Three U.S. scientists have discovered that the expansion of the universe is actually accelerating, not slowing down as previously thought.
The discovery, found by measuring the light from distant supernova explosions, turned the world of physics upside down – as well as the lives of the three American scientists who have been awarded a Nobel Prize for their findings.
The Nobel Prize for Physics winners studied dozens of exploding stars and realized that the expansion of the universe wasn't slowing down, as expected - it was accelerating
Half of the 10 million Swedish crown – $1.5million – Nobel Prize money went to Saul Perlmutter and the rest to two members of a second team which conducted similar work – American-born Brian Schmidt, who is based in Australia, and Adam Riess.
Nobel Prize winner Saul Perlmutter
Nobel Committee for Physics at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in its statement that the discovery was made by looking at distant supernovae – which should have been becoming “brighter” as their acceleration away from our planet slowed down.
But instead of their light becoming brighter, it was fading.
“The surprising conclusion was that the expansion of the universe is not slowing down. Quite to the contrary, it is accelerating,” the Nobel committee said.
Nobel Prize winner Brian Schmidt
At Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Adam Riess, who was still in his 20s when the research was published, joked to a colleague that he had been quick to react to a pre-dawn call from Stockholm:
“When I picked up the phone early this morning and I heard Swedish voices, I knew it wasn’t IKEA.”
Nobel Prize winner Adam Riess
Among the most exciting possible developments from study of dark energy would be a way to reconcile anomalies between physical laws observed at the subatomic level – quantum physics – with the laws Albert Einstein described.
William Ernst, a grocery chain store owner has been slammed by a judge after offering his staff a $10 prize for correctly guessing which of them he was going to fire next.
William Ernst, 57, was branded the “the boss from hell” after sending a memo offering the cash prize to workers at his QC Mart convenience stores in Iowa and Illinois.
William Ernst’s memo warned employees that “secret shoppers” were being dispatched to QC Mart stores checking that cashiers weren’t breaking the rules.
The “secret shoppers” would be looking out for workers wearing a hat, talking on a cellphone, not wearing a QC Mart shirt, having someone hanging around the counter or having their car parked by the pumps after 7:00 p.m.
William Ernst, QC Mart owner offered his employees $10 to guess next worker to be fired.
Misty Shelsky, who worked as a cashier at a QC store in Bettendorf, Iowa, was one of several employees to quit in disgust after receiving William Ernst‘s memo.
But when Misty Shelsky applied for unemployment benefits William Ernst challenged the claim arguing she had resigned voluntarily and the dispute ended up at a hearing.
Misty Shelsky explained to the Des Moines Register newspaper how she and fellow workers had reacted after receiving the memo saying:
“It was very degrading.
“We looked at that, then looked at each other, and said, <<OK, we’re done>>.”
QC Mart Area Supervisor Anna DeFrieze said William Ernst had created the contest because employees were routinely breaking company rules.
Anna DeFrieze said: “None of them were doing their job.
“They’ve repeatedly been told not to use their phone while they’re working, that bad language is totally unacceptable and, you know, playing video games while you’re working is not acceptable.
“They just broke all those rules.”
However, administrative Law Judge Susan Ackerman described the contest as “egregious and deplorable”.
The judge said: “The employer’s actions have clearly created a hostile work environment by suggesting its employees turn on each other for a minimal monetary prize.
The claimant has established this was an intolerable and detrimental work environment.”
Misty Shelsky was awarded full unemployment benefits.
Sonia Marra, a British tourist has died in a horrific helicopter crash when the aircraft she was flying in plummeted into New York’s East River seconds after take-off.
Three other British persons were fighting for their lives after the chopper spun out of control and plunged into the river.
The injured British passengers were Paul Nicholson, believed to be her stepfather, and his wife Harriet and Sonia Marra’s partner Helen Tamaki.
Sonia Marra had organized the doomed flight over Manhattan’s skyline to celebrate her 40th birthday with her parents, who now live in Portugal.
The Foreign Office said: “We can confirm that three British nationals were involved in the helicopter crash in New York City.
“One of them has died in the crash and the next of kin have been informed. We are providing consular assistance.”
The fourth passenger is thought to be Helen Tamaki, Sonia Marra’s partner, thought to be from New Zealand.
According to the New York Daily News website, Harriet Nicholson and Helen Tamaki are both in a critical condition at the city’s Bellevue Hospital, while Paul Nicholson is being treated at New York University Medical Center.
Five people were on board the Bell 206 Jet Ranger tourist helicopter – and two survivors could be seen clinging onto the craft as they were rescued.
Scuba divers, police and fire units have all been deployed in the area, where the water temperature is around 66F
Sonia Marra was celebrating her 40th birthday with her parents, reported ABC News.
