Adam Johnson: Read 31 WhatsApp messages heard in Premier League footballer's child sex trial

The prosecutor read out some of their 834 WhatsApp messages - including an exchange on New Year's Eve in 2014Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror

Text messages: Adam Johnson, pictured with his girlfriend Stacey Flounders

Footballer Adam Johnson sent a 15-year-old girl a seedy message about taking her jeans off 30 seconds after receiving a picture of his new baby - a court heard.

He pleaded guilty to child grooming and one count of sexual activity - namely, kissing the young girl - on the first day of trial on Wednesday.

Johnson, 28, denies two counts of sexual activity - involving penetration - with a child.

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Bradford Crown Court heard details of messages allegedly sent between Johnson and the 15-year-old Sunderland fan who 'idolised' him before they began chatting on social media.

The prosecutor read out some of their 834 WhatsApp messages - including an exchange on New Year's Eve in 2014.

The girl sent the footballer a friends request on Facebook on December 30th and they exchanged telephone numbers, the jury heard.

Adam Johnson (AJ): "Are you in the last year of school?"

Schoolgirl (SG): "Year 10...will you still send me a signed shirt"

AJ: "Yeh, I will send you one or sign yours. Whatever you prefer"

SG: "Both if you can"

AJ: "Yeh, I can do. Do you want me to sign yours at the game or meet up? Whatever you prefer"

SG: "I don't mind. Good luck with the city match”

When discussing New Year’s Eve plans on December 31 last year, the teenager told him she was going to a family party, the court heard.

AJ: "Where do you go out to?"

Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror

Case: Former Sunderland and England footballer Adam Johnson and his girlfriend Stacey Flounders, leaving Bradford Crown court, in West Yorkshire

SG: "I'm not old enough to go out"

AJ: "Haha but yeh you look old enough. When you 16?"

SG: "People say that all the time. No-one believes me when I say I'm 15"

She adds that she would be 16 in November.

AJ: "Ages then. LOL"

The court heard the pair first met up on January 17th, when he handed her a signed shirt.

SG: "Thank you"

AJ: "You owe me"

AJ: "I thought I would have got a thank you kiss for the shirt"

AJ: "I will get this thank you, it had better be worth it"

SG: "Ha ha it will be"

AJ: "Confident aren't you? Am I only getting a kiss?"

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Waiters in Parliament don't get a penny of tips left on credit cards

Westminster's taxpayer-subsidised restaurants give no card tips to temporary staff despite MPs' outcry over firms with a similar policy

  

      

Scandal: MPs were furious when private firms did the same thing

A tipping scandal has emerged in Parliament after it was revealed many waiters are not getting a penny of tips from credit cards.

Westminster's taxpayer-subsidised restaurants give no card tips to temporary staff despite MPs' outcry over firms with a similar policy.

Pizza Express was among firms that dropped an 8% "admin charge" on card tips last summer following protests from MPs and unions.

Tory MP Andrew Percy named and shamed the chain alongside Bella Italia for taking 10% during a Commons debate in 2014.

Read more: The restaurants pocketing 10p in every £1 you give as tips

He added: "There are examples of businesses taking even more. In the more extreme cases, businesses are collecting tips but not distributing them to workers at all."

But in MPs' own back yard there are still waiters receiving no card tips at all.

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A House of Commons spokesman said it was difficult to distribute tips to temporary staff because of the way Parliament's payroll is set up.

Officials have now promised a review of the internal system after the problem was revealed by Labour MP Catherine West.

Ms West told the Evening Standard it was "only fair" to give tips to all waiters and she was "surprised" to learn of the system.

A Commons spokesman said: "Currently, card-generated tips are distributed with payroll to permanent House of Commons catering staff pro-rata according to hours and venue worked.

"Current payroll administrative arrangements make it difficult to allocate card tips to non-permanent staff as they are paid directly by their agencies and there are considerable variations in the hours they work.

