Anchored in the USA! Model girlfriend of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich gives birth in New York after parking his $1.5bn yacht on the Hudson for two months

• Leah Lou born in New York to 46-year-old Russian business tycoon
• Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova, 31, already have three-year-old son Aaron
• Baby girl will get US citizenship after being born at NY Presbyterian hospital
• Billionaire Roman is paying $2000-a-day to moor his super-yacht in New York
• Chelsea-owner has five children – two boys, three girls – with ex-wife Irina

 

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is celebrating the birth of his seventh child after his girlfriend Dasha Zhukova gave birth a daughter called Leah Lou in New York.

The little girl was born in Manhattan after the Chelsea owner, 46, kept his $1.5 billion yacht moored on the West Side docks for the past two months.

Stunning brunette Dasha – real name Daria – gave birth to Leah at the city’s Presbyterian hospital.The couple’s son Aaron Alexander, now three, was born in Los Angeles.

Leah’s US birth, confirmed by a source close to Abromovich to MailOnline today, means that she automatically qualifies as an American citizen. Her mother already has a US passport after growing up in Los Angeles.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich with his girlfriend Daria Zhukova, who gave birth to their second child on Monday

Abramovich’s 557-foot yacht named Eclipse, which has lost the title of world’s largest private yacht to a newly-launched yacht named Azzam measuring 590-foot, has been anchored in New York harbour for the past two months

 

A source said Abromovich and Dasha did not plan the birth in the States with this intention, clarifying that Dasha wanted her children to be born in the US, where she lived as a child and attended university, adding: ‘Dasha grew up in the US. The baby could have been born anywhere in the world and still had US citizenship.’

Abramovich already has five children with his ex-wife Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina.

RIA Novosti broke the news and a source said that Abromovich had been by Dasha’s side, reporting that Leah was born last Monday, adding:  ‘Mother and daughter are doing fine. Roman is, of course, delighted.’

 

Socialite Dasha gave birth at NY Presbyterian.Dasha is now thought to have checked out of the hospital and the Eclipse is said to be leaving New York this week.

Women who deliver at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia have their babies in the Sloane Hospital for Women, where ‘Labor and delivery rooms are spacious, newly renovated, and flooded with natural light, many with views of the Hudson River.

‘Each room includes a sleeper couch for a significant other, and plenty of room for members of the healthcare team.’

Abramovich has five children – Arkadiy, Anna, Sofia, Arina and Ilya – with his second wife Irina, to whom he was married between 1991 and 2007.

The eldest, Arkady, 19, is already following in his father’s footsteps, having executed his first oil deal worth £30.6 million last month.

Taking it easy: Dasha Zhukova has now given birth to the couple’s second child, a daughter named Leah Lou

The 590-foot super-yacht, worth $1.5bn and seen here in New York, was recently robbed of the ‘world’s largest private yacht’ title by a newly-launched yacht named Azzam measuring 590-foot

Russian billionaire Abramovich’s super-yacht Eclipse has been moored in New York for the past two months, and it has just been revealed that his girlfriend Daria Zhukova gave birth to his seventh child, Leah Lou, last Monday

 

Speculation was rife when the twice-married oligarch docked his 557ft private yacht Eclipse in New York in February, much to the astonishment of New Yorkers – at a cost of $2,000-a-day.

Until recently the largest yacht in the world, Eclipse was unlikely to go unnoticed as it arrived in the Big Apple.

The incredible vessel boasts two swimming pools, two helicopter pads, a movie theater, a jacuzzi as well as a disco, around 30 cabins, a mini-submarine, and even a missile defence system.

It also has armour-plating around Abramovich’s master suite, bullet-proof windows and a laser system designed to dazzle long-lens photographers.

When it was ordered the initial cost was estimated at around $500million, but by the time Abramovich took delivery last year it was spiralling towards the $1.5billion mark because of the extra luxury fittings and security measures

 

Eclipse was built by the Blohm and Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and delivered to Abramovich last December.

The oligarch also owns three other mega-yachts, the Pelorus (377ft), the Ecstasea (282ft) and the Sussurro (161ft).

Annual running costs for his fleet are around $25million including full tanks of petrol at around $110,000 per yacht.

Until recently the Eclipse was recognised as the largest private yacht in the world. But it was robbed of its title recently by new super-yacht, commissioned by a mystery billionaire.

The colossal 590ft Azzam is the length of two football fields and cost US$609m. It hit the water for the first time last week from a shipyard in Bremen, Germany,fter fours years of construction by the Lurssen Yachts company.

Expensive: The yacht’s initial estimated cost was around $500million, but by the time Mr Abramovich took delivery last year it was spiraling towards the $1.5billion

 

Best of the fleet: Abramovich also owns three other mega-yachts, the Pelorus (377ft), the Ecstasea (282ft) and the Sussurro (161ft)

 

Too big: Eclipse lies at anchor in Antibes’ bay, southeastern France, where it was not denied space to dock in 2011

The person who commissioned the project is still a secret, but reports speculate that the owner is member of the Saudi royal family.

It can travel at 30 knots (34.5mph) and the interior has been decked out in the ultimate of luxury.

‘She represents another milestone in yachting history,’ said Lurssen Managing Partner Peter Lurssen.

Cruisin’: The incredible vessel boasts two swimming pools, two helicopter pads, a dedicated disco hall, around 30 cabins, a mini-submarine, and even a missile defence system

Abramovich met the daughter of Russian oligarch Alexander Zhukova at a New Year’s Eve party hosted by her father in 2006.

But apparently romance did not blossom between the two until he had split from second wife Irina after 16-years of marriage.

