Lifeboat Crew Races Rising Tide To Save Girl

A nine-year-old girl who became trapped between giant rocks on a beach during a rising tide has been rescued by a lifeboat crew.

The youngster's foot got stuck in the boulders at the seaside resort of Aberaeron in Ceredigion, Wales.

"I was playing hide and seek and I slipped," she told rescuers. "I can only move my toes."

Rescuers race against a rising tide to set the girl free (Pic: RNLI)

Newquay RNLI lifeboat crew were called to the scene at 5pm on Thursday - just as the tide was starting to come in.

The schoolgirl was set free by 17-year-old RNLI volunteer Tom Evans, the youngest member of the team, on his first rescue.

The nine-year-old is eventually pulled out (Pic: RNLI)

He removed his jacket and helmet and managed to slip into a tight space down between the rocks and under the water to cut her wellington boots.

The girl was then lifted out from between the rocks to safety.

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Teenager Admits Killing Teacher Ann Maguire

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

A 16-year-old has admitted killing teacher Ann Maguire in a classroom stabbing.

The teenager is accused of murdering the 61-year-old Spanish teacher at the Corpus Christi College in Leeds in April this year.

Prosecuting barrister Paul Greaney QC told a hearing at Leeds Crown Court that the boy didn't admit murder but said: "It did amount to an admission of manslaughter."

No formal plea was entered but defence barrister Richard Wright QC said the boy had "accepted responsibility for unlawful killing".

Ann Maguire was the first teacher to be fatally stabbed in a British school

The schoolboy, who cannot legally be identified because of his age, appeared via video link from an undisclosed location.

He wore blue trousers and a red T-shirt and responded clearly to confirm details of his identity and that he understood what was happening. 

Members of Mrs Maguire's family sat in the public gallery for the 10-minute hearing.

A note left among the tributes to Ann Maguire by a pupil

The teacher had worked at Corpus Christi College at Halton Moor for more than 40 years and was just weeks away from retirement when she died. 

It is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom.

The public was warned at the hearing not to risk contempt of court by commenting on the case through online blogging or social media.

Flowers laid outside Corpus Christi Catholic College in April

Others have been jailed over recent months for doing so, Judge Peter Collier QC said.

The boy was remanded in custody until the next hearing on September 26. 

Psychiatric reports will now be prepared before the trial, which is due to start on November 3.

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Vanessa-Mae's Olympic Skiing Qualifier 'Fixed'

Four ski officials have been accused of rigging the results of a race which helped classical violinist Vanessa-Mae secure her place at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The famous musician-turned-athlete made her Olympic debut in February, competing for Thailand as Vanessa Vanakorn, using the surname of her Thai father.

The celebrity went on to finish 67th and last in the giant slalom.

To earn the points to qualify for the Games she took part in several official races including one in Slovenia.

The Slovenian Ski Association said on Friday it found clear breaches of International Ski Federation (FIS) rules including irregularities concerning times and rankings - and evidence indicating the races it hosted in January were "fixed at the behest of Thai ski officials to meet her qualifying criteria for Sochi".

The musician performing at a concert last year

SSA director Jurij Zurej said: "The starting list included a person who did not even compete, a racer who fell was registered as finishing high in the standings.

"In addition, the dates of the competitions did not match the actual date when the races were held.

"Based on those findings, we have decided that the four persons responsible for that race will not be able to work in the name of the SSA for a period of four years, and we have sent a sample of the findings to the public prosecutor."

He stressed there was "absolutely no proof any athlete including Vanessa was (knowingly) involved in any activities that would breach any of our rules or those of FIS".

The 35-year-old, who was born in Singapore and raised in Britain, said after the Games: "The Olympics is like the greatest show on earth and to just share the same snow, to be able to slide down the same snow that the elite skiers carve down is just an honour and a privilege."

The star, who has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, took a year off from her music career to prepare for Sochi and reportedly left her violin at home during the Games to concentrate on skiing.

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Bull Run: Trampled Briton Left Vomiting Blood

A British man was left vomiting blood after suffing serious injuries when he was trampled during the world-famous bull run in Spain.

Tom Hadfield suffered four fractured ribs and a punctured lung after he was mown down by an animal during the encierro, or running of the bulls, in Pamplona's San Fermin festival.

Speaking from his bed in Hospital De Navarro in the city, where he has been recovering since the accident on Tuesday, Mr Hadfield said: "I've never experienced pain like this before. It's agony.

"I think a few of them trampled me. It's a miracle they didn't crush my skull or break my back."

