Sacrifice: Jogendra Sen was the only non-white man in his regiment . They were all young, proud, and ready to serve king and country. But among the eager group of young men who had signed up to fight in the First World War together, one face stood out from the rest. Jogendra Sen rushed to join the queue of recruits to the Leeds ‘Pals’ Battalion when it was raised in September 1914 – and became the only non-white member of the 15th West Yorkshire Regiment. Yet were it not for a chance discovery almost a century later, his life – and death – might have been lost to history. A pair of broken and bloodstained spectacles in an Indian museum have shed light on the sacrifice of a volunteer who battled prejudice and racism to serve the country he made his home. They were the same glasses that ‘Jon’, as he was called by his English comrades, had worn in a photograph taken at a training camp in Yorkshire. Cruelly, the Bengal-born student’s race had barred him from fulfilling his dream of being an officer in the British Army, even though he was highly educated and had earned a degree in electrical engineering from Leeds University. But it also won him a place in history. Because less than 20 months after that training camp photograph, Jogendra Sen was killed in action near the Somme on May 22, 1916. Academics believe that the 28-year-old private had become the first Bengali to die fighting for Britain in the war. Although many more would later serve on the Western Front in the Indian Army, at the beginning of the war, most Bengalis were banned from joining up in their own country because of racial prejudice. The catalyst that allowed the tale of Pte Sen’s spectacles to emerge publicly was Dr Santanu Das, a reader in English at King’s College London, who noticed them and some of his other belongings in a museum on a visit to Sen's home town of Chandernagore, some 22 miles north of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. One of the chaps: Private Sen, centre, and his comrades pose for a photograph at a training camp in 1914 . Poignant: Jogendra Sen's glasses and other belongings were discovered in a museum in India . A book of friendship quotes given to Private Jogendra Sen by 'Cis', believed to be Mary Cicely Newton . When the academic mentioned his discovery during a talk at Leeds University, a local researcher recalled seeing Sen’s name on its war memorial. From this, Leeds researchers painstakingly pieced together one man’s war. Sen had worked as an engineer while continuing with his studies. A photograph of a woman found in his personal effects, inscribed ‘Yours with love, Cis’, was found to be of Mary Cicely Newton, who had links with the Mill Hill Chapel in Leeds where, it transpired, Sen sang in the choir. But although Sen was deeply involved in his local community, he faced discrimination even as he offered his life for the war effort. In an interview in 1988, his fellow soldier Arthur Dalby recalled: ‘He was the best-educated man in the battalion and he spoke about seven languages, but he was never allowed to be even a lance corporal because in those days they would never let a coloured fellow be over a white man, not in England.’ Private Jogendra Sen (pictured wearing glasses) with his comrades on deck during the voyage across the Mediterranean from Egypt to Marseille, en route to the Western Front in March, 1916 . Jogendra Sen is pictured far right with members of D Company. The photo is thought to have been taken at Colsterdale Camp in North Yorkshire shortly after they signed up in 1914 . Dr Das commented: ‘I was absolutely stunned when I saw the pair of glasses. ‘It’s one of the most poignant artefacts I’ve seen – a material token of the fragility of life at the front. 'More than a million Indian soldiers and non-combatants served in different theatres of the First World War, but what is so unusual about Jogendra Sen is that he was not part of the Indian army but of the Leeds Pals Battalion. ‘I sometimes wonder what his experiences would have been as the only non-white person in the battalion at that time.’ A photograph of a woman found in his personal effects, inscribed ‘Yours with love, Cis’, was found to be of Mary Cicely Newton, who had links with the Mill Hill Chapel in Leeds where Sen sang in the choir . Private Jogendra Sen (fourth from the right in the third row back) with Number 16 Platoon (D Company) of the 16th West Yorkshire Regiment in about 1915 . It cannot have been easy – but what has become clear is that Sen won the hearts and respect of his white comrades. Shortly after his death, his commander wrote: ‘His loss is felt very much throughout the whole of the company. ‘He always showed himself to be a keen and upright soldier, and myself and the officers of this company thought a great deal of him.’ •  A BBC Inside Out film tracing Jogendra Sen’s story is broadcast tonight on BBC One (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire only) at 7.30pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.

Jogendra Sen was only non-white member of 15th West Yorkshire regiment . Joined queue of recruits to the Leeds ‘Pals’ Battalion in September 1914 . Pair of glasses found at Indian museum were worn by 'Jon' in a photo . Bloodstained spectacles have shed light on the sacrifice of the volunteer . Bengal-born student killed in action 20 months after photo was taken . The 28-year-old private lost his life fighting near Somme on May 22, 1916 . Experts think he was the first Bengali to die fighting for Britain in the war .

 First World War, there was just one native of India. They were all British – the sons of British families who had been born in the UK, or those who had gone to British schools in India. They looked down on Jogendra Sen and made it difficult for him, even going so far as to force him to sleep with the pigs, but Jogendra didn’t care. All he wanted to do was earn his place and show that he was equal to any one of his fellow British soldiers. He refused to be treated like a slave to them. Finally, the commanding officer was able to change the men’s attitude. After the war was over, he said that Jogendra had been a “valuable” and a “useful” soldier who had done his duty.
His only regret was that he didn’t do his duty as well as Jogendra had.
Jogendra Sen was born in 1889. He was only one of the many Indians that had joined the British Army to fight against the Germans in the First World War. A native of Calcutta in British India, Jogendra had a good education at the Scottish Church College, Calcutta. In 1909, he went to England where he received further training in the art of war. On his return, he was posted to the British Army and he served in the Indian Army for 12 years. When the First World War broke out, he was eager to enlist and to serve his country in the conflict. His superiors had other plans for him, however. They didn’t want an Indian in the Army and instead ordered him to go to the British India Office in Calcutta.
He was to stay there for 7 years until the conflict was over. Jogendra Sen wasn’t about to listen to this. His superiors tried to convince him by pointing out that there were many other Indians in the British Army and that they could do the job just as well as he. He laughed in their face and told them that they’d never seen the kind of work he’d done at the Scottish Church College. The Indian Army was made up of men like him, men who had gone to school in Britain and knew the ways of the world. He was determined to join his fellow countrymen, and he would do anything to make it happen. Finally, he persuaded the British Army to send him back to India and in December 1914, he was off. On the way, he stopped


The happiest year of our life begins when we turn 34 because it's when we start ticking off boxes such as tying the knot, having children and making strides in a chosen career, according to a survey. A study of 2,000 over-40s asked people to reflect on their levels of happiness through different stages of life and compiled the key factors for each decade. Results showed age 34 was the happiest year for most people on average. A study of 2,000 over-40s asked people to reflect on their levels of happiness through different stages of life and found 34 was the age when people were at their happiest in every aspect of their lives . The study also found it is the age when we are most comfortable in ourselves, earn enough money to get on the property ladder, meet monthly payments with confidence and start to enjoy the finer things in life. Meanwhile, those who thought their 20s were the happiest cited the freedom, social life and career progression they enjoyed in that decade. Those who chose a year in their 40s as their happiest enjoyed watching the children grow up and getting a bigger home, the study by home security specialists Yale found. People who chose their 50s said work winding down, the children leaving home, paying off the mortgage and getting a new start after a divorce as their happy factors. Getting on the property ladder was a recurring theme throughout the study and the age a person gets their first home often correlated with their happiest year . 1. I was young and physically fit . 2. I had less responsibility/more freedom . 3. I was comfortable with my appearance . 4. I got married . 5. My family were still around . 6. All my money was spent on myself . 7. I met someone I fell in love with . 8. I had children . 9. I had a wider social circle . 10. I partied a lot . 11. I travelled a lot . 12. I had flings/went on dates/played the field . 1. I had children . 2. I met someone I fell in love with . 3. I was able to enjoy the finer things in life . 4. I travelled . 5. I started making the right decisions . 6. I was making more money than I ever had . 7. I got married . 8. Had a great holiday abroad . 9. I got a great new job/made a career change . 10. Finally got on the property ladder . 11. I moved abroad . 12. My family members got married . The study also found those choosing a year in their 60s as their happiest year so far said the ability to retire, travel more and finally relax as crucial boosts to a positive outlook. A key reason behind being most happy included 'meeting someone I fell in love with' which appeared in the happy moments for 20s, 30s and 40s, while 'getting married' appears in every decade. People were most likely to state that they had become happier as they had grown older rather than the other way round, results showed. 1. I was comfortable financially and emotionally . 2. Work was winding down . 3. Pay off the mortgage . 4. I went travelling . 5. I became a grandparent . 6. Children moved out . 7. Got divorced, started fresh . 8. Got married or re-married . 9. I was at the top of my game career-wise . 10. I got over an illness/condition . 11. Had a big wedding anniversary . 12. Lost weight/got fit . 13. Children moved out . 14. Renewed vows . 1. Felt comfortable with myself . 2. Had a great family life . 3. Met someone I fell in love with . 4. Had a great time with my children/ children were growing up . 5. Got some 'me time' back . 6. I was very successful . 7. I had a lot of money put away . 8. Got married . 9. Got a divorce, started over . 10. Changed career . 11. Lost weight/got fit . 12. Moved into a bigger home . 13. Children moved out . 14. Became stay-at-home . People cited having children and grandchildren as one of their 'happy factors' throughout each decade . Overall people reflected on their lives happily, with 47 per cent able to say most of their life had been happy so far. And 43 per cent said their life had been an equal balance of happy and rougher times, while one in ten unfortunately looked back on their life as mostly unhappy. Nigel Fisher, MD of home security Yale, said: 'With the average age we're most happiest coming out in the mid-thirties, it suggests that the feeling of being settled in your work and personal life while still looking to the future is important. 'Getting on the property ladder was a recurring theme throughout the study and the age a person gets their first home often correlated with the happiest year they chose. 'That sense of a permanent home and place to create new and happy memories is a big part of the study and shows the importance of a secure home environment in making us content with life.' 1. Finally retired . 2. Was able to travel . 3. Could concentrate on hobbies and interests . 4. Had freedom from work . 5. I started to appreciate life . 6. I was able to relax for the first time . 7. Could finally concentrate on myself . 8. Became a grandparent . 9. Got fit and healthy . 10. Got married . Holly Willoughby . Katherine Jenkins . Kim Kardashian West . Paris Hilton . Ryan Gosling . Justin Timberlake . Christina Aguilera . Tom Hiddleston . Macaulay Culkin . Channing Tatum . Jake Gyllenhaal .