Their divorce ended in a record settlement rumoured to be £1.5billion made by Abramovich to the mother of his five children, who now lives on an £18million West Sussex estate.

Dasha was photographed showing off her baby bump on the Caribbean island of St Barts in January.

The former model grew up in the US and she gave birth to son Aaron in Los Angeles, where she was raised.

Dasha now heads the Iris Foundation, which funds a culture centre in Moscow, edits a magazine and is boss of a fashion label.

Abramovich reportedly boosted his army of security staff to 40 people in 2007 – making him one of the best-protected businessmen in the world.

The latest addition to his clan came just weeks after the death of Russian billionaire rival Boris Berezovsky, 67, who sued him for £3.7billion last year and lost.

Abramovich and his eldest son Arkadiy watch Chelsea playing Cardiff City in 2010

 

Roman Abramovich with his second wife Irina and their daughter Anna in 2007

 

Roman Abramovich, with his son Arkadiy, celebrates his team winning the Premier League at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground in London in 2005

Pregnant mother kills herself and three children: Horror after she posts ‘Mummy will always love you’ on Facebook

• Three children discovered after woman died after a fall in Lowestoft
• She has been locally identified as Fiona Anderson
• It is believed she had recently split from father Craig McLelland
• Friends say she was heavily pregnant when she died
• Suffolk Police say they are treating the children’s deaths as suspicious
• Post-mortem on children will take place this evening

 

A young mother plunged to her death from a multi-storey car park today before her three young children were found dead in her flat.

The woman who was named locally as Fiona Anderson, aged in her early 20s, is believed to have been heavily pregnant.

Suffolk Police closed off Gordon Road in Lowestoft, Suffolk, just after 8am when the woman was found with fatal head injuries.

The incident led officers to a basement flat in nearby London Road South three hours later, where the bodies of her three children were discovered.

Loss: Fiona Anderson, aged in her early 20s, is believed to have been heavily pregnant when she died. Her three children were found dead at her home three hours after she fell from the car park

Kyden McLelland (left), who was 11-months-old and Levina McLelland, three. It is not known how they died

Innocent: Addy McLelland was just two. He was found dead at the flat with his brother and sister

Friends described her as a ‘brilliant mother’ who was devoted to her children Levina, three, Addy, two and an 11-month-old son Kyden. But they thought she had been depressed after recently splitting up with her boyfriend Craig McLelland, the father of her children.

One friend said she had heard that Miss Anderson had left a despairing message on her Facebook page on Sunday night, saying: ‘My babies will go with me.’

Police are keeping an ‘open mind’ about the four deaths, but it is believed they are investigating a theory that she killed her children before jumping 40ft to her death.

The ground floor flat in an end terrace Victorian block was cordoned off by police today while officers searched for clues.

Happy siblings: Levina, Kyden and Addy in Halloween fancy dress

Precious: Levina in school uniform and a smiling Addy enjoying a joke

Family: Father Craig McLellan pictured with his children (left to right) Addy Kyden and Levina. The three were found dead in their mother’s flat this morning

Grief: Craig McClelland, the father of the three dead children, at the scene. The mother is believed to have committed suicide by jumping from a multi-storey car park this morning

Support: Mr McClelland is comforted by a friend as he surveys the growing mountain of tributes

Distraught: The pair had three children together and are believed to have recently split up

The body of the woman was found a short distance from the property where the three dead children were found

Investigation: Police outside the house on London Road South where the three children were found

Deaths: Police have sealed off this multi-storey car park in Lowestoft today after a woman fell to her death here, which led officers to discover her three children dead at home

It is though that Miss Anderson had lived alone in the flat with her children for several years.

Shocked neighbours and friends were last night putting teddy bears, cuddly toys and flowers on a makeshift shrine outside the flat as a mark of respect.

Mr McLelland, who also lives in Lowestoft, arrived at the flat just before 7.30pm and wept while being supported by two friends.

He choked back tears as he told reporters: ‘I have just lost my family. My children are dead. What would you be feeling?

‘I found out this morning when I got a phone call saying somebody had committed suicide and I had a feeling who it was.’

Tribute: The mountain of cuddly toys at the property grew as people in the town arrived to pay their respects

Remembrance: A police community support officer joined those laying tributes to the children

The three children’s bodies were taken to the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston for post-mortem examinations

After looking at the growing pile of cuddly toys outside the flat, he added: ‘It is really touching to see that people care.’

Asked if he had recently split up with Miss Anderson, he refused to comment.

Police are awaiting the results of post-mortems by a Home Office pathologist carried out at the James Paget Hospital, Gorleston near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

Det Supt John Brocklebank of the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team described the deaths as ‘an awful tragedy’.

Det Sup John Brocklebank described the deaths as ‘an awful tragedy’

The property is a basement flat on the corner of Grosvenor Road and London Road South, a short distance from the sea

He said: ‘We are in the early stages of a large investigation to try and work out exactly what has happened.

‘It is too early to be able to come up with a definitive explanation and we will be keeping an open mind.

‘We are treating the deaths of the children as suspicious, but from our initial enquiries we do not believe there is any threat to the wider community.

‘Our priorities now are to establish the circumstances behind the woman’s death and how it may be related to the deaths of the three children.’

Mr Brocklebank said police were first alerted by a 999 call from a member of the public who found a woman lying on the ground beside the car park with what appeared to be serious injuries.

Plunge: The town centre car park the woman is believed to have fallen from

The car park is less than a mile away from the flat where the woman’s children were found dead

He added: “At this stage we are trying to find out if anyone saw her fall or jump or be pushed. We believe we have got some witnesses who might have seen her falling.