"Afterwards I got up and carried on running for a bit. Then I started to get dizzy and found somewhere safe to keel over.

"Next thing I know I'm vomiting blood on the street and there is a big crowd around me.

Many people are injured in the controversial event each year

"Then I passed out and woke up in the ambulance. Pretty scary. I thought I was paralysed."

Mr Hadfield, who lives and works in Nottingham, but is originally from Dunmow, Essex, travelled to Spain on Monday with friends so they could take part in the bull run before heading to a music festival on the outskirts of Bilbao.

He said he was likely to be in hospital for the rest of this week before flying home and returning to work.

"I did it (the run) last year and it was without doubt the best feeling I've ever had in my life," he said.

"Hemingway said the best feeling in life was to be shot at and missed.

"I guess I just thought I was invincible but now I realise I'm not."

The encierro, or the running of the bulls, is the highlight of the San Fermin street festival in Pamplona.

Many people are injured in the runnings each year, while 15 people are believed to have died since record-keeping began in 1910.

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Brit Tourist Loses Fingertips On Disney Ride

A British tourist has lost the tips of two fingers on a log flume ride at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida.

The man lost the tips of his right hand's ring and little fingers on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction on Thursday morning, fire officials said.

The unnamed tourist, whose condition has not been disclosed, was taken to hospital.

Bo Jones, of the Reedy Creek Fire Department, told Sky News it is possible the thrill-seeker did not keep his hand inside the ride.

"We received a call from a Disney cast member informing us that a guest had been injured, so we responded and he was treated at a local hospital. It was a non-emergency situation," he said.

"He was around 57 years old. What the medic told me is was he was saying, 'I had my hand on the side of the boat and I shouldn't have. It was all my fault.'"

Magic Kingdom officials stopped the ride for safety checks before reopening it later on Thursday.

Disney could not immediately be reached for comment.

The decades-old attraction was the inspiration for the hugely popular Pirates of the Caribbean film series, starring Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley.

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Glee Star's Boyfriend Found Dead In Hotel Room

The boyfriend of Glee actress Becca Tobin has been found dead in a hotel room, just days before the first anniversary of actor Cory Monteith's death.

TMZ reported that Matt Bendik, 35, was found by a hotel maid in Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon. 

Tobin, who plays Kitty Wilde in the hit show, is believed to have been out with her boyfriend and friends on Wednesday night.

Police described the death "sudden" but said there was no reason to believe foul play was involved.

Cory Monteith died a year ago

It is thought the couple were in the city on business. Mr Bendik ran a number of nightclubs in Los Angeles and around the country

Monteith, who played Finn Hudson in the series, died from a combination of heroin and alcohol in a Vancouver hotel room on July 13, 2013.

His girlfriend Lea Michele is also in the series and has spoken publicly about her devastation at his death and her struggle to move on with her life.

Tobin joined the musical comedy about a group of aspiring singers at high school in its fourth season.

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Internet Trolls Pose Like Teen Rape Victim

A 16-year-old girl who says she was drugged and raped at a party has been mocked on the internet by people posing how she appeared in pictures and video of the attack.

The online abuse started after the girl, named only as Jada, told KHOU 11 News that she only realised she had been assaulted when images of her semi-naked, unconscious body started appearing on social media. 

In the interview, the teenager said she had waived her right to anonymity because she wanted justice.

"There's no point in hiding," she said. "Everybody has already seen my face and body, but that's not what I am and who I am."

She added: "I'm just angry."

However, shortly afterwards Twitter and Vine users started posting videos and photos of people replicating the image of her after the alleged rape.

In a second interview with KHOU, Jada said: "My friends are getting harassed, I'm getting harassed. We can't go out or nothing. It's very embarrassing."

Social media users condemned the meme. Pic: Twitter

The teenager said she was at a house party with a friend and was given a drink by the 16-year-old boy hosting the event, which she believes was spiked with a drug.

She said she passed out and had no idea what had followed until she saw the images of herself online.

Houston Police are investigating the alleged attack, while the online abuse mimicking her has been condemned by social media users as "sickening" and "disgusting".

One girl tweeted: "Living in a generation that turns a serious crime such as rape into a joke just for laughs. You can laugh your way into hell."

Another wrote on Twitter: "Mocking a rape victim and making internet memes of her rape is not funny at all."

One said: "This ... thing is sickening... Rape haunts a person for ever(sic). Those who mock are uneducated, selfish, attention seeking idiots."

Jada's mother, who did not want to be named, told KHOU: "No one's daughter deserved this. No human being deserved this."

