Australian teen suicide bomber Jake Bilardi  was sitting on the couch of his Melbourne home, across from one of his brothers, when he panicked. The future jihadist, then 16-years-old, started shaking with anxiety, his heart pounding, trying to avoid eye contact with his sibling, 'too scared to move'. 'I had begun to believe he was a complete stranger out to kill me... I just looked around the room, wondering if there were hidden cameras some where (sic),' he purportedly writes in an online post. 'I realised what was happening after about 10 minutes however I didn't sleep that night because I was really scared for hours after.' A series of questions posted to Yahoo! Answers, seen by Daily Mail Australia and purportedly belonging to Bilardi, provide a troubling insight into the warped mind of the troubled young Melbourne man, who this week reportedly blew himself up in Ramadi, Iraq, 110km west of Baghdad. In this post titled 'I don't feel like this is my home?' two years ago, 'Jake' asked Yahoo! users what could be wrong with him as he had never had an episode 'as serious as this'. Jake Bilardi in a school photo from Year 10 (left) - the year he converted to Islam, according to school friends - and in Year 11 (right) before dropping out of school . 'My biggest problem is that it's a bad photo of me, hahaha': The photograph of Melbourne teen Jake Bilardi which was first released to show his allegiance to Islamic State . Extract: This one of 60 questions an account believed to belong to Jake Bilardi posted on Yahoo! Answers . On Thursday, an image of Bilardi sitting in front of an Islamic State flag was posted to Twitter . He said 'since I was about 11 or 12 years old I have felt sometimes like my home wasn't really my home and that it was all a set up. 'I am now 16 years old and it has gotten to the point where I it feels like I am on a movie set, I live with two older siblings and I sometimes even start to question who they are and believe that they are plotting to kill me'. Users advised he see a psychiatrist, or a doctor. Jake asked 60 questions on the service, sometimes seeking advice on serious matters such as this one. Sometimes they are the studious, perhaps school-related questions of an intelligent teenager, for instance asking whether Russia is a part of Asia or Europe. At other times, he shows typical teenage insecurity. Jake asked Yahoo! users if 'appearance is important in journalism' and said he had unsuccessfully applied for a job at one of his local newspapers. 'I am looking for a job in journalism and I was wondering if good looks are important. I will admit now that I am ugly although I really want to do journalism and was wondering if there is any importance toward appearance in order to be employed,' he said. In interviews with six of his stunned former classmates at Craigieburn Secondary College on Thursday, Daily Mail Australia was told the former maths whiz and founder of a children's soccer charity had harboured ambitions of becoming a political journalist. Other questions reveal his increasingly devout pursuit of the Islamic and parts of his ultimately successful plan to join the fighting in the Middle East. One of 60 Yahoo! Answers questions asked by an account believed to belong to Jake Bilardi, the Australian jihadist who purportedly blew himself up on Wednesday . Charity founder: Bilardi co-founded the Soccer For Hope Organisation (SHO) which removes youths from the streets of Uganda and uses soccer as a tool to improve their lives . Suicide bomber: ISIS leaked a photograph of 18-year-old Australian Jake Bilardi (pictured) in the vehicle he allegedly blew himself up while driving it . Over the years, he sought advice on how to correctly follow his Islamic faith, requesting help on how he could pray at school and at his job, at a Safeway supermarket. Around a year ago, he even asked if he could still celebrate Christmas as a Muslim. 'Is it alright for me to continue taking part because some people in my family still aren't happy with my decision and I have been trying to make things as normal as possible, so it would be really awkward and weird if I wasn't taking part,' he asked. His final four questions to the online community betray his decision to leave the country, asking about Australian immigration processes, including his concerns about how he had made a mistake on his application for an Australian passport ten months ago. Seven months ago, he asked about the 'outgoing passenger cards' that Australians generally sign at the airport. 'I need an outgoing passenger card to leave Australia and I don't know where I can get one. 'People have told me I can get it at the check-in counters but I am going to check in online so I can avoid the lines. 'Does anyone know where I can get one?' The Federal Government is investigating the reports of Bilardi's suicide mission. A third photo published on social media by IS, no doubt specifically chosen for Bilardi's westernised appearance in it, showed the teen wearing a blue Chelsea Football Club shirt . A Craigieburn schoolmate was shocked because Bilali 'really kept to himself and didn't cause trouble' The bullying tactic sees a group of people slap their victim and film it on a camera phone before uploading it online in order to humiliate them . 'Happy-slapped': Friends told Daily Mail Australia that Bilardi was bullied while at high school in Craigieburn in Melbourne's north, and video emerged last night showing him being 'happy-slapped'

Jake Bilardi purportedly asked users on Yahoo! Answers more than 60 questions . 'Jake's' questions related to paranoid fits about being 'really scared' of 'hidden cameras' to how to be a good practising Muslim in Melbourne . His final four questions, posted last year, asked about Australian immigration processes, including obtaining a passport . Bilardi reportedly blew himself up in a suicide bombing in Ramadi, Iraq, this week .

 as he tried to decide what to do. Should he kill himself or not? It was just days before he was scheduled to fly to Melbourne Airport for a one-way flight to Syria. Bilardi, now 18, could not decide which option to take. In the end, he did not kill himself. But for someone with a bomb in his bag, it was a close call.
“As you can see, I decided to live,” Bilardi told the court. “I decided to take this life that Allah gave me, and I decided to serve in Allah’s land.”
Despite Bilardi’s decision to remain alive, it has not stopped him from terrorising the world. On April 30, he pleaded guilty in a Brisbane court to the crime of possessing explosives for the purpose of facilitating an act of terrorism. The bombs would have been used to murder as many Australians as possible at the time he planned.
In an earlier trial, Bilardi admitted he had intended to use the bombs at a Gold Coast synagogue in 2017. When he was first arrested, he had in his possession two pipe bombs that he planned to assemble as they were already in a workable state. He had also planned to use an Uzi and an HK-23.
“I had made a decision to murder anyone I could as soon as I could because I did not have a specific time limit,” Bilardi said.
A young man with jihadist intent, Bilardi had long been on the radar of Australian counter-terrorism. In August 2014, he arrived in Turkey, allegedly on his way to Syria via Syria’s Kurdish regions.
He was intercepted by Turkish law enforcement and eventually deported back to Australia. Bilardi then had his passport cancelled and was on the terrorist watchlist in the country.
On April 3, 2016, as the war in Syria was reaching its peak, Bilardi boarded a flight from Melbourne to Amman, Jordan, for a one-way trip to Syria. He went to an Australian consulate in Jordan, asking for a passport. A day later, he was stopped by Jordanian authorities who were suspicious of his request. He returned to Australia and was arrested.
Bilardi’s 17-year-old co-accused, who has since been released after serving a sentence of 18 months in a youth detention facility, also has a history of alleged terror activity. Last year, he pleaded guilty to possessing a bomb-making manual


Prince William launched his four-day visit to China today with a ceremony to bring good fortune. The second in line to the throne found himself in the unusual position of having to paint the eyes on a larger than life sheep - British cartoon character Shaun the Sheep, no less. 'You know I can't do two things at once,' he joked with the photographers who asked him to pose up with his artwork. Scroll down for video . Prince William smiles as he paints the eyes on a Shaun the Sheep model during a ceremony in China . The Prince is on a four-day visit to China with the sheep-marking ceremony signalled the launch of the first ever Year of Cultural Exchange between the UK and China . He added approvingly: 'It's not particularly stylish but it will pass.' The sheep-marking ceremony signalled the launch of the first ever Year of Cultural Exchange between the UK and China, a showcase of innovation for British goods and services. In the Chinese calendar this is the Year of the Sheep - and with Aardman Animation's Shaun being the UK's most famous export of the species, the British Council thought it might be fun to marry the two. The ceremony took place in the gardens of the residence of the British Ambassador, Barbara Woodward. William was shown five sculptures of Shaun, each decorated by a different artist, which are among 50 such sculptures to be displayed across China and later auctioned off in aid of the Beijing Cultural Development Fund. In the Chinese calendar this is the Year of the Sheep - and with Aardman Animation's Shaun being the UK's most famous export of species, the British Council thought it might be fun to marry the two . The prince joked with photographers who wanted him to pose and paint the eyes on the sheep, saying 'You know I can't do two things at once' The prince gamely agreed to finish decorating a particularly patriotic animal, covered in the Union Flag, by painting his eyes. Dotting the eyes of the traditional lions used in Lion Dances is thought to bring good fortune and happiness - and it is hoped that by William doing this he will bring such benefits to the Year of Cultural Exchange. It also ties in with the Chinese idiom 'san yang kai tai',which means 'the advent of Spring brings prosperity'. The prince was accompanied by Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who said: 'We are incredibly proud of our creative industries, they are one of our biggest success stories and a tremendous driver of economic growth. Crowds of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the second in line to the throne during a visitor to the British ambassador's official residence in Beijing . Prince William greets a young baby who was brought to the ceremony. The Duke's visit is the highest-profile visit by a member of the royal family for 30 years . 'The Year of Cultural Exchange will be a wonderful celebration of UK and Chinese creative talent and will help forge new business relations between our two nations. ' Nick Marchand Director of Arts and Creative Industries at the British Embassy said William was a 'fantastic ambassador' for the UK. 'It's wonderful that he can be here to launch this for us,' he said. Earlier William visited Shijia Hutong, an elegantly restored courtyard house, resurrected from dilapidation two years ago with funding from the Prince's Foundation, set up by his father, Prince Charles. Dressed in a smart suit, the prince was greeted by Matthew Hu, China Representative of the Prince's School of traditional arts and Drew Ross, the China MD for the Prince's Foundation. The Duke of Cambridge meets with Chinese children who have physical disabilities on a visit to the Shija Hutong in Beijing . Prince William is guided by Matthew Hu, China's representative of the Prince's School of Traditional Arts after meeting disadvantaged children . The Prince also visited Bejing's Forbidden City where he chatted pleasantly about the weather and remarked on what a nice day it was . Today marks the first of a four day visit to China after the Duke of Cambridge earlier visited Japan . The prince chatted pleasantly about the weather and remarked on what a nice day it was - not realising the air pollution index for Beijing today is 140, nearly six times the WHO recommended maximum. He also met with groups of disadvantaged rural children in urban Beijing. He chatted about the various challenges they face, and was presented with a small hand-drawn picture, drawn by a 10-year old migrant child from poverty stricken Henan province named Wu Qiuyun. The picture shows a collection of little houses surrounded by foliage and prompted William to 'that will look nice in George's bedroom'. He was was also introduced to Zhao Chen, 14, who is effectively blind and, with the assistance of his mother, learning opera singing. Mr Zhao said: 'My dream is to go to your palace to sing opera'. Duke replied: 'Well, you've met the right man. We might be able to arrange something.'