‘Emergency services including ambulances and an air ambulance arrived and they did what they could to try and resuscitate her, but unfortunately she was pronounced dead at the scene.

‘We managed to identify the lady concerned which led us to the address. Police officers gained access at 11.20am and the bodies of the children were tragically found inside.

‘I don’t want to speculate about how they died and where the bodies were in the property. We believe she was the mother of the young children.

Probe: Police say the investigation is in preliminary stages and have not formally identified the woman or the children

‘At this stage we are keeping an open mind about what happened and we must maintain that open mind. At this time, I don’t want to speculate on whether a third party was involved or not.’

Mr Brocklebank said the car park would remain closed so that police could make a forensic search for clues.

He added: ‘These are the most tragic circumstances you can imagine and we are looking after the welfare of the officers involved.

‘But a family have lost some very precious children and are needs are secondary to the family of the deceased.’

The deaths of the children are being treated as suspicious but police say they believe there is ‘no threat to the wider community’

Karleigh Burlingham, 20, who lives knew Miss Anderson, said: ‘She was a lovely person. She just didn’t seem the sort of mother to do this. It is devastating that three innocent little children have died.

‘I knew her for three or four years and I thought she was a brilliant mother. She must have been going through a very tough time. We just cannot believe it.

‘Her kids were healthy and well brought up. Fiona was outgoing and friendly. She would talk to anyone and she was very laid back.

‘But her boyfriend left her about a month or so ago for someone else. She was heavily pregnant with a baby girl due next month. I fell out with her about a month ago and have not really seen her since then.

‘She was friendly with my sister Kayleigh and she sent a Facebook message to her last night , saying that she was down and had nobody to talk to. My sister said she would talk to her if she wanted.’

Another friend said: ‘We heard she put a status on her Facebook page last night, saying, “My babies will go with me”.

‘I don’t think anyone thought she would harm herself, let alone her children. Why kill your kids and then yourself. It is just awful.’

Suffolk Police are appealing for anyone who has information that may help the investigation to contact police on 101.
For confidential support about depression, call the Samaritans on 0845 790 9090 or visit a local Samaritans branch. Or click here to visit the charity’s website.

 

– dailymail.co.uk

Panic in cities across the world as fear of a copycat attack grips New York, Washington, D.C., London and other cities

• NYPD has ‘stepped up security’ at hotels and other landmark locations
• The White House increased security around the perimeter
• London Marathon officials are reviewing their security plans for this Sunday’s race
• Air travel into Boston was temporarily stopped but has since resumed
• Increase security at two nuclear power plants near Boston

The two bombs detonated in Boston near the finish line of the marathon sent a wave of panic across the country as fears of a copycat attack gripped cities from Washington, D.C. to New York.

‘We’re stepping up security at hotels and other prominent locations in the city through deployment of the NYPD’s critical response vehicles (CRVs) until more about the explosion is learned,’ NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

Security was increased at the White House and Pennsylvania Avenue has been shut down.

London Marathon officials are reviewing security plans for its race this Sunday.

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NYPD said it was increasing patrols and security at hotels and other prominent locations until it knows more about the terror attack in Boston

Dozens of uniformed NYPD officers setup post in the center of New York City’s Times Square following news of the Boston Marathon explosions.

NYPD has parked several patrol cars in front of a building in Times Square as the department has said it will step up security after the Boston Marathon bombing

U.S. Secret Service agents walk around the White House complex after two explosions struck the Boston Marathon

‘This changes everything [in New York],’ one source toldthe New York Post.

‘Everyone’s on high alert. Our marathon was canceled in November. Who knows if that changed someone’s plans?’

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the MTA police would increase patrols  and bag inspections Monday on the Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road.

The NYPD will give ‘additional attention’ to the subways as well.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said security is being upped both visibly and in covert ways, NBC reported.

‘We have 1,000 members of the NYPD assigned to counter-terrorism duties,and they – along with the entire NYPD and the investments we have made in counter-terrorism infrastructure – are being fully mobilized to protect our city,’ he said in a statement.

A garbage can on a subway platform was seen taped up so that nothing could be tossed inside – preventing a bomb from being placed and left behind.

A Twitter user posted this picture from a New York City subway platform that shows a garbage can taped up, preventing an explosive device from being tossed inside.

View from inside the White House after secret service closed Pennsylvania Avenue following explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, in Washington, DC, USA

In Washington, the White House increased security outside the building with Secret Service establishing a broader ‘perimeter.’

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan says the measure was taken “out of an abundance of caution.” He says it is not unusual to expand or contract the security perimeters.

Shortly after the explosions Monday, Secret Service shut down Pennsylvania Avenue outside the White House, cordoning off the area with yellow police tape.

Several Secret Service patrol cars also blocked off the entry points to the road.

Uniformed Secret Service officer stands guard in front of the White House as the surrounding area have been closed

A couple stands behind a police line on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House

The White House was not on lockdown and tourists and other onlookers were still able to be in the park across the street from the executive mansion.

There was ‘heightened security throughout D.C, NBC reported, citing local police officials.

D.C.’s Metro system had increased patrol officers on call for Monday evening’s rush hour, Politico reported.

The attack had an impact on air travel as Boston’s main airport was temporarily halted.

‘Apparent ground stop for incoming flights to Boston. At least for shuttle flights from NY,’ CNN anchor Anderson Cooper Tweeted.

The Federal Aviation Administration later lifted a temporary ground stop that halted inbound flights to Logan International Airport in Boston.

NYPD uniformed officers stand guard in the heart of Times Square

Row of NYPD patrol cars line the streets of Times Square as a show of force

Nuclear power plants in Massachusetts and New Hampshire have increased security as well.