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Motor Racing On UK's Streets A Big Step Closer

Councils are to be given powers to stage motor races on public roads, it has been revealed.

Downing Street said legislation would be introduced this year to allow speed limits to be lifted and competitive events held.

Such races - including the Birmingham Superprix between 1986 and 1990 - have previously required specific permission from parliament.

David Cameron hailed the decision as he opened the new Williams F1 engineering facility in Oxfordshire.

"We're going to change the rules so that local councils are able to make decisions, so you don't have to have a private member's bill through parliament," he said.

The Birmingham Superprix in 1988

"We think (this will be) great news British motorsport. More races, more events, more money coming into our country and more success for this extraordinary industry."

The change, which follows a consultation earlier this year, brings the prospect of a Monaco-style Grand Prix on the streets of London closer.

Legislation will be added to the Deregulation Bill in the autumn, and could be in force before the general election next year.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said local authorities would have to consult with local people and ensure all necessary safety precautions were in place.

Thousands of people turned up watch the second city's street-circuit race

"We have seen in recent years a great number of successful sporting events here in the UK, of various sizes," the spokesman said.

"Alongside that I think this country has a long tradition ... of engineering excellence, particularly in motor sport."

It comes after the country hosted the first three stages of the Tour de France this month, which attracted around six million spectators and is estimated to contributed more than £100m to the economy,

Martin Hone, the organiser of the original Birmingham Superprix, had previously called on the city's leaders to show "political will" to secure the event's return.

"I still have the energy and vitality and would love to do it," he told the Birmingham Mail.

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Hamas: Israel's Main Airport Will Be Targeted

A Complex Web Of Friends And Enemies

Updated: 5:06pm UK, Friday 11 July 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel at dawn. The opening of a new front for Israel already engaged in an escalating air campaign in the Gaza Strip? No.

Neither the Israelis nor Hezbollah, which has an arsenal of 100,000 rockets and controls southern Lebanon, are that stupid.

The missile attack on Israel's north was an attempt by Sunni militants to spark a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel that both know would be a zero sum.

Why would Sunnis, in all probability descendants of Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, want to do that?

It's Hezbollah, a Shia movement, after all, that has been a major conduit of experts, funding and modern rockets to Hamas, a Sunni organisation, in Gaza. Hamas and Hezbollah are allies.

But only when it comes to fighting Israel.

In Syria, Hamas has condemned the Assad regime, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran.

Sunnis of Palestinian descent are among volunteers who have joined rebel groups fighting Damascus, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its best fighters to the frontlines to defend the regime of Bashar al Assad.

There is a logic at work here.

If Sunni groups in south Lebanon can sucker the Israelis into a war with Hezbollah they could enjoy the double whammy of reduced pressure on Gaza, and the use of Israel's devastating air power against Hezbollah, the Sunni's enemies in Syria.

No better example of an attempt to kill two birds with one stone.

It won't happen because both Hezbollah and Israel, foes who have the greatest respect for one another, saw through the plot some time back. It's not the first time it has been tried.

But it does signal just how the Middle East's tectonic plates of conflict have shifted and can overlap.

The explosion of sectarian Muslim war between Sunni and Shia in Syria, which has spread into Iraq and has destabilised Lebanon, has become the defining clash in a new age of chaos.

Rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran use proxies to vie for influence and control.

The Saudis have become increasingly nervous of the spread of a Shia crescent from Tehran through Baghdad to Damascus and south Lebanon.

But Tehran has also used enemy forces to bolster the positions of its allies.

According to intelligence sources Muhsin al Fadhli, once a senior al Qaeda figure based in Iraq has taken up an operational roles inside Syria - at the instigation of the Iranian government.

Why would Tehran release someone to fight a key client an ally in Damascus?

Because radical groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have fought harder against fellow rebel groups than they have against the Assad regime.

Tehran has split the rebels.

But now ISIS threatens Iran's client government in Baghdad showing that an enemy's enemy may be a friend from time to time, but will remain an enemy.

This may be complicated but there is no excuse for stupidity in the Middle East. Failure to comprehend this can be fatal.

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World Cup Ticket Scam Suspect 'Not Fugitive'

A British man accused of running a World Cup ticket touting operation is not a "fugitive", according to his company.

Brazilian police said on Thursday they considered Ray Whelan to be "on the run" after he left his Rio de Janeiro hotel.

However, his employer, Match Services, believes Mr Whelan's movements within Brazil were not restricted under the terms of his arrest.

Mr Whelan, a director of the company, a subsidiary of the Byrom Group which owns Fifa's ticket and hospitality rights, is suspected of supplying tickets to a touting gang working at the World Cup.