"However, agency staff do benefit from cash tips, and the House of Commons Catering Department will be looking at the existing system as part of their business plan for the year to see if improvements can be made."

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Tim Peake enjoys 'sideways' video chat with son from International Space Station

Tim Peake enjoys '
Major Peake has two boys - Thomas, six, and Oliver, four - and jept up to date with events back home via video link

Spacebook: Astronaut Tim Peake talks to his son from the International Space Station

British astronaut Tim Peake proves he is an out of this world dad as he waves hello to his son 250 miles below the International Space Station.

Major Peake, who has two boys - Thomas, six, and Oliver, four - showed he was keeping an eye on his brood by chatting direct to his home in Sussex via video link from space.

Wife Rebecca posted the image on Twitter alongside the post: “If Daddy can talk to me sideways then I can too!”

Looks like the 43-year-old really does love his family to the stars and back!

Tim, whose mission on the ISS will last for six months, last week became the first Briton to officially walk in space.

Earlier this week he posted footage of him enjoying a cup of coffee - drunk through a straw from a packet due to the lack of gravity.

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300,000 benefit claimants only get Christmas bonuses AFTER Christmas thanks to Tory welfare blunder

   

Scrooge: Iain Duncan Smith's department still hasn't paid out some Christmas gifts

Hapless welfare chiefs only paid 300,000 sick and disabled benefit claimants a Christmas bonus after Christmas, we can reveal.

Iain Duncan Smith's department has finally admitted the vast blunder - more than three weeks after the Mirror was tipped off about a computer glitch.

A "technical error" meant 327,379 people on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) did not receive a token £10 state gift, usually paid in the first full week of December, in time for the holiday season.

Incredibly the Mirror understands hundreds of claimants, around 0.05% of those on ESA, have still not been paid tonight and face waiting until the end of the month.

Read more: George Osborne’s cuts mean poverty for another two million children, says report

The figures were confirmed to Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith - who branded the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) "cruel and incompetent".

He told the Mirror: "They've now been forced to admit that 300,000 people went short because they couldn’t even manage to make a simple payment in time for the holidays.

   

Labour's Owen Smith said the Tories were "cruel and incompetent"

"This incompetence doesn't bode well for the implementation of Universal Credit and all the other complicated cuts the Tories are overseeing.

"People have always known the Tories are cruel, but they used to think they were at least competent.

"Iain Duncan Smith seems to be having a good go at proving they’re both cruel and incompetent."

The government pays £10 tax-free bonuses once a year to people receiving any of 19 benefits including the state pension, ESA, Carers' Allowance and long-term Incapacity Benefit.

An ESA claimant told us on December 23 that DWP staff had warned him a computer glitch would delay benefits he was due to receive before Christmas.

   

Sad times: There was no glimmer of Christmas joy for many benefit claimants

The 40-year-old from Liverpool said at the time: "I've got gas and electricity bills to pay and it's going to ruin Christmas not just for me, but for my kids."

But because he feared a delay to ESA itself - not the separate Christmas bonus system - DWP staff said they were not aware of any problem with ESA adding: "All payments have been paid".

When the Mirror asked for this statement in writing at the time, the DWP refused.

The dad-of-three, who asked not to be named, eventually did receive his main ESA payment at 3pm on Christmas Eve.

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Ferguson 'ready to return' to Manchester United if Van Gaal is sacked

Ferguson 'ready to return' to Manchester United if Van Gaal is sacked

11:50, 17 JAN 2016UPDATED 12:32, 17 JAN 2016BY JAMES ROBSON

With Louis van Gaal coming in under increasing pressure, Sir Alex Ferguson is being linked with a return to Man Utd

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Martin Rickett/PA Wire

Sir Alex Ferguson could be set for a sensational return to Manchester United .

According to reports the legendary Scot is prepared to act in an advisory role to Ryan Giggs if Louis van Gaal is sacked.

The People claim Ferguson would be willing to take a hands-on approach to aid Giggs.

The 74-year-old retired in 2013, but has retained an ambassadorial role at Old Trafford.