Second in line to the throne launched his four-day visit to China today . He took part in a ceremony in the capital Beijing to bring good fortune . Also painted eyes on model of British cartoon character, Shaun the Sheep . Joked with photographers he couldn't multi-task while posing with artwork . Ceremony marks first ever Year of Cultural Exchange between UK and China .

 the Sheep.
The Prince also opened a new exhibition on British art at the Palace Museum in Beijing, which features some of his personal favourites - including pieces by John Constable, J.M.W. Turner, James Whistler and Samuel Palmer.
William's four-day official trip has been criticised for trying to "normalise" the "inappropriate" behaviour that saw him cavorting with prostitutes in Las Vegas.
But there were no such problems for the Prince who was greeted on arrival at Beijing Airport by an entourage of smiling children.
However, the visit - which includes the Prince touring a panda base and meeting the family of former Olympian, 100m silver medalist, Liu Xiang - is set to focus on more serious business.
He will meet the Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, before addressing the China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) where he will talk about the importance of cultural cooperation.
This will be followed by a trip to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) where he will listen to a recital by the China Philharmonic Orchestra, which is part-funded by the Prince's personal Duchy of Cornwall Foundation.
Speaking to the Today Programme ahead of his tour, the Prince said China is "a friend and a business partner" for the UK.
He will attend events during the Paralympic Games and be accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall when they hold a reception at the British Embassy for Chinese government representatives and members of the local British community.
The Prince will also have his first-ever one-to-one meeting with a Chinese head of state when he sits down with the President of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, Li Zhaoxing.
During the rest of his trip, William will visit the Chinese Academy of Military Science, the China-Britain High Level Economic and Technical Cooperation Council, Beijing Zoo and China International Exhibition Centre.
He will take a trip out of the capital, as well, visiting the Great Wall of China and the Olympic village and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in the city of Harbin.
William and Harry are the first members of the Royal Family to visit China since HRH The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence embarked on a visit in 2011.
The boys were accompanied by their wives, Kate Middleton and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, while China was


Choosing shoes to match an outfit could soon be as simple - and cheap - as pressing a button on a smartphone. A startup has designed a range of footwear that changes colour and design thanks to flexible e-ink displays built into the sides. The range also has 'anchors' on the toe and heel so physical accessories can be added to the Volvorii Timeless smart shoes. Scroll down for video . A startup has designed a range of footwear that changes colour and design thanks to flexible e-ink displays built into the sides. The Voltarii Timeless shoes  (example pictured) also have 'anchors' on the toe and heel so physical accessories can be added, such as bows, flowers or ankle straps . The shoes were designed by Lithuania-based iShuu Technologies, which is currently seeking funding for the footwear on Indiegogo. At the moment, prototypes are only available in black and white, but other colours are expected to launch if the campaign receives enough funding. Each shoe has flexible e-ink displays on the left and right sides. Inside the shoe's sole is a Bluetooth receiver that connects these displays to a smartphone app. Each shoe has flexible e-ink displays (pictured) on the left and right sides. Inside the shoe's sole is a Bluetooth receiver that connects the displays to a smartphone app . At the moment, the prototypes are only available in black (pictured) and white, but other colours are expected to launch if the campaign receives enough funding. The team is estimating a delivery date of December this year and has raised more than $21,400 (£14,300) of its $50,000 (£33,600) target . Patterns including polka dots, animal stripes and flowers can then be selected and 'sent' to the displays on the shoes. They are made of rubber and leather in European sizes 36 to 40 . Each shoe has a flexible e-ink display on the left and right sides. Inside the shoe's sole is a Bluetooth receiver that connects the displays to a smartphone app. Patterns including polka dots, animal stripes and flowers can then be selected and 'sent' to the displays on the shoes. The shoe also has physical customisation options. On the top of the toe and back of the heel are anchors, to which the wearer can attach accessories - a flower or bow on the toe, for example, and an ankle strap on the back. A wireless module, also in the sole, allows the shoe's display to be charged wirelessly . Patterns including polka dots, animal stripes and flowers can then be selected and 'sent' to the displays on the shoes. 'The Volvorii's clean, elegant, sturdy design brings gravitas, respect and formality in an unmistakable way,' said the campaign page. The shoe also has physical customisation options. On the top of the toe and back of the heel are anchors, to which the wearer can attach accessories - a flower or bow on the toe, for example, and an ankle strap on the back. They are made of rubber and leather in European sizes 36 to 40. A range of smaller and larger sizes are still in development. Another wireless module in the sole allows the shoe's display to be charged without cables. However, because e-ink requires so little power, it will only need to be charged 'between two and six months' at the most. So far, the iShuu team has created a working prototype as part of the Louis Vuitton Prize for young fashion designers, but now the team is hoping to turn the prototype into a final product. The shoe also has physical customisation options. On the top of the toe and back of the heel are anchors, to which the wearer can attach accessories - a flower on the toe, for example, and an ankle strap on the back . A wireless module, also in the sole, allows the shoe's display to be charged without cables. However, because e-ink requires so little power it will only need to be charged 'between two and six months' at most . The team is offering the Volvorii Timeless shoes $249 (£167) from Indiegogo, but he retail price after the campaign ends has not yet been announced. The team is estimating a delivery date of December this year. It is hoping to raise $50,000 (£33,600) by the 12 April and has so far raised more than $21,400 (£14,300). The Fashion-Entertainments (FES) watch is raising money on crowdfunding site Makuake, and was created with help from Sony. It features 24 design patterns that can be selected at the touch of a button, has a basic design and is said to last up to 60 days on a single button battery . The Fashion-Entertainments (FES) watch is raising money on crowdfunding site Makuake and is said to have been created with help from Sony. The Japanese tech giant confirmed its involvement with the startup to the Wall Street Journal in November and people involved in the project admitted the tech firm's name was kept a secret to see if there was demand for the gadget. An official release date has not been announced, but customers can pre-order a FES watch (pictured, including its 24 strap designs) from Makuake, and the device is expected to ship internationally in May . This demand has been proved by the fact the campaign surpassed its fundraising goal of 2 million yen (£10,700/$17,000) in three weeks, with 140 supporters. According to the campaign page, the watch features 24 design patterns that can be selected at the touch of a button. It has a basic design and is said to last up to 60 days on a single button battery. The watch weighs 50.6g, its dial is 1.5-inch (4cm) in diameter and the case is 0.2-inches (7mm) thick. An official release date has not been announced, but customers can pre-order a FES watch from Makuake, and the device is expected to ship internationally in May.

The Voltarii Timeless shoes were designed by iShuu Technologies . Firm has launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund production of the shoes . Each shoe has a flexible e-ink display on the left and right sides . Inside the shoe's sole is a Bluetooth receiver that connects to an app . Patterns including polka dots, animal stripes and flowers can be selected and 'sent' to the displays on the shoes . A module, also in the sole, means the shoes can be charged wirelessly . Prices start at $249 (£167) and shoes are expected to ship by December .