New research has found age 34 is the happiest of our lives on average . It's when people start ticking off boxes including marriage and children . Study of 2,000 over-40s found it was when most people were happiest . It's also the age when we're most comfortable with ourselves . Most people said that they had become happier as they had grown older . Celebrities who are aged 34 include Holly .

 Brits revealed almost half (45 per cent) consider turning 34 the most pivotal year of their life. This is when we start to look to the future and take action to secure the next decade of our lives.
More than a quarter (28 per cent) believe life starts at 29 because our health begins to deteriorate. A third (32 per cent) believe a big change at 41, as we leave our "twenties" behind and hit our "thirties", is the start of our true adulthood. And 24 per cent believe turning 24 is the most significant, because at this point you have all the essentials of life - including a job and your own home. Turning 23 is the saddest year of people's lives, with 39 per cent saying they hit rock bottom when they leave university. Almost a fifth (18 per cent) feel happiest in January, when they know a new year has begun with the excitement of New Year's resolutions.
In 2018, almost a fifth of Brits (18 per cent) claim they are happiest around Christmas time. A quarter of respondents (25 per cent) would be happiest if their birthday fell in March or April. 28 per cent say the day their child is born or the day they fall in love is when they feel the happiest. And for two in five people (45 per cent), their happiest memory has them in their teens and twenties.
But for some (11 per cent), they believe their happiest moment was when the Queen celebrated a milestone birthday. When asked to rate their happiness levels on a scale from one to ten, respondents said the happiest time of their lives has been Christmas and New Year (7.69); finding out they were going to be a parent (7.32); finding out they were going to be a grandparent (6.93); meeting someone you love (6.83); buying a house (6.73); meeting a future partner (6.63); getting married (6.60); and becoming a parent (6.51).
The research commissioned by Co-op Funeralcare comes just days after a study of over 3,000 Brits revealed the happiest moments in our life are having children, getting married and travelling the world. While others reported feeling their happiest on Christmas Day, receiving a pay rise and going on holiday. The happiest day of the week was Friday with 18


Within hours of a white officer shooting an unarmed black man, the police chief of Wisconsin's capital city was praying with the man's grandmother, hoping to strike a conciliatory tone and avoid the riots that last year rocked Ferguson, Missouri. Chief Mike Koval said he knows Madison is being watched across the nation since 19-year-old Tony Robinson's death on Friday evening, and he has gone out of his way to avoid what he once called Ferguson's 'missteps.' 'Folks are angry, resentful, mistrustful, disappointed, shocked, chagrined. I get that,' Koval said Saturday. 'People need to tell me squarely how upset they are with the Madison Police Department.' Scroll down for video . Chief Mike Koval said he knows Madison is being watched across the nation since 19-year-old Tony Robinson's death on Friday evening, and he has gone out of his way to avoid what he once called Ferguson's 'missteps' The contrasts with Ferguson are many. While Ferguson police initially gave little information about the shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old, unarmed black man, Koval rushed to the home of Robinson's mother. She didn't want to meet with him, he said, but he talked and prayed with Robinson's grandmother in the driveway for 45 minutes. It took a week for Ferguson to release the name of the officer who shot Brown. Koval announced the name of the officer involved in Madison, Matt Kenny, the day after the shooting. He volunteered to reporters that the officer had been in a previous fatal shooting in 2007, and that he had been cleared of wrongdoing. On the day that Ferguson police named the officer who shot Brown, they also released video showing what they said was Brown robbing a store. Tony Robinson, an unarmed black 19-year-old, was fatally shot Friday, by Matt Kenny, a white police officer, the Madison police chief said Saturday . When Koval was asked about Robinson's past criminal record Saturday, he declined to comment, saying it would be inappropriate to do so a day after the man died. 'We have a police chief who genuinely feels for a family's loss. It should be abundantly clear to anyone following this incident that Madison, Wisconsin, is not Ferguson, Missouri,' said Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, the state's largest police union. But the chief's measured approach hasn't impressed some demonstrators. Koval angered some of them earlier this year with a blog post demanding they stop blaming police for their problems. 'There are no apologies that can repair the loss or deal with the loss of (Robinson),' said Brandi Grayson, an organizer with Young, Gifted and Black, a Madison group that has demonstrated against what it says is mistreatment of blacks by the justice system. 'This was bound to happen. There's nothing the chief can say short of changing the system.' People gather outside the house where Tony Robinson was shot during a rally on Saturday to protest his death . Robinson died on Friday night after Kenny shot him in an apartment during a confrontation. Kenny had responded to a call of a man jumping in and out of traffic. Kenny forced his way into the apartment after hearing what Koval described as a 'disturbance.' The state Justice Department's Division of Criminal Investigation has taken over the investigation under a new state law passed last year that requires an outside agency to lead probes of officer-involved shootings. DOJ spokeswoman Anne Schwartz declined to comment on Sunday. The shooting comes against a backdrop of multiple instances of white police officers killing unarmed black men around the country over the last year. The highest-profile incident was the death of Brown in Ferguson last August. Days of violence ensued, marked by looting, fires, police firing tear gas into a crowd and officers pointing weapons at demonstrators. Another round of riots broke out in November after a grand jury chose not to indict the officer who shot Brown, Darren Wilson. While Robinson's mom didn't want to meet with him, Madison Police Chief Mike Koval talked and prayed with the dead man's grandmother for 45 minutes . Relatives and friends of Tony Robinson exit a gathering of church representatives, community leaders and residents at Fountain of Life Covenant Church, Saturday, in Madison, Wis. Last week the U.S. Justice Department declined to charge Wilson with civil rights violations but issued a scathing report accusing the Ferguson police department of racism and using policing to fund the city's budget. Koval, who is white, took over as Madison's chief in April, replacing retiring black Chief Noble Wray. In September he told the Wisconsin State Journal he believed his department could deal with a racially charged shooting better than Ferguson, saying his agency is more diverse and more invested in the community than Ferguson's 'rent-a-cops.' 'I see in Ferguson a series of missteps and miscues where they're always reacting and, in fact, over-reacting to every set of facts that is thrown in their midst, frankly,' Koval said in the interview. Two months ago, Koval wrote a blog post criticizing Young, Black and Gifted for blaming his officers for 'everything from male pattern baldness to global warming.' The entry came in response to the group staging protests over officer-involved deaths during rush-hour traffic, demanding jail officials release 350 black inmates and imploring police to stay out of black neighborhoods. Koval tried to be diplomatic when asked about the post on Saturday, saying he and the group have agreed to disagree on policing black neighborhoods. Grayson said Koval has had plenty of time to prepare for a racially charged shooting after watching what unfolded in Ferguson. 'He had a perfect response — perfect for white people,' she said. People look on during a rally protesting the shooting death of Tony Robinson, who was fatally shot on Friday by Matt Kenny, a white police officer .

Tony Robinson, an unarmed black man, was shot dead by Officer Matt Kenny in Wisconsin's capital on Friday . Police chief Mike Koval said he knows Madison is being watched across the nation and he has gone out of his way to avoid Ferguson's 'missteps' While Robinson's mom didn't want to meet with him, but he talked and prayed with the dead man's grandmother for 45 minutes . He volunteered to reporters that Officer Kenny had been in a previous fatal shooting in 2007, and that he had been cleared of wrongdoing .

