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for the first time in recent memory , the sack race is a non-starter . those premier league bosses who looked a dead cert for the chop at the tail end of the last season have done enough to survive so far . sam allardyce , wanted out by west ham fans for the majority of the past year , has seen a miraculous turnaround at upton park , with his happy hammers sitting fifth . paul lambert , despite a good start to the campaign , has overseen another villa slide but remains in the hot seat and was even given a brand-spanking new four-year deal in september . chris hughton was sacked on december 6 , 2010 despite leading newcastle to the premier league . paul lambert -lrb- left -rrb- is still under pressure , but alan pardew has recovered well at newcastle . newcastle fans imploring the club to sack the manager earlier in the season . alan irvine at west brom hangs on , while alan pardew fought through the calls for his head at the start of the campaign to guide newcastle to five premier league wins in a row . ian porterfield was sacked as chelsea boss on february 15 , 1993 ; the longest time between the season starting and a sacking in top flight history . if those hanging by a thread keep hold of their jobs by monday , it will be the first time since 1996 that the premier league has reached this stage of the season without a sacking . chris hughton lost his job at newcastle , somewhat surprisingly , on december 6 , 2010 , just months after he guided them back to the premier league from the second tier . a weekend survival would cast memories back 18 years , when roy mcfarland was axed as bolton boss on january 2 , 1996 . happy new year , roy . the record for the longest season of bosses clinging on for dear life is 1992-93 . chelsea held fire until after they exchanged valentine 's day gifts with ian porterfield before getting rid on february 15 , 1993 . irvine and leicester 's nigel pearson lead the sack race with the bookies , and both will want to get to christmas without their p45s . west brom sit in 16th place with just three wins all season , and irvine 's side travel to hull city on saturday , with their man at the helm steve bruce also in the danger zone with just one win in 13 games this term . newly promoted leicester go to aston villa on sunday , with the fans just starting to turn against pearson during the difficult winter period . the axe could be about to fall ... 2-1 alan irvine . 3-1 nigel pearson . 7-1 steve bruce . 8-1 harry redknapp . 8-1 paul lambert . 12-1 neil warnock . 15-1 brendan rodgers . 20-1 gus poyet . 20-1 mauricio pochettino . 20-1 manuel pellegrini . 25-1 sean dyche . 33-1 arsene wenger . 50-1 garry monk . 50-1 alan pardew . -lrb- odds courtesy of coral -rrb- . could brendan rodgers be the first high-profile boss to depart the premier league . west brom boss alan irvine has called on fans to show their support rather than booing during games . leicester manager nigel pearson positions himself in the stands , where he is surrounded by supporters . | <s> if the premier league does n't have a sacking by monday it will be the longest start to the season without a cull since 1996 . </s> <s> chris hughton was sacked on december 6 , 2010 from newcastle . </s> <s> before him , roy mcfarland was sacked as bolton boss on january 2 , 1996 . </s> <s> 1992-93 saw the longest period without a sacking ; ian porterfield was n't axed by chelsea until february 15 , 1993 . </s> <s> alan irvine , nigel pearson and paul lambert are all under pressure . </s> |
nikola zigic has rejoined birmingham city five months after leaving the club . the 6ft 8in striker has been granted a work permit and has signed until the end of the season to provide gary rowett with another attacking option . zigic , whose contract worth # 65,000 per week was a burden as birmingham struggled last season , left in july but remains popular with club staff and is now on vastly reduced terms . nikola zigic , pictured scoring against stoke city , has resigned for birmingham city . the serbian striker left birmingham at the end of last season after his contract expired at the club . zigic cost # 6million when he signed from valencia in 2010 and was on wages of # 65,000 a week . age : 34 . clubs : aik backa topola -lrb- 1998-2002 -rrb- , mornar -lrb- 2001-02 -rrb- , fk kolubara -lrb- 2002-03 -rrb- , spartak subotica -lrb- 2003 -rrb- , red star belgrade -lrb- 2003-07 -rrb- , racing santander -lrb- 2006-07 -rrb- , valencia -lrb- 2007-10 -rrb- , birmingham city -lrb- 2010-14 , 2014 - -rrb- . club appearances : 470 . club goals : 241 . birmingham appearances : 148 . birmingham goals : 36 . serbia caps : 57 . international goals : 20 . the 34-year-old , originally signed for # 6million from valencia in 2010 , will not be available for saturday 's championship match at blackpool , however , as he needs to attain a working visa . he will fly to his native serbia on thursday to have his application processed in belgrade . this can take up to a week . it is hoped he will be available for the championship match against reading at st andrew 's on december 13 . zigic , part of the 2011 league cup-winning side , had been training with birmingham since november and the club are delighted he has re-signed . director panos pavlakis said : ` we welcome him back home . we know how happy he is to be here again and enthusiastic about making a contribution . ' rowett had said previously : ' i think he will bring something different to us , that 's what we are looking at - we want different players in the building and not similar players to what we have got . ' zigic , scoring against ipswich town , has returned to his native serbia in order to get a work permit . | <s> nikola zigic has scored 36 goals in 148 appearances for birmingham city . </s> <s> the serbian striker has resigned for the club until the end of season . </s> <s> he was released in july but will return to squad once he gets work permit . </s> |
jenson button is feeling ` really comfortable ' over his future no matter which way the dice may fall at mclaren . a decision from the team as to whether button or kevin magnussen will partner the returning fernando alonso next year is likely to be announced on friday . it follows a board meeting on thursday involving group ceo ron dennis and two other primary shareholders in tag co-owner mansour ojjeh and mahmood hashim al kooheji , ceo of mumtalakat , bahrain 's sovereign wealth fund . video scroll down for mark blundell : i would choose to have alonso and button . mclaren drivers jenson button -lrb- left -rrb- and kevin magnussen address the crowds at edinburgh on thursday . button and magnussen are vying to partner former ferrari driver fernando alonso at mclaren in 2015 . dennis has kept everyone waiting on tenterhooks for an announcement as he has opted to evaluate every aspect of his two drivers and take on board opinions , even though the final decision is his alone . it is understood magnussen will get the nod , with button switching to sportscars and a crack at the world endurance championship where good friends and two other former formula one drivers in mark webber and anthony davidson currently ply their trade . davidson even became a world champion in his own right last month when he and toyota team-mate sebastien buemi , another ex-f1 driver , claimed the wec crown . such a move would represent a good step for button , even though he would love an additional year at mclaren working alongside alonso . the 34-year-old englishman appeared in good spirits as he entertained the crowds in scotland on thursday . fernando alonso pays tribute to his ferrari team in abu dhabi after ending his stay with the italian outfit . ` it 's a weird time , ' said button speaking at a johnnie walker ` responsible drinking ' event in edinburgh . ` it 's the end of the season , we have n't got a race for many months , and i have had time to reflect on many things . ` the great thing is i 've had my family and my mates round , so there have been a lot of people to talk to about it , to discuss . ` it 's been an important week , but a really good week . i 'm now really comfortable , and whatever happens i will have a great year next year . ` new challenges are exciting , whether it 's in formula one with mclaren alongside an exciting team-mate , or whether it 's elsewhere . ` so i 'm good , but i just want to get it done . i want to hear the decision - as we all do - so we can all move on in whatever direction . ' button speaks to the assembled media about his future . button can understand mclaren pursuing a big name such as alonso in light of honda 's arrival as power-unit supplier after a seven-year absence from f1 , and their desire for a marquee name . but he feels it a pity mclaren could not keep faith with himself and magnussen given the rapport he has developed with the young dane . button added : ` i 've spent some time with kevin over the past couple of days , and it 's been really nice doing that . ` this situation has been difficult for both of us , but we 've shown over the last couple of days that we work so well together . ` it 's such a shame we wo n't be working together in the future in terms of being team-mates . ` but we 're both very grown up about the situation and we 'll both deal with it whichever way it goes . ' button does have irons in the fire , and whilst nothing is signed as he awaits dennis ' decision , he is looking forward to the future . ` there are options , but nothing set in stone yet , ' added button . ` what i can say is i 'll definitely be racing next year , and in a series i 'll be very excited to race in , so there 's no worry of me not racing next year . ` if it 's a new challenge it will be exciting , if it 's in formula one it will be very exciting as well because that will be a new challenge with honda . ' video driving for ferrari ' a unique experience ' - vettel . | <s> button keen to hear whether he will be racing for mclaren in 2015 . </s> <s> british team had board meeting on thursday to discuss whether button or kevin magnussen will partner fernando alonso next season . </s> <s> button will call time on his 15-year career if mclaren do not offer him deal . </s> <s> he 's explored other options including the world endurance championship . </s> |
beach baby : kate did take george with her on holiday to mustique in january . the duke and duchess of cambridge are facing a public backlash for going on a second honeymoon without seven-month-old prince george . the couple have flown to an exclusive resort on the maldives , leaving their baby with carole and michael middleton -- plus his own security detail -- at their berkshire mansion . but the decision sparked a storm on social networking sites mumsnet and twitter . critics said they were wrong to leave the young prince for so long , while others were concerned about the extravagance of their stay only a few weeks after the whole family , including george , went to mustique . the couple arrived at cheval blanc randheli on noonu atoll , on thursday for a week-long break . packages there , including flights , can cost # 6,799 a person . some people questioned how prince william , already condemned for boar hunting in spain last month , was able to take time off from his ten-week agriculture management course at cambridge university . one mother , who uses the blog name louloutheshames , posted on mumsnet : ` seriously ? think this might turn public opinion against them . . . seems its just one long holiday for the d and d of cambridge . ' another blogger called crazy spaniel remarked : ` well they need a holiday -- him to recover from the shooting holiday in spain a couple of weeks ago , and her to recover from the mustique holiday last month . i think she may even have put on a posh frock and `` worked '' for a couple of hours in between . no wonder they 're exhausted . ' katienan wrote : ` i like them but am shocked by this , just makes me think they are the same old royals . . . ca n't imagine choosing to be so far from my baby for so long , ' while another contributor said : ` these two really p *** me off . ` life 's one long holiday ' . frogwatcher42 added the ` arrogant ' couple might ` finally break the royal family ' . paradise : hotel cheval blanc in the maldives where the royal couple are enjoying a romantic break . however the couple also had some support . one mother of two said : ` if the baby is in good hands , why not ? he is first -lsb- grandson -rsb- for doting gps -lsb- grandparents -rsb- and probably has a very competent nanny . if i could afford a holiday every few weeks without the baby , i 'd take them too . ' others said ` each to their own ' . next month the royal couple embark on a three-week tour of new zealand and australia -- this time accompanied by george . kensington palace have declined to comment on a private holiday . yes says karren brady . businesswoman and mother of two . as a mother she has been branded selfish , uncaring , shameful and unusual . what nonsense . the duchess is none of those things . and , quite frankly , i believe she has made totally the right decision . when my daughter was seven months old i took her on holiday to america . i had more luggage than a family of ten , what with sterilisers , bottles , formula , nappies , every possible piece of medical equipment i might remotely require plus clothes , sun creams , prams , car seats , sun umbrellas and a selection of toys . she screamed the whole way there , so much so that i contemplated drinking my own body weight in red wine . the time difference played havoc with her body clock , and mine , and i found i 'd left certain toys at home she wanted . it was possibly the most stressful week of my life . the truth is travelling with a baby , especially when aeroplanes are involved , is rarely a pleasant experience . ` you can only have a good time in the maldives if you like the person you are with as , other than swim , sunbathe and eat , there is nothing to do ' kate , we are told , wants to spend . quality time with her husband , and i admire this because marriage , like . children , is a lifetime commitment and you have to work at being good at . it . and trust me , . i 've been to the maldives , and you can only have a good time if you like . the person you are with as , other than swim , sunbathe and eat , there is . nothing to do . the duchess is being far from selfish . she has left her child with its loving and doting grandparents ; she has n't dropped him off at battersea dogs home . nor is she uncaring -- she has made a decision that her son is better off in his usual routine than being dragged to a small island in the heat . ` kate is now a member of the royal family , and while their ways may seem formal to her , she has embraced them wholly and willingly ' the truth is that as a predominantly . stay-at-home mum she spends many hours of quality time with her son , and . probably far less quality time with her busy husband . and while it 's probably true that , as one of the thoroughly middle-class middletons , her natural instinct may have been to rarely let her baby son out of her sight during his formative years , the fact is that kate no longer resides among her own class . she is now a member of the royal family , and while their ways may seem formal to her , she has embraced them wholly and willingly . in the long term , george will benefit from her decision to make her marriage a priority because , as children will tell you , they are far happier in a household where both parents love each other than in a household where they do not . and this is a household where even a blind man can see there is much love . we also forget that kate and william are young , newly wed , new parents and face a lifetime dedicated to public service , so we know that it 's not easy for them to avoid the media . we also know what happened the last time they went on holiday . is it any wonder they have had to take over a whole island to ensure they get some privacy ? my daughter will soon turn 18 ; she has no recollection of the nightmare trip to america . in the years between then and now there have been many business trips on which she has not accompanied me . my advice to kate ? do n't let guilt hold you back . fast forward to when george is 18 . so , he did n't go to the maldives with you , and probably missed many other official trips besides . but he will have your strengths , your independence and will have benefited massively from the loving home you and his father are providing . in fact , he will be just fine . and who knows , maybe kate and william are working on a little princess ! no says anne atkins . writer , broadcaster and mother of five . when our second child was a few weeks old i accepted a weekend 's work with a theatre company . wanting to be professional , i left my baby at home . as soon as i arrived i realised my mistake . a child of that age will sleep through anything , she would n't have been any trouble and someone would have cuddled her if she 'd woken while i was working . her breastfeeding never fully recovered , and she was the only one of our children who needed bottles before she was weaned . this was something she minded very much when i told her years later . of course parents need time to themselves . when ours were young we would spend one evening a week alone . but let 's face it : kate and wills are not going to be alone . if i was to be surrounded by security men , press officers and so on , i 'd include a nanny or two and take my baby too . we have an odd trait in northern europe that i call generational apartheid . unlike those in more relaxed southern climes , we behave as if we really do n't like our children . the couple arrived at cheval blanc randheli -lrb- pictured -rrb- on noonu atoll , on thursday for a week-long break . packages there , including fights , can cost # 6,799 a person . we park them with babysitters , send them upstairs when we have friends round . i sometimes wonder why the british have children at all , we complain so much when they 're home for the holidays . and much as i love and admire the queen , no reign is entirely without error , and i suspect hers perhaps came when her children were very young . for instance , leaving the young charles and anne behind when she went to australia for two months . how did they cope , knowing their mother 's subjects came before they did ? at school , i had a wonderful history teacher , margaret chamberlain . she often challenged our thinking , and one day criticised elizabeth i for not continuing the tudor line . we leapt to good queen bess 's defence : she was far too busy being a brilliant monarch . ` but providing an heir , ' mrs chamberlain said , ` is part of being a good monarch . by leaving no clear succession , she let her people down . ' raising the next generation of royals was part of elizabeth ii 's job . considering the chaos they went on to make of their own relationships , this was perhaps not her finest hour . after that weekend without my baby , i never did it again . i took them all over the place : breastfeeding during a lecture i gave , or over dinner after question time . our youngest visited the richard and judy studio at three days old . i was far happier , and like to think they were too . of course prince george 's grandparents are competent : that 's not the point . how will the parents feel if anything goes wrong and they ca n't comfort him ? come on kate ! your middle-class , nurturing family gave us more confidence than the windsors . we do n't need you to be grand and cool . take your babies -lrb- and nannies -rrb- with you next time , and enjoy yourself even more . | <s> duke and duchess of cambridge have flown to a resort on the maldives . </s> <s> they left baby george with carole and michael middleton in berkshire . </s> <s> critics said they were wrong to leave the young prince for so long . </s> <s> others were more concerned about the extravagance of their stay . </s> <s> the whole family , including george , went to mustique just a few weeks ago . </s> |
south africa captain jean de villiers says he is hopeful of being fit for the world cup in england in september after having reconstructive surgery on his left knee on thursday . de villiers , 33 , dislocated his kneecap in the 12-6 defeat by wales in cardiff on saturday and early estimates suggested he would be out of action for at least eight months . ` the procedure went well but at this stage it is difficult to determine an exact return in terms of time frame , ' team doctor craig roberts said in a statement . jean de villiers is hopeful of being fit for the world cup following reconstructive surgery on his left knee . de villiers dislocated his kneecap in the 12-6 defeat by wales in cardiff on saturday . ` the use of an artificial graft should speed up his rehabilitation and hopefully increase his chances of making a successful return . ' de villiers said his sights were set on getting back in time for the world cup . ` my focus will now be on the arrival of our third child in the coming days , ' he added . ` thereafter it will be about recovering as soon as possible so i can start with my rehabilitation . i will do everything in my power to get to england . ' the 33-year-old is hoping the use of an artificial graft will speed up his rehabilitation . | <s> jean de villiers dislocated his kneecap against wales on saturday . </s> <s> de villiers looked set to be out for eight months . </s> <s> south africa captain aiming for world cup return next year . </s> |
a prostitute has told a court of the moment her ` boyfriend ' - and father of her child - shot dead a client , who was the grandson of henry ford . dijana kilic took the stand as the key witness connecting danyell thomas , 36 , to the murder of john dahlinger , 56 , in grand rapids , michigan , in october last year . she told the jury at kent county circuit court yesterday that thomas - who also acted as her pimp - broke into her client 's home , fired a shot and later confessed to shooting the victim in the head . thomas denies murdering father-of-two mr dahlinger after he was unable to pay for ms kilic 's services . prostitute dijana kilic testified against her former pimp danyell thompson as part of her plea agreement . danyell thomas enters the courtroom on the third day of his trial in grand rapids , michigan . john dahlinger was found dead by his longtime fiancee melanie yanchuk at their grand rapids condo . if convicted , thomas faces life in prison without parole for felony murder , conspiracy to commit armed robbery and felony use of a firearm . she described the ` sexless ' encounters with mr dahlinger that led to his death , reported michigan live . ' i was n't really thinking that day , ' she said . ' i did n't really believe he 'd come in with a gun . ' jurors heard ms kilic met businessman mr dahlinger , in the fall of 2013 when she saw him smoke crack in a group at a northeast side trailer park - and then again on october 8 after he contacted her through an ad online . ms kilic said he paid her nearly $ 1,000 for her time when they met at a hotel on 28th street - but all they did was talk and use drugs . she admitted trying to slip a drug in his drink , but he did not pass out . in court , ms yanchuk wept as said she far as she knew dahlinger , a father-of-two , did not use drugs or prostitutes . danyell thomas , left , is accused of murdering dahlinger in october 2013 . he was allegedly shot after he could not pay prostitute dijana kilic , right , after she performed a strip tease at his home . and when she met him a second time on october 16 - the night mr dahlinger died - it was thomas who drove her home afterwards . this time , she gave him heroin with the hope he would pass out , but as she modeled underwear for him , he asked her to perform a sex act with a friend while he watched . she said she refused . during the encounter , she exchanged numerous text messages with the accused , who asked her repeatedly if mr dahlinger had money - indicating the pair planned to rob mr dahlinger and anyone else at the property . the texts allegedly sent from ms kilic suggest that mr dahlinger was waiting for one of his sons to bring money . and many of the messages from thomas ended with the phrase ` ftp 2014 ' - which ms kilic said meant ` f *** the police ' . she said thomas then came in with a gun and pointed it at both her and at mr dahlinger . she claims she ran out of the room and the heard a single gunshot after mr dahlinger said the words : ' i did n't do anything ' . as they drove home , she told the court thomas confessed to the shooting , but said it was accidental . they then visited the gun lake casino in wayland in a bid to establish an alibi for the time of mr dahlinger 's death . ms kilic told the court she began working as a stripper at the age of 20 and later stepped up to prostitution . she gave details about text messages exchanged between her and thomas on the night mr dahligher died . in the messages shown to the court , the accused asked her repeatedly if mr dahlinger had money - indicating the pair planned to rob the businessman . the pair were arrested two weeks later and ms kilic 's fingerprints were found all over the scene of the crime . despite thomas 's please , ms kilic co-operated with the police and accepted a plea deal - which led to thomas being charged with felony murder . after pleading guilty to armed robbery , she was sentenced to one year in prison - but only spent a few months in kent county jail , and agreed to testify against thomas . she helped police officers recover a .357 magnum allegedly belonging to thomas from a river - which was linked to bullet fragments recovered at the scene . as part of the plea agreement , her testimony can not be used against her . the court heard she began working as a stripper at 20 and later moved to prostitution using a website where she would meet up with men . she insists she never had sexual intercourse with her client - even though her adverts claim she was ` very open minded ' and ` aimed to please ' . she said thomas , who she lived with in north wyoming , was ok with her sex work under those conditions . according to the kent county prosecutor 's office , part of the plea also deal included allowing ms kilic , a bosnian immigrant , to stay in the country . soon after the homicide , ms kilic found she was pregnant by thomas and gave birth to his son . barb bechtel comforts john dahlinger 's son mike during danyell thomas 's murder trial yesterday . the victim 's fiancee melanie yanchuk , center , sits with mike dahlinger in the courtroom . mr dahlinger 's late father has always claimed he was the illegitimate son of henry ford following an alleged affair the car manufacturer had with his young secretary . the victim 's mother , barbara dahlinger - who was married to john sr. - has previously confirmed the claim . ` yes , my husband was the illegitimate son of henry ford , ' she told detroit news . ` so what if it 's true ? everybody knew it back then . ' i lived it . my son lived it . and there 's nothing to be gained by rehashing all this again . the ford motor co. owes us nothing . ' sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article . | <s> admitted prostitute dijana kilic took the stand as a key witness connecting danyell thompson to the murder of john dahlinger . </s> <s> mr dahlinger was shot dead in his grand rapids , michigan , home last year . </s> <s> court heard ms kilic 's ` boyfriend ' and pimp shot him and confessed to her . </s> <s> she accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying for the prosecution . </s> <s> as part of the deal , her testimony can not be used against her . </s> <s> if convicted , thomas faces life prison without parole for felony murder , conspiracy to commit armed robbery and felony use of a firearm . </s> |
there is clear scientific evidence that the benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks , a landmark report has declared . a debate has long raged over the ethics of the procedure - and some men believe it has affected their sexual function or satisfaction . but u.s. officials have now said the medical evidence supports having the procedure . the announcement came in new long-awaited draft guidelines released by the centers for disease control and prevention -lrb- cdc -rrb- . this is the first time the u.s. government has released such a report on circumcision , where the foreskin around the tip of the penis is cut away . guidelines : u.s. medical experts have declared there is now clear medical evidence to support circumcision . while the guidelines stop short of telling parents to get their newborn sons circumcised , they are very clear on the health advantages . ` that is a personal decision that may involve religious or cultural preferences ' , said the cdc 's dr. jonathan mermin , who oversees the agency 's programs on hiv and other sexually transmitted diseases . the procedure is done because germs can grow underneath the foreskin . cdc officials say circumcision can lower a man 's risk of sexually-transmitted diseases , penile cancer and even urinary tract infections . the new guidelines are the result of seven years of work , after a cluster of influential studies in africa indicated circumcision might help stop spread of the aids virus . ` the benefits of male circumcision have become more and more clear over the last ten years , ' said dr aaron tobian , a johns hopkins university researcher involved in one of the african studies . but the guidelines are important , because the rates of newborn male circumcision have been dropping , he added . in the new guidelines , the cdc says there is now strong evidence that male circumcision can : . studies have not shown that circumcision will reduce an hiv-infected man 's chances of spreading the aids virus to women . and research has not found circumcision to be a help in stopping spread of hiv during gay sex . the guidelines say circumcision is safer for newborns and infants than for older males , noting the complication rate rises from 0.5 per cent in newborns to nine per cent in children ages one to nine . minor bleeding and pain are the most common problems , experts say . cdc officials are recommending doctors tell parents of baby boys of the benefits and risks of circumcision - but does not detail how that information should be presented . because circumcision can be beneficial to men as well , the cdc says information about the procedure also should be given to sexually active uncircumcised men - especially men considered to be at higher risk of catching hiv , the report says . however the guidelines , which the public will be able to comment on for the next 40 days , are likely to draw intense opposition from anti-circumcision advocacy groups . ` this is a passionate issue for them and they feel strongly that circumcision is wrong , ' said dr douglas diekema , a professor of pediatrics at the university of washington . the thinking on circumcision has swung wildly over the years . while it has been practiced by jews and muslims for thousands of years , it did n't become common in the u.s. until the 20th century . controversial : the new guidelines , which state how the procedure can cut risk for hiv , stds and penile cancer , are expected to draw intense opposition from anti-circumcision advocacy groups . by one estimate , only 25 per cent of u.s. male newborns were circumcised in 1900 . it gradually became the cultural norm , and in the 1950s and 1960s surpassed 80 per cent . but then the trend reversed . this was partly to do with changing demographics , as the u.s. population grew to include larger numbers of mexican-americans and other ethnic groups that did n't traditionally circumcise their children . also , opposition to the procedure grew from advocates who decried the pain , bleeding and risk of infections to newborns , the associated press reports . their message was aided by the internet and by the neutral stance of physicians groups - including , for a time , the american academy of pediatrics . by 2010 the newborn circumcision rate was down to about 58 per cent , according to one cdc estimate . but even as the circumcision rate dropped , more medical evidence came in supporting it - particularly three rigorous and influential studies in africa that looked at the spread of hiv and other sexually transmitted diseases in circumcised and uncircumcised men and their partners . | <s> brief procedure involves cutting away the foreskin around tip of the penis . </s> <s> officials say it can lower a male 's risk of sexually-transmitted diseases , penile cancer and even urinary tract infections . </s> <s> new guidelines released by u.s. centers for disease control prevention . </s> <s> expected to draw opposition from anti-circumcision advocacy groups . </s> <s> cut a man 's risk of getting hiv from an infected female partner by 50 to 60 per cent . </s> <s> reduce their risk of genital herpes and certain strains of human papillomavirus by 30 per cent or more . </s> <s> lower the odds of urinary tract infections during infancy , and cancer of the penis in adulthood . </s> |
the start of the ski season is about to get underway . but if you thought all the action happened out on the slopes , you can think again . for a minority of super-rich holiday makers , the real entertainment is to be found back in the palatial chalets that dot the world 's most exclusive resorts . scroll down for video . a week at the sprawling nine-bedroom swiss chalet owned by billionaire businessman sir richard branson will set you back an eye-watering # 112,000-a-week . the stunning accommodation on offer at rental company ultimate luxury chalets feature swimming pools , saunas , cinemas , hot tubs and even nightclubs . other include wine cellars , state of the art spas and fully-equipped gyms . but if you want to hire the most exclusive properties at destinations including verbier in switzerland and val d'isere in france , you 'll need to be among the world 's highest earners . a week at the sprawling nine-bedroom swiss chalet owned by billionaire businessman sir richard branson will set you back an eye-watering # 112,000-a-week . chalet n , located in the austrian ski resort of lech , is said to ` set the benchmark for true alpine over-indulgence ' one of the most impressive properties in the ski chalet rental market worldwide , it is an opulent chalet that comes complete with a team of chefs and butlers . as well as its own spa and ` wellness centre ' , chalet n features massage beds , a private hair stylist , steam showers , indoor swimming pool , a library , dual outdoor hot tubs , its own bar and a billiard room . situated on a quiet road just 250m from the main ski lifts and backing onto one of the returning pistes , the lodge is in a perfect location for the slopes . guests are attended to by a team of 12 staff . the property features a mini ice rink , indoor swimming pool , outdoor jacuzzis and a luxury spa . the lodge can accommodate up to 18 adults in nine bedrooms and up to six children and young adults in a specially designed bunkroom . chalet n , located in the austrian ski resort of lech , is said to ` set the benchmark for true alpine over-indulgence ' . sir richard branson 's luxurious swiss chalet features swimming pools , saunas , cinemas , hot tubs and even discos . guests at the lodge chalet are attended to by a team of 12 staff , while the property features a mini ice rink , indoor swimming pool , outdoor jacuzzis and a luxury spa . undoubtedly one of the most impressive properties in the ski chalet rental market worldwide , it is an opulent chalet that comes complete with a team of chefs and butlers . as well as its own spa and ` wellness centre ' , it features massage beds , a private hair stylist , steam showers , indoor swimming pool , a library , dual outdoor hot tubs , its own bar and a billiard room . the property costs up to # 384,000-a-week to hire . the edelweiss chalet in the courchevel 1850 resort is a towering eight-bedroom property that has become one of the most sought after alpine retreats . the edelweiss chalet in the courchevel 1850 resort is a towering eight-bedroom property that has become one of the most sought after alpine retreats . able to sleep 16 people , the edelweiss chalet was only built in 2012 and is located next to the bellecote piste . guests will need to splash more than # 400,000-a-week for a seven night stay . the # 79,000-per-week marco polo chalet in val d'isere is described as offering guests ` 700sq meters of alpine chic ' it features a vast balcony complete with panoramic views of la face piste , a bbq and outdoor heated seating . able to sleep 16 people , it was only built in 2012 and is located next to the bellecote piste . each bedroom has its own en suite bathroom and the two master suites measure 100sq meters each and come complete with private dressing rooms . its spa area takes up a whole floor and includes a state of the art gym , a double massage room and a swimming pool . there is a 50m ² ski room opening directly onto the bellecote piste , while the chalet is so big it even has a lift to take guests between floors . zermatt peak , situated in the swiss resort of zermatt , is said to ` set a new precedent in luxury chalet accommodation ' the 4.5 metre floor to ceiling windows in the lounge offer spectacular views , while the interiors ` ooze style , luxury and panache ' the courchevel 1850 resort also features the stunning six-floor le petit palais chalet . guests can use the beauty salon and sprawling spa , with the chalet costing # 188,000 for a seven-night stay . on the ground floor there is a 130sq meter nightclub with a dj booth , dancefloor and bar , which can fit 100 people . the chalet costs a staggering # 431,000-a-week to rent . the marco polo chalet in val d'isere is described as offering guests ` 700sq meters of alpine chic ' . the property can accommodate 12 guests in its six en suite bedrooms . it features a vast balcony complete with panoramic views of la face piste , a bbq and outdoor heated seating . the price is not surprisingly out of the reach of many val d'isere visitors , costing # 79,000 per week . zermatt peak , situated in the swiss resort of zermatt , is said to ` set a new precedent in luxury chalet accommodation ' . sleeping 18 people , the chalet truffe blance in verbier , switzerland , is referred to as a ` vision of grandeur and elegance ' based on an 17th century italian residence , it spreads over 3,000 sq meters , while its spa is said to have been inspired a the roman empire . it also has a 15m indoor pool . the 4.5 metre floor to ceiling windows in the lounge offer spectacular views , while the interiors ` ooze style , luxury and panache ' . it features its own masseuse , steam room , sauna and jacuzzi . it also has a cinema , library and and a private chef . it can accommodate up to 15 guests and comes at a cost of up to # 113,000 for seven night 's hire . the courchevel 1850 resort also features the stunning six-floor le petit palais chalet . it has a total of seven bedrooms and again includes its own nightclub and cinema room , while the master suite measures 855sq ft , and takes up an entire floor of the property . guests can also use the beauty salon and sprawling spa and costs # 188,000 for a seven night stay . sleeping 18 people , the chalet truffe blance in verbier , switzerland , is referred to as a ` vision of grandeur and elegance ' . based on an 17th century italian residence , it spreads over 3,000 sq meters , while its spa is said to have been inspired a the roman empire . it also has a 15m indoor pool . an exotic turkish hammam displays extravagant domes derived from the ottoman architecture . surrounding the hammam , pool and relaxation area are nine treatment rooms , a finnish sauna , 20-seat home cinema , sushi and vodka bar , private nightclub and pool table . the wine cellar has underwater windows looking out into the pool . but such luxury does not come cheap , and guests will need to spend up to # 172,000 per week to hire the property . www.ultimateluxurychalets.com . | <s> the edelweiss chalet in courchevel is the world 's most expensive chalet . </s> <s> it costs a staggering # 431,000-a-week to hire and has its own nightclub . </s> <s> a seven-night stay at sir richard branson 's swiss chalet costs # 112,000 . </s> <s> the luxury chalets features swimming pools , saunas , and private chefs . </s> |
former arsenal midfielder ray parlour has backed thierry henry to replace arsene wenger as manager at the emirates one day . the frenchman 's future is uncertain after he left new york red bulls at the end of the mls season and has been linked with a return to arsenal in a coaching capacity and parlour has backed him to take the top job in the future . henry is arsenal 's record goalscorer and wenger is keen to add him to arsenal 's backroom team . thierry henry has left new york red bulls and could return to arsenal in a coaching capacity . henry is arsenal 's all-time record goalscorer with 228 goals for the club . parlour told talksport : ` i think he will definitely get involved with arsenal . i certainly believe , one day , if he really wants to be a manager , he will be manager of arsenal . ` he was such an intelligent player . arsene wenger used to have a meeting on a monday with the players after a game and thierry would always have his say . he would make some great points , not just about forwards , but about defending and how we defend as a team . ` he always had that charisma to be a manager . and look at his name around the world . people would want to play for him and he would attract big players . ' arsene wenger is keen to add henry to his backroom team . ray parlour believes that henry is a future arsenal manager . | <s> thierry henry could return to arsenal in a coaching capacity . </s> <s> wenger is keen to add the striker to his backroom team . </s> <s> arsenal announced he was new york red bulls on monday . </s> <s> henry has not yet revealed his future plans after leaving new york . </s> |
mile jedinak admits it is becoming difficult for crystal palace players to come to terms with recent refereeing decisions which have gone against the club . the eagles ' skipper was sent off in the 3-1 reverse to sunderland on monday night after seeing his side have two legitimate penalty claims turned away by referee phil dowd . santiago vergini was lucky to avoid conceding a first-minute penalty when he brought down fraizer campbell , with patrick van aanholt tangling with wilfried zaha in what could have been easily given as a spot-kick . video : scroll down for neil warnock 's views on his side 's penalty claims on monday night . mile jedinak -lrb- left -rrb- was shown a second yellow card for a challenge on jordi gomez late in the match . jedinak is sent off by referee phil dowd for his second bookable offence of the night . the crystal palace skipper leaves the pitch at selhurst park on what was a miserable night for the home night . as it turned out neither were given and steven fletcher put the black cats ahead before the break and , despite palace drawing level courtesy of a wes brown own goal , jordi gomez and fletcher struck either side of jedinak 's red card to seal a second barclays premier league win of the campaign . ' i think we gave them two soft goals , ' said jedinak . ` apart from that i thought we were really good . ' i think they -lrb- the penalty claims -rrb- were both pretty clear to be honest with you , so , there 's not a lot i 'm going to comment on in that sense , but he -lrb- dowd -rrb- made both decisions and we have taken the brunt of them . it was unfortunate - both times . fraizer campbell goes down under a challenge by santiago vergini but the home side did not get a penalty . neil warnock was unhappy with the decision not to award a penalty and made his feelings known to dowd . ` it 's disappointing when you do n't receive the decisions and particularly so early on , particularly when you 're on top . you 're not going to cry over that , but when they are that obvious it 's a little bit difficult . ' the defeat saw palace drop to 17th in the table , with only a better goal record keeping neil warnock 's side outside of the relegation zone . the 65-year-old revealed after the match that jedinak had apologised for his sending off and labelled the two bookings as ` silly ' - with the australia midfielder now ruled out of saturday 's trip to manchester united . ` he -lrb- dowd -rrb- decided to give me a yellow on the first one which for whatever reason , the second one i got caught in him it looked like he was right behind me and he 's deemed it a yellow card , ' jedinak added . ` i 've got to accept that now , i 'm disappointed within myself to be missing the game and not being a part -lrb- of it -rrb- with the boys on saturday . sunderland manager gus poyet -lrb- left -rrb- congratulates two-goal hero steven fletcher after the black cats victory . ` we 've got a game in five days ' time , everybody has got to be ready and prepared . it 's an opportunity for somebody else to step in and whoever is fit and available to be ready and i think the boys are going to give a good account of themselves . i have no doubt about that . ' the win at selhurst park was sunderland 's second of the season and manager gus poyet will be hoping the result banishes the embarrassment of an 8-0 thrashing at southampton two weeks ago . gomez grabbed his first league goal for the wearsiders since his summer move from wigan and the spaniard is hoping to build on the victory when they welcome everton to the stadium of light on sunday . ` it 's a very good result for us , ' he said . ` it was much needed and it 's an important three points on the board . i 'm very happy to get my goal but more so with the team performance and final result . ` we 're now looking forward to playing at home on sunday in front of the fans , turn in another performance and get another three points . ` our fans were brilliant . it has been tough for them lately after the last two results but they backed us in their numbers and they deserve to enjoy this result , they are very important for us and did us proud here . ' one downside on the evening for sunderland was a shoulder injury suffered by van aanholt during his challenge with zaha . the former chelsea full-back was taken straight to hospital and poyet confirmed after the match that the dutchman had suffered a dislocation . | <s> mile jedinak was sent off by referee phil dowd for two bookable offences during crystal palace 's 3-1 home loss to sunderland on monday night . </s> <s> the defeat saw palace drop to 17th in the premier league table . </s> <s> sunderland won on a monday for the first time since april 2002 . </s> <s> eagles boss neil warnock revealed after the match that jedinak had apologised for his sending off during the game . </s> <s> australia midfielder jedinak is now ruled out of saturday 's trip to manchester united . </s> |
an airport employee was allegedly assaulted by a man with his backpack tuesday morning . the incident took place at 6:22 am at a security checkpoint inside boston 's logan international airport , massachusetts state police said . the 74-year-old victim - who has not been publicly identified by authorities - talked to 53-year-old eric s. brandhorst as he kneeled on the ground , state police said in a release . brandhorst 's backpack ` was too large to fit inside a guide rack for appropriately-sized carry-on luggage , ' it stated . confrontation : eric brandhorst allegedly assaulted an airport worker after she told him his backpack was too big and pointed out a place where he could check it instead . assault : state police say this photo shows brandhorst walking away after striking the 74-year-old woman . the woman indicated a place where brandhorst could check his backpack instead after he got on his feet , massachusetts state police said . ` suddenly , and with no further conversation , the approximately 6-foot , 200-pound -lsb- brandhorst -rsb- swung the backpack with both hands from his right shoulder into the left side of the victim 's face , knocking her down , ' the release said . nearby trooper dana cresta saw the assault took place and got brandhorst down on the ground , according to massachusetts state police . brandhorst faces assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person age 60 or older charges , the release said . he reportedly said he had been ` aggravated ' and ` made a mistake ' while speaking to state police at his booking . both the woman 's left eye and left side or her face were bruised , and she told authorities she had hip , knee and shoulder pain , massachusetts state police said . massport firefighters looked at the woman before she was taken to a hospital . stopped : nearby trooper dana cresta saw the assault took place and got brandhorst down on the ground . | <s> the alleged assault took place at 6:22 am at a security checkpoint inside boston 's logan international airport . </s> <s> eric brandhorst allegedly hit the woman with his backpack after she indicated a place where he could check it . </s> <s> both the woman 's left eye and left side of her face were bruised , and she told authorities she had hip , knee and shoulder pain . </s> |
crystal palace manager neil warnock is set to escape further punishment from the fa following his rant after monday night 's defeat by sunderland . the south london club were denied a clear penalty inside the opening 25 seconds after santiago vergini fouled fraizer campbell in the box . warnock was furious with the decision and let his feeling be known after the clash saying : ' i think everyone knows it 's a penalty , the referee says he has n't seen it , but he is in a great position . fraizer campbell is brought down by santiago vergini but phil dowd did n't give crystal palace a penalty . warnock complains to dowd but the palace manager will not be punished for his post-match outburst . ' i think the only chance we have of getting a penalty at the moment is somebody picking the ball up and throwing it at the referee . it 's so disappointing when you 've played so well . ` even with the second -lrb- penalty appeal -rrb- one with wilfried zaha . it might be on the edge of the box but they have given a goal kick . it bewilders me . ` we are going to old trafford on saturday , we wo n't get many decisions there i suppose ? on another night , major decisions change games - and in the last couple of weeks we 've had major decisions go against us . mile jedinak was shown a second yellow card for this foul on jordi gomez as palace finished with ten men . jordi gomez fires home for sunderland as gus poyet 's team beat palace at selhurst park . ' i said to the fourth official : `` how does it feel when you see you 've made a mistake . '' he said : `` it hurts . '' so there will be one or two people hurting tonight . ` they -lrb- the decisions -rrb- get you the points , the assault on julian speroni at west brom when we were 2-0 up and cruising , and zaha 's penalty there . tonight , you wo n't get a clearer penalty than that , the defender 's just taken his legs . ` you can see it clearly , they should be simple decisions for top class -lrb- referees -rrb- , we are talking about the premier league - the best in the world - so i do n't understand it . warnock is already facing an fa charge for his comments about referees after defeat to chelsea last month . ` it 's no good speaking to mike riley or anything is it ? we were told we should appeal more , but i ca n't see appealing anymore making a difference , can you ? ' the fa have been made aware of the comments , but it is understood warnock will not face disciplinary action . he is already facing an fa charge following comments made about referee craig pawson following the defeat to chelsea last month . | <s> crystal palace were denied a penalty for foul on fraizer campbell . </s> <s> warnock says refereeing decisions are costing his side points . </s> <s> crystal palace boss already facing fa charge for previous comments . </s> |
russia has agreed to reopen a major cold war listening post on cuba that was used to spy on america , it was reported today . moscow-based daily kommersant claimed russia and cuba have struck a deal ` in principle ' after president vladimir putin visited the island last week . citing several sources within russian authorities , the respected daily wrote : ` the agreements were finalised while president vladimir putin visited havana last friday . the former russian listening station at lourdes some 20 miles south of havana is seen in this december 2000 . it was mothballed a year later but could reopen , it is reported . moscow dismantled its radar stations in lourdes in 2001 as part of cutting back military installations abroad . the stations were built in 1964 after the 1962 cuban missile crisis . satellite dishes for the lourdes radar station , which was russia 's biggest covert military outpost abroad . around 1,500 russian engineers , technicians and soldiers observed submarine activity from the base built in 1964 . the signals intelligence facility near havana at torrens , also known as lourdes , was the largest russian sigint site abroad , but has been mothballed since 2001 . it covered a 28 square-mile area with 1,000-1 ,500 russian engineers , technicians , and military personnel working at the base . russia had closed the lourdes spy base south of havana on putin 's orders to save money and due to a warming of relations with the u.s. after the september 11 attacks . but moscow has since shown a new interest in latin america and its cold war ally cuba and relations with the west have deteriorated amid the ukraine crisis . the base was set up in 1964 after the cuban missile crisis to spy on the united states . just 155 miles from the u.s. coast , it was the soviet union 's largest covert military outpost abroad with up to 3,000 staff . russia 's president vladimir putin -lrb- left -rrb- hugs cuba 's president raul castro after a meeting at the revolution palace in havana last week . raul castro welcomed vladimir putin , where they met to discuss bilateral agreements . before that , both presidents participated together to a flower offering to the sovietic international soldier mausoleum . it was used to listen in to radio signals including those from submarines and ships and satellite communications . ` all i can say is - finally ! ' one russian source told kommersant of the reported reopening . the defence ministry and military high command declined to comment on the report to kommersant . ahead of putin 's visit to cuba last week as part of a latin american tour , russia agreed to write off 90 per cent of cuba 's debt dating back to the soviet era , totalling around $ 32 billion . russia paid cuba rent of $ 200 million per year to use the base in the last few years it was open . a former head of russia 's foreign intelligence service , vyacheslav trubnikov , told the newspaper the base would strengthen russia 's international position . ` lourdes gave the soviet union eyes in the whole of the western hemisphere , ' he said . ` for russia , which is fighting for its lawful rights and place in the international community , it would be no less valuable than for the ussr . ' putin 's spokesman dmitry peskov was not immediately available for comment on wednesday . | <s> facility at lourdes was the largest russian listening post abroad . </s> <s> it was mothballed in 2001 after relations with the u.s. warmed . </s> <s> but relations with the west have deteriorated amid the ukraine crisis . </s> <s> moscow has also shown a new interest in latin america and cuba . </s> <s> last week , russia agreed to write off 90 per cent of cuba 's debt . </s> |