Van Gaal is coming under increasing pressure at United after falling away in the title race.

Watch: Klopp compares Sir Alex Ferguson to The Beatle's John Lennon

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United are adamant they want the Dutchman to see out his contract, despite being linked with moves for Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola in recent months .

Giggs is very much seen as a future United manager within the club, with Van Gaal even declaring the Welshman his successor.

But there remain doubts about his experience and whether he would be able to step straight into such a big job.

Having Ferguson in a mentor role could be seen as the ideal solution.

Giggs was the common denominator in each of Ferguson’s 13 Premier League titles at United.

MORE: Wayne Rooney was back to his best against Newcastle United, claims Paul Scholes

Ronaldo, Bale, De Gea - what Real Madrid's transfer ban means to Manchester United

Ferguson, himself, has tipped the legendary winger to become a top manager one day.

They could represent a dream partnership for United if they decide that Van Gaal’s time is up.

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our boss can now officially monitor your WhatsApp messages

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that it is "not unreasonable that an employer would want to verify that employees were completing their professional tasks"

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Marie Waldmann/Photothek via Getty Images

Be careful... WhatsApp and other private messages can be monitored by your bosses

Your boss can now read your WhatsAppmessages and any other private communications you send during work hours, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled.

Companies will be able to read the private messages thanks to a landmark case in Romania.

An engineer lost his job after sending messages to his fiancée and brother using Yahoo Messenger during work hours.

But the worker appealed to theEuropean Court of Human Rights, who eventually ruled in favour of his employer.

Read more: Peach is the new social network that everyone's talking about - should Facebook be worried?

The judge, who made the ruling in Strasbourg, France, said that it was "not unreasonable that an employer would want to verify that employees were completing their professional tasks during working hours".

Getty

WhatsApp: Despite the engineer claiming his right to privacy had been breached, the employer won the case

It was claimed in court that the engineer's human right to privacy had been breached.

Read more: Feminism to be reinstated on A-level politics syllabus in ANOTHER government U-turn

However the court sided with the employer, despite bosses having gone through his private correspondence.

This means that all private communications, including WhatsAppor standard text messages, can be assessed by employers during your work hours even if made on a personal device, according to the ruling.

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Obama expected to frame election issues in optimistic State of the Union address

ImageGetty Images

President Barack Obama is set to strike an optimistic and hopeful tone in his final State of the Union address.

The president will focus on cementing his legacy rather than unveiling new policies, officials have said.

Mr Obama is expected to frame some of the key issues in a way that fellow Democrats can embrace during campaigning for the upcoming election.

However, recent polls suggest that seven in 10 people in the US do not share their leader's optimism.

A response by the Republican party will be delivered by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

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Mr Obama's aides have avoided characterising the speech as a victory lap, but say it will highlight his accomplishments over the past seven years.

They say that it will present an optimistic alternative to the dire narratives put forward by Republican presidential candidates.

ImageGetty ImagesImageMr Obama, seen on TV in Cuba announcing the restoration of diplomatic ties, is expected to cheer the rapprochement

Among the events and developments that he will tout as successes are:

nuclear deal with Iranrapprochement with CubaParis climate change pactrecent budget deal with Republicansrecent gun control reformspositive economic indicators, including low unemployment and rising interest rates

He will also continue his public messaging campaign aimed at improving the image of his strategy against the so-called Islamic State.

Keeping with tradition, the president will speak about what he would like to see Congress work on and his vision for the US beyond his last year in office.

While he is not expected to offer a large list of policy proposals, he could urge action on a number of items he feels have been left undone or could be accomplished with bipartisan support during his remaining year in office.

Among the items that could be on his to-do list:

closing Guantanamo Bay prison campcriminal justice reformapproving the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal

MediaWhat to watch for in President Obama's final State of the Union

Also keeping with tradition, First Lady Michelle Obama will host several gueststhat reflect the president's vision for US society.

This year, an empty chair will be featured in remembrance of gun violence victims.