Pavegen, the British company that developed the technology behind the footwear, is currently raising money on crowdfunding site Kickstarter to turn its prototype into a mass-market product. The technology is also being considered by other companies as a way to turn traditional fashion into a wearable technology.
"With Pavegen, we wanted to do a lot more than make a nice product," said Ivan Braiker, who founded the firm with Elliot Wood and Tom Barber. "We wanted to come up with something that was not just an end product but something that would hopefully open new doors for us in other fields."
Pavegen's shoes change colour and design depending on the amount of weight they experience as they are worn. This is done through a small battery and e-ink display on the shoe that is activated each time it is stepped on.
"Pavegen footwear is a concept at the moment," said Braiker. "It's really exciting. It's a proof of concept and we would love to see it come to life and see where that could go. In 10 or 15 years' time, if you were to have these shoes at the bottom of your pair, they're just as functional as they are beautiful."
The display itself would not only change colours when the shoe changes shape, it would also become visible to the person wearing it: "If I was wearing the shoe and I was running on to a patch of snow it would turn white," he said. The current prototype uses a 9.5mm e-ink display. Braiker said he envisages a system in which Pavegen "could work through the shoe, through the sole, or maybe you could have an integrated sole". He added that the "whole purpose of this technology is to be integrated into existing items that people wear".
It could also change the way that shoes interact with people. Braiker said the technology could be used to change the colour of a shoe based on location. "Imagine when I'm in an airport, a shoe could change colours … that could be useful when you're going to the airport and you've just found out your flight's been delayed by an hour, you're in the queue and you look at your shoes and suddenly they are saying: 'Hey, sorry this trip is delayed for a couple of hours. Would you like a coffee?' "
This could even be linked to other wearable technology. Braiker envis


The Yak is back and so is the question that used to annoy him but now just brings a smile. Age, for the striker who scored more Premier League goals than Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres, has always been more than a number. That is possibly because David Moyes once joked Yakubu Aiyegbeni was a ‘Nigerian 25’. And because Steve McClaren claimed the striker told him he was 25 when he signed for Middlesbrough 10 years ago. Reading striker Yakubu insists he has never been concerned with the questions marks over his age . So, how old is he? The profiles say 32; the sceptics are ruder. The big man among Reading’s big dreamers says he’s heard it all before. ‘It was always like this,’ he says. ‘But it does not bother me. Kanu has had it as well. 'I just laugh about it — people joke and that is it. If I was lying I don’t think I would be playing now. I would be retired.’ Thankfully for Reading and the FA Cup, the jibes have not got the better of him. Yakubu scored the goal that saw off Derby in the fifth round to set up the tie against Bradford, guaranteeing at least one side from outside the Premier League will be at Wembley in the semi-finals. For the neutrals, the hope is that League One Bradford can trip up another bigger club. For Yakubu, there is the hope that he can make it to Wembley for the first time after a mangled achilles tendon kept him out of Everton’s 2009 final defeat against Chelsea. The Nigerian striker scores Reading's second goal during the FA Cup fifth round defeat against Derby . Saturday (kick-off 12.45pm). TV: BT Sport 1 (from 12pm). If he does, it will complete a quite surreal journey that spans almost three years since he left Blackburn — ending 10 seasons in England — following relegation to the Championship. His absence has seen him scream at confused Chinese footballers and gain a sweaty taste of football in Qatar. ‘No regrets,’ as Yakubu says. And yet there were times in China, at Guangzhou R&F in the days before Sven Goran Eriksson rocked up, where he quite literally had no idea what was going on. ‘When I was there (after leaving Blackburn), we had a Brazilian coach (Sergio Farias) and he spoke in Portuguese,’ Yakubu says. ‘A guy that speaks English, he had to translate into English and then another guy had to translate from Portuguese to Chinese. The manager is supposed to speak for like five minutes but we are there for nine minutes. Yakubu, seen here celebrating a goal against Manchester City in 2004, scored 43 goals for Portsmouth . Yakubu made sure Reading reached the FA Cup quarter-finals with this goal against the Rams . Yakubu felt he was away from English football for too long and jumped at the chance to return . ‘It’s so difficult to speak with your team-mates. You don’t know how to tell him to pass. You just scream at him and when you scream, he knows that he has to give you the ball. ‘When you want to go shopping or to a restaurant, you have to have it written in your phone in Chinese and you have to show it. Everywhere you go, you have to take your phone and show it to the taxi driver. ‘But when Sven came in, it was great to work with him again. I worked with him at Leicester City. He is always really calm. He just wants you to enjoy the game. Yakubu has scored more Premier League goals than Cristiano Ronaldo (above) and Fernando Torres . The frontman also scored 35 goals in 103 games for Middlesbrough between 2005 and 2007 . ‘Sometimes when I played two or three games and didn’t score, he never said to me, “You didn’t score”. He’d just walk towards me and say, smiling: “It’s been a while since you scored”. Always calm.’ After 18 months in China, Yakubu wound up at Al Rayyan in Qatar last year. He is confident that despite having to train in the middle of the night, they can host a good World Cup. ‘I had a good offer in Qatar,’ he says. ‘It was another experience so no regrets. Believe me, they can get a good World Cup there. They have nice stadiums. But when it is hot, it is hot. We had to train at 9.30pm in summer. You finish training at about 12 and then go home at 12.30am and then bed at about 4am. You have to stay home all day because it is really, really hot. You can’t train when it’s 50 degrees, it is too much.’ The 32-year-old had offers from American, China and Qatar ahead of his move to Reading . He adds: ‘In winter it is good, we can train at 4pm. We played matches at 7.30pm or 8pm and they have to stop for water breaks once or twice.’ On deadline day last month he came back to the country where he first arrived in 2003, when Harry Redknapp took a punt on a striker playing in Israel. ‘Even when you play the big teams, Harry makes you believe,’ he says. ‘He’ll say, “The defence is not good. Come on, just kill him”. If you’re scared, like you’re going to play against Sol Campbell, he’d say, “Sol Campbell? He’s s***. Don’t worry”.’ The memories of his first English stint make him happy. Now his hope is to finally reach Wembley on his second chapter. ‘Every player wants that,’ he says. You’re never too old to dream. The veteran striker believes former boss Harry Redknapp (left) 'makes you believe'

Yakubu has faced doubts about his age for the majority of his career . 32-year-old sealed deadline day move to Reading in September . He scored winner against Derby to help Royals into FA Cup quarter-finals . Nigerian is hoping to help Reading to victory against Bradford .

 a philosophy – and a way of life – that has carried him through 23 years, through three clubs, seven countries and two continents.
Age, after all, has always been the source of his frustrations. The striker has never won a cap for Croatia, the only country he feels he would be eligible to represent, and was forced to retire at the age of 36 when it became clear he would never win one. Yet it is an age that is not going to stop his drive to prolong his career as long as he can by playing on. His response to a question about age has always been: “Not an issue. I am 38 but my mind is 25.”
Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has suggested he is a bit older than that, but that is more a reference to his lifestyle and habits. Sherwood believes the player still has the fitness to continue, that there are matches yet to play and, for what he describes as “the right deal”, that the forward can continue.
Yakubu has already taken some of that advice on board and has been on the training ground in recent days to prove that he is still ready for a return to the game. Sherwood’s suggestion, then, appears to have come from a position of confidence. His words will strike a chord with the player, whose ambition has long been to reach the 40-goal mark, but his actions will speak volumes when a new team offers a new challenge.
“He’s done well with the fitness stuff and he seems full of enthusiasm but I have said to him he has to be patient. I think I am pushing him and it is going the right way. If the right deal comes along and he wants to play, I will definitely give him a chance to play,” Sherwood told Villa Player.
“I believe I have got a great relationship with him, I can be honest with him and it is going fine. He will be in the team once I am sure he is ready but he has to be ready – he is not ready to play a Premier League game – so I have to be sure. When he is ready I have to pick him and then it will be up to him.
“If he was a lad who was past it I would not have got to where I was [as a manager] without him. I don’t know how much better a person I would be or what my values or standards would have been. Yak is


