SEATTLE, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Hat, the world's leading family of information security events produced by UBM TechWeb, today spotlights new vulnerabilities, tools, programs and big names debuting at this year's event, including a Cyber War discussion by General Michael V. Hayden, former director of the National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency. Black Hat USA 2010 will host digital security experts, bringing together public and private sector security professionals and underground hackers in Las Vegas. For more information visit .

The world's most significant security event brings together thought-leaders from around the world to dissect the latest security trends. This year, over 30 new vulnerabilities and 46 new tools will debut, including the first ever Black Hat Arsenal. Black Hat Arsenal is new community gathering place where over 25 independent researchers will present cutting-edge demos, tools and findings in real-time, on stage in front of the Black Hat delegation.

"This year we're expecting to be the largest, greatest Black Hat in our history," said Jeff Moss, founder of Black Hat. "With a lineup of new research and presentations dealing with important advancements made in security, this unprecedented year is a first."

Featured industry speakers and new vulnerabilities this year will grow and currently includes:

*** "Cyber war...Are we at war? And if we are, how should we fight it?" presented by General Michael V. Hayden, former Director, National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency

*** "Jackpotting Automated Teller Machines Redux" by Barnaby Jack

*** "Wardriving the Smart Grid: Practical Approaches to Attacking Utility Packet Radios" by Shawn Moyer and Nathan Keltner

*** "How to Hack Millions of Routers" by Craig Heffner

*** "These Aren't the Permissions You're Looking For" by Anthony Lineberry

*** "App Attack: Surviving the Mobile Application Explosion" Fashion Replica by John Hering and Kevin Mahaffey

*** "Hacking and Protecting Oracle Database Vault" by Esteban Martinez Fayo

*** "Token Kidnapping's Revenge" by Cesar Cerrudo

*** "HTTPS Can Byte Me, Robert Hansen" by Josh Sokol

*** "USB - HID, The Hacking Interface Design" by Richard Rushing

Black Hat will also host many high-level panel discussions. Notable panelists include:

*** Rod Beckstrom, CEO and President of ICANN

*** Bill Boni, CISO, T-Mobile

*** Jim Christy, director, DC3

*** Mike Convertino, AF

*** Jerry Dixon, Ex-DHS

*** Steve Elefant, CIO, Heartland

*** Andy Fried, Ex-IRS

*** Melissa Hathaway, Harvard University, former Sr. Director Cyberspace-National Security Council

*** Kevin Manson, Ex-FLETC

*** Rich Marshall, DHS

*** Tony Sager,
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The Peas have been touring "The E.N.D." for a year already, and the show the ensemble presented on Wednesday bore every mark of the seasoned road show. Everything was in sync, from the more-than- elaborate stage presentation to the costume changes to the immaculate track-to-track flow of the event.

Led -- and created -- by will.i.am, and greatly benefiting from the incredible stage presence and vocal range of will's foil, Fergie, the Peas presented Wednesday's show as a unified group, and members apl.de.ap and Taboo shared the spotlight in almost equal measure.

This meant that the show had a flow that suggested a theatrical presentation much more than it did a rock or pop concert. That worked in this instance, since the rather mind-blowing lighting and video Louis Vuitton Purses Bags Replica presentation was perfectly timed to the music.

That show was more subtle and intricate than it needed to be, and should be praised for that fact. Elegantly lit mood shifts accompanied key changes and emotional crescendos; subtle, space- themed video accompaniment elevated what, frankly speaking, can at times be trite and boring (if incredibly catchy) pop tunes; ambitious cues married themselves to set-changes in a manner that was seamless.

Naturally, the show kicked off with a raucous, well-received "Let's Get It Started," moved quickly into a funky, abundantly "Fergalicious" take on "Tock That Body," and then hit the first peak of the evening with the Fergie-centered "Don't Phunk With My Heart." Whether letting everyone in on her more aggressive side with "Imma Be," or making plenty saucy with the crowd-pleasing "My Humps," Fergie owned the arena.

When will.i.am followed "My Humps" with a section of freestyle rap improv over an electro beat, another aspect of piercing jewelry wholesale the Peas' brilliance was revealed -- the group takes hip, current DJ culture- based styles and turns them into pop tunes that suburban kids can be relatively comfortable with.