As they have in other communities nationwide, demonstrators clashed with police in Madison, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night after news broke that the officer, who is white, had shot Jacob Blake, 29, seven times in the back as he entered a car.
At least four vehicles were burned and more than two dozen people were arrested after about 300 people, some of them carrying torches and weapons, gathered outside the Dane County Sheriff's Department to protest the shooting, the sheriff's office said.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported that police said some of the protesters were armed with metal pipes and knives.
The newspaper published images of a crowd, some of whom were waving guns and one who fired a weapon in the air.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, who is black, told the Wisconsin State Journal on Wednesday that her office had not been notified of any requests for protest permits.
"We all need to do better. I think it's a combination of things: systemic racism, police training, and the need to have open, honest, and hard discussions," she said.
Some of the protesters said they feared Blake would not receive justice.
"Racism still exists in America," said 24-year-old Tashawn Taylor, who said he was visiting from Detroit, Michigan.
"It just got bigger because of everything that has happened in America with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor. Now here in Madison, Wisconsin, I'm seeing the protests start. It just got bigger. And it's starting here," he said.
Blake's family and lawyers said he was shot while reaching for his wallet inside a car that was outside his children's grandmother's apartment building, NBC news reported. The family said the children were in the car.
Police said he had three outstanding warrants. Blake's family released security camera video showing someone in a car trying to get into the building before the shooting.
The officers have not been identified and are on administrative leave.
"We don't believe for one minute this is what police are supposed to do," Blake's lawyer, Ben Crump, told NBC, saying the officers had fired on Blake "like he was an animal."
Local media reported that a black man, apparently the father of one of Blake's children, was also shot and wounded. He is in stable condition, police said.
The police said a knife was found near the car but did not say if


No audience with Louis van Gaal is complete without a mention of the Dutchman’s ‘philo-sophy’. He talked about it on his first day at Old Trafford and was still talking about it in the build-up to Manchester United’s win over Liverpool on Sunday. ‘It takes time,’ he said. ‘In Germany (at Bayern Munich), it took until December. And now (with United) until March.’ There were signs all over the pitch at Anfield that his players are finally getting the message. It was without doubt their best performance under Van Gaal: ‘One of the most important moments in my career,’ he later acknowledged. Manchester United playmaker Juan Mata stole the show at Anfield as he netted a brace against Liverpool . Mata (left) and fellow countryman Ander Herrera (right) impressed against United's arch-rivals . David de Gea uploaded a dressing room photograph of Manchester United's post-match celebrations . United are currently fourth in the Premier League . The 63-year-old is ruthless in his pursuit of what he wants. No-one is exempt, and it was significant that Juan Mata and Ander Herrera, two of United’s best performers in the 2-1 win over their bitter rivals, have been made to sit on the sidelines for lengthy spells this season. Two-goal hero Mata only returned against Tottenham in the previous game after a two-month absence from Van Gaal’s starting line-up in the Premier League. His position at Anfield, described by Van Gaal as a ‘false right winger’, demonstrated once again how the manager places his team’s needs above an individual’s preference. And Herrera spoke candidly on Monday about how upsetting Van Gaal contributed to him making just six league starts in his first six months at Old Trafford following a £29million move from Bilbao. ‘I keep my distance with Van Gaal, but he’s a good guy with a strong character,’ said Herrera, who was not seen for more than a month after being hooked at half-time against West Brom in October. Manchester United's first team stars finally appear to be buying in Louis van Gaal's philosophy . Mata was given a free role against Liverpool  in December (left) but performed admirably as a 'false winger' at Anfield on Sunday (right) ‘He likes discipline and does not believe in egos in the dressing room. Everybody is equal under his rule. He talks about what he wants from me. At the start he used to tell me off because I always looked for the ball. I always wanted to have it, and no, I must wait. ‘He loves possession and he doesn’t like being at risk of losing the ball. He wants long stretches of possession. He believes spaces are created that way because the team has the quality to find them.’ There have been many times in Van Gaal’s first season in England when his philosophy has not been altogether clear; when the constant chopping and changing of formation and shuffling of a rather expensive pack of players has left fans scratching their heads. Nor are United close to being the finished article. An eight-point deficit on Chelsea is evidence of that, and they are still far from certain to achieve their target of Champions League qualification despite Sunday’s win opening up a five-point advantage over Liverpool. But something seems to have clicked in the wins against Spurs and Liverpool, just when the FA Cup defeat by Arsenal looked to have raised major concerns over the club’s direction under Van Gaal. Players who privately have questioned his methods look more comfortable, although Liverpool’s alarmingly lacklustre display at Anfield helped in that respect. Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has been in impressive form since his return from injury . Marouane Fellaini, pictured with Van Gaal, is showing his best form since joining United in September 2013 . Michael Carrick’s return to anchor the midfield has been an important factor, so too Marouane Fellaini’s advanced role, which has given United’s attack a new dimension. Even Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, United’s much-maligned England centre backs, look solid after being thrown back together by Marcos Rojo’s groin injury and Jonny Evans’s ban for spitting at Newcastle’s Papiss Cisse. Surprisingly, Jones and Smalling have only started as a central defensive pairing on five occasions in the league, not including four games together as part of Van Gaal’s unpopular back three. And Jones admitted that the expectations raised by succeeding Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have not made it easy for them. ‘It has been difficult,’ he said. ‘It was well documented that me and Chris were going to be the next centre backs at United but it has not gone how we would have liked. ‘You cannot build a partnership on four games. Hopefully now we have had back-to-back games together we can keep it going. We complement each other well.’ Phil Jones (centre) has admitted he has struggled to fill the boots left by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic . It was also notable that United’s best 45 minutes of the season, according to Van Gaal, came with Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao on the bench. Both came on to play their part in the victory and it was a reminder of the resources at his disposal, as well as the issues that still need to be ironed out in the remaining months of the season. ‘Those boys are top players but we have a number of players who the manager can choose from, which is great,’ said Carrick. ‘Different games throw up different scenarios and different systems maybe, but the last two games have gone very well for us.’ There is still room for improvement, but it appears Van Gaal’s philosophy is beginning to sink in.

Juan Mata starred in Manchester United's 2-1 win against Liverpool . The Spaniard netted a brace at Anfield to help United claim all three points . Louis van Gaal has said he has been deploying Mata as a 'false winger' Ander Herrera has also managed to retain starting spot in recent weeks .

 to the season-opener with Bournemouth.
It is about the art of beautiful football – the passing, the movement and the technique – and there is more of this than the Manchester United supporters would have hoped for.
United supporters who were there to witness the first two matches of the season might have expected that the ‘philosophy’ was a cover-up for a team lacking a killer instinct. The passing was not always convincing; there was too much going sideways and no sign of the sharp edge that Manchester United fans so love.
But the Dutchman’s words were not all hot air. They gave a different meaning to the opening matches in which the supporters had been disappointed. He was right when he said that Manchester United had to win its home matches ‘because you can lose so many away’.
Van Gaal’s first season, 2014-15, which saw United narrowly miss out on the title, is a good example. Of the 17 home matches they played, United won 15, drew one and lost only three – but its away performances were so poor that even 100 per cent at home was not enough.
The Dutchman was also right when he talked about his own beliefs when he took over at United. “All the world’s great players want to play for Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United,” he said.
“This is because they have a philosophy. We’re a great football club. We must play great football and win games. In this way we will make our supporters happy.” The manager is looking for a style of football that is “beautiful” for the supporters and “exciting” for the players.
Van Gaal is, however, clear on his own philosophy. He is not trying to build an expansive team that seeks to attack the opposition defence. On the contrary, he likes counter-attacking play. “We can be too nice in football. I want to play my own philosophy.”
When one of the journalists suggested that a lot of players play in the Dutch league, the manager said: “In the Netherlands we are also playing football and this is why we produce so many top players.”
United’s manager has an interesting definition of ‘top player’. He believes that some big stars in Europe are “not top players”. He had a go at some of them and asked: “Why should I use a 30-year-old


Horrified New Yorkers witnessed the grim reality of life in Syria as they viewed graphic photographs smuggled out of the war-torn country. An exhibition of gruesome torture images showing eye gougings, strangulation and the effects of long-term starvation, is being staged at the city's United Nations headquarters. About 25 pictures from a collection of 55,000 are on display this week, in an initiative sponsored by the US, Britain, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as the conflict in Syria moves into its fifth year. Some were visibly distressed as they viewed the horrific pictures, which were smuggled out of Syria between 2011 and mid-2013. Former war crimes prosecutors have described the images as 'clear evidence' of systematic torture and mass killings in Syria's three-year-long civil war. Scroll down for video . Distressing: A woman covers her mouth as she views shocking images sumggled out of Syria on display at the UN headquarters in New York . Shocked: Another visitor reacts after examining some of the 25 pictures of dead bodies in Syr . They were taken by a former military police photographer who has been identified by the code name 'Caesar'. Britain's UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the aim of the exhibition was to raise awareness of the human rights abuses that President Bashar al-Assad's troops have been accused of committing against the Syrian people. 'As the conflict in Syria enters its fifth year, the number of those killed and displaced has reached 220,000 and 7.6million, and over 3.8million have been forced to flee the country,' Mr Lyall Grant said. 'We hope that this exhibition will serve as a reminder of the imperative to pursue a political solution to the conflict with utmost urgency to end the suffering of the Syrian people.' Syrian's UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari was not immediately available for comment on the photos. Caesar was a senior sergeant in Syria's army who spent 13 years working as a forensic photographer, say former war crimes prosecutors who examined the photos. Lawyers acting for Qatar commissioned the examination of the evidence. Qatar, like Saudi Arabia, is strongly opposed to Assad. Between September 2011 and August 2013, Caesar worked at a military hospital, taking photos of bodies from three detention centres in the Damascus area. He smuggled copies of those photos out of the hospital on memory sticks hidden in his shoe. The UN Security Council viewed the photos during an informal meeting last April. Russia and China vetoed a bid in May to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court for possible prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the civil war. About 25 pictures from a collection of 55,000 are on display this week in an initiative sponsored by the US, Britain, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as the conflict in Syria moves into its fifth year . Graphic: Images showing eye gougings, strangulation and the effects of long-term starvation are on display at the city's United Nations headquarters . Former war crimes prosecutors have described the images as 'clear evidence' of systematic torture and mass killings in Syria's three-year-long civil war . The UN representative of the Syrian National Coalition, Najib Ghadbian, told The Associated Press that Syria's representatives at the U.N. were welcome to attend, though the two sides do not speak to each other. When he saw the photos from the Caesar exhibit for the first time Friday in his office, Ghadbian said he sobbed. Speaking ahead of the exhibition, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said: 'Anyone who has seen the images will never forget them. 'Maimed bodies, people with their eyes gouged out, emaciated prisoners. It defies anybody's sense of humanity.' The exhibition comes as an international rights group announced Wednesday that more than 600 medical workers have been killed in Syria's civil war. Physicians for Human Rights said it has documented 233 attacks on 183 medical facilities across Syria since the country's conflict began in March 2011. In a report, it said that President Bashar Assad's government is responsible for 88 per cent of the recorded attacks on hospitals and 97 percent of the killings of medical workers. It documented 139 deaths directly attributable to torture and execution.The group's director of investigations Erin Gallagher said, "every doctor killed or hospital destroyed leaves hundreds or even thousands of Syrians with nowhere to turn for health care." The pictures were taken by a former military police photographer who has been identified by the code name 'Caesar' Upsetting: Some were visibly distressed as they viewed the horrific pictures, which were smuggled out of Syria between 2011 and mid-2013 . A military police photographer smuggled copies of the photos out of a hospital on memory sticks hidden in his shoe . U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said anyone who has seen the images 'will never forget them'