Among the many guests:

Syrian refugee Refaai HamoMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadellafirst female US Army Ranger Lisa JasterSupreme Court plaintiff Jim ObergefellMuslim US Army Veteran Naveed ShahMexican immigrant and science proponent Oscar Vazquez

The speech is expected to begin around 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT), and has - in the past - had a duration of about an hour.

Mr Obama's remarks mark the fulfilment of a constitutional mandate that requires the president to "from time to time give the Congress information on the State of the Union".

Historically, the update has usually been given annually, in January, as a speech to a joint session of Congress

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MakeUp Tutorial: 8 Steps To Make Your Face Look Younger (Ladies Only)

😛 Guyz you need to take a chill pill for now, Its time to pay attention to the ladies well as a guy you can read and tutor your wife,Girlfriend or sister after reading through but basically this is meant for the ladies alone. Read Steps below;

There isn’t a great deal that you can do to turn back the clock except you opt for plastic sugery which is quite risky atimes, but this few trick that would be shared below can make your face quite younger than your age. Take a look at the simple steps below

1. Moisturize: It sounds quite too simple to be true, but moisturizing your face really will take years off it. If you moisturize regularly, your skin will become softer, more supple and it will plump up. That will soften all lines and wrinkles and put your facial color back into your skin.

2. Change over to a liquid Concealer: Thick and waxy concealers can make lines in the skin more pronounced and also look cakey, which makes your skin look even older than it really is. If you need to conceal red blotches, or dark circles under the eyes, it would be better for you to use a liquid concealer. You will still get the coverage that you need, but it will look smoother and more natural on your skin.

3. Apply foundation with a damp sponge:  You shouldn’t be trying to hide every imperfection on your skin with thick layers of makeup, you should be trying to lighten and disguise them. To do this, use a luminous foundation that is the same shade as the skin is on the lower half of your cheeks.

4. Avoid any powder based makeup: Covering up your skin with powder will make your face look older and emphasize fine lines and wrinkles. Your biggest enemy will be anything that dries out your skin, or that can look cakey, so stock up on gels, creams and liquids, and use those instead

5. Pencil in your brows: Use an eyebrow pencil that is one shade lighter than your natural hair color, and this will look more natural than a very dark shade.

6. Look after your lashes
Use an eyelash curler to open up your eyes and then apply a lengthening mascara to give them more body and length.

7. Use a cream blush: Don’t overdo it though, or you will look like a clown, but if you get it just right, and blend it in well, it will bring back some of that youthful glow to your face again.

8. Tone it down, and warm it up: Heavy makeup will cake and sit in any lines and wrinkles that you have. Rather you can use light cream makeup products, and use colors that are subtle and warm. The more natural that your makeup looks, the younger you will appear to be.

#GoodLuck ☕

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Nigeria qualify for ITTF tourney

Nigeria’s men and women’s teams have qualified along with 93 other countries for the 2016 International Table Tennis Federation’s 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur from February 28 to March 6.

The women’s team are ranked 37th in the latest world rankings by the ITTF while the men’s team are in the 29th position.

According to the ITTF, the rankings is based on the performances of the countries in their continental competitions and qualification tournaments.

Nigeria and Egypt are the only African countries that made the list of 46 teams that qualified automatically based on their ranking for the tournament.

The men’s team of the two countries qualified based on their performances at the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo. They both played each other in the final of the men and women’s team events. 

Other African countries at the annual tournament are Algeria, Congo, DR Congo, Ghana, Morocco, Togo and Tunisia in the men’s event while Algeria, Angola, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritius and South Africa will compete in the women’s team events.

These countries made the tournament due to their performances at the various continental events in 2015.

In 2014, Nigeria lost to England and missed from making it to the top 20 teams in the world.

In the list of qualified countries confirmed by ITTF, over 94 countries will compete in the men’s event while 84 nations will battle for titles in the women’s cadre

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Lionel Messi wins record fifth Ballon d’Or

    

Lionel Messi

Barcelona star Lionel Messi won a record fifth FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player at a ceremony in Zurich on Monday.