liverpool 's players were back in training on thursday as they aim for their third consecutive premier league win against sunderland at anfield . brendan rodgers ' side host the black cats on saturday , four days after goals from adam lallana , steven gerrard and jordan henderson gave them three points away at leicester . reds stars including the fit-again mamadou sakho and rickie lambert were among those to take part in thursday morning 's session at melwood . defender mamadou sakho -lrb- right -rrb- tussles with youngster seyi ojo -lrb- left -rrb- during training on thursday . dejan lovren -lrb- right -rrb- holds off a challenge from harry wilson as liverpool prepare to face sunderland . brendan rodgers -lrb- left -rrb- watches his squad in training with coaches mike marsh -lrb- centre -rrb- and colin pascoe . dejan lovren , who was dropped for the victories against stoke and nigel pearson 's side , appeared in good spirits as he enjoyed a laugh despite being out of favour . the croatian and rodgers ' first-team stars were also joined by a number of the club 's youth players , with jerome sinclair , lloyd jones and jordan rossiter among those to get a chance to impress . one player still missing from training is mario balotelli , who has missed liverpool 's last three premier league games with a groin problem . speaking at his pre-match press conference , rodgers said of balotelli : ` he 's working with the medical team on a daily basis . i trust the team of people here that look after the injuries . hopefully he 'll be available sooner rather than later . ' balotelli has been the subject of controversy this week after he appeared to delete an instagram post which included an anti-semitic message , something rodgers was n't interested in discussing . raheem sterling , martin skrtel and rickie lamber -lrb- from left to right -rrb- warm up at chilly melwood . under pressure goalkeeper simon mignolet makes a save as he gets puts through his paces . rodgers -lrb- centre -rrb- watches on as jose enrique -lrb- right -rrb- runs with the ball during a drill on thursday morning . ` he 's still very much a liverpool player but he 's injured at the moment and there 's nothing more to add , ' said the former swansea boss . ` he 's not fit to play and my concentration is on players who are fit and available to play and that 's my only thinking at the moment . ' there was better news on the fitness on philippe coutinho and jose enrique , who should both be available for the visit of gus poyet 's men . rodgers added : ` philippe coutinho had a slight issue with his knee during the week but he should be ok for the weekend . ` jose enrique is back in . we are having to manage jose and his games , but he has trained and should be available for the weekend . everyone else , it is as it was . ' summer signing lovren enjoys a laugh as he moves a training aid during the reds ' session . mignolet -lrb- left -rrb- leaps into the air to punch a ball clear while under pressure from spanish defender enrique . alberto moreno will be hoping to start against the black cats after coming off the bench against leicester . | <s> liverpool host sunderland at anfield on saturday , kick-off 3pm . </s> <s> brendan rodgers put his players through their paces in training . </s> <s> mamadou sakho , philippe coutinho and jose enrique all fit . </s> <s> but mario balotelli is still ruled out with a troublesome groin injury . </s> |
crystal palace manager neil warnock has been fined # 9,000 by the football association following post-match comments about referee craig pawson after the 2-1 home barclays premier league defeat by chelsea on october 18 . the eagles boss , 65 , had said referee craig pawson was ` influenced ' by chelsea players in the decision to send off damien delaney for a second yellow card . warnock denied the charge and had requested a personal hearing , which was held on wednesday . crystal palace boss neil warnock has received a # 9,000 fine and warned about his future conduct . warnock was left fuming with premier league official craig pawson after the chelsea match . referee pawson was criticised by warnock for sending off palace centre back damien delaney . a statement from the fa read : ` following an independent regulatory commission hearing today -lsb- wednesday 5 november 2014 -rsb- , crystal palace manager neil warnock has been find # 9,000 for misconduct in relation to post-match media comments . ` warnock was charged following media comments he made after the game against chelsea on 18 october 2014 which the fa alleged implied the match referee was motivated by bias ; and/or brought the game into disrepute . ` the charge , which warnock denied at a personal hearing , was found proven and he was also warned as to his future conduct . ' referee pawson -lrb- second right -rrb- showed delaney a red card during palace 's home match against chelsea . speaking ahead of palace 's match against sunderland , warnock accepted he would have to change the way he handled himself in the media . ' i do n't think i can change the way things are . i have to change myself , ' said warnock , who would go on to lament some decisions he felt went against his side in the subsequent defeat by the black cats on monday night . ` at the moment i have to change to adhere to instructions that are currently with the premier league . whether that is detrimental to the press or not , i do n't know , but i have to change - they are not going to change for me . ' | <s> crystal palace boss neil warnock was unhappy with referee craig pawson after his side 's 2-1 defeat against chelsea in october . </s> <s> warnock felt chelsea players had say in damien delaney 's sending off . </s> <s> the 65-year-old has accepted he has to change in order to avoid disciplinary action . </s> |
wales manager chris coleman feels his players have ` grown up ' after going top of their european championship qualifying group . coleman 's side held talented bosnia and herzegovina to a goalless draw at the cardiff city stadium on friday night to make it four points from two games as belgium and israel won their first games elsewhere in group b. wales now welcome cyprus to cardiff on monday night and coleman says it will have been a productive camp if they win that game and make it seven points from nine . wales manager chris coleman reacts from the sidelines at the cardiff city stadium . wales forward gareth bale races past bosnia 's miralem pjanic at cardiff city stadium . ` these players have grown up , ' coleman said about a team missing influential midfielders aaron ramsey and joe allen through injury but who almost grabbed a winner through gareth bale in the final seconds . ` they 're not scared of it , they 've accepted the compliment of being called the ` golden generation ' . ` that 's a huge compliment , i 've told them they 've got to earn it and they knew the pressure going into the game . ` there was a big crowd for a reason but they did n't disappoint . if we beat cyprus i think it will have been a productive camp . ' over 30,000 turned up on the night as fans appeared to fall in love with their team again after several years where apathy has reigned in welsh football . they saw wales having to hold on for long periods as the bosnians dominated midfield and goalkeeper wayne hennessey was forced to produce several outstanding saves to prevent the hosts from falling behind . but wales rallied at the end and bale - who was brilliantly denied by stoke 's bosnian goalkeeper asmir begovic - hal robson-kanu and ashley williams all had late chances to score . ` gareth 's chance was scotland all over again , when he scored that fantastic late winner , ' coleman said , recalling a world cup qualifier two years ago . wales ' simon church -lrb- centre -rrb- and bosnia and herzegovina 's toni sunjic -lrb- left -rrb- battle for the ball . wales goalkeeper wayne hennessey dives to make a save from bosnia and herzegovina 's haris medunjanin . ' i thought he would get a chance but i did n't expect it to be from the same place , but it was a great save . ` we had other chances and it was a good point and a great performance . ` we had to ride our luck a little bit because they 're a good team . ` you know against teams like that you have to do that because they have enough quality when they 're on their game to hurt anybody . ` we had to stand up to the challenge and we matched them . wayne pulled off some great saves and we had some chances at their end . ` they kicked us , we kicked them and it was a good old-fashioned international match . ` we never played our best football but we dug deep . in terms of putting it on the line , i felt our players did n't have anything more to give . ' coleman felt bosnia midfielder miralem pjanic was fortunate to stay on the field after picking up a first-half booking for felling jonathan williams . moments later pjanic fouled williams again but he escaped with only a lecture from the russian referee vladislav bezborodov . ` we thought he could have been sent off , ' coleman said . ` on another day maybe , because he kicked him again seconds after the first challenge . bosnia and herzegovina 's striker edin dzeko -lrb- r -rrb- runs with the ball during the euro 2016 qualifier . wales defender ashley williams -lrb- 2nd left -rrb- went close with a header in the second half . ` it was a shame because he 's a fantastic player , when you look at him from afar he 's good but when you see him close he 's even better . ' bosnia coach safet susic said he was not disappointed with a point and insisted everything was all to play for in the group . ` the game was as i expected . it was a difficult game , ' susic said . ` we came here to get three points and we took some risks . ` the score is not bad for either team because they are our direct opponents for second place . ` but i think the best players on the pitch were the two goalkeepers . ' | <s> wales drew 0-0 with bosnia in european championship qualifying tie . </s> <s> ashley williams frustrated after wasting one of his side 's best chances . </s> <s> gareth bale 's shot was brilliantly saved by asmir begovic at the end . </s> <s> manager chris coleman pleased with the development of his player . </s> |
even after 30 years in the industry , madonna is still in hot demand . indeed , versace has snapped up the 56-year-old to be the face of its ss15 campaign . the iconic pop star replaces lady gaga , 28 , to front the brand and was chosen because designer donatella versace believes she is a ` true icon ' . the images , which were photographed in new york city by industry heavyweights mert alas & marcus piggott , aim to focus on madonna 's ` unique and iconic image ' . scroll down for video . madonna has been unveiled as the face of versace 's ss15 and she was hand-picked by donatella . the campaign was shot to capture the unapologetic and timeless power of madonna today , according to the luxury fashion house . of course , madonna is dressed head-to-toe in pieces from the ss15 versace collection and showcases her toned body in the imagery . speaking about her new role , madonna said : ` it 's always exciting to be dressed head-to-toe in versace and experience first-hand donatella 's vivid imagination and passion that she has created for this collection . legends unite : the images were photographed by industry heavyweights mert alas & marcus piggott . this is the fourth time that madonna has appeared in versace 's advertising campaigns ; her first in 1995 . designer donatella added : ` madonna is one of the true icons of versace . i am thrilled to have my friend and the most powerful and directional artist as the face of versace for spring 2015 . ' this is the fourth time that madonna has appeared in versace 's advertising campaigns ; her first was back in 1995 . the singer has been causing quite a stir this week after posing topless in a cut-out corset for a magazine shoot . the interview cover shoot shows the mother-of-four at her raunchiest as she models a series of cut-away outfits while reclining on a bed . the shoot caused an uproar on social media with many users insinuating that her breasts appeared too plastic . old friends : madonna , left , donatella versace , centre , and cher pose together at a fundraising in 1997 . madonna has used her fame and fortune to carry out many humanitarian projects and was recently in malawi . | <s> photographed in new york city by mert alas & marcus piggott . </s> <s> aims to focus on madonna 's ` unique and iconic image ' </s> <s> this is the hung up singer 's fourth campaign for the brand . </s> |
for at least two years , apple deleted songs from ipods that had been bought from rival music stores , according to accusations made in court . each time an apple user with non-itunes music tried to sync their devices , between 2007 and 2009 , the tech firm urged them to restore the players to factory settings . and lawyers claim this was a deliberate move to wipe the rival files , and cause the users ' music libraries to ` blow up . ' lawyers have claimed that each time a user with non-itunes music tried to sync their phones and ipods , between 2007 and 2009 -lrb- steve jobs is pictured launching the 2009 ipod nano -rrb- , the tech firm urged them to restore their devices to factory settings . this is said to have been a deliberate move to wipe the rival files . apple has been taken to court by individuals and businesses who accuse it of abusing its monopoly position in the digital music player market . the suit is being heard in a us district court in california , and is specifically looking into whether apple tried to bolster its ipod and itunes market between 2007 and 2009 . the plaintiffs are seeking $ 350 million -lrb- # 223 million -rrb- in damages , claiming that apple 's behaviour forced them to pay more for songs and hardware . and under antitrust laws in the us , if the case is successful , these damages could rise to as much as $ 1 billion -lrb- # 638 million -rrb- . this is n't the first time apple has been in trouble for controlling music on devices . earlier this year , the firm automatically added u2 's songs of innocence album to millions of ios devices without permission . in total , the album was added to itunes store customers in 119 countries . users took to twitter and facebook to express outrage at the plans and many moaned the album was difficult to remove from their devices . in response , the tech giant now created a dedicated page that lets users remove the album by signing in with their apple id . reports claim apple paid the band $ 100 million as part of the deal . the lawyers argue apple set up a campaign to make sure its ipods only included music bought directly from the firm 's proprietary store . attorney patrick coughlin said : ` you guys decided to give them the worst possible experience and blow up ' a user 's music library . ' but apple insisted that the move was a legitimate security measure . security director augustin farrugia said in court that his company was protecting users from hackers and malware by removing mp3s downloaded from outside of itunes . he continued that the warning message , which instructed users about the factory reset , was kept ` vague ' to prevent confusion . and any updates that wiped libraries were only intended to keep the devices clean and safe . apple is also accused of inflating the prices of its ipods by almost $ 350 million -lrb- # 223 million -rrb- . apple declined to comment on legal proceedings . later this week , apple executives including eddy cue and phil schiller will testify in the case , in addition to a video testimony recorded by co-founder steve jobs before he died in 2011 . mr jobs once referred to music pirates as ` someone breaking into our house ' . apple has been taken to court by individuals and businesses who accuse the it of abusing its monopoly position in the digital music player market . they are seeking $ 350 million in damages , claiming that apple , and co-founder steve jobs ' -lrb- pictured -rrb- behaviour forced them to pay more for songs and hardware . this is n't the first time apple has been in trouble for controlling music on devices . earlier this year , the firm automatically added u2 's songs of innocence album to millions of ios devices without permission . it was then forced to create a dedicated page -lrb- pictured -rrb- that made it easy for disgruntled users to remove the files . this is n't the first time apple has been in trouble with users for controlling music on devices . earlier this year , the firm automatically added u2 's songs of innocence album to millions of ios devices without permission . in total , the album was added to itunes store customers in 119 countries . users took to twitter and facebook to express outrage at the plans , and many moaned the album was difficult to remove from their devices . in response , the tech giant created a dedicated page that lets users remove the album by signing in with their apple id . | <s> apple is accused of deleting ipod songs that were bought from rival stores . </s> <s> between 2007 and 2009 , each time a user with non-itunes music tried to sync their devices they were shown a warning message . </s> <s> message told users they would need to restore devices to factory settings . </s> <s> this ultimately wiped files on the ipods , according to lawyers in california . </s> <s> lawsuit claims apple abused its digital music market monopoly position . </s> <s> plaintiffs are seeking $ 350 million -lrb- # 223 million -rrb- in damages , which could be tripled under antitrust laws . </s> |
will.i.am led the charge of celebrities supporting then-senator barack obama on his run for the white house in 2008 . seven years later , it appears the black eyed peas singer is reconsidering whether his efforts were worth it . in an interview with larry king , previewed in a clip shared with buzzfeed , will.i.am said he is ` disappointed ' with the current administration and the sentiment is reflected in his despondent facial expressions . scroll down for video . not happy : black eyed peas singer will.i.am said he was disappointed in president barack obama , in a preview of his interview with larry king . how do you feel ? when larry king -lrb- left -rrb- asked the singer -lrb- right -rrb- to assess mr obama 's time in the white house , he said : ` it would have been hard for anyone ' more to be revealed : larry king 's full interview with will.i.am will air december 11 at 5pm on ora.tv . during the interview , which will air in full on december 11 , larry king points out all the work the musician did on both of mr obama 's campaigns and then asks him to assess his presidency . will.i.am pauses several seconds before saying : ` it would have been hard for anyone ' . when asked directly if he is disappointed , will.i.am at first struggles to answer the question but eventually settles and admits that he is let down by mr obama . like many presidents before him , barack obama is facing exceptionally low approval ratings as he enters his final year in the white house . he even admitted that americans are ` ready to trade him in ' for a candidate with a ` new car smell ' in an interview with abc news last month . but will.i.am 's disenchantment shows that mr obama is losing the support of even his biggest fans . will.i.am produced several songs in support of mr obama when he was running for the white house in 2008 . the two pictured above following an event at ohio state university in october 2012 . will.i.am 's video for the song ` yes we can ' featured several celebrities and went on to be viewed more than four million times on youtube . pictured above with the president in the oval office in february 2010 . will.i.am was one of mr obama 's secret weapons in capturing the youth vote for his 2008 campaign , volunteering to produce an album in support of the candidate called change is now : renewing america 's promise . the first single off the album , yes we can , featured mr obama 's speech following the new hampshire presidential primary election and appearances by a slew of celebrities including scarlett johansson , john legend and nick cannon . the song went on to garner over four million views on youtube and win a daytime emmy award . another single featured another array of celebrities changing ` o-ba-ma ' . will.i.am is best known as a founding member of the hip-hop group black eyed peas , but lately he has been focusing on his own music , releasing a new song last july . he is also set to be a coach when the voice singing competition show starts in australia this year . | <s> the black eyed peas singer worked on both of mr obama 's presidential campaigns . </s> <s> when asked to assess the mr obama 's time in the white house , will.i.am said : ` it would have been hard for anyone ' </s> <s> full interview with larry king will air december 11 on ora.tv . </s> |
neil warnock has revealed he failed in a bid to bring tottenham striker harry kane to crystal palace at the start of the season . the eagles boss takes his side to white hart lane on saturday to face a spurs team buoyed by the goals of kane so far this campaign . the england under 21 international has struck 11 goals for mauricio pochettino 's men but has only established himself in tottenham 's premier league side in the last month . harry kane -lrb- left -rrb- in action against chelsea was a loan target for crystal palace last summer . until then he was used sparingly as a substitute and restricted to playing a key role in the europa league group stages - the main reason warnock felt a loan move for kane never got off the ground . ' i tried to get him a few times when i came here , ' the 66-year-old said . ` he is a good lad and you know what you are going to get with him . he is an exciting player . his first thought when he gets the ball is positive and i like players like that , who commit defenders . he obviously enjoys it , you can tell by the smile on his face . he is a good asset . eagles boss neil warnock was disappointed to miss out on england under 21 international kane . ` at the time , he was not involved and we felt there was a chance of getting him on loan . but unfortunately they were in that horrible cup on a thursday night . ' kane came close to breaking the deadlock as spurs lost 3-0 at league leaders chelsea on wednesday night and is likely to retain his place for the visit of palace , who also go into the contest on the back of a defeat having lost 1-0 at home to aston villa . midfielder joe ledley missed that game with a hip problem and is a doubt for the trip to tottenham - as is defender damien delaney . kane -lrb- left -rrb- , pictured tussling with john terry , has now established himself in tottenham 's first-team . warnock admitted he has already drawn up a list of january transfer targets and , having missed out on kane , it is a forward - with andy johnson and kevin doyle injured and dwight gayle replaced at half-time against villa through illness - that he hopes to bring in . ' i think we know we have n't got enough fire-power , ' he added . ` when you look at the other teams they have all got main strikers to select from . i think the lads are doing as well as they can . we do need improvement in that area and we are looking to address that in january . ' | <s> crystal palace attempted to sign harry kane on loan in august . </s> <s> but tottenham were unwilling to let the striker leave for selhurst park . </s> <s> kane has since established himself in mauricio pochettino 's first-team . </s> |
the manchester city squad wrapped up warm for a thursday afternoon recovery session following their 4-1 win against sunderland on wednesday night . frank lampard and co ensured they were layered up before heading outside at city 's carrington training ground and gathering around boss manuel pellegrini . the players involved in city 's stadium of light victory swapped boots for trainers as the likes of sergio aguero and joe hart looked to warm down ahead of the game against everton on saturday . frank lampard -lrb- right -rrb- and gael clichy prepare for manchester city 's training session on thursday . city goalkeeper joe hart ensured he wrapped up warm for the recovery session . sergio aguero scored twice to help city to a 4-1 win against sunderland on wednesday night . pellegrini received a double boost after watching his side come from behind to slay sunderland on wednesday night after revealing injured captain vincent kompany is close to a return . kompany missed the sunderland clash with a hamstring strain and is also out of the weekend 's game against everton , but pellegrini now hopes he could be back for next week 's crucial champions league clash with roma . ` vincent is improving and maybe it is not such a serious injury as we thought at the beginning - but he needs to see the whole week and we will see what happens with him , ' the chilean said . joe hart and co prepare to enter the cold outside ahead of the city training session . bacary sagna seemed in high spirits despite being an unused substitute on wednesday night . aleksandar kolarov straps on a heart-rate monitor before heading out . martin demichelis -lrb- left -rrb- wraps up warm while striker edin dzeko gets his boots on . manuel pellegrini gathered his side for a talk before beginning the thursday afternoon session . | <s> manchester city stars train after 4-1 win against sunderland . </s> <s> city squad wrap up before starting carrington training session . </s> <s> frank lampard and co look in high spirits following fourth successive win . </s> |
after successfully racing the tube , james heptonstall and noel carroll are back and ready to amaze us with their next stunt . on november 3 , 2014 at 10:08 am , the two men decided to #racetheboat - from the london eye to bankside pier . the 1.3-mile -lrb- 2.2 km -rrb- journey included five bridges and countless pedestrians to dodge as the athletic pair ran along the south bank of the river thames in london . on your mark , get set , go ! james heptonstall and noel carroll attempt to race a boat along the river thames . the two men raced from the london eye to bankside pier in just over 8 minutes . in order to successfully beat the river boat , the men had to run the length of the path in eight minutes and 30 seconds . james is a 30-year-old england touch-rugby player and noel is a strength and conditioning coach at arsenal academy . the duo recorded their race the tube video in september of this year . noel recorded the video while james raced the circle line train from the mansion house stop to cannon street , successfully completing the 415-yard platform to platform sprint in 1min 18secs . the 2.2 km journey on foot included five bridges and countless pedestrians to contend with . earlier this year , the pair successfully completed the race the tube challenge on the circle line route . two for two ! james and noel also succeeded in beating the river boat - on their first attempt , no less ! | <s> the duo ran 2.2 km along the south bank of the thames river on nov 3 . </s> <s> to beat the river boat , the pair had to reach bankside pier in 8 min , 30 secs . </s> <s> the path included 5 bridges and countless pedestrians to contend with . </s> |
measuring 26 inches by 26 inches and standing proud at 1.5 ft tall , this intricately carved and exquisitely detailed world war one battle scene is made entirely out of pastry margarine . the creation is the brainchild of chef vipula athukorale , from leicester , who won a gold medal for his work at the international culinary world cup 2014 . taking three weeks to complete , the poignant sculpture was made out of a whopping 53lb of the butter substitute . scroll down for video . the sculpture is the brainchild of chef vipula athukorale from leicester . the artist won a gold medal at the international culinary world cup for his creation which is made from 53lb of margarine . the 51-year-old 's ww1 culinary creation is his second gong . he won his first gold medal the 2010 international culinary world cup , in luxembourg , in 2010 with a victorian street scene . mr athukorale said : ' i wanted to choose a relevant theme to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war . ` it is also a tribute to my father henry who is a retired lt general in the sri lankan army . he was a cadet at sandhurst in the 1950s . ` the characters show pain , compassion , frustration and anger . ' mr athukorale -lrb- pictured -rrb- wanted to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war . the butter artist 's characters show ` pain , compassion , frustration and anger ' mr athukorale 's creation is also a tribute to his father who was a cadet at sandhurst in the 1950s . mr athukorale was one of only 14 international competitors to be awarded the gold standard in his butter sculpture class in luxembourg . the sri lankan-born chef left school at 18 to train to be a hotel manager but said his real passion is butter sculpting . he said : ' i was always better at this ; it comes from my love of art at school . i am so pleased to won a gold medal for the british team . ' the butter artist will be chasing more gold in the culinary olympics to be held in erfurt in germany in 2016 . ' i won two bronze medals there last time in 2012 . i aim to do better in two years ' time , ' he said . | <s> chef vipula athukorale from leicester crafted the wartime masterpiece in three weeks . </s> <s> margarine creation a tribute to the chef 's father , a cadet at sandhurst in the 1950s . </s> <s> sri lankan born chef created sculpture to mark 100th anniversary of first world war . </s> |
sergio aguero is not just top of this season 's premier league scoring charts . the argentine , having now played 101 times in the english top flight , has far and away the lowest minutes per goal ratio in premier league history . aguero hits the net on average once every 108 minutes , 13 minutes quicker than arsenal legend thierry henry . he is arguably in the greatest form of his career , with 14 goals already this term , and bagged a double in manchester city 's 4-1 win at sunderland on wednesday night . sergio aguero scored twice for manchester city against sunderland on wednesday night . aguero has a goal every 108 minutes in the premier league , quicker than any other player . with as many goals as games this season , aguero is on course to beat cristiano ronaldo 's record -lrb- in a 38-game season -rrb- of 31 goals in the 2007-08 season . the full table , shown below , charts striker 's records who have played over 100 games in the top flight , with aguero miles ahead of the pack after a century of appearances . in 7126 minutes he has 66 goals , ahead of henry and 20 minutes quicker than former manchester united hit man ruud van nistelrooy . aguero drives home manchester city 's first goal to equalise at the stadium of light in their 4-1 win . thierry henry scored 175 goals in 258 games during his two stints at arsenal . luis suarez , who left liverpool in the summer , scored 69 goals in 110 appearances . javier hernandez played just one game more than aguero , but nearly 2,500 less minutes at manchester united . his 37 goals , mainly as a substitute , puts him fourth in the list with a goal every 129.6 minutes . elsewhere on the list is robin van persie -lrb- 138.3 -rrb- , edin dzeko -lrb- 138.7 -rrb- and luis suarez -lrb- 138.8 -rrb- . aguero has scored 45 per cent of manchester city 's goals in the premier league this season , and has directly won nine points for the club through his contributions with goals and assists . and with the argentine on fire , manuel pellegrini believes city are back on title-winning form . robin van persie has scored a goal roughly every 138 minutes in the premier league . ruud van nistelrooy is third on the list , posting a goal every 128.2 minutes in the top flight . edin dzeko , not always first-choice striker at manchester city , has a healthy minutes per goal ratio . another super sub , javier hernandez , has 37 goals in 102 games for manchester united . he said after wednesday evening 's win at the stadium of light : ' i think we are returning to the performances we had last season . i think if we continue playing this way of course we will fight for the title , but i think three or four other teams will also be there . ' -lsb- aguero -rsb- is an important player but it is not just sergio aguero - we play in a way that it is very useful for him to score but it is important for him not just to think about scoring but to play for the team . ` there are a lot of good strikers but i said before the last game that i am sure he is one of the best five players in the world because he is not just scoring , he is playing very well . ' aguero is on course to beat cristiano ronaldo 's 38-game record of 31 goals in a premier league season . | <s> sergio aguero tops the premier league minutes-per-goal table . </s> <s> his two goals at sunderland put him on 14 for the season so far . </s> <s> aguero 's record puts him ahead of thierry henry and ruud van nistelrooy . </s> <s> the likes of javier hernandez , robin van persie and edin dzeko make the upper reaches of the chart . </s> <s> with 14 in 14 , aguero is on course to beat cristiano ronaldo 's 38-game record of 31 goals in a premier league season . </s> |
real madrid manager carlo ancelotti has admitted the dressing room was divided under his predecessor jose mourinho at the santiago bernabeu . mourinho , back at chelsea for a second spell , was involved in several public spats during his reign in madrid as tensions flared with the likes of iker casillas , sergio ramos and talisman cristiano ronaldo . ancelotti has now revealed he inherited ` lots of problems ' at real madrid , but insists there has been nothing but calm since his arrival in 2013 . current real madrid manager carlo ancelotti has claimed the dressing room was divided under mourinho . jose mourinho talks to cristiano ronaldo during their turbulent time together at real madrid . ` before i arrived i was aware that there were lots of problems in the dressing room -- problems between some players and mourinho , ' ancelotti told so foot . ` everything that happened in private would end up in the papers the next day . but when i took charge , everything had returned to calm . i did n't inherit any tensions . ` was i responsible for returning peace to the dressing room ? no , no . when i arrived there was already a lot of serenity . ` ever since i arrived , there has n't been one fight in the dressing room . i have never had an unmotivated player or any confrontations with players who have n't played as much as they 'd want to . ' mourinho celebrates winning the la liga title together with the real madrid squad in 2012 . the outspoken manager is now back at chelsea , making an impressive start to the premier league season . | <s> jose mourinho left real madrid in 2013 after three turbulent seasons . </s> <s> current manager carlo ancelotti reveals dressing room was divided . </s> <s> mourinho , back at chelsea , fell out with stars such as cristiano ronaldo . </s> |
pro-life campaigners are often criticised for harassing women seen going into abortion clinics . but the tables were turned when a heavily pregnant lady hit back at anti-termination protesters demonstrating outside a london health centre - leaving them lost for words . the verbal dressing-down came as a worker for blackfriars medical practice , a gp surgery offering abortion services in southwark , confronted abort67 members and asked them to stop filming to protect patient confidentiality . a pregnant woman criticises anti-abortion group abort67 outside blackfriars medical practice in southwark . abort67 members denied specifically filming patients going into the surgery and claimed that they were using the cameras to provide evidence against those who accuse them of bullying tactics . a pregnant passer-by can then be seen approaching the group as they argue about the use of cameras , in footage uploaded toyoutube by journalist sunny hundal on wednesday . she tells the protesters : ` you are wrong in what you 're doing . ` you do n't know why people are doing what they 're doing , but you want to be out here judging and then filming . ' when one of the female protesters tries to fight back by claiming that she had an abortion in the past , the lady labels her a hypocrite . she said : ` you had an abortion but because you 're not happy with what you 're doing , you 're standing out here making other people feel guilty . when you had an abortion , that was your choice . the pregnant woman tells the protesters that women should have choice . ` many people have been abused , you do n't know what their reasons are for , so i think this is so wrong on so many levels . ' referring to a recent incident in which a newborn baby was found dead in a wheelie bin in north yorkshire , she adds : ` there was a baby on the news that got found in the bin . ` maybe if their mum did n't feel that way because of people like you , that baby would n't have died . as the lady walks away , the protesters are left speechless by her words and are unable to argue back . ` you think it 's better for them to get rid of it at ten weeks -lrb- in the womb -rrb- or to actually go through with the birth and then kill the child ? ' the unnamed woman goes on to tell the group they should have researched about the local area before protesting as the clinic is near to kids company , a charity providing support to vulnerable inner-city children . many of the children who go to the charity for help have been sexually abused or forced into sex work . the woman said : ` there 's kids company round there , where we 're helping thousands and thousands of kids while you 're out here . ` you are in the wrong place , especially when we have our people that are going through their s *** , they 're going to kids company where we 're meant to help them , then they see this . ' she adds : ` to be standing out here and making other people feel guilty is so wrong . ' as the woman walks away , the protesters are left speechless and are unable to argue back . since the footage was uploaded , hundreds of people have taken to twitter to applaud the woman for her ` inspiring speech ' . thousands of pounds have also been given to the kids company ` give a vulnerable child the gift of christmas ' campaign since the video was uploaded earlier today too . to donate to kids company the campaign , click here . the anti-abortion group abort67 , which was started in 2008 , has been confronting women going into the clinic with posters and leaflets showing pictures of foetuses . a spokesman told mailonline : ` the youtube video by sunny hundal which reveals the gentle nature by which we hold our displays serves to emphasise that abortion is indefensible . ` pro-aborts like sunny ca n't defend killing small human beings so he tries -lrb- in vain -rrb- to shame our volunteers for trying to defend the unborn child . ' - do you know the woman in the footage ? if so please contact the mailonline newdesk on editorial@mailonline.co.uk or call 020 7938 6000 and ask for the mailonline newsdesk . | <s> pregnant lady criticises anti-abortion group abort67 for harassing women . </s> <s> in the video , she shoots down the protesters ' arguments for pro-life . </s> <s> her ` inspiring words ' attract thousands of comments on social media . </s> |
alexis sanchez has been a ` breath of fresh air ' at arsenal , with alex oxlade-chamberlain praising his team-mate for bringing a winning mentality back to the club . a big-money summer arrival from barcelona , the 25-year-old has hit the ground running in north london with a remarkable return of 14 goals from 22 appearances . those displays have helped spare arsenal 's blushes on several occasions , including wednesday 's barclays premier league encounter at home to surprise package southampton . alexis sanchez netted a late winner for arsenal in wednesday 's game with southamton . it took a last-gasp sanchez strike to see off the well-drilled visitors 1-0 , after which oxlade-chamberlain heaped praise on the game-changing chile forward . ` there is no rest for him , ' the england midfielder told bt sport . ` on recovery days he wants to be playing and he is not happy if he is not allowed to play the game at the end . ` in training , he wants to win . he has brought that winning mentality to the side and i think it definitely rubs off on a lot of players . ` it has been an eye-opener for me . to make it to the top and to be able perform like he does week in , week out you have got to be an absolute winner and you never want to lose at all . sanchez fires home the winner as arsenal claim all three points against southampton . ` he is not happy when he does n't score . if i scored as many goals as he has at this stage , i 'd be over the moon . ` he has been brilliant for us and a breath of fresh air , so hopefully he can stay in the form that he is in and we can help him out to keep producing goals like he has been . ' as good as sanchez is , though , oxlade-chamberlain - like anyone else in attendance at the emirates stadium - will be aware arsenal need to improve and quick . this was a far from convincing display from arsene wenger 's men and one which left saints defender toby alderweireld cursing his luck . a first-half injury to jack cork saw the belgian moved from centre-back to holding midfield for the second match in a row - a role he impressed in until a hamstring injury forced him off with less than 10 minutes remaining . saints had already used their full complement of substitutions by that point and sanchez capitalised on the fact saints had to end the game a man light . ` it 's really s *** , ' alderweireld said . ' i think everybody knows when it happens with your hamstring you ca n't run any more , so with pain in my heart i had to go off . sanchez shows off his skills by looking one way and playing a long pass in the other direction . ` that was really s *** and , unfortunately , we let a goal in . ` on thursday i will have a scan and i hope it 's not too serious , but for sure a hamstring is always bad , so we 'll see . ` i 'm hoping to recover very soon , very fast . i will do everything to be back very quickly on the field , but that 's for the future and i ca n't tell . ' injuries to alderweireld , cork and dusan tadic made this a costly defeat for saints - hardly the ideal preparation for monday 's match against manchester united . it is a game they not only approach low on numbers but fresh from back-to-back losses for the first time this season . alex oxlade-chamberlain has hailed the impact of sanchez since he joined arsenal . saints have only been beaten four times in all competitions during their remarkable start , yet those reverses have come against liverpool , tottenham , manchester city and arsenal . the latest defeat will only fuel the doubters ' suggestions that saints are only third in the standings due to a kind fixture list , but such talk angered alderweireld . ` maybe last week we were not that good , but today we played very good against a good team , especially here , where it 's very difficult to play , ' he said . ' i think we played very good and i think we deserved a point at least . ` they have to watch the game . maybe after sunday , city -lrb- 3-0 home defeat -rrb- , we did n't play that good , but today we played very good , so we 're still there and we will work very hard to get the points again , so we will do our best . ' | <s> alexis sanchez scored a late winner for arsenal against southampton . </s> <s> sanchez has scored 14 goals in 22 appearances for arsenal . </s> <s> sanchez joined arsenal from barcelona in the summer . </s> <s> arsenal would be hovering above the relegation zone without sanchez . </s> |
19 kids and counting stars jessa and jill duggar are reported to be in the midst of a bitter fight , after it was revealed that mother-to-be jill , 23 , had unfollowed her younger sister - and her new husband ben seewald - on twitter . according to the inquisitr , jill , who is expecting her first child , a son , with husband derick dillard in march , is linked with all of her other twitter-using family members , however jessa and ben 's accounts are noticeably absent from her 16-strong follow list , which also includes walmart and fox news . it seems the resentment might not be mutual however ; newly-wed jessa follows both jill and derick , who is also listed as one of her followers . scroll down for video . squabbling sisters ? rumors have surfaced of a rift between the duggar siblings after jill -lrb- r -rrb- unfollowed jessa -lrb- l -rrb- on twitter . happy families : both sisters , pictured here with their parents jim bob and michelle -lrb- center -rrb- and their respective partners , were married earlier this year . the reports will no doubt come as a shock to fans of the duggar 's hit reality series , who are used to seeing the siblings getting on incredibly well - particularly while helping each other to prepare for their respective wedding ceremonies , which both took place this year . while the reason behind the feud is not known , it is thought that the feud could have something to do with the girls ' respective engagements and wedding ceremonies being so close together - and it has been speculated that jessa felt her courtship with ben was slightly overshadowed by the announcement of jill 's pregnancy . and it is not the first time that rumors of tension between jessa and her siblings have surfaced . earlier this year , eldest duggar daughter jana , 24 , revealed in the family 's tell-all biography growing up duggar : it 's all about relationships that she and jessa regularly fought throughout much of their childhood . according to jana , her parents jim bob and michelle tried to end the sisters ' constant fighting by making them share a bunk bed , which only resulted in jessa continuing to torment her sibling by kicking her bunk every night and then laughing when she became upset . twitter spat : jessa 's twitter account is noticeably absent from her sister 's 16-strong follow list . wedded bliss : jessa married ben seewald -lrb- pictured toghether , right -rrb- on november 1 , while jill and derick -lrb- pictured together , left -rrb- wed in june . but while jessa and and jana seem to have repaired their relationship , it remains to be seen whether the same will be said of jessa and jill and their husbands , both of whom were welcomed into the family fold by patriarch jim bob earlier this year . in june , jill married 25-year-old accountant derick , sharing her first kiss with her new husband in front of 1,000 of their closest friends and family members during the ceremony , which was later broadcast in a special episode of 19 kids and counting . ` it was so cute - i thought jill almost dove right into the moment , ' the duggar matriarch michelle later said of the couple 's first kiss . ' i was really surprised , but on the other hand , i 'm not . i just think jill is quite the enthusiastic person . ' interestingly , jessa , who wed 19-year-old ben on november 1 , chose to wait until after the ceremony before enjoying her first kiss with her new husband so the couple could share the moment in private . ` they wanted their very first kiss ever to be in private , ' pastor mike schadt told people . ` it was important to the both of them . ' smiling sisters : the duggar siblings are thought to be incredibly close . big brood : jim bob and michelle duggar have 19 children and have admitted they would be open to having more in the future . when it came to preparing for their special days , mother michelle revealed on her blog that both sisters received huge amounts of support from their siblings . ` jill had so much help from her siblings to make the transition , helping her pack up her stuff at our house , moving and unpacking at her new home , ' she wrote . ` they have their schedule already - they get up and off to work or jill works on her studies . ' in an earlier post , the mother-of-19 also discussed the difficulties involved in saying farewell to two of her children within such a short space of time . ` change can be difficult for all of us , but it is such a good reason to have change . it 's a joyful time , ' she explained . ' -lsb- jim bob -rsb- is so excited , too , for derick and jill , and for ben and jessa . ` when he talks about the girls getting married , he gets a little teary-eyed ; it 's a big deal for a dad to let go of his girls . he 's handing them over , but he 's handing them over to some really great guys . ' | <s> both sisters married their respective partners earlier this year . </s> <s> in the family 's biography , jana duggar , 24 , admitted to regularly fighting with jessa when they were children . </s> |
rugby star alesana tuilagi has escaped a jail term after pleading guilty to a drink-fuelled attack on a reveller outside a dublin nightclub three years ago . the samoan winger , who is the brother of england star manu , paid the victim around # 30,000 several months ago . tuilagi had been out drinking after his then club leicester tigers lost to leinster in a european cup quarter-final and punched the man in what his defence lawyer described as a ` pent-up lapse of judgement . ' alesana tuilagi has escaped a one-year jail sentence for an assault in dublin back in april 2011 . tuilagi was playing for leicester tigers at the time and was drinking after a defeat to leinster in april 2011 . the 33-year-old , who now plays for newcastle falcons , pleaded guilty at dublin district court to assault causing harm following the incident on harcourt street on april 4 , 2011 . judge anthony halpin struck the case out , saying tuilagi could face trouble travelling if convicted . he noted that the victim suffered no lasting damage from the punch and ` was more than generously compensated . ' his verdict spared tuilagi a possible one-year jail sentence and a criminal record . | <s> tuilagi pleaded guilty to attacking a reveller outside a dublin nightclub . </s> <s> incident happened after his then club leicester lost to leinster in 2011 . </s> <s> the samoan winger punched a man in the face in ` lapse of judgement ' </s> <s> judge anthony halpin struck case out at dublin district court . </s> <s> tuilagi had earlier paid the victim around # 30,000 in a settlement . </s> |
norway starlet martin odegaard enjoyed a training session with liverpool 's first-team on thursday as brendan rodgers continues to plot a move for the talented 15-year-old . the stromsgodset midfielder , who has already spent time with real madrid and manchester united - although united hope to see him again - landed on merseyside to take a look at liverpool 's ground and facilities on wednesday . but his trip turned into a trial of sorts when he was given the opportunity to impress rodgers and his potential team-mates during the session at melwood . video scroll down for 15-year-old norwegian wonder kid martin odegaard highlights . stromsgodset starlet martin odegaard enjoyed a training session with liverpool 's first-team on thursday . the 15-year-old was the youngest player to feature in a euro qualifier after making his debut against bulgaria . age : 15 -lrb- d.o.b. 17/12/98 -rrb- . born : drammen , norway . position : attacking midfielder . club : stromsgodset -lrb- 2014 - -rrb- . appearances : 24 . goals : 5 . international appearances : 3 . international goals : 0 . liverpool 's first team squad and staff were given the day off on wednesday but midfielder odegaard , supposedly a fan of the anfield club , and his father took the opportunity to look around the stadium , melwood and liverpool city centre . after the training session , reds defender kolo toure told norway 's tv2 how impressed he was with the youngster . he said : ' i met him -lrb- odegaard -rrb- today and he is a very good player . ` he was good in training . ' and when he was asked whether he wanted the norwegian to join him at anfield , he laughed and said : ' i do n't know . ' odegaard already has three international caps after becoming the youngest player ever to play in a european championship qualifier when he made his debut for norway against bulgaria at the age of 15 years and 300 days . he turns 16 on december 17 . most of europe 's top sides have made approaches to stromsgodset although chelsea coach jose mourinho has ruled his side out of the race . mourinho said : ' i have heard from him and he can go to 25 clubs . i want to know what club it is going to be , but we will not go into battle with all these clubs . ' liverpool keeper simon mignolet punches the ball clear with jose enrique in attendance . javier manquillo -lrb- left -rrb- and teenager jerome sinclair get to grips with each other during the session . seyi ojo -lrb- left -rrb- , mamadou sakho and sinclair tussle for the ball . | <s> talented youngster martin odegaard trained with liverpool on thursday . </s> <s> the 15-year-old has attracted manchester united and real madrid . </s> <s> odegaard was also given a tour of anfield , melwood and the city centre . </s> <s> the stromsgodset starlet was the youngest player to play in a european championship qualifier after making his norway debut against bulgaria . </s> <s> kolo toure labelled odegaard a ` very good player ' after training with him . </s> |