The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Mass., and the Seabrook Station in Seabrook, N.H., heightened checks of vehicles, materials and individuals entering the plants.

Pilgrim, about 45 miles south of Boston, was already shut down for refueling when the explosions occurred. Seabrook is about 45 miles north of Boston in Seabrook, N.H.

Eliot Brenner, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said federal officials have not ordered changes in security at other U.S. nuclear reactors in the wake of the Boston explosions.

Organizers from the London marathon — set to take place this Sunday — said they were in contact with Metropolitan Police as soon as the explosion occurred.

‘A security plan is in place for the London Marathon. We will be reviewing our security arrangements in partnership with London Marathon,’ a police spokeswoman said.

Helicopters fly near the construction site of One World Trade Center. Officials in New York increased security after the two bombs at the Boston Marathon were detonated, fearing a copycat attack

– dailymail.co.uk

Justin Timberlake Wants To Buy London Pub

Justin Timberlake wants to buy a London pub.

The ‘Suit & Tie’ hitmaker is looking to become a landlord of a drinking house while he’s in the capital for the Yahoo! Wireless Festival – where he will be performing two concerts, including one with Jay-Z, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in July – and the singer is said to have already set his sights on an establishment.

A source told The Sun newspaper: “Justin likes the idea of having his name above the door, he’s looked into buying historic East End boozer The Blind Beggar for a while. But it isn’t likely.”

Justin, 32, will also be joining his rapper friend for their ‘Legends of the Summer stadium tour later this year.

Jay-Z – real name Shawn Carter – has hired a cigar expert to join the pair every step of the way to roll a smoke for guests at each venue.

An insider previously revealed: “Jay met this cigar expert at a friend’s private party recently. He had been hired to roll cigars for guests in a smoking room.

“They were chatting for ages about the origins of tobacco and all the different types and then Jay-Z offered to have him on board for the tour dates.”

BANG Showbiz

House that looks like it’s built out of Lego with its own salon, cinema and swimming pool goes on the market for £34million

• Stratheden House on The Bishops Avenue in north London is one of the largest houses in a very expensive street
• It boasts a subterranean cinema, champagne bar, hairdressing salon, nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms

For the adult who’s never outgrown a childhood love of Lego, this could be the home of their dreams.

Because while Stratheden, which is for sale in north London’s exclusive Bishops Avenue is undoubtedly sophisticated, it also bears more than a passing resemblance to the plastic construction bricks we all remember from our youth.

Inside, however, the £34m house offers the ultimate in grown-up luxury, with wall-to-wall mirrors, steam-room, and a ballroom with polished floor the size of a normal house.

No expense has been spared in the refurbishment of this 1930s Cape Dutch-style home on the Bishops Avenue – you just need £34m (and then some) to afford it

Built in Cape Dutch style in 1925, it is one of the largest houses on a street that boasts some of the UK’s most impressive – and expensive – properties.

The Bishops Avenue, also known as Billionaires’ Row, is home to oil barons, oligarchs and royalty from Russia,the Middle East and Africa.

Knight Frank and Glentree International, the agents who are selling the vast home, are sure the house’s features and high-end specification will ensure finding a buyer for Stratheden will be no trouble.

The ambassadorial style house boasts nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, five reception rooms and – despite being located only a short drive from the centre of London – almost one acre of land.

One of the stand-out features of the mansion, which was recently rebuilt and has a look of (albeit very expensive) Lego about its exterior, is the ballroom which takes up a staggering 2,700sq/ft – making it perfect for entertaining guests.

The room, which could also double up as an art gallery, has the same floor-space as an average family home.

The mirrored ballroom has roughly the floorspace of a family’s average-sized house – but the buyer of Stratheden probably won’t have to vacuum it themselves

 

With polished marble floor, contemporary artwork and dramatic staircase, guests at the newly-refurbished house will enjoy making quite an entrance

 

No expense spared: Stratheden has nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and an impressive – particularly for London – one-acre garden

You would need to have put in some hard work in Stratheden’s gym before you could feel totally confident having a bath in this hall of mirrors

Stratheden, which will attract a stamp duty bill of £2.4m if it sells for the asking price, also has a 12-metre indoor swimming pool with separate gym, steam and sauna rooms, and a massage/hairdressing/spa room.

There is also a champagne bar, complete with glitzy silver seating and mirrored bar, where the new owner will be able to toast his or her purchase.

Trevor Abrahmsohn, director of Glentree, has sold £3 billion worth of properties on The Bishops Avenue over the past 35 years.

He said: ‘Stratheden has Cape Dutch architecture and this is unique in the area.  That is why the local authority has listed the building and, as such, preserved its architectural heritage.

The dirty plasters and stray hairs of public swimming pools will not trouble the new owner of Stratheden – it boasts its own indoor 12-metre pool, plus separate gym

Stratheden has a jacuzzi and relaxation area beside the pool, which enjoys natural light and French windows onto the one-acre garden

 

For those wanting to unwind after a hard session in the gym or pool, the mansion has a marble and polished-wood floored champagne bar, complete with silver banquette seating and mirrored bar

 

There is a subterranean cinema with luxurious burgundy velvet walls where the buyer will be able to relax and forget about their mortgage repayments for a while

 

This dramatic bathroom is one of eight in the mansion, although if the lady of the house does not feel like washing her own hair, she could pop into the hairdressing salon

‘The pool and leisure area is absolutely stunning and what can one say when you have your own bespoke art gallery/ballroom area and champagne bar, how decadent.

‘This is a home for the family that has everything except a home of this quality. You just have to bring your food and clothes and you are ready to rock and roll.’

The property is spread over four floors with the leisure complex which includes a cinema based on the subterranean level.

