the new section of tarmac , meaning planes land and take off two and half miles further away from the capital . they claim the scheme would bring in the economic benefits of further airport expansion at a lower cost , requiring less land and with reduced disruption . former concorde pilot jock lowe , the leader of the heathrow hub concept , said : ` our proposal would cost billions of pounds less than heathrow airport 's plan to build a third runway and the latest airports commission report said it expects our expansion plan to boost the uk economy by up to # 214bn and to create as many as 163,000 new jobs nationwide -- double the benefits offered by expanding gatwick . ' as well as the huge runway , the scheme also includes plans for better rail access to the site . campaigners behind the plan say early morning flights could be shifted two miles west , meaning planes fly 800ft higher , thus reducing noise for west london residents living underneath the flight-path . noise maps show how extended runways would mean the sound of planes would be less disruptive in built-up areas to the east of the airport . the plans were unveiled to the public after the government 's airports ` tsar ' sir howard davies , whose commission is evaluating the three schemes , warned all of them would cost more than they claim . his commission calculated that an entirely new runway to the north-west of heathrow would cost around # 18.6 billion as opposed to heathrow airport ltd 's estimate of # 14.8 billion . a new runway at gatwick , estimated by gatwick airport ltd to cost # 7.4 billion , would cost an estimated # 9.3 billion . the third shortlisted option - an extension of the existing northern runway at heathrow - would cost # 13.5 billion - higher than the # 10.1 billion estimated by heathrow hub . davies will deliver his final report on which scheme should go ahead in summer 2015 . organisers say early-morning flights will be told to land on the western end of the new runway , cutting noise to nearby homes in west london . as well as plans for extending the runway , the ` heathrow hub ' campaign wants to connect the airport to hs2 rail link planned for the uk . the plan is being put forward by a consortium including former concorde pilot jock lowe , who says it would be cheaper than other plans .

<s> three competing schemes to boost airport capacity in britain being looked at by a government commission . </s> <s> two involve entirely new runways being built at gatwick or heathrow ; third involves extending heathrow runway . </s> <s> plans for third scheme go on show to public ; with artists ' impressions showing the huge runway going over m25 . </s> <s> campaigners say the scheme will reduce night-time noise over west london and be cheaper than other plans . </s>

a former university of wisconsin football player and his twin brother are charged in federal court with one in a string of november robberies at five businesses . jack ikegwuonu and his brother , william , were charged tuesday in u.s. district court with armed robbery and gun possession . they 're also charged in dane county court with several counts of retail theft for allegedly stealing merchandise from wal-mart stores in madison and sun prairie throughout september and october . the brothers were arrested last week after an armed robbery at a dry cleaning business in middleton . they told police they committed all five armed robberies to help support their heroin use , according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint in federal court . brothers : jack ikegwuonu , left , played for the badgers and was drafted by the eagles , though he was only active for one regular-season nfl game . brother william , right , played for northern illinois university . the brothers ' arrests took place after police observed an suv 's movements following the armed robbery with a gps device , madison police said in a release . the device was earlier placed on the vehicle via a warrant . ' -lsb- the suv -rsb- had been initially identified through surveillance images as the probable getaway vehicle in recent armed robberies , including two that took place on state -lsb- street -rsb- , ' the release said . a gun , along with money ` and other evidence ' was recovered from the vehicle , madison police said . jack and william ikegwuonu are suspected in four other armed robberies in the area between november 13 and 21 , and u.s. attorney john vaudreuil said they could face more charges when the case is taken to a grand jury . madison police said in the release ` the investigation indicates much of the money taken during the commission of these crimes was being used to purchase heroin . ' the retail theft charges in dane county circuit court include a felony and misdemeanors . a judge entered not guilty pleas to the misdemeanor charges on the brothers ' behalf as they stood mute in court tuesday . appearance : jack ikegwuonu was active for one regular-season nfl game during the 2009 season with the phildadelphia eagles . he is seen here at training camp in august 2009 . lisa goldman , the attorney representing the ikegwuonus , declined to comment to the associated press . jack ikegwuonu played for the badgers as a cornerback from 2005 to 2007 . he was drafted by the philadelphia eagles in 2008 and was active for one regular-season nfl game during the 2009 season . william ikegwuonu played football for northern illinois university in dekalb .

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

consultant cardiologist dr kevin beatt -lrb- pictured -rrb- was sacked after he blew the whistle on hospital conditions following a patient 's death . a renowned heart specialist who raised the alarm over a hospital 's failings was unfairly dismissed in a calculated attempt to damage his reputation , a tribunal has ruled . consultant cardiologist dr kevin beatt has won a two-year legal battle with croydon health services nhs trust , which sacked him in september 2012 after he raised the alarm about staffing shortages , ` appalling ' equipment and workplace bullying . he voiced his concerns following the death of heart patient gerald storey , 63 , at croydon university hospital in june 2011 . it was a routine angioplasty , an inquest heard in 2013 , but a senior nurse had been suspended hours earlier - without dr beatt 's knowledge - and her absence contributed to the patient 's death . dr beatt , a renowned specialist who led the hospital 's well-regarded department for interventional heart procedures from 2007 , should have been afforded protected whistleblower status but instead lost his job in a case he claimed provided a damning demonstration of the trust 's attempts to cover up failings . the trust argued it dismissed him ` for making unsubstantiated and unproven allegations of an unsafe service ' , but the employment tribunal ruled there was ` no consistent evidence ' of gross misconduct and chief executive john goulston , whose evidence it criticised as inconsistent , had ` failed to carry out a fair process ' . between 2008 and his dismissal , dr beatt raised a catalogue of concerns about inadequate equipment , bullying and harassment of junior employees , removal of key staff , a lack of competent nurses and the failure to properly investigate serious incidents . in january 2010 he voiced serious fears to medical director tony newman-sanders that the cardiology unit 's radiation equipment , then the oldest in use in the country , was putting patients and staff at risk . he was accused of fabricating his concerns so he could treat patients elsewhere , but six months later the machinery was condemned and replaced after breaking down during an operation . dr beatt voiced his concerns following the death of a heart patient at croydon university hospital -lrb- pictured -rrb- . the friction came to a head in july the next year , when a 63-year-old patient died during a routine procedure after a senior nurse was suspended without dr beatt 's knowledge . dr beatt , who was left for 20 minutes without a nurse with even basic familiarity with the operation , described the suspension as ` the most overtly reckless act ' he had witnessed in his career . the trust claimed dr beatt 's criticisms were ` vexatious ' and calculated to ensure sister jones 's restoration , and in september 2011 began disciplinary proceedings that culminated in his sacking . the tribunal found there was ` no evidence ' dr beatt had an ulterior motive and that ` extremely damaging ' and ` entirely false ' allegations were levelled at him during an investigation into mr storey 's death . those included claims by dr asif qasim , the hospital 's clinical lead for medical specialities that mr beatt was mentally unstable . employment judge gill sage , who chaired the tribunal , added she believed a ` misleading ' press statement about mr beatt 's dismissal , issued following the inquest 10 months later , had been ` calculated and was likely to cause damage to his reputation ' . speaking after the tribunal 's ruling , dr beatt said : ` essentially they ignored some of the statements made to the serious untoward incident report and submitted their own version . ` there 's no doubt in my mind that , if things have gone badly wrong , instead of saying things have gone badly wrong , they try to cover it up . ` at the end of the day it is in order to misrepresent events to the patient and their relatives . ' he added the legal battle and the trust 's decision to refer him to the general medical council had taken ' a very considerable toll ' on him and left him unable to find work within the nhs . he said : ` that 's why they do it . they do it because it will prevent me from getting a job and that will prevent me from pursuing them in court because i wo n't be able to afford the costs . ' dr beatt said he believed the trust had spent ` more than # 100,000 ' fighting his case , which he was only able to pursue because his lawyers linklaters agreed to work pro bono . a spokesman for croydon health services nhs trust said it would appeal the ruling . he added : ` we are clearly very disappointed with the tribunal 's decision . ` we take all concerns about patient safety extremely seriously , as well as allegations of bullying against any of our employees . ` it is everyone 's responsibility at chs to uphold great care for patients , and for our staff to know that they will be listened to and supported . ' gerald storey , 63 , was having a cardiac operation to widen obstructed arteries at croydon university hospital on june 9 , 2011 when it was discovered the specialist nurse would not be coming . an inquest held last year found complications developed as the operation proceeded , and mr storey then suffered cardiac arrest and died . senior nurse lucy jones had been suspended moments earlier over claims she had harassed and bullied staff and failed to respond to written management requests . dr beatt told the inquest if he had known he would not have done the operation and he believed her suspension and management 's failure to tell him directly contributed to mr storey 's death . he also said the theatre ` descended into chaos ' as complications emerged . coroner dr roy palmer ruled sister lucy jones 's absence had contributed to gerald storey 's death .

<s> consultant cardiologist dr kevin beatt has won a two-year legal battle . </s> <s> blew the whistle over conditions at croydon university hospital in 2011 . </s> <s> raised concerns over staffing shortages , poor equipment and bullying . </s> <s> but dr beatt was then sacked by croydon health services nhs trust . </s> <s> damaging allegations against him included claim he was mentally unstable . </s> <s> trust say they are ` disappointed ' with tribunal 's decision and will appeal . </s>

a lesbian couple claim they were told to stop kissing one another in a fashionable london eatery by the manager because it is a ` family restaurant ' . lydia cawson , 29 , said that she and her partner rubyyy jones went to canteen at the royal festival hall on the south bank in london for dinner during a break from work . ms cawson said she had moved to sit next to her partner on the bench seats to console her after ms jones became upset , when a woman they believe was the manager approached them and told them to ` stop what you are doing ' because they were in a ` family restaurant ' . scroll down for video . lydia cawson , 29 , left , said she and partner rubyyy jones , 30 , right , were ordered to stop kissing during a meal at the royal festival hall . ms cawson , a costume designer , said in an interview with london live : ` we were really shocked by this challenge because we did not feel we were being overly affectionate . ` yes , it was an intimate moment but again , -lsb- i was -rsb- consoling her and it was just a simple , sort of loving reaction basically . ` the second comment , that it was `` a family restaurant '' made me feel well , why does that matter ? ` is it because children were present ? not that there were any children present at that time . ` and why should it matter if it is a family restaurant ? ' ms cawson explained the couple had experienced a stressful week , including moving house and ms jones , a performer , was upset . lydia cawson -lrb- pictured -rrb- says she and her partner were out for dinner when they were told to stop kissing by a member of staff because it is a ` family restaurant ' she said : ` rubyyy was upset so i moved on to the same bench as her , we had previously been sitting opposite one another . i consoled her , kissed her on the cheek and gave her a light peck on the lips as well and just had my arm around her . ' i did not notice any adverse reaction in the restaurant . then a lady came over to us , we do n't know for sure but we are pretty sure it was a manager , and that 's when she said it . ` she did not apologise . rubbyy challenged her and said `` is it a family restaurant or a homophobic restaurant ? '' ' the staff member said no but gestured for the pair to sit apart from one another , ms cawson said . she added they paid their bill but left feeling ` incredibly angry ' and that canteen has since apologised for the incident . dominic lake , co-founder of canteen , said : ` everyone is welcome at canteen , whether gay , straight , old or young regardless of sexuality . ` we are horrified at the thought of being labelled anti-gay - half of our team are gay . ` we take any such claims incredibly seriously and we have investigated this incident in depth . the canteen restaurant at the royal festival hall where the women were allegedly told to stop kissing . ` in this case members of the team made a reluctant decision because they considered that the behaviour of the two people - rather than who the people were - might make others in the restaurant feel uncomfortable . ` this would have been the same whether it was two women , two men or a man and a woman . ` at canteen , we pride ourselves on being a modern , equal opportunities , open and accessible business ; we want everyone to feel welcome in our restaurants and we are sad and very sorry if ms cawson and her partner felt otherwise . '

<s> lydia cawson , 29 , and partner rubyyy jones went to canteen for meal . </s> <s> ms cawson gave ms jones ' a peck ' on the lips when she became upset . </s> <s> member of staff approached and told them to ` stop what you are doing ' </s> <s> restaurant has launched an investigation and apologised to the couple . </s>

this is the astonishing moment a brooklyn nets fan was carried out by security guards -- amid claims that he attacked another supporter with his prosthetic leg . the man removed his prosthetic limb before hitting another fan in the upper deck of the arena , according to a pair security guards at madison square garden , new york . video shows how he was hauled from his seat and physically removed by two members of staff amid fears the situation could escalate . scroll down for video . a ` super fan ' was carried out of madison square garden without his prosthetic leg as stunned supporters watched on . video footage shows the moment he was hauled from his seat and physically removed by two members of staff . the drama unfolded with around five minutes to play in the third quarter of brooklyn 's 98-93 win over the new york knicks . the drama unfolded with around five minutes to play in the third quarter of brooklyn 's 98-93 win over the new york knicks . the new york daily news quotes a staffer as saying : ` they grabbed him and pulled him out . i do n't know if he was arrested but they got him out of there so he did n't start a riot . ' afterwards , the man was named on social media as nets ` super fan ' jeffrey gamblero , according to the daily news website . the report says some eyewitnesses dispute the version of events given by garden security and that he did not attack anyone . after the incident , the man was named on social media as nets ` super fan ' jeffrey gamblero . the incident unfolded in the upper deck at madison square garden while the game was going on . new york knicks guard jose calderon , left , of spain drives around brooklyn nets forward kevin garnett , right . one unidentified fan is quoted as saying : ` i saw what happened . he did n't deserve to be thrown out . he was just into the game . ' video posted online by @jeigs , new york comedian jesse eigner , showed how the fan , who was dressed in brooklyn nets clothing , was carried away from his seat without his prosthetic leg while stunned supporters watched on . a knicks spokesman said : ` an unruly fan was ejected after msg security received multiple complaints from fans sitting in that area . ` the fan was warned multiple times before being removed . he will not be permitted back into madison square garden . ' mailonline has attempted to contact mr gamblero for comment this morning .

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

britain is to lead europe 's ambitious mission to try to find life on mars , it emerged today . the european space agency 's -lrb- esa 's -rrb- ruling council has put uk experts in charge of sending a rover vehicle to the red plant . through the uk space agency , the government is devoting # 47.7 million to exomars , almost as much as its # 49.2 million contribution to the international space station . britain has been chosen to lead europe 's mission to search for life on mars which will be lead by the exomars rover , featured here in an artist 's impression . chancellor george osborne made the surprise announcement in the commons that britain had been awarded the ` lead role ' in the 2018 exomars mission . central to the mission will be a hi-tech british-built rover that will navigate itself across the martian deserts . the rover , being tested in a sandy ` mars yard ' at airbus defence and space in stevenage , will use a two metre -lrb- 6.5 foot -rrb- long drill to extract samples from deep below the surface of the red planet and analyse them for signs of life . airbus defence and space spokesman jeremy close said : ` from our point of view , the decision is fantastic news . this is a flagship project not just for the uk but for europe . it will be europe 's first interplanetary rover . ' the european space agency 's -lrb- esa 's -rrb- ruling council has put uk experts in charge of sending a rover vehicle to the red plant . he said the 150-strong stevenage team had come on ` leaps and bounds ' developing the rover 's cutting edge technology . a key feature of the exomars rover will be its autonomous navigation system , giving it an ability to think for itself as it travels from one exploration site to another . mr close added : ` the thing it 's going to do which the american rovers are not doing is look for life . it will actually have life-detecting technology . if it 's in the right place and life is there , the rover will find it . ' scientists believe that while the exposed surface of mars is irradiated and dead , primitive life could survive in deeper layers underground . the esa decision means that final fitting and testing of the rover 's scientific instruments will now take place in stevenage and not in italy , as had previously been proposed . the rover is being tested in a sandy ` mars yard ' at airbus defence and space in stevenage -lrb- pictured -rrb- . base : the 150-strong stevenage team had come on ` leaps and bounds ' developing the rover 's cutting edge technology , it was said . ` from supplying the first nut and bolt to when it 's ready to be put on a rocket and sent to mars , all that work will now be done in stevenage , ' said mr close . the announcement comes hard on the heels of esa 's hugely successful rosetta mission to land a probe on a comet more than 500 million miles from earth , in which british scientists played a big part . news of the mars mission was mr osborne 's cue to deliver a joke aimed at labour . to loud guffaws , he said : ` we have often gazed on the barren wastelands of the red planet and long given up hope of finding intelligent life there . but signs of any life at all would be an advance . ' a total package for the uk space sector worth more than # 200 million has been promised by the government including # 55 million in new resource and capital funding for the next year . the treasury pointed out that every pound of public money spent on space exploration produced a # 10 return for the uk economy . britain 's leadership of the exomars mission would create more than 200 new jobs and ` vital spin-off technologies ' . more than # 130 million has also been pledged for new satellite telecommunications technology which will be matched by industry . the uk space sector is worth # 11.3 billion to the uk economy and directly employs a workforce of 34,300 .

<s> european space agency 's ruling council has put uk experts in charge . </s> <s> uk government to give # 47million to the exomars 2018 mission . </s> <s> british-built rover will navigate itself across the martian deserts . </s> <s> it is being tested in a sandy ` mars yard ' at airbus defence and space . </s>

families with children will save hundreds of pounds on the cost of their holidays after george osborne axed taxes on flights today . the chancellor abolished air passenger duty on all flights for children under the age of 12 . mr osborne 's autumn statement announcement is a major boost for families who are hit by higher holiday costs during term time . at the moment a family of four pays # 52 in flight taxes for a ticket to europe - of which # 26 is for children . the # 50million tax break cuts # 138 from the price of a family of four 's holiday to north america -- and almost # 200 for a family of four travelling to australia . it will also reduce the cost of a family holiday to spain by # 26 . the tax currently adds between # 13 and # 97 to the cost of a flight , depending on how far the final destination is from london . a campaign in parliament calling for the measure to be included in the autumn statement has widespread support . mr osborne said : ` we 're going to require airlines to list the charges separately from taxes on tickets . ` but i also want to reduce the cost of those tickets for families directly . ` from may 1 next year , air passenger duty for children under 12 will be abolished . and i 'll go further . from the following year , we 'll get rid of air passenger duty for children under 16 altogether . ' david cameron reportedly lent his support to the idea at a meeting of conservative mps in october . he is quoted as having said : ` i really like this one . i have three children under 10 myself . ' tory mp andrew bridgen , who has led the campaign to scrap the tax , said scrapping air passenger duty on children 's flights was a ` no brainer ' tory mp andrew bridgen , who has led the campaign to scrap the tax , said the tax cut was a ` no brainer ' . he added : ` it 's got cross-party support and it 's not expensive . i do have a habit of getting what i want from the government . ' around three millions flights are taken by under 12s every year , mr bridgen said . but he said the treasury will lose just 1.6 per cent of the # 3.2 billion it rakes in from air passenger duty every year . mr osborne 's announcement will ease the pressure on families stung by exorbitant travel costs during school holidays . at the moment a family of four pays # 52 in flight taxes for a ticket to europe - of which # 26 is for children . the duty adds # 138 for two children 's tickets to north america , # 170 to the caribbean and # 194 for flights to australia or new zealand . mr osborne last year announced that the two higher air duty tax bands would be scrapped in april 2015 -- with all flights over 2,000 miles charged at the same rate . it meant that flights to the west indies , south america , india , china and australia will all be charged the same tax as a flight to new york . all long haul flights will , from next year , will be charged # 71 extra per ticket . but the system could be scrapped in scotland after the government handed holyrood complete control over air passenger duty . the announcement has infuriated labour mps in northern england who fear regional airports will lose business to scotland . labour politicians said the move was a ` kick in the teeth ' for northern constituencies , which would have a ` crippling ' impact on airports in the region as airlines divert flights to scottish locations to take advantage of lower taxes . the snp made the abolition of the duty part of their business pitch for independence . ed balls and fellow frontbenchers admitted the change would cause ` uncertainty and risk ' for regional airports . the airports themselves called for the treasury to commit to fresh protections . frank field , the birkenhead mp and former welfare minister , said fellow labour mps would join forces with southern tory rebels to bring down the smith proposals unless the devolution of apd was dropped . ` the idea is we are trying to build up northern airports not cripple them . this proposal cripples them . this will reinforce the london bias , ' mr field said . willie walsh , chief executive of british airways 's parent company iag , said people would be ` rushing across the border ' as a zero rate would make it # 276 cheaper for a family of four to fly to the us . search and rescue and air ambulance charities are to get vat refunds and more government cash following lobbying by prince william . in today 's autumn statement , the chancellor will announce vat breaks for the sector from april , alongside # 7.5 million extra support for air ambulances . the tax refunds will be worth # 25million over five years . the duke of cambridge is said to have been angry at pressure on air-sea rescue services . as a helicopter pilot at raf valley in anglesey , he has helped out with mountain rescue , coastguard and air ambulance services . david cameron revealed at prime minister 's questions in 2011 that the prince had urged him to do more to support the services , many of which are run by charities . today 's measure will mean all 150 search and rescue and air ambulance charities will be able to apply for vat refunds on all their search and rescue activities as of april 1 . hospices are to get vat refunds worth millions of pounds a year . after a long campaign by the hospice movement , george osborne will agree today that they should receive an annual grant to cover their vat costs . currently , nhs organisations are able to recover vat on non-business supplies such as catering , laundry , staff training and vehicle and maintenance costs . but hospices do not enjoy the same advantages -- meaning they are unfairly disadvantaged and face large vat bills . mr osborne will say today that the vat refund is expected to be worth # 4million a year to the sector , though if it is more the bill will still covered . ` hospice charities provide vital support services for the nhs and its patients and we want to support their work , ' said a government source .