Exhibition of 25 pictures on display at the UN headquarters in New York . Some images show eye gougings, strangulation and effects of starvation . A number of visitors looked shocked as they viewed the horrific pictures . The photographs were  smuggled out of Syria between 2011 and mid-2013 . Exhibition this week comes as the conflict in Syria moves into its fifth year . WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT .

 detention was on display in Manhattan on Wednesday. The pictures, which were collected by Britain's Channel 4 television, come from a former regime official who escaped to the UK.
He has refused to name the country but said he took pictures of the regime's victims 'to show the world the truth about Syria's brutal and degrading regime'.
On Wednesday, he described the brutal methods used by President Bashar al-Assad to keep his people in line.
The images include a man apparently being hanged by a rope around his neck and a man with his face burned by acid.
"It's horrible. I don't have the words to describe how horrified I am," a woman said as she looked at one of the pictures. "How did he take these pictures?" "People must see the truth, how bad it really is there," she said of the gruesome images.
The pictures are expected to attract some 10,000 New Yorkers who can come in for free.
"It is important for me to share this with them and to give people some sense of their plight," the former official said, speaking through an interpreter.
"I want to give them the opportunity to see the truth and the barbaric way in which President al-Assad is treating his people," he said.
The former official, in his mid-30s, escaped to London as his wife was about to give birth and his parents live here.
The exhibition runs until July 26 at the New School in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
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3/ 7/11
TROOPS DEPLOYED TO STOP BORDER CROSSINGS
Immigrants try & "wink&qu...
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Life on Earth may have been kickstarted by a series of chemical reactions triggered by two simple but poisonous compounds that were plentiful on our planet four billion years ago. Chemists claim they may have finally solved the riddle of how life first got going on Earth. They have found it is possible to create the three main molecular building blocks of life - DNA, proteins and lipids - from hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide and ultraviolet light. Meteorite impacts, like the one in the illustration above, may have triggered the creation of hydrogen cyanide that scientists have found can create the three basic building blocks of light in reactions powered by sunlight . Their findings suggest that the basic components for biological cells could have all occurred simultaneously in primordial ponds and streams, coming together to form the first cells. This suggests that life may well have first emerged here on Earth - out of a toxic soup of poisonous gas - rather than being carried to our planet by a comet or meteorite from outer space. RNA stands for ribonucleic acid. It is one of three important molecules that are essential for all known forms of life - as well as proteins and lipids. RNA is formed from strings of nucleic acids, the same building blocks that create DNA. Genetic information in a cell flows from DNA through RNA to proteins. DNA is considered the 'blueprint' of the cell and RNA is what helps translate it. Some life, like viruses, only use RNA and it is thought that some of the earliest organisms on Earth used this molecule. Proteins are considered to be the workhorses of the cell built up from strings of amino acids. These carry out the biochemical reactions that take place in the cell and make life tick. Lipids are fatty molecules that line up in formation that can create protective vesicles. They form the membrane 'walls' of every living cell and give them structure. They are also essential for sending signals out of the cell. But the researchers behind the new study say that meteorite impacts probably still played a key role in giving life a first leg up on the ladder towards existence. They claim that meteorite impacts around four billion years ago - known as the Late Heavy Bombardment - could have carried with them carbon rich material that reacted with nitrogen in the air to produce an abundance of hydrogen cyanide. This poisonous gas could then have dissolved in water and undergone a series of chemical reactions, along with hydrogen sulphide, driven by ultraviolet light. Professor John Sutherland, a chemist at the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge who led the study said: 'Although it necessarily has to be painted with broad brushstrokes, the picture that emerges is of an overall reaction network developing over time in separate streams and pools, according to a dynamic flow chemistry scheme. 'The various products would be synthesized by subtle variations in the flow-chemistry history of the streams and the order in which they merged or ran into pools. 'Although the overall scheme would not involve all the steps of the reaction network taking place simultaneously in ‘one pot’, the various products would end up mixed together in pools.' Scientists have long believed that the building blocks for life first began occurring one after another although the debate for which came first has been controversial. Meteorite fragments and bedrock in craters like this one could have reacted with hydrogen cyanide dissolved in pools of water to create salts that react with heat and ultraviolet light to create RNA, lipids and amino acids . The researchers behind the new paper propose a number of geochemical steps shown above that could have seen hydrogen cyanide start a series of reactions that led to the creation of amino acids, nucleic acids and lipids necessary for life. First the hydrogen cyanide is dissoved in water (a) and then reacts with metals to create salts (b). These are left behind by evaporation and then undergo changes due to geothermal heating (c). The resulting molecules are swept away by steams and accumulate in ponds where they react further (d). The researchers behind the latest study, which is published in the journal Nature Chemistry, found they could make nucleic acids - a precursor for RNA and DNA - from hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide and UVlight. They also found the same basic ingredients could also lead to the creation of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, and lipids which form the protective membranes around biological cells. The conditions necessary to create all of these were found to be the same, meaning a single set of chemical reactions could have given rise to life's basic building blocks simultaneously. Professor Sutherland and his colleagues argue that the early Earth would have been a favourable setting for these reactions. Hydrogen sulphide is thrown out in volcanic eruptions like the one above and may have been a vital ingredient in the formation of the first biological building blocks needed to create living cells, according to new research . One of the great mysteries shrouding the origins of life on Earth is how complex organisms began to take shape. Theory should hold that 'short' fragments of genetic material would have reproduced in abundance, leaving longer strands - and thus complex life - behind. But new research has revealed that longer strands may have thrived in volcanic 'pores' on the young Earth - ultimately allowing life to evolve to the complexity we see today. The research was carried out by a team from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich and published in the journal Nature. They found that water-filled micropores in hot rocks may have acted as the nurseries in which life on Earth began. One crucial precondition for the origin of life is that comparatively simple biomolecules must have had opportunities to form more complex structures. These, in turn, had to be capable of reproducing themselves, storing genetic information in a chemically stable form. Creating longer strands of RNA to store this genetic information would have been essential - but it simply wouldn't have been possible in most conditions on Earth. But LMU physicists led by Dr Dieter Braun showed experimentally that pore systems on the seafloor that were heated by volcanic activity, namely hydrothermal vents, could have served as reaction chambers for this RNA. Hydrogen cyanide would have formed in large amounts due to the bombardment of comets raining down on the Earth a few hundred million years after it formed. Hydrogen sulphide was also thought to be common on the early Earth - thrown out by volcanic eruptions - while the sun would have provided more than enough ultraviolet light. Metal containing minerals that could have catalysed the reactions were also abundant while metal meteorites could also have caused the formation of other crucial elements like phosphate. In their paper, the scientists set out a series of geochemical scenarios that would have led the reactions in different directions to produce each of the necessary building blocks. Evaporation for example could have caused salts for form that could have then been washed into streams where solar radiation would have driven further chemical reactions. Over time the different products would have been mixed together as streams met and mingled into pools. Jack Szostak, a molecular biologist who studies the origin of life at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and was not involved in the study, told the journal Science: 'This is a very important paper. 'It proposes for the first time a scenario by which almost all of the essential building blocks for life could be assembled in one geological setting.'

Scientists created precursors to RNA, proteins and lipids in basic reactions . Their tests used hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide and ultraviolet light . These chemicals would have been plentiful on the Earth 4 billion years ago . Hydrogen cyanide would have been created by  meteorite debris reacting with the nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere during repeated space impacts . Hydrogen sulphide gas was probably thrown out by erupting volcanoes . The research was conducted by chemists at the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge .

 Earth. Their findings have been published in the prestigious science journal, Nature.
At the heart of the research was the concept that water is key to the formation of RNA and DNA - the molecules that carry genetic information in living organisms. The researchers say that water alone is not enough for life to begin, but they believe a process triggered by two key chemicals may well have been the first step in the evolution of life.
Dr Alan Boyle, one of the world's leading science writers and science director of the British Science Festival explains: "This is exciting stuff. It's very plausible and the idea is that some time between 3.5 billion and 4 billion years ago you had a combination of two different molecules in the atmosphere and they combined, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. The oxygen then reacted with these two chemicals to form water. The next step is for amino acids to form - the building blocks for life as we know it. But it's not enough for life to begin. You've also got to have some other catalysts to get that life going."
These are the sort of events that the scientists working at the heart of the research think happened during the early evolution of life. They took place at a time when the ocean was warmer than today. They believe that volcanic eruptions could have released these two chemicals into the atmosphere, and that the combination of the two then started to produce water which became rich in oxygen and produced a chemical environment which was "alive" with organic compounds, including these amino acids.
They say that some of the amino acids - the building blocks of life - formed complex molecules called peptides and proteins. Others reacted to produce hydrogen cyanide and cyanide compounds.
The researchers tested their theory on the famous "Miller-Urey" experiment. In this experiment two simple chemicals - methane and ammonia - are placed under an electrical discharge in a test tube. The methane reacts with water vapour and the ammonia with oxygen in the atmosphere to form the building blocks of life, amino acids. This is supposed to be the very earliest step in the evolution of life.
The team at Imperial College London have tried to mimic this experiment here in Bristol but by using carbon dioxide and oxygen, the same gases that we exhale, instead of methane and ammonia. Carbon dioxide is much more abundant than methane, and they've used oxygen from a machine. It's only possible for them to work under these very exacting conditions because of new technology


Eventually he snapped, trudging off the field after 75 minutes and wondering when his next game in a Chelsea shirt will be. This has been brewing for a while, simmering in the background at a time when Jose Mourinho needs his first choice striker out on the pitch in the final, decisive nine games of the season. Diego Costa, this hot-head in a Chelsea shirt, has tweaked his hamstring again and Mourinho will expect his prized forward to barter his way out of Spain's two games during the international break. This time the complaint felt legit, particularly as the score was delicately balanced at 2-2 at the KC Stadium when Costa signalled for help. Chelsea striker Diego Costa was forced off with a hamstring injury during the Blues' 3-2 win over Hull City . Costa (left) talks to manager Jose Mourinho (right) before he is substituted at KC Stadium on Sunday . His replacement, Loic Remy, answered the SOS by scoring Chelsea's winner with his first touch. It was a shame to see Costa disappear down the tunnel, particularly after he had joined Harry Kane at the top of the scoring charts in the Barclays Premier League with a rasping effort to put Chelsea 2-0 ahead. Instead Spain, who have a Euro 2016 qualifier against Ukraine to play on Friday, and a friendly with Holland the following Tuesday will dictate when the forward plays again. Mourinho has an uneasy relationship with Spain coach Vicente del Bosque and with that in mind, his adopted country are likely to demand that he is assessed by their own doctors. 'When the team needs a goal with 15 minutes to go and the striker has a lot of experience with hamstring injuries and says it's over, it's over. 'We know his hamstring is not strong. Now he has 15 days without football, but we never cry about our injured players. 'He has had this problem since he tried to play in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid. He has this fragility.' There has been talk of an operation at the end of the season, some serious discussions between Chelsea's medical staff about a permanent solution. 'Dr Biosca (Chelsea's medical director) is against knives, against surgery,' admitted Mourinho. 'He's all in favour of conservative work and collective work between the medical department and fitness staff. This is the direction, we believe.' Costa had scored Chelsea's second goal as they stormed into a 2-0 lead within 10 minutes on Sunday . It has been another eventful game for Costa, full of sly digs and elbows again as he responded to the prods in the back from Steve Bruce's players. Everyone tries to work him over these days. There was a flashpoint, of course there was, because that is the way Costa plays the game. He snarls, he snaps, he scores. Here at the KC Stadium, after Hull had pegged back Chelsea amid raucous scenes in the stands, he threw half an elbow in the direction of Jake Livermore. It was not seen by Michael Oliver, the referee who also failed to spot Costa raking his studs down Emre Can during the volatile Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge. On this occasion he is expected to escape. Hull were able to draw level before half-time and when Costa was subbed off the scores were locked at 2-2 . The real punishment was for Hull, beaten by the boot of Remy just a couple of minutes after he had replaced Costa as a substitute. He is a useful back-up, full of energy and enthusiasm despite his lack of minutes. Mourinho had every reason to be grateful to him. 'Every time he plays here is there and he probably deserves more than I give him,' admitted a mightily relieved Mourinho. 'There are not many times when a coach owes something to a player, but with Remy that's the case. Every time he plays he gives us a lot.' After scoring the winner here for Chelsea, he has earned a break. Loic Remy scored the winning goal for Chelsea and his contributions could prove vital in Costa's absence .

Diego Costa scored Chelsea's second goal against Hull City on Sunday . However, the forward was forced off with an injury after 75 minutes . It remains to be seen whether or not Costa will play for Spain during the international break . Loic Remy, his replacement, entered the game with the score at 2-2 . Remy's winning goal suggests that he can fill the void in Costa's absence .

 midfielder the most.
With two of his three defensive midfielders suspended, against Sunderland he started with John Obi Mikel, whom he prefers in the pivot, ahead of Nemanja Matic.
And in the 70th minute Mourinho made a very unpopular substitution, with Mikel already a shadow of his former self, bringing on Cesc Fabregas for the lacklustre Nigerian.
By his own admission, Fabregas was terrible that night. But as a result of Mourinho's decision, Chelsea's midfield was left a shapeless mess when it was already on the ropes.
The Spaniard added none of the guile and spark that made him one of the world's most complete midfielders in his prime at Barcelona. But worse than that, it was Mourinho's decision that cost them the game.
He had just been shown a yellow card for dissent, but that was the least of his worries at that moment. The game was on a knife edge and the penalty area was packed, with both sets of players looking to score a crucial goal.
What Mourinho did not appreciate was the fact that it takes time for a team, particularly a first-choice team, to reorganise itself and get back to full speed. For the Portuguese, it was the difference between winning and losing.
Yet for all the criticism thrown at Chelsea's midfield, they only lost by a single goal, to a 30-yard wonder-strike.
What really cost them, though, was that they were on the back foot, scrambling to deal with their own mistakes. They were constantly playing catch-up against a Sunderland side that had made a habit out of chasing every ball.
That the team was not able to build on the clean sheet they got the previous game against Norwich City was worrying enough. But a loss at home against a team that had lost its opening five games spoke of their overall frustration that night.
Chelsea have won two games in a row against Crystal Palace and Norwich since then, but Mourinho still has no solution to his midfield problem. Fabregas is not quite ready yet and Matic cannot play two games in a week.
Mourinho tried to solve the problem with the signing of Tiémoué Bakayoko, but the 23-year-old will not be ready until November.
If the problem is to be resolved sooner, Mourinho is left with two options.
The first is to play Mikel


Australian journalist Peter Greste has thanked Foreign Minister Julie Bishop for using her 'laser-like eyes' to secure his release from an Egyptian prison, comparing her to the Terminator. Speaking at The National Press Club in Canberra, Mr Greste, who has now been a free man for seven weeks, paid a special tribute to Ms Bishop, claiming she had brought out her famous stare which he described as her 'secret weapon'. 'One person... commented on your uncanny ability to smile very warmly   and at the same time burn holes through the back of their skulls giving them the distinct impression that they've just been hugged by the Terminator,' Mr Greste said to the room full of journalists. Scroll down for video . Australian journalist Peter Greste (above) has thanked Foreign Minister Julie Bishop for using her 'laser-like eyes' to secure his release from an Egyptian prison, comparing her to the Terminator . Mr Greste continued, bringing up a touching moment when he saw Ms Bishop speaking on the steps of Parliament House while he was still in prison serving his 400 days. 'I remember being quite shocked, quite surprised by how emotional you seemed and also upset and angry in a way that you don’t often hear from a politician,' he said. 'It took me a moment for the penny to drop that actually you were talking about me. This was on the day after our conviction and that was a very emotional moment.' Speaking at The National Press Club in Canberra, Mr Greste, who has now been a free man for seven weeks, paid a special tribute to Ms Bishop (above) , claiming she had brought out her famous stare which he described as her 'secret weapon' Mr Greste addressed the minister, thanking her for her involvement in his case and her constant pioneering for his release . Mr Greste addressed the minister, thanking her for her involvement in his case and her constant pioneering for his release. 'Your personal involvement and the involvement of a lot of Australia's politicians really made a difference to all of us in prison because it meant that our cause wasn't personal. 'It wasn't just about us against the Egyptian government - we had the backing of the entire Australian government and indeed the Australian people and that meant more than you can possibly imagine,' he said. The 49-year-old Al Jazeera journalist landed back on Australian soil in early February after spending 400 days in jail. He was convicted in 2013 after being accused of helping the Muslim Brotherhood, an outlawed terrorist organisation, due to their coverage of the violent crackdown on Islamist protests following the military overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi. The 49-year-old Al Jazeera journalist landed back on Australian soil in early February after spending 400 days in jail . Greste was released from prison and deported after a presidential 'approval,' according to an Egyptian prison official and the nation's official news agency. The official and an Interior Ministry statement said he was released under a new deportation law passed last year. During his speech, Mr Greste  brought up his ongoing trial and that of his colleagues Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian national Baher Mohamed. 'The way that this trial seems to be going  is encouraging' Mr Greste said. 'We've learned to take nothing for granted. Things are positive, we know we've done nothing wrong and we've broken no law.' He also said that his ethnicity played a huge role in his release and it is a fact that cannot be ignored. Mr Greste was released from an Egyptian prison in early February . Ms Bishop stood up when the audience applauded her efforts to secure Mr Greste's release . However he said he is coping well following his release and is settling back into his normal life. 'What's become evident since I got out is the scale of the campaign,' he said. 'I'm not sure that I have coped. I feel a little bit like the rabbit in the headlights' 'This hasn't damaged me. I'm going to stick my neck out and guess one of you had imagined what it would be like for you in prison. 'Every single one of us is far stronger than we give ourselves credit for. 'I discovered my limits are further than I ever thought they would be' Mr Greste also thanked Griffith College for delivering 'around 13kg' of academic work to the embassy so he could complete his Masters in International Relations. Mr Greste also talked about press freedom and how he has been spending his time since his release . Speaking about Freedom of Speech, Mr Greste said he was he has 'concerns' about the growing threat to press freedom. 'We're not meant to be friends of the government or politicians we're supposed to hold them to account and we shouldn't be apologetic for that,' Mr Greste said when questioned. 'I am quite disturbed by the lack of coverage of world affairs in the Australian press. We don't pay enough attention to what's happening in the world around us.