The pilot of the helicopter is also believed to be a family friend.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called Prime Minister David Cameron to tell him about the tragedy.
“We have a family who’ve come here to see the best of our city and to end up in a tragic accident like this just breaks our heart. Our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said last night.
“From what we know so far, the pilot reported having trouble keeping aloft, tried to turn back, but crashed in the water just north of the landing pad,” he added.
Joe Galluzzo, who runs a fruit market in Glebe, Sydney, said Sonia Marra had worked there for the last three months.
He told the Sydney Morning Herald Sonia Marra’s friend had surprised her with plans to go to New York.
“That was her 40th birthday present from Helen. How said that is.
“She just had that kind of a personality… people just gravitated towards her. She was a really lovely person.”
“Four of them were outside the helicopter when rescuers got to them, one was trapped inside. We did get the body out.”
Sonia Marra was killed after the helicopter she had hired to celebrate her 40th birthday crashed into the East River in New York
One of the five people rescued was the veteran pilot, called Paul Dudley.
The pilot was treated at the scene. His helicopter was not equipped with floats and was upside down in the water as rescuers arrived.
Joy Garnett and her husband were on the dock waiting to take the East River ferry to Brooklyn when they heard the blades of a helicopter and saw it start to take off from the nearby helipad. She said she saw it do “a funny curlicue”.
Joy Garnett said: “I thought, <<Is that some daredevil move?>>. But it was obviously out of control. The body spun around at least two or three times, and then it went down.”
Joy Garnett said also the chopper had lifted about 25 feet off the ground before it dropped into the water without much of a splash.
The helicopter flipped over, and the blades were sticking up out of the river. She said people on the dock started throwing in life jackets and buoys. Two people came up out of the waves.
Joy Garnett added: “It didn’t make much noise. It was just a splash and sunk.”
Scuba divers, police and fire units were all deployed in the area, where local media reported the water temperature as around 66F.
At least seven boats were involved in the East River rescue effort and ladders were used to pull survivors out of the cold water.
Later Tuesday, crews were able to hoist the helicopter out of the river.
The Bell 206 tourist helicopter, which was not equipped with floats, was pulled from the East River hours after the crash
It had reportedly just taken off from the East 34th Street heliport in Manhattan when it hit the water.
“The water is not too cold, but even 60 degrees can be dangerous,” coast guard spokesman Erik Swanson told the New York Post.
The helicopter was registered N63Q, and was reportedly owned by Paul Dudley, 56, who is also the director of Linden Airport in New Jersey.
The helicopter was built in 1976 and formerly operated as a “news chopper”.
Paul Dudley, a married father-of-three and an experienced pilot who has flown helicopters for more than 20 years, remained at the scene while the other passengers were rescued.
Paul Dudley, who has been quoted on helicopter security in the past, had to land a Cessna 172 in a park in Brooklyn, New York, five years ago.
The chopper, a Bell 206 Jet Ranger, is one of the world’s most popular helicopter models and was first flown in January 1966.
In August 2009, a small plane collided with a helicopter over the Hudson River, west of Manhattan, killing nine people, including five Italian tourists.
A government safety panel found that an air traffic controller who was on a personal phone call had contributed to the accident.
The Federal Aviation Administration changed its rules for aircraft flying over New York City’s rivers after that collision.
Pilots must call out their positions on the radio and obey a 161mph speed limit. Before the changes, such radio calls were optional.
Earlier that year, an Airbus 320 airliner landed in the Hudson after hitting birds and losing both engines after taking off from LaGuardia Airport.
The flight, U.S. Airways Flight 1549, became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” plane.
[youtube zfkh89ApCBo]
Amanda Knox arrived in Seattle, her home city, as a free woman after serving four years in an Italian jail for the murder of English student Meredith Kercher.
After dramatically being cleared of the murder in court on Monday, Amanda Knox touched down at Seattle-Tacoma airport to rapturous applause at just after 5:00 p.m. local time.
Amanda Knox made an emotional thank you speech from the airport, addressing all those who stood by her since her murder conviction and saying: “Thank you for being there for me”.
“I’m really overwhelmed right now. I was looking down from the aeroplane, I felt like it wasn’t real.
“Thank you for everyone who has believed in me, who has defended me, who has supported my family.
“I just want – my family’s the most important thing to me… Thank you for being there for me.”
Amanda Knox and her family during a brief news conference shortly after her arrival at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Amanda Knox and her family headed home for an intimate celebration, with a party believed to have been organized because she never properly got to celebrate her 21st birthday.
Amanda Knox has been planning her home-coming celebration in detail since the early days of her incarceration, drawing up an exhaustive list of things she wants to do now she is finally free.
Notes from the diary that detectives encouraged Amanda Knox to keep reveal the extensive plans she had made, and even the list of 42 guests.