The show was a success on every level, save possibly the more mainstream-wary artistic one. The folks counting themselves amongst that subculture might point to the Peas' obvious ability to cater to the mainstream -- their ability to be all things to many people who might not otherwise share much in common -- as an indication of cynicism. I'm unsure about any of this, but I can comfortably declare that the Black Eyed Peas left everything they had on the stage on Wednesday. No one appeared to be disappointed. It might've been shallow fun, but it was most definitely fun.

Concert Review

Black Eyed Peas

Wednesday night in HSBC Arena.

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--RACHEL, 40, is an information technology director in Millstadt, Illinois. The mother of two logs five runs a week, plus strength workouts.

* Grabber Heat Treat Hand Warmers ($62 for 40 pairs; warmers.com). "It's freezing on the ice. I slip these into my gloves to keep my hands toasty."

* Nike Premium iD Shox Rival cross-training shoes ($120; nikeid.com) "You can design these yourself to match your personality or your wardrobe. I chose bright pink. They look cool, and they're comfortable."

* Caramel Nut Brownie Luna bar ($1.30; clifbar.com) "Often I don't have time to eat replica Louis Vuitton Handbags before a workout. This is my favorite snack. It doesn't taste chalky like some bars do."

* Lululemon Origami deep-V tank and Reverse Groove pants ($48, $84; lululemon.com) "I wear Lululemon clothing for my Pilates and ballet classes. It fits well and it lasts: I bought a pair of these pants two years ago and I still wear them today."

* LifeFitness X9i elliptical trainer ($4,199; lifefitness.com) "I do four 45-minute workouts on the elliptical every week. It's perfect for strengthening my Best Louis Vuitton Jewelry Online lower body and increasing my endurance--key for executing jumps at the end of a program."

Designed by the Kardashians themselves, the highly anticipated Kardashian Khaos store will be revealed to the world in the next few months with a star-studded opening event, and extravagant private launch party to follow. The store has been made possible by the wonderful relationship between the Kardashian family, TLK Fusion, The Mirage, and BRAVADA International, fusing all parties towards the common goal of building the first of an exciting franchise.

The Kardashian brand has become one of the most popular and recognizable international brands led by Kris Jenner, along with her three daughters鈥擪im, Khloe and Kourtney. The Kardashian sisters are the most photographed women in the world, and between having a series of successful shows on E! (Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Spin Crowd, Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami) and being acknowledged businesswomen, they have become a cultural phenomenon. Now the fashionable entrepreneurs have partnered up with the business powerhouses at The Mirage, BRAVADA International, and TLK Fusion to take on their biggest and most exciting business endeavor yet, Kardashian Khaos. The international appeal of Las Vegas makes it the perfect location for a project of this caliber.

About BRAVADA International Ltd. (Stock Symbol: MFLI)

BRAVADA is a publicly traded company specializing in innovative media, health, fitness and lifestyle products that owns and operates BRAVADA Women鈥檚 Athletica, an exclusively women鈥檚 fitness apparel retail store, Kardashian Khaos at The Mirage in Las Vegas, BRAVADA Productions which develops exciting brands through the creation of internet and television media content. BRAVADA is dedicated to providing the highest quality products, services and media that enriches and provides beneficial betterment for individuals, both physically and emotionally. Through its dedication to quality and innovation, BRAVADA delivers its products, services and media by empowering individuals through positive lifestyles and experiences.

About The Mirage

Ideally located in the center of the famed Las Vegas Strip, The Mirage is the place to stay and play. The resort features contemporary AAA Four Diamond accommodations, dynamic nightlife including JET Nightclub and The Beatles REVOLUTION Lounge, tantalizing restaurants created by the world鈥檚 most acclaimed designers and renowned chefs, a salon from celebrity colorist Kim V艒, the enticing Bare pool lounge, and 170,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Unique entertainment options include The Beatles鈩?LOVE鈩?by Cirque du Soleil庐 celebrating the musical legacy of The Beatles, Terry Fator: Ventriloquism in Concert, and the lush animal sanct
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The effort builds on the launch of the Braun bodycruZer all-in-one body groomer with Gillette Fusion shaving technology. The wet-and-dry groomer features a power trimmer to cut body hair efficiently, along with a Gillette Fusion blade to provide smoother and cleaner shaving, according to Braun. Both are Procter & Gamble Co. brands.

The campaign includes an online video featuring Chriqui and a bodycruZade web site, where women are invited to vote in the "Mr, bodycruZade" contest, in which men can post photos of their upper bodies. Chriqui will also post blog entries about body grooming on the site.