when 24-year-old alex hopwood received a terminal cancer diagnosis two months ago , she was determined not to let it stop her enjoying her life . in fact , the childcare worker from hinckley , leicestershire , created a glamorous bucket list fit for an a-lister and has been working her way through it ever since . alex has travelled to three continents and seen some of the world 's most famous sites , in a bid to make some treasured memories with her beloved friends and family . jetsetter alex hopwood , pictured before she was diagnosed with terminal cancer . alex , pictured in hospital with her mother , left , was first diagnosed with cancer in september 2013 . since her diagnosis alex has travelled to dubai with her mum -lrb- left -rrb- and taken a trip to las vegas -lrb- right -rrb- . and despite her hectic schedule , alex , who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013 , has even found the time to set up a charity to help others in her position . as well as having tea at the ritz in london and visiting disneyland paris , alex has also watched britney spears perform in las vegas - flying out with her friends and family . she has visited dubai , iceland , and rented out a cottage with her friends , had a pretend christmas day , and visited country houses around her home county of leicestershire . alex said : ` as soon as i was told the news that there was no more treatment available to me , i came home and a friend encouraged me to write a list of things i wanted to do . ` all the trips and days out that i was hoping to do once i 'd got better , i decided to do them now . i 've flown over the grand canyon in a helicopter , and watched the northern lights in iceland . alex and her friends took a helicopter ride in las vegas as part of her bucket list . alex 's brother dane donated bone marrow to his sister twice but alex 's cancer came back . ` i 've had tea at the ritz and taken my little niece to disneyland - it 's all been incredible . ` i 'm lucky enough to have some amazing friends and family , so i just want to spend as much time with them as possible . i 'm just so grateful for every single day . ' alex was first diagnosed with the disease after noticing unusual bruises appearing on her body in september 2013 . after a bone marrow transplant from her brother , dane , she was told she was in remission just four months later . she said : ` when i was told the cancer was gone , it was such a relief . my brother had been amazing to donate his bone marrow and i was so excited to get back on with my life . but she was given the devastating news when a routine scan earlier this year revealed the cancer was back . alex said : ' i was going for routine scans and everything was positive until about may when the scans had come back . alex -lrb- second from the left , top -rrb- and her friends enjoyed a silent disco at a cottage in the cotswolds . alex -lrb- left -rrb- has used her spare time to set up a charity to help other people in her position . ` it was such a shock but i just threw myself back into chemo again - i had every treatment possible and my brother donated his bone marrow again . ` once again we thought everything was going well , and i had to wait 100 days until after the transplant to have a biopsy to check it had worked . ' i was hoping for the best , but in the middle of october this year the doctors explained that it had n't worked , and there was nothing more that they could do . alex was then faced with having to tell her friends and family that she did n't have long left to live . ' i had sort of prepared myself for bad news , but it was just devastating - i hated that i was going to have to tell all the people i loved the bad news - i did n't want to upset them , ' she said . alex having a glass of champagne with her pals in las vegas as part of her a-list bucket list . after returning home from hospital , a friend suggested alex write a list of things she wanted to do . alex said : ` it was n't a set list of things i definitely had to tick off , but more a list of wishes . ` it included big things like vegas , dubai and iceland , but also smaller things like staying in the cotswolds with my friends and going on days out with my family . ` as soon as i 'd done it , i messaged my friends asking if they wanted to come to vegas - i could n't believe it when so many people replied saying they wanted to come with me . ` thirty-one of us - including my mum , jacky , flew out all together and it was just incredible . ` we flew over the grand canyon in a helicopter , watched britney spears perform , visited the famous vegas sign , and sped around the city in a limo . alex , centre , pictured outside the ritz in london where she went for tea with her friend and mum , right . ` it was one of the best experiences of my life . ' she added : ' a lot of people ca n't get over the news that they are very ill , but i just thought that there was no point in dwelling on it . i did n't want this cancer to stop me from doing anything . ' i know i 'm lucky to have so many amazing people in my life , so i just want to spend lots of time with them . ' however , it is not always easy going : ' i do feel more poorly now since i first went away , but i just want to keep going for as long as possible . ' alex has also set up a charity to support other young people in her position . all wrapped up in iceland in front of a glacier , alex has made sure to snap pictures as she enjoys her travels . alex said it was important to involve her family in her journey , including on this trip to disneyland paris . she said : ' i set up a charity throughout my ongoing battle as it gave me a lift helping others - i was inspired to create something positive out of something so negative . ` it gave me a purpose in life when i was going through treatment . it was really important to me to raise awareness and reach out to other people , so i created a charity called a gift to lift . ` it 's a charity to create memorable experiences for blood cancer patients , and i aim to raise enough funds to have a special holiday lodge for patients and their families to spend quality time at . ' i gave my first experience to a girl who was treated in the same hospital as me and it was just incredible . ' i also make accessories for the charity to raise funds . i 've organised a fundraising night where we raised over # 8,000 . ' alex and her pals looked glamorous at a themed night for her a gift to lift charity where she raised # 8000 . before she was diagnosed with cancer alex had long hair -lrb- left -rrb- , now she wears a similar-coloured wig -lrb- right -rrb- . and despite her terminal prognosis , alex continues to live every day to its fullest . she said : ' i never asked how much time i have left as i do n't want to know , but more recently some of the doctors and nurses have been talking to me about arranging somewhere i 'd want to be when i might pass away . ` whatever happens now , i know i 've experienced some of the most incredible things , and i 'll always be grateful for that . ` it 's my friends and family , especially my mum , that have kept me going and supported me . life is for living - i 'm determined to keep smiling , and appreciate every single day . ' to donate to alex 's charity , visit a gift to lift . | <s> alex hopwood was diagnosed with terminal cancer two months ago . </s> <s> has now travelled to dubai , las vegas and iceland as part of her bucket list . </s> <s> has said she does not want to be told how long she has left to live . </s> <s> 24-year-old has also set up a charity to help people in a similar position . </s> |
ronald koeman has revealed he wants to make ryan bertrand 's loan deal at the club permanent . the 25-year-old is currently on his seventh loan spell from parent club chelsea , but appears to have finally found his rhythm and has been impressing southampton 's manager . bertrand was brought in as a replacement for luke shaw , who moved to manchester united in the summer for # 31.5 million . but while shaw has struggled to make an impact at his new club , bertrand is playing arguably the best football of his career . ryan bertrand has impressed during his loan spell at southampton , and his deal could become permanent . 2006 : bournemouth . 2007-08 : oldham athletic . 2008-09 : norwich city . 2009-10 : reading . 2010-11 : nottingham forest . 2014 : aston villa . 2014-15 : southampton . when asked whether he was interested in signing bertrand on a permanent basis , koeman told the southern daily echo : ` if we have the money , yes . if its up to me , yes . ` maybe it 's too early to talk about that , but i am very happy until now with the performance of ryan . ' bertrand won both the champions league and europa league with chelsea , but his career stagnated in the years that followed . now , koeman believes regular football is helping him to develop once more . he said : ` ryan got the opportunity -lrb- at southampton -rrb- to play every weekend what he missed in chelsea , he 's still a young player and the best way to develop yourself is playing every weekend . ' southampton manager ronald koeman -lrb- right -rrb- said he would like to sign the left-back on a permanent deal . bertrand won the champions league with chelsea in 2012 , but his career has stagnated since then . | <s> ryan bertrand is on loan at southampton from chelsea . </s> <s> the champions league winner has impressed ronald koeman . </s> <s> the dutch manager said he is interested in making the deal permanent . </s> <s> saints are currently third in the premier league . </s> |
a married software executive dramatically changed his plea to guilty in a houston court on wednesday and admitted drugging and sexually assaulting one of his female employees . in doing so , henri morris , 67 , spared as many as half a dozen women having to testify that he would take them on business trips , spike their drinks , abuse them and take naked pictures of them . shaking as he admitted his guilt , morris now faces up to 10 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine and will have to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender . in exchange for changing his plea , prosecutors agreed to drop the other sexual abuse charges against him and thereby spare his accusers of being cross examined in the witness box . guilty : sixty-seven-year-old henri morris admitted to one count of taking a person across state lines to commit a sex crime on wednesday . the former head of edible software faces up to 10 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine . he will have to register as a sex offender . us district judge melinda harmon told morris that she would have him back in her courtroom in february for sentencing and reminded him he tried to cut a deal last year that would have seen him serve only one year in prison . ` the truth comes out , ' said one of the women to the houston chronicle . ` he got away with it for a long time and now everybody knows who he truly is . ' morris , who was the president of edible software solutions was characterized as a ` calculated and choreographed ' sexual predator who would take female employees on business trips and use his ` rape kit ' to drug them . prosecutor sherri zack said that one of his victims approached the fbi in 2012 that she believed morris had drugged and abused her while away for work . company : prosecutors say morris was a calculating sexual predator who brought rape drugs on business trips to use on employees . they say he physically abused and photographed them . she said they had gone for a drink and then she woke up , nude and confused under a hotel room desk to see morris taking pictures of her . officers began an investigation and discovered other women at edible software had similar stories . so , in 2012 , the victim who first approached the fbi worked with them to set up morris for an arrest at bush continental airport . when he was taken into custody , agents discovered a ` rape kit ' in his possession which contained date rape drugs and viagra . morris ' defense team had previously tried to argue that the women willingly drank to excess with their client but that no abuse had ever occurred . the former executive admitted adultery but until wednesday refuted any claims he was a date rapist . | <s> henri morris changed his plea to guilty at the last minute in houston . </s> <s> spared his victims the ordeal of testifying and cross-examination . </s> <s> arrested carrying a ` rape kit ' with strong sedatives and viagra . </s> |
there are n't many marriage proposals that can be seen from space , but for this traveller , an epic journey through japan was also a unique marriage proposal . japanese artist yasushi takahashi -- a.k.a yassan - left his job to travel through japan , covering more than 4,349 miles -lrb- 7,000 kilometres -rrb- in six months , mostly on foot and sometimes by car , ferry or bicycle . gps technology tracked his every step as he journeyed from hokkaido island to hyodo cliff on kyushu island where the trek ended . the final stage of yassan 's romantic journey included an arrow struck heart after the giant proposal . at the end of his journey , the gps records of his travels around the country spelled out the phrase ` marry me ' - with an arrow through the heart sign added afterwards for good measure . each location was carefully planned so that the gps tracking would spell out his romantic chosen phrase clearly . ' i wanted to write the world 's biggest proposal , and i found gps drawing was the way to do it , ' yassan said of his feat . yasushi takahashi also made a video of his entire trek to show his girlfriend afterwards . at the start of his record breaking journey he straps on his gps tracking equipment , above . seen from above , the gps tracking leaves a trail wherever yassa walks . yassan quit his job to go on the trek of his home country , visiting locations the length and breadth of japan . the heartwarming expedition has been chosen to appear in a new documentary about how walking can lead to extraordinary things . the ` walkumentary series ' is an online project produced by amsterdam-based agency this that + the other for the brand hi-tec , which aims to show how inspiring walking can be . yassan , then 31 , quit his job in 2008 and planned a journey through japan , taking with him a gps device and a map . he documents many steps of his epic journey with a video capturing some of his favourite moments . some of his journey was taken by car but in this episode he films the aftermath of leaving the road -lrb- unhurt -rrb- . give me an 'm ' : yassan starts the first letter of his carefully planned proposal . gps stands for global positioning system , and is a worldwide radio-navigation system which automatically sends information to a central tracking portal . it is used in a range of situations to monitor the location of things and people in real-time , using the global navigation satellite system -lrb- gnss -rrb- network . microwave signals are transmitted to gps devices to give information on location , speed of travel , time and direction . a gps tracking system can give real-time and historic navigation data on any kind of journey . his purpose was two-fold : to experience japan fully , and also to draw a special message for his girlfriend using gps tracking technology . as a part of his unique marriage proposal , yassan also created a seven-minute video describing his epic journey through the country . the video is split into seven ` chapters ' and shows various stages of his trek , starting at hokkaido island . video footage of his experiences include him walking along on dificult roads , climbing mount fuji and visiting hot springs . yassan 's legwork is officially the world 's largest marriage proposal , and also holds the guinness record for the world 's biggest gps drawing , covering 7,164 kilometers . yasushi takahashi split his video into seven ` chapters ' documenting his journey . yassan journeyed from hokkaido island to hyodo cliff on kyushu island where his trek ended . not only a record breaking trek but a particularly romantic use of gps . all lit up at night , the giant proposal is the only one in the world which can be seen from space . and was it a happy ending ? luckily , yes , despite the fact that it took six months . ` it was n't a waste of time . after i explained , she said yes . it is a sweet memory , ' says yassan at the end of the documentary . | <s> japanese artist yasushi takahashi quit his job to make the trek . </s> <s> he used gps tracking technology to spell out his proposal to his girlfriend . </s> <s> the heartwarming story is highlighted in a new documentary . </s> |
scientists have developed a male birth control pill which they claim is 99 per cent effective and has few side effects . the pill , derived from an indonesian shrub , apparently allows men to produce sperm that can not get women pregnant . it is made from the gendarussa plant , which has long been used by tribesmen on the island of papua to prevent their wives from conceiving . scientists have developed a pill , derived from an indonesian shrub , which they claim will render sperm incapable of getting a woman pregnant - with a 99 per cent efficacy rate . professor bambang prajogo , of airlangga university , developed the pill after hearing rumours of these effects , and bringing the gendarussa plant to his lab for study in 1985 . he has carried out 30 years of research , isolating the active ingredient , putting it into a tablet form , and carrying out clinical trials to prove its contraceptive effects , global post reports . he says the plant 's active ingredient disrupts three key enzymes in sperm , weakening them and making them unable to penetrate the eggs during the fertilization process . this would not interfere with the quantity or quality of sperm produced because it only targets the enzymes , he told the jakarta post . professor prajogo is currently working on the dosage , but hopes to create a formula meaning men would take the pill an hour before sex . small clinical trials , the largest studying 350 men , found it to be 99 per cent effective . they also found male fertility returned to normal within a month of taking the pill . however some men gained weight on the pill , professor prajogo told the global post . the gendarussa plant , is a small branched shrub found in china , malaysia , india , the phillipines and indonesia . in 1985 , indonesian researchers began to look into its effect as a contraceptive . they heard anecdotal evidence that men belonging to a certain tribe in papua were using it as a contraceptive , coconuts jakarta reports . the tribesmen would boil the leaves in water and then drink the water 30 minutes before having sex . it is said to have been a ` godsend ' for the tribesmen . in their culture , they were not allowed to get their wives pregnant until after they had fully paid off their dowries . professor prajogo , of airlangga university , has been studying the contraceptive effects of gendarussa for nearly three decades . he says the plant 's active ingredient disrupts three key enzymes in sperm , making them unable to penetrate the eggs during the fertilization process . and at least one participant saw an increase in two enzymes that indicate poor heart or liver functioning , although it was unclear whether this was due to the pill or another health issue , he said . but overall , researchers found no obvious side effects , and ` certainly none that rival those associated with female hormone-based contraceptive pills ' . hormonal birth control has been linked with a raised risk of heart attack , strokes and blood clots , as well as nausea and bleeding . however previous research has found one of the biggest barriers to a male birth control pill comes from the attitudes of women -- who do n't trust their partners with the responsibility of taking it . in 2011 , a survey by anglia ruskin university found that half of women would not rely on a male pill as contraception -- because they did not trust their partners to remember to take it . now , the indonesian medicines regulatory body wants a bigger trial to verify the findings . indeed , such a trial would need to be carried out for the pill to be marketed in europe or the u.s. . but global pharmaceutical companies are already showing an interest in the pill . professor bambang said he has already turned down an offer of billions of funding from a major u.s. pharmaceutical firm , who wanted to buy his patent , which is owned by the university . now , he says the pill will hit the shelves by 2016 , although regulations mean it may take up to a decade longer to be sold in europe and the u.s. . the news comes after the parsemus foundation , a not-for-profit organisation based in the u.s. , announced its trials of a new birth control injection were proving promising . the injection , called vasalgel , is injected into the vas deferens - the tube that sperm passes through on the way to the penis . the gel acts to block sperm , thus preventing pregnancy . developers hope it will be cheap , reversible and long-lasting , and hope to make it available within three years . similarly , last year australian researchers said they had made a scientific breakthrough that could make a male contraceptive pill reality . their technique worked like a temporary vasectomy , stopping sperm leaving the body during sex . this works by blocking two proteins involved in the ejaculation process . the pill works by weakening enzymes in sperm , making them unable to penetrate the eggs during the fertilization process . | <s> pill said to weakens enzymes in sperm so a woman ca n't become pregnant . </s> <s> small clinical trials have shown it is 99 % effective and has few side effects . </s> <s> male fertility returned to normal within month of taking the pill , say doctors . </s> <s> pills is made from the gendarussa plant , an indonesian shrub . </s> <s> for years , tribesmen in papua have boiled the plant in tea as birth control . </s> |
just about recovered from the ice bucket challenge ? prepare yourself to take on the latest charity challenge that 's sweeping social media . the after eight challenge sees participants attempt to slide a chocolate down their face and into their mouth without the use of their hands in the quickest time possible . they are then encouraged to donate money to charity and nominate three more people to try to beat their time . the concept is the brainchild of liverpool legend , kenny dalglish , who has been using his connections in the sporting world to get stars to undertake the charity challenge . scroll down for video . jack whitehall , left , and jamie redknapp , right , have both taken part in the after eight challenge . he is asking participants to donate money to the marina dalglish appeal - a cause he set up in his wife 's honour after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 . as of thursday , ex-westlife singer nicky byrne has smashed the record after he managed to get the chocolate from his forehead into his mouth in just 2.88 seconds . kenny himself held the crown until monday , with a time of 5.44 seconds , but was also beaten by coleen rooney and jamie redknapp with 3.0 seconds and 3.5 seconds respectively . footballing heroes matt le tissier , alan hansen and ian ayre -lrb- ceo of lfc -rrb- are also showing their support to kenny and marina by participating and donating to the appeal . and it looks set to spread even further afield after footballers adam lallana , gary lineker , alan shearer and brendan rogers were nominated . david beckham has even been nominated by his ex-england teammate from the 90s , matt le tissier . a blurred coleen rooney , left , and matt le tissier , who nominated david beckham , also tried the challenge . are these two next ? david beckham has been nominated - so will he take part and nominate his wife victoria ? speaking about the appeal , kenny said : ` it 's fantastic to see the support from all these stars spreading . nicky byrne has done a great job of stealing the current challenge crown . ` the challenge is really fun and the appeal is so important for helping women affected by breast cancer . do n't forget to donate when you take part . ' marina dalglish added : ` it is fantastic to see people are getting behind the charity and having such a lot of fun doing it . but we must n't forget the real reason for this challenge , to raise money for those affected by breast cancer . the contribution is incredibly important to those affected , so please donate generously . ' the couple , whose services to charity have been recognised with many awards , have raised # 1.5 m for a chemotherapy centre at aintree and fazekerley hospital , # 3.1 m towards a radiotherapy centre at aintree and # 500,000 towards a new chemotherapy centre at southport and formby hospital . their new challenge is to raise # 2m for an mri scanner to treat brain tumours . charitable : marina dalglish , right , the wife of liverpool legend kenny dalglish , left , received an mbe for services to breast cancer patients in merseyside . she was given the all clear from the disease but fundraises tirelessly for the cause . have a go : these tips advise participants on how to nail the challenge . upload yours with the hashtag #after8challenge . to make a donation to the marina dalglish appeal please visit www.justgiving.com/marinadalglish or text mint08 # and the amount you would like to donate to 70070 . | <s> involves sliding chocolate down face into mouth without using hands . </s> <s> have to do it in quickest time possible , donate money and nominate others . </s> <s> nicky byrne of westlife fame holds the record - just 2.88 seconds . </s> <s> david beckham , gary lineker and alan shearer nominated . </s> <s> started by kenny dalglish and wife to raise funds for breast cancer care . </s> |
house republicans took a symbolic vote today to impede president barack obama from using executive actions to ` exempt ' categories of illegal immigrants from deportation . the house voted 219-197 to approve the legislation authored by florida rep. ted yoho . at a press conference before the vote , house speaker john boehner said the lower chamber would pass the bill to make it clear to obama it was ` rejecting his unilateral actions . ' while it 's success was assured in the gop-run chamber , it has no chance of seeing daylight in the democratically-controlled senate . house gop leadership offered the vote as a consolation prize to their right-wing counterparts in congress who want to use a critical spending bill as a cudgel against the democratic president . scroll down for video . ` this course of action is based on numerous conversations with our members , ' house speaker john boehner said today of the gop 's current strategy to take on the president while funding the government , adding that he too thinks it 's the best plan . as soon as the votes were tallied this afternoon senate majority leader harry reid said , as predicted , that he would not take up the house 's bill to restrict obama 's actions . ` unfortunately for anyone who wants to see congress fix our broken immigration system , the republican approach is being dictated by the most extreme voices in their party , ' reid said in a statement . ` republicans ' knee-jerk resistance to working with democrats to fix this problem left the president with no option but to take action to protect families from being separated . ' reid encouraged republicans to ` put aside their partisan political games ' and instead ` focus their efforts on passing a permanent , common-sense solution to fix our broken immigration . ' with just four work days left until congress lets out until early january , and a dec. 11 deadline to extend government funding or shut its doors , comprehensive immigration reform is nowhere near the top of republicans ' year-end to-do list . fearing a government shutdown just as the current legislative session comes to a close ahead of the holidays , establishment republicans are asking conservatives to wait until after the party takes control of the senate next year to brawl with the president . instead , they plan to proceed with a continuing resolution to fund the entire government except the department of homeland security through the end of the current fiscal year . the immigration management agency would only be funded through the first quarter of 2015 . at that time , republicans would have the opportunity to push through an appropriations bill with more teeth . on capitol hill the legislation is creatively being referred to as the cromnibus - a combination of cr , the shortened version of continuing resolution , and omnibus , a term to describe an overarching spending bill . boehner said today that the the spending bill would allow the gop to keep the government open while ` keeping our leverage ' so that when they get ` reinforcements ' in the senate in january they can take on obama . ` this course of action was based on numerous conversations with our members , and i frankly think it gives us the best chance for success , ' boehner told reporters . ` we think this is the most practical way to fight the president 's action , ' he said minutes later , noting again that leadership had extensive talks with members of it 's caucus before going down this path . ` we listened to some members who were frankly griping the most , ' he said . ` this was their idea of how to proceed . ' but conservatives in congress have vocally argued that by march of next year , when funding for dhs would run out under the current plan , the president will have already begun to issue work permits and green cards to as many as 5 million immigrants . therefore , prohibitive legislation must be passed as soon as possible , they say , preferably just after the new congress convenes in january . ` the president is already printing work permits as we speak . why do we want to give him another 2-3 months ? we could vote on this the day we get back , ' louisiana rep. john fleming told breitbart news earlier this week . alabama sen. jeff sessions , the ranking member on the senate budget committee , exploded on house leadership on tuesday evening in a statement , arguing that they were reneging on republican national committee chairman reince priebus ' promise that the party would do ` everything we can ' to stop obama 's directives from taking effect . ` unfortunately , the plan now being circulated in the house fails to meet that test , ' sessions said . ` the executive amnesty language is substantially weaker than the language the house adopted this summer , and does not reject the central tenets of the president 's plan : work permits , social security , and medicare to 5 million illegal immigrants -- reducing wages , jobs , and benefits for americans , ' he added . sessions claimed that obama is demanding that ` congress fund his imperial decree and declare its own irrelevance . ' ` that is why congress must respond to the president 's unlawful action by funding the government but not funding illegal amnesty , ' he said . ` such a plan would put the focus where it belongs : on senate democrats . they are the ones who should be made to choose sides -- save obama 's amnesty or save americans ' jobs and borders . ' in a statement sent out the same night louisiana sen. david vitter blasted his colleagues in the house for caving to reid before they even took a vote on conservatives ' preferred legislation . ` make no mistake , sending a bill to the senate without first making an attempt to include defund language is telling the american people that you support obama 's executive amnesty , ' he said . ` that would be a slap in the face to the voters who sent a message last month by electing republican majorities in congress . ' retiring congresswoman michele bachmann of minnesota made a similar point on wednesday during a press conference with iowa rep. steve king and texas sen. ted cruz . ` will we be a people who decide that we are going to go with the freight train of what washington , d.c. , wants or will we listen and harken to the voice of the american people that was stated unmistakingly on nov. 4 ? ' bachmann said , according to the national journal . cruz told republicans who ran on their opposition to unilateral immigration in their recent campaigns ` do what you said you would do . ' ` doing what you promise does n't mean , as it so often does in washington , sending a really stern letter and having a meaningless show vote . why do you think people are so frustrated with washington ? because they recognize there are a whole lot of politicians who say one thing at home and do something different here , ' cruz said . senator ted cruz speaks to the press about the need ` to defund the president 's executive , unconstitutional amnesty ' on capitol hill in washington on wednesday with reps. steve king , left , and michele bachmann , right . cruz told republicans who ran for reelection on their opposition to unilateral immigration in their recent campaigns ` do what you said you would do ' the probable 2016 presidential candidate warned that ` the same folks who are saying , `` gosh , we can not do anything now , '' are the same folks who in january are going to say , `` gosh , we do n't have 60 votes in the senate . '' ' ` it 's like charlie brown and lucy where consistently the same voices pull the football aside and say , `` you know what , you can never ever ever do anything to stop a lawless president , '' ' he contended . even after republicans ascend to the majority in the senate , they will still be at least six votes shy of being able to overcome a democratic filibuster on prized legislation , unless incoming majority leader mitch mcconnell decides to adopt the so-called ` nuclear option ' of governing that allows bills to advance with a simple majority of votes . when reid introduced the nuclear option , mcconnell and other republican legislators railed against it . but now that it 's their turn in the driver 's seat , they 're considering making it part of their lawmaking practices , as well . in the meantime , conservative hardliners are hoping they can still convince their caucus to vote down the plan currently under consideration by the house , paving the way for one that funds dhs for a shorter time period to come to the floor . ` i 'm probably leaning no -lsb- on the current house plan -rsb- , ' north carolina rep. mark meadows told politico on tuesday night . ' i think in terms of the cr omnibus , without a limitation language , there are not enough votes . i 'm not on the whip team but listening to a number of my colleagues , there is more than enough concern . ' if the short-term legislation funding homeland security through march does pass in the house , reid has committed to bringing it for a vote in the upper chamber , calling the potential deal a ` big accomplishment ' on tuesday . ` the american people certainly will not want to face another year being governed by crisis , ' reid said . ` no one wants the kind of cliffhanger fights we 've had again and again in recent years . ' boehner told reporters today , ' i expect that we 'll have bipartisan support to pass the omnimbus spending bill . ' yoho said this week he was satisfied , for now , that his own legislation to reign in the president 's authority would be given its day in the house . ` my hat 's off to the leadership , ' yoho , an ally of conservative lawmakers , told the national journal . ' i commend leadership for saying , ` you know what , this sounds like a commonsense bill . ' | <s> legislation impedes president barack obama from using executive actions to ` exempt ' categories of illegal immigrants from deportation . </s> <s> it passed 219-197 in the house but has no chance of seeing daylight in the democratically-controlled senate . </s> <s> house gop leadership offered up the vote as a consolation prize to tea party members who want to attach stronger language to a spending bill . </s> <s> republicans now plan to pass a bill funding the government - except immigration agencies - through the end of the fiscal year . </s> <s> department of homeland security would only receive money through march - giving conservatives another shot at stopping obama . </s> |
a man committed suicide in west dallas on wednesday by decapitating himself in front of horrified motorists . hugo rodriguez , 35 , tied a rope to a fire hydrant before wrapping the other end around his neck in texas , before accelerating . before the horrific act , the man scribbled a message on the side of the vehicle . the first two words appear to say ` no code ' while the second part ` codbo ' could be a reference to the video game call of duty : black ops . scroll down for video . horrific : a man killed himself in west dallas by decapitating himself in his van . before the horrific act he wrote a message believed to be in spanish on the side of the vehicle . witnesses described how he then got into his van and pressed on the throttle . his body was thrown out of the vehicle and was seen lying on the street by stunned drivers . according to cbs dfw the van eventually came to a stop without running into any cars or pedestrians . witnesses described on social media how the body was still in the road hours later as police cleaned up the scene . the message the man wrote on the side of his van could be related to computer game call of duty black ops . the van was eventually taken away while a cordon of patrol cars surrounded mr rodriguez 's body . police are now investigating the incident but revealed that no one else was hurt . in the aftermath , shocked witnesses posted images online purportedly showing the victim still on the road . call of duty black ops is a version of the computer game franchise that releases a new edition almost every year . it is a first-person shooter that was developed in 2010 and is set in the second world war and the cold war . gamers are armed with machine guns , rifles , pistols and grenades and play a fast-paced game of kill or be killed . last year , a coroner in britain stated that four teenage suicides were partly to blame on versions of the game . a spokesman for the dallas police department told mail online : ` witnesses observed the victim , hugo rodriguez a latin male tie a rope around a fire hydrant and then around his neck . ` he got into his van and accelerated , causing the rope to tighten around his neck and decapitated himself . a suicide offense was documented . ' according to records he had been arrested a number of times for driving while intoxicated . a telephone listed at his address had been disconnected . to speak to a skilled , trained counselor , call the national suicide prevention lifeline on 1800 273 8255 . investigation ; police would not reveal the details of the death , however witnesses described how the man 's head became detached from his body as it was thrown out of the vehicle . shocking : patrol cars surrounded the van at the side of the road while the victim 's body lay in the street . scene : witnesses described how the man attached one end of the rope to a fire hydrant and the other to his neck before getting in his van and pressing the throttle . gamers are armed with machine guns , rifles , pistols and grenades and play a fast-paced game of kill or be killed . call of duty allows players to inhabit the role of a blood-thirsty soldier in a variety of grusome scenarios . gamers are armed with machine guns , rifles , pistols and grenades and play a fast-paced game of kill or be killed . norwegian mass killer anders breivik claimed he had ` trained himself ' to kill his 77 victims by playing call of duty . french terrorist mohammed merah also played call of duty before killing three soldiers and four civilians -- including a rabbi and three children -- in toulouse in march 2012 . the violence in call of duty has been criticised by the london jewish forum , the british muslim forum and church of england ministers . call of duty 3 shows soldiers running through london while bombs explode and buildings crash to the ground . in one controversial scene a soldier causes a tube train to derail and explode . other graphic scenes show aerial attacks on new york and grenades exploding in paris and berlin . when news of the certificate 18 game 's content was revealed it was panned by mediawatch uk as being in ` incredibly poor taste ' . call of duty 2 also caused outrage when it was revealed players could kill ` civilians ' . there are currently at least 40million active players across all of the call of duty titles . | <s> body of hugo rodriguez , 35 , was found in west dallas on wednesday . </s> <s> he wrote a message in spanish on the vehicle before the horrific act . </s> <s> first part of scribbling could be ` no codigo ' or ` no code ' </s> <s> the second word could be read as codbo - which is sometimes used to refer to call of duty : black ops . </s> <s> police are investigating and are unsure of his motive . </s> |
premier league target sami khedira says he is ` curious ' to see where he will be playing next season as uncertainty continues to surround the real madrid midfielder 's future . the world cup winner 's contract expires at the end of the season while a host of european clubs including chelsea , arsenal and bayern munich have been linked with his signature . however , the germany international insisted that no clubs have been in contact with him and even hinted that he could sign a contract extension at the bernabeu - despite having to compete with the likes of luka modric , toni kroos and asier illarramendi for a place . real madrid midfielder sami khedira is not sure where he will be playing next season . the world cup-winner has been linked with clubs including arsenal , chelsea and bayern munich . speaking to reporters in stuttgart , he said : ` it is a known fact that my contract expires . -lsb- the club and i -rsb- are always in good contact . ' i feel very comfortable in madrid . i am not averse to staying . there are no talks with other clubs . i am curious myself to see where i will end up . ' the 27-year-old also admits he was not sure if he was going to make the world cup finals in brazil - and said that the three-way tussle for the ballon d'or between lionel messi , cristiano ronaldo and manuel neuer is too close to call . khedira -lrb- left -rrb- says real team-mate cristiano ronaldo -lrb- centre -rrb- is a frontrunner for the ballon d'or . ` it was a year full of events for me . i did not know whether i would be fit for the champions league final and the world cup again , ' he said . ` the three nominees embody world class and are great personalities . for me , there are two favourites : cristiano ronaldo and manuel neuer . both raised the level of their positions to a new dimension . ' i am glad i do not have to vote . if i were -lsb- fifa president -rsb- sepp blatter , i 'd hand out golden balls . ' | <s> sami khedira 's real madrid contract expires at the end of the season . </s> <s> germany star has been linked with chelsea , arsenal and bayern munich . </s> <s> world cup winner has even hinted that he could extend bernabeu contract . </s> |
a kindhearted waiter who found a wallet with $ 4,000 inside has been commended for chasing down its owner to hand it back . wilber palicios was working at hom restaurant in bayshore , wisconsin on friday night when he was clearing away a table and found the bulging wallet hidden beneath napkins . by then , its owner had already left the restaurant - but palicios did n't hesitate . he ran out from the restaurant and saw the man climbing into his car across the parking lot . scroll down for video . doing the right thing : wilber palicios , pictured , discovered the wallet while working a shift on friday and raced outside to give it back to its rightful owner - despite the $ 4,000 inside . ' i saw him way over there , so i ran over there , and he was getting into his car , ' the man , who is originally from mexico , told wisn . ' i just waved at him , just show him the wallet . ' the relieved customer , who has asked not to be identified , gave the waiter an undisclosed amount as a ` thank you ' . ' i just thought it was the right thing to do , ' palicios said . for his honesty , his employers have also given him $ 250 . ` and we 've bought him dinner just about every night since he did it , too , ' omar shaikh , president of surg restaurant group , which owns hom , told wisn . scene : palicios ' bosses at hom gave him a $ 250 bonus that he said he would send to his mother in mexico . when the channel asked palicios what the extra cash meant to him , he became emotional and struggled to speak . ` well , i really appreciate it , so i can send it to my mom for christmas , ' he said , explaining that she and his sisters live back in mexico . ` she really needs it . ' customers also passed on their praise to palicios for his noble decision . ` wilber 's mother should be very proud of him and hom restaurant is very lucky to have such an honest employee , ' one wrote on facebook . ` bless him ! ' | <s> a diner left his wallet on a table at the wisconsin restaurant where wilber palicios works but the honest waiter did n't hesitate to give it back to him . </s> <s> he chased him down and handed it to the man . </s> <s> he was rewarded with cash from the man and the restaurant 's bosses and became emotional when he said he would send it to his mother in mexico . </s> |
it can be the cause of a fair amount of agitation - the passenger next to you on the aeroplane has commandeered the whole of the arm rest . with a response of casually edging you elbow in , or uncomfortably sliding your arm down the side of your seat , it 's not an ideal situation to find yourself in . but one company may have found an answer to the conundrum - and all it involves is setting up is a plastic divider . courtesy of soarigami . the design , obviously in the shape of a plane , could end the arguments over armrests . transforming the armrest evenly for two people will be pleasing news for many . soarigami is a clip-on , origami-style armrest divider that looks like a paper airplane and frees up twice the space of a regular armrest . the invention also folds easily back into your bag , not taking up valuable space in your cabin luggage allowance . however , the solution to an everyday problem is not quite there yet - it is still being tested and is not expected to be released until early 2015 . how the soarigami will be modelled ; the paper divider is set to be available early 2015 . grace chang writes on the soarigami blog : ` soarigami was designed to elevate the travel space by getting rid of the fight for armrests . ` sick of fighting for armrests , our co-founder sketched the first idea onto a cocktail napkin during a particularly unpleasant flight . ` sora means sky in japanese , and gami means graceful . with the product being origami-inspired and meant to be used in flight , the name soarigami was born , aiming to soar the skies with grace . ` the sorigami is a portable , lightweight travel product that ends the fight for elbows . ' the divider is expected to retail at around # 20 -lrb- $ 30 -rrb- . | <s> soarigami is a clip-on , origami-style divider that looks like a paper airplane . </s> <s> will take away the need to fight for the armrest with the person next to you . </s> <s> however still being tested , and not available until early 2015 . </s> <s> is expected to retail at around # 20 and can fold into your bag . </s> |
it is a stag do that will put a weekend in prague to shame , but you 'll need wealthy friends if you want to book it . a travel company is launching a ` million pound stag party ' aimed at premier league footballers , investment bankers and lottery winners . the once in a lifetime celebration includes travel in private jets and first class flights to several of the world 's most lavish and decadent cities , as well as a trip in a # 4million superyacht to a private caribbean island . monaco or bust ! stagweb describes its million pound package as ` the trip of a lifetime ' the new holiday is being offered by stagweb , a company which was formed 12 years ago to offer ` stag dos of legendary proportions ' for those looking for something a bit special . billed as ` the finest pre-wedding shindig known to stag-kind ' the worldwide jaunt will whisk ten men from scotland to las vegas , miami , barcelona and the caribbean , and includes a stay in a 16th-century castle and on a luxury private island . priced at # 1 million for the package , for # 100,000 each , the stags will be welcomed into the world 's most exclusive night clubs and casinos and have their every whim catered for by private waiting staff . rare whisky -lrb- a # 5,000 18 year old malt whisky -rrb- and the best vodka , rum and champagne are offered along with fine dining experiences at the world 's most exclusive restaurants . activities on the exclusive pre-marital celebration include driving supercars in monaco , going big game fishing in the caribbean , courtside nba basketball seats , diving with sharks , nascar racing , a private box for barcelona vs real madrid in spain and to top it all , the stags will be made bona fide lords in scotland . the pre-wedding party ` for stags who demand a little more luxury ' includes private jet travel across the globe . your own private island in the caribbean is the location for two days on this whistlestop tour . managing director of stagweb , steve roddy , explains , ` stag dos have become increasingly lavish in recent years so we wanted to create the most decadent and extreme package imaginable ... this is a quite remarkable pre-wedding party for stags who demand a little more luxury . ' what 's on the itinerary ? day one . trip begins at st andrews in scotland with a round of golf , two bottles of 18 year old malt whisky , and a stay in your own private castle . each stag will become a titled lord . day two . a champagne limo will transport the newly titled ` lords ' from their scottish retreat to gatwick and a first class flight to las vegas . once at the hugh heffner sky villa suite at the palms casino resort a private butler will remain at their service throughout the evening . stay in 16th century private castle complete with personal chef , # 5,000 18 year old malt whisky and a round of golf at st andrews . oh , and you 'll become a bona fide lord as well . bright lights , big city : from scotland to las vegas . forget about jetlag , there 's gambling to be done . day three . still in vegas , the stags will get behind the wheel of a fully specced , race ready nascar , go on a shark dive at the mandalay bay aquarium and spend the evening gaming , dining and drinking ace of spades gold champagne -lrb- # 15,000 a bottle -rrb- . day four . board a gulfstream jet to miami for some fine dining and swarovski crystal vodka . an evening getting up close and personal with miami heat courtesy of courtside seats at an nba game . day five . a luxury # 4,000,000 yacht whisks the men to a private caribbean island for a fishing expedition , complete with private chef preparing your catch . from vegas to miami , with courtside seats at an nba game , some fine dining - and swarovski crystal vodka . fancy watching the game ? the best seats in the house in barcelona for a spot of footy are included . barcelona is the location for some fine dining and the all important late night partying as well . day six . a ` rest day ' : use of all facilities on the exclusive island paradise including a tennis court , gym , infinity pool , boat dock and private airstrip . day seven . from the caribbean to barcelona , and the barcelonato opium mar nightclub via dinner at the eixample restaurant . day eight . a private box watching fc barcelona play real madrid , vip entry to pacha and a night of dining and dancing . a ` superyacht ' whisks the stags off to their own caribbean island for a couple of days ` downtime ' what better way to round off your trip than the world 's most expensive burger ? the ` glamburger ' is made of kobe wagyu beef , black truffle brie , lobster , caviar and ... gold leaf . day nine . arrive in monaco after a road trip in some of the world 's finest supercars . with another sporty credit limit at the gaming tables the 10 stags will be rubbing shoulders with monaco 's high-rollers at the casino de monte-carlo and a lavish closing party at jimmy ' z nightclub . day ten . arrive back at london heathrow for the world 's most expensive burger -lrb- # 1,100 -rrb- at chelsea 's honky tonk restaurant . the decadent `` glamburger '' weighs in with a massive 2,618 calories and consists of kobe wagyu beef , black truffle brie , lobster , caviar and gold leaf . perfect to settle the stomach after a big night out . and then home . | <s> the trip includes first class travel on luxury yachts and planes on trip from scotland to the caribbean . </s> <s> stags will stay in a scottish castle , party in las vegas and drive supercars in monaco . </s> <s> exclusive nightclubs and front row sporting events are included in the # 100,000-per-person tour . </s> |
a brooklyn man was electrocuted to death after urinating on the third rail early monday morning.matthew zeno , 30 , had earlier been to a few bars with a friend before making the fateful decision that ended his life just after 3am monday morning.authorities told mail online they are n't sure what led zeno to walk along the g train tracks , which are underground at union avenue and broadway , where the incident occurred . dead : matthew zeno was electrocuted and killed relieving himself on the third rail in brooklyn this morning , sources said . out : zeno checked-in to multiple bars in the neighborhood before meeting his untimely end . what is clear is that zeno relieving himself on the subway 's third rail killed him by electrocution , authorities said . his friend was also electrocuted trying to save him and is listed in stable condition at a local hospital . despite being shocked , zeno 's friend managed to get the attention of mta workers who called for help , according to the new york post . active : zeno appeared to love the outdoors , competing in rugged maniac races and using a longboard to get around . relaxing : zeno was enjoying a day off from his workout routine by having drinks with at least one friend , who tried in vein to save his life . beer : zeno seems to have loved a good beer , pictured pouring one here and having been to two beer bars hours before his death . check-ins on his facebook page showed zeno had been to a few area bars earlier in the evening , visiting both the bed-vyne brew , a local craft beer bar and wine shop , and gotham city lounge , a local dive bar popular for a $ 3 shot and a beer special.zeno was a fitness fanatic who competed in rugged maniac races . | <s> zeno was walking along the underground subway tracks during his last moments . </s> <s> had been to multiple bars within hours of his death . </s> <s> a friend electrocuted trying to save him is expected to live . </s> |