A statement said: "Match must emphasise its understanding that the terms of Ray Whelan's previous release did not restrict Ray Whelan's movements, provided he stayed within Brazil.

CCTV footage is said to show Mr Whelan leaving his luxury hotel

"We do not believe that the term 'fugitive' is appropriate under the circumstances as he is presently with his lawyer."

CCTV footage of Mr Whelan shows he did not rush from his hotel, added the company.

Mr Whelan, was first arrested on Monday on the basis of telephone taps in which he was heard discussing $25,000 (£14,500) cash deals for ticket packages with Lamine Fofana, an Algerian suspected of being the conduit for hundreds of tickets.

Mr Whelan was released on bail on Tuesday morning but on Thursday a judge approved an arrest warrant, a precursor to his being formally charged.

Under the order he was to be taken into custody along with 10 other suspects.

Officers went to his hotel, the upmarket Copacabana Palace, but found he had left by a staff entrance an hour earlier, at around 3pm local time.

Police said in a statement: "Teams from the 18 Precinct (Flag Square), coordinated by the delegate Fabio Barucke, were at the Copacabana Palace Hotel on the afternoon of Thursday, to comply with probation warrant issued by the court against Raymond Whelan. According to the delegate, the English fled out the back door of the hotel and is now considered a fugitive."

More follows...

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Israel Pounds Gaza As Hamas Fires Across Border

Hamas militants have fired rockets towards the Dimona nuclear reactor facility, an Israeli military spokesman has confirmed.

The official said three rockets were detected, however there have not been any reports of damage or injuries.

The strike attempt comes after the Israeli military has said it has shot down rockets fired by Palestinian militants at other areas, as Israel's major air offensive over the Gaza Strip approaches its third day.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said at least eight rockets sent from Gaza were intercepted over Tel Aviv, Ashdod and Ashkelon on Wednesday.

A wounded Palestinian is stretchered into hospital

Israel said a rocket hit the city of Zichron Yaakov on Wednesday afternoon, which is some 75 miles from Gaza, representing the longest-range rocket strike by Hamas on the state to date.

The IDF claims at least 48 missiles, sent by the Islamist militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, have "struck Israel" since midnight.

Other locations targeted included Beersheva and Sderot in the south, Rishon Lezion, and Hadera in the north - 60 miles from Gaza.

In total, more than 300 rockets have been fired at Israel since the military launched Operation Protective Edge began on Monday night.

To date no fatalities have been reported in Israel.

The fatalities come after at least 49 people, including children, have been killed in the biggest Israeli assault on Gaza in nearly two years.

Officials in Gaza say that more than 300 people have also been injured since Monday, but that number is likely to climb as Israel attempts to "dismantles" Hamas.

The Israeli military said a total of 550 Hamas targets have been hit since the operation began, with 130 targets hit on Wednesday.

A house in Gaza destroyed by an Israeli attack

They included 60 suspected  rocket launch sites on the Gaza Strip from Beit Hanoun in the north, to Rafah near the Egyptian boarder.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has quoted him as saying he plans to "intensify the attacks on Hamas and the terrorist organisations in Gaza" even further.

At a crisis meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing atrocities in Gaza.

Mr Abbas said: "It's genocide - the killing of entire families is genocide by Israel against our Palestinian people."

The IDF says Hamas is firing from civilian areas. Pic: IDF/Twitter

The exchange of fire marks the heaviest fighting between Israel and Hamas since an eight-day battle in November 2012.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told Sky News Israel's actions are "defensive" and designed to eliminate rocket fire.

The Israeli cabinet has warned it may also send in ground troops and has authorised the call-up of as many as 40,000 reservists.

On Tuesday, wedding guests in Holon, central Israel, were forced to run for shelter after sirens alerted them to incoming missiles.

Israeli tanks at the southern border with the Gaza Strip

Video footage shows Israel's 'Iron Dome' defence system intercept an incoming rocket.

The IDF said 80 rockets have been intercepted and neutralised by the defensive system.

It also posted an image on Twitter which it said shows rockets being sent from civilian areas in Gaza.

Israel and Hamas had, until recently, been observing a truce that ended the 2012 hostilities.

Israel has also prepared for a ground invasion of Gaza

Tensions increased last month after three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and killed in the West Bank.

Israel blamed Hamas and launched a crackdown on the group's members and arrested hundreds of people.

The situation deteriorated further last week when a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem was abducted and burned to death in what was viewed as a revenge attack.