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

damaging leaks are the bread and butter of political reporting , but a leak of a different kind has got parliament aflutter . a thunderstorm over canberra has exposed a leak in the ceiling of the house of representatives chamber . speaker bronwyn bishop ordered a bucket and mop . ' i notice that our roof is leaking , ' she said . ' i realise leaking is a common problem for political parties . we may need a bucket . ' scroll down for video . an attendant looks up as he attempts to clean up water from a leak in the roof of the the house of representatives during question time at parliament house in canberra . a number of politicians found it quite comical as an attendant tried to clean up the water which was leaking from the roof . treasurer joe hockey used it to attack labor , saying it exposed the dire state of infrastructure left by the previous government . the incident came just after agriculture minister barnaby joyce declared his support for more dams . the canberra times reported the nation 's capital was pelted with rain , hail , lightning and thunder as a severe thunderstorm passed through on wednesday afternoon . you 've missed a spot . politicians give direction to an attendant who is cleaning up water from a leaking roof at parliament house . an attendant looks up as he attemps to clean up water from a leak in the roof of the the house of representatives during question time . it 's believed there were wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres and hour . the act state emergency service said it received a total of 25 calls for help since 2pm following the wet weather . actses and act fire & rescue responded to leaking roofs , as well as damaged trees and branches across a widespread area of canberra .

<s> australian mps were forced to deal with a leak at parliament house . </s> <s> speaker bronwyn bishop called for a mop and bucket . </s> <s> the nation 's capital was pelted with rain , hail and lightning as a severe thunderstorm passed through wednesday afternoon . </s>

critics of uber have attempted to crash the taxi app in any way they can , one of which is getting drivers to rate passengers just one star and thereby making the rating system meritless . a daily dot journalist named nimrod kamer was fed up with uber 's privacy issues , their desire to dig up dirt on journalists , and their assault allegations . kamer decided to shake uber 's rating based system so that he could cause chaos for the popular app and fuel the anti uber revolution . scroll down for video . amused : when drivers heard journalist nimrod kamer 's request for them to rate him one star they were very hesitant because they did n't one a low rating for themselves . disbelieving : this uber driver laughs in disbelief when nimrod kamer asks him for just one star . the man with the plan : journalist nimrod kamer believes that by asking for a one star rating he inspire others to take suit who will then overthrow uber 's rating based system . uber demands that both drivers and passengers rate each other anywhere between one and five stars with five being the best and one being the worst . kamer believes that if passengers ask drivers to rate those , just one star that it , ` will throw the drivers off-guard , mixing up the system , and sparking total anarchy . ' kamer explains that since drivers need high scores to stay employed that they might be afraid to give a passenger one star in fear of getting one themselves . when kamer visited new york in november he got 15 different drivers to rate him one star and ended up with an average rating of 1.8 . kamer told business insider that he ` is the first one to get a 1-star average , but it does n't mean i 'm a bad passenger , it just means i convinced fifteen drivers to give me a low rating . an uber driver with a rating below four stars runs the risk of losing his position with the company . kooky idea : colorful british journalist nimrod kamer visited new york in november he got 15 different drivers to rate him one star and ended up with an average rating of 1.8 . rating based system : uber demands that both drivers and passengers rate each other anywhere between one and five stars with five being the best and one being the worst .

<s> nimrod kamer was fed up with uber 's privacy issues , their desire to dig up dirt on journalists , and their assault allegations . </s> <s> kamer decided to shake uber 's rating based system so that he could cause chaos for the popular app and fuel the anti uber revolution . </s> <s> kamer believes passengers asking for one star ` will throw the drivers off-guard , mixing up the system , and sparking total anarchy ' </s>

the fbi are hunting a bank robber they have dubbed the ` chit chat bandit ' as he continues to chat up the tellers while stealing from them . the man has now targeted two banks in the san diego area in two days and on both ocassions has fled the scene on the crime on a bmx-style bike . investigators say even as the cash is being handed over , he continues to chat to the female tellers to lull them into a false sense of security and to make it look as though he is a regular customer . the man dubbed the chit chat bandit , who is being hunted by the fbi after robbing two banks in the space of two days in the san diego area . the man was first captured on cctv on wednesday , november 26 , when he entered the wells fargo bank on girard avenue in la jolla , california . he then walked over to the counter and handed the female teller a note demanding all of the money in her cash drawer . the robber also made a verbal demand for cash before engaging in small talk with her so he appeared like a normal customer . then two days later after thanksgiving , he targeted another wells fargo branch inside the vons store on camino canada in el cajon . again he walked over to the counter and demanded money from the teller , and while she was collecting it , he also asked another employee for money . in the first robbery , the man targeted the wells fargo bank on girard avenue in la jolla , california , pictured , where he demanded money from the teller but continued to chat her up while robbing the branch . he carried on talking to them while he was given the cash and then exited the store before making his getaway on a small green bmx bicycle . no injuries have been reported at either of the robberies and no weapon has been displayed . the fbi are now chasing down the man and are offering a $ 1,000 cash reward . he is described as white , in his mid-thirties of around 170 pounds and approximately five foot ten inches tall with a slender build and blonde with facial hair . in the first robbery he was wearing dark sunglasses , an orange reflector vest with a long-sleeved , dark tan shirt underneath . in the second raid he wore a dark baseball cap , dark shirt and light coloured pants . anyone with information is asked to contact the fbi .

<s> the man targeted two banks in the san diego area in the space of two days . </s> <s> has been dubbed the ` chit chat bandit ' as he chats up the female tellers . </s> <s> on both occasions he takes cash from the banks and flees on a bmx bike . </s> <s> the fbi have now released cctv images in a bid to hunt down the robber . </s>

a prostitute and her unemployed partner , arrested over the murder of a gold coast man after luring him with an online advertisement for sex , have faced court . 33-year-old mother of three , peta lorang-goubran , and her 28-year-old partner mark dayney were arrested on wednesday over the murder of gold coast man mark emanuel spencer , found bludgeoned to death on october 1 . mr spencer , 37 , sustained severe head injuries at his coomera home in what police have described as a targeted attack . the couple have been remanded in custody after appearing at the southport magistrates court on thursday . mark emanuel spencer was found bludgeoned to death at his gold coast home on october 1 . mr dayney reportedly blew a kiss to supporters as he was led from the dock at the southport court on thursday ; one person in the room telling him to keep his ` chin up ' . the court heard dayney was on bail when accused of participating in the murder , though his lawyer said the breach of bail charge against his client would be contested . ms lorang-goubran wept in the dock during her brief appearance . detective superintendent dave hutchinson said mr spencer had replied to an advertisement for sex on the classified website craigslist , falling victim to the couple 's ploy . ` they had a plan together to go to the client 's residence and actually rob that person , ' he told reporters on the gold coast . detectives found a bloodied tennis racquet and broken baseball bat at the scene . police claim he had replied to an advertisement for sex on the classified website craigslist , which was part of his killers ' ploy to rob him and a number of other victims . detectives found a bloodied tennis racquet and broken baseball bat at the alleged murder scene . police were unable to speculate how often similar sex-related robberies occur through classified sites like craigslist - but note the likely embarrassment of victims means perpetrators of such crimes are less-likely to be caught out . ` it is quite apparent that victims would be reluctant to report the matters to police and the offenders probably count on this being the case , particularly if drugs are also stolen , ' det supt hutchison told daily mail australia . he said one other victim has been positively identified , as well as a number of other people who had communicated with ms lorang-goubran via email and text messages but who never actually met up with her for various reasons . det supt hutchison is urging other victims to come forward to police . ` we would still like to speak to anyone who responded to any craigslist advertisement for sexual services who were subsequently victims of robbery , ' said det supt hutchison . ` the manner in which these transactions occur creates significant risks for the ` client ' as is the case with any online interactions where the identity , history and background of the other party is not known and can not be validated , ' det supt hutchison said . there have been a number of similar craigslist related crimes in the united states in recent years , including one case in which a newly-wed couple created an escort ad on the site to lure a married engineer so they could kill him ` for the excitement ' of it . they were sentenced to life in prison . police are pictured outside the 37-year-old 's home in coomera , following his murder . mr spencer 's body was found on the back porch of his home . a 33-year-old mother of three and her 28-year-old partner were arrested on wednesday over his murder . mr spencer reportedly knew ms lorang-goubran but was n't aware she was the prostitute responsible for the advertisement . the pair have been charged with murder and robbery with violence over mr spencer 's death , as well as charges relating to a robbery in holmview , south of brisbane , the night before the murder . a friend of mr spencer , tim stewart , said it was tough to face the father-of-two 's alleged killers in the courtroom on thursday . ' -lrb- i 'm -rrb- very angry , ' mr stewart told reporters when asked to describe his emotions . ` he -lrb- mr spencer -rrb- was a great person , beautiful kids , and he 'll be truly missed . ' the matter will return to court on february 20 . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .

<s> mark emanuel spencer was found bludgeoned to death at his gold coast home . </s> <s> police claimed he had replied to an advertisement for sex on the classified website craigslist , which was part of his killers ' ploy to rob him . </s> <s> a 33-year-old mother of three and her 28-year-old partner were arrested on wednesday over his murder and have been remanded in custody . </s> <s> the couple used the likely embarrassment of their robbery victims as a way to ensure their ploy could continue , police claim . </s>

a scuba diver who found a wedding ring on the sea bed while on holiday in mexico has launched a facebook campaign to reunite it with its owner . daniel roark from gloucester , massachusetts had been diving off the coast of playa del carmen , earlier this year when he came across the gold ring . he believes it must be a wedding band and it is engraved with the name jessica on the inside , with the date of 16 02 13 and the letters tyyjcem . scroll down for video . daniel roark , who was scuba diving off the coast of playa del carmen in mexico earlier this year when he found a wedding ring on the sea bed . the gold wedding band has the name jessica engraved inside it along with the date of 16/02/13 and the letters tyyjcem . thinking it could be a meaningful piece of jewellery , he has started a campaign on social media to track the owner . and now the appeal has gone viral with his post on facebook being shared almost 120,000 times , creating the hashtag #thelostweddingband . writing on facebook with a picture of the ring , he explained : ` ok , so while scuba diving around playa reef , playa del carmen last week , i happened to find this ring . ` unfortunately there is no way for me to know whether it was lost or intentionally thrown into the ocean . ` assuming it was not the latter , i 'd like to find the owner so i can send it to them . mr roark is desperate to reunite the ring with its owner but despite his high-profile campaign , nobody has yet come forward . mr roark had been scuba diving while staying at playa reef in the mexican resort , pictured , when he came across the ring . ` if you know a couple who was married on february 16th , 2013 , who lost a wedding band -lrb- likely while diving -rrb- near playa del carmen mexico , please have them contact me at thelostweddingband@yahoo.com . ` if not , please take a second to share this . let 's make some social media magic happen ! ' but despite the high-profile campaign , the owner has yet to come forward and mr roark is keen to find the owners soon . in another post he added : ` i 'm shocked at how much support the search for the wedding band owner has received ! ` sadly the owner has not been found yet , but my hope for humanity was certainly restored ! ` always remember , even in this crazy world , there are a lot of kind people . '

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

one tasteless person had already starting trying to cash in on the funeral of phillip hughes , before proceedings had even finished . an order of service booklet , from hughes ' funeral service at his home town of macksville on wednesday appeared on ebay , midway through the service . on ebay as ` phillip hughes australian cricket funeral service program ' it was put up for auction with the starting bid of 99 cents with the location as macksville . the listing also included a number of photos of inside the booklet and had a selling time of seven days . scroll down for video . this is the listing that went up on ebay of the phillip hughes funeral service booklet . it has now been taken down by the trading site . a large procession of mourners is seen on wallace street at the completion of the funeral for australian cricketer phillip hughes , in macksville . the program has now been taken down by ebay which was done a short time after it was listed for sale . ebay says ` they have been doing manual sweeps of the site a few times a day since friday and removing listings that appear to be profiting from the tragedy . ' ` these listings are completely inappropriate and we will continue to remove them should they appear again , ' said ebay spokesperson megan english . last week , when most of the nation was mourning the tragic death of the 25 year old , a number of callous ebay users also tried to cash in and begun listing various items connected to hughes on the popular trading site . ebay then decided to remove all phillip hughes memorabilia listings and said they were scanning the site in the days and weeks ahead to remove any offending items . the order of service for phillip hughes ' funeral which was on wednesday at his hometown macksville . cricket bats are seen at the live broadcast of australian cricketer phillip hughes ' funeral at the sydney cricket ground .

<s> the order of service booklet from phillip hughes ' funeral was listed on ebay before the proceedings had even finished . </s> <s> it was put up for a seven day auction , starting bid of 99 cents . </s> <s> the popular trading site took it down saying they remove listings that appear to be profiting from the tragedy . </s> <s> they have been doing manual sweeps of the site a few times a day since friday . </s>

france has been ordered to pay thousands in compensation somali pirates who had attacked french ships , because the pirates ' human rights were disregarded when they were arrested . the french army took too long to bring the pirates before a judge when they apprehended the sea-faring criminals in 2008 , the european court of human rights ruled . france now has to pay between 5,000 and 2,000 euros -lrb- # 3,945 , and # 1,578 -rrb- to each pirate for ` moral damages ' . inlaws or outlaws ? france has been ordered to pay between # 1,578 - # 3,945 to each somali pirate for ` moral damages ' as well as from # 2,367 to # 7,100 to cover each pirate 's legal costs . they were also ordered to pay amounts varying from 9,000 euros to 3,000 euros -lrb- # 7,100 to # 2,367 -rrb- to cover the pirates ' legal costs . the echr said french authorities should have presented the pirates ` without delay ' to a judge when they arrived on the country 's territory after holding the men at sea . the somali pirates were apprehended on the high seas by the french army on two separate occasions in 2008 , and taken back to france for trial . in the ruling , the echr acknowledged the french were operating under ` completely exceptional circumstances ' - the arrest took place ` more than 4,000 miles from french territory - which explained the long detention without seeing a judge . poor pirates : the european court of human rights ruled that france needs to compensate the pirates as the french army ` took too long to bring the pirates before a judge ' , during a 2008 arrest . the echr , located in strasbourg , eastern france , also noted that the somali authorities were ` incapable of fighting ' against the pirates . nevertheless , the court ruled that after their arrival on french soil , authorities were wrong to keep the pirates in custody for an additional 48 hours before bringing them before a judge . ` nothing justifies such an additional delay , ' read the echr verdict . this constituted a ` violation of their rights to freedom and security , ' the court ruled . pirate attacks off somalia have been slashed in recent years , with international fleets patrolling the gulf of aden and indian ocean , as well as armed guards being posted aboard many vessels . at their peak in january 2011 , somali pirates held 736 hostages and 32 boats , some onshore and others on their vessels .

<s> france to pay compensation to somali pirates over 2008 arrests . </s> <s> army ` took too long to bring the pirates before a judge ' , echr rules . </s> <s> france to pay # 1,578 - # 3,945 to each somali pirate for ` moral damages ' </s> <s> also to pay from # 2,367 to # 7,100 to cover each pirate 's legal costs . </s>

a british expat has died of suspected hypothermia after he slipped and fell into a ditch while out shopping near his hilltop village in tuscany . stephen paul sorini-dixon , 71 , perished after getting stuck in the four foot gutter of icy water , investigators believe . it is thought that he slipped in the dark and was unable to climb out , remaining there all night , exposed to the icy stream of water . stephen paul sorini-dixon , 71 , slipped into a four-foot gutter of icy water near his home in a hilltop village outside tuscany , pictured , and it is believed he got stuck in the freezing stream after he became trapped -lrb- file -rrb- . the pensioner who moved to italy some years ago was found on sunday morning by a hunter who spotted his shopping trolley . the expatriate , who lived alone but has several children living in the uk , was last seen getting off a bus about a mile from his home after doing the shopping on saturday evening . on the way home in the dark he fell off the road into a substantial ditch , police believe . he was stuck with his arms and legs above him , failed to clamber out of the slippery slope and spent the night in the icy water of the stream , scientific police said . the briton , nicknamed the englishman in the mountainous village , has several children who live in england but had lived in the area for years . the man ' s children were informed and are thought have travelled to italy to help with the funeral arrangements . more than 6,000 britons die abroad every year , averaging 100 a week , figures show . this is mostly down to the high number of elderly expatriates who live overseas , with the bulk opting to retire to the sunny climes of southern european countries such as spain and italy . the pensioner , who moved to the mountainous village in italy some years ago where he was nicknamed the englishman , was found the next morning by a hunter who had spotted his shopping trolley -lrb- file picture -rrb- . most die in natural circumstances , but 10 per cent of all british people murdered were killed overseas , showing that crime also plays a part , official figures reveal . the statistics came as the foreign commonwealth office came under fire for not being sensitive to the needs of grieving families who requested consular help over the death of a loved one abroad . a damning report last month showed families had accused officials of being uncaring and unhelpful -- and even of failing to dress appropriately -- making their heartache even more traumatic . the criticisms came in a report by a cross-party panel of mps which ordered the foreign office to improve its services to bereaved families . mps also demanded an inquiry into claims some torture victims were failed by consular staff .

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

a north texas jury convicted a former public official thursday of capital murder in a revenge plot against a district attorney , his wife and a top assistant who had prosecuted him for theft and ruined his career , prosecutors said . eric williams now faces a potential death sentence after he was convicted in the 2013 murder of cynthia mclelland , the wife of slain kaufman county district attorney mike mclelland . testimony in the trial involved the deaths of both mclellands , and williams also is indicted in the death of assistant prosecutor mark hasse . guilty : eric williams makes his way into the courtroom before closing arguments in his trial at the rockwall county courthouse in rockwall , texas on thursday , december 4 , 2014 . legal battle : prosecutor toby shook -lrb- left -rrb- gives closing arguments during the eric williams capital murder trial as matthew seymour -lrb- right -rrb- , williams ' defense lawyer talks about a bullet shell as he gives his closing arguments . grief and anguish : wyvonne mclelland , mother of mike mclelland , gets emotional as the guilty verdict is read in the eric williams capital murder trial at the rockwall county courthouse in rockwall , texas on thursday . prosecutors took just three days to present their case against williams , whom they called a ` ruthless killing machine ' in closing arguments . his defense lawyers only made a closing argument and did not call witnesses . ` the case is so air tight , it sucked the oxygen , it sucked the energy out of any potential defense , ' prosecutor bill wirskye said in closing arguments . after the verdict , williams ' brother-in-law , zach bellemare , said the defense team ` was terrible . ' defense attorneys and prosecutors declined to comment outside of court . the mclellands ' bodies were found inside their rural home east of dallas in march 2013 . the couple had already changed to go to bed when williams charged into the home and opened fire . prosecutors say williams shot cynthia mclelland in the head , and he then shot mike mclelland and stood over his body , firing repeatedly . murdered : williams shot dead district attorney mike mclelland , his wife , cynthia , -lrb- left -rrb- and kaufman county assistant district attorney mark hasse -lrb- right -rrb- in 2013 . forensics : james jeffress , forensic scientist explains his findings of connecting the shells found at the crime scene of the mclelland 's and the one found at a storage shed connected to eric williams . circumstantial : mark wild a latent fingerprint examiner with the texas department of public safety gives testimony about the tests he performed on fingerprints found on items in a storage unit . mike mclelland 's mother , wyvonne mclelland , wept as the verdict was read . their deaths occurred two months after a masked gunman killed prosecutor hasse outside a local courthouse building . williams was a former justice of the peace who lost his job and his law license after mclelland and hasse successfully prosecuted him for stealing three computer monitors from a county government building . williams was convicted in march 2012 , about 10 months before hasse was killed . ` my life has taken a drastic turn , ' williams told a probation officer at the time . ` he lost his sitting as a justice of the peace , he lost his law license , everything he worked for . the law was his life , ' bellemare said , adding that he believed williams was innocent . incriminating : photo of evidence collected at a storage unit connected to eric williams is shown on the screen during the trial of eric williams . expert : james jeffress , forensic scientist explains letters on one of the bullets found in a storage shed connected to williams . the case was built on circumstantial evidence against williams , and the weapon used to kill the mclellands has never been found . ` it 's a fantasy . it 's a guess . there 's no proof of it , ' defense attorney matthew seymour said in closing arguments . but prosecutors showed jurors evidence from a storage locker he had a friend rent in secret . inside the locker was the suspected getaway vehicle , more than 30 guns and police tactical gear . a dive team that searched a local lake also found a gun believed to have been used to shoot hasse and a mask williams allegedly wore . scene : interior crime scene photo of the house shown during the eric williams trial that show the path of the bullets once he attacked . multiple wounds : gunshot wound evidence pertaining to mike mclelland during the eric williams capital murder trial . williams ' estranged wife , kim , has been indicted for capital murder , though her attorney has said she is cooperating with prosecutors . she did not testify in the trial . she 's accused of having driven the getaway vehicle after hasse 's killing . prosecutors also found a password in williams ' home to an account on the crime stoppers tips website used to send a partial confession . one message presented in court said , ` do we have your full attention now ? ' prosecutors decided to pursue the three murder charges individually , because if williams was acquitted in the death of cynthia mclelland , they then could try him in the slaying of mike mclelland . had prosecutors not won either case , they would bring williams to trial in hasse 's death . the trial was held in neighboring rockwall county due to the attention the case received in kaufman county . the sentencing phase begins monday .