Peter Greste has thanked Julie Bishop for her involvement in his release . He claimed she used her 'laser-like eyes' which are her secret weapon . He said a source told him it was like  'hugged by the Terminator'

reste said he had lost 20kgs during his seven-month stint in prison.
Mr Greste told his audience: "In fact, if you look at the picture of me leaving Cairo, I was wearing my 'Terminator' glasses, my sunglasses for being blinded by the bright lights of Cairo.
"In my heart, at my deepest core, I know it was my partner and my boss, Mohammed Fahmy, who was doing the real work. But you know what? No doubt she has laser-like eyes."
Mr Greste was released on February 4 after being sentenced to 5 years hard labour. His lawyer told AFP, "We are very, very happy for him, obviously. It's a long time coming."
The 55-year-old's release comes after days of pressure from Australian politicians and business leaders for his freedom.
Following his release, Mr Greste said he would never be the same. "I'm going to need a lot of help to get to some kind of normal," he said, "but we'll get there."
Peter Greste speaks at the National Press Club. Source: News Corp
"I'm not a hero, I'm just another journalist"
Mr Greste said he had "absolutely no sense of guilt" about being held by Egyptian authorities for 15 months.
"This was never about me. It was about reporting events in Egypt, for which the court was not going to take responsibility for," Mr Greste said.
During his stay in prison, Mr Greste was denied the right to have a phone. "I know that we as human beings are more than what we do, but I never felt more like a human being than in the last seven months."
"I am going home to my two kids but also to a different life, a different world. I'm going home to a world where I'll feel a greater responsibility and where, if I'm to go out, I'll think more carefully about how I do my job," he said.
His father, Bruce Greste, who has spoken of the stress on his family during the past year, said he "couldn't tell you how great (his son) is — he's just terrific".
"I know he will have more stories that he'll like to tell -


Dhanusha, Nepal (CNN)At Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, hundreds of migrant workers line up daily at the immigration counters, clutching newly printed passports and boarding passes. Many of them, though, are clueless as to where they're headed. As a frequent traveler to the country, I've been approached many times by these men, asking me to help fill out their departure forms. Usually, when I ask what country they're traveling to, I get the same answer: "I'm not sure." They seem weary and lost but still hopeful that they can make their lives better. This time, however, I'm at the airport to follow up on the repatriation of the most unfortunate of these migrant workers -- far too many of them make the return journey in caskets. Almost every day, the remains of three or four workers arrive back in Nepal from the Middle East, according to Bhola Prasad Siwakoti, the secretary of the Nepalese Ministry of Labor and Manpower. Every other day, at least one dead body arrives from Qatar, he said. "Nepali migrant workers have the lowest per capita income in Qatar," says Suryanath Mishra, who served as ambassador to Qatar from 2007 to 2012. "They get exploited the most out of all the migrant workers." He cites lack of education and technical skills as the main causes. We are waiting for the body of Kishun Das, who left Nepal for Qatar only eight months ago. The 38-year old was his family's breadwinner and the father of five children. His younger brother, Bishun, is at the airport to receive the body. He also works in Qatar and is in Nepal on leave. I ask him why he's alone. "We don't have money to bring other family members to receive the body," he says.  "But they have been calling me every other minute asking for the update." His phone rings. "I'm at the administration filling out the paperwork." he tells the caller on his phone. "No, he isn't getting any compensation." With more than 350,000 migrant workers, Nepalis make up the second-biggest community in Qatar, after Indians, the embassy in Qatar claims. When contacted about the deaths of foreign workers in Qatar, a spokesman for the labor ministry said that all workers deserve to be protected against exploitation. Saad Al-Mraikhi estimated that some 400 Indian and Nepalese workers die each year in Qatar. "It is desperately unfortunate that any worker should die overseas, in a foreign land, away from their family," the spokesman said. "But it would be wrong, we believe, to allow the statistics to be consistently distorted to suggest that all deaths in a population of 1.5 million people are apparently the result of workplace conditions, either directly or indirectly, which is the prevailing and erroneous narrative." Al-Mraikhi spoke about recent changes in his country, including the introduction of a wage protection system, improved living conditions and increased penalties for companies that violate rules. "While the vast majority of workers in Qatar are fairly treated, we recognise that a minority are not.  That is why we are reforming labour laws and practices," he said in a statement. As we wait at the airport, a Qatar Airways plane lands. At 7:40 pm, it is the last of three that depart and arrive every day. Before Qatar won the right to stage the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and embarked on a hugely ambitious, holistic construction plan to support it, it was a single flight a day. Hundreds of passengers disembark from the plane. "They are mostly migrant workers returning home," an airport official tells us. We spot a cargo worker transporting a bright red box carrying the body of Kishun. Even in a country where even a fight between two stray dogs can gather a sizable crowd, coffin arrivals don't seem to attract many spectators. The scene has become all too common. The coffin is loaded on to a jeep provided for free by the Nepali government. We follow it on the journey to the family's village in Dhanusha district, a seven-hour drive from Kathmandu. "Normally, vehicles are not allowed to drive on this highway after 8 p.m. because of the dangerous condition of some of the roads at night, but since I'm carrying a coffin, the police let me go," the driver of the jeep tells us. The Nepali government has eight vehicles designated to deliver coffins. They're kept busy. "They call me the coffin guy," the driver says with a dark smirk. At around 1 a.m., we stop at a roadside shack. All of us eat except for Das' brother. "I'm mourning. For religious purposes, I need to remain pure. So, I can't eat anything," he says. I see him buying alcohol shortly after. "I'm too stressed because of my brother's death. I need to comfort myself." Back in Qatar, where alcohol is banned, he and his friends manage to fulfill their needs courtesy of the local black market, he tells us. "It (the alcohol) is of very poor quality, but that is our only option," he adds. Even before we arrive at the village just at the break of dawn, we hear the howling. Dozens of villagers have already gathered at Das' home. His father cries out in agony, "Hey Lord, what have you done?" Then he faints. All the family members shout at the coffin. The wailing and shouting is almost deafening. And it goes on for hours. As a journalist working in South Asia, I have seen a lot of desperation and misery. But the screeching was so intense; it's something I will never forget. "He alone was taking care of his parents and his family. How will they survive now?" a villager asks. Most of the spectators are women. Most of the men from the village have gone to the Middle East to work. The few who are left behind start preparing for his cremation. Mishra, the former ambassador, says 55% of Nepali migrant workers deaths in Qatar are from "sudden" cardiac arrest, 20% die from work-related accidents, 15% from traffic accidents and an alarming 10% commit suicide. Nepali government records show more than 290 workers have died in the Gulf state in the past 420 days. Put another way, two Nepali workers die in Qatar every three days. These are young men dying in the prime of their life. "The cause of deaths needs to be investigated properly, and urgently," Mishra says. "In general, it is due to tension led by exploitation, adverse climate, poor working and living conditions and alcoholic intoxication." In Das' village, almost all the men we meet have spent time working in the Middle East. Many had recently returned from Qatar. They tell stories of hardship and of the deaths of their co-workers. Time and again, none of them seems to be convinced with investigations into their friends' and compatriots' deaths. And again, amongst the keening and wailing of his distraught family, no one is sure how Kishun Das, brought back home in a red coffin along hazardous roads, met his end in Qatar.