Outside, there is a huge drive at the front while the rear boasts an Italian sunken garden, raised garden, water features and a two-bedroom cottage for staff.

Stratheden has one acre of garden, which has been landscaped to provide a relatively easy-to maintain space complete with box hedges and small trees

 

This high-spec kitchen may not be the house’s strong spot (and looks like it’d be tricky to keep clean) but the buyer of the house probably won’t use it themselves

 

This pretty bedroom has expensive carpet, sloped ceiling and an attractive round window dating back to the house’s origins in the Arts and Crafts period

Stratheden’s garden is impressively large for a house so near central London, and water features, pergolas, and a grass lawn that would be perfect for croquet

 

The Bishops Road is already home to oligarchs, royalty and oil barons, but Stratheden is still one of the biggest houses on the street

The dining table comfortably seats 14 and boasts polished wood parquet flooring, handpainted panels, and a high-spec lighting system

 

Parquet floors, polished marble and mirrored walls are features of the vast mansion in The Bishops Avenue

 

The nine-bedroom house looks dramatic at night with its state of the art lighting system and landscaped garden

With corridors lined with gleaming marble and abstract art, the £34m house looks more like an expensive hotel than a home at the moment

To afford a house like this you probably have a business or two – Stratheden comes with a smart office where the new owner will be able to work in peace

The £34m house boasts a stunning, aquamarine tiled steam room where the residents and their guests can sweat away their worries in some style

This kitchen is rather more attractive than the other one, and boasts natural light as well, so perhaps the family of the house might find themselves tempted to cook the odd thing in here – in one of the four ovens…

You wouldn’t want to have a ‘fat day’ in here, no matter how rich you are – the heavily-mirrored dressing room would be a nightmare if you weren’t feeling confident about how you looked

The in-house hairdressing salon has more mirrors, plus leather-padded walls, as well as a bed for massage treatments

This spare room has a built-in flat-screen TV and plenty of room for guests at Stratheden in north London to sprawl out in the super king-size bed

Whoever designed the house for its recent refurbishment was fond of geometrically-framed vistas: The marble staircase and the garden’s pergolas are both stunning

Natural light pours in through the cupola, highlighting the expensively polished wooden floor – and acres of space (plus more mirrors)

An in-house sauna is de rigueur for the mega-rich these days, so Stratheden is fitted with a large one as standard

This ensuite bathroom offers views onto the garden, a large bath with marble surround, and modern sink and high-pressure shower

Luxury fittings in the house include smart polished wood wardrobes, top, and a breath-taking shower lined with astonishingly beautiful polished stone, bottom

‘I’ve raped 53 women, some as young as five’: Terrifying confession of soldier, 22, who went on rampage through town after losing battle with rebels

• He and his comrades descended on Minova in the Democratic Republic of Congo where they spent two days raping, looting and murdering
• They had just been routed in a battle with the M23 rebel group and were embarrassed, angry and out of control
• But the soldier says he didn’t commit his crimes out of anger, but rather for the pleasure they brought him
• Testimony comes the day after Britain pledges £10million to G8 initiative to fight rapes in war zones

A Congolese soldier has admitted raping 53 women including children as young as five as he and his comrades ransacked a town during the brutal civil war.

The soldier was one of thousands who descended on Minova, near Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and spent two days raping, looting and killing before officers regained control.

The terrifying testimony comes as Foreign Secretary William Hague yesterday pledged to spend £10million on tackling violence and harm to women in war zones.

Civil war: Soldiers of the DRC army in Minova last November. One has admitted raping 53 women as he and comrades rampaged through the town. There is no suggestion that any of these soldiers were involved

The 22-year-old soldier, speaking near where he committed his crimes, told The Guardian how he and two dozen of his comrades gathered and decided to rape ten women each before carrying out the atrocities.

‘I’ve raped 53 women,’ he said, ‘and children of five or six-years-old.’

He and his fellow soldiers just lost a battle with rebel M23 fighters in nearby Goma. Regimental structures had disintegrated and they were embarrassed, angry and out of control.

They arrived in Minova drunk, hungry and violent, and subjected the town to a two-day bloody nightmare before the army managed to restore discipline.

One doctor said his hospital had treated more than 100 women for injuries caused by rape.

However, the soldier who spoke out about his crimes said he and his comrades didn’t commit their crimes for anger, but for pleasure.

‘We could do anything we wanted,’ he said.

Misery: Residents of the area around Minova seek sanctuary from the fighting in a church. Soldiers from DRC’s army subjected the town to a two-day nightmare of looting, rapes and murders

An M23 fighter with local children: The soldiers had just lost a battle with fighters from the M23 rebel group. Regimental structures had disintegrated and they arrived in Minova drunk, hungry and violent

The revelations will add a fresh urgency to efforts by the G8 group of developed nations to fight sex attacks in war zones, which has been backed by Hollywood star Angelina Jolie.

Jolie, who is a special envoy for the UN Human Rights Council, joined Mr Hague at a meeting of the G8 foreign ministers in London yesterday afternoon as the Foreign Secretary announced the UK’s £10million commitment.

The UK’s pledge will make up part of an overall £23million package pledged by the G8 nations.

#timetoact: Angelina Jolie talking in London yesterday at the launch of a new initiative to stamp out war rape to which the UK pledged £10million

Mr Hague said some funding will go toward training military personnel on how to respond to sexual violence, since they are often the first to encounter survivors.

But in the case highlighted by the Guardian today, it was the DRC’s own soldiers who were guilty of horrendous sexual crimes when they launched their frenzied attack on Minova on November 22 last year.

Many of their victims have had to turn to rape refuge centres as – since rejected by their families and husbands – they have nowhere else left to go.