<s> eric williams , 47 , found guilty of capital murder after a prosecutor called him ' a ruthless killing machine ' who had carefully plotted his crimes . </s> <s> prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for eric williams , 47 . </s> <s> charged with shooting dead district attorney mike mclelland , his wife , cynthia , and kaufman county assistant district attorney mark hasse in 2013 . </s> <s> mike mclelland 's mother , wyvonne mclelland , wept as the verdict was read . </s> <s> the jury , which took less than two hours to reach its verdict , will hear evidence monday in the sentencing phase . </s>

european politicians will sit down for a special lobster and foie gras lunch today -- subsidised by british taxpayers . the european parliament restaurant is laying on a three-course christmas feast despite continuing austerity across the continent . meps , who earn around # 75,000 a year , can enjoy the lavish menu for just 20 euros -- which works out at less than # 16 . the european parliament restaurant is laying on a three-course christmas feast despite continuing austerity across the continent . for that price they can sample smoked duck breast and truffle oil , pheasant with foie gras and truffles , lobster au gratin with lemon sabayon or vegetable broth with quail eggs and smoked garlic . side dishes range from piped potatoes with chestnuts and chopped dried fruits , samphire flan , bundles of green beans , or an assortment of asparagus , mushrooms and cherry tomatoes , the evening standard has revealed . for those not wanting a hot meal , the salad bar offers a range of pâtés , meat , fish and charcuterie terrines . the meal is finished off with bûche de noël - christmas log - or fresh fruit salad . paul nuttall mep , ukip 's deputy leader , said the subsidised feast was ` a kick in the teeth for hard pressed families across the country ' . the european parliament authorities defended the price of the meal as `` eminently reasonable '' . they stressed that the menu was a christmas special , therefore `` exceptional '' , and that it was being served in a canteen-like staff restaurant . there had also been a drive to push down `` substantially '' the costs to public funds of the catering services over the last two years . but animal rights groups have slammed the restaurant for serving foie gras . members of the european parliament can today sample smoked duck breast and truffle oil , pheasant with foie gras and truffles , lobster au gratin with lemon sabayon or vegetable broth with quail eggs and smoked garlic . a spokesman for the people for the ethical treatment of animals said : ` the scientific consensus on force-feeding is crystal clear : it 's cruel and should be banned . ` every animal-protection organisation in the world condemns the production of foie gras . ` the eu scientific committee on animal health and animal welfare has catalogued a long list of ways in which foie gras production is inherently abusive . '

<s> meps , who earn around # 75,000 a year , can enjoy lavish menu for just # 16 . </s> <s> european parliament putting on special feast despite continuing austerity . </s> <s> subsidised menu slammed as a ` kick in the teeth for hard pressed families ' </s>

could the george clooney effect have influenced britons ' choice of a winter break this christmas ? research has revealed that there has been an increase of 66 per cent in bookings for the italian city , which hit the headlines this autumn when film star and director clooney married amal alamuddin at the seven-star aman canal grande hotel . however , the rise in bookings could in part be attributed to venice 's dedicated christmas food market in the campo santo stefano , with stalls offering creamy-white almond stuffed nougat , fruit-filled panettone from verona and white truffles from alba . the christmas markets of venice - they offer charm and an exquisite array of gifts . george clooney married amal alamuddin in a lavish ceremony in venice . andy washington , expedia.co.uk md said : ` the christmas period is always an extremely popular time for travel , with brits getting away to visit traditional and non-traditional christmas markets in the uk , as well as europe for festive-filled breaks . ` with its central location venice is a great starting point to discover the north east of italy , whether exploring prosecco country or aristocratic villas near verona , padoa and vicenza , all within one hour distance by car . london remains the most popular for brits to visit this christmas , ahead of new york and paris . the table to the right shows the biggest percentage rises of visits to other cities . ` of course the clooney wedding effect may also be playing a part in the popularity of venice , with tourists looking to experience some of the city 's romantic magic . ' as excitement for christmas builds and christmas markets spring up across europe , expedia.co.uk has revealed the most booked christmas destinations , with london experiencing a 39 per cent increase in bookings for the festive season -lrb- 2013-2014 year-on-year -rrb- . germany and the netherlands have enjoyed 35 per cent rises respectively . the festivities at london southbank christmas market are the envy of the world and with bookings to london for the upcoming festive period rising by 39 per cent year-on-year , the capital once again promises to be an extremely popular destination . but could the bright lights of venice be a favourite of brits as they want to see what all the fuss was about when george clooney married there this autumn . london 's christmas markets on the south bank are a popular stop-off for tourists around the world . this year it celebrates the spirit of charles dickens , creating a magical landscape resplendent with a christmas tree maze , showcasing 300 real blue spruce trees . the netherlands has seen bookings rise 35 per cent year-on-year for the festive season and hosts one of the oldest underground markets in europe . a visit to valkenberg 's ` christmas market velvet cave ' goes beyond decorations alone , as visitors will admire its cosy atmosphere and 18th century sculptures as they meander down a path marlstone . located beneath the impressive valkenburg castle , the velvet cave is truly breath-taking . for festive travellers looking for beautiful ambience this christmas , the royal christmas market at hohenzollern castle in stuttgart , germany -lrb- 35 per cent rise -rrb- is the perfect fit . the many market stalls will satisfy everybody 's glühwein and bratwurst fix .

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

this is the moment a brazen thief calmly walked into a pensioner 's home and stole a ` substantial amount of money ' as the victim pottered around in the garden just yards away . cctv footage shows the burglar sneaking into the house through a side gate while the 89-year-old homeowner tends to the garden outside his property in the gorton area of manchester . the video , released by police today in a bid to help catch the intruder , then shows the offender casually walking out of the front door of the property after raiding the home for cash . scroll down for video . cctv footage shows the intruder sneaking into the house -lrb- pictured -rrb- through a side gate while the 89-year-old homeowner potters around outside his property in the gorton area of manchester at about 1pm on october 16 . the suspect walked through the side gate before entering the property and taking a ` substantial ' sum of cash . the 89-year-old homeowner was completely unaware of the incident , despite being just yards from the thief . police said he made off with a ` substantial ' sum of money , despite the burglary taking place right under the nose of the homeowner . in the footage , the victim can be seen in his front garden , before the offender walks through a side gate to gain access to the property . the pensioner then moves to the side of the house as the intruder escapes through the front door . officers have now released cctv footage of the incident , in a bid to identify the man who they wish to speak to in connection with the burglary . pc rebecca rudden , of greater manchester police , said the burglary , which occurred at about 1pm on october 16 , was a ` targeted attack ' . she said : ` we believe a man may have been acting as a look-out at a nearby bus stop while another walked into the home . the homeowner , who was gardening at the time of the incident , can be seen in the far left of the frame tipping out some rubbish , while the thief calmly walks out of the front door -lrb- top -rrb- and down the drive onto the road . the victim tips out his rubbish -lrb- far left -rrb- while the offender makes off -lrb- top centre -rrb- following the burglary . ` the victim was bent down gardening and did not see the man walk in . ` when he left , the 89-year-old was in the back garden and had not realised what happened . ' i would urge people to take a good look at the person in the image and if they recognise them , call police . ` this was a targeted attack against an elderly gentleman who had been saving and a substantial amount of money was taken . ' anyone with information should contact greater manchester police on 101 .

<s> thief brazenly walked into house while 89-year-old homeowner was in yard . </s> <s> cctv footage shows intruder calmly leaving property through front door . </s> <s> he made off with ' a substantial amount of money ' in burglary on october 16 . </s> <s> manchester police hoping to identify man in footage after ` targeted attack ' </s>

a former ira intelligence officer has claimed in a new book that members of the irish police force tipped-off senior republicans about a plan to arrest the entire organisation 's leadership in 1974 . kieran conway , who is now a barrister in the irish republic joined the ira in the last 1960s and claims that senior irish police officers colluded with the ira . mr conway 's book alleges that as well as members of the irish police force , an garda siochana , the provisional ira were also assisted by a top banker , a stock broker , a journalist as well as several mainstream politicians . kieran conway , pictured , claims the ira received tip-offs from the irish police force in advance of arrests . mr conway , who is now a barrister in dublin , joined the ira in the late 1960s served as an intelligence officer . mr conway told the guardian : ' i think that the army council had particular contacts with those in the security area which were n't even shared with me . we had contacts in the law offices of the states and contacts in the upper echelons of the guards . ' mr conway said much of the republican leadership was in talks with members of the protestant clergy in feakle , county clare . he said : ` take something like feakle , the place was raided and they -lrb- the leadership -rrb- got away . because a tip-off was received that the special branch were on their way to feakle and that tip-off came from within the gardai . ` it was n't just in 1974 and it was n't just concentrated in border areas like dundalk , it was some individuals but it was more widespread . ' mr conway 's allegations come as the police ombudsman in northern ireland reported that there was no evidence to suggest that the ruc had colluded with the ira in the murder of arthur rafferty in 1974 in belfast . the ombudsman said that while there had been failures in the police investigation , there was no evidence to suggest any form of cover-up . a review by the police ombudsman of northern ireland found no evidence of collusion between the ira , pictured , and the ruc over the murder of arthur rafferty who was shot in belfast on august 15 , 1975 . dr michael maguire of the police ombudsman 's office said : ` we have looked in great detail at all the available information and intelligence , both about the murder itself and about the various people family members thought were linked to it . ` we found no evidence that would indicate police knew about the planned attack beforehand and could have done something about it , or that anyone was protected from arrest or prosecution because they were a police informant . ' arthur rafferty was shot at newington street close to its junction with the limestone road in north belfast on august 15 1974 and died in hospital several weeks later . the ira claimed responsibility for the fatal attack . in a complaint to the ombudsman 's office , a member of the rafferty family alleged that police colluded with the killers by failing to investigate the murder properly in order to protect police informants within the ira . they also claimed police had destroyed the murder weapon , lost significant exhibits and failed to pursue the names of five suspects which had been supplied to them . dr maguire said : ` investigative failures are not in themselves automatic evidence of collusion . ` we did not find any evidence that police chose not to pursue relevant lines of inquiry or that information was withheld from the detectives investigating the murder . ' the ombudsman 's investigation found that 12 spent cartridges and a bullet head were recovered from the scene by the ruc and military personnel , as was a piece of card with writing on it which was attached to a coat hanger which was also found . the report said although detectives were able to speak with mr rafferty in hospital several times and to his wife , the interviews did not open up any new leads . mr rafferty 's family claimed that ruc officers protected the killers because they were informants in the ira . days after the attack , on september 23 1974 , it was revealed police had received a report that a rifle , ammunition and clothing had been found in a flat in newington street and that forensics had linked the weapon to mr rafferty 's murder and two other shooting incidents . a man was arrested in 1974 , but the ombudsman said there were no notes available to indicate whether or not this person was interviewed . three years later , in 1977 , police authorised the destruction of the rifle and ammunition which had been found . but in 1978 , a police search of a social club in belfast on an unconnected matter uncovered a handwritten document which appeared to be a debrief of mr rafferty 's shooting . the document made reference to the involvement of three people , two of whom were subsequently arrested and interviewed . in 2005 , a member of mr rafferty 's family provided police with names of people they believed were involved in the murder but police later recorded that there was nothing to link them to the killing . in 2007 , the same family member provided the police ombudsman 's office with the names of two people believed to be involved in the attack . the ombudsman said records indicated that one of the suspects was in prison at the time of the murder , while the other one was in police custody . dr maguire concluded that police did not manage the crime scene properly and that critical evidence had not been preserved or examined . similarly , he found no meaningful investigation into how police responded to the discovery of guns , ammunition and clothing . the ombudsman said there was no evidence that the person who reported this material to police was ever interviewed ; no rationale why police submitted the rifle and ammunition for examination but not the clothing , and no audit trail of what happened to any of these items .

<s> irish police tipped-off the ira about planned arrests , a new book claims . </s> <s> former ira intelligence officer kieran conway makes the claims in a book . </s> <s> mr conway alleges top irish politicians and bankers also supported the ira . </s> <s> a separate probe found no evidence of collusion between ira and ruc . </s> <s> members of arthur rafferty 's family claimed the ruc covered-up his death . </s> <s> mr rafferty was murdered by the ira in belfast in 1974 in a gun attack . </s> <s> his family claims the killers worked as informants for the ruc in belfast . </s> <s> the police ombudsman of northern ireland found no evidence of collusion . </s>

eight primary school children were rushed to hospital and more than 20 were treated by paramedics after a lorry slammed into the side of their school bus as they travelled home from a carol concert . the 40-seater bus was pulling out of a side street across a busy road on tuesday afternoon when it was hit by a hgv , leaving the side of the coach crumpled and windows smashed . the incident took place as the pupils from st nicholas church of england middle school in pinyin , worcestershire , were travelling through pershore after attending a carol concert at pershore abbey . eight primary school children were rushed to hospital after a lorry slammed into the side of their school bus as they travelled home from a carol concert in pershore , worcestershire . the bus was pulling out of a side street across a busy road just after 3pm on tuesday when it was hit by a hgv , leaving the side of the coach crumpled and windows smashed . eight of the children and the driver were taken to hospital . one was taken on a spinal board after complaining of neck pain . the driver of the bus was also taken to worcester royal hospital . the other 19 children were checked over by medics at a private house nearby and were reunited with their parents at the school . three ambulances , as well as two rapid response paramedics , had been called to the scene . there was also a paramedic area support officer , a doctor and the air ambulance . the children , all between nine and 11 years-old , were travelling back to their school when the crash happened on the b4084 . the road was closed for the rest of the day and police were asking motorists to avoid the area where possible . parents were alerted to the incident by text messages sent from the school and the remaining uninjured students were taken back to st nicholas on a mini bus where they were reunited with their parents . an ambulance team were at the school briefing parents on a one-to-one basis on the aftercare of their children . in a statement on its website , the school said that all the children from the school were ` doing well ' and were back in school today . the executive headteacher andrew best said there had been a special school assembly held this morning and that it was a ` blessing ' that no one was seriously injured . it said : ` the children , from our school , who were taken to hospital yesterday , with minor cuts and bruises after their bus was involved in a collision with a lorry in pershore , are all doing well and have been back in school today . ` nineteen other pupils were taken to a private house nearby , where they were assessed by local doctors before being transported back to school . an ambulance team were at the school briefing parents on a one-to-one basis on the aftercare of their children . ' mr best added that he wanted to thank the emergency services for their ` swift and very professional work ' . he said . ` everyone 's priority was to ensure that the children and staff involved received the best care possible . nine people - eight children and the driver - were taken to hospital , one on a spinal board after complaining of neck pain . ` we contacted all parents of injured children by telephone and maintained contact with other parents about the incident by text . ` the remaining uninjured pupils were taken back to school in our mini bus where they were reunited with their parents . ` and this morning we have held a special assembly in school for all children and staff about the incident . ` it was a blessing that no one was seriously injured yesterday , but it has been a big shock to us all . ` two counsellors are in school all day today , to talk to pupils affected and any parents are invited to come into school and discuss any issues as well . ' a spokesman for west midlands ambulance service said : ` we were called to reports of a large number of patients following a collision between a coach and a lorry . ` over 40 children and adults were on the coach at the time of the crash with the children believed to be between nine and 11 years old . ' a total of 27 school children were assessed away from the road side . ` one boy , complaining of neck pain , was treated at the scene and immobilised with a neck collar and spinal board . he was transferred to worcester royal hospital . ` three further children and the man who was driving the coach all received treatment at the scene for minor injuries and were conveyed to the same hospital . ` the remaining children were all checked over by the doctor and ambulance crews and were discharged on scene . ` the children were transported back to school on two separate minibuses , where a number of ambulance staff joined them to give advice to their parents who had come to collect them . ` the lorry driver was uninjured in the incident . ' the crash follows another school bus which overturned in hereford last month , while it was taking 53 pupils to school . the coach overturned and slid 10ft -lrb- 3.1 m -rrb- down an embankment on november 10 and students had to scramble out of windows to get free of the wreckage . west mercia police said no arrests had been made .

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

five of the bbc 's most senior bosses were handed jobs with pay totalling # 1.8million-a-year without the roles ever being advertised , it was revealed today . lord hall , who earns # 450,000-a-year as director general , did not have to apply for his job and then brought in several other executives in the same way . the majority of his senior management team are also graduates of oxford and cambridge , with critics saying it shows the bbc is run by ` an old boys ' network ' . lord hall was parachuted in after the jimmy savile scandal shook the corporation in 2012 but the director general job was not advertised . senior posts : director general lord hall was parachuted in in 2012 and then appointed former colleague anne bulford without advertising her post . controversy : a senior backbench mp has accused the bbc , based at broadcasting house in london , pictured , of being a self-serving old boys ' network . as a result of the savile scandal , helen boaden was forced out of her previous job , head of bbc news because she dumped the newsnight investigation into his abuse . she was appointed bbc radio chief instead on # 352,900 . lord hall 's former royal opera house colleague anne bulford was given the managing director for finance and operations on # 395,000 without the job being advertised . british employment law does not insist that businesses advertise jobs when they become available . but critics believe this can end up discriminating against those who may be suitable . or meaning that jobs can be handed out to friends or people from a particular group or background . the equality and human rights commission says : ` if an employer does n't advertise at all or advertises in a way that wo n't reach people with a particular protected characteristic , this might in some situations lead to indirect discrimination , unless the employer can objectively justify their approach . ` this is because not advertising or only advertising in a very limited way may stop people with a particular protected characteristic finding out about a job , which could count as worse treatment ' . and former cabinet minister james purnell was offered the # 295,000 job of director of strategy and digital have previously worked at the bbc as head of corporate planning from 1995 to 1997 under former director general lord birt , a friend of lord hall . tim davie was acting director general during the savile crisis and was then became ceo of bbc worldwide and director global , on # 400,000 , earning # 670,000 in total last year . it came after it emerged the bbc pays 11 of its most senior bosses twice as much as the prime minister and a further 80 executives take home more than david cameron 's # 142,500-a-year salary . conservative mp philip davies , who sits on the commons culture , media and sport select committee , said : ` the bbc is a self-serving old boys ' network . ` the bbc has recently said they have cut their senior management to the bone and there are no more savings to be made there but it 's only at the bbc where you could cut senior management to the bone and end up with more people paid more than the prime minister than before you started . ` it 's just extraordinary and goes to show how much fat there is . ` what the bbc should do is be cutting out all of these managers , most of who if they disappeared no one would notice , and start delivering some value for money to the licence fee payer . ' bosses : helen boaden was moved to director of radio in the fallout of the savile scandal while former labour mp james purnell was offered an unadvertised role . the bbc said today that it does sometimes not advertise posts to avoid expensive recruitment processes . the spokesman added that one in three of all executives are oxford or cambridge graduates , which is lower than some other sectors . she added : ` these appointments were widely reported on at the time . we appoint the best people wherever they come from . sometimes where people are uniquely suited to the role there is no need for a lengthy and costly recruitment processes . ' tony hall , director general - # 450,000 . took the top job at the bbc after being chief executive of the royal opera house . previously he ran bbc news and launched radio 5 , news 24 , bbc news online and bbc parliament . anne bulford , managing director for finance and operations - # 395,000 . lord hall appointed his former colleague to a top post at the corporation without the job being advertised . peter salmon , below right , director , england - # 387,900 . joined as a trainee in 1981 and rose to run bbc1 before taking his current role . helen boaden , below left , director , bbc radio - # 352,900 . as a result of the savile scandal , ms boaden was forced out of her previous job , head of bbc news , where she was in charge for seven years , after being criticised for her poor management skills . she was appointed bbc radio chief instead . james harding , below centre , director of news and current affairs - # 340,000 . former editor of the times newspaper , mr harding took over the post which was vacated by helen boaden . danny cohen , below right , director tv - # 327,800 . former bbc 1 controller was also in charge of bbc3 , where he commissioned snog , marry avoid and hotter than my daughter . defending his salary recently he said : ` the executives continue to be well-paid , but if we went to commercial organisations we 'd be paid roughly double ' . bal samra , commercial director - # 322,800 . also has the title of managing director tv . once claimed # 1,100 expenses on a ` thank you meal ' for 22 colleagues to mark the end of a project . ralph rivera , director , future media - # 309,000 . american-born executive is in charge of bbc interactive and bbc online . james purnell , below left , director , strategy and digital - # 295,000 . former labour mp and cabinet minister.he served as both culture and work and pensions secretary under gordon brown . mr purnell previously worked at the bbc as head of corporate planning from 1995 to 1997 under former director general lord birt . valerie hughes d'aeth , below left , director hr - # 295,000 . hr boss joined in august . alan yentob , below right , creative director - # 183,000 - plus # 150,000 for presenting role . last year yentob justified his own pay by saying he was ` valuable ' to the bbc because of his ` relationship with talent ' and ` understanding of the networks and the schedules ' .