a quick thinking bus driver proved a real hero on wednesday when her vehicle caught fire and she managed to get all 38 middle school students on board to safety before the bus became engulfed in flames . kristina behrman , 31 , was driving her bus along interstate 4 in polk county , florida , at about 7:25 a.m. when it began to experience mechanical problems and smoke started emitting from the back . remaining calm under pressure , behrman - who is a math teacher and substitute bus driver - pulled her vehicle over to the shoulder of the interstate and quickly mobilized her students to exit the bus in a quick and orderly fashion . scroll down for video . a quick thinking bus driver proved a real hero on wednesday when her vehicle caught fire and she managed to get all 38 middle school students on board to safety before the bus became engulfed in flames . behrman was driving her vehicle along interstate 4 in polk county , florida , at about 7:25 am on wednesday when it began to experience mechanical problems and smoke started emitting from the back . ` i was driving down the interstate and all of a sudden my bus started smoking and now my bus is in flames , ' she told emergency services after calling 911 . on the same call she can also be heard giving her students strict instructions to ensure everyone 's safety . behrman pulled over just in time as the entire vehicle then caught fire . ` there were still three kids on the bus when flames started coming , ' she told wtsp . one driver passing the scene managed to capture footage of the fire on a cell phone . the video shows the flames shooting into the sky and barrels of smoke filling the air . the heavy smoke was so bad it forced florida highway patrol to close the highway in both directions causing traffic back-ups for hours . on her 911 call behrman can also be heard giving her students strict instructions to ensure everyone 's safety . one driver passing the scene managed to capture footage of the fire on a cell phone . the video shows the flames shooting into the sky and barrels of smoke filling the air . ` this could have been pretty bad . we could have had a tragic situation , but the bus driver was instrumental in pulling over . once she started to smell gas and smoke , with that combination , she did a fabulous job , ' sgt. mary godino of the florida highway patrol told wesh . but behrman was more modest about her achievement . ` i did n't do anything any other , i hope , bus driver or teacher would do . we go to work every day and we 're there to educate and protect . that 's what we do that 's what we live for , ' she said . a replacement bus allowed the students to resume their trip to discovery academy , a technology charter school in lake alfred . a tow truck also arrived to remove the burnt-out shell of behrman 's bus . she has had to get a new driver 's license after hers burned on the bus . a tow truck also arrived to remove the burnt-out shell of behrman 's bus . she has had to get a new driver 's license after hers burned on the bus . florida highway patrol trooper godino said behrman was instrumental in saving all the children on-board the bus . the heavy smoke was so bad it forced florida highway patrol to close the highway in both directions causing traffic back-ups for hours . | <s> kristina behrman , 31 , was driving her bus along interstate 4 in polk county , florida , on wednesday morning when it started emitting smoke . </s> <s> remaining calm under pressure , she pulled her vehicle over and quickly mobilized her students to exit in a quick and orderly fashion . </s> <s> behrman pulled over just in time as the entire vehicle caught fire . </s> <s> the driver has been called a hero after she managed to get all 38 middle school students to safety before the bus was engulfed in flames . </s> |
burnley boss sean dyche will not risk the club 's future by embarking on a lavish spending spree in january despite their lowly position . the clarets are bottom of the premier league with four points from 10 games and still without a win this season , with their last match a 3-0 defeat at arsenal . dyche said splashing out # 30million on new signings in the transfer window would ` probably ruin the club ' because of the pressure that would put on the wage bill , and insists he is unconcerned by the spectre of unwanted records , not least the 11 points derby only managed to secure in the entire 2007-8 season . sean dyche said burley will not break the bank in january despite their lowly position in the premier league . dyche said arsene wenger had a wry smile on his face when he learned burnley 's wage bill . the burnley manager said : ' i spent half-an-hour with arsene wenger and steve bould after the match last week and he had a wry smile when i told him our wage bill compared to his own . ` if we had # 30million to spend it would probably ruin the club because you have to find the wages to support that level of signings . in my view i am not only a manager but i am also a custodian of a club that has been here since 1882 . ` players at the top end of the championship are now earning unbelievable money and as soon as you go into the premier league clubs are asking astronomical fees - you are not talking about adding a million or two but an extra # 10million . ' alexis sanchez scored twice when burnley were beaten 3-0 by arsenal on saturday . burnley 's most recent accounts showed their 2012-13 wage bill was # 15.4 million , by far the lowest in the top flight . arsenal 's most recent accounts show their wage bill is more than 10 times that figure , # 166.4 million while top payers manchester city 's was # 233.1 million . burnley 's next attempt to find that elusive win comes on saturday when hull visit turf moor and dyche said tigers boss steve bruce had told him it is becoming ever more difficult for championship clubs to bridge the gap in the top flight . the three promoted clubs are currently propping up the bottom of the table . sanchez celebrates his second and arsenal 's third goal in the 90th minute as gunners ran out easy winners . dyche added : ` many managers i 've spoken to including steve bruce believe it 's getting harder for teams promoted from the championship . they tell me the gap is getting wider and look at what even teams like hull have spent recently . ' burnley do at least have one positive piece of injury news with steven reid is expected to be fit for saturday . | <s> burnley are currently bottom of the premier league with just four points . </s> <s> dyche said spending # 30million in january would probably ruin the club . </s> <s> adding the club could not afford the wages to accompany new signings . </s> <s> burnley 's wage bill is the lowest in the premier league at # 15.4 m . </s> <s> arsene wenger gave a wry smile after learning size of burnley 's budget . </s> |
chinese hackers stole classified information from malaysian officials involved in the search for mh370 a day after the plane disappeared , it was claimed today . government departments were sent e-mails containing a virus disguised as a hoax news report saying the malaysian airlines jet had been found . when the attachment was opened , the virus - known as malware - began extracting sensitive data and sending it to a computer in china . the attack came at a time when malaysian . officials in charge of the search were being heavily criticised - . particularly by the chinese - for not releasing crucial information . scroll down for video . ` targeted ' : chinese hackers have been accused of stealing classified information from malaysian officials involved in the search for missing malaysian airlines flight mh370 a day after it disappeared on march 8 . were these men hacked ? malaysian airlines chief ahmad jauhari yahya -lrb- second l -rrb- and department of civil aviation boss datuk azharuddin abdul rahman -lrb- second r -rrb- address the media after mh370 disappeared . it was spotted by cybersecurity malaysia -- a ministry of science , technology and innovation agency - which blocked the transmissions and shut down the infected machines . but by then around 30 computers in the department of civil aviation , the national security council and malaysia airlines had been infected and an unknown amount of information stolen , a source said . cybersecurity malaysia chief executive dr amirudin abdul wahab told nicholas cheng from the malaysia star : ` we received reports from the administrators of the agencies telling us that their network was congested with e-mail going out of their servers . ` those e-mails contained confidential data from the officials ' computers , including the minutes of meetings and classified documents . some of these were related to the mh370 investigation . ` this was well-crafted malware that anti-virus programs could n't detect . it was a very sophisticated attack . ' desperate for information : malaysia airlines commercial director hugh dunleavy -lrb- centre -rrb- speaks to journalists in china . the cyber attack came at a time when officials were criticised for their handling of the search . the breach was traced to an ip address - a unique number assigned to each computer on a network - in china , but no further details have been given . interpol are reportedly working with the agencies with the investigation . flight mh370 vanished inexplicably en route from kuala lumpur to beijing on march 8 , and there has been no sign since of the aircraft or the 239 people onboard . reports of the hack come as australian prime minister tony abbott said a new underwater hunt for missing malaysia airlines flight mh370 had a ` reasonable chance ' of finding the plane . it is believed to have crashed into the southern indian ocean far off the west coast of australia , but a massive air and sea search failed to find any wreckage while an underwater probe gave no answers . experts have now used technical data to finalise the most likely resting place of the plane deep on the ocean seabed and are preparing for a more intense underwater search to find it . ` they are now going to search the entire probable impact zone which is , from memory , something like 60,000 square kilometres -lrb- 23,000 square miles -rrb- of the ocean floor , off the coast of western australia , ' abbott told the australian broadcasting corporation . ` if the plane is down there - and the best expert advice is that it did go into the water somewhere in this arc off the coast of western australia - if the plane is down there , there is a reasonable chance that we 'll find it because we are using the best possible technology . ' | <s> emails sent to government departments involved in hunt for missing jet . </s> <s> attachment contained news report claiming boeing 777 had been found . </s> <s> when opened , malwire virus sent sensitive data to a computer in china . </s> <s> came at time when malaysia was criticised for not releasing information . </s> <s> expert : ` sophisticated attack that anti-virus programs could n't detect ' </s> |
jihadists are encouraging attacks on australian teachers working in australia and abroad , the department of foreign affairs and trade has advised . teachers at the east hills boys school in sydney have been asked to monitor their students after ` isis r coming ' was sprayed across the school building in graffiti paint . fayaz kanaan , also know as the ginger jihadist , attended the school before leaving to join the islamic state . scroll down for video . abu khaled from australia , thought to be abdullah elmir , speaks flanked by other isis fighters in an isis propaganda video . he has since returned to australia , after his father intercepted him in turkey . according to the daily telegraph , teachers at the school have been asked by the afp to monitor all students for radical tendencies following the incident . ` the afp and its partners are spending significant time in schools and the community to encounter extremist narratives , ' a spokesperson told the newspaper . students at the school have been counselled over the war in iraq and syria . they have been told to notify their teachers should they be apprached by recruiters of a terrorist group . dfat on friday night updated its terror threat advice in light of an online forum post , which urged attacks against teachers at international schools around the world . however , dfat says it 's not aware of any specific information to suggest an attack is being planned . jihadists are encouraging attacks on australian teachers working abroad , the department of foreign affairs and trade has advised expatriates . `` a recent posting on a jihadist forum website encouraged attacks against teachers , including australian teachers , at international schools around the world , '' the advice said . `` the post does not represent planning for an attack , nor are we aware of any specific information to suggest an attack is being planned . `` we encourage australians involved with international schools , who may have concerns , to engage with the school to ensure it is aware of the threat and that appropriate security arrangements are in place . '' dfat on friday night updated its terror threat advice in light of an online forum post , which urged attacks against teachers at international schools around the world . dfat says it 's not aware of any specific information to suggest an attack is being planned . the jihadist post notes the presence of international schools in saudi arabia , united arab emirates , qatar , egypt , jordan , turkey , bahrain , oman , kuwait , sudan , tunisia , nigeria , morocco , malaysia , india , bangladesh and indonesia . it makes specific mention of two schools - in jeddah , saudi arabia and the suburb of ma'adi , in cairo , egypt - where numbers of teachers at international schools reside , dfat says . the new advice follows the federal government last month raising the domestic terror alert level to high . the jihadist post notes the presence of international schools in saudi arabia , united arab emirates , qatar , egypt , jordan , turkey , bahrain , oman , kuwait , sudan , tunisia , nigeria , morocco , malaysia , india , bangladesh and indonesia . dfat reminded australians that even where attacks may not specifically target australian interests , australians could be harmed . `` in the past decade , australians have been killed and injured in terrorist attacks in nairobi , mumbai , jakarta , london and bali . '' travel advisories for australians are available on the smartraveller.gov.au website and are reviewed and reissued regularly . dfat reminded australians that even where attacks may not specifically target australian interests , australians could be harmed . jakarta international school , which has australian teachers and students , says its parents and employees have been informed of the dfat advice . jakarta international school , which has australian teachers and students , says its parents and employees have been informed of the dfat advice . the school , which was founded by the australian , us , and british embassies , says it will now review its plans for security upgrades . `` jis has a robust security posture that is evaluated on a systematic basis and in light of developments such as those referenced in the dfat bulletin , '' it said in a statement . the news comes after a senior us congressman provided chilling details about an islamic state terror plot to kidnap and behead an australian . `` we will be reviewing the timing and scope of planned security upgrades . '' the news comes after a senior us congressman provided chilling details about an islamic state terror plot to kidnap and behead an australian . the chairman of the us house intelligence committee , mike rogers , told fox news 14 australian is recruits were ` ready to go to syria ' at the time and ` further their radicalisation ' . mohammad ali baryalei was ringleader of the beheading plot , it has been alleged . mike rogers provided chilling purported details about an isis terror plot to kidnap and behead australians . but rogers said the recruits were told to stay in australia . he said they received a note from is which said : ` no , no . what we want you to do , stay in australia . we want you to randomly kidnap people off the street , behead them , videotape it , send it to us for further propaganda . ' speaking to daily mail australia terrorism expert professor greg barton said the remarks were likely a reference to the dawn terror raids on september 18 , the largest the nation has witnessed . omarjan azari , 22 , was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist offence during last month 's counter-terrorism raids . the operation , which involved over 800 police , saw omarjan azari , 22 , arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act . prof barton said it was unclear what briefings rogers had received on the matter , and whether his remarks about australians intending to flee to syria were accurate . ` he seems to be speaking with some confidence on these -lrb- issues -rrb- ' , prof barton , from monash university 's global terrorism research centre , told daily mail australia . | <s> terrorists are encouraging attacks on australian teachers at home and abroad . </s> <s> the east hills boys high school , which was attended by the ginger jihadist , has been singled out after extremist graffiti was sprayed across the school . </s> <s> teachers at the school are on high alert and are monitoring students for extremist tendancies . </s> <s> the department of foreign affairs has updated its terror threat to high . </s> <s> however the dfat is not aware of any planned attacks . </s> <s> the jihadists also note international schools such in such countries as saudi arabia , united arab emirates and qatar . </s> <s> they specifically mention two school in jeddah and cairo . </s> <s> the news comes after a senior us congressman provided details about an is terror plot to kidnap and behead an australian . </s> <s> he said they received a note from is which said : ` no , no . what we want you to do , stay in australia . we want you to randomly kidnap people off the street , behead them , videotape it , send it to us for further propaganda ' </s> |
whether it 's being used as a swanky party venue , floating showroom or private vessel , the xhibitionist is certainly a boat designed to turn heads . the 75 metre long vessel is an extravagant , multipurpose yacht which even comes with its own supercar . designed by swedish-based car designer eduard gray , the slick ship 's interior is decked out in art nouveau decor , with classic touches like a steinway piano , a dual staircase , and fine crystal baccarat lighting . but you 'll need bruce wayne 's bank account if you want to buy one . the lead-in price is 2 million euros -lrb- # 16million -rrb- for a ` basic ' model . keeping with its automotive theme , the xhibitionist has space for a car showroom and ` engine room ' , complete with exposed engines displayed behind glass walls . solar panels fold out from under a sleek car-hood-like deck to power the ship , and the panels double up as a concert space or helipad with space for three helicopters . the fly deck even features a jacuzzi , and by night , the superyacht glows in the dark thanks to oceanled lighting . as for the xhibitionist 's price ? ` as far as investments go , the 75 m luxury yacht xhibitionist concept resembles more of a real estate and marketing venture than a yacht . ' if you have to ask , you know you ca n't afford it . scroll down for video . is it a boat , is it a car ? no , it 's a megayacht . the supercar designer 's megaboat costs more than # 16 million . the 229ft-wide xhibitionist is an extravagant , multipurpose yacht designed by swedish supercar designer eduard gray . holy moley ! a good sized helipad on deck ensures a-listers can be flown in if needed . shiny shiny : believe it or not this is actually the inside of the boat . it feels as large as an airplane hangar , but with an art nouvea vibe . can we make it a car showroom ? apparently so , this boat is big enough to take an entire fleet of bentleys . opulence : sofa space for chilling out , tick . but where 's the television ? and where better to chill out and watch the sunset than atop the deck ... hang on , is that a band playing up there ? it may look like a deep sea creature from the abyssal plains but this is just the megayacht with its lights on after dark . and of course every megayacht needs a megacar for those all important onshore errands . right , have we run out of champagne again ? slimline : solar panels fold out from under a sleek car-bonnet-like deck to power the ship . and so to bed : by night , the superyacht glows in the dark thanks to oceanled lighting . | <s> megayacht called the xhibitionist and has a jacuzzi , helipad and steinway piano . </s> <s> solar panels fold out from under the deck to power the boat . </s> <s> the price of the 229 foot wide vessel is ` on application only ' </s> |
a police union chief slammed new york mayor bill de blasio on thursday for his failure to support city cops following the grand jury decision in the chokehold death of eric garner . new york city patrolmen 's benevolent association president patrick lynch criticized de blasio , saying : ` unequivocally , police officers feel like they have been thrown under the bus . ' lynch also defended white officer daniel pantaleo 's role in the death of unarmed , black father-of-six mr garner - even as protesters planned a new round of demonstrations tonight . the union chief said pantaleo had acted properly in restraining eric garner during an arrest attempt in the borough of staten island on july 17 . ` he 's a model of what we want a police officer to be , ' lynch said . scroll down for video . new york city patrolmen 's benevolent association president patrick lynch -lrb- center -rrb- said on thursday that ` police officers feel like they have been thrown under the bus ' after mayor bill de blasio failed to support city cops following the grand jury decision in the chokehold death of eric garner . new york city mayor bill de blasio and nypd commissioner bill bratton on thursday review new police guidelines that will be taught to officers at the police academy in queens , new york . the police spokesman 's staunch remarks came hours after commenters on a popular police blog angrily hit back at the widespread public protests and condemnation by political figures over the decision not to indict . the backlash on site , policeone , came from some claiming police backgrounds and other law-enforcement supporters . the anonymous comments attacked outraged protesters , new york mayor bill de blasio , president obama , attorney-general eric holder and the media for their opposition to the grand jury decision . one post from von1 read : ` have you heard the mayor of ny press release . wow ! 35,000 cops just got b **** slapped . ' another comment read : ` stay safe , brothers . you 're in for another set of riots . ' the blog policeone , which is dedicated to law enforcement , had a barrage of comments in support of the grand jury decision not to indict officer daniel pantaleo . black lives matter : more protests were arranged for thursday as outrage swept across the country following the lack of indictment for new york cop daniel pantaleo . pictured today are students protesting at emory . new york city erupted in protests on wednesday after a grand jury decision not to indict officer daniel pantaleo , 29 , who grabbed mr garner and put him in a chokehold which led to his death on july 17 in staten island . in a direct and sometimes passionate speech from staten island on wednesday , mayor bill de blasio made his dismay clear about a jury 's decision not to charge officer daniel pantaleo . de blasio was among several prominent political figures to address the decision . president obama himself went so far as to concede police racial bias does exist . obama also revealed he 'd spoken with attorney general eric holder about the case . holder on wednesday evening announced the department of justice 's civil rights wing had launched an investigation into the death of 43-year-old father-of-six . protesters in minneapolis shut down the northbound lanes of i-35w amid more demonstrations on thursday following the failure to indict the cop who put eric garner in a chokehold shortly before he died . protesters rally against police brutality and racism by marching and laying down in the streets in downtown pittsburgh on thursday . an emotional de blasio said the decision of a grand jury not to indict the officer who who put eric garner into a fatal chokehold was ' a very painful day for so many new yorkers ' . on the policeone blog , which primarily covers law enforcement issues , the comments came thick and fast beneath an article which reported there would be no indictment for officer pantaleo . the comments came from police supporters or those claiming to be employed in law enforcement . esu5 wrote : ` every now and then we win one . horrible situation , man lost his life , but like in the ferguson case he controlled his own destiny . ' office1149 posted : ` if you can shout '' i ca n't breath '' -lsb- sic -rsb- you can probably breath -lsb- sic -rsb- ! ' the comment referred to the numerous times that 43-year-old mr garner cried out that he could n't breathe as officers pinned him to the ground during the video-taped attack before he lost consciousness . other comments specifically attacked mayor de blasio . wasafuzz wrote : ` new york city mayor and the entire new york city council sided with criminal of 31 prior arrests eric gardner . ' another anonymous comment from , 1661 , said : ` is n't it great how the press minimizes what the criminal did , and vilifies the evil `` white nyc police officer '' portraying him killing a harmless `` unarmed black man . '' here comes eric holder with an nypd consent decree ! ' a protester faces off with a nypd officer in new york cityduring a protest against the grand jury decision in the eric garner case . garner 's death was officially ruled a homicide by the medical examiner 's office in august . the 43-year-old is pictured here with four of his six children . sapdmas wrote : ` people are sick and tired of thugs . certain people better wake the hell up and stop supporting the thugs . 2 years 1 month before the head thug gets thrown out and hopefully a real potus gets elected . ' rbpd1176 simply put it : ` damn glad i 'm retired . ' in a deeply personal and heartfelt address , mayor de blasion , whose wife chirlane mccray is african american , said that when he spoke to eric garner 's bereaved father : ' i could n't help but immediately think of what it would mean to me to lose -lrb- his son -rrb- dante . ' with barely a word of support for the nypd or their cleared officer , de blasio 's used his own son to explain that he knows the struggle and frustration that black people feel when dealing with police in new york city . ` we 've had to talk to dante for years about dangers he may face , ' said de blasio about the infamous ` talk ' many parents of african american or mixed-race children have nationwide . ` i 've had to worry over the years . . is my child safe ? and not just from harsh realities ... crimes and violence ... are they safe from the people they want to have faith in -lrb- cops -rrb- ? ' calling it a ` national moment of pain ' , the mayor said that racial profiling and distrust between african americans and the police is ' a problem for all new yorkers , it is a problem for all americans . it 's all our problem . ' the mayor also said that he had spoken with nypd commissioner bratton about retraining the entire police force . ` it should be self-evident , -lrb- but -rrb- our history requires us to say ` black lives matter ' . the short address at times felt like a line in the sand being drawn by de blasio , especially when he quoted his commissioner , bill bratton on weeding out those who do not belong in law enforcement . ` the department will act aggressively to ensure that any officer who is not meant to be in this work no longer is . ' indeed , he left the air hanging with the question of whether officer pantaleo will remain with the nypd . earlier , the widow of eric garner had exclaimed ` oh my god , are you serious ? ' when she discovered the verdict , while de blasio issued an earlier , equally emotional statement and declared that ` today 's outcome is one that many in our city did not want . ' president obama broke off from a planned speech to address the verdict saying , ` police brutality is an american problem . ' new york city mayor bill de blasio speaks to the media during a news conference in staten island after a grand jury decided not to charge white police officer daniel pantaleo who killed unarmed black man eric garner with a chokehol . after the decision was released it was announced the nypd was recalling all officers from non-essential court business in anticipation of potential city-wide disturbances . staten island district attorney daniel donovan said the grand jury found ` no reasonable cause ' to bring charges against garner , who was selling loose , un-taxed cigarettes . in the neighborhood where father-of-six garner died , people reacted with shouts , chants of ` eric garner ' and expressions of angry disbelief . garner 's father , benjamin carr , urged calm and said the ruling made no sense . the grand jury could have considered a range of charges , from murder to a lesser offense such as reckless endangerment . ' i am actually astonished based on the evidence of the videotape , and the medical examiner , that this grand jury at this time would n't indict for anything , ' said a lawyer for garner 's family , jonathan moore . the decision , which comes nine days after the ferguson grand jury declined to indict officer darren wilson , threatens to increase already fraught racial tensions nationwide and lead to more protests . the death of the father-of-six sparked national outrage just weeks before the fatal shooting of michael brown amid accusations of police brutality against african americans . the decision by the grand jury panel means that a majority of them did not think there was probable cause a crime was committed by pantaleo , who was the only nypd officer facing indictment . two other officers at the scene were offered immunity if they testified before the grand jury . the medical examiner 's office ruled his death a homicide but police union members have always denied pantaleo used a chokehold . the medical examiner concluded the chokehold was the cause of death . officer pantaleo issued a statement following the announcement of the grand jury decision to say he felt ` very bad . ' ' i became a police officer to help people and to protect those who ca n't protect themselves , ' said pantaleo . ` it is never my intention to harm anyone and i feel very bad about the death of mr. garner . ` my family and i include him and his family in our prayers and i hope that they will accept my personal condolences for their loss . ' cuffed : througout his physical distress eric garner was kept in handcuffs and it is possible to see them in this screen grab -lrb- left -rrb- from cellphone video shot at the scene . | <s> nyc patrolmen 's benevolent association president said : ` unequivocally , police officers feel like they have been thrown under the bus ' </s> <s> president patrick lynch also described officer daniel pantaleo as ' a model of what we want a police officer to be ' </s> <s> de blasio gave emotional speech on wednesday in which he did not back officer pantaleo and called garner 's death a ` national moment of pain ' </s> <s> dozens of comment on popular law enforcement website , policeone , backed nypd officer daniel pantaleo and criticized public anger . </s> <s> unarmed eric garner died on july 17 after arrest by nypd officers on staten island where pantaleo placed him in a chokehold . </s> |
not content with backflips or somersaults , this experienced slackliner strips off in mid-air . while balancing on a rope with no safety net - and often no harness , jaan roose , from estonia , rips off his shirt and pulls down his trousers to reveal his chiselled physique and underwear . roose , 22 , has been a slackliner for four years , and travels the world capturing his daredevil stunts in photographs and videos . the sport requires intense concentration to remain balanced on an unstable line that is anchored between two points . most participants attempt to cross the line without losing their balance , but jaan likes to take things a step further . the thrillseerker hurls himself into the air , twists and turns , and lands back on the rope - and even he jumps from one slackline to the other . but his most impressive trick is surely the strip act he performs in which he kicks off his trainers , whips off his shirt and pulls his trousers down . jaan said : ` my first clothes off trick was in 2011 , when i did it for the videos and then in competition . the trick was taking my shirt off . ` years later i came back to this idea with the question , ` what other tricks can i do with clothes ? ' ' i had the idea for a long time to take clothes off while slacklining because nobody was doing it this way . and i was bored creating just high-level crazy tricks , most slackliners go this way , they try to make the craziest stuff . ' i wanted to keep doing crazy stunts , but not as dangerous or typical . i wanted to be more creative . ` people 's reaction to this video was wonderful . the slackline community liked it as it was something new and fresh . people were saying . ` if jaan roose keeps being creative we 'll have to censor the next video . impressive stunts : estonian daredevil jaan roose , 22 , hurls himself into the air , as he performs on itacoatiara beach , in niteroi , brazil . mr roose on a slackline in rio de janeiro . the sport requires intense concentration to balance on a slack rope anchored between two points . time for a quick flash : the adrenalin fan removes his trousers while performing in rummu , estonia . roose walks across a line above a beach covered in rubbish in rio de janeiro . he has been a slackliner for four years . high above a valley in moab , utah . roose said the idea of stripping midair was part of his bid to make his performance more creative . roose on a slackline over water in rummu , estonia . most participants try to cross the line without losing their balance - but jaan takes further . as part of his routine , roose twists and turns in the air and lands back on the rope . pictured here in rummu , estonia . comforable in his skin : roose performs shirtless in the woods near his home in matsuri , estonia . daredevil stunts : roose performs at the freakwave festival on september , 2013 in bregenz , austria , right . left , practice makes perfect . slacklining requires intense concentration to remain balanced on an unstable line that is anchored between two points . keeping his clothes on : the daredeveil keeps his balance while practising in berlin . slackliner jaan roose in action in friedrichshafen , germany , left , and infront of a madonna poster , right . young adventurer : roose poses on the rooftop of bklyn beast , a parkour gym in brooklyn in new york . mr roose performing and posing for the camera on july , 2014 in stuttgart , germany . right with a fellow slack liner in brazil . the thrillseeker attends the freakwave festival in september , 2011 . right , posing in front of mt fuji in honshu island , japan . | <s> adventurous jaan roose , 22 , from estonia , balances on a rope with no safety net and rips off his clothes . </s> <s> slacklining requires intense concentration to remain balanced on an instable line anchored between two points . </s> <s> roose ' most impressive trick is kicking off his trainers , whipping off his shirt and pulling his trousers down . </s> |
for many people , a pet can be their most loyal companion - a trusted soul-mate with whom they experience the highs and lows of life . now , photographer elena shumilova has captured the inseparable bond that exists between pets and their owners in a heart-warming selection of pictures . they capture children and their pets at various moments in every-day life in moscow and andreapol , russia . children are pictured playfully chasing their pets in a woodland , gazing out of a frosty , steamed up window before bed and finally snuggling up with their pets as they doze off . scroll down for video . photographer elena shumilova captures a young boy gazing out on to a lake with his arm wrapped around his pet dog . a young boy rests his head against his loyal companion as they snuggle up together on a cosy rug . a boy and his cat collect leaves in one of the pictures taken by ms shumilova to demonstrate the unique bond between pets and owners . a young girl is chased by her dog as she charges through a woodland - the photographer said ` pets are members of our family ' the photographer shows the moving moment a girl cuddles her cat - the pictures were taken in moscow and andreapol , in russia . the pictures are taken by elena shumilova , a mother-of-two . she said : ' i felt so inspired when i was creating these images . pets are members of our family and there 's nothing more natural and more important than the desire to care for someone you love . ` the children in the photos are from moscow and andreapol , and they are photographed with their own pets . ' she added : ` children and animals - that 's my life . ' i am mum to two boys and we spend a lot of time on the farm . i shoot my boys , my dog , rabbits , ducks and sometimes my friends and their children . ` and i always photograph my kids and friends when we go for a walk . ' a girl shelters under the lashing rain on a rock with her spaniel and cat also jostling for a dry spot under her umbrella . a boy and his cat create drawings on a misty window in the selection of pictures that show the powerful bond owners have with their pets . a child drifts off to sleep while cuddling her puppy - the photographer said she felt ` inspired ' while capturing the moving moments . rural settings , natural phenomena and the changing seasons seem to be the greatest stimuli in her works . ` when shooting i prefer to use natural light -- both inside and outside . i love all sorts of light conditions -- street lights , candle light , fog , smoke , rain and snow -- everything that gives visual and emotional depth to the image , ' the photographer said . the work was commissioned by petcurean pet nutrition . jaimie turkington , from petcurean , said : ` the images elena has contributed to our nourish for life campaign fully express the depth of the human and pet bond in a way that words alone never could . ` she captures something pure , yet powerful about our relationships with our pets that will connect with all kinds of pet parents , anywhere in the world . ' | <s> pictures are taken by mother-of-two elena shumilova of children and their pets in moscow and andreapol , russia . </s> <s> photographer captures the inseparable bond that exists between children and their pets in the selection of images . </s> |
cara , the bushy-browed supermodel has inspired a massive increase in enquiries . the ` power brow ' shows no sign of falling out of fashion thanks to cara delevingne . according to a cosmetic surgery group the bushy-browed supermodel has inspired a massive increase in the number of women looking to fill in their sparse eyebrows with a transplant . new stats from transform reveal that they have seen enquiries about eyebrow transplants - which cost about # 1,500 - increase by 45 per cent since 2010 . the average age of those enquiring is 30 , and the group report that 70 per cent of callers admit they have previously over-plucked . despite the hefty price tag more women than ever are now considering paying out for the treatment . transform believes this is in part due to many finding that the 90s trend for thin , over-plucked eyebrows has left them with sparse brows - and what it is calling ` the delevingne effect ' . cara 's coveted brows are so popular that they even have their own social media accounts , with one twitter account boasting almost 5,000 followers , reports the express . hair transplant surgeon at transform , dr mabroor bhatty , said : ` the rise in enquires for this treatment comes mainly from women who have previously over-plucked , which can permanently damage the follicle leaving them with thinning or virtually no eyebrows . ` as fashions have changed , women are looking to reverse these effects with the treatment . ` eyebrow transplant procedures are performed in the same way as a hair transplant , by taking a strip of hair from the donor site ; usually at the back of the head at the lower hair margin , where the hair is finer . ` this strip is divided into single hair follicles before each follicle is individually transplanted to incisions made in the eyebrows . ` as is the case with a standard hair transplant , it is normal to see hairs falling out for the first six weeks . however , new hair will grow on average between two to three months after the procedure , creating the desired thickening effect . ' cara delevingne walks the runway during the chanel show at paris fashion week haute-couture . but the follically challenged need not despair if their brows are more sarah harding than cara delevingne : we have entered the age of the eyebrow extension . the process , brow perfect , involves carefully gluing individual synthetic hairs onto existing fine hairs , or directly onto the skin . this latest launch from company lash perfect aims to fill in gaps , add volume and extend the brow line . eyebrow extensions can attach to existing hairs or onto skin , ideal for people with no brows or no hair at all . the salon treatment is aimed at those experiencing age-related hair loss or those who have over-plucked or waxed their brows in the past . the process gives a texture and realistic look to brows that pencils and pencils and powders ca n't attain , say lash perfect . the brow extensions are available in different shades and can be glued on to create the type of arch desired . ` we do eyebrows to suit the age and shape of each individual customer , ' explains beverly piper , owner and director of lash perfect . ` nobody 's brows are the same , ' she says . ` people find they have natural gaps , or perhaps they over plucked when they were younger . ` up until now , the only way to bride the gap was to use powder or a pencil , which gives a flat look . but now you can have depth and dimension with the eyebrow extensions . ' the beauty professional recognises fashion 's influence on modern women 's love of big brows . ` cara delevingne has amazing brows and carries them off beautifully . she has given women the license to wear their eyebrows boldly and beautifully without needing them trimmed all the time , ' says piper . ` brow perfect is all about bold and beautiful brows . fashions do change but gaps in brows will never be in . ' ideal clients are those with hair loss or those who have over-plucked or waxed their brows in the past . individual synthetic hairs are glued to the eyebrow , onto existing fine hairs , or directly onto the skin . cara has encouraged women to wear their eyebrows ` boldly and beautifully ' , says the company behind the new brow extensions . very fine individual are placed carefully across the brow line and can last between seven to 14 days.ideal clients are those with hair loss or those who have over-plucked or waxed their brows in the past . ideal clients are those with hair loss or those who have over-plucked or waxed their brows in the past . the individual synthetic brow hairs start at 4mm in length and go up to 8mm . they are applied with a transparent , water resistant flexible adhesive . perfect brow eyebrow extensions start from # 25 for 15 minutes and are available at the lash perfect lash bar in london and nationwide . | <s> women seek to emulate cara delevingne 's bushy brows . </s> <s> enquiries for # 1,500 treatment have increased by 45 per cent . </s> |
the decision to get a tattoo is a hard one - and finding a design you like enough to keep forever is even tougher . but people are now flocking to a tattoo artist who inks from his imagination there and then - no sketchpad in sight . the astonishing methods of aptly-named tattooist jay freestyle , who is based in amsterdam , results in stunning , soulful artworks , which last forever on the skin . his inkings appear laboriously planned buy jay 's insanely stunning designs , blends and lines are improvised . his ethereal inkings appear meticulously planned but jay 's floating shadows , thick and thin lines , accurate proportions and expert colour blending are a product of improvisation . the south african tattoo artist , 29 , makes his designs up as he goes along while he is working on his clients . inspired by traditional painting techniques such as watercolour and liquid ink , he brings in modern and graphic elements . his motto reads : ` give me a piece of your skin and i 'll give you a piece of my soul ' which sums up his way of work . people try to come to jay with extremely detailed ideas , but after . talking it through and hearing his extreme knowledge about . aesthetics , placement , colouring , size and symbolism ; almost all turn . around and say : ` go for it , i trust you blindly ' - and he never disappoints . the south african tattoo artist , 29 , makes his designs up as he goes along when he is working on clients . each tattoo he comes up with is a unique illustration from jay 's imagination . ' i prefer to combine various styles , such as geometrical shapes and pointillism , while at the same time mixing realism with abstract , ' says jay . he regularly tattoos first timers who feel no fear and fully trust in his respect and . understanding of his clients ' wishes . jay grew . up in a conservative chinese family in johannesburg and emigrated to . amsterdam more than 10 years ago where he has been living and working . ever since . he 's entirely self-taught and his techniques and style are unconventional . the spontaneity of his tattoos is what makes every single one so unique . breaking away from existing boundaries , the final artwork is always a great surprise to the client . ` most describe my style as watercolor , and it definitely holds elements of such , but personally it is more , ' says jay . ' i prefer to combine various styles , such as geometrical shapes and pointillism , while at the same time mixing realism with abstract , but at the end it all depends on the client . ' learning from past experiences , travelling worldwide , and fostering his skills as a painter , jay constantly exposes himself to the influence from top artists from around the world . always . eager to learn something new , he emerged as a broadly skilled tattooist . but jay is now narrowing down his focus and developing a more graphical . styleand feel to his work . he 's . building on his trademark and talent of using simple imagery and . bringing it to life through an avant-garde , abstract ink style . jay 's somewhat dark motto reads : ` give me a piece of your skin and i ¿ ll give you a piece of my soul ' ` usually from the first couple of minutes of talking to someone , i can see if they want my style , ' says jay . he 's building on his trademark of using simple imagery and bringing it to life through an avant-garde style . ` not everyone wants my style , ' he says . ` usually from the first couple of minutes of talking to someone , i can see if they want ` my style ' or if they want me to do something realistic or traditional . ` normally when i 'm abroad people ask much more for my style ; whereas here in the netherlands most know me for a variety of styles i 've developed and done over the past years ; japanese , black and grey , realism , neo-traditional - you name it . ' dare you get one of jay 's tattoos done without knowing how it would turn out ? check out his facebook page . jay is now narrowing down his focus and developing a more graphical styleand feel to his work . normally when he 's abroad people ask much more for jay 's own style . always eager to learn something new , he emerged as a broadly skilled tattooist . jay 's logo is as morbid as his slogan . his improvised designs and way with lines and colour are astounding . | <s> south african jay freestyle , 29 , works in amsterdam . </s> <s> tattoo artist of chinese parentage grew up in johannesburg . </s> <s> famed for stunning designs and unplanned watercolour techniques . </s> <s> mixes geometrics and pointillism , realism and abstract styles . </s> <s> charges # 325 - # 810 depending on the time invested and size of the piece . </s> |
oprah winfrey photoshopped the front cover of the latest issue of her eponymous magazine , which appears to show her lounging alongside an african lion , despite telling her readers they must learn to be braver in the new year . according to the huffington post , oprah and her cover co-star beast never actually got the chance to meet due to fears over the 60-year-old 's safety . instead , the 10-year-old lion was photographed the day before the glamorous tv host and was accompanied by his caretaker , who remained on-set throughout the shoot to ensure his every need was catered for . scroll down for video . not so brave after all : oprah and her cover co-star , 10-year-old lion beast , never actually met and were instead photoshopped together . plan b : the 60-year-old tv presenter called on the services of set designer george delacy , who dressed up in a lion suit and posed alongside oprah during her shoot . eager to ensure the cover shoot was as realistic as possible however , oprah roped in the help of set designer george delacy , who gamely suited up in a full lion costume and posed alongside her so she could get her positioning just right . speaking about the cover , oprah , who has previously shared the cover of o , the oprah magazine , with the likes of michelle obama , ellen degeneres and rosie o'donnell , joked that it was one of the most bizarre shoots she has ever done . ' i can honestly say i 've never done this before , ' she joked , while reclining next to mr delacy . and while oprah managed to avoid a confrontation with the majestic animal , photographer ruven afanador was not so lucky , however he did shoot beast from inside a reinforced protective cage , to ensure his safety throughout the day . thus far , oprah 's decision to photoshop her cover has been met with mixed feelings from readers , some of whom have applauded her ` sensible ' choice to respect the animal 's natural strength and aggression . discussing the cover on entertainment forum nairaland , one oprah fan said : ` good for her , ' while another added : ` think it 's better that she did n't actually pose with the lion ! ' the finished product : while the end result looks fantastic , oprah has faced criticism from some who believe her photoshop trickery contradicts the theme of the magazine . caged : photographer ruven afanador shot beast from inside a reinforced metal structure . there are some , however , who feel oprah 's photoshop trickery contradicts the overall theme of the january issue , which sees readers urged to ` tame your fears and start living your happiest year yet ' . ` although the theme of the issue is `` brave new you '' , oprah was n't actually -lsb- brave enough -rsb- when it came to posing for the cover , ' refinery 29 's lauren le vine wrote . ` see , she and beast , her 10-year-old african lion cover costar , posed separately . beast was photographed one day earlier , and his caretaker was on the site to make sure everything went smoothly . ' new york magazine 's the cut 's allison p davis added : ` because this cover is meant to inspire a `` brave new you '' who will conquer 2015 as fearlessly as oprah lounges next to a ferocious animal while wearing a sophisticated green velvet gown . ` except not . as these `` behind the scenes '' photos reveal , oprah only posed with a big stuffed animal , not a real lion at all . ` her bravery was a mere photoshop manipulation because of `` safety concerns '' and also because nothing is real and hope is dead . ' | <s> the tv star appears to be posing alongside a lion on the cover of her magazine - but it was later revealed the two were shot separately and then photoshopped together for safety reasons . </s> <s> oprah asked set designer george delacy to dress up in a lion costume and pose alongside her during her shoot . </s> <s> in the january edition of o , the oprah magazine , the 60-year-old encourages readers to embrace a ` brave new you ' in 2015 . </s> |