DEADHEAD your container plants regularly to encourage further flowering and feed annuals and tender perennials regularly.

CUT everlasting flowers such as statice and gypsophila and hang them upside down in a well-ventilated place like a shed for drying.

SAVE seeds of alpines, perennials and hardy cyclamen as they are about to ripen, for sowing later.

CLIP privet and other fastgrowing hedges.

PRUNE old-fashioned roses and climbers after flowering, and when dead-heading don't just snip off the dead flower, follow the stem back for a few centimetres and cut it off just above a healthy leaf.

TAKE clematis cuttings to increase your stock.

CUT back lupins and delphiniums to encourage a second flush of flowers.

GIVE early-flowering perennials such as pulmonaria and brunnera a haircut, cutting off the foliage close to the ground.

REMOVE patches of cabbage white butterfly eggs from the undersides of leaves.

THIN waterweeds in your pond to provide more oxygen for the fish.

IF the weather's really hot, add another layer of shading paint to your greenhouse to protect plants.

1915 CONDUCTRESS: Jobs for ladies Mr Thomas Clarkson, of Chelmsford, managing director of the National Steam Car Co, is trying the experiment of engaging lady bus conductors to enable men of military age to be employed on munition work.

The ladies have so far done remarkably well, wearing long white coats and hats, and the change has hardly been noticed by the passengers.

1940 The three German airmen who lost replica gucci clutches Bags their lives when their bomber aircraft was brought down in an Essex town were buried in that town's cemetery.

Full military honours were paid by officers and men of the RAF and a firing party fired three volleys over one large grave in which the three coffins, covered by a Nazi flag, were interred.

A wreath from the Auxiliary Fire Service was inscribed: 'When duty calls, all must obey.' 1950 The Football Association have banned Jimmy Broad, Chelmsford City FC groundsman, from coaching the new Chelmsford Ladies football team.

Under FA rules any professional associated with ladies' football is liable to suspension.

Mr Broad is very upset having hoped to make a good team and his role has been take over by Billy McKeon.

1960 The proprietors of Chelmsford Navigation and guests including Sir Stuart Mallinson enjoyed their annual horse-drawn trip by barge from Chelmsford to Heybridge Basin.

Their sturdy horse is the famous 'Chelmsford Duke' who made the journey regularly for years until barges were motorised, but is now working on a farm.

1970 Keith Fletcher, pictured, pride and joy of Essex and resident of Stebbing, has at last arrived on the Test scene.

And his superb undefeated 69 in England's eight-wicket win over the Rest of the World should make him an automatic Replica the top Designer Tiffany BraceletsJewelry choice for the three remaining Tests and earn him his ticket for Australia this winter.

This road, taken up as a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) project, involves local residents and the BBMP. Today, it's a smooth stretch of tar, but for the 100 metres bang at the entrance from Whitefield main road.

The worst-hit by this are 350 residents in posh apartment complexes Kansas-City-Chiefs in the interiors here. After waiting for three years and paying up Rs 35 lakh as their share to asphalt the road on a 50-50 partnership with BBMP, they are still bumping along to their destinations.

A majority of them had invested in houses here way back in 2006, and were assured by their builders and developers that the government would lay the road in just three months. Now, they are given up on this last stretch of road.

The sum of Rs 35 lakh was contributed by five resident welfare associations to asphalt their share of 700 m, 600 m of which is complete.

What worries them is that the monsoon is here. "Earlier the entire road was bad, now it's the crude entry point. Our kids face a problem as school buses refuse to take the road because of this. Something must be done,'' said Sreepad Gopalarao, a resident who is also an active member spearheading the PPP project.

More worrying is the slow processing of files. "Tracking the file for the 100-m stretch has taken us places and tested our patience. We are not just complaining, we are also paying for the road, in addition to property tax,'' said another resident.

DISPUTED STRETCH There is more to this pending 100-m stretch than just dilly-dallying authorities. Part of ancestral property, this piece of land is owned by a family of five brothers. "This is part of our last one-acre plot and we cannot let it go. We once had seven acres here,'' said Ponnuswamy M, one of the brothers.

Interestingly, this crude stretch was once a cart track for his family to access the villages in the interiors. But with time, it changed into a public road. According to other residents here, the builders had earlier failed to strike a deal to get the road done, as the money they shelled out was divided among the middlemen and some political leaders. This family then filed a civil case against the builders, which had no effect whatsoever.