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

the city of cleveland 's police department is set to be overhauled after federal investigators concluded that officers use excessive and unnecessary force far too often and have endangered the public and their fellow officers with their recklessness . a two-year investigation by the justice department , released on thursday , found that cleveland police use guns , tasers , ` impact weapons , ' pepper spray and their fists in excess , unnecessarily or in retaliation . in some cases unnecessary force was ` in violation of the fourth amendment of the constitution , ' claimed the report . u.s. attorney general eric holder , right , appeared at a news conference thursday to announce the findings along with cleveland police chief calvin williams , left , and cleveland mayor frank jackson , center . officers also use excessive force on those ` who are mentally ill or in crisis , ' the justice department said . accountability , or the lack thereof , was a reoccurring theme of the report . of the period reviewed , 2010-2013 , the investigation found that officers were suspended on only six occasions for improper use of force . ` discipline is so rare that no more than 51 officers out of a sworn force of 1,500 were disciplined in any fashion in connection with a use of force incident over a three-and-a half-year period , ' the report said . more disturbing was an admission by investigators carrying out reports into the use of deadly force that they always sought to show the officer involved in the best possible light . ` deeply troubling to us was that some of the specially trained investigators who are charged with conducting unbiased reviews of officers ' use of deadly force admitted to us that they conduct their investigations with the goal of casting the accused officer in the most positive light possible , ' said the report . last week , hundreds of people blocked a cleveland freeway at rush hour to protest those killings and the fatal shooting of tamir rice , a black 12-year-old boy , by a white officer outside a cleveland recreation center . cleveland mayor frank jackson and the u.s. justice department signed an agreement on thursday that said both sides will work toward the appointment of a court-appointed monitor to oversee reform . ` we understand the progress we seek will not come over night , ' attorney general eric holder said at a press conference to announce the findings . the justice department found a systemic pattern of reckless and inappropriate use of force by officers and cited concerns about search-and-seizure practices . jackson was among those who asked the department to conduct the inquiry . it also said officers frequently violated people 's civil rights because of faulty tactics , inadequate training and a lack of supervision and accountability . officers ' excessive use of force has created deep mistrust in cleveland , especially in the black community , the report concluded . ` we saw too many incidents in which officers accidentally shot someone either because they fired their guns accidentally or because they shot the wrong person , ' the report said . in november 2012 police officers fired 137 shots into a car killing 43-year-old driver timothy russell , left , and 30-year-old passenger malissa williams in the parking lot of a suburban middle school . the federal investigation was prompted by several highly publicized police encounters , chiefly the deaths of two unarmed people who were fatally wounded when police officers fired 137 shots into their car at the end of a high-speed pursuit in november 2012 . in that incident , the justice department said , police began chasing timothy russell and passenger malissa williams after officers and witnesses thought they heard a gunshot coming from their car as they drove by a court building . the report said it now appears that what they heard was the car backfiring . more than 100 officers engaged in a chase of the two unarmed suspects in violation of division policy . after a 25-minute chase that reached speeds of more than 100 mph and ended in an east cleveland school parking lot , 13 officers fired 137 rounds hitting russell and williams more than 20 times each , the report said . ` the officers , who were firing on the car from all sides , reported believing that they were being fired at by the suspects . it now appears that those shots were being fired by fellow officers , ' the justice department wrote . a two-year investigation by the justice department , released on thursday , found that cleveland police use guns , tasers , ` impact weapons , ' pepper spray and their fists in excess , unnecessarily or in retaliation . the report comes amid inflamed tensions between police and residents in several cities where white officers have killed young blacks , including in new york city and ferguson , missouri . all those events have raised urgent national questions about the sense of trust between police and communities , holder said . last week , hundreds of people blocked a cleveland freeway at rush hour to protest those killings and the fatal shooting of tamir rice , a black 12-year-old boy , by a white officer outside a cleveland recreation center . cleveland police chief calvin williams has defended rice 's shooting , saying he reached for an air pistol that was ` indistinguishable from a real firearm . ' the justice department has opened civil rights investigations into the practices of some 20 police departments in the past five years , and it is reviewing both the ferguson police department and the chokehold death of eric garner , an unarmed black man in new york city . it 's also currently enforcing more than a dozen agreements to overhaul police department practices nationwide . the report comes amid inflamed tensions between police and residents in several cities where white officers have killed young blacks , including in new york city and ferguson , missouri , -lrb- pictured above -rrb- . ` we have seen in city after city where we have engaged that meaningful change is possible , ' holder said . cleveland and the justice department will begin negotiating an agreement that will be submitted to a federal judge outlining the scope of reforms , to include the appointment of an independent monitor . a joint statement signed by city and federal officials said cleveland 's mayor , safety director and police chief ` will always retain full authority ' to run the police department . jackson said on thursday that the city disagreed with some of the facts and conclusion in the report , but he did not dispute the overall findings . the report notes that the justice department first looked at cleveland officers ' use of deadly force in 2002 and that an agreement was reached two years later on how such policies would be changed . there was no court order or independent monitor assigned then . the justice department began its investigation in march 2013 and reviewed nearly 600 use-of-force incidents - both lethal and not - that occurred between 2010 and 2013 . the report notes that cleveland police officials did not provide many of the documents sought by federal investigators . cleveland police chief calvin williams said the details of the 58-page report were difficult to hear . ` people of this city need to know we will work to make the police department better , ' he said .

<s> two-year investigation , released on thursday , found that cleveland police use guns , tasers , ` impact weapons , ' pepper spray and their fists in excess . </s> <s> in some cases unnecessary force was ` in violation of the fourth amendment of the constitution , ' claimed the justice department . </s> <s> of the period reviewed , 2010-2013 , the investigation found that officers were suspended on only six occasions for improper use of force . </s> <s> more disturbing was an admission that reports into the use of deadly force always sought to show the officer involved in the best possible light . </s>

there were nearly 6,000 victims of sexual assault in the u.s. military this year , up eight per cent from last year , according to a new study . the pentagon report , based on an anonymous survey and shared with the associated press , also found that retaliation remains an ongoing problem in stern military culture that emphasizes rank , loyalty and strength . indeed , 60per cent of the women who reported some type of unwanted sexual contact complained about social backlash from co-workers or other service members . scroll down for video . ongoing problem : there were nearly 6,000 victims of sexual assault in the u.s. military this year , up eight per cent from last year , according to a new study . senator kirsten gillibrand , d-n.y. , a leading advocate for improvements in protecting victims of sexual assault , pointed to the retaliation figures as troubling . ` for a year now we have heard how the reforms in the previous defense bill were going to protect victims , and make retaliation a crime , ' she said . ` it should be a screaming red flag to everyone when 62per cent of those who say they reported a crime were retaliated against - nearly two-thirds - the exact same number as last year . ' under fire from congress , pentagon leaders and the white house , the military services have launched programs to encourage reporting , provide better care for victims , step up prosecutions and urge troops to intervene when they see others in threatening situations . ` pending the report 's public release thursday , assuming news accounts are correct - reporting of assaults being up and incidents of assault being down are exactly the combination we 're looking for . ` i 'm sure there 's more work to do , and i 'm anxious to hear how victims feel about the services and support offered to them when they report an assault , ' said senator claire mccaskill , d-mo . in may , defense secretary chuck hagel declared sexual assaults as a ` clear threat ' to service members and he ordered a number of new initiatives , including the review of alcohol sales and policies . he said the review must address the risks of alcohol being used as a tool by predators to ply a victim with drinks before attacking . speaking out : in may , defense secretary chuck hagel declared sexual assaults as a ` clear threat ' to service members and he ordered a number of new initiatives , including the review of alcohol sales and policies . according to the new pentagon survey , some of that may be taking hold . officials said an overwhelming majority of those who filled out the survey said they took action to prevent an assault when they saw a risky situation . the services also created hotlines , plastering phone numbers and contact information for sexual assault prevention officers across military bases , including inside the doors of bathroom stalls . and they expanded sexual assault prevention training , hired victims ' advocates and response coordinators , and have tried to curtail drinking , which is often a factor in assaults . the new report comes as congress continues to press for an overhaul of the military justice system to change the way that sexual assault cases are handled . defense officials discussed the results with the white house on tuesday and were expected to release the reports publicly on thursday . the pentagon cites the spike in sexual assault cases as increased trust in the military justice system . according to the latest report , one in four victims of sexual assault reported the crime in 2014 compared to one in ten two years ago .

<s> the new pentagon report was based on an anonymous survey . </s> <s> it found that retaliation remains an ongoing problem in stern military culture which emphasizes rank , loyalty and strength . </s> <s> in may , defense secretary chuck hagel declared sexual assaults as a ` clear threat ' to service members and he ordered a number of new initiatives , including the review of alcohol sales and policies . </s>

it was a battle of claw versus jaw , but the king of the jungle reigned supreme in his battle against a crocodile . the two killing-machines fought over feeding rights at a kenyan river in samburu , africa after the crocodile tried to take the lion 's lunch - a dead elephant . the lion was among a pride that was about to eat the elephant when the crocodile crawled up and tried to take a bite . the lions then began to drive the beast away by clawing and biting at the armoured reptile 's legs . jaws versus claws : the lion and the crocodile square-off at a kenyan river in samburu , africa , after the reptile tries to take the big cat 's lunch . paws for thought : the lion lifts one of its paws and prepares to strike the crocodile which lunges forward baring its teeth . eventually the crocodile retreated to the safety of the deeper waters . photographer hung ta , 50 , captured the battle unfolding . he said : ` for a while there was a mexican standoff with neither making the first move but i believe the lion was fearing for the safety of its cubs and made the first move . ` it was n't long before other lions moved in and began to claw and bite at the legs of the crocodile all the while making sure to stay clear of its huge jaws . dine in , but not takeaway : the lions guard the dead elephant and appear to be looking towards the water cautious of the crocodiles intentions . lowest of the low : the crocodile slides along on its belly as a young lion hovers on the waters edge , keen to deter it from lunging futher . fancy a pedicure ? the lion nips at the reptiles claws as it thrashes about in pain , trying to edge back into the safety of the water . two on one : an adult lion and a young cub leap at the crocodile whose open mouth looks big enough to swallow them whole . back you go : a lion bites the soft underside of the reptile , left , as another stands on its back and attempts to push it away . on your tail : the crocodile seems to acknowledge defeat as three lions straddle its rear quarters and force it back into the water . ` the crocodile actually tried to get closer for a second time but was soon overwhelmed so it backed off . ' mr hung said it was ` amazing ' to watch the fight . he said : ` it 's not very often these two predators fight and neither animal underestimated its opponent . '

<s> a pride of lions were trying to eat a dead elephant when they noticed a crocodile had taken an interest in their meal . </s> <s> the crocodile then crawled out of the kenyan river and tried to challenge the pride for a nibble of their kill . </s> <s> hung ta who witnessed the fight said the lions clawed and bit at the reptile 's legs while carefully avoiding its jaws . </s>

a 1962 nobel prize for the discovery of the structure of dna has sold at auction for $ 4.7 million , a world auction record for any nobel prize . christie 's says the gold medal won by james watson was purchased yesterday by a buyer who wished to remain anonymous . the new york city auction house says it 's the first nobel medal to be offered at auction by a living recipient . watson made the 1953 discovery with francis crick and maurice wilkins . the 1962 nobel prize won by james watson for the discovery of the structure of dna has sold at auction for $ 4.7 million , a world auction record for any nobel prize . watson 's 1962 nobel prize medal for his role in the discovery of the structure of dna . watson made the 1953 discovery with francis crick and maurice wilkins ; crick 's medal sold in 2004 for $ 2.2 million . crick 's nobel prize sold last year at heritage auctions for $ 2.2 million . he died in 2004 . watson had a very public fall from grace in 2007 , at the age of 79 , after he began making racist and sexiest remarks in the media . the comments led to him being shunned from the scientific community as well as the general public . he told one sunday paper he was ` inherently gloomy ' about the prospect of africa because ` all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours -- whereas all the testing says not really . ' watson went on to say the divide in intelligence had also been witnessed by people who had black employees . later defending the comments , he said he was not ' a racist in a conventional way ' . watson meeting former prime minister tony blair at a reception in downing street in april 2003 . a short time later watson was fired from his position as chancellor at cold spring harbour laboratory . he was also said to have been relieved of his position on a number of boards , and to have not given any public lectures since . but his downfall ca n't only be contributed to his comments on africa . he has talked-down rosalind franklin 's contribution to the work on dna and even said women are n't ` as effective ' at science as men . part of the proceeds from the sale will go to the university of chicago , clare college cambridge , cold spring harbor laboratory , long island land trust and other charities .

<s> james watson made the discovery with francis crick and maurice wilkins . </s> <s> crick 's award sold at auction last year for $ 2.2 million . </s> <s> watson fell from grace in 2007 after making racist and sexist remarks . </s>

the average british man has grown over the past 60 years and is now taller and heavier than his fifties counterpart . in 1954 , a typical british male was just over 5ft 7in tall , weighed 11st 6lbs and had a chest of 37 inches and a waist of 34 inches . he wore size seven shoes , had a collar size of 14 . then and now : in 1954 , a typical british male was just over 5ft 7in tall and weighed 11st 6lbs , like marlon brando , left . today , brad pitt typifies the body shape of mr average , at 5ft 9in , weighing just over 12st . but over the past 60 years the shape has changed significantly and 1950s men would sit in the shadow of modern men . today , the average man is 5ft 9in , weighs 12st 6lbs and has a chest of 42in and a waist of 37in . he wears size nine shoes , has a collar size of 16 . as well as being larger , modern man is also stronger and healthier with a life expectancy of 79 - 11 years more than the average life expectancy for a man in the fifties . the changing shape is perfectly demonstrated by fifties movie star star marlon brando and current hollywood a-lister brad pitt . healthier : brad pitt represents the average modern man and can expect to live 11 years longer than his fifties counterpart . at 5ft 9in , pitt typifies the body shape of the modern mr average - weighing just over 12st with a 43 inch chest . his 1954 equivalent was marlon brando , who starred in on the waterfront in the same year . brando was 5ft 7in and weighed just over 11st in his heyday . he had a much less muscular physique than modern movie stars . oliver tezcan , chief executive of online menswear brand , the idle man , which researched data on changing body shapes from government statistics said the fashion industry has had to adapt fast to the changing shape of mr average . not so macho : men in the fifties , as portrayed in tv show mad men , were shorter and less muscular than men in 2014 . measuring up : men today have a 37in waist on average compared to 34 in in 1954 . he said : ` it is extraordinary how much mr average has changed in the last 60 years . he has gone from being what we might consider a bit of wimp these days into a taller , more rugged muscleman . ` that has presented real challenges for designers and fashion brands . ` it means that suits are being cut in a completely different way to reflect this changing body shape , with much bigger sizes in the upper body . ` collar sizes have gone up markedly to reflect modern man 's much more muscular neck . ' tezcan said that 2014 's mr average was far more body conscious than his 1954 equivalent . he added : ` he is likely to exercise at least twice a week and eat and drink about a quarter more than he did in the fifties - consuming 2,500 calories a day compared to 2,000 calories back then . ' difference in 60 years : men have grown taller , heavier and wider but will now live for longer . 33 per cent of homes had a washing machine . 10 per cent of homes had a telephone . average wage was # 10 a week . life expectancy was 68 years for men and 71 for women . 96 per cent of homes have a washing machine . 72 per cent of us have smartphones . average wage is # 509 . life expectancy for men is 79 years and 83 years for women .

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

a female teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with her 17-year-old student after she was dobbed in by her husband . the 44-year-old woman was arrested at her home in st marys , in sydney 's west , on tuesday and was taken to penrith police station . it is understood the woman 's husband found out about her alleged sexual relationship with the male teenager and reported his wife to police , the daily telegraph reported . a female teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with her 17-year-old student . the woman was granted conditional bail to appear at penrith local court -lrb- pictured -rrb- on monday 19 january . police also searched the year 11 student 's home and took a number of items . the 44-year-old was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse with a child between 16 and 18 under special care . the woman was granted conditional bail to appear at penrith local court on monday 19 january 2015 . she has been suspended from her role as teacher at a western sydney high school . a nsw education spokesman said the department has removed the teacher from the school . it is understood the woman 's husband found out about her alleged sexual relationship with the male teenager and reported his wife to police . ` she will be placed on alternative duties away from all students , ' he said . ` counselling has been offered to the student involved . ` as the matter is before the courts , it is not appropriate to comment further at this time . ' the nsw department of education and communities code of conduct states teachers can not have sexual relationships with students , consensual or otherwise . ` it is irrelevant whether the relationship is homosexual or heterosexual , consensual or non-consensual or condoned by parents or caregivers , ' it states . ` the age of the students or staff member involved is also irrelevant . ' sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .

<s> female teacher arrested at her home in st marys , in sydney 's west . </s> <s> police attended the year 11 student 's home and took a number of items . </s> <s> teacher will appear at penrith local court on monday 19 january 2015 . </s> <s> she has been suspended from her role as teacher at a high school . </s>

a michigan man is celebrating the return of his 2.5 ton footbridge after it was allegedly stolen from his property . robert cortis of farmington hills told abc news that he was ` very sad ' and 'em otionally lost ' when he discovered the 40-foot steel and wood structure had disappeared . however , one day after he filed a report , the garden feature was found by police in belleville , about 20 miles away from its original location . reunited : robert cortis of farmington hills told abc news that he was ` very sad ' and 'em otionally lost ' when he discovered the 40-foot steel and wood structure had disappeared . back in the day : cortis ' bridge in action during the nineties . cortis says he discovered the bridge was missing when he stopped by his property near 8 mile road with plans to move it this week . he wanted to re-install it at his catering business and use it for taking wedding photos . cortis says the bridge has sentimental value because his father built it and it has spanned the taribussi creek for about 25 years . when he saw it had gone , cortis launched an appeal online . of value : cortis feared the it 40-foot-long , six-foot-wide and seven-foot-tall bridge , weighing between 5,000 to 10,000 , had been taken by scrap metal thieves . with an estimated value of $ 50,000 to $ 75,000 it also could have also been cleaned up and sold on . he feared the 40-foot-long , six-foot-wide and seven-foot-tall bridge , weighing between 5,000 to 10,000 , had been taken by scrap metal thieves . with an estimated value of $ 50,000 to $ 75,000 , it also could have also been sold on the black market . talking about the unusual crime on local television this week , cortis said : ' i was very , very sad and emotionally lost . ` it had a lot of sentimental value to us so i wanted to use it in a good way that would kind of be a tribute to my dad . ' talking about the unusual crime , on local television , cortis said : ' i was very , very sad and emotionally lost ' the detroit news says police on thursday found the bridge and it appeared undamaged . there was no word of suspects . cortis shared the happy news on facebook and posted pictures of the recovered bridge . ' i still do n't understand how someone steals a bridge , ' one bemused friend said .

<s> robert cortis of farmington hills said he was ` very sad ' and 'em otionally lost ' when he discovered the 40-foot steel structure had disappeared . </s> <s> however , one day after he filed a report , the garden feature was found by police in belleville , about 20 miles away from its original location . </s> <s> there 's currently no word of suspects . </s>

a high-flying wife who ` sacrificed ' her career to be a homemaker has won the chance of a bigger slice of her ex-husband 's multi-million-pound fortune . career woman , julia hammans , 55 , was once finance director of high-end retailer , dickins & jones , but gave up the board room for nappy changing . she married top accountant , nicholas hammans , in 1983 , and stayed at home with the children whilst his career flourished . mrs hammans said he sometimes earned over # 900,000-a-year as a partner in pricewaterhousecoopers and is now worth up to # 11 million . former high-flying career woman julia hammans , 55 , and her ex husband nicholas , a top pricewaterhousecoopers accountancy executive , are pictured outisde london 's appeal court where judges have ordered a rehearing of her divorce settlement case . and mrs hammans fiercely objected after a family judge ruled in march that an # 80,000 income for her was ` generous ' . although she had # 1 million in savings , she said the judge 's order would force her to ` downsize ' from her # 1.75 million west london home . now appeal court judges have ordered a rehearing of her case , after accepting that she ` arguably ' suffered ` discrimination ' . lord justice ryder said it was right that mrs hammans should be ` compensated ' for the glittering career she had lost . the court heard the couple , both in their 50s , split in 2004 and their divorce was finalised in august the following year . mrs hammans who appealed a divorce court order that she must sell her # 1.75 m six-bedroom home in twickenham -lrb- pictured -rrb- to provide herself with an income , arguing that her multi-millionaire former husband should give her ` compensation ' for having ` sacrificed ' her career . she was awarded # 1.37 million of the marital assets and he received about # 1.2 million . mr hammans , 54 , also paid his ex maintenance of # 90,000-a-year before that was upped by agreement to # 150,000 in 2007 . but the court heard he now wants to retire for personal reasons and had asked the family judge to capitalise his wife 's entitlement into a one-off lump sum . in march , mr justice coleridge rejected mrs hammans ' claim for up to # 2.6 million and awarded her just # 400,000 . he said that , together with her savings and the # 500,000 she could make from downsizing her home , would give her a ` generous ' # 80,000-a-year income . at the appeal court , mrs hammans ' lawyers argued that was discriminatory and nowhere near enough to compensate her for the loss of her career . allowing her appeal , lord justice ryder said a fresh hearing was needed to ensure a fair distribution of assets between the former couple . ` to do otherwise is to discriminate against the wife because she is not the income earner ' , he told the court . mrs hammans , 55 , was once finance director of high-end retailer dickins & jones -lrb- pictured -rrb- but gave up the board room for nappy changing . forcing her to downsize from her six-bedroom home , in order to boost her income , was ` arguably discriminatory . ' the ex-couple 's assets , income and needs had to be analysed in a more ` sophisticated ' way to avoid any discrimination against mrs hammans , he concluded . the dispute was sent back to the high court family division for reconsideration by a different judge . 1983 : julia hammans , a finance director for department store dickens and jones marries accountant nicholas hammans . 1989 : mrs hammans becomes pregnant and the couple ` agree ' she will give up work . 2005 : the couple divorce , mrs hammans is awarded the # 1.75 million family home , as part of a larger settlement.march . 2014 : after mrs hammans requests a further # 2.6 million from her ex-husband , a the family judge at the high court rules mr hammans should pay just # 400,000 . he says the # 400,000 sum , plus money from the sale of the house and interest on her # 1million savings , would produce around # 2million - giving her the # 80,000-a-year he said she needed to live on . october 2014 : at the court of appeal , mrs hammans argues she deserves # 2.2 million , in addition to the # 400,000 , and should be free to keep her house . mrs hammans ' solicitor , divorce partner simon preston of stewarts law , said following the decision : ` our client is happy that the courts continue to recognise that she sacrificed her career so her husband could progress with his . ' she feels it is only right and fair that her compensation should reflect that sacrifice . ` julia hopes her case will encourage other divorcing spouses in similar circumstances to look closely at their own situation and any offers on the table . ` we welcome the judgement of the court and the emphasis on the need for courts dealing with cases of this kind to properly address the question of compensation for spouses who have sacrificed careers for the benefit of their families . ' although mr and mrs hammans earned similar salaries , it was she who gave up work to care for the children , now aged in their 20s . she had sacrificed ' a serious professional career ' and , although she made a little by working as a counsellor , had a negligible earning capacity after so many years away from the office . by contrast , mr hammans , as the family 's sole bread-winner , went on to carve out a career as a tax specialist and one of the most successful men in his profession . the couple had enjoyed a high standard of living on the husband 's ` very big earnings ' until they split after 21 years of marriage . following the divorce , mrs hammans received the edwardian family home , in cole park road , twickenham , middlesex , now worth # 1.75 million . desperate to stay there , she particularly objected to the judge 's view that she should sell it , buy a smaller home and add the capital to her savings pot . mr hammans also lives in a # 1m-plus house in twickenham , as well as enjoying a holiday home in paris , and the court heard he earned # 800,000 last year . although the ex-couple 's children had ` flown the nest ' , mrs hammans ' lawyers insisted she deserves to live a similar ` affluent ' lifestyle to her former husband .