(CNN)Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, made news this week when he told CNN's Dana Bash that he would get his health care through Obamacare. Previously, Cruz's family was covered under his wife's policy through her employer, the investment bank Goldman Sachs. But with her husband's presidential candidacy underway, Heidi Cruz has taken a leave without pay. So she has lost her Goldman Sachs health benefits. The story went viral, in part because Cruz once engineered a partial government shutdown to try to kill Obamacare. As part of his crusade, Cruz conducted a 21-hour talkathon on the Senate floor, during which he read Dr. Seuss' classic "Green Eggs and Ham." Spoiler alert: "Green Eggs and Ham" ends with the protagonist actually trying the food he thought he hated -- and liking it. Now that Cruz is likely to try Obamacare, my guess is he will have a similar experience. So, with apologies to Dr. Seuss -- who would no doubt have found a way to rhyme "President Bar" with "Obamacare" -- here is my updated version of "Green Eggs and Ham." President BarPresident BarI do not likethat President Bar . Do you likeObamacare? I do not like it,President Bar.I do not likeObamacare. Would you like ithere or there? I would not like ithere or there.I would not like itanywhere.I do not likeObamacareI do not like it,President Bar. Would you like itfor the Senate?Would you like itfor a minute? I do not like itfor the Senate.I do not like itfor a minute.I do not like ithere or there.I do not like itanywhere.I do not like Obamacare.I do not like it, President Bar. Would you try itin a pinch?Would you try itfor an inch? Not in a pinch.Not for an inch.Not in the Senate.Not for a minute.I would not like it here or there.I would not like it anywhere.I will not use Obamacare.I do not like it, President Bar. Would you? Could you?Back in Texas?Try it! Try it!In your Lexus. I would notcould notback in Texas. You may like it,You will see.It comes witha subsidy. I don't want a subsidyNot in a car! You let me be.I do not like it back in Texas.I do not like it in my Lexus.I do not like in the Senate.I do not like it for a minute.I do not like it here or there.I do not like it anywhere.I do not like Obamacare.I do not like it President Bar. Exchange! Exchange!Exchange! Exchange!Could you, would youon an exchange? No damn exchange! No subsidy!Not in a car, Bar! Let me be!I do not like it back in Texas.I do not like it in my Lexus.I do not like in the Senate.I do not like it for a minute.I do not like it here or there.I do not like it anywhere.I do not like Obamacare.I do not like it President Bar. Say! On CNN?Here on CNN!Would you, could you, on CNN? I would not, could not,on CNN. Would you, could you,in Des Moines? I would not, could not, in Des Moines.I simply could not bear to join.Not on CNN. Not back in Texas.Not on an exchange. Not in my Lexus.Not in the Senate. Not for a minute.I do not like it here or there.I do not like it anywhere! You do not likeObamacare? I do notlike it,President Bar. Could you, would youwith Harry Reid? I would not,could notwith Harry Reid! Would you if care wereguaranteed? I could not, even if it's guaranteed.I will not join with Harry Reid.I will not do it in Des Moines.I simply could not bear to join.Not on CNN. Not back in Texas.Not on an exchange. Not in my Lexus.Not in the Senate. Not for a minute.I do not like it here or there.I do not like it ANYWHERE!I do not likeObamacare!I do not like it,President Bar. But if your wife leaves Goldman Sachs,And you don't want to pay the tax,Try it! Try it! You may seeObamacare is good for me. Bar!If Goldman drops my policy,And I look at it honestly,I will try it, you will see. Say!I like Obamacare!I do! I like it, President Bar!I like that it is guaranteed.I'll even join with Harry Reid.But do not tell them in Des Moines.That it makes sense for me to join.I'll walk it back on CNN. I'll still attack it now and then.But I'll be on it back in Texas. I'll be on it in my Lexus.I'll be on it in the Senate. Signing up just took a minute.I secretly like it here and there.I love that it covers me everywhere! I do so like Obamacare!Thank you!Thank you,President Bar.

Paul Begala notes (in verse) Ted Cruz's apparent change of heart on Obamacare, which he slammed but has now signed up for . He says Cruz's politics will demand he continue to advocate for law's repeal despite benefits he receives from its coverage .

 employer as a benefit she enjoys as a member of Congress. But when Cruz sought coverage in the individual market, he and his wife discovered that the coverage wouldn't begin until March.
"You can believe that or not, but that's the reality," Cruz said. "We would have to wait for the new year, which is just months away, before we would have any coverage."
As part of the Affordable Care Act, Cruz and millions of other Americans will have access to subsidized private insurance on the new federal exchange. But they have to sign up before the next enrollment period, which begins November 15 and runs through February 15, 2015. That was before Cruz said his coverage would begin.
If Cruz and his family do sign up for insurance on the federal exchange in December, when they'll finally be eligible, they will join the ranks of about 8 million Americans who have found a marketplace plan this year.
The deadline for Cruz to sign up for coverage may not have seemed particularly important. After all, Cruz didn't say he would sign up until his family was eligible.
But Cruz's predicament should serve as a stark reminder of why the Affordable Care Act is so important -- for individuals and families.
The federal exchange has been plagued with problems and a disastrous rollout, and Cruz's story should serve as a warning for millions of others in a similar situation.
"The enrollment deadline has come and gone, and if there are uninsured Americans, that doesn't give them additional time to enroll," said Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, a national industry group that represents the private sector insurance industry. "If there's a significant gap between when they become aware of their options and when they are able to sign up, that would present a problem."
That was the problem that Cruz's family faced, and it's the problem that many Americans could face if they don't know their options and sign up well in advance of the enrollment deadline.
Here's why:
The federal exchange doesn't tell you when your coverage will start.
Consumers who are enrolling on the federal exchange won't know for certain that their insurance will start on a certain date. Even if they call the government's call center for help, which many experts recommend, they will not receive a specific answer, according to a health insurance expert who has used the call center for guidance in the past.
A


From iPhones to the latest Apple Watch, most people find it difficult to accurately recall what the 'most recognizable' brand's logo looks like when tested, according to a new study. The reason for this is because people are constantly hounded with logos which makes it difficult to remember them, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles found. When asked to draw the Apple logo, only one in 85 participants were able to recreate it correctly in terms of shape, bite size and leaf shape and orientation. However, less than half of participants were able to identify it from a set of 12 similar Apple logos with altered features, according to the study which was published last month. Scroll down for video . From iPhones to the latest Apple Watch, most people find it difficult to accurately recall what the 'most recognizable' brand's logo looks like when tested, according to a new study. Less than half of participants were able to identify the logo correctly from a set of 12 similar Apple logos with altered features (to find out which is the correct logo, scroll down to the bottom of this article) During the first stage of the selection quiz, the participant is asked how confident they are from a rating of one to five; one being the most confident and five the least confident. Most people who participated felt the Apple logo was highly memorable before attempting to recall the details of the logo, according to researchers. The second part is actually spotting the logo out of a set of 12 apples which are separated into three columns of four. When asked to draw the Apple logo, only one in 85 participants were able to recreate it correctly (pictured above) in terms of shape, bite size and leaf shape and orientation . While it might initially be thought of as an easy task, when faced with all of the varying logos, it becomes increasingly difficult. Considering the fact that people are exposed to the Apple logo on products from mobile phones, computers and laptops, it could be expected that good memory would hold strong when correctly recognizing the logo. The reason for this is because people are constantly hounded with logos which makes it difficult to remember them, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles found. While people are often exposed to the logo, they stop paying attention to the details of it which could be due to the fact that it is so simple and widely available (above left, an Apple iPhone 5C and right, the new Apple Watch that was displayed on Monday) However, 'memory is often tuned towards remembering gist-based schematic information' researchers said, which means details can be quickly forgotten. 'The ubiquitous Apple logo is a simple design and is often referred to as one of the most recognizable logos in the world,' wrote researchers. The Apple logo, which has had seven different versions over the years, has kept the same silhouette of an apple since first designed in 1977 (above the first Apple logo by co-founder Ronald Wayne in 1976 depicting Sir Isaac Newton) 'Participants showed surprisingly poor memory for the details of the logo as measured through recall [drawings] and forced-choice recognition.' The findings provided support for theories of attentional saturation, in attentional amnesia and reconstructive memory, as well as how availability can lead to overconfidence when it comes to memory. The results in the study also did not differ between Apple and PC users. The Apple logo, which has had seven different versions  over the years, has kept the same silhouette of an apple since first designed in 1977, which has remained the same ever since, according to Adweek. While people are often exposed to the logo, they stop paying attention to the details of it which could be due to the fact that it is so simple and widely available, said researchers. Similarly, when it comes to other logos such as the Google letters, many people have difficulty remembering the correct colors. Researchers said this is because attention and memory are not always tuned to recalling what we consider memorable. 'Increased exposure increases familiarity and confidence, but does not reliably affect memory,' they wrote. 'Despite frequent exposure to a simple and visually pleasing logo, attention and memory are not always tuned to remembering what we may think is memorable.' Did you spot the correct logo? The Apple logo is pictured at the bottom of the third column. The Apple logo, which has had seven different versions in total over the years, has always kept the same silhouette of an apple since it was first developed by designer Rob Janoff in 1977. The first and original logo was a woodcut by co-founder Ronald Wayne in 1976 featuring Sir Isaac Newton, but was later changed to the apple silhouette, which has remained the same to present day. The Apple silhouette over the years: above from top left Apple's logo from 1977-1998; top center 1998; top right 1998-2000; bottom left 2001-2007; bottom center 2007-2013; bottom right 2013-currently. Source: Adweek .