is this santa and his reindeer taking their sleigh for a test flight with just three weeks to go until christmas day ? an aircraft with the call sign santa1 was spotted flying over norway and sweden on its way to the arctic circle this week . but it turns out it was n't the big man 's sleigh -- it was a british airways plane ferrying passengers to see santa claus himself in snowy lapland in northern finland . british airways uses the call sign santa1 for christmas-themed journeys . an aircraft with the call sign santa1 was spotted over norway and sweden on its way to the arctic circle . the airbus a320 flew from london gatwick airport to rovaniemi on tuesday to give the lucky group a chance to meet mr and mrs claus and his elves and reindeer . the christmas charter was full of families who were paying a visit to the santa claus village amusement park . it was using a special call sign -- as opposed to a standard one starting with ` ba ' -- because it was on a christmas-themed journey . families were travelling to rovaniemi , in northern finland , to meet santa claus . british airways owns the call signs santa1 and santa2 , which are used for flights with a christmas theme . a british airways spokesperson said : ` we have a scheduled timetable and sometimes there 's a chance that someone or a company has chartered an aircraft - a particular flight with a christmas theme or purpose . ` british airways own the call signs santa1 and santa2 . so we are able to name flights whenever it 's appropriate . ` it 's great that we can use these to make flights around this time of year that extra bit more special . ' | <s> aircraft with santa1 call sign was spotted over norway and sweden . </s> <s> british airways plane was flying to rovaniemi in northern finland . </s> <s> christmas charter was full of families who were visiting santa claus . </s> |
the job of a stunt pilot is already dangerous enough , but these thrillseekers took their job to even more extremes by performing tricks while their planes were chained together . the impressive video shows three stunt planes flying while chained wing-to-wing above an airfield near neuquen , argentina . the pilots perform incredible manoeuvres despite the heavy chains tethering them to one another . an impressive video has emerged of three stunt planes flying while chained wing-to-wing above an airfield near neuquen , argentina . the show was put on by members of the escuadrilla argentina de acrobacia aerea aerobatic team . the video begins with the planes lined up on the runway , the tethers dragging along on the ground between them . but as the propeller planes take off toward the skies , the pilots fan out and extend the chains to their maximum length . flying in formation , the pilots put on a breathtaking show -- complete with steep dives and whirlwind loops . the video begins with the planes lined up on the runway , chains dragging along on the ground between them . as the propeller planes take off toward the skies , the pilots fan out and extend the tethers to their maximum . flying in formation , the pilots put on a breathtaking show -- complete with steep dives and whirlwind loops . although the video was filmed in april this year , it has just recently emerged online . | <s> aerobatic stunts filmed during an airshow near neuquen , argentina . </s> <s> in a unique twist , the propeller planes were tethered together by chains . </s> <s> still , the pilots put on an impressive show , complete with loops and dives . </s> |
the army completed its investigation last week into sgt. bowe bergdahl 's disappearance from a base in afghanistan five years ago , but the pentagon said tuesday that it does n't know when the report will be released . ` the investigating officer has done his work , but now that work is moving through the army system , and at each stop ... there will ... be questions , requirements for clarification , ' army colonel steve warren told reporters . ` so it 's working its way through the system as would any other investigation . ' the results of the army 's probe into whether bergdahl deserted his post will most certainly be withheld from the public until after november 's elections , if it discloses its findings at all . scroll down for video . army sgt. bowe bergdahl was freed from captivity in may after obama traded him for five taliban commanders . platoon mates of bergdahl say he deserted but the army is yet to release its formal report . the pentagon 's announcement has republicans and former platoon mates of bergdahl 's wondering what 's taking so long , as the facts of the case appear fairly cut and dried on the surface . according to soldiers who served with bergdahl , the 28-year-old willingly abandoned his base several days before he was kidnapped by the taliban and taken hostage in june of 2009 . for nearly five years he was held captive by the terrorist organization until president barack obama and the pentagon negotiated his release last may . acting on his own authority , obama traded five taliban commanders who were being held in detention at guantanamo bay for the release of bergdahl , who is now living and working at a base in san antonio , texas . bergdahl has not spoken out publicly since his return to the u.s. and has reportedly refused to meet with his family in person . in june the army announced that maj. gen. kenneth dahl , a veteran of two tours in afghanistan , would lead it 's official review of bergdahl 's conduct . the two-star general , who also serves as the deputy commanding general of 1st corps at joint base lewis mcchord in washington state , interviewed bergdahl in august . if cleared of wrong doing , sgt. bergdahl stands to receive $ 200,000 in back pay and $ 150,000 compensation for his troubles . the army said on friday that it had received dahl 's report and its ` reviewing it , ' but it has no timeline for the completion of its audit . ` as we stressed at on the onset , this will be a lengthy process conducted in accordance with applicable laws , regulation and policy , ' army officials said in a statement . ` we recognize the importance of the media and the public understanding of our investigative process , and look forward to future discussions on this issue . the statement went on to say that ` the army 's priority is ensuring that our process is thorough , factually accurate , impartial , and legally correct . ' ` consequently , at this time , it would be inappropriate to speculate on the potential results or the amount of time the review process will take to complete . ' reuters says that colonel warren , the pentagon 's spokesperson , denied on tuesday that the military was postponing the release of the report until after election day in order to give the president and his his political party cover from the potentially damning details of the probe . watch the latest video at & amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; lt ; a href = `` http://video.foxnews.com '' & amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; gt ; video.foxnews.com & amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; lt ; / a & amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; gt ; watch the latest video at & amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; lt ; a href = `` http://video.foxnews.com '' & amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; gt ; video.foxnews.com & amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; lt ; / a & amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; gt ; . bergdahl 's former platoon leader , sgt. evan buetow , and army lieutenant colonel ralph peters , a frequent fox guest , joined fox news ' sean hannity to discuss the army 's announcement that it had not reached a verdict yet , even though the general conducting the investigation has finished his report . ` there 's no way that they can conclude this investigation without the truth , ' buetow told hannity . the truth , he said , is that bergdahl deserted . ` there 's not one person -lsb- from his platoon -rsb- who disagrees , ' buetow claimed . but members of bergdahl 's unit say they do n't understand why the army 's assessment is taking so long . bergdahl 's former platoon leader , sgt. evan buetow , has said on numerous occasions that after bergdahl , then a private in the army , went missing , soldiers in his unit learned from locals they were observing over the radio that an american was wandering around town , looking for someone who spoke english so that he could communicate with the taliban . ` we 've come out when he first got released , and we explained exactly what happened . he deserted his post , all on his own , and we 're now still sitting here waiting for answers , ' buetow told fox news host sean hannity on tuesday evening . buetow said he was interviewed gen. dahl and had a ` lengthy ' conversation with him about the details of bergdahl 's disappearance , including the chatter the platoon heard over the radio . ' i have a list of the people that the general spoke to during this investigation , ' buetow told hannity . ` it 's everyone from the platoon , and i know exactly what they said . ` there 's no way that they can conclude this investigation without the truth . ' the truth , buetow said , is that bergdahl deserted . ` there 's not one person -lsb- from his platoon -rsb- who disagrees , ' buetow said . another former platoon mate of bergdahl 's , sgt. jordan vaughn , said wednesday on fox and friends that he 's also suspicious of delay , given that the military had ` five years to investigate this , talk to everyone who was there , who was involved , talk to the family , check the emails , look at the facts . ' ` the only thing that was missing here , the only piece , is bergdahl himself talking to him , ' he said . vaughn suggested that part of the problem is that dahl is not qualified to conduct the probe . ' i really want to see the line of questioning presented by major general dahl given that he is not an army investigator , ' vaughn said . sgt. bowe bergdahl is pictured here in an undated photo provided to reporters by the army . if bergdahl is cleared of desertion charges , he 'll receive $ 200,000 in back pay and stands to gain another $ 150,000 in compensation for his ordeal . he later referred to dahl as a ` general that has no experience ' leading ' a line of questioning in a criminal investigation . ' ` what are gen. dahl 's credentials ? ' he asked . vaughn said if the army does n't release its finished review to the public , he and other members of bergdahl 's platoon would ` look into filing a freedom of information act ' to obtain the report . fox 's kimberly guilfoyle , who was filling in this morning for regular fox and friends host elisabeth hasselbeck , commented that it seemed ` very politically expedient ' that the army is delaying the release of its report until after the election . on tuesday night , hannity noted that ` the army says politics has nothing to do with ' the protracted wait . ` i 'm not sold , ' he said . army lieutenant colonel ralph peters , a frequent fox guest , told hannity later in the show that he , too , believes the obama administration may have asked the army to sit on the verdict of its investigation until after nov. 4 . ` when it comes to why it 's being withheld , it 's obvious . it 's got ta be withheld until after the election because no matter which way the report goes , obama loses , ' he said . ` if the white house was able to exert sufficient pressure on the chain of command in the pentagon to whitewash bergdahl 's actions , then there 's gon na be this huge outcry from those serving in uniform , from veterans from conservatives , ' he noted . on the other hand , he said , ` if it turns out that the army got some backbone and really looked at what bergdahl did , listened to people like sgt. buetow and his platoon mates , and finds that , yes , he should be charged with desertion , well then the rose garden ceremony looks like an even greater debacle . ' ` so obama has dug himself into a very deep hole , and he ca n't stop digging , ' he said , referring to a news conference the president held at the white house on the day of bergdahl 's release with the sergeant 's parents . peters claimed that he has ` nothing personal ' against sgt. bergdahl and that he 's never met him . ` this is about a much greater issue than one individual who appears to have deserted from his post and left his comrades behind in war time , ' he explained . ` the principle is this : the obama administration really despises our military , in my view . and they understand why bergdahl would desert , they just do n't understand why anybody would join the military . returning back to the topic at hand , peters said that ` if there 's a whitewash , and bergdahl walks with all his back pay and stuff , the travesty , the precedent it sets for all future wars is that , `` hey dude , it 's ok , man . you do n't like what 's going on , walk away , we 'll cover for you . '' ` that 's profoundly wrong , ' he concluded . | <s> the army completed its probe into bergdahl last week , but the pentagon said tuesday it does n't know when the report will be released . </s> <s> republicans and former platoon mates of bergdahl 's are wondering what 's taking so long . </s> <s> ` we explained exactly what happened . he deserted his post ... and we 're now still sitting here waiting for answers , ' bergdahl 's former platoon leader said . </s> <s> if the army does n't release its finished review to the public , a member of bergdahl 's platoon said he may file a freedom of information act request . </s> |
for some parents it can feel like their children are never going to leave home , but spare a thought for adult giant armadillos . new research , using automatic camera traps , has shown at these rare and elusive scaly-skinned mammals have to put up with some extremely clingy offspring . scientists had thought that young giant armadillos struck out on their own to find their own territory at six weeks old , but research shows this is closer to 17 months . scroll down for video . remotely triggered camera trap pictures showed that alex the young giant armadillo was still interacting , often in quite tender moments , with his mother more than a year after he should have become independent . the four year study of the termite-eating creatures revealed the youngsters continue sharing dens with their mothers long after they are capable of looking after themselves . the findings suggest that giant armadillos may be nature 's equivalent of human parents who suffer from so-called ` full-nest syndrome ' , where their adult children stay at home well into their thirties . dr arnaud desbiez , head of the royal zoological society of scotland 's giant armadillo project , made the discovery while studying an adult female armadillo and her baby . night time camera traps set up in the pantanal tropical wetlands of brazil captured the never seen before intimacy between the mother and her son , which scientists called alex. dr desbiez said : ` we discovered that young giant armadillos continue to interact and share dens with their mothers for much longer than previously thought . ' he added that although the youngster began exploring and foraging on its own after six months , it continued to share a burrow for at least year after that . giant armadillos live in burrows in wetland habitats in south america and although normally solitary , mothers seem to allow their offspring to continue living with them for at least a year after they can care for themselves . dr desbiez first captured pictures of the wild baby armadillo with his mother in 2012 and was able to watch as he grew up . while spending short amounts of time away from home foraging , alex continued to regularly interact with her and either share her burrow or stay in another close by . it is still unclear exactly what age young armadillos finally break their ties completely from their mothers as alex is continuing to cling to his patient mother . giant armadillos are ` ecosystem engineers ' that help to protect other wildlife in the brazilian wetlands from the searing tropical heat , according to previous work by dr arnaud desbiez . using camera traps in front 70 giant armadillo burrows to take pictures of animals that came to use the burrows . published in the journal of biotropica , the study found that the mounds attracted pumas , tapirs , a type of wild pig called peccaries along with insects and amphibians . the burrows are thought to provide shelter for the animals from the heat during the day , and cold at night , by providing a stable temperature below ground . dr desbiez said : ` think of them like wine cellars . ' armadillos are the largest members of the xenarthra order of mammals that includes anteaters and sloths , part of a family that goes back at least 65 million years . covered in a flexible armour that consists of up to 17 bands of horn and bone , they can grow nearly five feet in length , weigh up to 110lbs and live up to 15 years . they have large powerful claws for tearing into termite mounds . however , observing these creatures in the wild is extremely difficult as they are nocturnal and spend much of their time in their burrows . giant armadillos are currently categorized as vulnerable by the iucn red list as habitat loss and hunting has reduced their numbers . dr desbiez , a french researcher who lives in pantanal , started studying giant armadillos in 2010 , using radio trackers and camera traps in an attempt to learn about their hidden lives . they found that gestation lasts five months instead of four and that they only give birth to one baby at a time , instead of two as had been believed . dr desbiez believes the animals only give birth once every two years , meaning they invest huge amounts in raising their young . his findings could also have a dramatic impact on attempts to conserve the mammals , as it means their population growth rates are extremely slow . with such a low birth rate , they can easily go extinct in local areas , he warned . dr desbiez was able to follow a mother giant armadillo and her baby , named alex , from the moment of birth using specially designed night vision cameras that filmed their intimate parenting behaviour . giant armadillos are rarely seen in the wild as they are nocturnal and tend not to live closely together so most research has been carried out on captive animals that have been kept in zoos . dr desbiez said : ` we have made lots exciting discoveries about their ecology and behaviour and interactions with other species and how their burrows are used by other species . ' now he hopes his camera trap images of the giant armadillos can help to raise awareness of the secretive creatures . the pictures he has captured have been awarded a runner up prize in the new behaviour and rare species categories of the bbc wildlife magazine camera-trap photo of the year 2014 competition . dr desbiez said : ` the worldwide recognition of these rare photographs helps share the wonder and passion we feel for the mysterious giant armadillo . ` due to its low population density , nocturnal activity and secretive nature , the giant armadillo could become locally extinct without anyone noticing . ' | <s> biologists captured intimate relationship between mother giant armadillo and her baby in the pantanal tropical wetlands of brazil . </s> <s> scientists had thought young giant armadillos left the nest at six weeks old . </s> <s> but images show young male armadillo called alex sharing den with his mother more than a year after he was capable of looking after himself . </s> <s> female armadillos found to give birth to just one baby every two years . </s> <s> study turns much of the accepted science about the animals on its head . </s> <s> it also has implications for how they are protected in the wild . </s> |
crows use tools and can even outsmart a human child , and now scientists have found another way in which the birds are like us . in tests , the birds revealed a tendency to be either left or right beaked . researchers studying new caledonia crows discovered the clever corvids display a preference for holding a stick tool on a certain side of their beaks - and this could be to make the most of their wide field of vision . crows show a tendency to be left or right beaked by holding tools such as sticks -lrb- pictured -rrb- on the right or left side of their beaks . researchers believe the birds may be trying to keep the tip of the stick in view of the eye on the opposite side of their heads in order to use it in the most dexterous way . researchers believe the birds may be trying to keep the tip of the stick in view of the eye on the opposite side of their heads , so they can see clearly in order to use tools in the most dexterous way . lead scientist dr alejandro kacelnik , from oxford university , said : ` if you were holding a brush in your mouth and one of your eyes was better than the other at brush length , you would hold the brush so that its tip fell in view of the better eye . this is what the crows do . ' new caledonian crows have surprised experts with their ability to use sticks to extract larvae from burrows and , in captivity , retrieve food placed out of reach . the new study , published in the journal current biology , also suggests that the birds ' unusually wide field of vision actually helps them to see better with one eye . new caledonian crows -lrb- stock image -rrb- have surprised experts with their ability to use sticks to extract larvae from burrows and , in captivity , retrieve food placed out of reach . and now the new study suggests that the birds ' unusually wide field of vision actually helps them to see better with one eye . a previous experiment by the university of cambridge proved that members of the crow family are n't just among the cleverest birds , they are smarter than most mammals - and can perform tasks that three and four-year-old children have difficulty with . scientists said that , while having very different brain structures , both crows and primates use a combination of mental tools , including imagination and the anticipation of possible future events , to solve similar problems . other experiments involving the same family of birds found that caledonian crows can use up to three tools in sequence to obtain food . the university of oxford 's behavioural ecology research group said this was the first demonstration of spontaneous sequential tool use in a species other than humans . a separate study also found rooks can use stones to raise the level of water in a vessel in order to bring a floating worm into reach . urban-living carrion crows have been witnessed learning to use road traffic for cracking nuts . co-author dr antone martinho , also from oxford university , said : ` we thought that their binocular fields would facilitate binocular vision , perhaps allowing the birds to judge the distance from tool tip to target . ` it turned out that , most frequently , they only see the tool tip and target with one eye at a time . ' dr kacelnik added : ` birds and humans face similar problems in tool use and many other activities . ` studying similar problems across species helps to put all of them in perspective . ' scientists at the language , culture and cognition lab at the university of auckland have been studying the intelligence of tool-making new caledonian crows for over 10 years . they have shown that crows can use tools to solve eight problems in a row . in february , dr alex taylor , a lecturer in evolutionary psychology set up an experiment in which a crow , named 007 , performed a series of tasks without seeing the difficult course beforehand . the wild crow learned to use individual props during its three months of captivity , but had to work out the order in which to use them to complete the challenge and get an inaccessible treat . the animal was later released . 007 completed the eight-stage puzzle in just two-and-a-half minutes . first , it pulled a string attached to the branch it perched on towards itself to reach a short stick dangling below . a crow , named 007 , performed a series of tasks without seeing a difficult course made up of eight problems , beforehand -lrb- illustrated -rrb- . the bird completed the eight-stage puzzle in just two-and-a-half minutes . crows have a reasoning ability rivalling that of a human seven-year-old , research has shown . scientists came to the conclusion after subjecting six wild new caledonian crows to a battery of tests designed to challenge their understanding of cause and effect . the tasks were all variations of the aesop 's fable , in which a thirsty crow drops stones to raise the level of water in a pitcher . in the ` water displacement task ' , crows worked out how to catch floating food rewards by dropping heavy objects into water-filled tubes . they demonstrated an ability to drop sinking rather than floating objects , solid rather than hollow objects , to choose a high water level tube over one with low water level , and a water-filled tube over one filled with sand . the birds ' understanding of the effects of volume displacement matched that of human children aged between five and seven , scinetists from the univesrity of auckland claimed . the crow then picked up the short stick in its mouth to complete stage one . it then immediately made its way to a narrow container containing a meaty treat and tried to use the stick to reach it - but it was too short . the bird kept hold of the stick and made its way to the first of three boxes , which each contained a stone unreachable without the stick behind wooden bars . 007 then used its stick to drag a stone from the first box and picked it up in its beak to complete stage two . but then it dropped the stone , seemingly temporarily stumped as what to do with it . however , the persistent creature picked up the stick again and retrieved a stone from the second of the boxes and placed it in a separate perspex container . 007 picked up the stone it had already retrieved and posted it into the clear container too , before retrieving the final stone from the final box . when it posted the last of the stones into the perspex box , its weight pushed down a compartment , which allowed the crow to access a long stick and complete stage eight . armed with the long stick , the crow immediately used it to poke inside a narrow box treat containing a treat and dragged the morsel towards itself . the clever bird was rewarded for its hard work and mental agility in completing the series of eight challenges . | <s> scientists from oxford university showed the birds display a preference for holding a stick tool on the right or left side of their beaks . </s> <s> this may be because they are trying to keep the tip of the stick in view . </s> <s> technique enables them to use tools in the most dexterous way . </s> <s> study hints bird 's wide field of vision helps them see better with one eye . </s> |
adorable photos of a mother elephant scooping her calf out of a pool of water have emerged from south africa . the mum and her herd came to the rescue of her baby - using only their trunks to fish him out . the photos were taken in addo national park near port elizabeth , in south africa , where around 600 elephants call home . adorable photos of an elephant and her herd scooping a baby calf out of the water have emerged . in addo national park in south africa , a sweet baby calf tumbled into a pool of water . amateur photographer adele van schalkwyk , who works as a technologist at a private pathology laboratory in vredenburg , south africa , said she could sense the emotion from the herd as she took the photos . she said : ` when i took these photographs , i was amazed to see the level of compassion and teamwork between the elephants helping the little one . ` from the moment they arrived at the dam , they were protecting the little one . when it slipped and fell in , they quickly came together and with their trunks , helped it out . ' the mum and her herd immediately sprung into action - fishing the baby out of the water with their trunks . adele van schalkwyk happened to be in the area and snapped several photos of the sweet moment . ` when i took these photographs , i was amazed to see the level of compassion and teamwork , ' she said . the 46-year-old photographer named the series together with love after one of the photos that shows four of the elephants helping the calf . miss van schalkwyk , who said she was happiest when photographing ` the gifts of nature ' , added : ` they tried to keep the calf away from the water . in one of the photos you can actually see how one uses her trunk to try and keep him away . ` but like a naughty child he did not listen and again slipped and fell . they quickly used their trunks to help him out though . ' the 46-year-old amateur photographer called the series of photos ` together with love ' though the mother did try to keep the calf away from the water , he did n't listen ` like a naughty child ' but as soon as he slipped , the four elephants quickly used their trunks to rescue him . addo national park is the third largest in south africa . the original elephant section of the park was developed in 1931 to protect the animals , when only around 11 elephants remained in the area . miss van schalkwyk said : ` so many elephants and animals are hunted to near extinction . it is important to see that these animals do have emotion and feelings and are not just something to profit by . ` in today 's world , with so many things going wrong , i think we humans can learn a lot from these animals . ' the addo national park is the third largest in south africa and home to over 600 elephants . ` it is important to see that these animals do have emotion and feelings , ' van schalkwyk explained . ' -lsb- elephants -rsb- are not something to profit by , ' she added . ' i think we humans can learn a lot from these animals ' | <s> a mother elephant was snapped scooping her calf out of a pool of water with the help of the herd . </s> <s> mischievous baby slipped and fell despite mum attempting to keep him out of the water . </s> <s> amateur photographer managed to capture the entire rescue on camera at south african safari park . </s> |
biologists have proved that the gecko 's ability to climb and hang from slippery surfaces is effortless . a tokay gecko is pictured . you may think spiderman 's ability to scale vertical walls is pretty neat , but the superheroes abilities are nothing compared to a gecko 's . after years of wondering whether the lizards have to exert energy to stick to walls , biologists have proved their talent is effortless . researchers found that the adhesive power comes purely from the adhesive toe pads on the underside of gecko feet . and they came to this conclusion by sticking dead geckos to slippery surfaces . the lizards , which are found in places with warm climates , can cling to even shiny vertical surfaces with the most remarkable strength . the tests were carried out by biologists at the university of california , riverside . ` with regards to geckos , being sticky does n't require effort , ' timothy higham , an assistant professor of biology at the university said . together with william stewart , a postdoctoral researcher in his lab , assistant professor higham found that ` dead geckos maintain the ability to adhere with the same force as living animals , eliminating the idea that strong adhesion requires active control . ' ` death affects neither the motion nor the posture of clinging gecko feet . ` we found no difference in the adhesive force or the motion of clinging digits between our before - and after-death experiments . ' for years , it has been presumed that the ability to stick to surfaces has required muscle activity instigated by a gecko to push its foot and toes onto a surface to enhance adhesion . researchers proved the sticking power simply comes from the adhesive toe pads -lrb- pictured -rrb- on the underside of gecko feet , by proving that even dead geckos can stick to walls . for years , it was presumed the ability required muscle activity instigated by a gecko to push its foot and toes onto a surface to enhance adhesion . geckos climb on a wide variety of surfaces , including smooth surfaces such as glass . they have adhesive pressures of 15 to 30 pounds -lrb- 6.8 kg to 13.6 kg -rrb- per square inch for each limb , meaning a gecko can hang its entire body by one toe . a gecko 's toe consists of a microscopic hierarchical structure of stalk-like setae - 100 microns in length , 2 microns in radius . from individual setae , a bundle of hundreds of terminal tips called spatulae - approximately 200 nanometers in diameter at their widest - branch out and contact the climbing surface . these hairs create an electrostatic force known as van der waals . it causes neighbouring molecules to be attracted to each other . although very weak , the effect is multiplied by thousands of tiny hairs that cover a gecko 's toes , allowing them to stick firmly to surfaces . to test the well-held belief , the biologists used a device involving a controlled pulling system . this device applied increasing pulling forces to a gecko foot and measured ` clings ' by pulling it in a controlled manner along a vertical acrylic sheet . it also recorded adhesion with video cameras . the experiments showed that the adhesive force , or motion , of a gecko foot when pulled along a vertical surface was similarly high and variable when the gecko was alive and immediately - within 30 minutes - after death . geckos can climb a variety of surfaces , including smooth glass . their sticky toes have even inspired climbing devices , such as so-called spider-man gloves . the toe pads on the underside of gecko feet contain tiny hair-like structures called setae , which stick to surfaces through frictional forces as well as forces between molecules , called van der waals . these tiny structures are so strong that the setae on a single foot can support 20 times the gecko 's body weight . the controlled experiments are the first to show that dead animals maintain the ability to adhere with the same force as living animals . the results refute the notion that actions by a living gecko , such as muscle recruitment or neural activity , are required for gecko feet to generate forces . ` with regards to geckos , being sticky does n't require effort , ' timothy higham , an assistant professor of biology at the university said . a live tokay gecko is shown . ` the idea that adhesion can be entirely passive could apply to many different kinds of adhesion , professor higham said . ` this is clearly a cost-effective way of remaining stationary in a habitat . for example , geckos could perch on a smooth vertical surface and sleep for the night - or day - without using any energy . ' the new work suggests that the ` active ' component of gecko adhesion is actually a reduction of adhesion force when the gecko lifts its feet by curling up the tips of the digits , while the rest of the foot remains on the surface . dr stewart explained : ` we found that the dead animals were more likely to experience damage to their adhesive system , which suggests that the active control may actually prevent injury . ` in other words , when the forces become too high , the gecko likely releases the system using its muscles . ' the study , which was published in the journal biology letters , may now be used to develop new robots . a climbing system inspired by geckos has turned spider-man fiction into fact by making it possible for a human to scale vertical glass . during tests , an 11-stone -lrb- 70kg -rrb- volunteer crawled up a 12ft -lrb- 3.6 metre -rrb- pane using just sticky attachments on his hands and feet . the gadgets employ the same natural molecular forces that allow gecko lizards to scurry around on ceilings . a climbing system inspired by geckos has turned spider-man fiction into fact by making it possible for a human to scale vertical glass . during tests , an 11-stone -lrb- 70kg -rrb- volunteer crawled up a 12ft -lrb- 3.6 metre -rrb- pane using just sticky attachments on his hands and feet -lrb- pictured -rrb- . hair-like setae on a gecko 's toe pads create an electrostatic forces known as van der waals , which causes neighbouring moleules to be attracted to each other . although very weak , the effect is multiplied by thousands of tiny hairs that cover a gecko 's toes , allowing them to stick firmly to surfaces . scientists created tiny tiles called ` microwedges ' to generate van der waals forces and produce a dry adhesive even more efficient than the gecko 's . during the experiment , the volunteer testing these microwedge attachments simply peeled them on and off the glass . the us team led by dr elliot hawkes , from stanford university , wrote in the journal of the royal society interface : ` using this system , a human of mass 70 kilograms -lrb- 11 stone -rrb- successfully ascended a 3.6-metre -lrb- 11 ft -rrb- vertical glass wall with 140 square centimetres of gecko-inspired dry adhesives in each hand . ` the synthetic adhesion system creates a nearly uniform load distribution across the whole adhesive area , improving upon the adhesive-bearing structures of a gecko 's toe and enabling a human to climb vertical glass using an area of adhesive no larger than the area of a human hand . ' the demonstration was reminiscent of the way spiderman scales skyscrapers in the marvel comics and films , -lrb- illustrated left -rrb- , as well as the way tom cruise clings to the burj khalifa in dubai during mission impossible : ghost protocol -lrb- pictured right -rrb- . | <s> biologists examined the stickiness of live and dead geckos in a lab . </s> <s> they discovered that the sticking power of their toes is effortless - and even dead geckos can adhere to smooth surfaces . </s> <s> study proves creatures do n't have to actively use their muscles or strength to engage the sticky pads on their feet to climb walls . </s> <s> toe pads on gecko feet contain tiny hair-like structures called setae . </s> <s> they use friction caused by van der waals forces to stick to surfaces . </s> |
uefa 's first new ` nations league ' - the competition which is being brought in to replace a number of friendly dates - will be played between september and november 2018 . each country will play six matches in the new tournament , which will see uefa 's 52 countries split into four divisions , each with four groups of three or four teams . the winners of the four groups in division a - which will be made up the strongest teams - will play semi-finals and final in june 2019 to become the uefa nations league champions . video scroll down for uefa approve new nations league tournament to replace friendlies . uefa president michel platini addresses an audience at a uefa conference in october . the tournament will replace friendly fixtures like england 's game against norway in september . the four semi-finalists will also qualify automatically for the finals of euro 2020 , which is being played in 13 countries across europe with the final at london 's wembley stadium . uefa said in a statement : ` the key driver of the uefa nations league is sporting integrity , as member associations , coaches , players and supporters increasingly feel that friendly internationals are not providing adequate sporting competition . ` in addition , the competition will help uefa realise its stated goal of improving the quality and standing of national team football while maintaining the balance between club and international football . ` the competition will establish the uefa nations league champions every odd year while also allowing all nations to play competitively at their level . ' | <s> the uefa nations league will be contested by international teams . </s> <s> the tournament will replace a series of friendly fixtures between september and november . </s> <s> uefa 's 52 countries will be split into four divisions with four groups in each division . </s> <s> the winners of the four groups in division a will qualify for euro 2020 . </s> |
ladies and gents , put down your technology and have more sex . that 's the advice from a team of scientists who found people are becoming so enveloped by their phone and tablets that their love lives are being put on the back burner . so if you are one of those reading this on your smartphone in bed , a glance across the sheets is likely to reveal your partner is engrossed in theirs too . the researchers discovered 70 per cent of women said smartphones were interfering in their romantic relationship . the study said technology and the screens that consume us are creating ` technoference ' in couples . a new study has found 70 per cent of women believe smartphones are interfering with their love lives , creating ` technoference ' between couples -lrb- file picture -rrb- . that ranges from picking up the phone while partners are casually hanging out to checking facebook while in the middle of an argument . ` you see it everywhere ' , said sarah coyne , psychologist at brigham young university and an author of the study . ` like at a restaurant where couples have their phones , both of them , on the table , right there . i think that is so easy for them to pick it up if it buzzes . ' the study surveyed 143 married or cohabiting heterosexual women and asked them about their phone , tv , computer and tablet habits . it also asked about how their partner used technology , if there was any conflict about using technology , and about their satisfaction with their relationship and life overall . the participants said computers were the most interfering technology in their relationship , followed by mobiles . they also reported that of five scenarios presented to them , the most common interference was seeing a partner pick up his phone during ` couple leisure time ' , with 62 per cent of women reporting this happened at least once a day . experts have advised banishing smartphones and tablets from the bedroom to spice up your love life . relationships expert alison bruzek , writing on the npr website , said 40 per cent of women said their men would get distracted by the tv during a conversation at least once a day , while a third said he would take out his phone in the middle of a conversation or during a meal together . a quarter said their partner would actually send texts or emails to another person while they were having a face-to-face conversation . but worse than the intrusions was the way they made the women feel ; they found , as you might expect , that conflict over technology was associated with poorer relationships , which in turn were associated with lower life satisfaction . michelle drouin , developmental psychologist at indiana university and purdue university , fort wayne , said : ` with mobile phone technology emerging on the scene as quickly as it did , we all jumped into computer-mediated interactions without really thinking much about the implications . ' however , this study involved a small group of women , and the researchers acknowledge that these correlations could be due to other factors affecting a person 's well-being . but for those feeling similarly aggravated by smartphone interrupts , the authors say the answer is n't to completely remove technology from the relationship . ` it 's not silly for couples to make rules about technology , ' said dr coyne . ` just having the discussion about what 's ok and what 's not when it comes to devices at the dinner table or in the bedroom can help . ' her own method : ` put -lsb- the phone -rsb- out of my reach , like on top of the refrigerator , just so that it releases the temptation . ' the study was published in the journal psychology of popular media culture . | <s> scientists found 70 % of women said smartphones were interfering in their love lives , creating a ` technoference ' in couples . </s> <s> ranges from picking up the phone while couple are hanging out to checking facebook while in the midst of an argument . </s> <s> participants said computers were the most interfering of all technology . </s> <s> experts advise banishing smartphones and tablets from the bedroom . </s> |
those with a fear of flying may want to look away now . lukla airport boasts the dubious honour of being known as the world 's most dangerous airport and one look at its unique airstrip will explain why . with a fall of 9,200 ft awaiting passengers at the end of the runaway , flying to or from this asian destination is not for the faint of heart . braced for impact : a plane pictured coming into land at nepal 's lukla airport - the most dangerous landing strip in the world . pressure : tenzing-hillary airport in lukla , khumbu , eastern nepal , does n't have a control tower , radar or navigation devices - meaning pilots have to rely on what they can see from their cockpit to land and takeoff . tenzing-hillary airport , also known as lukla airport , is a single landing strip in the town of lukla , in khumbu , eastern nepal , and has been named by the history channel and many seasoned travellers as being the most dangerous airport in the world . these photographs , captured by photographer wojciech zwierzynski , 34 , capture the petrifying landing . ` it was a very scary experience flying in the airship , mainly because two days before my flight , the plane from the same company had crashed and 14 people died , ' said wojciech . ` this airport in lukla does not have any radar or navigation devices ; so the pilot can only depend on what they can see from the plane 's cockpit . do n't look down : the tiny runway ends at a cliff edge with a 9,200 ft drop to the ground below . daunting : this image shows the view from the cockpit of a plane coming in to land at lukla airport . ` because the airport is on the mountain ridge , when you start descending you have to land . there is no option to stop descending and have a second try . ' with a sloped runway just 20 meters wide and 460 meters long , less than a tenth of the length of the standard 5,500 metres at international airports , this is one of the steepest approach pathways in the world . since the 1970 's , lukla airport has had an astonishing amount of accidents , with the number now reaching into the double figures . the most severe accident to date being the 8th october 2008 flight , where the aircraft crashed on final approach and caught fire , killing eighteen passengers and crew . challenging : the 460 metre long runway - less than a tenth of the length of those at international airports - is also situated on a steep incline . brave travellers : a group of passengers on a plane coming into land at the most dangerous airport in the world . all aboard : a group of tourists wait to board a plane departing from lukla airport . the airport is the main route for those trying to reach the everest region . and for those looking to scale mount everest , lukla airport is the nerve rattling start of many expeditions . wojciech says : ` there are two ways to reach the everest region - fly 45min from lukla airport or hike for approximately five days . needless to say most of people chose the first option . ` tourists are the `` golden vain '' for local community . they spend money in lodges , hotels and restaurants . ` without the airstrip the number of tourists visiting the area will be significantly lower . ' a plane begins to lift off the ground just a few metres before the end of the runway and the 9,200 ft drop . easy option : many travellers use lukla airport to reach the everest region as the alternative involves a five day hike . fast link : it takes just 45 minutes to reach the everest region flying from lukla airport . | <s> tenzing-hillary airport does n't have a control tower , radar or navigation . </s> <s> pilots are forced to rely on the view from their cockpit to land and takeoff . </s> <s> the 460 metre long runway - a tenth of standard length - is also on a slope . </s> <s> if a pilot misjudges landing or takeoff , they face a 9,200 ft fall off a cliff edge . </s> |
for the first time , evidence of frankincense being used in the elaborate burials of roman britain 's elite has been discovered . archaeologists have been able to prove that the religious resin was used by wealthy romans , who settled in areas of the country , including london and york , more than 1,700 years ago . the sweet smelling substance , which was more valuable than gold for millennia , was found on skeletal remains and plaster body casings dating back to the 3rd and 4th centuries . frankincense -lrb- pictured -rrb- , one of the gifts carried by the three kings in the christmas story , was used in elaborate burials in roman britain more than 1,700 years ago , according to new research . the discovery shows that even while the roman empire was in decline , the precious resin was being transported to its furthest northern outpost for use in funerals of high ranking individuals . until now , evidence for the use of resins in ancient funerary rites has rarely come to light outside of egypt . the discovery was made by carrying out molecular analysis of materials previously thought to be of little interest -- debris inside burial containers and residues on bones - which looked like mere dust . chemical analysis carried out on 49 burials in dorset , wiltshire , london and york revealed traces of the southern arabian sap from the boswellia sacra tree , on four of them . another 10 contained evidence of other resins from the mediterranean and northern europe . it 's the first time archaeologists have been able to prove that frankincense was used by romans who settled in britain . traces of the resin were found inside the coffin of a wealthy roman woman who was buried in the fourth century ad in london , or londonium as it was known . her silt-filled coffin is shown left and bust , right . frankincense comes from the resinous sap from a unique family of boswelia trees . only one , boswelia sacra , produces the highest grade of frankincense , also known as ` true ' or ` commercial ' incense . careful incisions are made in the tree at key times of year , and the sap slowly pours out . once the sap dries and hardens it is ready to be used . to release its scent the frankincense is either burned or smouldered over hot coals . classical texts claim that the aromatic , antimicrobial substances were used as a practical measure to mask the smell of decay , or slow decomposition during the often lengthy funeral rites of the roman elite . but it was frankincense 's ritual importance that justified its transportation from one end of the empire to the other . seen both as gifts from the gods and to the gods , resins were thought to purify the dead and help them negotiate the final rite of passage to the afterlife . rhea brettell , a student at the university of bradford , explained : ` archaeologists have relied on finding visible resin fragments to substantiate the descriptions of burial rites in classical texts , but these rarely survive . ` our alternative approach of analysing grave deposits to find the molecular signatures of the resins - which fortunately are very distinctive - has enabled us to carry out the first systematic study across a whole province . ' the resins were only recovered from burials of higher status individuals , identified from the type of container used , the clothing they were wearing , and items buried with them . professor carl heron from the university said : ` it is remarkable the first evidence for the use of frankincense in britain should come from such seemingly unpromising samples , yet our analysis demonstrates that traces of these exotic resins can survive for over 1,700 years in what others would reject as dirt . ' classical texts mention these aromatic , antimicrobial substances as being used as a practical measure to mask the smell of decay or slow decomposition during the often lengthy funeral rites of the roman elite . the resin was also presented to the baby jesus by the magi -lrb- illustrated -rrb- . one of the frankincense-impregnated coffins contained the remains of a noble woman , who was laid to rest with expensive jewellery . the rich young lady was buried in a sarcophagus in the fourth century and her remains were discovered near spitalfields market in the city of london in 1999 . dr rebecca redfern , of the museum of london , which is home to the remains , said : ` this eye-opening study has provided us with new and amazing insights into the funerary rituals of late roman britain . the research , published in the journal of archaeological science , mentions resins from three different plant families , including pistacia from the mediterranean or the levant , pinaceae from northern europe and boswellia -lrb- frankincense -rrb- from southern arabia and eastern africa . the romans , greeks , egyptians and israelites all used frankincense as part of their religious ceremonies . it was extensively used in burial rituals as an embalming material , an offering to the departed , and a means to cover the odour of the dead body . the roman emperor , nero , burned an entire year 's harvest at the funeral of his favourite mistress and the resin of course featured in the christmas story , which is where many westerners recognise it from . frankincense comes from the resinous sap from the boswelia sacra tree -lrb- pictured -rrb- and the sap is extracted by making careful incisions in the tree 's bark . | <s> experts at the university of bradford analysed roman coffins and bones . </s> <s> they found traces of frankincense on four of the 4th century caskets . </s> <s> it 's the first time archaeologists have been able to prove that the religious resin was used by wealthy romans who lived and died in the uk . </s> <s> study shows resin was transported during declining of the roman empire . </s> <s> ritual importance and practical burial properties justified the long journey . </s> |
zlatan ibrahimovic will be forced to nurse his recent heel injury for the rest of the ligue 1 season , claims paris saint-germain club doctor eric rolland . the swedish striker has been sidelined for the majority of the 2014-15 campaign with the complaint and has made just 11 appearances for the french club so far . ibrahimovic looks set to miss psg 's forthcoming match against nantes on saturday in order to be fit enough to face barcelona in the champions league next week . psg club doctor eric rolland believes zlatan ibrahimovic will be struggling with a heel injury all season . club doctor rolland told rmc sport : ` he still has pain in his heel . it 's pain that can change in intensity . ' ` recently it has n't got worse but it will be present until the end of the season . zlatan will not play every game . ` he just wanted to look after himself ahead of the trip to barcelona . ' the swedish star has missed large chunks of psg 's season with the heel complaint . ibrahimovic will hope to be fit for his side 's champions league match against barcelona next week . | <s> zlatan ibrahimovic has been struggling with heel injury all season . </s> <s> psg club doctor reveals the problem will not be solved quickly . </s> <s> striker hoping to be fit for champions league clash against barcelona . </s> |