Speaking from one refuge, Nzigire Chibalonza, 60, said she was first beaten severely by soldiers who turned up at her shop, before three of them raped her.

‘Now my husband mocks me,’ she said. ‘He calls me the wife of a soldier. He has rejected me.’

The Congolese army says it is taking action to deal with the rapists in its ranks. If the victims are unable to identify their attackers, prosecutors have threatened to arrest the officers who failed to control their troops.

The UN says that the DRC has suspended a dozen senior officers and is interrogating suspects and observers hope that successful prosecutions might make Minova a watershed moment in tackling war rape in Congo.

But there have been few concrete developments and the women of the town remain sceptical.

‘They may arrest some, but then later they will just set them free again,’ the head of the rape refuge centre said.

Minova is in the far east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where large areas are controlled by M23 rebels

– dailymail.co.uk

You gotta fake it til you make it: Corporal who tried to ‘big it up’ by attending wedding in sergeant’s uniform and medals bought on the internet is fined after being spotted on Facebook

• Royal Marine wore medals he had not earned and uniform of a sergeant
• He said he did it to keep his partner happy at the London wedding last year
• Offence came to light when other marines saw the wedding pictures online
• He has been a marine for 16 years and in 2011 served as an acting sergeant
• He has since been promoted to sergeant

Royal Marine Robert Barnett was fined after photos on Facebook showed him impersonating a superior

A Royal Marine who impersonated a superior and used medals bought on the internet has been fined, after photographs of him were spotted on Facebook.

Robert Barnett, who was a corporal at the time, wore medals he had not earned and the uniform of a sergeant, as he wanted to ‘big himself up’ at a family wedding, a court martial heard yesterday.

The 33-year-old serviceman’s superiors, of 40 Commando, were ‘livid’ after pictures of him at the event were posted on the social networking site.

Barnett, who is based near Taunton, Somerset, was promoted to sergeant in March this year and was an acting sergeant for six months in 2011.

But at the time of the wedding in June, 2012, Barnett was still a corporal, the court martial at Portsmouth was told.

The Marine, who has toured in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo during his 16 years of service, denied the charge but was found guilty of ‘conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline’ and fined £300.

In a written statement read to the court martial, Regimental Sergeant Major Joseph Gillespie said: ‘When I asked Corporal Barnett why he had worn the medals and uniform, he said he “wanted to look good in front of his family and big himself up”.

‘He had bought the medals from a company he had found on the internet and had them engraved and mounted.’

Barnett, based at HMS Raleigh in Plymouth, admitted he had worn the uniform and medals, but he denied conduct that was prejudicial to good order and service discipline because it was a private event.

Imposing the sentence, Judge Advocate Robert Hill said: ‘In the military community rank is hard earned, respect is hard earned and medals are hard earned. People find it offensive when people abuse it by wearing a uniform and medals they have no business wearing at all.’

Captain Benjamin Taylor, prosecuting, told the one-day court martial in Portsmouth that Barnett, who was described in court as professional and generous, had been an acting sergeant in 2011.

But he was a corporal again in June last year and wore the sergeant’s uniform, plus a long service and good conduct medal, a Nato medal for operations in Afghanistan and the King’s Badge – awarded to the best recruit of any batch to pass out from training – all of which he was not entitled to wear.

The red circle on the arm of the No.1 dress uniform (top)  highlights the sergeant’s three stripes which as a corporal, Barnett was not entitled to wear. At the same wedding he can be seen proudly displaying medals (bottom) on a  mess uniform which, again, gave the false impression he was of a higher rank

He explained that the medals were a gift from his father  and that his family asked to wear the uniform. He has since been made a sergeant and can be seen here in attire that now corresponds with his position

Capt Taylor said by wearing the items Barnett had ‘fundamentally undermined good order and discipline and showed complete disregard to them’ and ‘he did it to show off and impress others’.

The court heard that the offence came to light when other marines saw the images of Barnett at the wedding in Harrow, north London, on Facebook that had been tagged.

Colour Sergeant Dominic Conway said he was ‘livid’ when he saw the pictures and tackled Barnett about it.

‘I was quite surprised and shocked. He was not entitled. I was livid about it,’ he told the court.

Giving evidence, Barnett said that his family asked him to wear his uniform and that he had not had time to alter his dress uniform back to the rank of corporal.

He denied he had said he wanted to ‘big himself up’ to RSM Gillespie.

Judge Advocate Robert Hill said: ‘In the military community rank is hard earned, respect is hard earned and medals are hard earned. People find it offensive when people abuse it by wearing a uniform and medals they have no business wearing at all.’ (Royal Marines file picture)

He explained that the medals were a gift from his father and he used them as his real ones had been sent away to have the Diamond Jubilee Medal added.

He said he borrowed the mess uniform from someone else and it had the King’s badge on it and he was aware of its significance.

‘I knew I was not a sergeant. It was a private wedding and I never thought the photos would see the light of day,’ he told the court.

But the court martial panel of three Royal Navy officers found him guilty of the charge.

In mitigation, the court heard that Barnett meant no disrespect to the service, but he did it to keep his partner happy as she wanted him to wear the uniform.

The charge carried a maximum of two years imprisonment.

– daily mail.co.uk

Central London becomes a ‘millionaires’ ghetto’: Average rent hits a staggering £5k a month – that’s £60k a year for a flat

• Cost of renting in the West End nearly three times the average salary
• Prices pushed up by oligarchs and members of the global jet set
• It costs £1.27 a week to rent just one square foot in Knightsbridge

Swathes of London have become ‘no-go areas’ for ordinary families with average rental costs breaking through a staggering £5,000 a month, new research reveals.