Findings showed when asked to draw logo, only one in 85 participants could recreate it correctly . When asked to identify logo from a group of 12 similar Apple logos with altered features, less than half guessed accurately . Researchers from University of California, LA said even though people are often exposed to Apple logo it does not 'reliably affect memory'

 thousands of product images everyday and find it increasingly difficult to focus on any particular item. The findings suggest that brand memory may be at risk.
What does it mean for Apple?
Apple has one of the most powerful brand logos in the world. Yet the company's logo might not be as important to the consumer as is thought. According to researchers, Apple's logo is among the top 200 most recognized logos in the world, but that is all thanks to the tech giant's products and ads. And in a world that is dominated by smartphones, Apple's logo is more recognizable when seen on other people's phones than when seen on actual Apple products.
According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, "people struggle to recall the logo of even well-known brands." The researchers said that in spite of Apple's popularity, "most people have trouble immediately recalling the logo of the company's products, even when the products are physically before them."
Study
An experiment was conducted wherein participants were presented with various products bearing Apple's iconic logo. The researchers then asked the participants to recall those products and their logos. They were allowed to see the products only once and then asked to remember as many details about the products and their logos as possible.
While 81 percent of the participants were able to correctly recall the products that they had seen, only 64 percent were able to correctly recall the logos that came along with the products. Even when the participants were allowed to see the products for a second time, there was no increase in the success rate of recalling the logo.
Another experiment carried out suggested that the problem lies with the participants. The researchers suggest that people are more likely to be distracted by other things when they see products, which is where things get confusing.
Branding strategies
The research also suggests that companies might want to consider having a strong 'visual image strategy' rather than relying heavily on product logos. Since product logos are not as important, they are more likely to be overlooked.
"Companies should not focus too heavily on product logos, since consumers do not recall them as well as other brand components such as package imagery and brand names." The researchers have suggested that the results of their experiments could be used to increase awareness of other aspects of a company's brand.
Apple has been successful enough to sell its products with little brand image, but the study suggests that other companies in the future might have to work harder to make their branding efforts succeed


Great players with baggage like Yaya Toure are always worth the aggro when they are on top of their game. But when their form dips and yet they remain high maintenance, there is only ever one outcome. It happened to Roy Keane whose tantrums and outbursts were tolerated by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United until the moment he no longer justified his place in the team. After the embarrassing mis-match in the Nou Camp when Barcelona could have scored at least six against Manchester City, you feel that time is rapidly running out for Toure and others like Vincent Kompany and Edin Dzeko. This summer will surely see a major transfusion of personnel at the Etihad if they are to challenge Europe's best. Midfielder Yaya Toure struggled to impress as City crashed out of the Champions League to Barcelona . City were happy to put up with the baggage that came with Toure (right) while he was performing at his best . City captain and defender Vincent Kompany (right) contests for the ball alongside Barcelona's Luis Suarez . Defender Pablo Zabaleta has been left out of City's team for their biggest games this season . Toure became the Premier League's best-paid player when he signed for Roberto Mancini from Barcelona in 2010. In domestic football, he has been an unqualified success and scored 24 goals last season as City won their second championship. His world-class strike against Sunderland at Wembley won Manuel Pellegrini the Capital One Cup. When things were rosy, the club were happy to overlook constant talk about him being linked with other clubs, his pushiness to secure improved contracts and a farcical stand-off about not being treated with enough respect on his birthday. Premier League managers felt the midfielder didn't do enough of the hard yards to protect City defensively but they were unable to capitalise much because when Yaya had the ball he was an unstoppable force of nature. But those days have gone and the 31-year-old's hapless showing against Barcelona as City crashed out of the Champions League underlined he is not the man to push the club forward any more. His dereliction of duty to allow Ivan Rakitic the space to score Barca's winner was noted immediately. Going forward, his shooting was wayward and he was taken off before the end by Pellegrini – unthinkable one or two years ago. Remember, Toure had been banned for the previous three games in Europe and this was his big chance to show the world what he was still capable of. The club are in no hurry to offer the current African Player of the Year a new deal at anything like the £240,000-a-week terms of his last contract. Indeed, with Financial Fair Play now increasingly important, the temptation to offload him and his wages to Inter Milan this summer to allow new blood is very tempting. Striker Edin Dzeko could be considered as dispensable by City in the summer if they have an overhaul . Joe Hart (right) was in inspired form during Manchester City's 1-0 defeat to Barcelona on Wednesday . Striker Sergio Aguero (left) missed a penalty as City were eliminated 3-1 on aggregate by Barcelona . City defender Martin Demichelis (left) challenges Messi of Barcelona for possession of the ball . City's failure to reach Europe's last eight under their Abu Dhabi owners will create a major rethink at the club this summer. All their marquee names like Sergio Aguero and David Silva were signed before Pellegrini's arrival in 2013. While their rivals are signing young, hungry, world-class players like Eden Hazard, Alexis Sanchez and Philippe Coutinho, City looked ageing and stilted in the Nou Camp. Toure symbolises the malaise but he's not the only one. Skipper Vincent Kompany has been off the boil all season and can no longer lead while his personal form is so patchy. At 30 years old, Pablo Zabaleta is still able to cope with run-of-the-mill league games but it's interesting he has been left out of the really big matches like Chelsea away and Barcelona away. Edin Dzeko isn't going to get any better, neither is Martin Demichelis or Aleksandar Kolarov. If they stay at City, they will only be squad players and in the case of Dzeko in particular his wages are astronomical compared with strikers at other clubs. The new signings from Txiki Begiristain have been flops. Fernando, Eliaquim Mangala and Wilfried Bony cost £72million and yet none of them are considered good enough to start. Stevan Jovetic, a young and skilful import from Serie A, has fallen so far down the pecking order he was sacrificed from City's Champions League squad, reduced as an FPP punishment. Aleksandar Kolarov (centre) is crowded out by Messi (left) and Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona . Stevan Jovetic was removed from City's Champions League squad to accommodate Wilfried Bony . James Milner (right) chases after Messi in the Champions League clash between Barcelona and City . It is such a far cry from the excitement of the first few years under Sheik Mansour. He broke the British transfer record on his first day and while Robinho didn't work out, it did create a buzz around the place. Aguero, Silva and Toure were dazzling signings. City need to get back to that and go for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Gareth Bale and Arjen Robben if they are going to threaten clubs like Barcelona. It means a major clearout this summer and Toure could well be on the list.

Yaya Toure produced another underwhelming display against Barcelona . The Manchester City midfielder has been linked with a move to Inter Milan . Time could  be up for Vincent Kompany, Edin Dzeko and Pablo Zabaleta . READ: Pellegrini isn't the man for Manchester City . CLICK HERE for all the latest Man City news .

 love-hate-love-hate relationship with the United faithful could not mask his inability to deliver when it mattered most. It is happening now to John Terry with Chelsea and Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole. They are among the finest players to grace this great club, but you would not have known it by their attitudes on the pitch, or at least not for the last two years. You would think that the pressure would get to the ageing trio. Not a bit of it.
As Chelsea were losing 2-0 against Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Lampard and Terry were at the front, trying to urge their team-mates to push forward and play with a bit of passion. Meanwhile, Cole stayed back, sulking like a spoilt child. It sums up what has happened to this side over the last two seasons.
It has been a disaster. It is a club that has been built on youth, yet it cannot integrate any of its starlets or buy any of its rivals’ stars. It is a club that is supposed to be in the Champions League year in and year out, yet it can only dream of finishing in the top four. Chelsea finished 11th in the table last season, six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal. This time, they are 13 points behind Tottenham Hotspur, the team who finished 12th under Harry Redknapp.
To get to the Champions League through fair play means a minimum eighth-placed finish in the Premier League and, since the last European trophy was lifted in Istanbul, that means either winning a trophy or finishing in the top four — or, preferably, both.
At times, even that appears unattainable for this club. To finish so far behind the teams that it does not play well against. The team it can beat. The teams it can fight against but are not good enough to beat.
This season, Chelsea have beaten United and Arsenal and lost to Liverpool and Fulham. They have won just one of their opening seven matches against teams who are either Champions League or Europa League level, even if you can make the case that United have only recently found their feet again. This is not a club that punches above its weight.
Last season, the Blues lost to Stoke, Sunderland, QPR and Wigan. They drew with Newcastle and West Brom, two sides who, on a good day, they should beat. What a waste it has been.
Chelsea are 13 points behind Tottenham Hotsp