Taking pride of place will have been Amanda Knox’s maths teacher, mother and stepfather, Chris Mellas, her father Curt, a financial executive, and his wife Cassandra, plus her sister Deanna, 22, and stepsisters Ashley, 16, and Delaney, 13, all of whom were at court on Monday and led the cheering.
Amanda Knox supporters at Seattle-Tacoma Airport
Amanda Knox now also hopes to be reunited with David Johnsrud, the boyfriend with whom she broke up when they left the University of Washington to travel on exchange programmes, he to China, she to Perugia.
Amanda Knox’s father, that he initially thought his daughter had again been found guilty of murder, arrived home at around 6:00 p.m. yesterday evening in a taxi with family members, not including Amanda or her mother.
Speaking outside his home in Seattle, Curt Knox revealed Amanda wants to enjoy simple pleasures, such as lying on a grassy field, before completing the degree she never got to finish while incarcerated in Italy.
“She’s overwhelmed,” he said.
“She’s been in prison for almost four years and to be able to get out and just try to get back home and get back here where she grew up and everything was just very overwhelming to her.
“The first things [Amanda will do] I think will be some of the simplest things like you know laying down in some grass. She’s been in a concrete steal prison for four years and the simplest things you take for granted she hasn’t had. So probably something as simple as that and then she’ll try to just start re-adjusting, reconnecting with all of her friends and family and stuff like that.”
Asked about their plans for the evening, Curt Knox said:
“It’s mainly really just be with her family and that’s what she’s wanted to be doing for four years now. She’s not at her mum’s house. She needs some space and that’s the way it’s going to be.”
Amanda Knox is now hoping to finish her degree at the University of Washington which was interrupted by her Italian ordeal.
“That’s going to be one of her goals, getting her diploma for the university hopefully. That’s probably where she’ll start. I think this experience is going to possibly change what she wants to do with her life and that’s still to be determined from her,” Amanda Knox’s father said.
“I’m not going to say she’s enrolling tomorrow by any means but I suspect that’s where she is going to finish her degree, yes.”
When asked what Amanda Knox first said to him after being freed, he said: “That she loved us. She pretty much squished the air out of us when we were hugging her and stuff like that. It was really nice.”
Amanda Knox’s ex-boyfriend David Johnsrud, who she affectionately called “DJ”, exchanged daily letters with her during some of the time she was in prison and has always maintained her innocence, leaving open the possibility of a reconciliation.
Amanda Knox will not, however, be reunited with her beloved pet Labrador Ralphie, her grandmother, Elisabeth Huff, revealed because he died while she was in prison.
Amanda Knox's family home in Seattle, where a giant “Welcome Home” banner hangs by the front door
Amanda Knox, who is set to make millions in TV, magazine, newspaper and book deals now that she is home, is said to have been anxious as she was taken to the airport police station yesterday morning to sign various forms – even calling her lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova to check everything was fine for her to go through immigration and board the British Airways flight.
Shortly after Amanda Knox’s plane took off, Italian public prosecutor Giuliano Mignini announced his intention to take her case to a third and final appeal and described the decision to free her as a “massive mistake”.
Appeals judge Claudio Pratillo Hellman will write a report within the next 90 days on why he and the jury came to their decision. This will be poured over by prosecutors to see on what grounds they can launch their appeal – which is unlikely to be heard until next year.
The panel of judges in Rome will then look at paperwork from the case and decide if there were any mistakes in the application of the law and if the case should be reopened.
Even though Italy could in theory ask for Amanda Knox extradition it is thought unlikely that the U.S. would hand her over.
Meanwhile Raffaele Sollecito, Amanda Knox’s former boyfriend who was jailed with her and also freed yesterday, arrived back home, near the southern Italian city of Bari.
Raffaelle Sollecito was quoted by Italian news agencies saying he was looking forward to seeing the sea, but he declined to make any appearances after reaching home.
[youtube Jp1wAyj-8u8]
Apple CEO, Tim Cook took to the stage at corporate headquarters in Cupertino, California to launch the company’s new iPhone range – iPhone 4S.
“This is my first product launch since being made CEO. I’m sure you didn’t know that,” Tim Cook joked.
iPhone 4S launch is Tim Cook’s first launch since he took over as CEO from Apple founder Steve Jobs – and seen as a significant test of his leadership.
The new iPhone is actually iPhone 4S, not iPhone 5 – looking very similar to the current model, iPhone 4, but voice-controlled and with other hi-tech features.
The new iPhone 4S launches on October 14.
Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the iPhone 4S - but apart from the voice-control functions, the phone does not offer a huge amount that's new
Apple’s share price plunged 3% after it was revealed that the new phone would be the iPhone 4S, not an all-new iPhone 5.
iPhone 4S is a significant upgrade from the old phone, though, even if the casing and the Retina screen remain the same.