He dethroned three-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo in adding to his four consecutive awards from 2009 to 2012.

Brazil star Neymar came third in the vote of journalists and coaches.

“It’s a very special moment to come back, to get a Ballon d’Or again after the two years in which Cristiano Ronaldo won each time.

“This Ballon d’Or means a lot more than I could have ever dreamed of as a child,” said the 28-year-old Messi.

“It’s incredible that it’s my fifth, it’s much more than I ever dreamed of,” said the 28-year-old Messi.

Messi had 41 per cent of the vote Ronaldo getting 28 per cent and Barca’s Neymar eight per cent.

Messi was the star player as Barcelona won the treble of Champions League, La Liga and Spanish Cup last season, before also adding the Club World Cup last month.

Although he became the first ever player to win the award five times, Messi had said earlier that he would swap all those individual accolades for a World Cup success. “Team awards are more important than individual ones,” he said, before adding that the World Cup “is every player’s objective, it’s really the pinnacle”.

Messi and his Argentina teammates came close to winning the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 but were beaten 1-0 by Germany in the final.

His Barcelona boss Luis Enrique won the coach of the year award while Jill Ellis took the women’s trophy.

She had guided the US to women’s World Cup glory in Canada last summer, beating Japan 5-2 in the final.

Carli Lloyd scored a hat-trick in that match and that was enough to help her land the FIFA women’s player of the year gong.

Brazilian Wendell Lira won the Puskas award for goal of the year for his spectacular overhead bicycle kick for Atletico Goianiense against Goaianesia in a regional league match, edging out Messi’s own mazy dribble against Atletic Bilbao in last season’s Copa del Rey final.

Barca and Real dominated the team of the year as well with four players each, including Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo.

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Ballon d'Or final list

Ballon d’Or final lists

January 11, 2016

    

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The Ballon d’Or for 2015 will be awarded on Monday with Lionel Messi tipped to win the prize for a fifth time.
AFP Sports looks at the finalists in all the categories:

Ballon d’Or:
1.   Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid)                                                                     2.   Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona)                                                                             3.   Neymar (BRA/Barcelona)

Women’s Ballon d’Or:
1.   Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash)                                                                           2.   Aya Miyama (JPN/Okoyama Yunogo Belle)                                                               3.   Celia Sasic (GER/FFC Frankfurt)

Coach of the Year:
1.   Luis Enrique (ESP/Barcelona)                                                                             2.   Pep Guardiola (ESP/Bayern Munich)                                                                       3.   Jorge Sampaoli (ARG/Chile national team)

Women’s Coach of the Year:
1.   Jill Ellis (USA/United States national team)                                                           2.   Mark Sampson (WAL/England national team)                                                         3.   Norio Sasaki (JPN/Japan national team)

Puskas award for best goal:
1.   Alessandro Florenzi (ITA/AS Roma)                                                                     2.   Wendell Lira (BRA/Vila Nova)                                                                             3.   Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona)

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Amazing story! Man gives the shirt off his back to shivering old man on NYC Subway (photos)

shivering on an NYC subway and did something most wouldn't do...he gave the shirt off his back to the stranger. Fortunately, the heartwarming encounter was captured on video by another passenger, Lazaro Nolasco, who shared the video on his Facebook page. It now has nearly 11 million views. 

In the clip which has been viewed by millions, the shirtless man was sitting alone on the Brooklyn-bound train, visibly shivering, when the Good Samaritan stepped forward and offered him the t-shirt he'd been wearing. He first extended the t-shirt to the man, then helped him put the t-shirt on. He also went to get a beanie and placed it on the man's head.

Watch the heartwarming video below...

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Olamide - I Love Lagos [Official Video]

Download Olamide I Love Lagos [VIDEO] Click here to get it »»»» http://vevo.ly/40b26C

Olamide - I Love Lagos [Official Video]

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