Hong Kong (CNN)It wasn't supposed to work. But China's Great Firewall  --  a massive Internet surveillance and content control system -- has, in many respects, been an unparalleled success. China has Internet companies worth billions of dollars and more web users than the population of the United States -- all while still being able to block information it deems counter to its interests. And now, some fear, the model is going global. "If you are sitting in Beijing, what's the problem?" asks Bill Bishop, China watcher and author of the Sinocism China newsletter in the latest episode of "On China." "You are still in power, you have 650 million Internet users, you have billions of dollars of economic value going to the Internet everyday, you've used the Internet to increase government transparency, investors love us and they can't throw enough money at our companies that have more than half a trillion dollars in market capitalization," says Bishop. Soon after China tip-toed onto the Internet in the late 1980s, it laid down the foundation of the Great Firewall but critics asserted that an Internet with Chinese characteristics would be no Internet at all. During a high-profile media tour in Beijing in 1999, MIT Media Lab founder and technology pundit Nicholas Negroponte declared that a "healthy disrespect for authority" was required for any successful Internet industry. A year later, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton announced that "liberty will spread by cell phone and cable modem" and that any attempt to control the Internet in China would be "like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall." Well folks, it's now 2015 and China has done the impossible. It's nailed the Jell-O. China has proven it can have its Great Firewall and enjoy great prosperity too. Lokman Tsui, associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and former head of free expression at Google Asia-Pacific, says that most Chinese are happy with the status quo. "Their lives have noticeably improved," he says. "The model has worked so far." Currently home to the world's largest Internet market, China is also home to some of the world's most valuable Internet companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba and Tencent, now estimated to be worth $66.1 billion. The government has fostered the development of the Internet by offering incentives for local entrepreneurs while building walls to keep big Western rivals out. The ban on Western social media sites like YouTube and Facebook has also given home court advantage to China's own Internet stars like Youku and WeChat. And contrary to Negroponte's declaration, respecting the strict rules that govern China's Internet has not gotten in the way of innovation as Chinese tech developers reinterpret existing business models and build out new mobile apps. "I haven't really come across anybody who would say that yes, because we don't have a free Internet, therefore we can't innovate," says Bishop. "From Beijing's perspective, there's this fear that if we open up the Internet then it will be chaos. So if the cost is good-enough or almost-good-enough innovation... it seems like a pretty straight forward equation from the perspective of the policymakers." And there are signs the Great Firewall is expanding its reach. Last week, the Chinese and English news websites of Reuters news agency became inaccessible in China, joining a number of foreign media destinations that are barred online in China. There have been ways to get around it. Through VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, web users in China can access restricted content. But in a recent crackdown, the Chinese government is shutting down VPNs -- Beijing's latest move to shore up its cyber-authority. "You can filter out keywords, you can filter by URL, you can block or poison DNS (domain name system), and increasingly now they identify VPNs," says Tsui. "The problem is that it's decided on a national level by the government," he adds. "It's this attitude that 'father knows best.'" And that "father" would be Lu Wei, the so-called Internet czar of China who was recently photographed smiling at Mark Zuckerberg's desk during a visit at Facebook's headquarters in California. "Lu Wei is really pushing this 'Internet sovereignty' model, where we can control the information, we can control the Internet within our borders and we will use our model," says Roseann Rife, the East Asia research director of Amnesty International. "More than that, the Chinese authorities are pushing this as a model for the globe and they are going to get a lot of acceptance or buy-in from a lot of different countries." Amnesty International fears the Great Firewall could become the next great export from China. "It would be a very attractive model for instance for Russia, for Egypt, or for other states," Rife says. "It would be obviously in China's interest for other people and other nation states to agree with them and their interpretation of Internet sovereignty." And instead of backing away, Western onlookers may be nodding their heads in agreement.  Last year, the U.S.-based LinkedIn decided to censor some content on its Chinese site. And fear is mounting that Zuckerberg's recent charm offensive with Lu Wei reflects Facebook's desire to do whatever it takes to crack the China market. So would global Internet users rise up against a Facebook that censors its posts and monitors its users to comply with local laws in China? It's unlikely, says Bishop. "I actually think most users don't care." "At the end of the day, they're not going to give up Facebook because Facebook is operating differently in China." A Facebook that fits the firewall, and fortune at the expense of freedom. That is precisely China's vision of how the Internet should be.

China's "Great Firewall" is a massive Internet surveillance and content control system . Critics said it would stifle business but now Chinese Internet companies are worth billions . Amnesty International fears China is exporting its model to places like Egypt and Russia .

 billions of dollars, tens of millions of online users and a vibrant Internet and mobile ecosystem. But it comes at a cost.
For one thing, the success of China's digital industries has not necessarily come from the freedom the Internet brings, but from the control China exerts, according to a report released in October 2013 by the nonpartisan US-China Institute at American University's Washington College of Law.
The Great Firewall of China is "a massive exercise in Internet governance," says Andrew Sheng, a professor at Peking University and a former senior official at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
"It's much broader than just censorship. It regulates so much of what we do on the Internet," Sheng told CNN.
Sheng was speaking as a panelist at the China Global Investment Forum last week in Hong Kong. There he and other China experts discussed what the future holds for China's Internet policy. As the country prepares for the coming Party Congress, and with the country's economy becoming more reliant on the Internet for growth and development, China's digital policies are under increasing scrutiny in Beijing as well.
The report by the US-China Institute argued that China's Internet industry is "the single greatest success story of China's Internet policies. In five years, Chinese companies have managed to raise $21 billion in capital and go global in a way that no other emerging nation can compare to."
"The Internet," the report said, "has become China's key gateway to the outside world."
The Great Firewall
Yet the report continued: "However, this success came at a price: China's Internet infrastructure, as well as its legal, technological and policy environment, is extremely different from that of its Western counterparts."
The Great Firewall is one example of that difference. While Chinese users can access the World Wide Web, they have to do so via the services of the three state-run telecommunications companies. A number of other websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are blocked in China. In order to overcome the Great Firewall, most Chinese citizens use a system called a virtual private network (VPN). These tools let users set up an encrypted "tunnel" for their online browsing, thus making it impossible to intercept or manipulate their traffic.
As Sheng explained, the government has "a huge interest in trying to capture that information -- not just for monitoring, but for tracking what people are doing on


(CNN)CNN has learned that the manufacturer of the endoscope involved in two superbug deaths at UCLA never obtained permission to sell the device, according to an official at the Food and Drug Administration. Olympus started selling its TJF-Q180V duodenoscope in 2010, but the FDA didn't notice until late 2013 or early 2014 that the company had never asked for clearance to put it on the market, according to Karen Riley, deputy director of strategy for the FDA's Office of External Affairs. "Why didn't we notice it? I don't know," Riley said. "Can you imagine a prescription drug getting out on the market that didn't go through the approval process?" asked Dr. Steven Nissen, the chief of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, who's testified to Congress about device safety problems. "Devices need to be regulated more vigorously. This is really disturbing." In a statement, Olympus said it didn't think needed the FDA's permission to sell the device, but now at the request of the agency, it has applied for that permission. That application is still pending. Seven hospital patients at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center were infected with the deadly superbug CRE -- also known as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae -- from October to January, according to hospital officials. Two of those patients died. The patients caught CRE after routine endoscopic treatments. Hospital officials believe two medical scopes that still carried the deadly bacteria even after disinfection guidelines were followed were the cause of the superbug outbreak. The medical center has contacted 179 others who had endoscopic procedures between October and January and is offering them home tests to screen for the bacteria. Four other patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have also been infected with  the superbug linked to a contaminated  duodenoscope, according to a statement released by the hospital. The medical scope was used in all four patients, between August and January 2015. Sixty-four other patients who had a duodenoscope procedure with that particular scope are being informed by mail, "out of an abundance of caution." According to FDA rules, a manufacturer must seek clearance for a new model if it includes changes that "could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device." The TJF-Q180V duodenoscope, used to check out ducts in the gastrointestinal system, includes a modification to the exact part of the device that's been implicated in the superbug outbreaks. With this new model, Olympus sealed up that part of the device, known as the elevator channel, hoping to make it more impervious to infection. "The company clearly made these modifications to make the device safer, but it seems to be that it wasn't safer," Riley said. Last year, at the FDA's request, Olympus applied for permission to sell the scope. That application is still pending. Riley emphasized that duodenoscope procedures can be lifesaving, so the agency doesn't want to take them off the market. "More than 500,000 of these procedures are done every year in the U.S., and the risk of bacterial transmission is actually really very, very low," she said. "We believe the benefits outweigh the risks." In its statement, Olympus wrote: "The emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms is a challenge to the entire health care community.  Olympus is working with relevant medical societies and our customers in research of this emerging issue and the development of additional safeguards to prevent infection associated with [duodenoscope procedures]." Riley noted that the other two duodenoscope manufacturers, Pentax and Fujifilm, did apply for and were granted clearance to market models similar to Olympus' TJF-Q180V. Now the FDA is asking all three companies to submit evidence that the scopes can be thoroughly cleaned -- and so far it's not going well. Riley said twice the companies have submitted data that failed to show that cleaning could get rid of 99.9999% of all microbes on the scope -- the FDA's standard for disinfection. "We're still working with them to get good data," she said. Riley said she doesn't know if the FDA will penalize Olympus for selling the device without permission. Diana Zuckerman, a device safety expert, said they should. "It's like with kids. How do you teach your children to behave if there are no consequences when they misbehave?" she said.

FDA official says Olympus never got permission to sell its endoscope . Medical device is connected to CRE outbreak in California that's left two people dead .

 model last month, according to a sales representative who showed a brochure to CNN.
An FDA spokeswoman said the agency is "investigating" the scope, the only one of its kind available in the country. "We will take whatever action is needed to ensure patient safety," the spokeswoman said.
The death of one patient resulted in a lawsuit filed last month in Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit alleged that UCLA doctors had failed to properly sterilize the scope prior to using it, causing a bacterial infection.
The FDA, which sets the standards for medical devices sold in the US, has never approved the TJF-Q180V, a device with an extremely long name that was sold last month in a single US facility, according to the FDA.
The only other device of its kind is made by Pentax. A spokesman for Pentax said it would take at least a year to conduct a study similar to one performed by Olympus, to prove it was safe to sell in the United States.
Olympus said the device, which comes in a case that looks like a computer printer, has been used in 600,000 surgeries worldwide in more than 70 countries. It's the only one of its kind available in the United States, according to the company, because it had not undergone the federal regulatory process.
'We have zero confidence'
After CNN reported last week that the new scope was not approved, the UCLA Health Department conducted a test to determine its safety.
"We had very good results," Dr. Tom Inoue told CNN on Monday. "The device is safe."
Inoue, head of the department, said there has been "zero infection rate" following 400 procedures.
"There is zero confidence in these devices because there is zero evidence of safety," said Dr. Robert M. Wachter, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Wachter said an outside review of the device's manufacturer should be conducted and the use of the new scope suspended until that review was complete.
"I don't think it would be appropriate for someone to go ahead and use it," he said.
"If they did and the device had been shown to be unsafe, there would be a lot of very angry patients," he added.
A federal judge on Friday said he wants Olympus to turn over to the government all information about what the company has sold, how it has marketed the device, and how it was used at UCLA.


Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw admits the Dark Blues will be left red-faced if they do not end this year's RBS 6 Nations with a victory on Saturday. Vern Cotter's side have impressed in brief spells so far this campaign but have not done enough to beat France, Wales, Italy or England. They now round off their Championships by hosting the Irish at Murrayfield this weekend. Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw (centre) passes the ball during the Six Nations match against England . But with Joe Schmidt's team chasing their second Six Nations title on the spin, they will have to produce a stunning result to spare themselves their third whitewash in 11 years. Asked if it would be embarrassing for Scotland to finish bottom without a win, scrum-half Laidlaw said: 'Well yeah. We don't want to do that, do we? 'As players that is certainly not what we set out to do. 'But we have an opportunity this weekend to make sure we (don't finish with the Wooden Spoon). 'That's all we can do this year unfortunately. We will go out there and give absolutely everything to try and avoid (another defeat). 'It's a huge game for us but I know the boys are absolutely desperate to get out there, put in a good performance and come away with a win.' England's Geoff Parling (left) and Tom Youngs (right) challenge Scotland's Finn Russell at Twickenham . England centre Luther Burrell is tackled by Scotland's Rob Harley (left) and Jonny Gray (right) The Scots impressed so much during November's three-game series against Argentina, New Zealand and Tonga that there were genuine hopes they could perhaps mount a surprise title bid. But those ambitions now lie in tatters. The last-gasp 22-19 defeat to the Azzurri remains the lowest point of a black six weeks, but the clashes with France and Wales also saw big opportunities missed and self-inflicted mistakes prove costly. Laidlaw now hopes his men can at least stride away from the tournament with some pride intact and avoid the prospect of stumbling towards this year's World Cup with heads bowed. 'Where you finish is where you finish,' he said. 'You can't have any qualms about it. 'But we have a chance this weekend to make sure we don't finish bottom. We have got to do everything in our powers to make sure that doesn't happen. 'If we get a win here it gives us some momentum going forward to the World Cup and the four warm-up games.' Anthony Watson (left) charges past Scotland's Alasdair Dickinson (right) during the Six Nations clash . Scotland's David Denton (right) makes a charge down the wing but is upheld by Watson (left) The Scots sparkled for 20 minutes of the first half against England last weekend at Twickenham and even led the Auld Enemy 13-10 at the break. But they failed to build on that platform as Stuart Lancaster's men came back at them with a second-half barrage to claim 12-point win. Since that bruising second-half collapse, head coach Cotter has sat his men down and pointed out the same old mistakes that keep costing them. But Laidlaw insists those brutal home truths need to be told if the Scots are to improve. The Gloucester half-back said: 'Vern is an honest bloke - he doesn't miss when he swings. 'He's been honest but he's been good too. He's a clever coach and the boys appreciate that. 'The boys don't mind being told. We watched the game back and they saw themselves some of the flaws and that makes us frustrated. 'It really was the simple things we did well against England which allowed us to get on the front foot and take the lead. 'But we let them off the hook in the second half. We almost thought, 'Brilliant, we are in the lead, we have a chance'. We relaxed a couple of per cent and let England come back at us. That cost us the game.' The last time Ireland were welcomed into Edinburgh they were mugged 12-8 by Scott Johnson's side and Laidlaw believes the current Dark Blues could learn from that 2013 display. He said: 'Looking back to that game we just did little things well to stay in the game. 'That will be the key again this weekend. We need to get into their half, hold the ball, win penalties then get the scoreboard ticking over. Get three points, six points, maybe then a try. 'Once you start playing in their half, the game becomes so much easier.' Scotland players look dejected following their 25-13 loss to England at Twickenham last Saturday .

Scotland have lost all of their Six Nations games so far . Captain Greig Laidlaw is desperate for his side to grab a win . The Dark Blues are currently bottom of the Six Nations table . Laidlaw is urging his team-mates to avoid finishing the tournament there . Unbeaten Ireland are the visitors to Murrayfield on Saturday .

 in this tournament, but have looked flat-footed in two heavy defeats so far, the narrow loss to France last weekend being their seventh loss on the bounce in this year's competition.
"It's a big game for us. We know that. We know it's going to be a tough one," said Laidlaw. "I think it's a must-win game for us. We're desperate for the points. We've been desperately unlucky. We know it's a game that we should have won and we just haven't been able to do that so we need to put that right on Saturday.
"This is the hardest part of the season because you don't have another big game for six weeks, so we just need to focus on the France game and we'll just move on from there. We've got to win. We've got to start with that."
Scotland will be without captain Laidlaw and 18-year-old centre Alex Dunbar as the former prepares to become a father, and the latter is not fully match fit.
But Cotter has moved to offer a reminder that Scotland are not about to collapse without their star duo.
"There is no real significance to it in terms of our team," the Australian said. "We've got a very, very talented young group of players who are keen to get out there and play and they'll be desperate to do it without these two.
"We have other people in the group who have come in and filled that void without too much problem, and I hope they can do the same again [against Italy]."
Cotter, the former New Zealand assistant coach, has come under some pressure for his decision to make 10 changes, especially with the fixture also being the first of 15 in the new autumn test window.
"I don't think it's been a consideration," he said. "It is what it is. You're in this competition, and you just have to go through with it.
"We're very focused on what we've got to do. It's a good opportunity for us, we get the 10th man back [with the extra week's preparation], and we're at home, so we'll enjoy that. It's a great test on a great day with a great crowd as well so it's a real


Militants fighting for the Islamic State in Syria have thrown yet another young man  to his death from a building after accusing him of being gay. Stomach-churning photographs show a large bloodthirsty crowd gathered at the foot of a multi-storey building in the group's de facto capital Raqqa to watch the murder of the young victim. With the baying crowd clambering on to rooftops to get a better view of the savage scene, the blindfolded man is dragged to the roof of the tallest building in the neighbourhood by bearded militants, who use mobile phones to film him being barbarically thrown to his death. Barbarians: Militants fighting for the Islamic State in Syria have thrown yet another young man to his death from a building after accusing him of being gay . Horror: The blindfolded man is dragged to the roof of the tallest building in the neighbourhood by bearded militants, who use mobile phones to film him being barbarically thrown to his death . Sick: The stomach-churning photographs show a large bloodthirsty crowd gathered at the foot of a multi-storey building in the group's de facto capital Raqqa to watch the murder of the young victim . The images were released by local activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, who work undercover in the ISIS stronghold to expose the terror group's atrocities. The photographs carry the distinctive yellow logo of ISIS' propaganda wing Al Hayat Media Centre, suggesting they come from an as-yet unreleased video of the savage murder. The photographs shows a huge crowd gathering at the foot of a run-down building in the west of the city, which ISIS captured in early 2014 amid the ongoing chaos of the Syrian Civil War. So many people are seen in the streets to watch the man being thrown to his death that vehicles are unable to pass, although it appears the militants have erected metal railings to keep the crowds in line, giving a chilling sense of order to the savagery. The blindfolded victim - who is understood to be in his 20s - is seen being dragged to the top of the building by three black-masked militants while two armed but undisguised fighters stand at their side using mobile phones to film the gruesome murder. The next image shows the man plunging to his death, falling face first from behind a white metal railing towards the ground several stories below. Savages: ISIS militants are seen filming the man with mobile phones shortly before he is thrown to his death . Propaganda: The photographs carry the distinctive yellow logo of ISIS' propaganda wing Al Hayat Media Centre, suggesting they come from an as-yet unreleased video of the savage murder . Spectators: The baying crowd are seen clambering on to rooftops to get a better view of the savage scene . Bloodthirsty: The photographs shows a huge crowd gathering at the foot of a run-down building in the west of the city, which ISIS captured in early 2014 amid the ongoing chaos of the Syrian Civil War . The horrific murder is just the latest example of ISIS throwing men accused of being gay to their death. In December ISIS released their first images of the shocking punishment as part of a release that also showed men accused of rape being crucified and left for dead in the centre of Raqqa. Similar images emerged in January and early February of men being thrown from 'the highest point in the city' following accusations of homosexuality. In a horrific twist, both of these men somehow survived the fall but were then stoned to death by the crowds gathered below. And just last week another young man was thrown off a roof and stoned to death after being accused of homosexuality. Following a trial in an Islamic State court, the man was taken to the roof of the building and thrown to his death in front a large crowd below. The man was described as a 'child of Lot' and accused of committing acts of sodomy. Lot is referred to in the Bible and the Qur'an, where it is claimed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah carried out sinful acts and were severely punished by God. The Islamic State cherry picks sections of the Koran and misinterprets the accounts of the Prophet Muhammad in order to wage jihad and sign up new recruits, experts say. It is estimated that 20,000 people have streamed into the territory in Iraq and Syria, where ISIS has proclaimed what it calls a 'caliphate', ruled by its often brutal version of Islamic law. The group purport to recreate the conquests and rule of the Prophet Muhammad and his successors and maintains its worst brutalities - such as beheading captives - only prove its purity in following what it contends is the prophet's example. But now Muslims clerics and other experts are speaking out, saying that the group hand picks what it wants from Islam's holy book, the Koran, and from accounts of Muhammad's actions and sayings, known as the Hadith. An ISIS member parades through the streets of Raqqa in Syria waving an Islamic State flag and brandishing a gun. Experts have now said that ISIS misinterprets the Koran in order to wage jihad . It then misinterprets many of these, while ignoring everything in the texts that contradicts those hand-picked selections. Writings by the group's clerics and its English-language online magazine, Dabiq, are full of citations from Koranic verses, the Hadith and centuries of interpreters, mostly from hardliners. But Joas Wagemakers, an assistant professor of Islamic Studies at Radboud University in the Netherlands, says these are taken far out of context by ISIS. He explained that Muslim scholars throughout history have used texts in a 'decontextualised way' to suit their purposes and says that ISIS represent the extreme. He added: 'It would be a mistake to conclude the Islamic State group's extremism is the true Islam that emerges from the Koran and Hadith.