behind the scenes the discreet marina granovskaia has long been one of the most powerful women in football . but now the russian is set to become even more influential as she is tipped to take over as chelsea 's chief executive at the age of just 39 , following the surprise resignation of previous ceo ron gourlay . her glamorous good looks will inevitably draw comparisons with the outspoken , perfectly groomed ` first lady of football ' and apprentice star karren brady . but anyone ready to dismiss ms granovskaia as merely a pretty face should be aware of a core of steel behind the megawatt smile . marina granovskaia has long been one of the most powerful women in football . now that chelsea 's chief executive ron gourlay is leaving the club , she is hotly tipped to be named incoming ceo . the canadian and russian national has been hotly tipped to be named incoming chelsea ceo in a move which will come as little surprise to those who have been following her breathtaking ascent from humble pa to the ` voice of roman abramovich ' . she has been the most trusted member of the oligarch 's inner circle for 17 years and is already often described as ` chief executive in everything but title ' , his 'em inence grise ' . born in russia , at school there was little indication of her future as a powerhouse in the footballing world with one former teacher describing her as a ` grey mouse ' . ' i remember teaching her , but do n't recall anything outstanding about marina , ' said the teacher . ` it 's interesting how she has made such a successful career in sport in london . ' she studied at a moscow school which specialised in music and dance , in which there were compulsory lessons , but at the time offered pupils no sport . she graduated six months after the collapse of the soviet union , and studied in the foreign languages faculty of moscow state university before leaving with honours in 1997 , and starting her career at sibneft , the oil company which was then owned by abramovich , . since she moved from the russian capital to london when he bought chelsea football club in 2003 , the billionaire is said to have grown to trust her implicitly . indeed , her position at his right hand is so secure that she often takes his place at meetings , delivers his messages and is said to have the speediest access to him . she is known to be charming and polite , but ruthlessly firm by those who have met her . just ask chelsea captain john terry - who was told in no uncertain terms to ` take it or f ****** leave it ' when trying to renegotiate his contract with 39-year-old granovskaia . granovskaia pictured with chairman bruce buck and ron gourlay as they watch jose mourinho field media questions on his return to manage chelsea . she was said to be integral to the decision . her biggest coup so far has been engineering the return to the club of jose mourinho , the portuguese manager who was dubbed ` the special one ' during his first spell as chelsea manager between 2004 and 2007 . despite his success , he was sacked after falling out with abramovich - but ms granovskaia apparently kept in constant touch with him , and last year was crucial in sealing the deal to bring him back from real madrid . the manoeuvre was typical of her understated style , being just one of a string of delicate negotiations which she has carried out behind the scenes . a source at the club told the evening standard : ` she is basically the power at chelsea . roman trusts her implicitly . she 's not interested in being a celebrity but there is no doubt who 's in charge and who call the shots . ` it is symbolic of her role that she was crucial in getting jose -lrb- mourinho -rrb- back . he had fallen out with roman in very acrimonious and public circumstances and received a massive pay-off . ` it would have been very egg on face for roman to bring him back even though the fans and players were calling for it . she was the one who said ` let 's bring him back ' and was the driving force behind the move . and it 's paid off big time . while she was key to mourinho 's return it is ms granovskaia who is often said to be abramovich 's true ` special one ' , engineering big-money transfers such as diego costa 's # 32million move from atletico madrid and driving meetings at the bridge or at the club 's training ground in surrey . she seems happy to pose with players in the rare pictures which can be found of her online . it is perhaps the fact that little is known of ms granovskaia that so endears her to the private abramovich . sports websites in her native russia call her ` an absolutely non-public person ' , adding ` in that sense , she 's similar to abramovich . ' chelsea player didier drogba with granovskaia during the fa cup final after party at frankies restaurant in knightsbridge in 2010 . she seems happy to pose with players in the rare pictures found of her online . while outspoken west ham united vice-chairman karren brady proudly touts herself as sporting executive , television broadcaster , newspaper columnist , author and novelist , search for granovskaia on social media , and all you will find is a fiercely locked down facebook account , set up in 2007 . it tells us that she studied at a moscow school called 1113 , a well regarded establishment dedicated to the arts . she also lists her association with millhouse capital , a british holding company set up in 2001 to manage abramovich 's assets . the page also shows that she is a fan of annual organic & natural beauty show and the restaurant sumosan - which caters for the vip boxes at chelsea . janina wolkow and head chef bubker belkhit , told the daily telegraph last year : ` she 's an amazing person . she 's so professional , she knows what she wants . granovskaia has been the most trusted member of the oligarch 's inner circle for 17 years and is already often described as ` chief executive in everything but title ' , his 'em inence grise ' on the ground . her biggest coup so far has been engineering the return to the club of jose mourinho , the portuguese manager who was dubbed ` the special one ' during his first spell as chelsea manager between 2004 and 2007 . ` she 's on top of any small thing to the biggest thing . any small problem i contact her with , she deals with it on top of everything else she has on her shoulders . ' she is fluent in english and speaks several other european languages , and is said to be one of the primary architects behind chelsea 's youth scheme - by taking young talent and sending them on loan to develop . and while mr gourlay turned his attention towards the commercial end of the business , ms granovskaia became the pivotal figure in transfer and contract negotiations - a far more familiar face around stamford bridge . agents heading to the bridge or the club 's training ground in surrey were often met by < s granovskaia , driving the meetings , increasingly active and influential at the heart of the club with a good relationship with technical director michael emenalo . karren brady . before becoming vice-chairman of west ham united , the london-born businesswoman worked as an advertising account executive for the london broadcasting company , where she met current hammers joint-chairman david sullivan . karren brady has played a key role at birmingham city and west ham . sullivan later employed brady as managing director at birmingham city after he bought the club , and the pair were arrested then released on bail as part of the investigation into allegations of corruption in english football in 2006 . sullivan and david gold subsequently sold the club before purchasing west ham and making brady vice-chairman in 2010 . brady was responsible for negotiating west ham 's move to the olympic stadium , and has also held executive positions at channel four , kerrang ! magazine and sport england . heather rabbatts . rabbatts became the first woman to be appointed as an fa director in 2011 , and notably criticised the fa 's commission to improve the national team as being ` all white , all male ' . after posts at the bbc , channel four and the charity malaria no more uk , rabbatt 's first football role came in the form of the executive deputy chair at millwall in 2006 . heather rabbatt was appointed executive deputy chair at league one side millwall in 2006 . gabby logan . gabby logan became the first female presenter of a live football match in the uk and saturday night institution match of the day . gabby logan became the first female presenter of a live football match in the uk . the daughter of former welsh international footballer terry yorath , logan was a promising gymnast in her teens but was forced to retire early due to neurological condition sciatica . after a spell on local radio in newcastle after university , she worked for sky sports and itv before moving to the bbc in 2007 . amy fearn . in 2010 , fearn became the first female to referee in the football league during coventry 's 1-0 win over nottingham forest in the championship . amy fearn became the first female to referee in the football league . fearn always wanted to play football as a child , but after growing tired at the lack of playing opportunities , turned her hand to refereeing . she became fully qualified by the age of 14 , and after plying her trade in the midland football alliance , gained promotion to the conference aged 26 , despite balancing her officiating duties with her full-time job as an accountant . elena pianigiani . pianigiani , aged 25 , is vice-president of italian fourth division side poggibonsi . pianigiani got involved with football at an early age due to her father 's involvement with serie b side siena - as a 10-year-old she became the mascot of the tuscan side . elena pianigiani was appointed vice-president of poggibonsi at the age of 21 by her father . pianigiani was appointed vice-president of poggibonsi at the age of 21 in 2010 by her father , antonello pianigiani , after he purchased 51 per cent of the club two years earlier . elena said of her father 's decision : ` it was unusual because i was only 21 . when you 're that age , it 's usual for a father to give his daughter a new bag , not a football team . ' | <s> marina granovskaia set to be one of the most powerful women in football . </s> <s> canadian and russian national tipped to be named incoming chelsea ceo . </s> <s> but little is known about the discreet and private ms granovskaia , 39 . </s> <s> has worked for abramovich since leaving moscow state university in 1997 . </s> <s> she has since been at his right-hand , and is now ` his voice on ground ' </s> |
dani alves ' fashion sense has always been suspect , but the barcelona star has pleased fans of the old fashioned american rock 'n' roll with a throwback to pop legend elvis presley . the brazilian right-back posted a picture on instagram dressed with a studded leather jacket and sunglasses on thursday . it 's not the first time alves has attempted to impress his followers . barcelona star dani alves posted this picture of him dressed like elvis presley on thursday . last month alves showed potential barclays premier league suitors that he is fighting fit . the 31-year-old posted a video of himself lifting weights in the gym during the international break and left some words of wisdom for his fans . alves , wanted by liverpool and both manchester clubs , wrote ` in life there are those who think they want something ... but do not fight for what they want ' . alves tackles valencia 's rodrigo moreno during barcelona 's 1-0 win at the mestalla on sunday . alves posted a video of himself lifting weights in the gym with some words of wisdom . | <s> dani alves dresses up in studded leather jacket and sunglasses . </s> <s> barcelona star is a throwback to rock 'n' roll star elvis presley . </s> <s> alves ' barcelona currently two points behind real madrid in la liga . </s> |
liverpool have sent striker daniel sturridge to los angeles to continue his rehabilitation from the thigh injury which has sidelined him for most of the season . the 25-year-old has not played for the club since august 31 after he initially strained a thigh on international duty with england . on the eve of his comeback he pulled a calf muscle in his first full training session back with the first team and just when he appeared to have got over that he sustained another , different , thigh injury which has ruled him out until the new year . 25-year-old daniel sturridge has not played for liverpool since august and will be out until next year . the striker first injured his thigh while on international duty with england earlier this season . ankle ligaments - england v republic of ireland may 2013 , returned for pre-season . ankle ligaments - december 2013 . missed nine games . thigh - during england training , september 2014 . missed six weeks . calf - during liverpool training , october 2014 . missed three weeks . thigh - during liverpool training , november 2014 . out for six weeks . reds manager brendan rodgers said last month that the club may have to look even deeper into the root of sturridge 's problems , of which this is the ninth separate but similar injury has had in his career , with the player suggesting the issue may be hereditary as his father , a trainee at birmingham , and two uncles dean and simon - both professional footballers - also suffered the same problems . it is understood the striker has travelled to america to undergo warm-weather training and rehabilitation to help with his recovery for a fortnight . he has not gone to the united states to have any medical treatment or procedure . sturridge scores for liverpool during their 2-1 victory over southampton on the first day of the season . ` he has gone away to get some specific work in with some of our staff and he is coming along well , ' said rodgers . sturridge 's absence has been compounded by the failure of # 16million summer signing mario balotelli to pick up the slack having yet to score a premier league goal . he too came back injured from the last international break and has not been available since because of a groin problem , forcing rodgers to pick rickie lambert who has responded with two goals in his first two matches leading the line and has put in good performances in the two games since then . with balotelli facing a possible football association charge for posting an apparently anti-semetic and racist graphic on social media - for which he has until 6pm on friday to give his explanation to the fa - the spotlight has only intensified on the troubled italy international . rodgers insists , however , that until the 24-year-old is available to play he can not waste much time thinking about him . mario balotelli is facing a possible fa charge for posting an allegedly anti-semitic graphic on instagram . ` he is a very much a liverpool player but he is injured at the moment and there is not much more to add from me , ' he said . ` he is not fit to play , my concentration at this moment is on players who are fit and available to play and that is my only thinking at the moment . ` he is working with the medical team on a daily basis and i trust the team of people here to look after injuries . ` at this moment in time the team is doing well and whenever he is back fit then we will see where he is at . ` hopefully he will be available sooner rather than later . ' balotelli , laughing in the stands , has struggled to fill the void left by sturridge 's injury . while the debate continues over steven gerrard 's future in light of the club 's contract offer , which he has not yet accepted , rodgers has to concern himself with the more immediate issue associated with the midfielder . having previously admitted the 34-year-old can not play three matches in a week , effectively the reds boss has to decide whether to retain his captain in the starting line-up to face sunderland on saturday or hold him back for tuesday 's must-win champions league tie at home to basle , which is followed by a trip to manchester united the following sunday . ` the only focus is our next game but of course you are having to plan forward and look at one or two teams down the line , ' said rodgers , who this week had to quash reports there had been a disagreement between him and gerrard . ` if you rest someone they are rotated , if they are rotated they are dropped , if he is dropped he is left out so you ca n't win as a manager . ` i 'll always pick a team which i think can win the game . ' | <s> daniel sturridge has not played for liverpool since the end of august . </s> <s> the striker initially injured his thigh on international duty . </s> <s> before injuring his other thigh , ruling him out for the rest of the year . </s> <s> it is understood sturridge will undergo warm weather training and rehabilitation in los angeles . </s> |
stuart lancaster believes england 's latest injury setback will not damage his side 's prospects of toppling the southern hemisphere superpowers this autumn . second row joe launchbury has been ruled out of all four qbe internationals at twickenham , including saturday 's opener against new zealand , because of a neck problem . it is the latest blow to have struck england with geoff parling , alex corbisiero , mako vunipola , tom youngs , dan cole , ed slater , tom croft and manu tuilagi also ruled out of the entire series . stuart lancaster is confident england will overcome the loss of joe launchbury for the autumn series . the england team warm up during a training session at pennyhill ahead of their match against new zealand . saracens star owen farrell practices his kicking during an england training session on monday . dave attwood of bath is set to start in launchbury 's place - lancaster , who put his players through their paces at pennyhill park on monday , described his form for bath this season as ` exceptional ' - as england attempt to end a four-match losing sequence against the all blacks . ` we 're in a better position now than we were in the last test against new zealand in november , ' lancaster said . ` the players who are here have trained very well . they had a great week last week . ` they 'll have another good week of learning this week . we 're very confident with the players we have . ` there are a lot of players who are playing well and who will be ready on saturday . ' launchbury 's work rate and athleticism have seen him start england 's last 20 tests and his loss is a savage blow to hopes of defeating new zealand , south africa , samoa and australia this autumn . the 23-year-old requires six to eight weeks of rest and rehabilitation to heal an irritated nerve that has troubled him for over a year . bath lock dave attwood issues instructions to his england team-mate ahead of his side 's opener on saturday . attwood leads the line in the warm up sprints during the england training session held at pennyhill park . wasps lock launchbury requires six to eight weeks of rest and rehabilitation to heal an irritated nerve . bath lock dave attwood looks set to deputise for the injured launchbury against the all blacks . november 8th : england v new zealand . november 15th : england v south africa . november : 22nd : england v samoa . november 29th : england v australia . ` we 're desperately disappointed to lose joe for the series . he felt underpowered and weak so we did n't want him to take the risk , ' lancaster said . ` we want to give him the best chance to get himself right for wasps and the six nations . once he 'd seen the specialist it was an easy decision . ` he originally did it in argentina in 2012 , but then it settled down with rest . ` over the course of the last year it has come back and then settled down again . props joe marler -lrb- left -rrb- and david wilson have been passed fit to face at the all blacks at twickenham . ` it 's got to the point now where he feels it 's inhibiting his performances , so the decision is the right decision . ` everyone is confident that with the right treatment and rest , he 'll back in six to eight weeks . ' lancaster revealed that injury concerns over props david wilson and joe marler and centre kyle eastmond have eased and the trio are available for selection . video lancaster : england will be ready for rugby world cup . | <s> wasps second row joe launchbury has been ruled out of all four qbe internationals at twickenham with a neck problem . </s> <s> england coach stuart lancaster backs ` exceptional ' bath lock dave attwood to fill launchbury 's boots . </s> <s> england have already lost geoff parling , alex corbisiero , mako vunipola , tom youngs , dan cole , ed slater , tom croft and manu tuilagi for the gruelling four-test series . </s> <s> david wilson , joe marler and centre kyle eastmond have all been passed fit for selection . </s> |
scotland 's mountain resorts have more snow than parts of the alps and sochi , but skiers are being advised not to take on the slopes because of the risk of avalanches . the ski club of great britain has reported depths of 285cm at glencoe mountain , 250cm at cairngorm mountain and 200cm at nevis range . this comes after they reported a depth of only 128cm at whistler in canada , the host of the 2010 winter olympics , a few days ago . avalanche risk : staff at glencoe mountain resort worked in sub-zero temperatures to clear the 14ft snow drifts . depth : the huge amounts o snow virtually engulfed lifts on the slopes . mountain rescue have said there is an extremely high risk of avalanches . massive snow drifts in the scottish mountains have also caused more avalanches already than the the entirety of last winter . the sportscotland avalanche information service said the risk in lochaber was ` high ' while the other four mountain areas the threat was ` considerable . ' a spokesman from lochaber sais said : ` further deposits of fresh unstable windslab will continue to build on the existing deep accumulations lying in sheltered areas , mainly on north through east to south-east aspects above 850 metres where avalanches will occur . ` unstable windslab will also be present on other aspects . cornices will be unstable and prone to collapse . the avalanche hazard will be high . ' the huge snowfalls have led to safety warnings being imposed by mountain rescue . covered : the slopes in scotland had more snow than some european and north american ski resorts , and boasted bigger depths than the runs in sochi . taking advantage : some skiers and snowboarders ignored the avalanche warnings at glenshee ski centre . scots keen to take advantage of the conditions queue up for the lifts in glenshee . there have been 159 avalanches in the scottish mountains so far this winter - 80 in the last month alone - and 30 more than last season , with many more weeks of the season left . the number of fatalities caused by avalanches during the 2012-13 season was the highest in years.in all , eight people were killed in avalanches on scottish mountains last winter . nineteen of the 129 avalanches recorded last winter were triggered by human activity . heavy snowfalls , freezing temperatures and powerful winds have also created spectacular , and some potentially dangerous , conditions on scottish hills and mountains . cornices , edges of snow overhanging high crags , are a common feature - and risk - of most winters . however , this season 's frequent strong winds coupled with big dumps of snow have seen some larger than usual cornices in ranges such as the northern cairngorms . a path dug by one of the workers shows how the ski lift system was buried under the blanket of snow . | <s> the ski club of great britain said there 's depths of 285cm at glencoe . </s> <s> a few days ago , there was only 128cm at whistler in canada . </s> <s> scottish avalanche information . </s> <s> service said the risk in lochaber was ` high ' </s> <s> there have already been 159 avalanches in scotland this winter . </s> |
five deputies with the montgomery county sheriff 's office in ohio are under investigation for allegedly sending racist text messages . two officers , capt. thomas flanders and detective michael sollenberger , have been placed on paid administrative leave while the other three -- who are as yet unnamed -- remain on the job while the investigation continues . the accusations came to light after an anonymous source passed on hundreds of pages of the messages to the dayton unit of the naacp . scroll down for video . capt. thomas flanders , left , and detective michael sollenberger , right , have been placed on paid administrative leave from the montgomery county sheriff 's office in ohio during the investigation . the texts , which contain a barrage of racist slurs and insensitive jokes aimed at african-americans , were exchanged between november 2011 and january 2013 on personal cell phones . after conducted a three-month-long investigation to ensure their authenticity , derrick forward - the civil rights organization 's local president - turned the messages over to sheriff phil plumber last week . the texts were exchanged between november 2011 and january 2013 on personal cell phones between the employees during working hours . they contain a barrage of racist slurs and insensitive jokes aimed at african-americans . one text said , ' i hate n ****** . that is all . ' one deputy ` joked ' to another : ` what do apples and black people have in common ? they both hang from trees . ' another read : ` we stopped at a walmart in birmingham , there are a lot of black people in alabama . it 's all martin luther kings fault . ' derrick forward , the president of the dayton unit of the naacp , was handed records of the texts by an anonymous source and he forwarded them to sheriff phil plumber last week . ` these text messages , while some of them may be some joking going on back and forth , some of them are flat out rude and racist , ' foward told wbtn . he wants the deputies to be sacked immediately if the sheriff 's investigation finds that they sent the messages . sheriff plumber said the deputies had ` tarnished the office ' by sending the text messages . ` these five individuals have taken this organization three steps backward and will be held accountable , ' he said . ' i will not tolerate racism in this department . ' plummer said his investigation is in its early stages , but it was important to public safety that both flanders and sollenberger be put on leave . two african-american deputies were mentioned in the texts , he said . the deputies were in shock they were caught , ` but did not apologize , ' plummer said . the two suspended officers have both been recently promoted . flanders was a sergeant at the time of the text messages and sollenberger was a detective under flanders ' supervision . flanders had most recently been working as a jail administrator and sollenberger in internal affairs . captain tom flanders , who has been with the office for 19 years , told 2 news that the allegations are completely false . he denied being racist and said he looked forward to clearing his name . the naacp is requesting that an outside agency perform an investigation also . the naacp has called for an outside agency to perform an investigation and for the deputies to be sacked immediately if they are found responsible . | <s> five deputies with the montgomery county sheriff 's office in ohio are under investigation for allegedly sending racist text messages . </s> <s> two officers , capt. thomas flanders and detective michael sollenberger , have been placed on paid administrative leave . </s> <s> anonymous source passed on hundreds of pages of the messages to the dayton unit of the naacp . </s> <s> exchanged between november 2011 and january 2013 , the texts contain a barrage of racist slurs and insensitive jokes aimed at african-americans . </s> |
chinese hackers have accessed designs for more than two dozen u.s. weapons systems and stolen the blueprints for australia 's new spy headquarters which has n't even been opened yet . these latest strikes come after months of numerous computer security breaches involving chinese hackers as the ongoing cyber war between china and the west intensifies . hackers have now ` compromised ' u.s. designs for combat aircraft and ships , as well as missile defenses vital for europe , asia and the gulf , it has emerged . scroll down for video . security risk : chinese hackers have ` compromised ' u.s. designs for its weapon systems and stolen the floorplans of australia security intelligence organisation 's new hq . the washington post learned of the breach from a pentagon report prepared for the defense department by the defense science board . among the weapons listed in the report were the advanced patriot missile system , the navy 's aegis ballistic missile defense systems , the f/a -18 fighter jet , the v-22 osprey , the black hawk helicopter and the f-35 joint strike fighter . the report did not specify the extent or time of the cyber-thefts or indicate if they involved computer networks of the u.s. government , contractors or subcontractors . but the espionage would give china knowledge that could be exploited in a conflict , such as knocking out communications and corrupting data , the post said . it also could speed beijing 's development of chinese defense technology . chinese hackers stole plans for confidential united states weapons systems including the f-35 joint strike fighter pictured here . in a report to congress earlier this month , the pentagon said china was using espionage to modernize its military and that its hacking was a serious concern . it said the u.s. government had been the target of hacking that appeared to be ` attributable directly to the chinese government and military ' . china has dismissed as groundless . both the pentagon report and a february report by the u.s. computer . security company mandiant , which said a secretive chinese military unit . was probably behind a series of hacking attacks targeting the united . states that had stolen data from 100 companies . meanwhile , news reports in australia . claim hackers linked to china stole the floorplans of the $ 630 million . headquarters for the australia security intelligence organisation , the . country 's domestic spy agency . ` compromised ' : a v-22 osprey pictured here is among the aircrafts for which plans were stolen . the attack through the computers of a construction contractor exposed not only building layouts , but also the location of communication and computer networks . australia security analyst des ball told the abc in the report that such information made the yet to be completed spy headquarters vulnerable to future cyber attacks . ` you can start constructing your own wiring diagrams , where the linkages are through telephone connections , through wi-fi connections , which rooms are likely to be the ones that are used for sensitive conversations , how to surreptitiously put devices into the walls of those rooms , ' said ball . the building is designed to be part of a global electronic intelligence gathering network which includes the united states and the uk , but its construction has been plagued by delays and cost blowouts , with some builders blaming late design changes on cyber attacks . the abc report said the chinese . hacking was part of a growing wave of cyber attacks against business and . military targets in the close u.s. ally . it . said the hackers also stole confidential information from the . department of foreign affairs and trade , which houses the overseas spy . agency the australian secret intelligence service and had targeted local . companies , including steel-manufacturer bluescope steel , and military . and civilian communications manufacturer codan ltd. . chinese hackers allegedly associated with the country 's government stole united states missile plans for weapons such as patriot missile batteries -lrb- pictured here -rrb- . the influential greens party said the hacking was a ` security blunder of epic proportions ' and called for an inquiry , but the government refused to confirm the breach . prime minister julia gillard said the reports were ` inaccurate ' , but declined to say how . australian officials , like those in the united states and other western nations , have made cyber attacks a security priority following a growing number of attacks of the resource rich country , mostly blamed on china . despite being one of beijing 's major trade partners , the country is seen by china as the southern fulcrum of the u.s. military pivot to the asia-pacific and in 2011 agreed to host thousands of u.s. marines in near-permanent rotation . australia is a major buyer for u.s. weapons systems and is one of the largest overseas customers for the . lockheed martin manufactured f-35 , as well as for boeing 's f/a -18 super . hornet and associated weapons systems . chinese . telecommunications giant huawei was last year barred from bidding for . construction contracts on a new australian high-speed broadband network . amid fears of cyber espionage . hacked : the new york times office in manhattan . the newspaper has reported that its computer system was breached by chinese hackers . the reserve bank of australia said in march that it had been targeted by cyber attacks , but no data had been lost or systems compromised amid reports the hackers had tried to access intelligence on group of 20 wealthy nations negotiations . china has dismissed the allegations by australian media that chinese hackers have stolen the blueprints for the new australian spy headquarters . foreign ministry spokesman hong lei said : ` china pays high attention to cybersecurity issues , and is firmly apposed to all forms of hacker attacks . groundless accusations will not help solve this issue . ' the risk of cyber hacking came to the forefront of the news agenda after chinese hackers were accused of being responsible for hacking the washington post and the new york times earlier this year . and . just last month , hacking attacks on the servers of south korean . broadcasters and banks originated from an ip address based in china . but . china says it is impossible to tell the true origin of cyber-attacks , . and accuses hostile forces of blaming it out of prejudice or a desire to . put beijing on the defensive . under attack : the washington post spent most of 2012 trying to deal with chinese hackers who infiltrated their computer network . | <s> hackers have ` compromised ' u.s. </s> <s> designs for combat aircraft and ships . </s> <s> they also accessed missile defenses vital . </s> <s> for europe , asia and the gulf . </s> <s> floorplans of australia security intelligence organisation 's new $ 630m headquarters have also been stolen - before it has even been opened . </s> <s> china has dismissed claims it is connected to the latest cyber attacks . </s> |
england will seek to generate try-scoring potency against the all blacks on saturday by unleashing another scratch combination out wide -- jonny may and semesa rokoduguni . gloucester wing may will return to the starting xv despite appearing to fall from favour on the summer tour of new zealand and being unable to score in seven test appearances to date . his recall on the left flank comes as marland yarde of harlequins continues to recover from a minor injury which prevented him from training last week . stuart lancaster , england 's head coach , has had to deal with a series of injuries in the build-up to the qbe series at twickenham , with the loss of wasps lock joe launchbury being the latest grim development . semesa rokoduguni and jonny may are expected to start on the wings against new zealand . stuart lancaster chose to omit chris ashton from his side in order to give rokoduguni a chance to impress . but he and his assistants chose to omit chris ashton from the national squad and in his absence , rokoduguni will start on the right as the in-form winger in the aviva premiership this season . when the line-up is officially confirmed on thursday the fijian-born flier will be at no 14 to continue his astonishing career progression . the 27-year-old joined bath only two years ago and is still a serving soldier in the british army having seen action in afghanistan 's helmand province as a tank driver with the famous ` desert rats ' armoured brigade . rokoduguni will become the first serving soldier to win an international cap for england since tim rodber 15 years ago . his test debut will complete an epic journey from his fijian village , naselai , where he could n't break into the rugby team because his uncle was a better winger . having already lost manu tuilagi to a recurring groin injury , the coaches were forced to rule northampton centre luther burrell out of the autumn opener against the world champions because of a hand problem . it will mean that england do not have established try-scoring clout behind the scrum . among the backs who will start against new zealand , scrum-half danny care has the highest tally , with seven . mike brown has touched down five times , owen farrell twice and centres kyle eastmond and brad barritt once . in contrast , the all blacks come to twickenham armed with the most predatory finisher in the world . julian savea has 29 tries from 30 test appearances . ashton had a decent record of 19 tries in 39 matches , but he has fallen out of favour due to perceived flaws in his game . explaining the thinking in terms of wing selection , lancaster said : ` a lot of the players now -- a jack nowell , anthony watson or jonny may -- are comfortable on either wing . the decision will be based on who we think are the best guys to deliver that balance in the back line -- the ability to punch and get through the line , have the physicality and also have the back-field and defensive understanding that we 'll need . ' the england team warm up during a training session at pennyhill ahead of their match against new zealand . saracens star owen farrell practices his kicking during an england training session on monday . referring to dealing with new zealand 's kicking game , he added : ` that reading of body language is key . that 's one thing jonny and jack did well in the six nations , particularly against ireland -- jonny sexton has a very accurate and intelligent kicking game . it 's about being up in the line and also reading the body language to have the back-field covered . ' after having to contend with a stream of bad news relating to players ' fitness , lancaster had some brighter bulletins to savour on monday . his leading available props , joe marler and david wilson , were able to return to full training and billy vunipola has recovered from concussion sufficiently to reclaim his starting place at no 8 . farrell appeared to be labouring on his most recent appearance for saracens , after a month out with a quad injury , but lancaster said : ` there 's no residue of injury whatsoever . in terms of the way he 's making his decisions and leading the group , he 's exactly where he left off with us in the second test -lrb- in june -rrb- . ' eastmond was another who was struggling last week , as he recovered from a rib injury . but he has been backed to line up at inside centre and make light of his first-half horror in hamilton during england 's last test , five months ago . ` kyle has come back to bath , he 's been defensively excellent , a great attacking threat and he looks confident , ' said lancaster . england 's front-five options have been slashed by early - season injuries but lancaster has no qualms about promoting dave attwood to partner courtney lawes in the second row in place of launchbury . ` they are quite similar players , ' he said . ` dave is probably a stronger right-hand lock . he is a very good scrummaging second row . ` he has changed his game this season -- he 's lost a bit of weight and played exceptionally well for bath . it was dave 's decision . he felt he could maintain his power but become more mobile around the field . but he 's still a big fella and he will bring a physicality to our game because of his power . ' | <s> gloucester wing jonny may will return to the starting xv . </s> <s> semesa rokoduguni is expected to start on the right against the all blacks . </s> <s> rokoduguni will become the first serving soldier to win an international cap for england since tim rodber 15 years ago . </s> |
the fukushima site , the scene of the worst nuclear disaster since chernobyl , has become a tourist attraction . local government tour guides are now escorting buses of people through the area , explaining what has become of the disaster zone . back in 2011 , three of the fukushima nuclear plant 's six reactors blew up following a tsunami , releasing radioactive gases that meant the whole area had to be evacuated . fukushima prefecture has been abandoned since the nuclear blow-up back in 2011 . locals hope opening the area up as a tourist attraction can stimulate a mass rebuild . however , with contamination levels said to be ` low ' , people are being permitted on whistle-stop tours to view the desolate and abandoned place . although there were no fatalities from radiation exposure , 300,000 residents were moved from a 20-mile radius of the nuclear plant . in total there were nearly 16,000 deaths reported from the natural disaster and subsequent devastation . three of the six reactors blew up when a tsunami measuring 9 on the richter scale hit the region . clean-up expected to take decades , and cost more than # 18 billion . an investigation panel deduced the disaster had major elements of being ` man-made , ' and there was a '' culture of complacency about nuclear safety and poor crisis management . ' when asked what people say when they see the area for the first time , tour organiser yusuke kato told cnn : ` at first , they say unbelievable . ' with soil and water contaminated , nobody can live there yet , and it is unknown when the clean-up mission will be completed . former residents like kenichi bamba are optimistic that fukushima prefecture can be rebuilt , but the pain of what happened is still raw . ` actually i 've come here several times but still ... i can not say anything . just sad . just sad . ' the nuclear plant is still being taken apart , and it is estimated it will take decades to make the area safe , as well as cost billions of pounds . surveys show only a fifth of former residents want to return to living in the area . however , tour guides hope by educating tourists and sharing their experiences of what fukushima once was , people can be inspired and help rebuild the prefecture . kato added : ` we want to encourage local people for the revitilisation of fukushima . ' contamination levels are low , which means people can , for a limited time , view the destruction site . a tsunami led to a terrible chain of events that still sees fukushima uninhabitable to this day . the plant has six reactors , three of which were offline when disaster struck on march 11 , 2011 . a magnitude-9 .0 earthquake triggered a huge tsunami which swept into the plant and knocked out its backup power and cooling systems , leading to meltdowns at the three active reactors . decommissioning and dismantling all six reactors is a delicate , time-consuming process that includes removing the melted fuel from a highly radioactive environment , as well as all the extra fuel rods , which sit in cooling pools at the top of the reactor buildings . workers , who wear protective suits when dismantling the plant , must determine the exact condition of the melted fuel debris and develop remote-controlled and radiation-resistant robotics to deal with it . the process is expected to take at least 40 years . | <s> fukushima prefecture decimated by nuclear disaster back in 2011 . </s> <s> government tour guides now educate tourists about the disaster . </s> <s> locals hope one day the prefecture can be inhabitable and rebuilt . </s> |
omar al-shishani , one of hundreds of chechens who have been among the toughest jihadi fighters in syria , has emerged as the face of the islamic state of iraq and the levant , appearing frequently in its online videos . a young , red bearded chechen who has rapidly become one of the most prominent commanders of isis may have risen to become the extremist group 's overall military chief , it has been claimed . omar al-shishani , one of hundreds of chechens who have been among the toughest jihadi fighters in syria , has emerged as the face of the islamic state of iraq and the levant , appearing frequently in its online videos . his appearances in the videos are in contrast to the group 's iraqi leader , abu bakr al-baghdadi , who remains deep in hiding and has hardly ever been photographed . al-shishani has been the group 's military . commander in syria , leading it on an offensive to take over a broad . stretch of territory leading to the iraq border . but he may have risen to become the . group 's overall military chief , a post that has been vacant after the . iraqi militant who once held it - known as abu abdul-rahman al-bilawi . al-anbari - was killed in the iraqi city of mosul in early june . in a video released by the group over the weekend , al-shishani is shown standing next to the group 's spokesman among a group of fighters as they declare the elimination of the border between iraq and syria . the video was released just hours before the extremist group announced the creation of a caliphate - or islamic state - in the areas it controls . ` our aim is clear and everyone knows why we are fighting . our path is toward the caliphate , ' the 28-year-old al-shishani declares . ` we will bring back the caliphate , and if god does not make it our fate to restore the caliphate , then we ask him to grant us martyrdom . ' the video is consistent with other associated press reporting on al-shishani . the video identified al-shishani as ` the military commander ' without specifying its syria branch , suggesting he had been elevated to overall commander . the group however has not formally announced such a promotion . in a video released by the group over the weekend , al-shishani is shown standing next to the group 's spokesman among a group of fighters as they declare the elimination of the border between iraq and syria . al-shishani , whose real name is tarkhan batirashvili , is an ethnic chechen from the caucasus nation of georgia . charles lister , visiting fellow with the brookings doha centre , told associated press that as the militant group 's operations in . iraq and syria grow ` more and more inter-dependent by the day , it is . more than possible that someone like -lrb- al-shishani -rrb- could assume overall . military leadership . ' two days after the group unilaterally declared the establishment of a caliphate , the group 's leader , al-baghdadi , appeared on a 19-minute audiotape calling on muslims to come to the territory his group has seized to help build an islamic state . in the audio , posted yesterday on militant websites which have been used by the group before , the leader makes a special call to those with practical skills - such as scholars , judges , doctors , engineers and people with military and administrative expertise - to come ` answer the dire need of the muslims for them ' . he also calls on jihadi fighters to increase fighting in the holy month of ramadan , which began on sunday . he said : ` in this virtuous month or in any other month , there is no deed better than jihad in the path of allah , so take advantage of this opportunity and walk the path of you righteous predecessors . ` so to arms , to arms , soldiers of the islamic , fight , fight . ' the extremist group began as al-qaida 's branch in iraq , and many of its top leaders are iraqi . abu bakr al-baghdadi , head of the islamic state or iraq and the levant , yesterday appeared on a 19-minute audiotape calling on muslims to come to the territory his group has seized to help build an islamic state . it drew hundreds of foreign fighters to its operations in syria however after it intervened in syria 's civil war last year . the two branches are now swapping fighters , equipment and weapons to an even greater extent than before , becoming a more integrated organization . its declaration of the caliphate - aspiring to be a state for all muslims - could mean an even greater internationalization of its ranks . alexei malashenko , an expert with the carnegie endowment 's moscow office , said ethnicity is not a major factor in jihadi movements , only dedication to jihad . al-shishani ` is a fanatic of islam with war experience , and he obviously has had a strong track record -lrb- among fellow fighters -rrb- , ' he said . announcement : isis militants celebrate the establishment of a caliphate , or islamic state , in the vast stretches of the middle east that have fallen under its control . militant islamist fighters take part in a military parade along the streets of syria 's northern raqqa province to celebrate their declaration of an islamic ` caliphate ' after the group captured territory in neighbouring iraq . syria 's civil war , in its fourth year , has attracted militants from around the world . some estimates run as high as 10,000 foreign fighters in the country . but the chechens - hardened from years of wars with russia in the caucasus region - are considered some of the best fighters . alexander bortnikov , the head of russia 's federal security service , the main kgb successor agency known under its russian acronym fsb , said last october that about 500 militants from russia and hundreds more from other ex-soviet nations are fighting in syria . al-shishani , whose real name is tarkhan batirashvili , is an ethnic chechen from the caucasus nation of georgia , specifically from the pankisi valley , a centre of georgia 's chechen community and once a stronghold for militants . he carried out military service in the georgian army but was discharged after an unspecified illness , said one of his former neighbours , who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals . a gun-brandishing islamist loyal to isis celebrates the formation of the caliphate by waving a jihadist flag in the syrian city of raqqa on sunday . at one point , he was arrested by georgian police for illegal possession of arms , the neighbour told associated press . as soon as he was released in 2010 , batirashvili left for turkey . georgian police refused to comment . he later surfaced in syria in 2013 with his nom de guerre , which means ` omar the chechen ' in arabic , leading an al-qaida-inspired group called ` the army of emigrants and partisans , ' which included a large number of fighters from the former soviet union . a meeting was soon organized with al-baghdadi in which al-shishani pledged loyalty to him , according to lebanon 's al-akhbar newspaper , which follows jihadi groups . as the militant group 's operations in . iraq and syria grow ` more and more inter-dependent by the day , it is . more than possible that someone like -lrb- al-shishani -rrb- could assume overall . military leadership ' - charles lister , visiting fellow with the brookings doha centre . in august 2013 his fighters proved pivotal in taking the syrian military 's managh air base in the north of the country . rebels had been trying for months to take the base , but it fell soon after al-shishani joined the battle , said an activist from the region , abu al-hassan maraee . the islamic state of iraq and the levant entered the syria conflict in 2013 , and initially it was welcomed by other rebels . but rebel groups - including other islamic militant factions - turned against it , alienated by its brutal methods and kidnappings and killings of rivals , and accusing it of trying to take over the opposition movement for its own ambitions of creating a transnational islamic enclave . rebel factions have been fighting against the group since last year in battles that have left thousands dead . al-qaida 's central command ejected the extremist group from the network . for the past two months , al-shishani has led an offensive in syria 's eastern deir el-zour province against rival rebels , seeking to solidify his hold on a stretch of territory connected to neighboring iraq . in may , some arab media organizations reported that al-shishani was killed in the fighting . an activist in iraq in contact with members of the islamic state of iraq and the levant said al-shishani suffered wounds in his right arm and was taken into iraq where he underwent treatment before returning to syria . he spoke on condition of anonymity for security concerns . caliphate : a map purportedly showing the areas isis plans to have under its control within five years has been widely shared online . as well as the middle east , north africa and large areas of asia , it also reveals isis ' ambition to extend into europe . spain , which was muslim-ruled until the late 15th century , would form part of the caliphate , as would the balkan states and eastern europe , up to and including austria . since then , al-shishani has appeared multiple times in photos and videos put out by the group . the photos and videos are consistent with the ap 's reporting from activists on the ground . in a recent photograph , the young , round-faced al-shishani , wearing a black cap and beige gown , is seen with a big smile as he examines a humvee said to have been captured in iraq and brought into syria . hussein nasser , spokesman for the islamic front coalition group of rebels , said chechens are among the most feared fighters in syria . ' a chechen comes and has no idea about anything -lrb- in the country -rrb- and does whatever his leader tells him , ' nasser said . ` even if his emir tells him to kill a child , he would do it . ' | <s> omar al-shishani has emerged as face of isis after appearing in online videos . </s> <s> he has been the group 's military commander in syria , leading it on an offensive to take over a broad stretch of territory leading to iraq border . </s> <s> he may have risen to become the group 's overall military chief . </s> |