The current status of the land: the acquisition file is with the urban development office, awaiting a chain of approvals there.

Meanwhile, BBMP joint commissioner (Mahadevapura) B Heeranayak confirmed: "It will take at least another three months to settle the acquisition. There are no legal hurdles here, but the road work will be completed only after acquisition is complete. It Manolo Blahnik Shoes can be sorted out within a month if the land owners agree to a TDR settlement. The public has been cooperative in funding and joining hands to asphalt the road, but we had informed them about this pending acquisition even when the project began." For Reprint Rights: timescontent.com

The only challenge to this fowl-friendly project was hunting down a waterproofing finish . I've accomplished that for you.

Online instructions blithely read, "Seal with clear acrylic." But most won't hold up to standing water , cost a $10 cheap omega watches in 2010 small fortune (e.g. fishpond coatings) or are not bird/wildlife safe.

I finally found Epoxy Waterproofer (see "Betsy's Budget" for ordering information and allow three to five days.)

Using two-part epoxy is simple and safe, provided you follow the directions and all precautions.

If making only enough epoxy for one birdbath, pour both solutions into a smaller metal container in the recommended ratio, stir with a paint stick and use within 30 minutes. Use a cheap paint brush and simply dispose of the can, stirrer and brush.

After ordering the Epoxy Waterproofer, head to your favorite garden or home center and choose a selection of pots for the base and a large saucer for the top. Stack them in various configurations in the store aisle, letting your imagination take flight.

Aim for a sturdy base and an overall height of about 30 inches.

Since I'm not the crafty type, I chose colorful glazed pots with raw terra-cotta bands, plus a saucer. Or, paint Wholesale Chloe Handbags Replica your own if you prefer. (Note: The Epoxy Waterproofer is not recommended for painted surfaces. So, if you paint the outside of your pots and saucer, use the Waterproofer on the insides and something like an exterior polyurethane on painted surfaces.)

On Day 1, seal the insides and top rims of pots and saucer (if unglazed).

On Day 2, seal the bottoms and any unglazed terra cotta on the outsides.

On Day 3, glue the pots together using an outdoor construction adhesive following the manufacturer's instructions.

Gucci Watches Now place your birdbath in a bird-friendly location within view of a window, patio or deck, fill the saucer with water, and enjoy watching birds flock to your public bath.

Betsy DiJulio,

Art teacher, blogger and freelance writer Betsy DiJulio is a frequent contributor to The Virginian-Pilot and a sometimes do it yourselfer. We'll occasionally feature her DIY projects for the home in Home.

Betsy's budget

16-inch terra-cotta saucer, $14.97 (or smaller glazed saucer, $10)

OR 14-inch glazed saucer, $10

8-inch glazed terra-cotta pot, $7.98

Two 6.5-inch glazed terra-cotta pots, $4.98 each times two = $9.96

Adhesive (Loctite Power Grab), $4.48

1 quart Epoxy Waterproofer, $26.50 plus $9 for shipping = $35.50 (optional)

Total $72.89 (with terra-cotta saucer) or $67.92 (with glazed saucer)

All materials from The Home Depot, except Epoxy Waterproofer from , (800) 922-4623

Jamie Gennarini will be free from electronic monitoring before his trial on charges he used his position in law enforcement to extort money, Senior U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo ruled at the end of a 30-minute hearing at the Max Rosenn United States Courthouse.

"I don't see a risk of flight here," Caputo said.

Gennarini, 37, of Shenandoah, said nothing during the hearing, instead sitting quietly while his lawyer, Federal Public Defender Gino A. Bartolai Jr., argued that prosecutors failed to prove he should remain in his home detention, which includes electronic monitoring and a ban on leaving his house except for work and other limited circumstances.

"Home confinement is no longer warranted," Bartolai told Caputo.

A federal grand jury indicted Gennarini on Dec. 10 on three counts of obstructing commerce and one each of conspiracy against rights and deprivation of rights.

Prosecutors allege Gennarini extorted money from a local businessman and his family.

Former Shenandoah police Chief Matthew R. Nestor also faces charges in connection with the same incident. Caputo has not set a trial date for them.

However, Gennarini, unlike Nestor, no longer faces home detention until that trial date.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Malachy E. Mannion on Dec. 22 had ordered home detention for each man until the Air force one low trial started.