The new handset will have a dual core A5 processor like the one in iPad 2, and an eight-megapixel camera – all of which puts it back in competition with rivals such as Samsung.
The new camera will also shoot in full 1080p HD.
The most talked-about iPhone 4S feature, though, was the phone’s new “artificially intelligent” assistant.
The feature, called Siri, will allow you to “talk” to your iPhone like you talk to other people – for instance, you can ask the phone “What is the forecast today?” while holding down the Home button, and it will bring up a weather forecast.
You can also simply say, “Wake me up tomorrow at 8 am”, and the device will set an alarm for you. You can even dictate your messages to the phone. The idea is that you will speak to Siri as if to a human being. At launch, Siri will work in English, German and French.
Apple’s “Siri” voice control
Apple’s new “intelligent” assistant uses spoken English more akin to the language we use day to day – so you can simply ask it, “Find me an Italian restaurant”, and it will launch the maps application, and find you one nearby, complete with phone number, reviews and a link to their website.
Android phones have similar “voice control” functions, but you “talk” to them as if typing into a Google search box, rather than talking to another human being.
Apple’s virtual personal assistant has been described as a “world-changing event” – a machine that we can talk to in ‘natural’ language for the first time.
Voice control will be a huge part of the new iPhone 4S
Apple is certain to have tested the software with its engineers – a process often called “dogfooding” after the myth that workers at dog food factories eat the product to ensure high quality – but whether it can digest the various accents, dialects and intonations of the whole world remains to be seen.
The battery life has been significantly improved – offering a reported 8 hours talk time. Tech insiders, however, seemed disappointed. There was no redesign, no 4G version, nothing to put Apple as far ahead of its competitors as iPhone 4 was.
iPhone 4S will be compatible with fast HSPA+ networks (not 4G, but offering faster data speeds than current networks). Only around 20 phone networks offer this service worldwide, however.
Tim Cook revealed new touch-friendly functions for iPod Nano – quashing rumours that the smallest of the iPod family would be killed off.
It will now be cheaper, and include watch-like faces to wear on your wrist. New white versions of iPod Touch and iPod Shuffle were also announced. Even the bulky iPod classic survived.
A new version of Apple’s iOS operating system, iOS 5, will release on October 12, Tim Cook recapped some of the features of the new operating system.
Apps such as iMessage – a messaging system that also lets you send picture and video – were confirmed for the new iOS 5 version of Apple’s iPhone software, as well as Notifications – an app which pulls system messages such as emails and texts into one message centre.
New “location aware” reminders will remind you of tasks when you’re near the place you have to do them.
Twitter users will also be able to “Tweet” pictures direct from their photo album on iPhone, and take pictures with one tap from the home screen.
A new music sharing service, iCloud, will allow users to “share” music between all their Apple devices, free – any music purchased from Apple Store will always be available, anywhere.
To use the new iTunes Match service, which also lets users share music they have bought elsewhere, will be a subscription-based service costing $24.99 in the US.
No launch date is confirmed for this service anywhere else in the world.
Tim Cook revealed that iPhone now accounted for 5% of the total world phone market, and a quarter of a billion iOS devices had sold.
Apple’s previous launches have often been at conference centres in San Francisco, rather than its HQ, which led to a heightened sense of anticipation around this launch – headlined, “Let’s Talk iPhone”, and showing four of the company’s phone icons.
Apple was also desperate to brand Tim Cook as a proper successor to Steve Jobs.
But some insiders such as uSwitch’s Ernest Doku described Cook’s performance as an “understudy” performance – and said:
“Others will be bitterly disappointed that what was announced was an upgraded iPhone 4 rather than a messianic new model.
“This was the stage once reigned over by Steve Jobs, the totemic former leader whose obsessive drive for perfection turned Apple products into global icons.”
It has been 15 months since the last iPhone launch, and expectations of the world’s largest technology company were at fever pitch.
Apple’s annual launch of new iPhones generates so much excitement it has the air of a technology Oscars – except it’s only one company that walks off with the prizes.
This year, however, the surrounding technology landscape is not as certain.
HTC, Samsung and Google are all to launch new flagship phones within the next week – boasting high-speed processors and touchscreens similar to the ones in Apple’s handsets. The days when Apple had the smartphone market to itself are very much over.
The iPhone’s U.S. market share in August was 28%, making it No. 2. Android was No. 1 with 43% of the U.S. market, Nielsen data show.
Every day, 550,000 new Android devices are activated.
The days when Apple had the smartphone market to itself are very much over
Yet longer-term, investors are more focused on Apple’s international push, particularly in Asia – a push that could take Apple far beyond its “comfort zone” of selling relatively low volumes of extremely expensive products to a “captive market”.
The cheaper prices of some of the new models – the 3GS in particular – could be seen as an aggressive move into new markets.