<s> julia hammans was finance director of high-end retailer dickins & jones . </s> <s> the 55-year-old gave up her career when she married nicholas hammans . </s> <s> top accountant at pricewaterhousecoopers , nicholas , is worth up to # 11m . </s> <s> judge ruled in march that an # 80,000 income a year for her was ` generous ' </s> <s> she claimed it would force her to downsize her # 1.75 m twickenham home . </s> <s> appeal court judges have now ordered a rehearing of her case . </s>

a foreign currency trader accused of masterminding a # 5.5 m fraud to fund his playboy lifestyle was dubbed ` king popper ' after he sprayed # 32,000 worth of champagne at revellers in a nightclub . alex hope , 25 , allegedly concocted the # 5.5 m ponzi fraud which he used to fund his gambling habit and penchant for spending tens of thousands of pounds on champagne at exclusive nightclubs , southwark crown court heard . the former catering manager racked up a bill of # 2m in just 13 months after visiting the clubs , buying large bottles of champagne and going to an exclusive mayfair casino . prosecutors described hope 's spending - which included splashing out almost # 50,000 on a single bottle of champagne on one occasion - as ` eye-watering ' . today jurors were shown a video of his alleged activities . scroll down for video . alex hope was dubbed ` king popper ' after he allegedly sprayed # 32,000 worth of champagne in a club in london . the former catering manager is accused of masterminding a # 5.5 m ponzi-style fraud . a video of the champagne spray event shows dozens of bottles of champagne which revellers spray on each other . hope features in the six-minute video in a drenched blue t-shirt and black beads as champagne is sprayed . they said the amount of money he was spending must have represented part of investors ' money who had been persuaded to invest in his scheme after he offered huge returns . hope reinvented himself as a currency markets expert and was promoted by raj von badlo as a talented trader and financial whizzkid , it is claimed . von badlo has already admitted enticing people into fraud and making misleading statements . the 25-year-old set himself up as a successful forex and currency trader , promising investors huge returns on cash funnelled into his scheme . in just 13 months he managed to take # 5.5 m . but many of his investors lost considerable sums of money - including jamaican international footballer marvin elliott who lost # 50,000 . he is accused of running the scheme in a ` ponzi fashion ' - using new investors ' funds to pay off those who wanted to leave it . the court heard that on one evening alone he spent # 32,000 at the five-star grange hotel near st paul 's cathedral earning him the title ` king popper ' . prosecutor sarah clarke said : ` according to the receipts he managed to spend about # 32,000 in one night in february 2012 at something called the champagne spray event . ` the was an event that was organised where people could go to this hotel and buy bottles of champagne and , in effect , spray them over each other . ' in a video shown to the jury hope is seen wearing a drenched blue t-shirt and black beads as dozens of bottles of expensive champagne are sprayed around the room by revellers . and in a further example of excessive spending hope spent almost # 50,000 on a midas sized bottle of champagne while partying at the playground hilton in liverpool . hope has been accused of masterminding the ponzi style fraud to fund his champagne and playboy lifestyle . ` mr hope spent # 45,987 in one night , and the lion 's share of that went on this bottle , this midas sized bottle , of ace of spades champagne that was opened effectively as a publicity stunt by him , ' said ms clarke . ` the nightclub pr in fact ran up a bill of something like # 200,000 and then it was put out in the press that this high-roller spent # 200,000 in one night . ` the truth was that he only spent a mere # 45,000 , # 40,000 of that going on this bottle of champagne , ' she said . on another night he spent # 65,113 at the aura nightclub in mayfair , close to buckingham palace and the ritz . hope also funnelled just under # 1m to the palm beach casino , whose website brags it is the ` most exclusive casino in mayfair ' . between joining the casino in november 2011 and his arrest in april the following year , he visited the lavish venue 81 times , jurors heard . dozens of revellers are shown throughout the video spraying champagne and waving bottles with sparklers . he lost # 353,600 after playing games where more than # 5m was passed backwards and forwards over the table , it was said . ` what that figure does seem to suggest is that he was an extensive and prolific gambler during that period , ' said ms clarke . ` the amounts of money that were being lost ... when he lost you may think he lost big . ' but # 604,400 simply disappeared from the cash deposited with the casino , probably in cash withdrawals , and has not been traced , the court heard . ` were any of the investors told that their money was going to be put into a casino and then withdrawn in cash for it to disappear ? ' asked ms clarke . receipts unearthed at hope 's address showed just a ` snapshot ' of his allegedly wild spending . hope is shown in the video where he is interviewed and asked if he is enjoying the champagne event . ` the sums of money being spent is , the prosecution say , eye-watering and must have represented in whole or at least in very substantial part investors ' money and again you might want to ask yourselves if any of the investors were told that is what was happening to their money , ' said ms clarke . hope also treated himself to luxury trips around the world , travelling to miami , new york and dubai , jurors heard . he spent # 130,327 on a stay at beach front resort the fontainebleu in miami and racked up bills of # 38,838 on night at the cirque du soir in dubai . ms clarke added : ` the fontainebleu miami trip was not the only luxury foreign travel experience that he treated himself to during this period with , we say , the investors ' money . ` bear in mind of course this was really a relatively short period of time as well . ` we know he was enjoying them because he recorded some short films on his mobile of one particular trip he enjoyed to new york , ' she said . the video shows revellers at champagne spray , held at the five star grange hotel near st paul 's cathedral . revellers are shown soaking wet after dozens of bottles are sprayed around the room and at eachother . the video shows hope in his suite at the five-star trump soho hotel in new york . he pans around the luxurious suite and ends pointing the camera at the bed which is strewn with money and designer clothes . ` here is the bedroom , ' he says , ` just being silly , laying some money out , you can see the 50s and the 100s . ` did a little bit of shopping today as you can see , bought some ralph -lsb- lauren -rsb- , bought some trainers as well , bought some burberry ... yeah , this is me . ' other short videos taken from his mobile show him panning stacks of cash , in one he brags ` # 28,000 profit , boys ' and in a second ` # 50,000 profit , boys , ten , 20 , 30 , 40 ' before the video cuts out . nearly # 64,000 was spent on ` upper class ' travel to destinations including las vegas and new york , it is said . and the spending did not stop there , with hope allegedly using investors ' cash to fund a taste for designer clothes - particularly christian louboutin shoes and watches . hope , of canary wharf , is on trial for fraud at southwark crown court and has denied the single charge . ms clarke added : ` this gives you a snapshot of the ways in which he was enjoying himself , treating himself with investors ' money during the period of the fraud . ` his trading really was n't keeping pace with what was coming in from investors and what was going out . as the money from investors was increasing and his expenditure was increasing , in fact the amount of money that was being deposited on trading platforms in the first place was drying up to virtually nil . ' jurors heard christopher millard , a retired teacher , ploughed # 25,000 of his own money into hope 's scheme which saw him lose # 15,000 . hope promised him : ` i am a man of my word , i have never not paid anyone , let 's get that straight first and foremost . ' jamaican international footballer marvin elliott , 30 , was also drawn into the scheme . hope is pictured arriving at southwark crown court where he is on trial for fraud , which he denies . the midfielder , who plays for crawley town in football league one , handed # 50,000 to hope after he promised 50 percent returns in just three months , but lost his investment , jurors previously heard . ms clarke said hope told a ` pack of lies ' and added his trading was ` spectacularly unsuccessful ' . van badlo , who does not appear in the dock with hope , acted as the ` promoter ' for the fund . he used pr companies to present hope as a ` talented and successful trader ' , drawing # 4,292,000 into the alleged scam.the pair also allegedly blew # 3,000 a month of client 's cash on publicity provided by london pr firm full portion media , jurors heard . hope set himself up as a successful forex and currency trader , promising investors huge returns on cash funnelled into his scheme . through his deception , he took an ` eye-watering ' # 5.5 m in just 13 months , between march 2011 and 3 april 2012 , jurors heard . ` the truth was this was not a successful trading scheme , in fact it was n't a trading scheme really at all - it was a fraud , ' said ms clarke . ` mr hope was not a successful trader , investors funds were in fact paid into his personal bank account and they were used by him as his personal piggy bank , ' said ms clarke . hope was allegedly using new investors ' funds to pay off those who wanted to leave the scheme , in the classic ponzi fashion . hope has admitted violating city rules which state he must have a licence from to work on behalf of others , although he is allowed to trade currency for his own profit . after suspicions around his forex fund grew , the financial services authority intervened and arrested him . hope , of canary wharf , east london , denies one charge of fraud . he has pleaded guilty to carrying on a regulated activity when not an authorised by the fsa . von badlo , of buckinghamshire , admitted making misleading statements and communicating an invitation or inducement to encourage investment activity following the collapse of the first trial . jurors were told this is a retrial and that jurors at the first trial were discharged before retiring to consider their verdicts . the trial continues . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .

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

a designer is turning roadkill into high-end fashion in an attempt to prove that it is possible to source cruelty-free fur . patricia paquin , the vermont-based founder of fashion label petite mort , picks up discarded animal carcasses from the side of the road and turns the skins into a variety of beautiful fur accessories , from leg warmers to hand muffs which are all made to measure and range in price from $ 380 to $ 1,000 . ` it 's so much a part of everyday life to see these animals , ' paquin told modern farmer of her decision to start working with roadkill . ` who of us does n't look away ? you do n't want to see it because when you fully soak in the meaning of what happened , it 's emotionally draining . ' ` it 's ethical ' : designer pamela paquin uses roadkill carcasses to create her designs in order to prove that it is possible to source ethical fur . and while some might be shocked at paquin 's slightly bizarre choice of materials , she points out that more than seven times as many animals die as a result of being hit by a car every year , than are killed for their fur each year . according to culture change , 1 million animals a day are killed by cars - or 365 million a year - in comparison to the 50 million which die as a result of fashion 's ever-present need for fur . ` the scale of it is so overwhelming -- you ca n't possibly wrap your head around the suffering that went into those numbers , ' paquin added . so high are america 's roadkill numbers , that there has been a serious increase in the number of people turning to discarded roadside carcasses as a cheap source of meat . last year saw a surge in ` roadkill cuisine ' which is being marketed by experts as the ` ethical way to eat meat ' . when it comes to fashion , however , paquin 's set-up is completely unique , and something which has been years in the making . cash for carcasses : pamela 's custom-made designs range in price from $ 380 to $ 1,000 . having finally decided to take the plunge and set up her business - after returning to the us following a seven-year stint living and working in denmark - paquin turned to a local taxidermist in vermont , who taught her how to skin the discarded animals . ` we both had a shot of whiskey , i put some peppermint oil under my nose , and we found a branch in the woods to hang this thing from , ' she said of her first experience skinning an animal - a raccoon which she had found at the side of the road . ` it was super intense . ' while the process of preparing the furs might seem slightly brutal , paquin 's love and respect for animals is evident . drawing on her native american heritage , the designer blesses each body with a prayer to honor the animal spirit , before returning them to nature , leaving the animals in the woods near her studio . ` it was super intense ' : pamela asked a local taxidermist to teach her how to skin the animals properly . and it seems that the fashion industry is staring to cotton on to the idea of ethical fur ; paquin 's business is booming and orders for her bespoke roadkill designs are coming in thick and fast . thus far , she has fashioned everything from hats to gloves out of her roadkill furs , marking each one with a specially-designed silver disc so that they know it is a one-of-a-kind , ethical product . ` people need to look at the fur and say okay , that 's petite mort , it 's an ethical fur , ' she says of the distinctive label .

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

a world leader in aging research has died aged 73 following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer . dr stephen coles spent his career studying the reasons why supercentenarians - or those who live to 110 or more - survived as long as they did . the longtime university of california los angeles professor died wednesday in scottsdale , arizona , and his body is set to be cryopreserved in the hope of future revival . pioneer : dr stephen coles , a world leader in aging research has died aged 73 , following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer . he is survived by his wife natalie , daughter electra mcburnie , and one granddaughter , cailyn mcburnie . coles ' colleagues described him as a pioneer in the field of gerontology . his aim was to learn how to slow ` and ultimately reverse ' human aging within 20 years by studying the genomes and dna of the world 's oldest living human beings . he conducted much of his work through the gerontology research group , which he founded in 1990 and printed more than 100 scientific journals . robert young , who worked with coles for 15 years , said that the scientist believed the primary driver of longevity was biological and not caused by the environment . ` he had 110-year-olds , and they smoked cigarettes , ' young said . ` not that it 's ok to do bad things , but that the people who lived longest are the ones who had biological predisposition for living the longest . ' john adams , another colleague , said coles was an outgoing person with various interests . ` although the effects of the chemotherapy and the treatments were debilitating , he remained mentally sharp . i was amazed at his strength and resilience , ' adams said . coles married his second wife , natalie , in 2007 and the two worked together on scientific research . coles lived in los angeles but was in arizona toward the end of his life so he could be put in cryopreservation when he died . he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on christmas eve , 2012 and underwent surgery to remove the tumor . however , ultimately treatment was unsuccessful .

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

archbishop welby -lrb- pictured -rrb- said the abuse stemmed from a time when television did not ` make too much fuss ' about the sexual exploitation of children . the archbishop of canterbury said today that the television industry condoned an era of ` nightmare ' child abuse . the most reverend justin welby said the church of england is trying to clear up the legacy of an age in which the sexual abuse of children was considered ` relatively acceptable ' in an interview in which he spoke about the church 's efforts to deal with past abuse by its own clergy , the archbishop said the crimes stemmed from the time when television and organisations in other areas did not ` make too much fuss ' about the sexual exploitation of children . his charge against the television industry follows a two-year period in which a number of former bbc stars have been accused of serious sexual offences and the corporation has come under fierce criticism for its failure to curb the criminal excesses of some of its heavily-promoted celebrities . jimmy savile , once a children 's tv presenter highly-prized by the bbc , has been exposed since his death in 2011 as one of the country 's most prolific paedophiles . rolf harris is serving a five years and nine months prison sentence for sexually assaulting four girls , and former disc jockey dave lee travis was given a three-month suspended sentence in september for a 1995 assault on a 22-year-old television researcher . the archbishop told cnn : ` the biggest issue for us is the legacy of vast abuse in the days when in , if i may say so , also , television and all kinds of areas , it was considered relatively acceptable . ` we , you know , so-and-so was known to be a bit dodgy , but nobody made too much fuss . ` we 've gone through every file , back file of every living clergy person in the church of england and looked for any signs that there was a problem and followed them up where there was . ' archbishop welby spoke to christiane amanpour in the wake of a damaging report on abuse in the church of england and the humiliation of one of its most senior clergy , former archbishop of york lord hope . archbishop welby -lrb- pictured -rrb- said the church gone through all its files on living clergy to check for any signs of offending against children . following his death , jimmy savile -lrb- pictured left -rrb- was revealed to be one of the country 's worst paedophiles , while children 's entertainer rolf harris -lrb- right -rrb- is serving a prison sentence for sexually assaulting four girls . lord hope surrendered his position as a bishop in the diocese of bradford at the end of october after a judge found he had protected a senior paedophile priest , the very reverend robert waddington , from exposure , investigation and prosecution . waddington , who rose to become dean of manchester , in charge of the city 's cathedral , was a lifelong paedophile who had attracted complaints in every decade from the 1950s . it suggested the suicide in 1989 of a former carlisle choirboy may have been connected to abuse by waddington in the 1970s , and it said a complaint laid against waddington by manchester cathedral 's organist in 1989 was ignored . former dean of manchester robert waddington died in 2007 . he had been accused of abusing seven different victims between 1955 and 1996 . but lord hope deflected queries about waddington , wrongly told other bishops that waddington was too sick to carry out any further abuse , and allowed him to continue taking services and befriending choristers at york minster . in another case the bishop of gloucester , the right reverend michael perham , was questioned by police in august over indecent assault allegations dating back to the early 1980s involving a woman and a girl . police said in october that there will be no charges . bishop perham ` stepped back ' from clerical duties earlier this year . in 2011 a review by retired senior judge lady elizabeth butler-sloss said the church had failed to take allegations of abuse in sussex seriously . a bishop apologised for his diocese 's failure to stop the activities of two paedophile priests . archbishop welby said in the cnn interview his realisation of the extent to which things had been covered up was the most traumatic part of his job . he said that new allegations of abuse are now instantly reported to police and council children 's services . the archbishop also repeated his warnings to politicians not to turn immigration into a menace , warning there was a danger of simply using language that appealed to emotion .

<s> most reverend justin welby said the tv industry ` condoned ' era of abuse . </s> <s> he said the church of england is still trying to clear up legacy of offending . </s> <s> it follows accusations that bbc stars were engaged in sexual crimes . </s> <s> jimmy savile exposed as one of the country 's most prolific paedophiles . </s> <s> very reverend robert waddington was also a lifelong offender . </s> <s> the archbishop said : ` the biggest issue for us is the vast legacy of abuse ' </s> <s> the church has gone through files of clergy to look for signs of offending . </s>

a team of west coast chefs celebrated thanksgiving in an over-the-top way by creating a protein monstrosity that makes the decadent turducken seem practically austere by comparison . the epic , artery-clogging roast beast , which was served up at bourbon steak and pub in santa clara , california , on thanksgiving day , combined in itself seven different types of protein all mounted on a massive rotisserie and cooked to greasy perfection . the meaty menace , which has been given the moniker ` lambpigcow ' on twitter , was made up of 24 quail ; 12 chickens ; 8 ducks ; 6 turkeys ; 2 lambs ; a pig and a blanket-size side of wagyu beef butterflied open to wrap all the other ingredients . not your grandma 's thanksgiving dinner : bourbon steak and pub restaurant in santa clara , california , cooked up this meaty monstrosity dubbed the roast beat for thanksgiving last week . meat madness : the culinary madmen combined 24 quails ; 12 chickens ; 8 ducks ; 6 turkeys ; 2 lambs ; a pig and a blanket-size side of wagyu beef for the gargantuan dish . unusual cooking tools : the colossal meat course was bundled with a 20-foot metal garden fence . burning at the stake : the cooks required a huge rotisserie to cook the meaty beast to perfection . to keep everything in place during the hours-long roasting process , the mad culinary geniuses at the santa clara eatery bundled the colossal meat course with a 20-foot metal garden fence , secured it in place with eight stainless steel clamps , and mounted it on an enormous rotisserie . besides the various layers of poultry and meat , the beastly creation also included chestnut and turkey sausage stuffing . the mastermind behind the epic dish was seattle chef david varley , formerly of bourbon steak and pub , who returned to his old haunt last week to oversee the creation of the gargantuan roast . varley 's seattle restaurant , rn17 , and bourbon steak and pub located at the san francisco 49ers ' levi 's stadium , are both owned by chef and restaurateur michael mina . meat blanket : the staff butterflied open a side of beef and rubbed it down with spices before using it as a wrap for all the other ingredients . fowl play : pictured here are a pair of stuffed quail on a bed of butterflied chickens and ducks . handymen : the project required a variety of metal tools , including clamps and gears , to hoist up the roast . mastermind : the roast beast was the brainchild of seattle chef david varley , formerly of bourbon steak and pub , who returned to his old restaurant to orchestrate the tailgate . dinner is served ! the final product was served to hungry football fans along with a pair of turkeys , a half dozen seattle sea chickens and a gravy fountain . varley 's edible colossus dubbed the roast feast was served up at the thanksgiving tailgate party after the seattle seahawks beat the 49ers 19-3 in san francisco . the hulking slab of meaty goodness was presented alongside a pair of plump turkeys , a half dozen seattle sea chickens in honor of the seahawks - who ended up defeating their san francisco opponents 19-3 - and a gravy fountain . ` i 'm taking a few years off from working on thanksgiving after this , ' david varley joked on instagram after the holiday dinner . the mad culinary scientists at the bourbon steak and pub in santa , clara , california , brought together 24 quails ; 12 chickens ; 8 ducks ; 6 turkeys ; 2 lambs ; a pig and a blanket-size side of wagyu beef for one epic dish dubbed the ` roast beast . ' the preparation of the tailgate feast required a 20-foot metal fence , clamps and a massive rotisserie to cook the gargantuan roast to perfection . the birds used in the preparation were stuffed with a mixture of chestnut and turkey sausage . a team of cooks butterflied a side of beef and used it to wrap all the other ingredients , securing the entire creation with the metal fence .