Bartolai successfully argued that the federal Bail Reform Act requires Gennarini to be free pending trial unless prosecutors can show he should not be.

"The conditions should be the least restrictive to ensure the appearance of the defendant and to protect the community," he said.

Bartolai said Gennarini is an honorably discharged Army veteran, is married with two children and continues to work. Furthermore, Gennarini has resigned from the police force and surrendered his passport, according to Bartolai.

"They have a very stable home environment. There's no indication here that he's a risk of flight or a danger to the community," Bartolai said. "There's no way he can abuse any type of authority."

Myesha K. Braden, a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, argued that home detention has worked and is still necessary.

She termed the conditions "very, very limited type of confinement," said there is no evidence they posed any "unnecessary hardship" for Gennarini and argued that the charges against him must be considered.

"The court is well aware of the weight of the evidence against the defendant," Braden said. "We can't stand here in a vacuum."

However, Caputo concluded that home detention is no longer appropriate for Gennarini.

"He's not someone in authority any more," Caputo said. "Mr. Gennarini is only accused. He no longer has a passport. He no longer has a weapon."

Bartolai and Braden each declined to comment after the hearing on Caputo's order.

Caputo earlier this month ordered an end to home detention for two other former Shenandoah police officers, William Moye
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Recently collected specimens tissot automatic of the extinct tayassuine peccary "Cynorca" occidentale (and another indeterminant tayassuid) are described from new excavations along the southern reaches of the Panama Canal. Fossil peccaries were previously unknown from Panama, and these new tayassuid specimens therefore add to the extinct mammalian biodiversity in this region. "Cynorca" occidentale occurs in situ in the Centenario Fauna (new name) from both the upper part of the Culebra Formation and overlying Cucaracha Formation, thus encompassing a stratigraphic interval that includes both of these formations and the previously described and more restricted Gaillard Cut Local Fauna. "Cynorca" occidentale is a primitive member of the clade that gives rise to modern tayassuines in the New World. Diagnostic characters for "C." occidentale include a retained primitive M1, reduced M3, and shallow mandible, and this species is small relative to most other extinct and modern tayassuine peccaries. Based on the closest biostratigraphic comparisions (Maryland, Florida, Texas, and California), the presence of "C." occidentale indicates an interval of uncertain duration within the early Hemingfordian (He1) to early Barstovian (Ba 1) land mammal ages (early to middle Miocene) for the Centenario Fauna, between about 19 and 14.8 million years ago. Based on what is known of the modern ecology of tayassuines and previous paleoecological interpretations for Panama, "C." occidentale likely occupied a variety of environments, ranging from forested to open country habitat mosaics and fed on the diverse array of available plants.

INTRODUCTION

IN 2007 THE Republic of Panama initiated a decade-long undertaking to widen and expand the Panama Canal. In so doing, these extensive excavations have uncovered important new exposures of diverse Neogene volcanic and sedimentary units. Within this sequence, previous studies have demonstrated that the continental Cucaracha Formation has yielded a significant fossil vertebrate assemblage, previously referred to as the Gaillard Cut Local Fauna (L. F.). So far as is known based on the mammals, the Gaillard Cut L. F. has entirely North American biogeographic affinities despite its proximity to South America (Whitmore and Stewart, 1965; FerrusquiaVillafrancha, 1978; Tedford et al., 2004). Based on our recent fossil discoveries and biostratigraphic interpretations, the concept of the Gaillard Cut L. F. can no longer be applied to the entire mammalian faunal assemblage because it spans a significant stratigraphie interval. Therefore, following Tedford (1970), the early to middle Miocene land mammal assemblage in hereinafter designated the Centenario Fauna, of which the Gaillard Cut L. F. is a subset (as further described below).