Tim Cook has said China is a key market. The world’s most valuable technology company has mostly catered to the higher end of a booming market in those countries, but may now attempt to capture a larger market in emerging economies such as China and India.
iPhone 4
Processor: Apple A4
Camera: 5 megapixel
Screen: 3.5in
Storage: 8GB-32GB
Operating system: iOS
3G talk time: 7 hours
iPhone 4S
Processor: Apple A5
Camera: 8 megapixel
Screen: 3.5in
Storage: 16GB-64GB
Operating system: iOS
3G talk time: 8 hours
[youtube SFfm2uQbaLM]
Bloggers at German sites such as iPhone fan site iFun caught a snapshot of Vodafone Germany’s site offering a menu of new “iPhone 4S” models today – but there was no sign of iPhone 5.
Likewise, Apple Insider and 9 to 5 Mac reported several references to iPhone 4S – and images show the new phone looks exactly like the old iPhone 4.
The 9 to 5 Mac went blog further with an – as yet unconfirmed – “leaked” release date of October 14.
iFun captured this tantalizing glimpse of iPhone 4S on Vodafone Germany's website
Nothing is certain, but it looks increasingly likely that iPhone 4S might launch today – and iPhone 5 might not appear until 2012.
Analysts predict Apple will “shatter” its one-day sales record of 1.7 million due to “pent up demand”, and it will sell more than 100 million next year.
Opinion is split over whether there will be one or two models launched today – and whether or not it’s called “iPhone 5”, the phone will offer a serious upgrade from last year’s iPhone 4.
Many insiders think the new gadget unveiled will be “iPhone 4S” - a faster model with a better camera and antenna, but still similar to iPhone 4 in shape
What seems certain is that Apple is going to launch a phone with its fast A5 processor and upgraded camera tomorrow. Upgraded speech functions – including a talk-to-text function also seem highly likely, whatever the casing looks like.
“This launch won’t be underwhelming,” said Will Findlater, editor of Stuff magazine.
“We’ve waited 15 months for a new iPhone and the old model now looks old-fashioned – it’s not dual core, and the camera isn’t competitive.
“Apple’s rivals have made huge gains over the past year. Apple needs to upgrade.”
Something big is launching, that is for certain. Huge areas of Apple’s forums are closed “for maintenance” – which hints at big changes to come.
Such moves are near-necessary to allow iPhone to keep pace with rivals such as Samsung and HTC.
What’s dividing analysts and insiders is whether the screen size and casing will change – with some predicting a similar case to iPhone 4 with an upgraded antenna, and others predicting a redesigned, even “curvy” case.
“The competition has really ramped up this year,” said Will Findlater.
“The Taiwanese phone company HTC and Samsung both have very hi-tech handsets. Apple needs to reinvigorate.”
Both HTC and Samsung are launching flagship models within days of Apple’s handset. Whether they will even be noticed in the wave of excitement surrounding iPhone remains to be seen.
“Both companies are still wary,” said Will Findlater.
“They’ve got to be at the top of their game to even compete, otherwise Apple will blow them out of the water. The onus is now on Apple to raise the stakes.”
Some users have predicted a bigger screen – as “apps” such as Facebook’s seem to be behaving oddly, and re-formatting themselves as if in anticipation of a larger screen.
Leaks from Apple’s own inventory seem to have confirmed that the new phone will ship with the fast A5 processor found in iPad 2. Voice-control functions also seem highly likely.
The new iPhone is expected to smash iPhone 4's sales record of 1.7 million handsets in one day
E-mail about iPhone 5GS.
Security software company Sophos is warning that a slick-looking email, seemingly from Apple, offering details of the iPhone “5GS” will infect your PC (not Mac) with malicious software if you open it.
“Apple’s iPhone 5 is due to be revealed to the world tomorrow, which makes today the perfect opportunity for cybercriminals to take advantage of the excitement and exploit it for their own ends,” wrote Sophos’s Graham Cluley on the company blog.
The latest rumors on iPhone 5 launch.
Analysts Ticonderoga Securities said:
“We expect the iPhone 5 to get a makeover with a sleek, aluminum unibody enclosure that more closely resembles the MacBook Air than the iPhone 4.”
A leaked picture on Weibo – China’s Twitter, was reported by sites such as 9 to 5 Mac, appeared to show an all-new chip.
“It is not an iPad 2 chip, since it looks rather different. It bears some resemblance to the current chipset layout in the iPhone 4.”
It won’t be 4G, predicts analysts Wedbush Morgan:
“Expect a new iPhone in early October with store training to begin soon, an iPhone targeting emerging markets, and a 4G iPhone in 2012, with an improved interface.”
Apple will sell 107 million iPhones in 2012, predicts Janney Capital.