The West End and areas around Sloane Square are the most expensive places to rent in London, with prices pushed to ‘astronomical’ levels by oligarchs and members of the global jet set competing to live within the capital’s most desirable postcodes.

Average rental prices here have risen to £5,394 – amounting to nearly £65,000 a year, according to the study by letting agent ludlowthompson.

 

Costs a pretty penny: Renting a flat in areas such as Knightsbridge (pictured) will set you back over £5,000 a month, according to a new study

A roof over your head in Westminster, Belgravia and Knightsbridge will set you back an average of £6,171, £5,493 in Mayfair, Soho, Marylebone and Harley Street, £5,442 a month in Chelsea, Brompton and Knightsbridge and £5,134 in South Kensington.

This is nearly three times the average full-time wage (£26,500), rendering these areas off limits for all but the very wealthy.

 

The average rental cost per square foot in Knightsbridge has hit £1.27 (Source: London Central Portfolio)

The dearth of affordable housing in the capital and rising costs of buying mean more than half of Londoners do not believe they will ever own their own home, a recent study by the charity Shelter revealed. Meanwhile two-thirds of renters are struggling or falling behind with their rent.

A separate study by London Central Portfolio found that rental costs in Knightsbridge have increased by 9.5 per cent in the last year alone. 

It now costs an average of £1.27 a week per square foot – just enough space to fit a wastepaper bin.

Stephen Ludlow, Director of ludlowthompson, said: ‘The West End, and areas like Sloane Square, Kensington and Knightsbridge, have some of the highest rents of anywhere I know. Rents have been pushed to astronomical levels by high net worths, oligarchs and other members of the global jet set competing to live in a very limited area of London.

 

 

‘These tenants are determined to live in those few areas that that hold as much cachet in Moscow, Jeddah and New York as they do with the average Londoner.’

The study comes as figures from Halifax revealed today that the average house price in the UK rose last month to £163,943, up 1.1 per cent on a year earlier.

This means that for the same price as renting in central London for less than three years you could buy a house in many parts of the country.

Mr Ludlow added: ‘Wealthy foreign buyers who own properties in these areas rarely rent them out. This has reduced the pool of homes available to renters and has contributed to sharp rental price increases.’

 

Graph showing how average rental prices changed between 2011 and 2012 (Source: London Central Portfolio)

Will.I.Am: Justin Bieber’s Mum Will Help

will.i.am says Justin Bieber’s mother will help him through his rough patch.

The 19-year-old singer has had a difficult time after a recent controversy-filled trip to London – which included him turning up 2 hours late to a show and getting into an altercation with a photographer – and new reports of his pet monkey being seized by customs.

It seems he has support from the ‘Scream & Shout’ rapper, who has suggested he his parents could be the secret to saving his reputation.

He told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “It’s dangerous to be a child star, but it’s dangerous to be a child in the ghetto, or to be a child at school being bullied.

“If you have good parents, you’ll be all right. Justin’s mom is great.”

The ‘Beauty and the Beat’ hitmaker’s grandmother also weighed in earlier this month, adding he may have fallen in with the wrong crowd and is struggling to “cope” with being a celebrity.

She said: “I don’t think for one moment this is all about him being a bad boy. He’s only just turned 19 and he’s still learning to cope with the pressures of fame.

“But it’s worrying. You read all sorts of things about him … and he needs to understand some of those so-called friends probably don’t have his best interests at heart.”

BANG Showbiz

Yahoo! snaps up British teen Nick D’Aloisio’s Summly app for tens of millions

The 17-year-old from Wimbledon, South London, is the founder of Summly, an app that summarises news stories from media websites. Yesterday he announced that he had sold the start-up to Yahoo!, turning him into one of the world’s youngest self-made multimillionaires.

Though the two sides have not disclosed the terms of the deal, the acquisition is thought to be worth about $30million. But Mr D’Aloisio does not feel ready to spend his fortune. “It’s in a trust fund,” he said. “I’m not thinking about the money. That wasn’t my motivation. With the deal, it was about what’s the best company to take Summly to the next level. I think that’s Yahoo!”

Summly condenses long webpages into text bullet points, which can be read easily on phones. The company’s huge valuation comes despite its small size. The free app has been downloaded about one million times, a relatively low number compared with other bestsellers. Summly has a staff of about five but has no way of making money.

But Mr D’Aloisio has built his start-up like a veteran. A student at King’s College School in Wimbledon, he had to ask teachers last year to delay his mock GCSE exams to travel to California to seek investors. He secured more than $1.4 million funding, picking up prominent backers such as Li Ka-shing, one of the world’s richest men, the actors Ashton Kutcher and Stephen Fry and, in Silicon Valley, Mark Pincus, of Zynga, and Brian Chesky, of Airbnb.

The investment allowed Summly to create a more sophisticated app; the company had deals with about 250 online publishers, including News Corporation, parent company of The Times and The Australian.

Mr D’Aloisio toured television studios yesterday. He said that he had been inspired to create Summly aged 15 while studying for history exams, seeking a better way to absorb large amounts of information. The only moment he betrayed nervousness was in contemplating his fame. “I realised that when we became one of the trending topics on Twitter today,” he said. “If anything comes of this, I just want to see more young entrepreneurs.”

Mr D’Aloisio is studying for his A levels and hopes to go to university. He lives with his father, Lou Montilla, who works at Morgan Stanley, and mother, Diana D’Aloisio, a lawyer. “I’d like to do another company in the future,” he said. “But for now, I want to take Yahoo!’s content and make it really beautiful and great.”