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

christmas may be a time to give , but at pindara hospital it 's also a time to dance . specialist doctors from pindara private hospital in southeast queensland have made a cringeworthy dance video set to mariah carey 's all i want for christmas is you . the choreographed clip comes complete with fighting elves , a boozy santa clause and some rather randy patients . specialist doctors from pindara private hospital in southeast queensland have made a cringeworthy dance video . the choreographed clip comes complete with fighting elves , a boozy santa clause and some rather randy patients . it comes after the hospital released a video last year dancing to maroon 5 's moves like jagger , which garnered over 117,000 views on youtube . the videos are released annually to present at christmas party celebrations , in a bid to bolster the festive spirits . among the dancers are an orthopedic surgeon , an emergency department doctor , an anaesthetist , an ear nose and throat specialist , reports gold coast bulletin . the hospitals marketing manager robbie falconer said ` you can see from the bloopers , they just had a really great time . they were good sports , they put on the costumes . ' ` you feel good when you see it and feel the spirit of christmas . ' among the dancers are an orthopedic surgeon , an emergency department doctor , an anaesthetist , an ear nose and throat specialist . the hospitals marketing manager robbie falconer said the video was made in a bid to bolster the festive spirits at the yearly christmas celebration .

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

lee rigby 's heartbroken fiancée and estranged wife both sobbed with relief today after one of his muslim extremist killers had an appeal against his murder conviction thrown out in just 45 seconds . the soldier 's future bride aimee west said she hoped ` this is the last we will hear from them ' as michael adebolajo , 29 , and michael adebowale , 23 , also lost appeals against their life sentences for the ` barbaric ' murder . rebecca rigby , who was married to the fusilier and had his son jack , said the family is ` relieved that this is over and justice has been done ' . adebolajo ran down the 25-year-old soldier in woolwich south-east london in may last year before ` butchering him ' with his accomplice . both had denied murder because they were ` soldiers of allah ' but were found guilty at the old bailey last december . members of the soldier 's family , including his fiancée aimee and also his estranged wife rebecca rigby , broke down as the high court as their applications were rejected by judges . quashed : one of lee rigby 's killers , michael adebolajo , right , had his appeal against his conviction thrown out in 45 seconds today . emotional : rebecca rigby , left , broke down as she and miss west watched michael adebowale , who appeared in the high court via video link . adebolajo 's legal team today claimed he should have his conviction quashed because he was ` at war ' with britain , before also failing to argue his whole life sentence should be reduced . his application for leave to appeal was rejected by lord chief justice lord thomas , sitting at the court of appeal in london with lady justice hallett and mr justice openshaw . they spent less than a minute explaining why they would not agree to it , and later called the argument pushed by his qc ` hopelessly misconceived ' . anyone in britain who believes they have suffered an injustice when convicted of a crime can make an application to appeal the decision . if accepted a full hearing will be held at the court of appeal . the judges then heard argument on behalf of adebolajo against a whole-life sentence which condemns him to die behind bars . lawyers for his co-accused michael adebowale , who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 45 years , were also arguing for a reduction in sentence . but lord thomas said it was ` just ' punishment for the ` horrific and barbaric ' murder . adebowale , who appeared from broadmoor jail via video link did not react while adebolajo , who is at hmp frankland , had refused to appear for the hearing at all . members of fusilier rigby 's family gasped with relief and there were tears as the decision was announced . bereft : rebecca rigby , the estranged wife of lee rigby and mother of his son jack , was in court for the hearing , as was the soldier 's fiancée aimee west and both sobbed as the appeals were rejected . after the decision was announced , fusilier rigby 's fiancee aimee west said : ' i am relieved and thankful with the outcome of today 's hearing . ' i hope that this is the last we will hear from them both , so that i can focus on rebuilding my life and keeping lee 's memory alive . ' choking back tears , lee rigby 's estranged wife rebecca said : ' i would like to thank everyone who made today 's verdict possible . ` we are relieved that this is over and justice has been done . i would like to thank everyone for their continued support over the last 18 months and hope i can now build a future for my son jack and ensure his -lrb- lee 's -rrb- memory lives on . ' the british-born muslim converts ran 25-year-old fusilier rigby down in a car before hacking him to death with a meat cleaver and knives in a frenzied attack in woolwich , south london . they dumped the body of the father-of-one in the middle of the road near woolwich barracks in south east london on may 22 last year . plot : adebolajo and adebowale lay in wait near the barracks and picked fusilier rigby to kill after assuming he was a soldier because he was wearing a help for heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack . they dumped the body of the father-of-one in the middle of the road near woolwich barracks and then waited for armed police to arrive hoping they would be ` martyred ' adebolajo and adebowale lay in wait near the barracks and picked fusilier rigby to kill after assuming he was a soldier because he was wearing a help for heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack . after driving into him , the killers - who had armed themselves with eight knives , including a meat cleaver and a five-piece set bought by adebolajo the previous day - butchered him in the street in broad daylight in front of horrified onlookers . both men were shot by police in dramatic scenes captured by cctv . they claimed they were ` soldiers of allah ' and were motivated by the plight of muslims abroad to carry out the killing . both were convicted of murder at the old bailey and sentenced in february . explaining his decision to give adebolajo a whole-life term , trial judge mr justice sweeney said he was the leader of the murderous plot and had ` no real prospect of rehabilitation ' . however , adebowale 's younger age , mental health problems and ` lesser role ' meant that he escaped spending the rest of his natural life behind bars . whole-life terms came under the spotlight earlier this year when judges at the court of appeal ruled that murderers who commit the most ` heinous ' of crimes can be sent to prison for the rest of their lives . those currently serving whole-life terms in england and wales include moors murderer ian brady , who tortured and murdered children along with accomplice myra hindley , and serial killer rosemary west .

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

israel 's ruling coalition has finally fallen apart , paving the way for an election in march -- two years ahead of schedule . the country 's mps yesterday overwhelmingly approved a motion to dissolve the parliament , or knesset , after prime minister benjamin netanyahu failed to iron out differences with coalition partners and called for a poll . further votes are due next week that will officially disband the parliament . the government , which took office in early 2013 , will be one of the shortest in the country 's history . prime minister benjamin netanyahu failed to iron out differences with coalition partners and called for a poll . on tuesday , mr netanyahu fired two rebellious ministers . his fractious centre-right cabinet has been bickering for weeks over the budget and a bill that would enshrine into law israel 's status as a jewish state . rising violence between palestinians and israelis has also been an issue , as have the jewish settlements in the west bank . the country 's mps yesterday overwhelmingly approved a motion to dissolve the parliament , or knesset .

<s> country 's mps approve motion to dissolve the parliament , or knesset . </s> <s> pm benjamin netanyahu failed to resolve differences with coalition . </s> <s> paving the way for an election two years ahead of schedule . </s>

a rescue helicopter has captured amazing footage as it pulled a cruise passenger to safety off the coast of miami . the young man aboard a norwegian cruise lines ship choked on a piece of meat and at one point was reported to have stopped breathing . the daring rescue sees a helicopter hover over the vessel and lower a stretcher before loading the passenger onto it and winching him to safety . a young man aboard a norwegian cruise ship had to be rescue airlifted out after choking on a piece of meat . the feat was just an average day for miami-dade fire rescue , which captured the entire scene on a gopro camera attached to the helicopter . as the rescue helicopter approaches the massive ship -- distinguishable by the large happy face on its front bow -- the fire brigade begins to lower ropes toward their ` reference points ' below . fast forward and the man is being airlifted out on a stretcher , while the flight medic holds onto the side of the bed to secure . at about 20 seconds in , the manoeuvre seems to be a success . rescue workers were unable to organise a ship-to-ship transfer , so the helicopter was called in . a flight medic was lowered down onto the gigantic ship to secure the man to a stretcher and lift him out . the man was transferred to a local hospital , though his current condition is unknown . ` we 're looking good , ' a voice says off camera . once he reaches the interior of the helicopter , it quickly speeds away from the glowing lights of the massive cruise ship . according to rescuers , attempts to transfer the passenger from the ship to a boat were unsuccessful , which is why the helicopter was brought in . ` the fire boat making its way out there felt that the seas were going to be too rough to do a ship-to-ship transfer of any patient , ' lt. chris mccory of miami-dade fire rescue told cbs miami . the patient was taken to jackson memorial hospital . his current condition is unknown .

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

in the latest video installment from moda operandi , a group of adorably precocious kids talk about their high-fashion christmas wish lists . twin sisters in the clip , which advertises the luxury online fashion retailer 's holiday collection , say in unison : ' a gold ipad ! ' and when asked what she 's planning to give her mother , one fiery girl responds : ` probably like some sort of jewelry or maybe a new purse or something . like a crocodile birkin . ' what we want : in the latest video installment from moda operandi , a group of adorably precocious kids talk about their high-fashion christmas wish lists . simple pleasures : when asked what she 's planning to give her mother , one fiery girl responds : ` probably like some sort of jewelry or maybe a new purse or something . like a crocodile birkin ' the video takes place in a grand living room decorated with a huge plush panda bear , a christmas tree , a tartan sofa and piles of moda operandi shopping bags . ` we 're talkin ' bout what we want for christmas , ' says one of the young children , who are nicknamed ` fashioneasters ' by the online luxury fashion retailer . the girls are all decked out in sparkling jewelry and fancy apparel , with one wearing a big fur hat with the price tag dangling from it . ` what are you getting your mommy for christmas ? ' one girl asks another . ' a beautiful necklace with diamonds ! ' she exclaims . tis the season : ` we 're talkin ' bout what we want for christmas , ' says one of the young children , who are nicknamed ` fashioneasters ' by the online luxury fashion retailer . high hopes : twin sisters in the clip say in unison that they want : ' a gold ipad ! ' another young girl reveals her plans to get her mother ' a private plane , so she can go all over the world ! ' the wishlists get even more high-end when one girl declares : ` we should get mommy a basquiat . ' her sister agrees : ` yeah she would love it ! ' back in september , the fashioneasters did a video on new york fashion week , chalking it up to a minefield of confounding footwear , agonizing outfit decisions , and difficult-to-pronounce designer names . ` it 's very hard to walk in high heels . it 's gon na take a lot of practice , ' asserts one young star earnestly from behind a large pair of statement sunglasses , later pronouncing salvatore ferragamo as : ` salva-ferman-gono . ' generous : another young girl reveals her plans to get her mother ' a private plane , so she can go all over the world ! ' fashion forward : two girls giggle as they try on some of the pricey presents for sale on moda operandi 's website . art appreciation : the wishlists get even more high-end when one girl declares : ` we should get mommy a basquiat ' the comical video , which featured the same seven girls who star in the holiday video , sees its subjects try on a range of opulent clothing , answer questions about high-end designers and dole out their sartorial opinions . ` you just need to be , um like , a really good fasion-easter who thinks you can do anything , ' offers one opinionated young girl , proudly sporting a navy blue bow in her hair . ` if you 'd like to be a fashion-easter , tell me , and i 'll probably tell you all about how to be a fashion-easter . '

<s> the video is the latest ` fashioneasters ' installment from luxury online fashion retailer moda operandi . </s>

prominent abc journalist leigh sales has copped a barrage of complaints on social media from those claiming she was too soft on tony abbott during a televised interview . the prime minister was interviewed by sales on the abc 's 7.30 program on thursday night and her name quickly started trending on twitter . viewers claimed mr abbott got away with the ` lightest and fluffiest ' of interviews , with some even comparing sales to today host karl stefanovic who was applauded for putting tough questions to the pm on monday . scroll down for video . abc journalist leigh sales has copped a barrage of complaints on social media from those claiming she was too soft on tony abbott during a tv interview on thursday . mr abbott hinted at a cabinet reshuffle during the interview and when sales pressed him about it , he said : ` at some stage between now and the next election , quite probably , but this is a good frontbench ' . he then went on to praise the work of his cabinet ministers , including foreign minister julie bishop , finance minister mathias cormann and treasurer joe hockey . sales also asked mr abbott whether he would step aside if it meant giving the liberals the best chance of holding onto power . but the prime minister would not give her a direct answer , saying that it was ' a fair question ' . the prime minister was interviewed by sales on the abc 's 7.30 program on thursday night and her name quickly started trending on twitter . ` the one fundamental lesson of the last catastrophic government was that you do n't lightly change leaders , ' mr abbott said while placing his words carefully . ` governments that change their leaders have n't done very well lately . ' twitter lit up following the interview suggesting the interview allowed mr abbott to get an easy ride . ` and as predicted @leighsales gives abbott the lightest and fluffiest of interviews . allowing him to go on and on , no brakes applied , ' one user wrote . ` abbott really believes his own lies . that looked like a scripted interview to me too , ' another quipped . ` might be time for the abc to hire karl stefanovic to ask the serious questions . this leigh sales is no good . ' viewers claimed mr abbott got away with the ` lightest and fluffiest ' of interviews . some even comparing sales to today host karl stefanovic who was applauded for putting tough questions to the prime minister on monday . mr abbott hinted at a cabinet reshuffle during the interview but did n't give much away when sales pressed him for a definite answer . mr abbott was also questioned over his government 's broken promises . ` people sure may well feel dismayed , disappointed , occasionally even surprised , but i think that they also understand that governments have to respond to the circumstances they find themselves in , ' he said . but he said much had happened in 12-14 months and circumstances did change , with labor 's promised $ 18 billion deficit actually coming in at $ 48 billion . ' i think that they -lrb- voters -rrb- also understand that governments have to respond to the circumstances that they find themselves , ' he said . sales also asked mr abbott whether he would step aside if it meant giving the liberals the best chance of holding onto power . but the prime minister would not give her a direct answer , saying that it was ' a fair question ' mr abbott said the government had kept faith with the australian people because it had fundamentally honoured core commitments to stop the boats , repeal the carbon tax , build the roads and start the job of budget repair . he said there had been a lot of unjustified cries he had broken his promises . on abc funding cuts , he said plainly he did say the night before the election there would be no cuts to the national broadcaster . ` we flagged a very urgent task of budget repair , ' he said . twitter lit up following the interview suggesting the interview allowed mr abbott to get an easy ride . mr abbott said there had been a lot of unjustified cries he had broken his promises . ` it 's interesting that in the run-up to the budget , the messages we were getting back from our constituents and , yes , from liberal party polling , was people were frightened we would squib it . ' mr abbott said he was saying to the australian people there was a need to adjust to changed circumstances and the government was deadly serious about returning the budget to surplus . ` if you are trying to get from point a to point b and one way is blocked you find another way . you do n't abandon your objective , ' he said . mr abbott said he would not flag potential compromises to get stalled budget measures through the senate . ` that 's going to be a matter for discussion and negotiation with the crossbench , ' he said . ` there will be further things to be announced by this government . we will be governing right up until christmas eve . ' according the latest newspoll released on tuesday , labor -lrb- party leader bill shorten pictured above -rrb- is leading on 54 per cent , with the coalition trailing behind on 46 per cent . mr abbott was asked about changing leaders , just like the former labor government who went through two leadership changes going from kevin rudd -lrb- right -rrb- to julia gillard -lrb- left -rrb- then back to kevin rudd .

<s> abc journalist leigh sales faced a barrage of twitter complaints following her interview with tony abbott on thursday . </s> <s> twitter users claimed mr abbott got a free ride during the 7.30 interview . </s> <s> sales was compared to nine 's karl stefanovic who was applauded for hitting the pm with ` tough questions ' earlier this week . </s> <s> mr abbott hinted at a cabinet reshuffle and spoke about broken promises . </s>

the federal government 's plan to boost its refugee intake by 7,500 has been overshadowed by claims that officials mistreated two pregnant iranian asylum seekers who refused to get off a bus at a darwin detention centre . the refugee increase will occur over four years and bring australia 's overall humanitarian intake to about 18,750 . the move is expected to cost the government an estimated $ 100 million , which will be funded by savings within the immigration portfolio . it is one of a raft of measures that immigration minister scott morrison has agreed to as part of a deal with senate crossbenchers to win support for his bill to resurrect temporary protection visas . mr morrison was forced to defend accusations that officials mistreated two heavily pregnant iranian refugees who refused to get off a bus parked at wickham point detention centre 40km south of darwin on saturday . the federal government 's boost to its refugee intake by 7,500 has been overshadowed by claims that officials mistreated two pregnant iranian asylum seekers who refused to get off a bus at wickham point detention centre in the northern territory -lrb- pictured -rrb- . immigration minister scott morrison denies the pregnant women and their families were mistreated describing them as ` malicious claims by asylum activists ' mr morrison said the welfare of the two heavily pregnant women , their husbands and one son was monitored and they had access to food , water , amenities , toilets and health professionals as they batted with authorities over the right to live in the community ahead of the births . but refugee action coalition spokesman ian rintoul said the air conditioning was turned off on the bus during the stand-off which started at 10pm on saturday when the women , maryam and tahere , refused to get off the bus . ` on monday , both pregnant women fainted after the bus was intentionally allowed to heat up , ' mr rintoul said on wednesday . maryam 's husband collapsed and was taken to the medical centre in the facility , he added . mr rintoul also disputes the time frame for the end of the stand-off , saying the two women ` were dragged off the bus ' between 5.30 pm and 6pm on monday , rather than tuesday morning as reported . the second man , adnan , alleges he was physically restrained by four guards as his wife maryam was taken off . however , mr morrison rejected these claims stating that the department and detention service provider , serco , had acted appropriately towards the women and their families . ` my understanding is they 're fine , '' he said . adnan and maryam pictured boarding a plane in nauru bound for darwin , according to the refugee action coalition . the 7,500 increase in australia 's refugee intake will be rolled out over four years . ` the government denies claims of cruelty and mistreatment of the individuals in the strongest possible terms , ' he said in a statement . ` these are yet more malicious claims by asylum activists . ' the two families had been on nauru for 15 months , and had lived in the community for part of that time after being recognised as refugees . mr morrison said the government will ` hard-wire ' its refugee intake commitment into a ` disallowable instrument , ' so the intake ca n't be reduced without senate agreement . senator nick xenophon 's amendments were also backed by the government and are expected to result in better alignment with the unhcr when it comes to refugee assessments . the government 's fast-tracking process will be limited to 30,000 cases left over from labor government . a total of 25,000 asylum seekers now on bridging visas will be allowed work rights . mr morrison 's announcement came after reports that his bill was set to be defeated in the senate . ` the ultimate determination of this bill is in the hands of the senate , it is not for me to commentate on the position of individual senators , ' mr morrison said . the bill would also boost powers to turn back boats and head off a high court challenge and create a five-year safehaven enterprise visa for genuine refugees . senator nick xenophon 's amendments were also backed by the government that will result in better alignment with the unhcr when it comes to refugee assessments including greater efficiency which is free of bias .