“Apple is well positioned to capture an enormous profit pool as mobility and content worlds converge.”
Sara Leal is said to have been in hiding since news broke of her alleged sexual liaison with actor Ashton Kutcher on the weekend of the actor’s sixth wedding anniversary.
Yesterday, Sara Leal was pictured stepping out for the first time since the scandal broke.
Sara Leal, 23, looked in a sombre, serious mood as she ran errands in Newport Beach.
Sara Leal was pictured in Newport Beach, California, for the first time since news of her alleged “liaison” with Ashton Kutcher broke
With her long blonde hair loose around her shoulders, Sara Leal sported tight blue jeans and a black cropped sweater and gold chain as she strolled through the California town.
She wore a pair of sunglasses, but still seemed eager to hide, at one point trying to conceal her face with her hand.
Sara Leal has yet to speak publicly about the alleged incident but is reported to have already retained a high powered attorney.
Her lawyer has so far declined to respond to any media calls about his client.
Sara Leal is reported to have spent the night with Ashton Kutcher in San Diego last month
Sara Leal is allegedly letting it be known that she won’t “spill the beans” on Ashton Kutcher for less than $250,000, but is hoping she will receive a similar offer from Kutcher to fade away.
Sara Leal met Ashton Kutcher while partying at the Fluxx nightclub in San Diego on his wedding anniversary weekend.
Ashton Kutcher’s wife, Demi Moore was thousands of miles away in New York promoting a film, while he was reported to be picking out girls who were “hot tub worthy or not”.
Sara Leal, who is said to be “heavily involved” in the club scene, then joined Ashton Kutcher in his hotel hot tub before the alleged sexual encounter took place.
According to her now deleted Facebook page, Sara Leal, who went to school in Texas, is a model and aspiring director and has been shopping a movie called Runaway, without much success.
Meanwhile, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore put on a show of unity last week when they both attended the Kabbalah Centre in Los Angeles wearing their wedding rings.
Amanda Knox is prepared to fly back to the U.S. today after being dramatically cleared of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.
Amanda Knox, 24, was taken to the airport police station to sign various forms – even anxiously calling her lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova to check everything was fine for her to go through immigration and board the British Airways flight to Seattle via London Heathrow.
Amanda Knox tried her best to stay out of view as she arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and tried to avoid journalists waiting for her outside since dawn.
Amanda Knox smiles at other passengers at Leonardo Da Vinci airport in Fiumicino this morning before boarding a flight to Seattle via London
Carlo Dalla Vedova said:
“I spoke with her briefly. She was a bit worried about going through immigration and although her passport was valid she was still a little anxious as she was held in the airport police station for paperwork procedures.
“She was calm, serene and looking forward to going home and just spending time with her friends and family. She wants to get on with her life.
‘She is a clever and intelligent girl who has been through a lot – one day in prison is bad enough but four years is even worse.”
While waiting for their flight Amanda Knox’s parents were in the VIP lounge at Fiumicino Airport and they were then joined by her who onlookers described was “looking tired and drawn”.
The family had been driven to Rome from Perugia late last night in two black Mercedes one a people carrier which had been provided by the Italo-American Foundation whose president MP Rocco Girlanda had written a book about Amanda Knox in prison and campaigned for her innocence.
Corrado Maria Daclon, a spokesman for the foundation, said:
“Amanda is really very exhausted after spending four years in prison. We hugged each other warmly as she was let out.
“She also asked me to thank the Italian public who have supported her publicly throughout her ordeal.
“She said she could not have coped with being unjustly jailed for four years if it had not been for their support – they gave her strength and always said they believed in her innocence.
“I have remained silent throughout this affair but now someone needs to shoulder the responsibility for what happened.
“This has been one of the most serious errors of justice that we have had in our country and we have had many.”
Amanda Knox talks to British Airways staff as she prepares to put baggage on to the flight
Amanda Knox’s lawyer also spoke of this and said:
“This case should never have come to court. Will there be an investigation? I doubt it.
“Amanda will now have some time in Seattle and then get on with her life and her family will also want to get back to theirs.”
Before she left Italy, Amanda Knox said she felt “no bitterness” towards the country that had kept her in jail for four years.
Amanda Knox is looking at a lucrative future with million-dollar TV and book deal offers.
But the family of the victim Meredith Kercher, 21, remained stunned by the verdict and searching for answers.
[youtube JxiuQS__cYs]
A raging fire at Magnablend Chemical Plant in Waxahachie, south of Dallas, sent black smoke billowing into the sky and prompted area schools to evacuate students.
Officials at the scene told WFAA-TV there are contaminates in the air that are dangerous to breathe in as a result of the fire.
Huge orange flames and plumes of smoke were seen at the Magnablend Chemical Plant facility in Waxahachie, about 30 miles south of Dallas.