He does have one new purchase in mind. “It’s a bit of a esoteric one, but I want a shoulder bag,” he said. “It’s more that I’ve not had time to buy one yet. It’s been a hectic week.”

 

The Times

Mesmerizing NASA photographs capture the twinkling lights of cities around the world from 240 miles high

These are the breathtaking photographs captured by NASA showing cities around the world from 240 miles above ground. 

From Baltimore, Maryland to the shores of Tokyo, Japan, astronauts on the International Space Station have pictured the twinkling lights of urban sprawl.

The photographs, taken by Expedition 33 crew members as the space station orbits the Earth, show the mesmerizing light patterns of different metropolises.

Cities on the coast have the densest light by the water’s edge while cities with major new development like in Kuwait have a more grid-like pattern.

 

 

The biggest little city in the word: Reno, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, as seen from the International Space Station

 

 

By the sea: The city of Porto (left) and Vila Nova de Gaia (right) astride the Douro River on the northwestern coast of Portugal

 

 

Miles below: Crew on the space station took this picture of Cleveland, Ohio, flying at an altitude of approximately 240 miles

 

 

London calling: Astronaut Chris Hadfield took this photograph of the British capital

 

Sparkling: A nighttime view of Istanbul, Turkey with the Bosporus strait separating the two halves of the city

 

 

Intricate: The north west side of Tokyo Bay in Japan. The mammoth city has a population close to 13million

 

World web: Liege in Belgium sprawls out into the darkness of the surrounding countryside like a spider’s webb

 

 

Little Italy: The county’s boot-like shape and nearby Sicily as seen from 240 miles above ground

 

 

Eastern delight: A nighttime view of Kuwait City with its neat urban planning. The metropolitan area has a population of two and a half million

 

 

 

Pretty as a picture: A view of Baltimore, Maryland. The city is situated on the mid-Atlantic coastline along the terminus of the Patapsco River into Chesapeake Bay

On the grid: Shenyang on China at night with the smaller city of Sujiatun (pictured left)

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

London’s plague pit’s reveal toll of Black Death

Archaeologists work to uncover skeletons from what is understood to be a mass grave for victims of the Black Death. Photo: AFP London is a city built on bones. From Primrose Hill to the heart of the Square Mile, one need only dig a few yards below the surface to reveal what lies beneath: tens of thousands of bodies, nestled against the foundations of the modern metropolis soaring above them. Yet this city of skeletons still has the capacity to surprise. During the past two weeks, engineers working on the £15 billion ($22 billion) Crossrail project have unearthed 14 bodies in Charterhouse Square in Farringdon, revealing a previously unknown Black Death plague pit. The skeletons lie unmarked in neat little rows. It was the fate of many of the city’s poorest inhabitants when plague ravaged Britain from 1348, killing more than a third of its population. Advertisement As the bodies piled up and churchyards overflowed, victims were laid to rest in the emergency pits. The significant find corresponds with historical documents, including John Stow’s 1598 Survey of London, that suggest the surrounding area could contain as many as 50,000 bodies, with 100,000 buried elsewhere in the city. No trace of the burial ground has previously been identified. Archaeologists at the Museum of London are now applying the latest laboratory techniques to the skeletons, including radio carbon dating to establish the burial dates, and attempting to map the plague bacteria. It is hoped the research will answer many of the questions about the cause of the plague epidemics that cast the shadow of death over London from the 14th century to the mid-17th century. A disease that, as noted by Daniel Defoe in his history of the Great Plague in 1655, reduced the city to “all in tears”. “It is a fascinating discovery,” says Royal Holloway’s Professor Justin Champion, a specialist in the history of epidemics. “Nowadays when the skeletons have been dug up we can do so much more. It could be a huge advancement to know more about the Great Plague. We still don’t know enough about how it is passed between human beings. “In some of the poorest areas outside the city walls, such as Southwark and Clerkenwell, people would just drop dead in the street. With a lot of London churches you can see the churchyard is above street level – that is because of the number of bodies underneath. “During the epidemics, they would have been overwhelmed. They would go from dealing with a handful of deaths to hundreds a week. My guess is a lot of the graves are still there. If you looked, particularly under some of the older buildings, you would find an awful lot more.” About 1.5 million Britons are thought to have died in the Black Death, while about 25 million perished in Europe and an estimated 75 million across the world. Symptoms included nausea, vomiting, fever and horrendously swollen lymph nodes. During the later epidemics in London, weekly bills of mortality were published detailing the deaths in each parish. Destitute women were employed as “searchers” to enter plague homes and diagnose victims. When the numbers were high, people would pile into wooden carts and attempt to flee the city. Often they were turned back. The disease was found in bacteria in the digestive tract of fleas, which fed on the rats that infested London’s overcrowded streets. High temperatures and humidity also helped to create a fertile breeding ground. But could a plague ever strike again? A new study analysing the Great Plague of Marseille, which caused 100,000 deaths between 1720 and 1723, highlights factors that demonstrate we are still at risk. Vastly increased international trade provides the perfect vehicle for infection to be transported around the world, our cities teem with more rodents and residents than ever before, while genetic changes are increasing the resistance of certain bacteria. It is estimated that a handful of British people become infected with plague every year, contracted while abroad. There have been several recent cases in America, including a seven-year-old girl in Colorado last September. But archaeologists have been at pains to stress the newly unearthed bodies in London pose no threat to public health – the bacteria would have perished centuries ago, within weeks of burial. “It is a great myth that we will disturb some evil grave in London and this disease will come out and kill us all,” says Professor Champion. “That is just not going to happen.” Nonetheless, this weekend Londoners may decide to give the plague pits of Farringdon a wide berth. Telegraph, London

Source: http://www.smh.com.au