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

fixing jet skis , posting bail and storing lost property are some of the things australian embassies can not help with when travellers run into trouble overseas . these may sound like strange demands but remarkably these are the kind of requests embassies have received from australians every year , which also include borrowing a laptop and providing legal assistance . and foreign affairs minister julie bishop thinks it is time for some tough love . the australian government is cracking down on people who do the wrong thing and request help from the embassies , which include posting their bail . the department has launched a campaign to alert travellers about what is reasonable - and more importantly , unreasonable - to expect from australia 's consular services abroad . ` our consular staff are not there to pay for the repairs to your jet ski . they are not there to pay your hotel bill , ' ms bishop said in canberra . ` consular assistance is a last resort service . ' australia 's diplomats have noticed some trends in recent years as the number of trips taken abroad has exploded to nearly ten million a year . last year diplomats helped nearly 15,000 australians in trouble , and juggled more than 1,000 active cases a day . last year they helped nearly 15,000 australians in trouble , and juggled more than 1,000 active cases a day . less people are needing medical evacuation or emergency financial assistance these days but more are dying , getting arrested or winding up in hospital . bangkok remains the busiest consular post in the world , unsurprising as thailand 's the top destination for australians dying or getting hospitalised . but hundreds of the cases at that embassy were classed as ` general welfare ' , and the growing number of travellers seeking help for trivial matters is putting strain on the system . but foreign affairs minister julie bishop stressed that those in genuine need - like victims of serious crimes or natural disasters - would not be stranded . ms bishop stressed that those in genuine need - like victims of serious crimes or natural disasters - would not be stranded . but she said some people rort the system , pointing to activists who willfully break the law overseas and then demand help . ` and yet the australian consular staff are meant to get on a plane and fly to some remote place to bail them out , ' she said . last year ms bishop suggested the government might ask greenpeace to repay the tens of thousands of dollars spent helping activist colin russell get out of a russian prison . she 's decided not to introduce a cost recovery system for consular services for now , but says it remains a ` live option ' . 1 -rrb- a traveller who was destitute in europe refused to return to australia without their pet bird , which could not be returned for quarantine reasons . 2 -rrb- a mother who wanted the embassy in bangkok to book accommodation and a return ticket to australia for her son , then provide an embassy driver to take him to the airport . 3 -rrb- a request from an australian traveller for dfat to feed her dogs while she was away . 4 -rrb- ` i 'm attending a conference overseas with a large group of australians but i have heard it is a dangerous city . can the high commission arrange for a risk assessment and some armoured cars . we only need them for a week . ' 5 -rrb- multiple enquiries to embassies overseas seeking the closest pub televising state of origin games . 6 -rrb- an australian who had his laptop stolen overseas requested that embassy staff pick him up from the airport , loan him a laptop and provide him with office space for a few days . 7 -rrb- a traveller who asked whether the sand in egypt would affect her asthma . 8 -rrb- panicked callers regularly reporting australian travellers missing overseas , after not hearing from them within the first few hours of arriving in country . consular officers usually explain that getting through customs and immigration can take time . 9 -rrb- ` why wo n't the australian embassy come and pack my bags for me ? i 'm an 80 year old architect travelling by myself and too old to pack my own bags ' 10 -rrb- ' i left some items on an aircraft when i changed flights . can the embassy collect it from the airline lost property ? ' 11 -rrb- ` can the embassy obtain prescription medicine from australia and send it to me so i can continue my holiday ? ' 12 -rrb- requests for embassies to store luggage , hold mail , provide banking facilities or arrange tours for australian travellers . 13 -rrb- ` what is the best way to get a polecat out of your roof ? ' 14 -rrb- ` i 'm going on a cruise . what will the food be like ? can you drink the water on the ship ? ' 15 -rrb- some travellers evacuated from civil unrest in egypt on government funded flights questioned why they were not entitled to frequent flyer points . similarly , some travellers evacuated from the 2004 boxing day tsunami made seat requests , including for first class . 16 -rrb- a caller to dfat 's consular emergency centre wanted to know the average salary for an expat to expect in thailand . 17 -rrb- ` does the embassy know if there are any hotels in phnom penh with vacant rooms ? ' 18 -rrb- ` can the embassy tell the local police that i have an excellent driving record in australia and should not have to pay those outstanding speeding fines ? ' 19 -rrb- ` what is the best hotel in phuket ? ' 20 -rrb- ` on my last trip to the philippines i had some trouble with the law . what is the number of the embassy in manila so i can call them to get me out of jail when i go back ? '

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

freshwater crocodiles with an appetite for the toxic cane toads have worked out a clever way to get a delicious meal without being poisoned . the crocodile population in northern territory has dropped dramatically in the past few years but the ` dwarf ' crocs have been munching away at the hind legs of the pests to survive . crocodile specialist dr adam britton told daily mail australia that they discovered a significant amount of toxic cane toads with missing legs after observing the areas around bullo and liverpool rivers in arnhem land , around 500 kilometres from darwin . poisonous cane toads found without their hind legs - believed to have been eaten by a freshwater ` dwarf ' croc . ` my wife erin did some surveys in 2009 after the cane toads reached the areas . she observed the twisted and mangled toads and noticed the crocodile teeth marks , ' he told daily mail australia . ` we know that they often like to flick and tear off whatever they 're holding in their mouth and that 's what we 're seeing a lot around the area . ` we were sceptical at first but now we 've seen patterns and it 's obvious that they 're mangling the back legs to feed themselves . ' ` the freshwater ` dwarf ' crocs have found a clever way to survive - by munching off the hind legs of toads . dr adam britton and his wife erin discovered a significant amount of missing legs on toxic cane toads . dwarf crocs can grow to one-and-a-half metre in size and are classified in the same freshwater croc species . while the inevitable arrival of poisonous cane toads could have affected the small population of freshwater crocs , mr britton said the toads may have found a safe way to consume the toxic pests . ` the toads have toxins in parts of their body that will usually kill the crocodiles when they consume them , ' mr britton said . ` we 're afraid that the toads could wipe them out - it 's a serious effect on the crocs ' population and there were n't many of them to start with . ` the ones who have been tearing of their legs from its limbs are the ones who have survived . ` or the previous ones who have consumed toads before were put off after eating a whole toad . ` so they simply learn during the trial and error and found that this is the way to eat delicious toads in a natural progression and they know its safe . ' dr britton and his wife erin observed areas around the bullo and liverpool rivers in arnhem land . poisonous cane toads found without their hind legs - believed to have been eaten by a freshwater ` dwarf ' croc . dwarf crocs can grow to one-and-a-half metre in size but dr britton added that they are still categorised in the same species as freshwater crocodiles . ` we call them dwarfs or pygmies because they 're half the size smaller than a normal freshwater croc , ' he told daily mail australia . ` the reason why they 're so small is because there is less food for them to eat but they 're incredible survivors -- if they do n't get enough food or they eat really slow -- they just wo n't grow as much . '

<s> ` dwarf ' crocs have worked out how to survive off toxic cane toads . </s> <s> crocodile specialist dr adam britton and his wife erin made the discovery . </s> <s> the poisonous cane toads have affected the low freshwater croc species . </s>

the intricate designs and amazing detailed fondant work in these cakes are a sight to behold . they are the creations of budding bakers , who cooked up these complicated cakes for a competition . their creations included characters from the television show the simpsons , a tiger covered in flowers and a deer drinking from a lake . the threadcakes competition , a rival to bbc 's great british bake off , asked bakers around the world to create sponge-based treats inspired by threadless 's printed t-shirts . canadian baker kylie mangles ' cutout ralph took first in the 3d category of the threadcakes competition . the 29-year-old spent five days working around the clock to bake the ribs and bones , and to decorate the cartoon character with fondant . watering a life into itself won fifth place in the 3d category . it shows a deer drinking from a lake with trees made made out of edible wafer paper , leaves dyed with food colouring and branches made out of baker 's gum paste . good enough to eat : this multicoloured tiger , tropicalia , was the creation of elizabeth marek and took second place in the 3d category . the winning 3d cake , made by 29-year-old kylie mangles , was based on a cut-out version of the simpson 's character ralph . the cake and cookie designer from canada won $ 1,000 -lrb- # 640 -rrb- in cash and threadless gift certificates for her intricate design . fantasy space cake won the 2d category in the threadcakes competition . designer megan matsumoto took three weeks to complete her entry . fifth place winner in the 2d category went to natasha baker who created a pixel of my childhood and shows video game consoles . the red deer by melissa cody won second place in the 2d category . the animal and surrounding scenery was carefully crafted in fondant . 3d winners . cutout ralph kylie mangles . tropicalia by elizabeth marek . the endless sea by jacinta perkins . the observer by yenna susanty . watering a life into itself by april koteh . 2d winners . fantasy space by megan matsumoto . the red deer by melissa cody . halfling and wizard by kristi caccippio . the flaming lips by yasmeen daultana . a pixel of my childhood by natasha baker . ms mangles spent five days working around the clock to bake the ribs and bones and decorate the cartoon character with fondant . winner of the 2d category megan matsumoto , 22 from california , said of her design ` fantasy space ' : ` sculpting and painting all the gumpaste and fondant pieces took about three weeks or so , but only because i was so busy and could only work on them a little bit here and there . ` when all the pieces were done , i baked and finished the cake in one day . ' other standouts include a deer with foliage sprouting from its back , which was made in thirty hours over three days , and a cat wearing goggles which took a week to assemble and included buttercream for the fur . chris cardinal , from threadless , said : ' a panel of judges reviews each cake and picks their ten favorites in the 2d and 3d categories and submits them to me . their ballots are tallied and the winners are selected . ` this year 's best entries had a lot of complexity and really accurate execution of the original design . ' threadless is an online community of artists , based in chicago , illinois . the company was founded in 2000 and products on sale - created and chosen by web users - include original artwork , graphic t-shirts and mobile phone accessories . fourth place went to the flaming lips by yasmeen daultana . the monochrome cake has subtle raised designs and a distinct gothic feel . jacinta perkins ' the endless sea won third place in the 3d category.the cake is of mythical sea creature made from gum paste . kristi caccippio 's handpainted halfling and wizard ' took third place in the 2d category , and depicts a boy and a wizard crossing a stream .

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

a u.s. couple cleared in the death of their 8-year-old daughter arrived home to los angeles on thursday and reunited with family members following a legal battle that kept them in qatar for nearly two years , including almost a year spent in jail . matthew and grace huang arrived with smiles on their faces , according to the david house agency , which represents them . ` mission accomplished . matt and grace are in los angeles . they have not stopped smiling , ' the agency tweeted . american couple grace , center , and matthew huang , right , walk to their departure gate with u.s. ambassador to qatar , dana shell smith , left , at the hamad international airport in doha , qatar . family reunion : the david house agency tweeted a photo of matthew and grace huang embracing their sons and other relatives , saying it was a ` glorious family reunion . if the qatari prosecutors could only see this moment ! ' the agency later tweeted a photo of the couple embracing their sons and other relatives , saying it was a ` glorious family reunion . if the qatari prosecutors could only see this moment ! ' the huangs gained international attention when they were arrested in january 2013 on charges of starving their african-born daughter , gloria , to death . the couple , who are of asian descent , had adopted gloria in ghana when she was 4 years old , and are the parents of two other adopted , african-born children . throughout the case , the family 's representatives expressed concern that there were cultural misunderstandings underpinning the charges against the couple in a nation where western-style adoptions and cross-cultural families are relatively rare . american couple matthew , left , and grace huang , smile . the los angeles couple had been detained in the country after their arrest in january 2013 , on murder charges following the death of their 8-year-old daughter . the huangs spent nearly a year behind bars before their case was heard for the first time in november 2013 . they were eventually convicted of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison . an initial police report raised questions about why the couple would adopt children who did not share their ` hereditary traits . ' prosecutors said the couple denied food to their daughter and locked her in her room at night . the huangs said gloria suffered from medical problems complicated by an eating disorder that was the result of her impoverished early years in africa . the huangs spent nearly a year behind bars before their case was heard for the first time in november 2013 . they were eventually convicted of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison . an appeals court judge overturned their conviction sunday and said they could leave , but their passports were confiscated at the airport later that day . their situation remained tense until the moment of their departure wednesday , with matthew huang being detained for several minutes at the airport 's passport control station as his wife watched in tears . the suspense encapsulates the twists and turns of a slow-moving case that became an irritant in otherwise close relations between the u.s. and qatar , a key ally that hosts an important u.s. military air base . ` we feel relieved . we feel gratitude to the legal system in the state of qatar , which after some time worked as a good legal system should , ' said u.s. ambassador to qatar dana shell smith , who accompanied the couple to the airport . the couple and their children moved to qatar in 2012 after matthew huang was hired to work as an engineer as part of preparations for the 2022 world cup .

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

north korean dictator kim jong un has banned citizens from sharing his name and ordered people using it to get ` trained ' to change it . a leaked internal state document from the secretive state obtained by south korean television contained ` an administrative order ' to all party , army and police officials to ensure that the directive was carried out . according to the document : ` all party organs and public security authorities should make a list of residents named kim jong-un ... and train them to voluntarily change their names . ' north korean dictator kim jong-un has banned any people in his country from sharing his name ordering them to undergo ` voluntary training ' officials in the secretive state have been ordered to search through identity records to uncover any fellow kim jong-uns and re-educate them . he ordered the communist party , the army and the police to conduct checks and told officials to refuse any birth certificates sharing his name . anyone named kim jong-un would have their official documents , identity cards and even school diplomas changed to the person 's new name . officials were also told to reject all birth certificates for babies named after the dictator . the document continued : ` authorities should make sure that there is no one making unnecessary complaints or spreading gossip ... regarding this project . ' the authenticity of the official directive could not be independently verified , and seoul 's unification ministry declined to comment on whether it was genuine . but one government official noted that the pyongyang regime was known to have banned citizens sharing the names of founding president kim il-sung and his son , kim jong-il . one south korean official said : ` given the north maintained the policy under the two previous leaders , there is a possibility that it would continue to do so now . ' the kim dynasty has ruled north korea for more than six decades with an iron fist and pervasive personality cult . park jin-hee , a north korean defector working for kbs who obtained the document , said she was sure the 2011 directive had been effectively enforced . a similar rule applied to kim jong-un 's father kim jong-il and his grandfather kim il-sung , who are revered in north korean society . officials were warned against allowing any gossip of rumours surrounding the new naming policy to spread within the secretive state . the new naming policy was contained in a leaked document which was published by a south korean tv station earlier this week . park , who defected in 2008 said : ` there is no one in the north named kim il-sung and kim jong-il , and there is no doubt the same rule applies for jong-un . kim jong un made his international debut in late 2010 when he was awarded a slew of top political jobs . his father , who reportedly suffered a stroke in 2008 , was seen as moving fast to hand over power so his family could rule for a third generation . kim jong il inherited power in 1994 when his father kim il sung died . north korea enforces strict , state-organised public reverence of the kim family , which serves as the backbone of the family 's authoritarian rule of the impoverished country . all north koreans are required to wear lapel pins bearing the images of kim il sung and kim jong il and to put the leaders ' portraits on the walls of their homes . their birthdays are considered the most important holidays in north korea .

<s> north korean citizens have been warned against naming their children after their dictator kim jong-un . </s> <s> a document smuggled out of the secretive state claims to contain details of the bizarre order introduced in 2011 . </s> <s> citizens who share kim jong-un 's name have been told that they must be ` trained ' to change it . </s> <s> officials were warned in the so-called ` administrative order ' to prevent any unnecessary complaints or gossip . </s>

a 98-year-old woman lost her bid to persuade a judge to erase her 1950 conviction for conspiracy to obstruct justice in the atomic spying trial of julius and ethel rosenberg . miriam moskowitz , of new jersey , served two years in jail for lying to a grand jury as it investigated the rosenbergs , who were convicted of passing nuclear weapons secrets to the soviet union . on thursday , 61 years after the rosenbergs were executed , u.s. district judge alvin k. hellerstein rejected moskowitz 's unusual request to clear her name . immediately after hearing oral arguments , he said her lawyers could not show that transcripts of grand jury statements by the lone witness against her would have changed her trial 's result . disappointed : miriam moskowitz , 98 , accompanied by her nephew ira moskowitz , leaves federal court in new york on thursday after a judge refused to declare her innocent of obstructing justice in the rosenberg case . convicted : moskowitz is pictured with her business partner abraham brothman in a prison van after both were charged with conspiracy . she was fined $ 10,000 and jailed for two years . brothman was jailed for seven years . as he left the bench , hellerstein wished moskowitz well and told her it was a pleasure to have her in his court . ` ok , that 's the end , ' a cheerful moskowitz , walking with a cane toward spectators , told a film crew that has been following her . ` you can finish your documentary now . ' outside court , she said she was disappointed and referenced the mccarthy era , when fear of communism was rampant in the united states and a blacklist made it hard for some to find work . ` too bad , ' moskowitz said of hellerstein 's ruling . ` my 98-year-old life goes on , and it 's not affected me one way or the other except i am disappointed because it reflects ... the prejudice of the mccarthy era . ' she added : ` the decision today does n't help understand that era . ' executed : julius -lrb- left -rrb- and ethel rosenberg -lrb- right -rrb- were executed in 1953 after being found guilty of passing nuclear weapons to the soviet union . cables have confirmed julius ' involvement but shed doubt on ethel 's . national news : the controversial espionage case was one of the most lengthy and complicated in us history . guilty : she served two years in prison for allegedly lying to a grand jury investigating the rosenbergs . rejected : a judge said the suggestion that information was withheld during her trial was not enough proof . the government had opposed moskowitz 's request , saying her conviction was supported by the evidence and that she conspired with two men to lie to a grand jury investigating allegations of atomic espionage . ` her claims , even if taken at face value , are insufficient to establish an error under today 's law , let alone the law when she was convicted in 1950 , ' prosecutors said in court papers . moskowitz 's lawyers said fbi and grand jury statements by the key government witness against her -- harry gold -- were withheld from the defense . they said the papers showed that gold repeatedly told the fbi that moskowitz was unaware of plans by others to lie before the grand jury until the government threatened him with the death penalty . moving on : moskowitz told a documentary team following her that this signaled the end of her journey . lengthy battle : the new jersey-based woman blames mccarthy-era prejudice for her conviction . the rosenbergs , convicted of passing nuclear weapons secrets to the soviet union , were executed in 1953 . assistant u.s. attorney robert allen told hellerstein on thursday that the jury heard statements at trial that were similar to statements moskowitz 's lawyers claim are new . gold served about half of a 30-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to violating the espionage act . since then , decoded soviet cables have appeared to confirm that julius rosenberg was a spy , but doubts have remained about ethel rosenberg 's involvement . ethel , an actress , singer and secretary , was 37 when she died . electrical engingeer julius was 35 when he died .

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

curiosity almost killed this cat , as it found its way into a home moving box and got taped in with no food or water for more than a month . ashley barth 's kitty mee moowe disappeared in september as movers packed her family 's belongings for a 4,800-plus mile move from suffolk , virginia , to hawaii . she and her daughters delayed their move for three nights as they frantically looked for their pet but in the end they had to give up the search and wave their former home goodbye . scroll down for video . lucky escape : this cat named mee moowe has used up at least one of its nine lives after surviving a month-long trip in a home moving box with no food or water . temporary home : an image of packing crates , similar to one of the ones mee moowe would have traveled in . however , thirty-six days later , when the removal boxes arrived in hawaii the barths got an unexpected surprise . ashley told wavy-tv she heard a faint ` meow ' as her possessions were unloaded and mee moowe was discovered hiding in one of the boxes . ` the -lsb- removal -rsb- guy goes , `` what was that sound ? '' and my heart just kind of sunk for a minute and i thought , `` no , no way . '' and then we heard it again . and the guy said , `` was that a cat ? '' ' ashley recalled . the feline had reportedly lost half her body weight and could barely walk . frail : the kitty had reportedly lost half her body weight and could barely walk . much-loved : ashley barth said mee moowe disappeared in september as movers packed her family 's belongings for a move from suffolk , virginia , to hawaii - here one of her daughters is seen with the cat . her eyes were also ` crusted shut ' . ' i was in shock , ' ashley said . ' i could n't believe it . i think i was grateful that she was alive , but i was furious this happened to her . ' a vet in hawaii reported mee moowe exhibited classic symptoms of starvation . though the barths were thrilled to have their pet back the reunion was short-lived . after being fed and watered back to health , mee moowe was sent to quarantine as she did not undergo the vaccination process needed to make the move overseas . the barths are currently waiting for her return , so she finally settle into her new home . ' i could n't believe it . i think i was grateful that she was alive , but i was furious this happened , ' barth said .

<s> ashley barth 's cat mee moowe disappeared in september as movers packed her belongings for a 4,800-plus mile move from virginia to hawaii . </s> <s> 36 days later she was discovered in one of the removal boxes . </s> <s> vets said the cat displayed symptoms of starvation . </s>

target australia will pull popular r-rated video game grand theft auto v -lrb- gta5 -rrb- from its shelves after an online petition slammed the game for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' . the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . scroll down for video . an online petition slammed r-rated video game grand theft auto v -lrb- gta5 -rrb- for encouraging players to ` commit sexual violence and kill women ' the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . ` games like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women , ' the petition said . general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell grand theft auto v . ` games like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women , ' the petition said . general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell the game . ` we 've been speaking to many customers over recent days about the game , and there is a significant level of concern about the game 's content , ' he said in a statement on wednesday . ` we 've also had customer feedback in support of us selling the game , and we respect their perspective on the issue . ` however , we feel the decision to stop selling gta5 is in line with the majority view of our customers . ' mr cooper said target would continue to sell other r-rated dvds and games . ` while these products often contain imagery that some customers find offensive , in the vast majority of cases , we believe they are appropriate products for us to sell to adult customers , ' he said . ` however , in the case of gta5 , we have listened to the strong feedback from customers that this is not a product they want us to sell . ' gta5 is an award-winning game which set a sales record for entertainment products , passing the $ 1 billion sales mark after three days .