According to news agency Reuters, a US official involved in the investigation into the deaths of the three Israeli youths has revealed they were shot at least 10 times with a silenced gun, indicating premeditated murder.

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World Cup: Brazil Defeat Sparked Unrest Fears

Brazil Coach: 'The Worst Day Of My Life'

Updated: 7:18am UK, Wednesday 09 July 2014

Luiz Felipe Scolari has said watching his side being crushed 7-1 by Germany was the worst day of his life.

And Brazil president Dilma Rousseff said she was sad and sorry.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, whose side play the Netherlands in the other semi-final on Wednesday, said the result was "not normal" but showed "why (football) is beautiful".

Here is more of what they and others had to say about the "extraordinary" and "bewildering" game in Belo Horizonte:

BRAZIL COACH LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI

"If I were to think of my life as a footballer, as a coach, as a physical education teacher, I think it was the worst day of my life.

"I'm going to be remembered probably because I lost 7-1, the worst defeat in Brazil's history, but that was a risk I knew I was running when I walked into this position.

"My message for the Brazilian people and fans is that we tried to do what we could, we lost to a great team who had the skill to end the game in just six or seven minutes with four goals."

BRAZIL STAND-IN CAPTAIN DAVID LUIZ

"I just wanted to make my people happy. Unfortunately, we couldn't. I'm sorry, I'm sorry to all Brazilians, I just wanted to see them smile, everyone knows how important it was."

BRAZIL GOALKEEPER JULIO CESAR

"It's very hard to explain the unexplainable."

BRAZIL PRESIDENT DILMA ROUSSEFF

"Like every Brazilian, I am very, very sad about this defeat. I am immensely sorry for all of us. But we won't let ourselves stay down. Brazil, get up, dust yourself off and move forward."

BRAZIL FAN RIBEIRO FRANCA AFTER GERMANY'S FIFTH GOAL

"Five-nil is so embarassing, we're not going to stay any longer. One-nil is fine, one-one, two-one, two-two, but five-nil is shameful for a country that has a tradition of football. Bye. Bye."

GERMAN COACH JOACHIM LOEW

"They were shocked and didn't expect to fall behind. And after that it was an easy match for us. I feel sorry for him (Scolari). I think I know how he feels."

ARGENTINA COACH ALEJANDRO SABELLA

"Seven-one is not a normal result between two world footballing powers. (But) football can be like that. Sometimes things happen that you don't expect, and that is why it is beautiful."

FORMER BRAZIL MIDFIELDER JUNINHO PAULISTA

"It will be difficult to recover. Some players I don't think will be back to wear the Brazilian shirt. It is wrong now to criticise the players. On the field, Germany taught us how to play football."

FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER GARY LINEKER

"In nigh on half a century of watching football, that's the most extraordinary, staggering, bewildering game I've ever witnessed."

FORMER GERMANY MIDFIELDER DIETMAR HAMANN

"Master class from Germany. Clinical, organised, hard-working, unselfish and humble. Very proud of the team. One to go."

FORMER ENGLAND DEFENDER RIO FERDINAND                           

"I would worry that the Brazilian players might never recover from this. Some might not be able to come back."

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BlackBerry Unveils Bizarre Square Smartphone

Muscled out of the smartphone market by iPhone, Android and Samsung, BlackBerry has rolled the dice on its latest product and come up with a square phone.

The Canadian firm has unveiled more details about the unusual device called the Passport, which it first previewed in June, including a 4.5-inch square HD screen.

A post on the official BlackBerry blog said: "Many have thought that creativity around the design of smartphones was dead.

"Device companies have been emulating the same, entertainment-driven look for so long that there's been a homogenisation of the visual cues in smartphone design."

BlackBerry was once the phone model of choice for businesspeople

The screen width fits 60 characters rather than the 40 seen on a rectangular five-inch device.

Under the heading "it's hip to be square", the post said the width is ideal for reading ebooks, viewing documents and browsing the web.

Comparing it to a giant cinema screen, the post added: "The Passport is like the IMAX of productivity and you don't have to sacrifice screen real estate, vertically or horizontally."

The post said the device was aimed at professionals such as architects, writers and medical staff.

The BlackBerry Passport fits more characters across the screen

Earlier this year, BlackBerry announced a quarterly loss of $423m (£254m) after suffering a revenue drop of more than 60%.

The company said its revenue for the last quarter of 2013 was $976m (£587m), down from $2.7bn (£1.6bn) in the previous year.

It was the first time the Canadian company had reported quarterly revenue of below $1bn (£600m).

The figure was more than a tenth lower than what analysts had forecast.