Several large explosions were also reported from the facility.
Giant plumes of noxious smoke, which could be seen for miles, rise from the Magnablend Chemical Plant, not far from houses and apartments on Highway 287 Bypass in Texas
Ellis County emergency management authorities issued an evacuation order for an apartment complex, an elementary school and a junior college.
Waxahachie Independent School District spokeswoman Nicole Mansell said Wedgeworth Elementary School students had been safely bussed to another school’s gymnasium by 12:25pm.
Navarro College cancelled all classes for its 2,500 or so students, school president Dr. Richard Sanchez told the Star-Telegram.
Sheriff’s officials urged residents not to drive toward the area of the fire.
In addition, area residents are being told to stay inside their homes – and to keep doors and windows shut.
Jessenia Colin, an assistant general manager at a nearby Hampton Inn and Suites, said hotel staff members were turning off air vents so smoke and chemicals didn’t enter the rooms.
As they waited for news and watched the smoke billow, staff covered their mouths to protect against the heavy chemical smell that hung in the air, she said.
Jessenia Colin said: “It smells like a whole bunch of chemicals, like wrappers burning. It’s making everyone’s heads hurt.”
Stephanie Otto said she was preparing her new restaurant for a Tuesday opening about a quarter-mile from the plant when she heard sirens and walked outside to see a “huge plume.” She said she could hear what sounded like gun shots for about 15 minutes, and there was a strong smell of ammonia.
Stephanie Otto said: “It was huge. It looked like an atomic bomb went off.”
Lisa Wheeler, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality spokeswoman said that the plant deals with ammonia, as well as sulfuric, hydrochloric, nitric and phosphoric acids.
It mixes the chemicals for fertilizer and agricultural products.
From Interstate 35E just south of Interstate 20, close to Dallas, a giant plume of smoke can be seen rising from the Magnablend chemical processing plant in Waxahachie, Texas
Waxahachie Police Lt. Joe Wiser tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram no injuries have been reported since the fire was reported at 10:40 a.m.
Images from WFAA-TV show the fast-moving fire engulfing a fire truck at the scene as firefighters nearby battle the blaze.
Magnablend Chemical Plant official Donald Golden told the station:
“My main concern when I got here was ensuring that everyone got out of the plant and were accounted for, which they are, everyone is safe at this time.
“That was the best news I got so far. Now, were just waiting to hear from the fire department as they respond to the fire.”
Magnablend’s website says it’s a chemical manufacturing company that makes custom chemicals for industries ranging from oil fields to industrial cleaning.
[youtube 02Mbw0eMWUA]
The electric car fans saw and rode a prototype of Tesla Model S at the Tesla Motors factory in Fremont, California, on October 1.
The persons who pre-ordered Tesla Model S electric car tried Tesla Motors’ first full-size electric sedan and had the tour of the factory.
Faster Tesla Model S goes from a standstill to 60 miles (96.56 km) in 4.5 seconds.
The 2012 production run of the Model S is sold out and the company intends to start delivering to customers next year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a co-founder of PayPal, made a plea for support, he said lots of people had viewed the electric cars as fantastic unicorns.
“The oil companies said electric cars can’t work, but the truth is, they don’t want them to work. But here it is. They would say this car is the equivalent of a unicorn. Well, tonight you had the opportunity to ride a unicorn,” he said.
Musk announced Tesla was working on a faster Model S. It goes from zero to 60 miles (96.56 km) per hour in 4.5 seconds. This is two-tenths of a second quicker than the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera with a manual transmission. However, with Porsche’s quick-shifting PDK automatic the car matches the Tesla at 4.5 seconds.
Versions of the 911 (Carrera S, GT3, Turbo) could easily outrun the Tesla Model S. Yet the big sedan will be able to run with the Porsche, Chevrolet Corvette, Audi R8 and other sports cars. It would also establish electric power as a performance feature, not just a gasoline-saving one, even the basic Model S is quick at 5.6 seconds from zero to 60.
Tesla Model S will come with three battery offerings, 160 miles (257.5 km), 230 miles (370.15 km) or 300 miles (482.8 km) on a full charge.
Base Tesla Model S will cost around $57,400, before a $7,500 federal tax credit and other rebates.
The large touchscreen of Tesla Model S hosts most of the infotainment controls.
Tesla wants to be more than a niche brand that sells only the expensive Roadster sports car. Roadster sports car has a base price of $109,000, and most of them are sold at $140,000.
Tesla Model X sports utility prototype will be unveiled in December and is due out in late 2013.
Tesla, based in Palo Alto, California, has around 1,400 workers. It held an initial public offering of stock in June 2010. Among its private backers are Draper Fisher Jurvetson, VantagePoint Capital Partners, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Google founders. Tesla won a $465 million loan guarantee in 2009 from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Other carmakers were inspired by Tesla Model S. Detroit works on its own electric vehicles. General Motors started selling its hybrid Chevrolet Volt last year. Anaheim, California-based Fisker Automotive, recently started delivery of its luxury hybrid Karma.