MacFadden (2006) described the mammals from the Gaillard Cut L. F., sensu stricto, from the Smithsonian Institution collections made during the 1960s and 1970s (for a preliminary faunal list, see Whitmore and Stewart, 1965). Detailed locality and biostratigraphic data indicate that the original Gaillard Cut L. F. was collected from a geographically and temporally restricted area along the southern reaches of the Panama Canal. MacFadden (2006) described three orders (Carnivora, Artiodactyla, and Perissodactyla), including at least eight individual taxa of early to middle Miocene mammals (also see Stirton, in Woodring, 1957). In addition, during the 1970s, crews from Southern Methodist University screenwashed for micromammals Rolex fake along the Panama Canal. These efforts yielded a new, extinct species of geomyoid, Texomys steward (Slaughter, 1981). Since these original discoveries, prospecting by groups from the Smithsonian Tropical Researc
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There are six different categories to enter: General nature woods and trees, a bug's eye view, discovery, whatever the weather, snap it with feeling and nature's playground. Danielle Evans from the nature detectives team, said: "We're looking for pictures that show the photographer has been on a replicas miu miu bag Fake Handbags real outdoor adventure - inspiring others to investigate their local environment and showing how natural spaces like woods are brilliant places to explore, play and have fun."

The winners will see their photos published on the trust's nature detectives website for kids and families as well as receiving a 2011 calendar that will be available to download for free.

The overall winner will also receive a 14 mega pixel digital camera plus bendy wraparound tripod.

The closing date is midnight on September 30 2010.

The competition is not looking for professional pictures, so any child 14 or under can enter, even with photos taken on their mobile phone.

* For further information on how to enter and a free pack of photography tips, visit: . org.uk/photography

As malls change the Indian suburbia's shopping fantasy, the ubiquitous smart and pushy salesman is disappearing. In its place is a generation of shop assistants that would rather watch television in the electronics section than loiter with bored housewives along rows displaying kitchen utensils hoping to make a sale.

"Being in malls around the world, I am amazed at the ignorance of the staff here. Don't they want to convert footfalls to sales? Can they achieve their targets with such an imbecile work force?" the shopper asked. Ironically only 18 percent of the mall footfalls are being currently converted into actual sales.

Good shop assistants are hard to come by. "We simply cannot meet the demand for shop assistants.

At the beginning of the retail replica Louis Vuitton Watches growth story, the retailers were very particular about the kind of people they want behind the counters. Graduates proficient in English were preferred. Now a class XII pass fits the bill," says a marketing manager with a Vashi based leading retail chain.

With expanding shop floors accommodating large brands under a single roof, all of that has changed. A shop assistant in a mall at Vashi makes Rs 5,000 a month.

And the class XII passout who earns Rs5,000 a month doesn't stay in the job for even two months. If you visit a mall in New Mumbai once a month it's very likely that you won't be running into the same shop assistant ever again. But where they go?

They find a new job that pays Wholesale Louis Vuitton Handbags Fake Handbags them Rs500 extra, because it is 10 percent growth for that individual, admits the store manager who has lost hundreds of such staff to small retailers.

Even in this short supply there are a few good gems. But these hard-to-get smart shop assistants are placed by retailers in markets that are comparatively more urbane and SEC-A (Socio-economic category A) than their suburban cousins like Vashi, New Mumbai, Thane or Kalyan.

It aims to bring a new era in food shopping to the community and secure the existing 55 jobs there.

The conversion follows The Co-operative Group's Pounds 1.56 billion acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain last year.

A spokesman for the Co-operative said: "Enhanced ranges and improved service will be a feature of the new-look store and The Co- operative has already introduced thousands of price reductions on key lines, as well as its unique share of profits dividend scheme, which offers member customers cash back twice a year on their trade with Co-operative Group businesses."

All Somerfield branches will convert to Co-operatives by 2011 and feature the group's new business identity, which aims to highlight its commitment to supporting communities and ethical trading policies, as well as improved service standards across its 5,000 outlets in the UK, including its travel, pharmacy, funerals and bank branches.

To celebrate the new look at the Wells store, youngsters from Wells Central Junior School will perform a ribbon-cutting ceremony today and will receive a donation of Pounds 200 for their funds.

There will also be lots of in-store activity including product tastings and giveaways.

Store manager James Peach said: "We are proud to serve the local community and this substantial investment in the store means we can now provide a much enhanced service.

"Customers are welcoming the changes and benefits shopping at The Co-operative brings, including our ethical trading policies which underpin our product ranges, thousands of price reductions on key lines across the store and our cash back dividend scheme.

"At a time when consumers are looking for both value and values in business, The Co-operative has become even more relevant and distinctive.

"We will meet all the community's daily food shopping needs and, in the best traditions of The Co-operative, make our contribution to community life."

The store's popular home delivery service will be retained and upgraded.