Early last year, the company released BlackBerry 10, which failed to spark a turnaround in its fortunes.

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Hurricane Katrina Mayor Jailed For 10 Years

Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, who was the exasperated face of the deluged city during Hurricane Katrina, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for corruption.

Prosecutors had sought a stiffer penalty for Nagin, who was found guilty in February of 20 counts of bribery, money laundering and other crimes.

But US District Judge Helen Ginger Berrigan said a shorter prison term was warranted, given what she described as Nagin's devotion to his family and to New Orleans.

Katrina flooded more than three-fourths of low-lying New Orleans

In a brief statement before sentencing, the 58-year-old  made no apology and said: "I trust that God's going to work all this out."

Nagin, who smiled and hugged supporters as he walked out of court with his family, is due to report to a federal prison in Louisiana in September.

He was convicted of helping contractors secure millions of dollars of work in exchange for bribes, free holidays and other gifts.

As part of the kickback scheme, Nagin accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from businessmen.

Nagin was criticised for his handling of the reponse to Katrina

The Democratic mayor and his family also received a trip to Hawaii, first-class airfare to Jamaica, private jet travel and a limousine for New York City.

Nagin, who has remained free on bail since his conviction, also accepted free granite for the stone company he and his sons owned.

The former cable TV executive had denounced New Orleans' culture of corruption when he ran for mayor in 2002.

Nagin, who led the city until 2010, has maintained his innocence. 

The trial in New Orleans heard that he began accepting bribes before Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and continued to do so during its recovery.

The hurricane flooded more than three-fourths of low-lying New Orleans and left more than 1,800 dead across the region.

Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005

Nagin's angry demands for emergency aid from Washington embarrassed the George W Bush administration, which subsequently steered billions of federal dollars to Gulf Coast reconstruction.

But Nagin himself was also criticised at the time for failing to implement his evacuation plan when Katrina struck.

He also raised eyebrows when he remarked that "New Orleans will be chocolate again" after the city's African-American population declined following Katrina.

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Missing Teen Left Chilling Notes In Journal

A missing teenager left a note shortly before her disappearance saying: "I've gotten into something I can't get out of," her mother has said.

Angelic "Anji" Dean, 17, disappeared from her family's home in Camas, Washington - just outside Portland, Oregon - on June 23.

The girl's diary was found under her bed

"She writes that letter and a week later she's gone," said her mother Lynda Jorgensen.

Lynda Jorgensen fears her daughter has become a sex trafficking victim

"So we don't know who she's involved with, but she was scared."

Ms Jorgensen fears her daughter might have been involved in a sex trafficking ring.

According to a local newspaper, the Camas-Washougal Post-Record, Anji also wrote in the diary: "If you're reading this, I am either missing or dead."

The diary was found under Anji's bed, according to the report.

"It's really, really hard because we don't know where she's at or who she's with - and we know she's not safe because she's not here," said the girl's mother.

Ms Jorgensen said that when she went to Anji's room to say goodnight, she was not there.

She believes her daughter left suddenly as she left behind her glasses, credit card and other personal belongings.

A Facebook page has been set up to find information about the girl, and a "vigil of hope" is planned this weekend in Vancouver, Washington.

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Polar Bear Attack: I Heard Growls And Screams

A teenager has told of the moment she heard a fellow student being fatally attacked by a polar bear during an adventure holiday.

Lauren Beech, from Ilford in Essex, has been telling the inquest into the death of Horatio Chapple, 17, that she saw the white fur of the bear from her tent.

"I heard growls of the bear along with other shouts and screams," she said at the inquest in Salisbury. "I was very distressed and I do not think I had any idea of the timescale."

Scott Bennell-Smith, from St Mellion in Cornwall, was lying asleep in the same tent as Horatio when it started shaking.

He said: "The material of the tent roof collapsed over all three of us and I could feel the presence of the bear over all of us. I could feel the size of it and see its paws.

The bear was shot after attacking several people

"When the material collapsed over me I couldn't see what was happening.

"From what I remember I think we were all shouting the same thing ... shouting for help."

Mr Bennell-Smith, 20, who was 16 at the time, added: "The material had all ripped, it had fallen about either side of us. I saw the bear attacking someone.

"I think it was right in the centre of the camp, biting (him) in the head.

"I just put my head down again and tried to stay still basically then I could just hear the bear moving around the camp, just heard commotion."

The expedition was to the Arctic wilderness of the Svalbard islands

He was then attacked and injured by the bear, before it was shot.

Horatio was on the adventure holiday to the remote Svalbard islands in August 2011 with the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) when he died.