A spokesman for the Qatari labor ministry details recent changes to the law . Each week, the bodies of dozens of migrant workers are repatriated to Nepal . The body of one man, Kishun Das, is returned home as his family mourns .

 to when they would arrive in their home state, Bihar.
There are no direct flights to Bihar, which is a long way from Nepal's capital. With no air service or bus service to Bihar, the workers travel via Nepal's capital or have to find their own mode of transportation to head north or south.
Since 2005, more than 3 million migrants from India have travelled to work in Nepal, most of them crossing the border in the northern district of Dhanusha.
Now, they could travel the entire length of the 1,400 kilometers (869 miles) from Nepal's southernmost tip, in the Indian border town of Jeyarpatti, to Muzaffarpur, the state's capital. And if they are among the first passengers to board a flight on a newly opened runway -- scheduled to arrive in October -- they could have a chance to catch the first glimpse of their homes for months.
"I have not even seen the picture of my son in the past eight months. I am so happy to receive news that he is coming on October 1 and I can see my grandchildren and even touch them," Jhanak Choubey, a mother of seven from Muzaffarpur, told CNN after arriving at the airport.
Choubey is one of the thousands of families from eastern India who is expecting the arrival of their relatives or friends in Dhanusha.
When Nepal closed its border with India, the migrant workers -- mainly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal -- faced an uncertain future.
Many of the poor men work at brick kilns and construction sites for $1 a day, while others work on tea plantations, in restaurants, and hotels, earning about $100 a month.
After Nepal closed its borders, many migrant workers took the journey on foot, sometimes sleeping under trees or on the side of the highway.
For 25-year-old Santosh Kumar, a daily-wage construction worker from Bihar, it took him nearly two weeks to cover 500 kilometers from Gorakhpur, in India's eastern Uttar Pradesh state, to Dhanusha district, where he worked as an electrician.
"I was lucky to find an employer who paid my bus fare so that I could travel by bus. Many others couldn't and ended up walking for two weeks to reach here," Kumar said.
Kumar added: "It's always better to


(CNN)A Louisiana judge ruled Monday that Robert Durst, the millionaire real estate heir charged with first-degree murder, will be held without bail. That's no big surprise. In 2001 -- the last time he was accused of murder and released on bail -- Durst fled to Pennsylvania, where authorities caught him after he tried to shoplift a sandwich from a supermarket. As the attorneys sparred in court and witnesses testified Monday, they revealed new details about the investigation that led to Durst's March 14 arrest, and set the stage for what will surely be a fierce legal battle. After the hearing, Durst's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, spoke with CNN's Jean Casarez. Here are some key details from Monday's hearing and the interview: . Durst, who appeared in court wearing an orange prison uniform and shackles, was arrested after federal agents tracked his cell phone, according to information presented in court Monday. Investigators knew he'd left his Houston condo with five suitcases on March 10. And, since a warrant allowed them to track his cell phone, they saw when it pinged a tower 85 miles east, in Beaumont, Texas. But suddenly, he had stopped using it. Investigators thought the trail had gone cold. "They had no indication of his movement," said Jim O'Hearn, an investigator for the Orleans Parish district attorney's office. But then, authorities tracked him to New Orleans after he called his voice mail twice from a Marriott there, O'Hearn testified. That's where FBI agents found and arrested him. Last week, court documents revealed Durst had a loaded .38-caliber revolver, 5 ounces of marijuana, his passport and birth certificate, a neck-to-head latex mask with salt-and-pepper hair attached and more than $40,000 cash, mostly in $100 bills. Among his possessions, he also had a UPS tracking number. The package was later intercepted by the FBI, prosecutors said in court Monday. It contained clothing and more than $100,000 in cash. It's a case Durst even has made himself. In "The Jinx," the HBO documentary that featured him, Durst said: "You can't give someone charged with murder bail because they're going to run away, of course. Goodbye, $250,000. Goodbye, jail. I'm out." In a seconds-long news conference after the hearing Monday, Durst attorney DeGuerin said he had no hope for bail and the judge's decision was not surprising. The legal team, however, did obtain "a lot of information," he said, and a preliminary hearing was set for April 2. "All in all, I think this has been a very good day for us," he said on the courthouse steps. He walked off without elaborating. DeGuerin cast doubt Monday on the validity of the Los Angeles arrest warrant that led to Durst's detention, and argued that items found in the hotel room search shouldn't be admissible because detectives may not have had a search warrant at the time. He also said a detective and prosecutor interrogated Durst for three hours without his attorney present. Since the weapons and drugs charges Durst faces in New Orleans are based on what investigators say they found in his hotel room, this is likely to come up again. But prosecutors argued that the matter at hand Monday was whether he is a flight risk or a danger to the community. The judge sided with the prosecution Monday. But this is just the first step in what will likely be a lengthy legal battle. "As long as Louisiana wants us here, well, we'll stay here. We'll fight," DeGuerin said Monday. But the bigger courtroom fight will likely unfold in Los Angeles, where the district attorney filed a first-degree murder charge against Durst last week. Durst awaits extradition to Los Angeles to face that charge. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Prosecutors accuse Durst of "lying in wait" and killing Susan Berman, a crime writer and his longtime confidante, because she "was a witness to a crime." Berman was shot in the head in her Beverly Hills, California, home in December 2000, shortly before investigators were set to speak with her about the 1982 disappearance of Durst's first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst. Robert Durst has long maintained he had nothing to do with Berman's death or his wife's disappearance. "I just don't think that they had sufficient evidence to have him arrested," DeGuerin said Monday. "They had a lot of suspicion. They've always had a lot of suspicion. And that television show just added to that suspicion." It's not the first time Durst has been accused of murder. He admitted to killing and dismembering his neighbor in a 2003 trial, but he was acquitted after arguing he acted in self-defense. FBI agents have also asked local authorities to examine cold cases in locations near where Durst lived over the past five decades, a U.S. law enforcement official said. On Monday, police said there was a connection between Durst and a college student who disappeared from Vermont's Middlebury College in 1971. In response to a question at a Tuesday news conference from CNN, Middlebury Police Chief Tom Hanley said: "There's nothing in the files to indicate (Durst) was questioned" at the time of her disappearance. "We don't know if they ever had any personal contact," the chief added.  The connection in the case was one of proximity, Hanley said. Durst owned a health-food store in Middlebury, and Lynne Schulze was last seen across the street from the store near a bus stop. She had purchased dried prunes from the store earlier. DeGuerin brushed off the accusation, saying that his client "may have been in Chicago when Jimmy Hoffa disappeared." Other cases in upstate New York, the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California are also getting a new look. Durst was placed on suicide watch, according to police, but DeGuerin said last week that Durst needed to be in a hospital setting, not because of the possibility of suicide, but because he has serious medical conditions. The 71-year-old is suffering from hydrocephalus, which required brain surgery a couple of years ago, DeGuerin said. Doctors implanted a stent on the right side of his head, the attorney said last week. "At the same time he was in the hospital he had an operation on his esophagus to remove cancer. So he's got some serious health issues. ... He's lost a lot of weight. He's not in good health," DeGuerin said. Durst appeared in court Monday with his head shaved, the stent prominent. DeGuerin also said that Durst is "mildly autistic" and has received treatment in the past from one of the country's leading experts in Asperger's syndrome and autism. "He's quiet and he's reserved and he's actually bashful. But he's always been looked upon as a little bit odd," DeGuerin said. "And what we discovered 15 years ago was that he's autistic, mildly autistic, but it explains a lot of his, what others look upon as unusual or bizarre behavior." But DeGuerin said his client's health struggles don't mean he's incompetent to stand trial. And DeGuerin said they're eager to go to court and fight the accusations against him. "He's a little frail and he has some memory problems sometimes," DeGuerin said. "But he's not incompetent." CNN's Anne Woolsey, Amanda Watts, Jean Casarez and Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.

Police chief in Vermont says Robert Durst owned store where college student bought prunes before she disappeared . Durst's attorney: "I just don't think that they had sufficient evidence to have him arrested" Robert Durst, who is charged with first-degree murder in California, awaits extradition .

 of a murder -- Durst fled into the New York night.
Last weekend, prosecutors argued that Durst, 71, was a flight risk and had been planning his escape since learning of the indictment last year, which included two counts of murder, one for killing his best friend, Susan Berman, and another for killing a neighbor's writer friend in 2001.
"There is no justification for him to be allowed to live on the streets as opposed to jail," said Assistant District Attorney John Hester. He said Durst, who lived in New York and Los Angeles for decades, now has a network of family and associates across the country who can help him. "He has plenty of opportunity to live a happy life if he just follows the law."
But Durst's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, argued that Durst is a danger to no one, and that he should have his bond, noting the amount of time his client has already served in jail since being arrested in July. "He's not getting out of jail," the lawyer told the judge. He noted that Durst had a stroke two years ago and suffers from severe depression and anxiety, and was recently diagnosed with a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is treatable but also very painful.
"We're not talking about an escape artist," said DeGuerin, who asked that Durst be allowed to wear a monitor while he was in jail, and to be taken to an emergency room if his health worsens. He also asked that Durst be allowed to speak with relatives and attorneys, saying he is "not trying to hide from law enforcement."
The judge, who ruled in favor of the state, will determine bail after Durst is indicted by a grand jury, said a court clerk. But his lawyer is not optimistic. DeGuerin said "I think it's virtually impossible" to get bail before his client's next court date, which is at least five weeks away.
In 2001, Durst was arrested on suspicion of the killing of Berman, a woman who was his confidante and business partner. Her murder was not included in the indictment handed down by the grand jury in December, even though prosecutors have since said that Durst told police he killed Berman in self-defense.
In his interview last week with "Dr. Phil," Durst admitted that he killed Berman, but said he