Young man was thrown from  a building in the terror group's 'capital city' He was accused of being gay by the ISIS militants that control Raqqa . Huge crowds gathered at the foot of the building to watch the atrocity . Some climbed on buildings to get a better view of the gruesome scene .

 the building as another prisoner - who appears to have been beaten - dangles precariously from the window while they wait for him to fall. The footage, broadcast on Al Mayadeen TV, is said to have been filmed recently and shows a young bearded man hanging from the window.
The bodyguard, dressed in black, is pictured holding his hands together as the crowd chant "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the greatest). One man is heard chanting "I'll take your hand away from you" and the crowd laugh and cheer as the man's body is pulled towards the ground. The 'judge' on the right-hand side of the screen yells in Arabic: "If you are not gay then you are safe. If you are gay then you are not safe".
When the man falls to the ground he is heard gasping as a young boy is pushed towards the scene by his comrades. A black cat is then placed close to the body as the militants chant a final prayer in Arabic. The victim's body can then be seen being pushed away from the crowds.
The disturbing video was broadcast alongside footage of ISIS militants throwing gay men and women from the top of a tall building. The sickening scene appears to be filmed in Syria as members of the crowd chant: "God is the greatest".
One of the jihadists can be heard saying: "Throw them over the building". The clip then shows gay men, women and boys falling from the building and appearing to break their bodies on the concrete beneath.
As the man hits the ground, his body convulses for a short period and the crowd then turn away as they make way for another young man to throw from the building. In a separate scene, another young man dressed in blue trousers is forced onto his back and made to sit next to his friend. Both have their arms tied behind their back as the jihadist says: "Now he's a woman". The men then both fall to the ground as the executioner begins to hack at the man with a knife, repeatedly striking him to the head.
The men appear to struggle before they both lie lifeless. In another shocking scene, a man is seen hanging off of the side of a building as he screams for his life and appears to be in great pain. The crowd can be heard shouting: "He's a liar, he's a liar", which has been translated as:


Spy chiefs have been told by MPs to recruit middle-aged mothers because they are 'emotionally intelligent' and skilled at relationships. The Intelligence and Security Committee said MI5, MI6 and GCHQ should start advertising on the Mumsnet website. An inquiry by the MPs and peers on the committee found that action was needed to break through the 'permafrost' of middle-aged men dominating the ranks of the intelligence agencies who have a 'very traditional male mentality and outlook'. Hermione Norris plays a former MI6 officer - called Ros Myers - who joins an MI5 counter-terrorism division in the TV show Spooks . Across the three agencies, women make up 37 per cent of the workforce but hold only 19 per cent of the most senior roles. Labour's Hazel Blears, who sits on the ISC, said yesterday that recruiting a greater number of women would make the security services better at their job. She highlighted the particular skills mothers have in building relationships – a vital talent for spies trying to recruit informants. 'Women who have had children and brought their families up, they have valuable life experience,' the former Home Office minister said. The dominance of men, by contrast, 'can reinforce a management culture which rewards those who speak the loudest or are aggressive in pursuing their career', she said. Women deliver a 'more consultative, collaborative approach'. Labour MPs Hazel Blears said more women spies were needed . Mrs Blears said: 'If all intelligence professionals are cut from the same cloth – sharing similar backgrounds and characteristics – then they are likely to share 'unacknowledged biases' that will circumscribe both the definition of problems and the search for solutions.' According to the inquiry, her view that women can make for a better working environment for spies was backed by Sir Iain Lobban, the former director of GCHQ, the listening agency. 'I find that the discussions are deeper, I think they are more emotionally intelligent and, if you like, I think there is more intuition in the room,' he said. Mrs Blears said the need for MI6 officers to be able to deploy abroad – sometimes at short notice – could be a problem for women with children. She added: 'There is a bit of testosterone in the system that says, 'Tickets, money, passport – we all have to get there'. And if you've got children, finding 24-hour childcare is often very difficult.' Mrs Blears also revealed that the BBC TV drama Spooks had made it harder for MI5 to recruit women . A string of its female characters met a grisly end, such as being blown apart trying to rescue a Home Secretary from a bomb. Daniel Craig and the Italian actress Monica Bellucci pose during a photocall on location for the shooting of the 24th James Bond movie 'Spectre'  in Rome . In a report out today the ISC will call for a number of reforms to be introduced within the next 12 months across the agencies, including culture change, help for women who have had children to stop them being sidelined and career advice. Targeted recruitment should also be carried out, including through websites such as Mumsnet, it recommends. Ms Blears said: 'Changing the culture is the one area that is most difficult to articulate and, crucially, to take action on, but if you want change, that is where to start. I’d make a great spy. I go totally unnoticed everywhere I go, but I have a keen eye for detail. Nobody suspects a woman in mum boots of anything underhand. If they need someone whose special skill is getting melted chocolate down her dog-haired jumper and not noticing, I’m their woman. I’ve always said that a crack team of Mothers could knock most governments into a cocked hat. I would LOVE to be a spy. And no one would suspect me. I am too boring and frumpy. Well I’m not signing up. I’ve watched Spooks. Everybody I get attached to dies a horrible death. 'It is clear to us there are those at middle management level - referred to by some people as 'the permafrost' - who have a very traditional male mentality and outlook. 'This can reinforce a management culture which rewards those who speak the loudest or are aggressive in pursuing their career and does not fully recognise the value of a more consultative, collaborative approach. 'We therefore recommend that there is a real focus on identifying and tackling the barriers that can exist at middle management level, so that women and men can fully achieve their potential in a supportive team ethos.' The Committee hopes that this report and the specific recommendations it contains will galvanise support for, and lead to further concerted efforts to create, a more gender diverse workforce in the agencies.' Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who conducted a similar investigation into women in the CIA, said improving diversity would help in the response to threats to national security. She said: 'As Ms Blears rightly says diversity should be pursued - not just on legal or ethical grounds, important as these are in their own right - but because it will result in a better response to the range of threats that threaten national security. 'Much of what is said in this report echoes and reinforces my own work on the director's advisory group on women in Intelligence at the CIA. 'I am sure we will all benefit from close cooperation on these vital issues between our two countries.'

Parliamentary committee says more women spies needed to keep UK safe . Claims lack of female agents harming MI5 and MI6's ability to tackle terror . Women agents should be recruited from websites like Mumsnet, it says . Findings published by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee .

net website.
It said: "The committee concluded that, because of their emotional intelligence and their skill at building long-term relationships, they should "seriously consider" appealing to women in mid-life."
The committee said MI5, MI6 and GCHQ need a new "cultural approach to recruitment" in which "middle aged mums" could play a "vital part".
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the committee said: "The committee concluded that, because of their emotional intelligence and their skill at building long-term relationships, they should "seriously consider" appealing to women in mid-life."
"There is anecdotal evidence that such recruitment drives may already have some success."
The recruitment of women into the secret services has been a problem in the past.
In 2010, MI6 was ordered to recruit more female spies, after Sir John Scarlett, the head of MI6, said: "Women have a very important part to play in the 'five eyes' countries, in which Britain has a particularly strong relationship."
Sir John, who was later succeeded by Andrew Parker, also said: "We need a greater number of women in the service and I'm going to try to have that."
Last night, former GCHQ analyst Richard Staines said the women who could become spies needed to be emotionally intelligent as the "best spies are the ones who can play people against each other, but not be seen as being involved."
"This requires the ability to build trust and to act out of character and to be able to create a bond between agents and operatives. But this is exactly the type of personality that would be sought."
He said: "It's worth remembering that the only time MI5 has "successfully" recruited a woman to a double-agents network, it was a young, married mother.
"The reality is that anyone from any background who has the emotional intelligence to become a spy is unlikely to be a ‘single’ person.
"This would go against their fundamental 'operational security' principle that they must never reveal any of their secrets.
"That is why they are so often seen as married people, as their families are often used as a cover."
He went on: "They will also have to be able to keep secrets for a lifetime, and never to reveal they are an agent to anyone, even to their