The Eton pupil from Salisbury, Wiltshire, suffered fatal injuries to his head and upper body.

Four others were hurt before the bear was shot dead at the camp site, where the group, known as Chanzin Fire, had been staying.

Also injured during the incident were trip leader Michael "Spike" Reid, from Plymouth, Devon, Andrew Ruck, from Brighton, and Patrick Flinders, from Jersey.

Horatio, from Wiltshire, was a pupil at Eton

Ms Beech told the inquest that Horatio had found a bear print in the ground just two days before the attack.

She also said she found out after the incident that the local authorities had issued a warning about increased polar bear activities in recent months before the attack.

Mr Flinders, who was in the tent with Horatio, said: "Once the tent collapsed I got into a little ball and I moved myself over to Scott and I am not sure if Horatio got himself out of the tent or not.

"I thought I would peek out to see what was happening, I could see the bear with who I thought was one of the leaders, Spike, by the head. It was coming away from one of their tents."

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UK Twin Sisters On Run To Syria 'Pose Threat'

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Twin sisters who are believed to have fled from the UK to Syria pose "a threat to themselves" and potentially their community, according to counter terrorism officers.

Salma and Zahra Halane, both 16, are thought to have left their homes in Chorlton in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago.

Their parents are said to have reported the girls missing after finding their bedrooms empty the following morning.

The teenagers flew from Manchester airport to Turkey on June 26 before crossing the border into Syria.

It is thought they may have joined their brother, who is believed to be fighting with the extremist militant group ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant).

The family home in Chorlton

The head of North West England's Counter Terrorism Unit, Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole, said: "They are clearly posing a threat to themselves and potentially the community, and their family and friends are concerned for their well-being."

Mr Mole said the "developing" investigation into the girls' disappearance had two main strands - to safeguard them "wherever possible" and to assess any further lines of enquiry. 

He said the counter terrorism unit did not know for sure why the girls were in Syria, nor exactly who they were with.

It comes as a jihadi fighter in Syria told Sky News he has been training British teenagers as young as 16 to fight in the war.

The missing girls are students at the Connell Sixth Form College in east Manchester.

They have been described as star pupils, achieving 28 GCSEs between them.

Neighbours told Sky News of their shock at news of their fleeing.

One, Jason Rock, said: "It is very, very surprising - shocking. It is shocking because they just seemed like a quiet family, a big family."

Another neighbour, Joyce Blackledge, added: "I didn't see very much of them. They were just quiet. They didn't seem to get into any trouble. They just kept themselves to themselves."

Detectives are believed to be investigating how the girls raised money for their airfares.

They are believed to have contacted their parents to say they are safe and well but have reportedly said they have no intention of returning to the UK.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadan Foundation, who has been in contact with the family, said: "It's the most harrowing experience for any mother and father to go through that their children are in a war zone country.

The girls' brother is thought to be fighting with ISIS

"The family had no indication they were involved in terrorism, no indication they were going to Syria.

"They were highly academic, they were highly bright teenagers who got 28 GCSEs between them.

"Obviously somewhere down the line, through the internet, they have been groomed, radicalised and brainwashed.

"The family just want them to come home."

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George Clooney Slams 'Criminal' Wedding Story

George Clooney has taken the unusual step of responding to an article written about him.

The story, published on MailOnline and now taken down, suggested the Hollywood star's future mother-in-law was unhappy with her daughter's choice of man.

In its article, the website quoted unnamed sources as saying Lebanese-born journalist and broadcaster Baria Alamuddin, the mother of Clooney's lawyer fiancee Amal, was annoyed because her daughter was not marrying into what it said was the family's Druze religion.

Clooney usually resists reacting to stories about him

It quoted Ms Alamuddin as saying her daughter could "do better" and that she risked "being cast out of the community".

That, the actor says, is simply not the case.

In an exclusive statement to USA Today, Clooney, 53, said the story was "not true".

"Amal's mother is not Druze," he said. "She has not been to Beirut since Amal and I have been dating, and she is in no way against the marriage, but none of that is the issue.

"If they fabricate stories of Amal being pregnant, or the marriage is on the set of Downton Abbey, or that I'm running for office, or any number of idiotic stories that they sit at their computers and invent, I don't care," he said.

What he cared about, he said, was that religion was being brought into the mix.

"The irresponsibility, in this day and age, to exploit religious differences where none exist, is at the very least negligent and more appropriately dangerous," the actor added.

"We have family members all over the world, and the idea that someone would inflame any part of that world for the sole reason of selling papers should be criminal."