Rolls-Royce launches its most opulent bespoke limousine today – with a silk interior and £1million-plus price tag to match. For its specially commissioned one-off Phantom II Serenity, the luxury British car-maker has looked back for inspiration to the era of royal, silk-lined horse-drawn carriages which carried Kings, Emperors and other assorted potentates. It has adapted centuries-old hand-crafted skills of silk-weaving and decorating , then updated them for the super-luxury car of the 21st century. Rolls-Royce launches its most opulent bespoke limousine today – with a silk interior and £1million-plus price tag to match . Rolls-Royce said the Serenity – designed to be an oasis of calm in a hectic world – already had a buyer, unnamed, before it is officially unveiled today . It said the Serenity, shown at the Geneva Motor Show, ‘introduces a completely new level of individualised luxury’ Rolls-Royce said the Serenity – designed to be an oasis of calm in a hectic world – already had a buyer, unnamed, before it is officially unveiled today  at the Geneva Motor Show. Rolls-Royce said the Serenity ‘introduces a completely new level of individualised luxury’ applied to a Rolls-Royce Phantom whose base price starts at around £350,000. Designers were inspired by co-founder Sir Henry Royce’s maxim: ‘When it does not exist, design it.’ After more than a century of cars having leather interiors, designers decided to revert to the luxury material of a bygone age – silk. A Rolls-Royce spokesman said: ‘Our bespoke design team took inspiration from the opulent interiors of Rolls-Royces that have conveyed Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses and world leaders.’ Added into the mix are contemporary interpretations of furniture design and Japanese Royal robe motifs. Rolls-Royce said: ‘Serenity reintroduces the finest of textiles – silk – to create the most opulent interior of any luxury car. This unique design demonstrates the levels of craftsmanship, creativity and attention to detail only Rolls-Royce Motor Cars can offer.’ Giles Taylor, director of design at Rolls-Royce said: ‘Having revisited the history of the amazing interiors of the elite Rolls-Royce’s of the early 1900’ s, we felt inspired to share this heritage with our new customers in a very contemporary way. Laser-cut Mother of Pearl petals have been hand-applied – petal by petal - onto the wooden marquetry on the rear doors . The luxury British car-maker has looked back for inspiration to the era of royal, silk-lined horse-drawn carriages which carried Kings, Emperors and other assorted potentates . ‘The choice of Phantom for this project was obvious, but creating the motif that would define this most opulent and modern of automotive interiors would require considerable new expertise. This added expertise came from Cherica Haye and Michelle Lusby, both textile arts graduates from the Royal College of Art and Plymouth University respectively, who worked on the project. Michelle Lusby said: ‘Some of the most opulent silk motifs come to us from the Orient, where imperial families’ and rich merchants’ robes were made from the finest silk materials.’ This includes a highly complex handmade ‘twelve-layer robe’ of silk worn only by female Japanese courtiers. From the 17th to 19th century Japanese merchants commissioned beautiful clothes ‘to demonstrate their wealth and good taste’ she said. They demonstrated ‘elegant chic’ focussed on subtle details: ‘Those with style and money found ways to circumvent rules that forbade the use of certain colours, such as red, by applying them to undergarments and linings.’ Added into the mix are contemporary interpretations of furniture design and Japanese Royal robe motifs . Each car has ten yard-long panels of specially woven and painted silk, each of which is the product of 600 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship . Cherica Haye said: ‘The rear compartment of a Phantom is the most tranquil, beautiful place to be, a place where time and the outside world simply slip past. ‘This tranquillity made us think of the Oriental tradition where Emperors would take to their private gardens to reflect in solitude under the blossom trees. The blossom motif is one that is cherished in Far Eastern culture and has been beautifully applied to Royal robe design over the centuries.’ Silk for the Serenity came from the town of Suzhou in China, renowned for its creation of imperial embroidery. It was then sent to one of Britain’s oldest mills, Vanners in in Essex, to be hand-woven into just 10 metres of the fabric – enough to clothe the interior of Serenity – in a process that took two days or two hours per meter of fabric. Some 140 silk threads per centimetre were blended into the lustrous Smoke Green colour which was then hand-painted and embroidered by craftsmen from Britain and China. The Mother of Pearl petals are also hand-applied on the clock-face and instrument panel . Each car has ten yard-long panels of specially woven and painted silk, each of which is the product of 600 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship. Each individual petal of the crimson blossom motif is hand-painted directly onto the silk. Laser-cut Mother of Pearl petals are hand-applied – petal by petal - onto the wooden marquetry on the rear doors. It is also used on the clock-face and instrument panel. And the bespoke exterior Mother of Pearl paint is ‘the most expensive one-off paint ever developed by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.’ It is added in a three-stage pearl effect and hand-polished for 12 hours at Goodwood. Even the two-colour coachline – an upmarket ‘go-faster stripe’ – was applied in a sweep by the ultra-steady hand and squirrel-hair brush of expert Mark Court. Powered by vast 6.6 litre V12 engine, the Phantom Serenity is no slouch either accelerating from rest to 60mph in around five seconds to a top speed limited to 155mph. Powered by vast 6.6 litre V12 engine, the Phantom Serenity is accelerates from rest to 60mph in around five seconds to a top speed limited to 155mph . And there’s a huge market among the super-rich. Some 85 per cent of all Rolls-Royce global sales in 2014 had some level of bespoke content – up by a third (31 per cent) in the year. Rolls-Royce design director Giles Taylor said: ‘From renaissance times to the modern day, eminent people have surrounded themselves with rare fabrics such as silk to signify their power and position in society, whether at home or on the move. ‘In the early 20th Century, as closed Rolls-Royce’s replaced luxurious carriages, these opulent fabrics began travelling with their owners in the rear compartments of the world’s finest motor cars.’ Only when automotive leather became more refined was it accepted by the super-rich of the day, and then becoming the norm. Bamboo and Smoked Cherrywood are also used in the interior, along with Arctic White leather and carpet in the luggage compartment. But he added: ‘The thought that fabrics such as silk have been discounted from use because of their delicacy only spurred us on to go further than any other car maker is capable of doing. The result is Serenity.’ Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös said: ‘Celebrating the historical role played by silk as a symbol of ultimate elegance, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke Design team has created a magnificent one-off Phantom which will set a new benchmark for luxury individualisation in the motor industry.’ Rolls-Royce sold more than £1.2billion worth of cars last year after announcing its biggest ever annual sales in its 111-year history. The BMW-owned company employing 1,5000 people near Chichester in Sussex delivered a record 4,063 cars in 2014 - up 12per cent on 2013 and boosted by sales to America, China and the Middle east.

Phantom II Serenity already had a buyer before it was officially unveiled . Makers have ditched leather and opted for silk interior on the £1m car . Inspired by royal carriages, it has ten-yard panels of hand-painted silk . Silk from China was hand-woven in one of Britain’s oldest mills in Essex . Exterior mother of pearl paint is most dear ever developed by Rolls-Royce . Model due to be unveiled today at Geneva Motor Show and already has a buyer .

 turned to one of the world’s finest silk purveyors.
The firm, 200-year-old Scabal, which has supplied fabrics to members of the Royal Family for decades, is used to producing clothes and accessories with a five-figure price tag – the average tuxedo, for example, costs around £5,000. For the Serenity, it has woven a fabric of fine mulberry silk with 24 carats of pure gold. Only two cars will be built for the ultra-exclusive commission and each one will have its own individual design inspired by nature.
The company was first asked by Rolls-Royce to provide a silk for an exhibition at the 2015 Geneva motor show, where a ‘golden’ Phantom, which used the fabric, caused a sensation. Richard Mille, the owner of Scabal, decided to go one step further and has now supplied the silks to the specialist car manufacturers.
The fabric for the Serenity cars is being woven at Scabal’s mill in Switzerland and will be made to measure.
A ‘golden’ Rolls-Royce that cost £1 million was first shown at the Geneva motor show – now comes Serenity, with a silk-upholstered interior
As well as the silk, the Serenity’s interior also uses ‘nauturama’, a fabric printed with waves that recreates the look of the ocean.
Mille told MailOnline that the project, which took two years to complete, was a real challenge for both parties.
‘To create the silk in this quality, we had to develop a new technology,’ he said. ‘First, we were asked to make sure that the colour was accurate – so even the darkest silk has a beautiful blue undertone.
‘Then we had to work out the printing process to ensure that the pattern would look good on the fabric. We’ve been doing this for years so we knew how to do it, but we had to work in close collaboration with our colleagues at Scabal to develop our skills so we could work with a specialist fabric.’
Mille said it was ‘extremely challenging’ to produce the fabric on such a large scale, since the material requires constant adjustment to a customer’s wishes.
‘The difficulty was getting the width of the fabric so that we could make a wide enough band with the pattern. We managed this by using a single piece of fabric on each