<s> general manager of corporate affairs jim cooper said target would no longer sell grand theft auto v . </s> <s> the petition , authored by former sex workers , has so far attracted almost 40,000 signatures . </s> <s> it says the ` sickening game ' encourages players to kill prostitutes and calls on target to stop selling it . </s>

terry waite , 75 , said diet of rice and beans ` is not too hard to bear for a couple of weeks ' and life in jungle was a ` paradise ' compared to the hardship of the homeless sleeping on the streets this christmas . the contestants in i 'm a celebrity ... get me out of here ! who moan about their food should be thankful for their meagre rations , former hostage terry waite has said . and mr waite , 75 , who spent years in captivity after being kidnapped by islamic terrorists in the lebanon , compared life in the jungle as ` paradise ' to the ` real jungle ' suffered by the homeless living on the streets at christmas . he said : ' i have no doubt they find it uncomfortable at times , but in reality it 's not all that bad . ` rice and beans is not too hard to bear for a couple of weeks . ` that was my main diet in captivity for almost five years and i survived . ' gemma collins was the first celebrity to leave the jungle after complaining of feeling starved . the only way is essex star , also concerned about contracting malaria , vowed to ` stay strong ' but left after three days when the struggle became too much to bear . but mr waite , president of homeless charity emmaus , said the ` trials ' faced by the celebrities were nothing compared to the hardship faced by those without a home . he added : ` it 's really terrible to be homeless and have to suffer night after night under the arches , or in a hostel where one is surrounded by threats of every kind , most of them far worse than the trials endured by these well-paid participants . ` it was interesting to see in a recent episode how emotional the celebrities became when they received a parcel from home with messages from their families . ` some of them were in tears and they had only been parted for a matter of weeks , if that ! ` imagine how people living on the streets feel when christmas comes round and people across the country are getting together . ` they may well have lost all contact with their family for a variety of reasons and thoughts of the past come flooding back . ` christmas can be a very hard time indeed for many homeless people . ` it could make that jungle look like a paradise . ' gemma collins was the first celebrity to leave the jungle after complaining of feeling starved and fears over getting malaria . mr waite said homeless had far worse trials to endure than those of the well-paid participants . michael buerk , left , and melanie skyes , right , are contestants who were emotional when they received a parcel from home with messages from their families . mr waite said life is far lonelier for those sleeping rough . mr waite , who was released in 1991 , nearly five years after being kidnapped by islamic jihad while working as a hostage negotiator , said he was tempted by a ` large fee ' go to on the show but declined after being approached many years ago . but ` curious ' to see how the celebrities have been getting on , he has watched the tears and tantrums from down under . writing on the emmaus charity website , he added : ` when all is said and done , ` i 'm a celebrity ' is designed as entertainment and we ca n't take it too seriously . ` however we look at it though , homelessness is not entertaining . ` it 's a grim reality but emmaus has enabled hundreds of people to get out of a real jungle and gain stability in their lives . '

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

pie face fans could be buying their favourite australian pastries from the freezer section of woolworths early next year , in a move that could potentially save the struggling franchise . the pie company is in talks with the supermarket giant to sell their products frozen and in bulk , with a trial already under way in 15 stores , according to fairfax . the sale-boosting business move has come only a few weeks after pie face announced it was entering into voluntary administration to restructure the business in an effort to cut costs . pie face could be selling their pies in the frozen section of woolworths next year if the current trials are successful . kevin waite , the company 's ceo , assured that franchises would prosper from the strategy , which is still under consideration , saying he believed pie face had a ` strong future ' . ` the customer normally going into a pie face for hot pies does n't swap their purchasing occasion by buying a frozen pie for diner , ' mr waite told fairfax . the founder of pie face , former wall street banker wayne homschek , said sections of the franchise , ` were still profitable ' ` we 'll make sure it 's a different shopping occasion . our franchisees are first and foremost in everything we do . ' despite insisting that it was ` business as usual ' following their restructure announcement , 19 pie face stores closed last week while fairfax reports that the company owes $ 20 million to its creditors . the founder of pie face , former wall street banker wayne homschek , gave his global company over to the advisory and consulting firm , jirsch sutherland , who are ` conducting a review of operations ' , fairfax reports . rod sutherland from jirsch sutherland confirmed that some of the company 's stores were losing money . however , mr homschek told fairfax that sections of the franchise , which is known to sell meat pies , pastries and sandwiches until the early hours of the morning , were ` still profitable ' ` we 're potentially going to refinance macquarie capital and are looking at bringing in new senior lenders , ' mr homschek said . pie face was founded in 2003 with the first 20 stores opening within the first five years of the company 's launch . the company assured that their ` international businesses are not affected ' as two stores prepared to open in the middle east in november . the founder of pie face , former wall street banker wayne homschek , gave his global company over to the advisory and consulting firm , jirsch sutherland , who are ` conducting a review of operations ' as of november .

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

the mother of an autistic boy who was slashed in the neck in an unprovoked attack said her son is lucky to be alive . eamonn finn , 16 , was chased by three teenage boys and assaulted in pimlico , central london , in june , leaving him so traumatised he still has nightmares six months later . his mother margaret finn said she just wanted ` closure ' for her son as police renew their appeal to catch the boys responsible for the attack . eamonn finn -lrb- left , pictured with his mother margaret -rrb- , 16 , was chased by three teenage boys and slashed in the neck in pimlico , central london , in june , leaving him so traumatised he still has nightmares . ms finn posted a picture of her son 's neck wound on facebook which has been shared nearly 200,000 times . detectives want to speak to these three teenagers about the attack on eamonn finn ,16 , in pimlico , central london . ms finn posted a picture of her son 's neck wound on facebook which has been shared nearly 200,000 times . speaking at scotland yard 's headquarters in central london today , she said : ' i strongly believe someone does know who did this to my child . i would appeal to them to contact the police and do the right thing . ` he 's still having dreams about the event . he says `` i think about those boys a lot and what they did to me . '' ` it 's really hard for me to talk about without getting emotional because there is no one who could invite this less than eamonn . he 's such an amazing young man and he deserves some closure and we do n't have that at the moment . ' ms finn said she had ` real concerns ' that if the culprits were not caught , another victim ` might not be as lucky ' . scotland yard has released cctv footage of eamonn being chased as he walked alone to a youth centre in pimlico at around 7.20 pm on june 4 . eammon is in the foreground . one of the attackers asked the boy what he was looking at before eamonn ran away along regency street , close to the junction with causton street . he was then slashed across the neck with an unknown weapon and needed hospital treatment , police said . his mother margaret finn said she just wanted ` closure ' for her son as police renew their appeal to catch the boys responsible for the attack . they have released these cctv images as part of the appeal . ` he 's lucky to be alive as far as i 'm concerned , ' she said . ` it 's really impacted on his independence . anyone who has a child with autism knows that 's really hard fought for . ` in eamonn 's case that was two years in the making . that 's gone now . we 're having to start from scratch . ' scotland yard has released cctv of eamonn being chased as he walked alone to a youth centre in pimlico at around 7.20 pm on june 4 . one of the attackers asked the boy what he was looking at before eamonn ran away along regency street , close to the junction with causton street . he was then slashed across the neck with an unknown weapon and needed hospital treatment , police said . ms finn said the gang were ` immediately abusive , confrontational and aggressive ' which frightened her son before he ran away . ` he clearly did n't want trouble , ' she said . ` he was running away and they chased him . that 's what is so difficult . they pursued him . ' i do n't think there 's all bad in everyone . i hope there 's a part of them that realises they did something wrong but they can do something right now . ` the person they did this to did n't deserve it . they have an opportunity now to take responsibility for their actions . ' acting detective chief inspector dave bolton said : ` the victim is a vulnerable young person and this was one of only a few times he has walked anywhere alone . for some unknown reason the three suspects have taken umbrage to him and attacked him with no provocation and no known reason . ` it is sheer luck that the weapon missed his artery and he was not more severely injured . ` six months into this investigation we have undertaken extensive enquiries to identify the suspects and have followed various leads , but they remain unidentified at this time . i would like to appeal to the public for their help to identify these males . ' the suspects were described by the victim as black or hispanic males . one was wearing a blue adidas top and another was described as being around 16 years old . anyone with information is asked to call police or crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 .

<s> eamonn finn , 16 , chased by three boys and assaulted in pimlico , london . </s> <s> the attack left him so traumatised he has nightmares six months later . </s> <s> his mother margaret finn said she just wanted ` closure ' for her son as police renew their appeal to catch the boys responsible for the attack . </s>

high-end estate agents have turned on the chancellor today warning that new stamp duty charges will hit at least 500,000 properties worth more than the new more expensive # 937,000 threshold . george osborne has announced a major overhaul of the system in his autumn statement and demanded that the top two per cent of home buyers must pay more in tax from midnight . experts have today called the decision ` disastrous ' and a ` kick in the guts ' for those buying and selling expensive homes . pressure : high end estate agents fear the market in london an other areas where many houses are worth more than the new # 937,000 threshold could be stifled by the chancellor 's stamp duty changes . up and down : while the majority will pay far less in tax on house purchases the rich will pay significantly more . shares in leading london estate agent foxtons , where the majority of britain 's most expensive properties are , fell this afternoon after the chancellor 's stamp duty announcement . the tory chancellor announced the changes to raise more money from multi-million pound property transactions and to nullify labour 's calls for a mansion tax . george osborne today urges voters to allow him to ` finish the job ' of repairing the nation 's finances . what is the stamp duty change ? previously buyers paid the percentage above thresholds on the entire purchase price -- creating a situation where tax bills rocketed from # 2,500 to at least # 7,500 when buying a home costing more than # 250,000 . chancellor george osborne said the reformed stamp duty will kick in from midnight tonight . bands are now 0 per cent up to # 125,000 ; 2 per cent to # 250,000 ; 5 per cent to # 925,000 ; 10 per cent to # 1.5 million and 12 per cent above that . previously they stood at 1 per cent above # 125,000 ; 3 per cent above # 250,000 , 4 per cent above # 500,000 ; 5 per cent above # 1million and 7 per cent above # 2million . who will pay less ? under the new system anyone buying a home costing under # 937,000 should pay less . those buying a # 200,000 home will pay # 1,500 instead of # 2,000 . the big win though is for those previously caught in the 3 per cent tax trap , someone previously hit with an # 8,250 bill on a # 275,000 home will now pay # 3,750 . meanwhile , those buying a # 600,000 home will now pay # 20,000 , compared to # 24,000 before . who will pay more ? buyers at the top end will pay the price for the reform . someone buying a # 1million home will pay # 43,750 instead of # 40,000 , but someone buying a # 2,000,000 home will pay # 153,750 rather than the current # 100,000 levied just before the 7 per cent threshold kicks in . critics of the current ` slab ' stamp duty system say it distorts the market because it suddenly jumps up if you pay a penny over the current thresholds . but while the majority will now pay less in stamp duty those buying homes that cost over # 937,000 will pay significantly more a # 5million pound house will see taxes due on completion rise from # 350,000 to # 514,000 . some experts have warned the changes due to start from midnight tonight will be ` disastrous ' and called the reforms a ` kick in the guts ' for top end of the market . experts believe the top-end market will be ` choked ' , particularly because those selling a house worth over the # 937,000 tipping point will now find it harder to sell their home . some buyers are now rushing through the purchases today to avoid paying tens or even hundreds of thousands in extra stamp duty and sellers want the same to avoid sales collapsing overnight . trevor abrahamsohn , who specialises in selling multi-million pound homes , says the market he deals in is already struggling and the changes are ` disastrous ' . he said : ` it is a big mistake . this is not something you apply to a shrinking market and if labour get into power they will still introduce a mansion tax . ` the top-end of the market has been clubbed in recent years and now it is being hit harder . it is like giving medicine to the person that is well while forgetting about the poorly patient . ` it is good that they have got rid of the slabs but they have increased the rate in an area that is struggling . ` instead of listening to everyone in whitehall , they need to be speaking to people on the ground . other agents keep ringing me to discuss the changes . it is mad . ' simon tyler , managing director of tyler mortgage management , said : ` the top end of the market is getting absolutely whacked by this new system . ' i do n't suppose many people will have much sympathy but it will be a kick in the guts for people who are stretching to borrow to buy that multi-million pound house , and will doubtless dampen demand at the top end as people reconsider the economics of moving compared to improving or expanding their existing home instead . ' tremor : shares in leading london estate agent foxtons , where the majority of britain 's most expensive properties are , fell this afternoon after the chancellor 's stamp duty announcement . uplift : this mansion in hampstead , north london is priced at # 2.25 million . before midnight the stamp duty # 157,500 but from tomorrow it will be # 183,750 . stamp duty is britain 's oldest tax and under the old system the headline rate of stamp duty was imposed on the entire amount . jess brammar , journalist , london . ` friend buying a flat that 's # 250k -lrb- ie just under stamp duty slab threshold -rrb- . offer accepted , seller just pulled out and gave no reason . hmmm . wonder if flat will go back on the market straight away at a slightly higher price . ' ash rees , property worker , cardiff . ` not keen on the autumn statement figures in regards to stamp duty . those higher priced properties just got even harder to sell . these hmrc stamp duty calculators are not great reading for people who have recently completed on # 250k + properties #sorrydad ' max woolf , it developer , birmingham . ` dear george osborne . i just bought my first house . can i have my stamp duty back please ? ' melissa blake , personal assistant , brighton . ` not sure if the stamp duty change is going to make things easier or if house prices will continue to rocket in price . ' david miller , retired diplomat , bedfordshire . ` perfect timing for me ! just exchanged contracts and this welcome change will save me almost # 5,000 stamp duty . very happy . ' until tonight a property costing between # 125,000 and # 250,000 was charged one per cent of its value as tax , but a penny over the # 250,000 threshold it suddenly jumped to three per cent . with the new system , only the amount above # 250,000 will be taxed at the higher rate , making the jump less painful . it will end the long-standing problem of people struggling to sell homes at values just above each threshold . it means any home sold for less than # 937,500 will cost less in stamp duty than under the old system . homes worth less than 125,000 will continue to carry no stamp duty at all . anyone buying a home worth between # 125,001 and # 250,000 will have to pay two per cent in tax . on houses worth between # 250,001 and # 925,000 , they will pay 2 per cent on the slice from # 125,001 and # 250,000 and then only 5 per cent on the amount between # 250,001 and # 925,000 . the value of a property between # 925,001 and # 1.5 million will be taxed at 10 per cent , and on more than # 1.5 million it will rise to 12 per cent tax . people owning an average priced house will save a four-figure sum in tax . but it is the very high priced houses which are affected the most though . a # 1.5 million house will now see the buyer paying # 93,750 in stamp duty , an increase of 25 per cent on # 75,000 currently paid . a # 2.5 million home will see stamp duty increase from # 175,000 to # 213,750 . anyone buying a # 4 million home will pay # 393,750 in stamp duty - a 41 per cent increase from # 280,000 . expensive : this north london home is worth # 1.35 million and stamp duty on it will rise from # 67,500 to # 78,750 . the chancellor today abolished the ` slab ' system which meant the amount paid in stamp duty increased sharply at each threshold . under the changes , stamp duty on properties under # 937,500 will fall but the bill will rise for more expensive houses . revealed : hmrc has produced this table showing whether home buyers will be better or worse off after today 's announcement . meanwhile , a # 10 million home will incur a 59 per cent increase , rising from # 700,000 to # 1.1 million . trevor abrahamsohn , who specialises in selling high-end homes , says the market he deals in is already struggling and the changes are ` disastrous ' edward heaton , a property consultant , believes the increase would further stifle the ` subdued market ' but said buyers will end up taking it on the chin . he said : ` unwelcome as this news might be to those of us in the industry , i do n't think this will make london and the uk any less attractive to international buyers whilst wealthy british buyers will also come to terms with it . ' peter rollings , ceo of high-end agent marsh & parsons , said : ` any additional strain on the top tiers of the housing market will be absorbed , and the natural rhythm of the property market wo n't be disrupted ' . and martin lewis , founder of money saving expert , told mailonline : ` scrapping the uk 's most unfair tax is something few can disagree with . ` the market distortion caused due to the cliff-hanger taxes has always been wrong , and it 's good to see the chancellor following what has already been announced in scotland by scrapping it . ` the great difficultly was trying to mimic similarly proportioned charges under the new system and a reasonable job has been done of that with the exception of million pound plus houses . '

<s> chancellor announced major reforms to unpopular stamp duty system . </s> <s> but some experts have warned it will damage top-end of housing market . </s> <s> uk has estimated 500,000 homes worth more than # 937,000 tipping point . </s> <s> fears sellers will fail to attract buyers unwilling to pay thousands more . </s> <s> estate agents expect rush of completions on expensive homes today . </s> <s> shares in london agent foxtons fell after the chancellor 's announcement . </s>

families flying abroad could save up to # 71 per child after the chancellor scrapped the controversial air tax for the under-12s from next may . and from march 2016 , all children under the age of 16 travelling in economy will be exempt from the air passenger duty . airlines will also be required to display on tickets exactly how much of the fare was spent on fuel surcharges -- so passengers can see at a glance where their money is going . scroll down for video . lift-off for your holiday : the air tax has been scrapped for children under the age of 12 from next may . strong words : george osborne said in 2016 air tax would be scrapped for all children under the age of 16 . in this year 's budget mr osborne had already announced that the two highest bands in the four-band system of air passenger duty would be scrapped from april 1 , 2015 . the new changes mean that from may 1 , a family of five flying to florida could save # 213 , or # 71 for each child under 12 . those who fly premium economy , business or first class will not benefit , and it remains unclear if families who have already booked flights on or after the may 1 start date will receive refunds . however , the treasury has issued advice to airlines that there will be ` an expectation ' that parents with children under 12 who have already booked tickets for may 1 , 2015 , or later ` will be due a refund ' . air passenger duty , an airport departure tax , has been dubbed the ` poll tax of the skies ' . mr osborne has previously admitted that the charge , which was introduced as an environmental measure , is now a pure revenue raiser . he told the commons yesterday that he is also putting pressure on airlines to curb the fuel surcharges imposed on passengers when fuel costs go up -- and which are often slow to be removed as prices fall . the shah family -lrb- right -rrb- will be able to venture much further afield when the changes take effect . raj and fiona , from sheffield , travel with sons oliver , three , and alexander , 19 months . mr shah , 39 , said : ` it is a hugely positive change . it 's going to open our children up to many more experiences that they would not have the opportunity to have otherwise . ` flights for the children will be a lot cheaper . ' mr shah , the director of blue wealth capital , a financial planning firm , added : ` we go abroad twice per year and this year we took the kids to spain and greece . we have n't booked anything for next year yet , but we 're considering long haul now . ` we have relatives in kenya and toronto and it would be lovely to visit them more , or our friends in the middle east . ` we also have family in australia , but it 's probably a bit too far for the little ones at the moment . but we would definitely consider visiting them as they get older . ' the chancellor said : ` we 're going to require airlines to list the charges separately from taxes on tickets . but i also want to reduce the cost of those tickets for families directly . from may 1 next year , air passenger duty for children under 12 will be abolished . ` and i 'll go further . from the following year , we 'll get rid of apd for children under 16 altogether . ' the treasury said the changes will ` save an average family of four # 26 on a flight to europe and # 142 on one to the us ' . it follows a recommendation that decisions on apd in scotland should be devolved to the scottish parliament . the snp has said it wants to scrap the tax , which has been in force since 1994 . airports in newcastle and manchester fear this would lead to an exodus of english passengers seeking cheaper flights from scottish airports . airlines and airports welcomed the news , but insisted the entire tax should be scrapped . airlines are required to pay the unpopular apd to the treasury once a passenger 's flight has departed . willie walsh , the head of british airways ' parent company , the international airlines group , said : ` scrapping apd for children might be popular with some voters ... but it will do nothing to improve the uk economy . willie walsh -lrb- above -rrb- , the head of british airways ' parent company , said : ` scrapping apd for children might be popular with some voters ... but it will do nothing to improve the uk economy ' ` apd must be axed in its entirety . the uk still has the highest flying tax in the world and it should be abolished to allow the aviation and tourism industries to flourish . ' easyjet said it would refund apd to any customers who had booked tickets for children on or after the may 1 deadline . chief executive carolyn mccall said : ` this is really good news for families . ' bmi regional also said that it would honour the refunds . virgin atlantic boss craig kreeger said : ` this is great news for families and is another step on the long road to reform of this economically damaging tax ' . british air transport association chief executive nathan stower called it ` an early stocking filler for families ' , but warned the may 1 deadline presented ` significant practical difficulties ' . he said : ` the industry has always said that changes to apd should have at least a 12-month lead-in time due to advance bookings . ' travel organisation abta said the news was ` a hugely positive step ' , while flybe said the move merely ` tinkered with the edges ' of airport policy and should be taken further . autumn statement : george osborne and chief treasury secretary danny alexander yesterday . state loans of up to # 10,000 will be offered to postgraduate students for the first time . george osborne said the funding would ` revolutionise ' access to postgraduate courses , as high costs deter bright students from poor backgrounds . the loans will only be available to those under the age of 30 -- dealing a blow to mature students -- but will cover master 's degrees in any subject . they will be available from 2016-17 , benefiting 40,000 students . the proposals expect to bring an extra 10,000 into postgraduate study . they will be repaid ` concurrently ' with undergraduate loans -- on which repayments only start once earnings reach a certain level -- but may be charged at a higher rate . children 's television has been given a leg-up , in what has been dubbed the ` teletubby ' tax break . the chancellor said he wanted to ensure a new generation of children 's programmes is made in britain by offering incentives to production companies . tax relief for children 's animated productions in the uk was introduced in april last year , and it will be extended to live-action shows this coming april . mr osborne said : ` we will help one area of television production that has been in decline . ' pact , a body representing uk production companies , estimates the treasury could also benefit by up to # 3million a year from the move .

<s> going abroad will save up to # 71 per child depending on the distance . </s> <s> family of five flying to florida saves # 213 ; four to europe save # 26 . </s> <s> shah family from sheffield : ` it 'll open our children to more experiences ' </s> <s> move announced in george osborne 's autumn statement yesterday . </s>