MailOnline responded by saying its story was "not a fabrication" and had been supplied in good faith by a trusted freelance journalist.

Baria Alamuddin speaking at a seminar on international law in Bahrain

It said: "We only became aware of Mr Clooney's concerns this morning and have launched a full investigation.

"However, we accept Mr Clooney's assurance that the story is inaccurate and we apologise to him, Miss Amal Alamuddin and her mother, Baria, for any distress caused.

"We have removed the article from our website and will be contacting Mr Clooney's representatives to discuss giving him the opportunity to set the record straight."

The couple have not revealed details of their wedding plans, although rumours say they will be married in Italy, where Clooney has a house and spends much of his time.

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William Spills The Beans On George's Bath Time

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Bath time with Prince George is "quite painful", Prince William has admitted in a speech to the British Sub Aqua Club.

The Duke of Cambridge made the comments in a speech to BSAC members as he assumed its presidency from his father, Prince Charles.

"It is a great honour to take over as president from my father and my grandfather before him," William said.

"I hope my son George will also learn with the club but, at the moment, bath time is quite painful. But, as he gets older, I imagine donning a mask and snorkel might calm him down."

Prince William said bath times with his son were a bit of an ordeal

The Duke's father, the Prince of Wales, also made a speech as the outgoing president, joking that diving in the Arctic in an orange dry-suit was a bit of a "disaster".

"It was very cold going down through the hole in the ice. Could I get myself down? All I did was end up trapped on the underside of the ice. It was rather a disaster."

William giving the international "OK" sign during his scuba session

The BSAC fittingly then presented Prince William with a personalised buoyancy control device as well as a T-shirt for Prince George with a picture of a seal wearing a snorkel and mask.

Prince Charles then announced his son would "demonstrate his buff credentials" by getting into a wet suit and joining fellow BSAC members for one or two exercises.

Wearing a cut-off wet suit, the Prince was filmed first snorkelling with flippers and then putting on diving apparatus before sinking to the bottom and making the internationally recognised "OK" sign.

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Chris Froome 'Devastated' By Tour Exit

English Leg Of Tour De France Ends At Palace

Updated: 9:10pm UK, Monday 07 July 2014

The Tour de France bid a dramatic au revoir to the UK as one million people turned out to watch the race from Cambridge to Buckingham Palace.

Tens of thousands of spectators watched a high-speed crash in wet conditions outside Big Ben, while a spectator was hit by a rider outside the Olympic Park.  

The last of the three English stages ended with the same winner as Saturday's opener in Yorkshire - Giant-Shimano's German sprinter Marcel Kittel was first to the line on the Mall.

After the race, the riders headed to France on four chartered planes from London City Airport. 

After glorious weather in Yorkshire, the first rainfall of the race arrived after the riders passed the Olympic Park in East London.

And the rain made the final approach slippery and dangerous, with the high-speed crash happening on a right-hand bend by Big Ben.

In another accident, a spectator was hit by a rider as the fan attempted to take a picture near east London's Olympic Park.

The fan was clipped by Team Sky's Diego Lopez Garcia, knocking him to the ground, along with Garcia and fellow riders Andy Schleck, Simon Gerrans and two others.

The extent of the fan's injuries are unknown.

The accident came after some riders criticised British fans for stepping into the road and taking "selfies".

American rider Tejay van Garderen, of BMC Racing, said on Twitter: "A dangerous mix of vanity and stupidity. Standing [in] the middle of the road with you[r] back turned while 200 cyclists come at you, just to take a selfie. #think #TDF2014."

He added: "That being said, I love the crowds and thank you for your support. But please give us room."

Meanwhile, Kittel compared winning in London to triumphing on the Champs- Elysees in Paris last year.

"Winning on The Mall, that's what I dreamed of but, even though I had a good chance to make it come true, it's not something I could take for granted," he said.

"It's really fantastic to win here. On the finishing line, the crowd was fantastic. I love the atmosphere."

Slovak Peter Sagan was second, with Australian Mark Renshaw in third. Italian Vincenzo Nibali kept the race leader's yellow jersey.

Defending champion Chris Froome, of Team Sky, negotiated a tricky opening in fifth place after finishing 28th in London.

But fellow British rider Mark Cavendish will undergo shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for around for six weeks after a crash on Saturday.

Earlier on Monday, crowds lined the streets of Cambridge to watch the start of the third stage. Riders passed King's College before the race began in nearby Trumpington.

The 197 riders then passed through picturesque villages in Essex shortly after 1pm before heading into the capital.

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