my initial impression of sri lanka ? hot . i first visited in 1982 -- when england played their first test match against sri lanka in colombo . then we went and played in kandy , in the central province , and it has become one of my favourite places in the whole country . it 's home to the temple of the tooth relic -lrb- sri dalada maligawa -rrb- , and is the most important spot for sri lanka 's buddhist community . the whole town is steeped in history . it 's always been one of the country 's major trading places , and there are beautiful temples and tea plantations . it must be part of your itinerary . a family favourite : ian botham has spent time with his grandchildren in sri lanka - and has long found kandy -lrb- right -rrb- , where the temple of the tooth relic is an important buddhist landmark - to be one of its greatest cities . i only really started to fall in love with the country on coming back to commentate . as a player we were never in one place long enough . i visited the south at the start of 2004 , just after the tsunami . it was horrendous , with bodies still being pulled from the rubble . since then , laureus sport for good foundation -lrb- i 'm an ambassador for the organisation -rrb- has worked with the sri lanka-based foundation of goodness and built the southern project in seenigama , an area which was devastated by the huge wave . there 's a brand new school , a cricket oval and an olympic-sized pool . the pool was paid for by rock singer bryan adams , who offered to help fund the sports complex after reading about the destruction wreaked by the tsunami , and locals have named it the bryan adams pool in his honour . it 's hard to believe that when i first visited , the railway line - and a train - were 400 yards away in a coconut tree . it was this project which inspired me to undertake last year 's sponsored walk . i managed 160 miles , from the north to the south of the island , in eight days . the aim was to raise money and mirror what 's been done in the south - because the north was devastated by the civil war and has suffered terribly . the north has so much to offer - it 's sri lanka 's next booming tourism centre . the main draw are the beaches -- they 're sensational . there are new hotels and railways being built and the airport at jaffna , the capital city of the northern province , is being renovated . it should establish itself within five years . anuradhapura - the capital of the north central province - and mihintale , which is the birthplace of buddhism in sri lanka , have beautiful stupas and temples which put angkor wat to shame - well , almost . they are within what 's known as sri lanka 's cultural triangle . splendid : the south coast of sri lanka has glorious beaches - and has recovered from the tsunami of 2004 . this area 's most spectacular landmark is the sigiriya rock fortress - an enormous , 200-metre-high lump of stone . in 480 ad , a sri lankan king built his castle atop the rock . it 's a unesco world heritage site and sri lankans call it the eighth wonder of the world . i climbed it on my first cricket tour and was amazed . so much that , while taking a photo , i accidentally knocked over the bottle of water i 'd diligently carried to the top . i remember watching in horror as it rolled over the edge and tumbled out of sight . i 've visited sri lanka with my family several times . some of the most memorable trips have been with my wife and the grandchildren . it 's incredibly child-friendly - as child-friendly as destinations like spain or the caribbean . we wanted to show the grandchildren that life is n't easy , that terrible things happen but you have to pick yourself up , dust yourself off and carry on . the sri lankans are the best example of this - they 're always smiling and there 's no bitterness about the unfair hand they 've been dealt , with the civil war and tsunami . they are the reason my wife kath and i keep returning . we 've spent a lot of time in the capital , colombo , which is a fantastic , progressive city , with great hotels and restaurants . we like lagoon , the restaurant at the cinnamon grand hotel , where you choose your seafood from a huge display and the chefs cook it however you want . the grandchildren loved it - they would compete to find the biggest fish . other great restaurants in the capital are the ministry of crab , which is owned by sri lankan cricketers kumar sangakkara and mahela jayawardene , and the park street mews restaurant , which blends sri lankan and european cuisine . i 've probably spent most time in the south , in coastal towns like galle and weligama . in weligama , we rented a villa and just chill out - i love watching the stilt fishermen balancing on their poles . inviting : kandy , at the very heart of this tropical island , is sri lanka at its most intriguing . i 've spent hours walking around galle fort , which is a walled city . the locals have incredible stories to tell about the day the tsunami hit - how they could see the wave coming and ran inside the fort , emerging hours later to find the rest of the city in ruins . the fort was built by the portuguese in the 14th century and it split the wave and saved thousands of lives . nobody inside died - you can walk around inside and see these old shops and restaurants which were n't even affected . the grandchildren also adored weligama , where they fished , rode in tuk-tuks , played on the beaches and spotted turtles . one day was spent just fishing on the beach . one of my grandchildren , james , is extremely competitive - he simply has to beat his younger sister at everything . james had spent all day waiting for a bite . he put down the rod while he nipped to the loo and his sister imani-jayne picked up the rod and caught a fish within seconds . james was livid . my advice for anyone considering a visit to sri lanka ? do it . it is all there to be explored . tourism on the south coast is well-established . the east and west coasts are becoming more established , and the north will soon be the next big tourism destination . what 's more , you do n't have to walk everywhere - like i did . sri lankan airlines -lrb- www.srilankan.com , 020 8538 2000 -rrb- flies daily -lrb- apart from . saturdays and sundays , when there are two flights a day -rrb- to colombo from . london heathrow . prices from # 613 . find more about the work of . laureus sport for good foundation at www.laureus.com . | <s> england 's leading wicket taker first visited sri lanka to play cricket in 1982 . </s> <s> this time , he took his grandchildren for a sunshine holiday of beach fishing . </s> <s> he has a particular fondness for kandy , with its famous buddhist temple . </s> |
the buildings of a resort designed to the boost morale of hardworking nazis are to go on sale at cut price . the construction , known as prora , on rügen , germany 's largest island , was part of a programme introduced by hitler , called kraft durch freude - meaning ` strength through joy ' . as part of the programme , the nazi leader organized activities such as skiing and cruises - and intended to build a collection of seaside resorts on rügen . a promotional poster hangs on the buildings of the former seaside resort in prora on the island of rügen . iinitial construction started in 1936 , but had to be halted at the onslaught of world war ii . over the next three years , a total of 10,000 rooms were built . the resort was designed to include eight identical buildings , offering entertainment , catered meals and organised fun based around nazi propaganda and won an award in 1937 for its bauhaus design . once war broke out in 1939 , the nazis used the buildings to house workers and provide shelter to refugees , and post-war , they were used to house soviet and east german military . but over time they fell into disrepair and were only saved from demolition thanks to being given a landmark status . the sombre grey block was seen as an example of third reich architecture , along with the nazi party rally grounds in nuremberg and berlin 's olympic stadium . a sign points to the showroom at the construction . eight bed houses with a total of 10,000 rooms were built from 1935 to 1939 . after the property was sold to private investors , the first apartments , condos and apartments were built . the property was sold to private investors and is finally set to realise its purpose as a mega resort , renting and selling holidays homes and condos . estate agent , iris gerd , who are redeveloping prora 's building block i , is offering some ` new prora ' units at prices between 200,000 and 250,000 euros - around # 160k and # 200k . investors believe that despite its history , with the property market on a steep incline in germany , the holiday homes will sell . one estate agent , kathrin lange , told german press , the buildings are for ` risk-tolerant investors ' . | <s> resort designed to boost nazi morale to offer holiday rentals and condos . </s> <s> a total of 10,000 rooms were built from 1935 to 1939 but were never used . </s> <s> units are now on sale at prices between around # 160k and # 200k . </s> |
france is the most popular ski destination for brits this winter accounting for a staggering 87 per cent of all enquiries . austria and switzerland remain popular , although demand for both is down on last year while andorra has seen a significant hike in popularity with enquiries up 32 per cent on last season . morzine is the number one choice for brits and demand for this resort is up 16 per cent on last year , in research by owners direct . morzine in france will be the most popular ski resort for brits when booking a winter trip . val thorens , meribel and la plagne have also experienced a big leap in demand versus last season , whereas chamonix has seen demand fall by 23 per cent and it has dropped from position four to position nine in the ` top 10 ' . ` france is the clear winner among british skiers this season , ' says erica chang , senior regional director , owners direct . ` demand for ski accommodation in france has risen year-on-year and our top ten ski resorts are all french . ' most popular countries for a ski holiday based on no . of enquiries between january and october 2014 for travel between december 2014 and march 2015 . top 10 most popular ski resorts , based on number of enquiries received between january and october 2014 for travel between december 2014 and march 2015 , compared with the same period in the previous year . figures from the holiday home specialist and currency provider , caxton fx , have revealed that demand for ski holidays is climbing high , reporting that the volume of currency purchased for ski-related trips is up 59 per cent on last year . ` british skiers are opting for the more affordable eurozone resorts , over the us and switzerland , with the number of us dollars purchased for ski this year down on 2013 , ' said james hickman , managing director of caxton fx . figures for us dollars are reportedly down 73 per cent on last year and the number of swiss francs bought this year is down 58 per cent since 2012 . ` in contrast , the volume of euros purchased for ski-related trips is up 64 per cent , year on year . brits really are making the most of being closer to home where the pound has significantly strengthened against the euro , adds mr hickman . ' chamonix has fallen from position four to nine and a 23 per cent drop in bookings for 2015 . owners direct is putting the heightened demand for snowy escapes down to the balmy temperatures that the uk has enjoyed this year , particularly during the hazy autumn , which has made holidaymakers crave the crisp chill of the slopes even more than usual . its figures have also revealed that december is the most popular month for travellers to take a ski holiday , accounting for almost half of the total enquiries for the 2014/15 season , followed by february4 , with many opting to take their ski break during the school holidays . ` holiday homes are particularly appealing for families , whose travel dates are often restricted to the christmas and february half-term school holidays , because they offer a more affordable way to enjoy a ski holiday than a hotel or catered chalet and allow the whole family to stay together , ' added ms chang . owners direct has more than 3,400 ski properties to rent this season , spanning france , austria , switzerland , bulgaria , andorra , italy and finland . | <s> staggering 87 % will book a ski trip to france this winter . </s> <s> rising charges have hit swiss and austrian bookings this year . </s> <s> morzine is the most popular singular destination - up 16 % . </s> |
david cameron told his wife she did not need to worry about him going for dinner with silvio berlusconi -- because he would get an aide to pull him out of the jacuzzi before the ` whores ' turned up . mr cameron made the quip before heading to rome for a state dinner with his italian counterpart , it was revealed today . graffiti artist ben eine was in downing street when the pm cracked the joke after being invited for tea and biscuits . italy 's former prime minister silvio berlusconi and david cameron met for dinner in 2010 . mr cameron joked to his wife that she did not need to worry about him meeting the billionaire former italian pm . earlier this year , mr berlusconi was unexpectedly cleared of paying for sex with a minor at a series of sordid ` bunga bunga ' sex parties . the court said the billionaire media tycoon had paid for sex with a 17-year-old prostitute known as ` ruby the heartstealer ' . but they said there was no proof he knew her age . mr berlusconi , now aged 78 , quit as italy 's prime minister in 2011 during a serious escalation of the euro zone crisis but remains politically active and still leads his centre-right forza italia party . he is currently banned from holding public office after being convicted of tax fraud , and has been doing community service at a care home as part of his sentence . mr eine 's painting twenty first century city was presented to barack obama in 2010 on mr cameron 's first trip to washington in 2010 . shortly after ward the artist was invited to number 10 -- just before mr cameron was due in rome for his first meeting with the then italian leader . mr cameron jokingly reassured his wife that he would not be sharing jacuzzis , mr eine told a told a conference in london . the artist , a self-confessed former graffiti vandal , revealed mr cameron 's unguarded remarks during a filmed interview to mark the start of three-day conference on graffiti at london 's south bank centre . mr eine said the pm had to leave early to travel to rome . he said : ` we were sitting there chatting away and his pa or assistant came in and said : `` david , we 've got to go '' . ` and he jumped up and said `` samantha i 've got to go off to italy -- dinner with berlusconi . do n't worry i 'll get so-and-so to pull me out of the jacuzzi before the whores turn up '' . ` and then he walked out the door . and i was like , that 's great , prime ministers are n't meant to say that in front of bods like me , just in case i do this and repeat the story in front of a video camera . ` i started off tagging stuff -- i 'm not meant to be having tea and biscuits with the prime minister . ' street artist ben eines photographed in front of his work on middlesex street , in east london was invited for tea and biscuits with the camerons . mr eine 's painting was one of the official gifts given to barack obama from david cameron on his first trip to washington as prime minister in 2010 . mr eine praised the prime minister but said he would never vote for him , the guardian reported . he said : ` i have never voted in my life and i would never vote tory . ` -lsb- but -rsb- i really enjoyed talking to him . he was interesting , he was funny . he 's obviously a really smart and on the ball man . ' mr cameron 's first meeting with berlusconi came after a 38-year-old prostitute , maria teresa de nicolo , described how she and a host of other women enjoyed a meal with italy 's prime minister before she and a couple of the others joined him in bed . a no 10 spokesman said downing street never comments on private conversations . | <s> pm made quip before trip to rome for dinner with his italian counterpart . </s> <s> graffiti artist ben eine was in number 10 when the pm cracked the joke . </s> <s> first meeting with berlusconi came as italian faced prostitute allegations . </s> |
two women have been charged with animal cruelty , one month after a raid on a suburban buffalo , new york , kennel . authorities found dozens of animals at the dodge boarding kennel living in deplorable conditions - and nearly as many dead ones stored in freezers at the getzville facility . maria faricellie , 53 , and sheila meli , 49 , were each charged with five counts of animal cruelty . faricellie owns the kennel and meli ran the facility . scroll down for video . authorities found dozens of animals at the dodge boarding kennel living in deplorable conditions - and nearly as many dead ones stored in freezers at the getzville facility . gruesome : 72 dead animals were found in freezers - some of which were raccoons , rabbits , sugar gliders , guinea pigs and turtles - the spca said . a rescued cat is seen being led away during the raid . the five counts come from the number of animal species discovered at the time of the november 7 kennel raid : cats , dogs , reptiles , birds and small exotics . the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals -lrb- spca -rrb- said it removed 77 live animals and amphibians from the facility . the spca said it also discovered 72 dead animals in freezers , some of which were raccoons , rabbits , sugar gliders , guinea pigs and turtles . wivb reported last month that the animals were in bags with labels on them . officials said many of the cats and dogs were malnourished and had matted hair . a turtle showed ` shell rot ' , and there was a ` severely underweight chinchilla , ' the spca said . the animal 's overgrown teeth may have hindered its ability to eat . the spca said the raid took place after officials earlier went to the property on october 27 , october 28 and november 4 and observed poor conditions , including the smell of urine . sickly : officials said many of the cats and dogs were malnourished and had matted hair . care : the animals rescued from the dodge boarding kennel are seen being tended to after the raid . busted : the raid took place after officials earlier went to the property , where they observed poor conditions . both the amherst police department and new york 's department of environmental conservation were involved in the raid , buffalo news reported . the charges against faricellie and meli were served friday afternoon by peace officer aaron kandefer , spca spokeswoman gina browning said in a release . the two women are due in court next month , browning said . browning told buffalo news that the six live amphibians went to new york 's department of conservation since the creatures are not legally pets . the other animals stayed at the tonawanda spca . | <s> dodge boarding kennel owner maria faricellie , 53 , and facility operator sheila meli , 49 , were each charged with five counts of animal cruelty . </s> <s> the spca said it removed 77 live animals and amphibians from the facility . </s> <s> 72 dead animals were also discovered in freezers , the group said . </s> |
napoli players made the most of the awful conditions at their training session on thursday by sliding through a huge puddle . the serie a side played 6 vs 6 in the pouring naples rain ahead of their home clash against empoli , but at the end of the session the six winners linked hands to do a jurgen klinsmann-esque dive . napoli players pose after sliding through a puddle during a very wet training session . the 6-a-side winners slide through a puddle at napoli 's training ground . the serie a side played in the pouring naples rain ahead of their home clash against empoli . napoli posted the image on their instagram , saying : ` dip in the water for 6 winners ! ' the club posted on their instagram : ` tuffo nell ` acqua per i 6 vincitori ! ' translated as ` dip in the water for 6 winners ! ' napoli boss rafael benitez kept himself dry from the puddle at least , as the former liverpool boss prepares his side for an onslaught on the top two in italy ; roma and juventus . napoli currently sit in third place , eight points behind roma and 11 behind juventus . they have drawn their last two games in the league but are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions . jurgen klinsmann dived in celebration after his first goal for spurs against sheffield wednesday in 1994 . the german was getting stick from fans and the media about his playacting antics . | <s> napoli made the most of the awful conditions at their training session . </s> <s> the serie a side played a 6 v 6 game , and the victors took a slide through a huge puddle at the training ground . </s> <s> napoli sit third in serie a , 11 points behind leaders juventus . </s> |
while 70 million deaf people use sign language as their mother tongue , not everyone has knowledge of the language so communicating can still be challenging . now a team of entrepreneurs who are all deaf have come up with a tablet case called uni that can translate sign language into text that is shown on a tablet , to bridge the gap between deaf people and those who can hear . they describe it as a ` revolutionary two-way communication tool for the deaf and hearing . ' scroll down for video . a team of entrepreneurs who are all deaf have come up with a tablet case called uni that can translate sign language on a tablet into text -lrb- shown left -rrb- , to bridge the gap between deaf people and those who can hear . it can also detect speech and translate it into text to help deaf people when lip reading is difficult . ryan hait-campbell , ceo of san francisco-based start-up motionsavvy led the development of the translation software that powers the uni tablet case . it 's designed to fit a dell venue 8 pro tablet , which retails for around $ 320 -lrb- # 200 -rrb- , but versions for android devices and ios devices are in the works . the case contains motion-sensing technology that reads sign language and translates it into text that appears on the tablet 's screen in real-time , allowing non-deaf people to interpret sign language and deaf people to make themselves more easily understood . uni case is designed to fit a dell venue 8 pro tablet -lrb- both pictured -rrb- which retails for around $ 320 -lrb- # 200 -rrb- , but versions for android devices and ios devices are in the works . the case uses leap motion technology togethr with a camera to sense hands and fingers . uni case is designed to fit a dell venue pro 8 tablet . it contains motion-sensing technology that reads sign language and translates it into text that appears on the tablet 's screen in real-time . uni uses leap motion 's motion-sensing technology , which enables a camera to sense hand movements up to one foot away . its american sign language -lrb- asl -rrb- recognition software interprets signs and matches them with a database of signs to translate them into the correct word . uni also uses a microphone to detect speech and display it on the tablet 's screen for deaf people to read , which may be useful in situations where lip reading is difficult . it 's available to pre-order on indiegogo for $ 198 -lrb- # 124 -rrb- plus a monthly subscription and is expected to ship in september 2015 . uni uses leap motion 's motion-sensing technology , which enables a camera to sense hand movements up to one foot away . the entrepreneurs ' american sign language -lrb- asl -rrb- recognition software interprets signs and matches them with a database of signs to translate them into the correct word . every time someone signs , uni 's software remembers their movements and improves its translation . it gets smarter to learn a user 's personal signing style . the tool also allows asl users to add their own signs that are saved to a dictionary . their hand movements are shown on the screen in real-time so users can see if the software is misinterpreting their signs . uni also uses a microphone to detect speech and display it on the tablet 's screen for deaf people to read , which may be useful in situations where lip reading is difficult . the entrepreneurs , from the rochester institute of technology , national technical institute for the deaf , are raising money on indiegogo to put their device into production . uni is available to pre-order for $ 198 -lrb- # 124 -rrb- . it 's expected to ship in september 2015 . a $ 20-a-month subscription is needed for software updates and crowd signing functions . the case 's american sign language -lrb- asl -rrb- recognition software interprets signs in real-time , showing what the camera sees on screen -lrb- pictured -rrb- . it matches them with a database of signs to translate them into the correct word , which is displayed on the tablet . | <s> ` uni ' case uses a camera and leap motion technology to read hand signs . </s> <s> it translates gestures into text shown on a tablet in real-time . </s> <s> gadget was developed by deaf entrepreneurs based in san francisco . </s> <s> uni is available to pre-order on indiegogo for $ 198 -lrb- # 124 -rrb- . </s> |
the mother of an oakland teen who was declared brain dead after having tonsil surgery in december - and then became the focus of a struggle between her family and the hospital over whether to keep her on life support - is speaking out for the first time in over a month . in the letter , sent via-facebook to ktvu channel 2 news anchor frank somerville , 13-year-old jahi mcmath 's mother , nailah winkfield , thanked those who have supported her during her struggle to keep her daughter alive . additionally , she says that her daughter is alive and not suffering - now that she 's been moved from the children 's hospital oakland to a long-term care facility . scroll down for the full text of winkfield 's letter . wedding : this photograph shows jahi mcmath -lrb- right -rrb- at the wedding of her step-father marvin winkfield -lrb- 2nd right -rrb- to her mother naliah -lrb- not pictured -rrb- - also in this photograph are mariana winkfield -lrb- left -rrb- and her grandmother sandra chatman -lrb- 2nd left -rrb- . ' i have been surrounded by the love , . support and prayers of so many kind people , ' winkfield says in the letter . ` despite what people say . about my daughter being dead and how i must be ignorant not to get that , . i can tell you that she is much better physically since she has left . children 's hospital and i see changes that give me hope . ' mcmath was declared brain dead following a tonsil surgery intended to help the girl 's sleep apnea on december 9 . following the surgery , the girl suffered tremendous blood loss and went into cardiac arrest . the poor circulation as a result of the severe blood loss caused injuries to her brain that doctors considered to be fatal . brief relief : nailah winkfield has an emotional moment monday after learning her daughter jahi mcmath will be kept on life support until january 7 . wrenching moment : nailah winkfield -lrb- right -rrb- has a . moment of relief after monday evening 's news that her daughter jahi . mcmath -lrb- right -rrb- may remain on life support until january 7 after a judge . granted a temporary halt to plans to remove the 13-year-old from life . support . it has been over a month since i have spoken about my life with jahi to anyone outside a very small circle of family and friends . so many people have asked how we are doing and if jahi is alive . this has and continues to be an unbelievably difficult time for me as a mother and for us as a family . i have withdrawn for reasons of safety and privacy and to focus on my daughter and my role as her mother . however , i have not been alone . i have been surrounded by the love , support and prayers of so many kind people . despite what people say about my daughter being dead and how i mustbe ignorant not to get that , i can tell you that she is much better physically since she has left children 's hospital and i see changes that give me hope . as i prayed today , i felt called to express to people that i am truly grateful for the amount of love and support my daughter jahi mcmath and i have received from people all over the world . we feel your prayer and support . because of your unselfish generosity i was able to do what i was afraid i would never be able to do , move my daughter from children 's hospital oakland before they removed her from her ventilator and stopped her heart . this was itself a miracle . please know that all of thesupport we received has been used towards helping jahi . if i had it my way , i would say thank you to each and every person in their native language so they could understand how much i appreciate them for all their support and , most importantly , prayers . it is my belief that faith in god , your prayers , and the incredible kindness of good hearted medical professionals , are the main reasons my daughter is alive today . i know people are concerned and i want to make sure you know that jahi is not suffering , she is surrounded by love . i will never let her suffer . on the long hard days when i 'm feeling down , i think about all the people who are praying for me and jahi and i feel so much better . i want you to know that i 'm praying for you as well . thank you to all of the people who view my daughter as the sweet , innocent , 13-year-old girl that she is and not a dead body or a corpse , i deeply appreciate that . thank you to everyone who has n't forgot how my daughter got into this situation in the first place . no one should have to go through this . i would like to thank all of the people who have reached out to me and shared their stories of their family members . some have been heartbreaking . some have given me hope . all have helped me feel that i am not the only person who has had this struggle . some of you have shared how you fought for your loved ones and they got better , some of you have shared your regret with not fighting more and some shared with me the incredibly difficult decisions you made to let go . i have prayed for you as you have for me . sadly , i can say i know how you feel . i also want to thank those who felt the need to go public with their opinions about me and my daughter , positive and even negative . it is because of you that my daughter 's experience is so relevant and that people all over the world know who jahi mcmath is . what you may not know is that her name , jahi , means one who is known by many . hopefully my daughter can change some of the ways brain death is viewed in today 's society . honestly , i think she already has . finally , thank you for all the love , support and prayers you give jahi every day . i am certain that she knows you are praying for her . i feel the support from your prayer all the time . i do n't think i or jahi would be here today without you . may god bless all who have shown love and compassion as well as those who have expressed their contempt . all are deserving of god 's grace and love . for those who believe , please , keep praying for jahi . god can overcome all things and i believe that his will has yet to be fully revealed . i love jahi and where there is love , there is hope . on december 12 , doctors declared the . girl brain dead and sought a medical declaration of death for the . 13-year-old . her family , however , refused to accept the doctors ' decision to declare the girl dead - while technically brain dead , the . girl 's organs were being kept alive by machines . the disagreement led to court proceedings to determine whether the family had the right to keep mcmath on life support . the . family petitioned the alameda county superior court to step in when . doctors wanted to take mcmath off of life support . the court then . appointed paul graham fisher , the . chief of child neurology at stanford university school of medicine , to . give a second opinion on the girl 's condition . fisher . agreed with the doctors at children 's hospital , noting that mcmath had . no activity on an electroencephalogram , no blood flow to the brain and . she was unable to breathe on her own . winkfield . appealed the decision to take her daughter off of life support , and the . court gave her an extension that required the hospital to keep her on a . ventilator until january 7 . the court , however , denied a request to give mcmath a feeding tube or a tracheostomy . on january 5 , the hospital released mcmath 's body to the county coroner , which released the body to winkfield . mcmath currently is being kept alive on life support at an undisclosed location . family announcement : jahi 's uncle omari sealey -lrb- pictured -rrb- spoke to reporters monday evening just before a 5pm pacific deadline when his brain dead niece 's ventilator was due to be switched off . hope : this is the new beginnings center in medway , long island , where the family of jahi mcmath hope to send her by private jet by january 7 in a bid to keep her alive . winkfield and her family are now in a renewed race against time to get their little girl transferred to a facility willing to care for a legally dead patient . ' i am just thanking god and everyone who has supported us . i am going to fight with everything i have got , ' winkfield said monday . fisher . agreed with the doctors at children 's hospital , noting that mcmath had . no activity on an electroencephalogram , no blood flow to the brain and . she was unable to breathe on her own . winkfield . appealed the decision to take her daughter off of life support , and the . court gave her an extension that required the hospital to keep her on a . ventilator until january 7 . the court , however , denied a request to give mcmath a feeding tube or a tracheostomy . on january 5 , the hospital released mcmath 's body to the county coroner , which released the body to winkfield . mcmath currently is being kept alive on life support at an undisclosed location . struggle : jahi 's family is pitted against a hospital they 've called uncaring in their struggle to keep the brain dead teen hooked to life support . here , children 's hospital of oakland spokesman sam singer updates reporters on jahi 's condition december 30 . doctors contend she has no possibility of ever waking up . precautions : officials saw to it that the door to the children 's hospital of oakland was barricaded monday in preparation for jahi 's family 's press conference . tragedy : jahi mcmath , 13 , was declared legally . brain-dead after undergoing a routine tonsil removal that dosctors . suggested as a means of eliminating her sleep apnea . last photos : mrs winkfield snapped this picture of daughter jahi the morning she took her to the hospital to undergo a tonsillectomy that ended up all but ending her life . unexpected : after coming out of surgery , jahi . started bleeding from the mouth and was eventually ruled brain-dead . the . hospital that performed the procedure no longer wants to keep the girl . on life support . dede logan , of oakland , adds red stars to a poster in support of jahi mcmath in front of children 's hospital oakland in oakland , calif. , on monday , dec. 23 , 2013 . | <s> nailah winkfield has n't been heard from in over a month . </s> <s> on wednesday she sent a note to an oakland tv station thanking supporters of her daughter . </s> <s> 13-year-old jahi mcmath was declared brain dead after a tonsil surgery . </s> <s> the girl 's case set off a debate over patients ' rights . </s> |
more embarrassing details about sony are coming to light a week after a group with ties to north korea hacked the production company 's internal servers and released hundreds of documents ranging from never-released movies to employee evaluations . hidden among the documents never meant to be seen by the public include the budget for upcoming film the interview , starring seth rogen and james franco as a tv producer and talk show host recruited by the cia to assassinate north korean president kim jong-un . the leaked records show rogen , who also directed and wrote the script , was paid $ 8.4 million for the film , compared to co-star james franco who made $ 6.5 million . the budget also revealed a pretty important plot point : that britney spears ' ex-husband kevin federline makes a cameo , for which he was paid $ 5,000 . scroll down for video . paydays : seth rogen took home $ 8.4 million working on the interview , compared to the $ 6.5 million his co-star james franco made -lrb- left -rrb- , according to information revealed in the recent cyber attack on sony . responsible ? sources close to the internal investigation of the hack at sony say they believe a north korean group is behind the attack . officials in north korea previously threatened action . compared to a-list actors like leonardo dicaprio , robert downey jr and jennifer lawrence , who can take home more than $ 20million per film , the salaries revealed in the hack show the rogen and franco took home relatively average to low pay . overall the film cost $ 44million for sony to make . meanwhile , michael lynton , the ceo of sony pictures entertainment and amy pascal , the co-chairman of the company were both revealed to be making a $ 3million annual salary . among the more entertaining details revealed in the budget were how much the production company paid for small items like props . millionaires : sony pictures entertainment co-chairman amy pascal -lrb- left -rrb- and sony pictures ceo michael lynton -lrb- right -rrb- both make $ 3million a year , according to the leaked documents . one part of the script calls for a ` table of weed , coke , pills and panties ' which was budgeted at $ 250 . thanks to some thrifty production assistants , the cost was brought down to $ 241 . the hackers also uploaded five yet-to-be-released films to file-sharing websites , including the brad pitt film fury , still in theaters , and annie , the much-anticipated remake set for a december 19 release . the company has been trying to take the videos off the internet with cease-and-desist orders . pay information for more than 31,000 employees at deloitte touche tohmatsu ltd , a financial firm hired by sony , were taken in the hack as well . the pay information from 2005 revealed that there are far more men than women with high-paying salaries . the list was leaked to a reporter at news and pop culture site fusion . kevin roose , reporting for fusion , who was sent a link to the data by an anonymous source , said : ` when i sorted the list by ` annual rate , ' i noticed something notable : a stark homogeneity among the people earning the most . ` based on the spreadsheet ... the employees of sony pictures with the highest annual rates appear to be nearly entirely white men . ' buzzfeed reviewed almost 40gb of leaked internal data and reported it included 'em ployee criminal background checks , salary negotiations , and doctors ' letters explaining the medical rationale for leaves of absence . ' it reported the files also included a script for an unreleased pilot written by breaking bad creator vince gilligan as well as 'em ail exchanges with employees regarding specific medical treatments they are undergoing , while one disciplinary letter details a manager 's romantic relationship and business travel history with a subordinate . ' the leaked information even includes an email about the breastfeeding diet of a senior executive . one aspect of the leak , which probably has the sony it team reeling , is the several spreadsheet and text documents where employees stored their passwords ... under the name ` password ' . and then there 's the hilarious slideshow written by sony cfo david hendler , negatively reviewing the company 's own films . in one slide , he draws attention to the movies the company put out in 2005 , the worst year in the company 's history . those films include zorro , bewitched and zathura . hendler follows that up with a slide about the movies distributed in 2010 like burlesque , how do you know and just go with it , commenting : ` not as bad as 2005 , but still not something to write home about ' . those on sony 's marketing teams devised equally entertaining slides , revealed in the breach . a few of the slides take different movies , and explain the concept , and strengths and weaknesses to highlight . for movies with a patriotic element , like white house down and captain phillips , executives warn to ` avoid american-centrism ' and focus instead on special effects and star actors . presentation : in this leaked slideshow , sony cfo david hendler calls out the movies that made for the company 's worst financial year on record . critic : he follows the 2005 slide up with the movies distributed in 2010 , commenting : ` not as bad as 2005 , but still not something to write home about ' company secrets : another leaked slideshow shows how the company tries to downplay american themes in films with a patriotic theme . the hack is thought to be carried out by those allied with the north korean regime , unhappy with the country 's portrayal in the film . in june , a north korean official appeared on the state-run news station to say the country would pursue ' a strong and merciless countermeasure ' if sony released the film . despite the threat , sony has continued to roll out promotion for the movie ahead of it 's december 25 release date . exactly one month before it was set to be released , sony confirmed that the company had been hacked , and that the mysterious group behind the cyber attack released hundreds of company documents online . the day before , an alleged warning posted to reddit read : ` this is just the beginning ' . sony has yet to officially name north korea as the source of the cyber attack , but sources close to the internal investigation spoke out on wednesday to say they believe a group known as darkseoul is to blame . cars enter sony pictures entertainment headquarters in culver city , california . the company is still conducting an internal investigation on the hack . the group associated with north korea was thought to be behind the large-scale march 2013 attack on south korean banks and broadcasters . other evidence from the hack points to the regime , including korean-language coding , in similarities to other attacks by darkseoul . the results of the internal investigation into the attack , currently being carried out by fireeye 's mandiant forensics unit , are expected to be announced later this week . earlier this week , a north korean spokesperson refused to deny claims that it was behind the move and would only say ` wait and see ' when asked if pyongyang was involved . staff at sony are growing increasingly disgruntled about the never-ending slew of adam sandler movies the company is producing . staff at sony are growing increasingly disgruntled about the never-ending slew of adam sandler movies the company is producing , according to information released following last week 's cyber attack . an un-encrypted text file titled ` sony_2012_comments ' has been released which features a long list of negative employee feedback -- and sandler 's name is a reoccurring theme . the comedian 's company , happy madison productions , has been responsible for 25 films released by sony over the past 15 years including click , i now pronounce you chuck and larry , you do n't mess with the zohan , grown ups and 50 first dates . these movies turn a profit but are shown little love from the critics and from sony staff it would appear . here are some of the comments featured in the leaked document : . other criticism from staff was equally as cutting even if the target was n't quite so specific : . sandler movies such as i now pronounce you chuck and larry regularly turn a profit for sony but rarely win over the critics or staff a leaked memo has revealed . ` the hostile forces are relating everything to the dprk -lrb- north korea -rrb- . i kindly advise you to just wait and see , ' a spokesman for north korea 's u.n. mission . north korea routinely refers to the united states and south korea as hostile forces . the u.s. federal bureau of investigation is also investigating the incident . north korea complained to the united nations in june about the interview , accusing the united states of sponsoring terrorism and committing an act of war by allowing production of the movie . the pyongyang government denounced the film as ` undisguised sponsoring of terrorism , as well as an act of war ' in a letter to u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon . ' i personally do n't care if -lrb- the movie 's -rrb- disrespectful to kim because he 's evil . but that 's not the intent , ' tweeted rogen on sunday . ` north korea has produced tons of propaganda films that portray america 's destruction . ' but cybersecurity expert hemanshu nigam has told the hollywood reporter that he finds it hard to believe that north korea is the perpetrator and instead thinks it is more probable that it was the actions of an employee or ex-employee with administrative access privileges . for the studio - which has laid off hundreds of employees over the past year in an effort to contain costs - the possibility of a disgruntled employee wreaking havoc is very real . ` if terabytes of data left the sony networks , their network detection systems would have noticed easily , ' said nigam . ` it would also take months for a hacker to figure out the topography of the sony networks to know where critical assets are stored and to have access to the decryption keys needed to open up the screeners that have been leaked . ' scary : sony workers saw a message appear on computer screens saying ` hacked by #gop ' - understood to be the initials of a group called guardians of peace which has been linked to north korea . in addition , he said , ` it is possible that north korean-sponsored hackers were working with someone on the inside . but it is more likely a ruse to shift blame , knowing the distaste the north korean regime has for sony pictures . ' sony pictures ' computer system went down last monday after the cyber attack . before . screens went dark , they displayed a red skull and the phrase . ` hacked by #gop , ' which reportedly stands for guardians of . peace . the hackers also warned they . would release ` secrets ' stolen from sony . the data released so far from the apparently leaked documents has already been damaging - it revealed all the top executives at sony pictures entertainment are white and male , raising questions about control of hollywood 's film output . | <s> sony was the target of a large-scale communications breach last week , and it 's believed a group tied to north korea is responsible . </s> <s> north korean officials have previously threatened action if the company releases upcoming film the interview . </s> <s> the movie stars seth rogen and james franco as undercover cia operatives on a mission to assassinate north korean leader kim jong-un . </s> <s> among the documents leaked in the hack were the film 's budget , including the salaries of the stars and producers . </s> <s> sony has continued to promote the film and are expected to release the interview as scheduled on december 25 . </s> |
a mother whose spine was severed when she used her body to shield her sons from a tornado is undergoing an operation in an attempt to walk again . amy hawkins , 43 , has been in a wheelchair since the f-3 tornado ripped apart her hendersonville , north carolina , home in 2006 . as it hit the house she went down to her basement and laid down on top of her sons jair and cole , who were aged six and three at the time . but bricks rained down on the trio , leaving mrs hawkins critically injured - her vertebrae and ribs were crushed , her lungs were punctured and she received serious head wounds . hope : amy hawkins ' spine was severed when she used her body to shield her sons from a tornado . pictured : mrs hawkins with her sons at their home . tragic : mrs hawkins , 43 -lrb- seen left before the accident and right now -rrb- , has been in a wheelchair since the f-3 tornado ripped apart her hendersonville , north carolina , home in 2006 . her husband , jerrod who is a firefighter , was at work when the tornado hit and could only watch from his fire station as it completely destroyed his home , reports the tennessean . their sons were released from hospital unharmed , but mrs hawkins was left paralyzed from the waist down and is now in a wheelchair . ' i remember bricks hitting me , ' mrs hawkins told the abc show extreme makeover : home edition who made her home more accessible following the accident . ` they were n't sure how to tell me i was going to be paralyzed . ` you do n't really think about it until the time comes , ' she said of using her body to shield her sons who are now aged 12 and 14 . recovery : as it hit her home she went down to her basement and laid down on top of her sons jair and cole , who were aged six and three at the time . pictured : mrs hawkins leaves hospital after the accident in 2006 . terrifying : her husband , jerrod -lrb- pictured with the family -rrb- who is a firefighter , was at work when the tornado hit and could only watch the storm from his fire station as the tornado completely destroyed his home . ` you know that you 'd put your life on the line for the kids . you do what needs to be done . ' this week she is undergoing surgery in california on her spine . it was originally scheduled for october , but after the mother-of-two contracted pneumonia it was delayed . mrs hawkins said in a phone interview with the tennessean that she is hopeful of what results the surgery will bring . family time : mrs hawkins cooks with her young son . her sons were not harmed , but mrs hawkins was left needing a wheelchair . hope : this week she is undergoing surgery in california on her spine . although paralyzed from the waist down , she does feel pain in her back and often tingling down her legs , she said . adjustment : mrs hawkins in her home which was redesigned by extreme makeover : home edition to make it more accessible for her wheelchair . she said sometimes she does feel pain in her back and often tingling down her legs which she hopes the surgery will relieve . ' i think it will make everything easier to go through the therapy that i need to be able to walk , ' she said . ' i still have the dream of walking again one day , ' mrs hawkins added . | <s> amy hawkins , 43 , has been in a wheelchair since the tornado ripped apart her north carolina home in 2006 . </s> <s> as it hit the house she went down to her basement and laid down on top of her sons jair and cole , who were aged six and three at the time . </s> <s> her vertebrae and ribs were crushed , her lungs were punctured and she received serious head wounds . </s> <s> she is to undergo surgery this week in california to ease pain in her back . </s> |
the fa has given wigan chairman dave whelan an extra week to respond to his misconduct charge . the 78-year-old last month allegedly made remarks about chinese and jewish people in response to criticism of the club 's decision to appoint malky mackay as the latics ' new manager . whelan publicly apologised for the comments attributed to him in the guardian and also suggested he may have been misquoted , yet was still charged by football 's governing body . dave whelan , seen crying as wigan fans sang his name before they faced middlesbrough last saturday , has been charged by the football association for alleged racist remarks made to the press . whelan pictured in 2013 with the fa cup after wigan stunned manchester city at wembley to win the trophy . the wigan owner had until 6pm on friday to respond to the charge , but the fa has now granted him a week 's extension . the fa announced on twitter : ` following a request by dave whelan , the fa has granted him an extension to the date by which he had to reply to his misconduct charge for media comments . ` the wigan athletic chairman now has until 6pm on friday 12 december 2014 to respond to the charge . ' the guardian reported that whelan said ` jewish people do chase money more than everybody else ' and , when asked about mackay 's past indiscretions , replied by saying it was ` nothing ' to call a chinese person a ` chink ' . whelan publicly apologised for the comments attributed to him in the guardian . the wigan athletic chairman -lrb- right -rrb- now has until 6pm on friday , december 12 to respond . cardiff owner vincent tan , who sacked mackay last december , branded his wigan counterpart a ` racist ' , telling the bbc that this is a case of a ` racist chairman hiring a racist manager ' . whelan has said he would resign if the fa ` even suggest i 'm guilty ' of making racist remarks . the former blackburn and crewe player bought his hometown club in february 1995 , overseeing an incredible rise from division three to win last year 's fa cup . wigan currently sit 23rd in the championship standings and have yet to win since mackay 's appointment . the fa 's investigation into mackay 's actions during his cardiff tenure is ongoing . mackay has courted controversy after a string of inappropriate text messages were exposed by sportsmail . | <s> dave whelan has an extra week to respond to his misconduct charge . </s> <s> whelan allegedly made remarks about chinese and jewish people . </s> <s> it came in response to criticism of the club 's appointment of malky mackay . </s> <s> whelan has until wednesday , december 12 to respond to the charge . </s> |