Shoppers already benefit from The Co-operative's share of profits dividend scheme, which offers customer members cash back on their trade with the Group's businesses. Members can choose to keep the cash or donate all or part of their share to local good causes. Last year, The Co-operative paid out Pounds 41million to members and more than Pounds 1m to local community groups.

Membership of The Co-operative Group, which costs Pounds 1, offers a range of benefits including a say in how stores are run and the opportunity to support The Co-operative's campaigns on issues such as climate change and social inclusion.

A NEW respite centre will provide a vital lifeline for desperately ill children.

The former Murtagh Diamond House nursing home in South Shields is set to be transformed into a short-break residential unit for children and young people with disabilities.

Work on the pounds 350,000 conversion is under way to create a four-bed unit.

Parents will no longer have to travel outside of South Tyneside to access overnight breaks for their youngsters.

It has been designed in consultation with children, parents and carers and will include a sensory room, garden, outdoor play area and a room that can be used for quiet activities or games.

Single mum-of-four Kelly Bradshaw said she was delighted at the news. The 31-year-old, of York Avenue, Jarrow, is a full-time carer for her daughter Chloe, 14, who suffers from cerebral palsy and severe learning difficulties.

She said: "It is a great idea as there will be scores of parents and carers who struggle to find any respite as they have to travel some distance.

"It will be a lot easier, especially watches-d if you don't have transport.

"This will mean so much to my family. If Chloe is ill and I'm worried about her, we can go to the centre where they will check her over and tell me whether there is any need to take her to a doctor.

"Although the Alan Shearer Centre in Newcastle is brilliant, Chloe only goes there oncea-month as it is too difficult for us to get there.

"It will also give a chance for parents and carers to support each other as they are more likely to meet each other and stay friends if they live nearby.

"We have been crying out for a place like this for a very long time."

Kelly added: "It can be hard being a parent, especially if they are ill or disabled, so this will provide a little bit of peace really, away from the house."

Overnight residential short-break care for disabled borough children is currently provided at the Alan Shearer Centre in Newcastle.

But last year, the council's decision-making cabinet agreed to convert Murtagh Diamond to provide the service within the borough.

Building conversion work is planned for completion in the autumn, with the new unit opening in January next year.

Councillor Jim Foreman, lead member of children and young people, said: "This is a landmark day for disabled children and their families here in South Tyneside. I'm absolutely delighted that the work has started to transform this former nursing home into a fantastic short-break residential unit for children and young people with disabilities. "It means they will no longer have to leave the borough to access short break care services and it will ensure our young people LED flood light with the most complex needs will enjoy individually tailored holiday-style short breaks in a happy, stimulating and safe environment.

"And it will help parents create some really happy memories for their children and young people at a time when they need it most."

Seven care providers submitted tenders to run the contract, including Barnardo's, Community Integrated Care and St Cuthbert's Care.

Teams of students representing Washburn Rural High School, Baldwin High School and Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Atchison, won first place honors in their respective class designations at the recent Math Day competition at Washburn University.

Participating in the event were 159 students from 16 Kansas high schools, with awards determined on the basis of scores earned in a competitive examination.

Samuel Ho, a senior at Washburn Rural High School, earned the top score on the placement test.

Team awards

Class 6-5A

First place: Washburn Rural (team members Samuel Ho, Hyunjee Kwak and Dylan Davis).

Second place: Topeka High (team members David Wang, Edward Collazo and Katherine Ebeling).

Class 4A

First place: Baldwin (team members Myeong Jeong, Brian Lamoreux and Allison Howard).

Second place: Hayden (team members Sarah Keffer, James Doyle and Matthew McNary).

Class 3-1A

First place: Maur Hill-Mount Academy (team members Danhao Ma, Huanhe Dong and Benquing Bai).

Second place: Atchison County (team members Trevor Lutz, Riley Hundley and Emily Warriner).

Individual awards

First place, senior: Samuel Ho, Washburn Rural.

Second place, senior: Danhao Ma, Maur Hill-Mount Academy.

Third place, senior: Gucci watches Huanhe Dong, Maur Hill-Mount Academy.

First place, nonsenior: David Wang, Topeka High.

Second place, nonsenior: Myeong Jeong, Baldwin.

Third place, nonsenior: Meixi Wang, Lawrence Free State.

This was the burial ground for the city, crisscrossed with paths and churned up with mud. Everyone in the city would end up buried here, and funerals were a good source of income for the cathedral, in candles alone. By the 1300s the burials were so frequent that bones would be dug up to make way for more.