an iraqi soldier has revealed his incredible survival story after being lined up for execution by an isis firing squad - only for the gun-wielding jihadi to miss him by a matter of millimeters . ali hussein kadhim , a shiite iraqi soldier , was safely back home with his wife and young children in southern iraq this week after being one of hundreds abducted by the extremist sunni militants in tikrit in june . while his sunni iraqi colleagues were spared death , mr kadhim - a shiite iraqi soldier - was ordered to be executed . scroll down for video . safe return : ali hussein kadhim with his son and daughter at his family 's date orchard in diwaniya , south iraq this week . ali hussein kadhim , a shiite iraqi soldier , pictured on wednesday , was one of hundreds abducted by the extremist group in tikrit , iraq in june . playing dead : mr kadhim , 23 , has identified himself -lrb- circled in the picture from june -rrb- in this footage released by isis of their ` victims ' after abducting and murdering hundreds of shiite iraqi soldiers . incredibly , mr kadhim survived . after shooting three shiite soldiers in the back of the head , the assassin turned his gun on 23-year-old mr kadhim - and missed . instinctively , the soldier fell forwards into an open grave dug for the victims of the murderous rampage . it was a decision that would save his life . speaking to the new york times on wednesday , mr kadhim , who is married with a daughter and baby son , described the sensation of the bullet breezing past his temple . mr kadhim lay still among the bodies for hours as he waited for the isis extremists to leave . he then fled the bloody scene under cover of darkness and hid out by the tigris river , a few hundred yards away . he spent three days on the run , eating plants to survive . ' i saw my daughter in my mind saying `` father , father '' , ' he told the newspaper from his home in southern iraq . ' i just pretended to be shot ' . after waiting hours for the isis fighters to leave , mr kadhim -lrb- pictured this week -rrb- spent three days on the run after escaping execution . horrific : the militant group has posted a number of slick images , like this photograph on june 14 , of them leading iraqis to their deaths . rampage : islamic state fighters have killed hundreds of innocent civilians as they rampage across iraq and syria -lrb- picture published on june 14 -rrb- . after isis released sickening images of their victims lying face-down in the dirt with their hands bound behind their backs , mr kadhim managed to identify himself in the line-up . isis released the slickly-produced , disturbing footage of the siege on the islamic religious holiday of eid earlier this year . the video showed prisoners being rounded up and summarily executed , suicide bombers boasting before blowing up buildings and iraqis being gunned down in drive-by shootings . in one of the most shocking segments , terrified prisoners are piled into the back of trucks , where they hold each other and huddle in fear before being driven off to their deaths . the 36-minute film then cuts to dozens of prisoners lying face down on the ground , hands bound behind their backs , waiting to be executed . ' i wanted to live ' : mr kadhim , who is now reunited with his wife and young children , said he kept thinking of his family as he lay among other shiite iraqis waiting to be executed . it is in that final shot that mr kadhim saw himself , trying to act lifeless with the blood of another soldier splattered across his face . he is one of the only known survivors of the murderous rampage at the hands of islamic state militants as they claimed tikrit two months ago . the group now controls an estimated four million people . the siege in june was a key turning point in the group 's invasion into iraq from syria . mr kadhim 's chilling first-hand account of isis 's well-documented brutality came as u.s. secretary of state john kerry issued a dramatic call to arms against the extremists today , urging world leaders to join a ` core coalition ' to end their murderous rampage through iraq , but ruled out putting ` boots on the ground ' . and in what could prove not just a major turning point in the war against isis but also an unprecedented sea-change in america 's relations with iran , ayatollah khamenei today answered kerry 's call from tehran , ordering his army to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with u.s. , kurdish and iraqi forces against the extremist horde . | <s> ali hussein kadhim , 23 , was captured by isis in june in tikrit , iraq . </s> <s> he was one of hundreds of iraqi soldiers abducted who faced execution . </s> <s> killer shot three men then missed his head , he fell forwards playing dead . </s> <s> spent three days on the run , now home with his two children in south iraq . </s> <s> he has identified himself in picture released by isis of their ` victims ' </s> |
prince harry was seen being escorted out of a private members ' club into a waiting car last night . the 30-year-old royal left raffles in chelsea , west london , just after 3am early this morning , with witnesses claiming he spent about an hour at the venue and drank dom pérignon champagne . an onlooker , who saw the scene outside at about 3.10 am , told mailonline : ` when he came out he looked happy and people helped him to his waiting car . helped : prince harry was seen being escorted out of a private members ' club into a waiting car last night . escorted : the 30-year-old royal left raffles in chelsea , west london , just after 3am early this morning . this way : witnesses claimed harry spent about an hour at the venue and drank dom pérignon champagne . this way : witnesses claimed harry spent about an hour at the venue and drank dom pérignon champagne . assistance : an onlooker , who saw the scene outside at about 3.10 am , said that harry ` looked happy ' ` the person who is helping him was from the club while the detectives were helping as well . the prince is smiling and he looked very happy and as he had a very good time out with friends . ' earlier , harry had paid tribute along with his brother william to their childhood friend henry van straubenzee , who died aged 18 in a car crash 12 years ago , at a carol service . the service , held in front of 800 guests at st luke 's and christ church in chelsea - just a short walk from raffles - took place last night to raise money for a memorial fund set up in their friend 's name . harry , who was in the same class at school as mr van straubenzee , entertained the congregation yesterday as he described sharing childhood escapades during his teenage years . walking : harry was helped out of the club in chelsea with a member of venue staff , an onlooker said . in the car : the prince ` looked very happy and as he had a very good time out with friends ' , the onlooker said . nightclub for the royals : raffles was named after the colonial mogul sir thomas stamford raffles . security : previous guests at the club include harry 's grandmother the queen and his father prince charles . driven away : the club in chelsea attended by harry was founded in 1967 by restaurateur peter evans . guest : other royals who have previously attended the club include princess anne and princess margaret . leaving after the party : raffles is open wednesday to saturday from 10.30 pm until late , its website says . recognising his close bond with mr van straubenzee and his family , harry also affectionately described an ` infectious van straubenzee laugh could turn a very bad day into a good one . ' raffles was named after the colonial mogul sir thomas stamford raffles , who was largely responsible for the creation of britain 's far eastern empire and founded singapore in 1819 . the club itself was founded in 1967 by restaurateur peter evans . previous guests include harry 's grandmother the queen , his father prince charles , princess anne and princess margaret . raffles , which is open wednesday to saturday from 10.30 pm until late , says on its website it is ` considered a household name , delivering a luxury service to its discerning members ' . a clarence house spokesman declined to comment tonight when approached by mailonline . royalty : raffles is ` considered a household name , delivering a luxury service to its discerning members ' off we go : an onlooker said the prince was smiling as he left the club shortly after 3am early this morning . busy day : harry had earlier been at a service in front of 800 guests at st luke 's and christ church nearby . back seat : the service took place last night to raise money for a memorial fund set up in their friend 's name . open-necked : harry appeared to be in high spirits as he was driven away from the club in west london . departing : thirty-year-old harry was said to have spent about an hour at the venue in chelsea . private members ' club : raffles , which has hosted many royals in its time , was founded almost 50 years ago . earlier in the day : prince harry attended a carol singing event at st luke 's and christ church in chelsea . | <s> harry , 30 , was helped into waiting car after leaving club in chelsea . </s> <s> witnesses say he spent an hour at venue and drank champagne . </s> <s> earlier attended nearby church service to pay tribute to late friend . </s> |
honored : jahi mcmath , a 13-year-old california girl who was declared brain-dead after suffering complications from sleep apnea surgery , will receive an honorary diploma during her schools eighth grade graduation . the family of a 13-year-old california girl who was declared brain-dead after suffering complications from sleep apnea surgery says she will receive an honorary diploma during her school 's eighth grade graduation . omari sealey , the uncle of jahi mcmath , said wednesday the girl 's school , e.c. reems academy of technology and arts in oakland , will give the diploma to a family member . the school 's graduation ceremony is friday . jahi was in eighth grade and scheduled to . graduate when she underwent tonsil surgery at ucsf benioff children 's . hospital oakland in december . her heart stopped and she went into cardiac arrest causing brain damage . she was later . declared brain-dead . the hospital said was so . severe that she was effectively dead with no chance of survival if a . respirator was turned off . her family went to court to prevent the . hospital from taking her off the machine . jahi was eventually released . to them and moved to another facility . sealey said his niece is doing well . three doctors and the court agreed she was brain dead and the hospital applied to turn off her life support machine . hope : jahi 's family are certain that she will one day recover despite the hospital 's insistence there is no chance of that happening . but her family , led by jahi 's uncle omari sealey , refused to accept the prognosis and argued there was still a chance she could recover . they said that she responded to her mother 's voice and asked that she be removed to a hospital that cared for her . earlier this year , oakland 's children 's hospital insisted the girl could not be be rehabilitated . ` this is a deceased young woman , ' children 's hospital oakland spokesman sam singer said . ` no amount of food , medicine , medical machinery , time or hope is going to bring back her back . ` so it 's really wrong and unethical for mr. dolan -lrb- the family lawyer -rrb- to mislead the family and the public that there 's any amount of hope or any food that could possibly bring back this deceased young woman . devastated : jahi 's parents fought to keep their 13-year-old daughter alive after she was declared brain dead following complications in routine tonsil surgery last december . devotion : jahi 's parents have n't left her bedside since the tragedy during a routine tonsil operation although she has now been moved hospitals . jahi 's family , led by her mother . nailah and uncle omari sealey , have refused to accept the prognosis and . argued there was still a chance she could recover . jahi 's family has raised more than $ 61,000 on gofundme.com to move her . in a recent update , a her mother provided details on jahi 's condition . ` jahi . is still sleep but physically stable ! no pic lines , no catheters , no . i.v , she maintains all her vitals on her own , no medicines needed . i am . giving her lots of vitamins and fish oil thru her feeding tube . she . moves around so much that we have to put pillows around her bed . she . responds to pain , cold and touch . she can turn her head from left to . right and her ventilator is set to room air so she is not getting any . extra oxygen like she was before . her . skin is flawless and she gets a mani and pedi every week done by me . -lrb- mom -rrb- she gets physical therapy three times a week and never has a stiff . joint ! all organs are . healthy and fully functional ! she is such a fighter ! remember she did n't . get any nutrition for 28 days from the other hospital and she recovered . from that quickly . prayer is so powerful ! ' | <s> the family of jahi mcmath has convinced her oakland school to offer her an honorary diploma . </s> <s> she was declared brain dead following complications from surgery last december . </s> <s> graduation ceremonies for the k-8 charter school are set for friday . </s> <s> mcmath was admitted to children 's hospital oakland for tonsil surgery and two other procedures to treat her sleep apnea . </s> <s> hours after her surgery , she began bleeding profusely and suffered a heart attack , and was declared brain-dead a short time later . </s> <s> her family fought to keep her on a ventilator . </s> <s> the teenager has been moved from to an undisclosed catholic organization where she is receiving treatment . </s> |
wayne rooney is no stranger to the karaoke machine , having been filmed warbling his way through ed sheeran 's track lego house in a manchester pub last month . and now it seems that the england captain has been at it again , this time while celebrating with wife coleen and his fellow manchester united players at the team christmas party . rooney , who is currently having scans on a potential knee injury , posted this image on his instagram page with the caption : ` my turn to do a song at the manchester united christmas party ! ' scroll down for video . wayne rooney posted this image on his instagram page along with the caption ` my turn to do a song at the manchester united christmas party ! ' in another image , which appears to be from the same event , the england striker can be seen watching someone else perform alongside wife coleen -lrb- left -rrb- and teammates ashley young and darren fletcher -lrb- right -rrb- . in the picture the forward , who is a fan of stereophonics and queen , can be seen with a look of concentration on his face while clicking his fingers along to the music . he is standing on stage at the place aparthotel , a converted former warehouse in manchester , surrounded by the venue 's house band . in a second shot , which appears to be from the same event , rooney is standing in the crowd apparently watching someone else perform alongside his wife , her friends and teammates ashley young and darren fletcher . rooney has also been pictured singing in the past , such as in this karaoke bar in barbados while on holiday with coleen and his children . he sang seven tracks , including queen we are the champions . at the start of november rooney was videoed singing along to lego house along with musician ed sheeran in the sir ralph abercromby pub in central manchester . the millionaire footballer was filmed sitting on a stool with a pint of lager on the table next to him , and at times closed his eyes and clasped his hands together as he sang one of his favourite songs . the crowd joined in although at times those watching could be heard giggling as rooney struggled to hit some of the notes . long before his rise to international fame as england 's captain and star striker , wayne rooney seems to have harboured an ambition to be a musician . during his days playing at everton he was rumoured to be making a rap track with mark morrison , who sang ` return of the mack ' which was uk number 1 in 1996 . rooney also claims to know all the words to every song in oliver , and has the title of a stereophonic album - just enough education to perform - tattooed on his arm . in 2007 , he serenaded then-girlfriend coleen mcloughlin with lionel richie 's all night long after a valentines day meal in manchester . wayne , 29 , later documented their late night drinks by sharing a fun post-show snap with his 10.1 million twitter followers . the manchester united forward is known for his love of music and has the title of the stereophonics ' album just enough education to perform tattooed on his arm . and in 2011 he took to the stage while on holiday in barbados with his family to sing a seven-song set on a karaoke machine in a bar . he belted out queen hit we are the champions and yesterday by the beatles after asking people for requests . he later tweeted : ` having a great night in barbados ! in lexys piano bar with coleenroo and friends . been on the mic for about 7 songs and felt like a rock star ' . rooney has long harboured musical ambitions , and during his early days of playing at everton he was rumoured to be making a rap record with mark morrison - who 's song ` return of the mack ' was a uk number one single in 1996 . rooney also once revealed via his webpage that he is a fan of 50 cent , jay z and the arctic monkeys - and claims to know every song from the musical oliver . his musical charms also extended to his love life . in 2007 he serenaded then-girlfriend coleen mcloughlin with lionel richie 's all night long in a manchester restaurant after a valentine 's day meal . united and england defender chris smalling and his girlfriend sam cooke were also at the christmas bash . club old-guard ryan giggs was pictured leaving the party along with wife stacey , who was asleep on his lap . striker robin van persie -lrb- left -rrb- was pictured alongside midfielder marouane fellaini -lrb- right -rrb- , wearing a fuzzy wig which appeared to mock his signature hairstyle . the pair were joined by anders lindegaard -lrb- centre -rrb- . after a rough start to the season under new manager louis van gaal , manchester united have found their form recently , and after four consecutive wins in the premier league finally have something to celebrate over the festive period . also at the christmas bash were marouane fellaini , the belgian midfielder who scored yesterday in united 's 2-1 win over stoke , and striker robin van persie , who was pictured next to fellaini wearing a giant fuzzy wig - mocking his teammates signature hairstyle . england and united defender chris smalling also put in an appearance alongside his glamorous girlfriend sam cooke , alongside colombian super-star radamel falcao and his pregnant wife lorelei taron . united old-guard ryan giggs was also seen partying the night away before being driven away in the early hours with wife stacey asleep on his lap . | <s> wayne rooney pictured singing at manchester united christmas party . </s> <s> england striker has concentrated look and is clicking fingers to beat . </s> <s> comes a month after he was filmed duetting with ed sheeran in a pub . </s> <s> rooney has sung in past and claims to know words to every song in oliver . </s> |
accused : alicia gould , 28 , has been charged with attempted murder . a 28-year-old woman has been charged with attempted murder after police say she threw a plugged-in radio alarm clock into a motel bathtub while her boyfriend was in it . police in the rochester suburb of webster tell local media that alicia gould and her boyfriend were in a room at motel early friday when they got into an argument . it is alleged that while the man was taking a bath , gould threw the radio alarm clock into the water in an attempt to electrocute him . police say the room 's ground fault interrupter went off , stopping any electrical current from making its way through the water . police arrived at the super 8 motel at 4:32 a.m. on november 28 . webster police chief gerald pickering said : ` officers arrived at the scene and through their investigation , found a male and a female that were in a domestic disturbance . ` it appeared that the female had attempted to murder her male counterpart . he said under new york state law gould was arrested immediately . ` it sounded like there was some admissions , some confessions made to the investigators and the 911 dispatchers prior to the response , ' pickering said . ` attempted murder ' : police say gould tossed a plugged-in radio alarm clock into a motel -lrb- pictured -rrb- bathtub while her boyfriend was in it . ` i 'm sure that there are circumstances that may come out regarding the allegation , and perhaps in defense of the victim . ' gould is facing a second degree attempted murder charge and is being held in the monroe county jail on $ 20,000 cash bail . it was not immediately clear if she has a lawyer . | <s> alicia gould allegedly had an argument with her boyfriend at motel in rochester suburb of webster on friday . </s> <s> ground fault interrupter went off , stopping any electrical current from making its way through the water . </s> <s> gould , 28 , is facing a second degree attempted murder charge . </s> |
at first glance , it looks uncannily like a human brain . however , in fact this could be proof of the volcanoes that once flowed across the marian surface . the huge circular area is nearly 2 kilometers -lrb- 1.2 miles -rrb- wide , and is described as a ` circular island ' by nasa . scroll down for video . the huge circular area spotted by nasa is nearly 2 kilometers -lrb- 1.2 miles -rrb- wide , and is in the athabasca region of the red planet . the athabasca valles is an outflow channel on mars , cut into its surface by catastrophic flooding . the very high spatial resolution images from the hirise camera on board the mars reconnaissance orbiter have revealed that all the flood features are draped by lava flows . this flow , near athabasca valles , could be the youngest lava flow on mars . ` it looks like a circular island surrounded by a ` sea ' of smooth-looking lava flows , ' nasa said . the athabasca region where the unique shape was spotted contains some of the youngest lava flows on mars . ` therefore , it is highly possible that volcanism played a role in creating this feature , ' nasa 's experts claim . ` perhaps lava has intruded underneath this mound and pushed it up from beneath . ` it looks as if material is missing from the mound , so it is also possible that there was a significant amount of ice in the mound that was driven out by the heat of the lava . there are an array of features like this in the region that continue to puzzle scientists . ` we hope that close inspection of this hirise image , and others around it , will provide some clues regarding its formation , ' they say . the athabasca valles is an outflow channel on mars , cut into its surface by catastrophic flooding . the very high spatial resolution images from the hirise camera on board the mars reconnaissance orbiter have revealed that all the flood features are draped by lava flows . hirise is one of six instruments on nasa 's mars reconnaissance orbiter . the 65 kg -lrb- 143 lb -rrb- , $ 40 million instrument was built under the direction of the university of arizona 's lunar and planetary laboratory by ball aerospace & technologies corp. . it consists of a 0.5 m -lrb- 19.7 in -rrb- aperture reflecting telescope , the largest so far of any deep space mission , which allows it to take pictures of mars with resolutions of 0.3 m/pixel -lrb- about 1 foot -rrb- , resolving objects below a meter across . research published in january 2010 , described the discovery of a vast single lava flow , the size of the state of oregon , that ` was put in place turbulently over the span of several weeks at most . ' the athabasca region where the unique shape was spotted contains some of the youngest lava flows on mars . this flow , near athabasca valles , is the youngest lava flow on mars . it is thought to be of late amazonian age . the floor of athabasca valles is peppered with thousands of small cones and rings formed as steam exploded through the lava flow . because the flood-carved surface is now covered by lava , it is no longer easy to determine the age of the water floods that passed through athabasca valles . it is plausible that the flood was triggered by rising magma . around 80 % of the craters in athabasca valles are secondary craters from the impact that created zunil crater . | <s> circular feature is nearly 2 kilometers -lrb- 1.2 miles -rrb- wide on the athabasca region of the red planet . </s> <s> experts say it is most likely to be a circular island surrounded by a ` sea ' of smooth-looking lava flows . </s> <s> the athabasca region contains some of the youngest lava flows on the martian surface . </s> |
on thursday washington , d.c. , began its three-day final farewell to the late marion barry , the former mayor who remained a hero to many in the city despite a crack cocaine conviction . barry , known as the district of columbia 's ` mayor for life ' after four terms in office , died on november 23 at 78 due to heart problems . he was a city councilman when he died , representing impoverished ward 8 . barry 's coffin , draped in west african kente cloth and piled high with red roses , lay in repose at city hall after police pallbearers carried it past mourners , media and political leaders . respect ; a casket containing the remains of former district of columbia mayor marion barry sits in the front lobby of the john a. wilson building , the district 's city hall , where barry spent 16 years as mayor and another 16 years on the d.c. council . civil rights leader the rev. jesse jackson jr. accompanied barry 's family into the black-draped building . many of the mourners said barry , the son of a mississippi sharecropper , had transformed the u.s. capital by giving jobs and hope to black residents . ` he 's like a messiah for the district . he paved the way for many , many , many of us , african americans as well as people in general , ' said diane lyons , 54 , a healthcare worker . bernard barker , 53 , a laborer who had arrived at 6:30 a.m. to be first in line , prayed at barry 's coffin . ' i just said , ` god bless you , mr. marion barry , god bless your family . ' i know he 's going to heaven because he did a lot of good for the city , ' barker said . current washington , d.c. mayor vincent gray -lrb- l -rrb- and councilmember phil mendelson -lrb- r -rrb- escort cora masters barry -lrb- c -rrb- into the viewing service . mourners : the rev. jesse jackson -lrb- 2nd l -rrb- and current washington , d.c. mayor vincent gray -lrb- c -rrb- , escort cora masters barry -lrb- r -rrb- into a viewing service at the wilson building in washington for former mayor marion barry . laughter and tears : cora masters barry -lrb- c -rrb- , wife of former washington , dc mayor marion barry , wipes her eyes during a ceremony for her late husband . dignified : cora masters barry , -lrb- r -rrb- , the former wife of deceased former washington , d.c. mayor marion barry , and christopher -lrb- l -rrb- , marion barry 's son watch incoming mourners viewing barry 's casket lying in repose at the wilson building in washington on thursday . high regard : the metro police honor guard carries former washington , dc mayor marion barry 's casket into the john a. wilson building on thursday . washington , dc , mayor vincent c. gray -lrb- l -rrb- bows his head as the metro police honor guard carries former washington , dc mayor marion barry 's casket into the john a. wilson building to ` lie in repose ' his memorial service was set for dec. 6 at the washington convention center and is scheduled to last four hours , preceded by a three-hour public viewing . washington has planned three days of commemoration , with a motorcade carrying barry 's coffin on friday to the temple of praise church , where he had worshipped . a memorial service at washington 's convention center on saturday is expected to draw thousands , with jackson delivering the eulogy . barry became mayor in 1979 and focused resources on poor neighborhoods , government contracts for black businesses and jobs on the city payroll . barry 's third consecutive term was sullied by open talk of womanizing , drinking and drug use . he responded to criticism with denials and claims that he was the victim of a racist media . hero : barry 's body will lie in repose in a closed casket at the district government building for 24 hours starting on the morning of dec. 4 . the casket will then be driven around the city in a lengthy processional ending at a church near his home in southeast washington . the church will host a community memorial service that evening . thanks : a women pays her respects to former washington , dc mayor marion barry . barry , who served four terms as mayor and another 16 years on the d.c. council , died sunday morning at age 78 . known as `` mayor for life , '' barry was beloved by many washingtonians for expanding economic opportunity for the city 's african-american majority , and his administration helped spur the revival of the city 's downtown . mourners view former washington , d.c. marion barry 's casket lying in repose at the wilson building in washington . in 1990 , the married barry was captured on a hidden video camera smoking crack with a former girlfriend . his arrest came as washington was plagued by a crack epidemic and drug-related homicides . after a sentence for cocaine possession , barry reclaimed the mayor 's job two years later . his final term was marked by a federal takeover of the city 's finances . barry was married four times and had one son . | <s> marion barry will be remembered with three days of events . </s> <s> revered within washington d.c. as the ` most iconic figure ' in the city 's history . </s> <s> barry 's body will lie in repose in a closed casket at the district government building for 24 hours . </s> <s> his memorial service is set for december 6 at the washington convention center . </s> <s> known as ` mayor for life , ' barry was beloved by many washingtonians . </s> <s> battled a well publicized addiction to crack-cocaine and was married four times . </s> |
bill cosby has hit back at a woman who claims he got her drunk and sexually assaulted her when she was 15 at the playboy mansion . the under-fire comic , now 77 , is accused of attacking 19 women , and has so far remained silent amid the myriad of claims . however , today , he has chosen to file court papers against judy huth - who is suing him for alleged sexual assault in 1974 - an incident which may well be investigated by los angeles cops . cosby calls her claims ` absolutely false ' and in papers seen by mailonline , the star claims miss hath 's lawyer tried to extort him for $ 100,000 - and then raised the price to $ 250,000 as new women came forward to make similar claims . lawsuit : bill cosby is accusing judy huth , who says he attacked her when she was 15 , of extortion . she has launched a lawsuit against him for sexual assault . demands : attorney gloria allred is flanked by bill cosby accusers at her office on wednesday , from left , chelan lasha , beth ferrier and helen hayes . weeping : chelan lasha , now a grandmother , breaks down on wednesday afternoon as she claims that cosby drugged and assaulted her when she was 17 . in the court papers , cosby says miss huth 's lawyer approached his attorney marty singer last month and made ` ominous references to criminal penalties . ' the lawyer , cosby claims , demanded cash in return for silence - upping the demands as more women came forward . cosby alleges that miss huth tried to sell the story to the media 10 years ago , but no-one would publish her claims . the court papers state : ` approximately 10 years ago , plaintiff judith huff unsuccessfully tried to get money from a tabloid by selling the same story about bill cosby that is the subject of this lawsuit . ` knowing that since she disclosed her allegations to a media outlet 10 years ago , she can not claim to have a repressed memory . ' the argument of a repressed memory would allow miss huth to file a civil lawsuit within three years of the time she remembered . however , if she recalled the incident a decade ago , her lawsuit is moot , cosby 's papers state . miss huth filed her own suit on tuesday , alleging she has suffered ` psychological injuries and illnesses ' that she only connected to the assault within the last three years . the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for sexual battery and emotional distress . she claims she first met cosby as a teenager with her 16-year-old friend as they wandered on to the set of his movie . he invited them to his l.a. country tennis club the following saturday , where they then followed him to a house where he ` served them alcohol beverages and played games of billiards ' with miss huth , according to the lawsuit . miss huth was required to drink a beer every time cosby won a game , the lawsuit said . later , the girls followed cosby to the playboy mansion , where the comedian told huth and her friend to say they were 19 if anyone asked their ages , according to the papers . at one point , miss huth emerged from a bathroom to find cosby sitting on a bed . the lawsuit states he asked her to sit down next to him and attempted to ` put his hand down her pants ' . he then took her hand in his and performed a sexual act on himself ` without her consent ' , the lawsuit said . ` this traumatic incident , at such a tender age , has caused psychological damage and mental anguish ... that has caused her significant problems through her life , ' the lawsuit said . however , cosby claims that miss huth lied about playing a ` drinking game ' with him where the pair drank three beers , as his lawyer says it well known that cosby is a ` lifelong non-drinker ' . cosby 's papers state : ` the drinking age in california at the time was 21 . ' the papers state that miss huth 's lawyer did not even know if she was seeing a therapist , accusing her and her lawyer of ` engaging in a shakedown ' cosby is now demanding that the lawsuit is dismissed and has requested ` monetary sanctions of not less than $ 33,295 . ' attorney gloria allred yesterday challenged cosby to pay $ 100 million in damages to the women who claim he sexually assaulted them . the lawyer introduced three alleged victims - two who have never spoken before - and as they broke down in tears , she told cosby he could waive the statute of limitations so all the women accusing him of assault could have their day in court . if not , she said , he could stump up $ 100 million - and the money would be handed out to the women by a committee of retired judges . speaking at her california law offices , miss allred said she had been forced to tell many women who had contacted her to report abuse at the hands of the comic legend that they were too late to file a lawsuit due to the statute of limitations . however , she said : ` today , i am here to propose two new solutions to this public dilemma and a away to determine if bill cosby is a saint of a sexual predator . ' she said that if cosby is ` confident ' he has done nothing wrong , he could waive the statute of limitations , adding : ` then his alleged victims would have an opportunity to have their allegations dealt with on their merits . the woman who started it all : andrea constand , a former basketball player , sued cosby in 2005 and settled later on . beth ferrier was jane doe no 5 in andrea 's civil court case . emotional : former supermodel janice dickinson says cosby drugged and raped her in 1982 . alleged victims : tamara green -lrb- left -rrb- and barbara bowman -lrb- right -rrb- join the ranks of woman who claim cosby assaulted them . ` bill cosby would have an opportunity to address there allegations in a court of law and the victims and mr cosby would have an opportunity to have a judge and jury decide who should be believed . ' this would be similar , miss allred said , to the catholic church cases in california , which involved allegations of sexual abuse by priests . a law allowed victims to sue within a one year period . alternatively , miss allred said , if cosby did not want to waive the statute of limitations , he could pour $ 100 million into a fund , adding that anyone who claims to be a victim could put their case in front of a panel of retired judges , who would act as arbitrators , who would then decided if their case had merit - and how much damages they would be awarded . cosby has an estimated fortune of $ 400 million , according to celebrity net worth . he has made his fortune through numerous endorsements including jell-o , coca-cola and ford - and dominating tv in the 1980s with the cosby show . cosby 's syndication deal in 1988 also earned him a fortune . rights to air the cosby show for three years were sold to fox for $ 550 million . he currently lives with his wife of 51 years , camille , in a compound in shelburne falls , massachusetts , that includes two large farmhouses . they couple moved in in 1971 and also bought several acres around the town for conservation purposes . however , miss allred said : ` it 's time for justice and accountability and we challenge him to end this nightmare , both for him and the alleged victims by accepting either of the options that i proposed and we look forward to his response . ' chelan lasha , from california - now believed to be a 46-year-old grandmother - told how cosby attacked her when she was just 17 in 1986 when she was an aspiring model . weeping , she said her stepmother had sent pictures of her to the star and he called her at home in las vegas , inviting her to the hilton las vegas , where he was performing and she had a job . she then went up to elvis presley suite to meet him and after telling him she had a cold , he gave her a blue pill , which he said was an antihistimine , with a double shot of amaretto . she said : ` he was rubbing my neck and saying that he might have to have someone come in and give me stress therapy . ' she claimed he told her to change into a hilton bathrobe and wet her hair to see the modelling scout . someone did briefly come up to the room , pertaining to be from the ford modelling agency - telling her to she needed to lose 10 pounds - and taking some pictures . then , chelan said , cosby walked her to the bedroom and gave her another shot of amaretto , which he claimed would help her cold . no comment : bill cosby yesterday thanked whoopi goldberg and singer jill scott for their support on twitter - but has made no public statement . ' i laid down , ' she said : ` he laid down next to me on the bed and began pinching my left nipple and humping my leg while he was grunting . ' i could not open my eyes . i could n't move or say anything . i felt something warm on my legs . then i blacked out . ' ` thirteen to sixteen hours later i woke up by hearing mr cosby clapping his hands and saying ` daddy says wake up ' . he gave me $ 1500 . he said the money was to buy something nice for me and my grandmother and he also invited me to go to the temptations show with my grandmother . ` my grandmother went but i did not go because i was too sick . then he invited us to his show . my grandmother really want to go . i did not , but i went with her and heckled him . as a result , i was fired my from job . ' chelan was joined by two other women , helen hayes , who claims cosby fondled her breast after stalking her and her friends ` like a predator ' after they met in the summer of 1973 . beth ferrier , meanwhile , who has already come forward , alleges that she had an affair with cosby , which ended in him drugging and raping her - and leaving her to come to in her car in an alleyway . she was jane doe 5 in the civil suit brought against cosby by andrea costand , the first woman to allege he had attacked her , in 2005 . former basketball player andrea ended up settling out of court . mailonline has contacted cosby 's attorney for comment . | <s> under-fire comedy legend claims judy huth 's lawyer tried to extort him for $ 100,000 - then demanded $ 250,000 , in court papers seen by mailonline . </s> <s> miss huth is suing cosby for a sexual assault she says happened in 1974 . </s> <s> cosby calls her claims ` absolutely false ' and says he has been subjected to a ` shakedown ' </s> <s> famed attorney gloria allred says : ` the public deserves to know if mr cosby is a saint or sexual predator ' </s> |
jenna bush may not have lived in the white house full-time when her father was in office , but she did take advantage of it while she was there . last night , the former first daughter , now 33 and married to henry hager , admitted to andy cohen that she may have engaged in ' a little hanky panky ' on the roof when she was younger . the mother-of-one implied that the man she kissed that night was henry himself , who was in the audience as she spoke on the show . scroll down for video . confession : former first daughter jenna bush hager , now 33 and married to henry hager , has admitted that she may have engaged in ' a little hanky panky ' on the white house roof when she was 19 . playing innocent : at first , jenna remained coy when she was asked if she had ever fooled around in the white house , telling the audience : ` am i blushing ? listen , a lady never talks ! ' tell-all : andy also asked if she ever romped around in the lincoln bedroom . ` no , no , ' she said , before conceding jokingly : ` maybe i missed an opportunity there ' at first , jenna remained coy when she was asked if she had ever fooled around in the white house , telling the audience : ` am i blushing ? listen , a lady never talks ! ' but eventually , she confessed : ` maybe there was a little kiss on the roof . ' jenna implied that the lucky man on that fateful night was her husband-to-be , explaining : ' i was 19 years old when my dad became president ... meaning i knew -lsb- my husband -rsb- for a long time . flashback : jenna -lrb- pictured in 2005 -rrb- implied that the lucky man was her husband-to-be , explaining : ' i was 19 years old when my dad became president ... meaning i knew -lsb- my husband -rsb- for a long time ' ` and you know , maybe there was a little hanky panky . there was maybe a kiss on the roof , ' she revealed with a sly smile . the today show correspondent , who met her husband during father george w bush 's 2004 campaign , was also asked if she ever romped around in the lincoln bedroom . ` no , no , ' she said , before conceding jokingly : ` maybe i missed an opportunity there . ' all grown up : these days , she is happily married to henry hager , with whom she has a one-year-old daughter named mila . jenna , who welcomed daughter mila in april 2013 , also talked about being ` fiercely protective ' of malia and sasha obama , who were recently criticized by a gop aide for not showing enough ` class ' . ` it 's not easy , and it 's not a job that they wanted . and so it 's hard ! ' said jenna . ' i mean i , obviously , heh , had a hard time . but it 's also a privilege . so i mean ... they 've done an incredible job . ' | <s> the mother-of-one implied that the man she kissed that night was her now-husband henry hager . </s> |
barcelona forward lionel messi 's yellow card for time-wasting after he was apparently hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd in sunday 's la liga game at valencia has been rescinded by the spanish soccer federation -lrb- rfef -rrb- . barca 's initial appeal was rejected by the rfef 's competition committee and the club lodged a second challenge with a higher appeals committee which ruled in their favour on thursday . the rfef said on its website the committee had been unable to detect ` deliberate time-wasting ' on messi 's part but only ' a normal reaction from someone who had suffered an aggression by a spectator ' . video scroll down for messi struck with bottle from crowd then booked for time wasting . the bottle -lrb- ringed -rrb- is thrown from the crowd in valencia as the barcelona players celebrate their late winner . lionel messi goes down clutching his head in stoppage time after being hit on the head with a bottle . messi is clearly in pain after being struck on the head by the object in the closing stages of the contest . messi was celebrating his side 's 94th-minute winner with his team mates near the corner flag at the mestalla stadium when a plastic bottle was thrown from the stands and appeared to strike him on the head . he was examined by barcelona 's medical staff after the final whistle and did not appear to be injured , giving the thumbs-up as he walked off the pitch . it was not clear if the bottle or another object , such as a coin , had struck the argentina captain and he has made no public comment about the incident . messi received treatment as he walked from the pitch and has not given a public comment about the incident . midfielder sergio busquets -lrb- right -rrb- celebrates his late winner for barcelona against valencia on sunday . barca 's 1-0 win kept them hard on the heels of leaders real madrid , who are two points clear of their arch-rivals after 13 matches thanks to saturday 's 2-1 victory at malaga . real can extend their club-record winning streak in all competitions to 18 games when they host celta vigo on saturday before barca welcome city rivals espanyol on sunday . | <s> lionel messi appeared to be struck on the head by a bottle against valencia . </s> <s> he was celebrating sergio busquet 's last minute winner for barcelona . </s> <s> after taking a moment to compose himself , he was booked for wasting time . </s> |
fashion student wilson pk thought he was going gaga when a superstar singer asked him to send over his designs . the 23-year-old was approached by lady gaga 's stylists who noticed his designs on show at a new york exhibition . at the time , wilson pk was working for designer alexander wang in new york . lady gaga then wore the fashionista 's bright orange knit suit when she landed in south korea last week . scroll down for video . on trend : lady gaga noticed wilson pk 's collection at an exhibition while the fashion student was working for designer alexander wang in new york . the graduate of central st martins in london said the singer 's entourage asked him to send over his entire collection . lady gaga later posted photos of wilson 's work on her instagram page and wrote ` stunning young recent graduate . ' wilson , who is originally from hong kong but now lives in london says : ` it 's a huge honour . this was the best thing that could have happened . art pop : wilson pk -lrb- right -rrb- pictured at the cambridge centre for sixth form studies with head of visual arts charlie ritchie -lrb- l-r -rrb- , student rarinthorn wanavit and fine arts teacher richard swift . ` it was really incredible because she mentioned my name , which she does n't usually do , and she called me a stunning student . i feel very lucky . ' i think she is amazing . she is doing something different and is showing a new aspect of beautiful . ' wilson explained the inspiration for this collection came from his experience of coming out to his parents . fashion pack : lady gaga posted pictures of wilson 's work on her instagram page . he added : ` they took it really hard - they almost wanted to disown me . for me this collection was very therapeutic . ' wilson 's former fashion and textile teacher at cambridge centre for sixth form studies , charlotte denton-cowell , said there was ` never a dull moment ' with him in her classes . she explained : ` we always knew he would make it big , lady gaga wearing his recent outfits will give him fantastic exposure and most certainly give his career a major kick start . ' | <s> london-based wilson pk was approached by lady gaga 's stylists . </s> <s> they asked the 23-year-old to send over his designs from an exhibition . </s> <s> lady gaga posted pictures of wilson 's work on her instagram page . </s> <s> also wore his bright orange knit suit in south korea last week . </s> |
it may come as no surprise to many men , but proposing to your partner really is a stressful business , it has been revealed . one bridegroom to be has revealed he wore a heart rate monitor throughout his proposal day . he posted the resulting chart to reddit - revealing a huge spike as he popped the question . redditor sesipikai wore a hear rate monitor throughout the day as the couple walked around rome before he proposed in the forum . the user , called sesipikai , wore a heart rate monitor throughout his day in rome . he also carried a gps unit to track his location as the couple explored . by linking the two , he was able to create the graph above in microsoft excel , and add in exactly what the couple did on their big day . the user , called sesipikai , took his girlfriend to rome for the proposal . the chart reveals their entire day , from walking through the colosseum to buying ice cream . the user also had gps co-ordinates for their day , allowing him to map exactly how the heart rate tallies to their location . the proposal was planned to happen in the roman forum - and the heart rate begins to rise as the couple turn and start walking towards it . unsurprisingly , when he begins speaking , his heart rate rockets - peaking at130bpm . he then relaxes - only to see another rise as she says yes . in fact , the rate only then begins to drop as the couple find a nearby bench to sit on . the user posted the image with a simple caption saying ` wore a heart rate belt during my trip to rome . ` export data to xml file . ` created a graph using ms excel . ' the chart reveals their entire day , from walking through the colosseum -lrb- left -rrb- to arriving the the forum -lrb- right -rrb- to propose . he also revealed his biggest fear while walking - losing the ring . ' i was so afraid of losing the ring , ' he admitted . ` had my hand inside the pocket most of the day . that ring burns your pocket like there 's no tomorrow . ' i have a new found respect for mister frodo after that day . ' he also revealed he fluffed his lines during the proposal . ' i did n't start with the question , had a little speech planned , might have forgotten a couple of lines though ' the chart stuck a chord with other users of the site , who added their own feelings . ` my heart beat like crazy for a solid ten minutes waiting on a private moment and knowing it could come any second , ' one said . however , others were less kind , with one joking : ' i hear she 's really good between the spreadsheets . ' | <s> bridegroom to be wore heart rate monitor for entire day to see how proposal affected him . </s> <s> as couple approached the forum in rome , where proposal took place , his heart rate rocketed . </s> <s> after second increase as she says yes , it only begins to subside when the pair find a bench to sit on . </s> |
hallowe'en may have passed for another year , but deer with vampire-like fangs are still haunting the hills of afghanistan . it is the first time that rare fanged kashmir musk deer has been spotted in over 60 years . despite their ghoulish appearance , the endangered male creatures use their fangs during mating season to seduce females and fend off love rivals , instead of sucking blood . fangs for the memories : researchers have spotted kashmir musk deer -lrb- stock image -rrb- in the hills of afghanistan for the first time in over 60 years . the endangered male creatures use their fangs during mating season to seduce females and fend off love rivals , instead of sucking blood . one of seven similar species found in asia , kashmir musk deer live on the rugged forested slopes of northeast afghanistan , according to the wildlife conservation society -lrb- wcs -rrb- which came across a small population when conducting a recent survey . the last scientific sighting in nuristan province , afghanistan , was believed to have been made by a danish survey team traversing the region in 1948 . the species is endangered due to habitat loss and poaching , according to the study published in the journal oryx . the creature produces a musk that is used in perfumes , incense and medicine . its scent glands are coveted by wildlife traffickers and are considered more valuable by weight than gold , fetching as much as $ 45,000 / kilo -lrb- # 28,121 -rrb- on the black market . by way of comparison , the price of gold per kilo at the time of writing , is $ 37,624 / kilo -lrb- # 23,511 -rrb- . the last scientific sighting of the deer -lrb- stock image pictured -rrb- in nuristan province , afghanistan , was believed to have been made by a danish survey team traversing the region in 1948 . one of seven similar species found in asia , kashmir musk deer live on the rugged forested slopes of northeast afghanistan -lrb- marked in red -rrb- . the survey team recorded five sightings of the rare deer , including a solitary male in the same area on three occasions and one female with a juvenile . the animal 's ` fangs ' -lrb- pictured -rrb- are described as tusks , because they are used during the rutting season , when males clash with each other . the animal 's ` fangs ' are described by zoologists as tusks , because they are used during the rutting season , when males clash with each other to secure a mate . the survey team recorded five sightings of the rare deer , including a solitary male in the same area on three occasions , one female with a juvenile , and one solitary female , which may have been the same individual without her young . all sightings were in steep rocky outcrops interspersed with alpine meadows and scattered , dense high bushes of juniper and rhododendron . according to the team , the kashmir musk deer were discrete , cryptic and difficult to spot and could not be photographed . despite their obscurity , experts say the species and its habitat must be protected in order for it to continue to survive in afghanistan . ` musk deer are one of afghanistan 's living treasures , ' said co-author peter zahler , wcs deputy director of asia programs . ` this rare species , along with better known wildlife such as snow leopards , are the natural heritage of this struggling nation . we hope that conditions will stabilise soon to allow wcs and local partners to better evaluate conservation needs of this species . ' in the meantime , the society has trained local people in nuristan to continue its research and protection of the species until security conditions improve . the kashmir musk deer -lrb- moschus cupreus -rrb- is an endangered species native to afghanistan , india and pakistan . adults typically stand two feet tall and only the males have tusks , which they use for rutting . the deer has n't been seen in afghanistan since 1948 . the species produces a musk that is used in perfumes , incense and medicine . because of this its scent glands are incredibly valuable . they are coveted by wildlife traffickers and are considered more valuable by weight than gold , fetching as much as $ 45,000 / kilo -lrb- # 28,121 -rrb- on the black market . | <s> kashmir musk deer has been spotted for the first time in over 60 years . </s> <s> population was sighted on the forested slopes of northeast afghanistan . </s> <s> endangered makes use their fangs to attract females and fight rival males . </s> <s> creatures are rare because of poachers who sell their scent glands for more money than gold - at around $ 45,000 / kilo -lrb- # 28,121 -rrb- on the black market . </s> |