So, as Nicholas Orme describes it, this was not a serene stretch of meadow, but a place covered in graves with crosses. The banks of rubbish and filth building up in the Cathedral Green, with bonfires made, pigs snuffled about and merchants set up stalls.

Rough games were played here too by people from the city, loud enough to wake the dead. ed hardy hoodies In 1386 one cathedral cleric called John Forn got into trouble for skipping matins to join in.

The green was a kind of frontier between town and cathedral clergy, the scene of skirmishes between the two factions. There was even a murder, when the Precentor, an important cathedral cleric, was bopped on the head by supporters of the mayor, who was quarrelling with the bishop.

The ensuing court case was presided over by the king himself at Exeter Castle, and five men, including the bishop were hung in retribution.

On one occasion a fight actually spilled into the cathedral, when one rabble rouser called Hugh Lucas, a tenant of the bishop, ran towards the cathedral green, where, he could not be arrested, pursued by sergeants, who were law enforcers for the city authority.

They chased him into the cathedral where a service was taking place and several members of the clergy came out with "swords, custels, long knives" to attack the sergeants, who were apparently lucky to escape with their lives.

This book, the work of a respected medieval historian, looks in detail at the construction of the cathedral as well as the events that went on around it. There were in fact three buildings. The first was an Anglo Saxon Minster, parts of which were found during excavations on the site in the 1970s. The second was the Norman cathedral, of Tiffany Jewellery sale which the imposing square towers still survive, moulded into the building we see today. This Gothic structure of the 1270s to early 1300s has a flourish and grandeur which reflects the wealthiness of the church at that time.

It would have cost the equivalent of many millions of pounds to construct, coming largely from bishops and senior clergy, who were wealthy landowners. Money was also extracted from the congregations in return for remission from penance, which could be an astute way of fundraising or a dubious practice, depending on your point of view. The seeds of the Reformation, the Protestant reckoning for what many saw as the corruption of the Medieval church, were already being sown.

SARAH PITT

Readers will be able to take advantage of not one, but TWO special football-themed offers for the region.

Tomorrow the Ellis Store, on Cottage Beck Road, Scunthorpe, will be giving away a free England car flag with every copy of the paper while stocks last.

And on Saturday, readers who visit The Foundry shopping centre can bag themselves a goodie pack between 9am and 2pm. All you have to do is buy the paper from a member of the Telegraph promotions team.

An England paper hat, chart and poster will be given away in the England goodie bag. The Foundry also has small paper flags on sticks to give away and look out for a member of The Foundry staff who will be dressed up on the day.

Linda Ellis, owner of the Ellis Store, said: "It's important that everybody gets behind England as a team and readers can do this by buying their newspaper from us to get a flag for their car."

Speaking about match day, Peter Golightly, centre manager at The Foundry, said: "The first kick off is imminent and there is already a buzz in the centre surrounding the match, so we hope by running the Father's Day competition and giving away England merchandise we can help enhance the atmosphere!" The Foundry staff will be handing out FREE flags and the Father's Day competition forms in the Southgate mall area of the shopping centre next to the Scunthorpe Telegraph sales team, who will also be on site giving away promotional goodie bags with each newspaper purchased from the GSMG stand.

Scunthorpe Telegraph promotions co-ordinator, Jenny Braithwaite, said: "In the run up to the first England game the Scunthorpe Telegraph is excited to offer readers some great promotional gifts to help support England.

So why not take advantage of these and pop along to the newsagents or The Foundry before the big kick-off."

ENJOY A MEAL ON US ENJOYING a burger and a pint in a beer garden is the perfect way to prepare for a footballing summer - but enjoying a free burger and beer is even better.

The Telegraph has teamed up with local JD Wetherspoon pub The Bluebell in Oswald Road, Scunthorpe, to offer readers a free meal and drink.

All readers need to do is collect a series of tokens, then tuck into a juicy burger, as well as the beverage of their choice, completely free of charge.

The spread, which would normally cost Pounds 4.85, includes a hearty portion of chips, while the choice of drink includes wine, beer, ales, some spirits and a host of hot or cold soft drinks.

To take advantage of the deal, readers will need to collect four differently numbered tokens from a set of six, which will be printed all this week until Saturday.

The vouchers can be traded for the burger and drink of your choice until Monday, June 21.

For full details, and terms and conditions, see the panel below.