The company will phase out the Tesla Roadster in January 2012, to focus on the Tesla Model S.
Elon Musk introduces Tesla Model S (video)
[youtube JUFfk7GxEuw]
Tesla Model S drive: interior view (video)
[youtube 1XOUPfAxgJg]
Amanda Knox was released from prison this evening after an appeal court overturned her murder conviction.
Amanda Knox, 24, burst into tears and hugged her parents Curt Knox and Edda Mellas – as just feet away the family of Meredith Kercher could only look on in amazement.
Amanda Knox has served four years of a 26-year prison sentence after being found guilty in 2009 of the brutal sex murder of Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found semi naked with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared in Perugia, Italy.
Amanda Knox bursts into tears after she was sensationally cleared of the murder of Meredith Kercher
Computer studies graduate Raffaele Sollecito, 27, Amanda Knox ex-lover, who had also been accused of carrying out the murder, was also freed by the eight member jury after 11-hours of deliberations.
Amanda Knox was actually found guilty of slandering bar owner Diya “Patrick” Lumumba who she accused of carrying out the killing. She was sentenced to three years in jail – but as she had already served four years she was freed immediately.
Amanda Knox who had arrived to the hearing looking breathless and pale seemed to struggle to her feet as she was quickly led from the court room by Italian officials.
Amanda is now looking at the possibility of a swift return to America – possibly on a private jet provided by a television network.
Speaking outside the court following the verdict, Amanda Knox’s sister Deanna said:
“We are thankful that the nightmare is over. She suffered for four years for a crime she did not commit.”
Raffaele Sollecito, Amanda Knox ex-lover, who had also been accused of carrying out the murder, was also freed
Deanna Knox also thanked the Italian lawyers who had conducted the case and who “loved her”.
“We are thankful for the support from all over the world, people who took the time and trouble to research the case and knew that she was innocent.
“We are thankful to the court for having courage to look for the truth.
“We now ask for privacy and a chance to recover from our ordeal.”
“We’ve been waiting for this for four years,” said one of Raffaele Sollecito’s lawyers, Giulia Bongiorno
However, the verdict was not universally welcomed.
Outside the court there were screams of “shame on you” which appeared to be directed at lawyer Giulia Bongiorno.
One bystander shouted: “Run off back to America on your private jet,” while another said: “They just let the black man pay.”
Sky News reported rumors that American TV network had laid on a private plane as part of a potential a $1million deal with a guarantee of an interview.
Prosecutors now have to decide if they will appeal the acquittal to Italy’s highest court. There was no word late this evening if they planned to do so.
The Knox family’s delight contrasts sharply with the emotions of Meredith Kercher loved ones.
Meredith’ sister, Stephanie Kercher, who was in Perugia with her mother and brother for the verdict, lamented that her sister ‘has been nearly forgotten”.
“We want to keep her memory alive,” Stephanie said after the verdict which means that four years on from the brutal murder of the 21-year-old her family still have no clear picture of what happened.
At the first trial in 2009, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito had been convicted after the court heard they had carried out the crime with the aid of a third man Ivory Coast drifter Rudy Guede, 24.
The appeal however overturned this and ruled that he carried out on his own but key to the verdict was an independent court ordered report into hotly disputed DNA evidence.
Two forensic professors from Rome’s La Sapienza University Carla Vecchiotti and Stefano Conti had poured scorn on the original police forensic investigation of the crime scene producing a damning conclusion of techniques and methods used.
Key to the case was a 12 inches kitchen knife retrieved in Raffaele Sollecito’s flat and on which the original trial heard was found DNA from Meredith on the blade and that of Amanda Knox on the handle.
Prosecutors confusingly said it was “not incompatible” with the murder weapon – which has never been found – while defense teams argued it was too big to have caused the wounds on Meredith Kercher’s throat.
In addition the report also said that no blood was found on it and the DNA of Meredith Kercher was so low is should be ruled inadmissible – in fact there was such a small amount it could not even be retested.
They were also critical of results reached from tests on a clasp from Meredith’ s bloodied bra which was not collected from the murder scene and analyzed until 46 days after Meredith Kercher was killed.
Meredith Kercher was found semi-naked with her throat slashed in a bedroom in the house she shared with Amanda Knox and two other women
To highlight the farcical way police carried out the investigation the experts showed footage of the way the forensic officers collected the evidence and there was gasps of amazement as more than 50 errors were pointed out.
The team was seen picking up the clasp with dirty gloves – instead of tweezers – and then placing it in a plastic bag when the recognized international procedure is a paper one.
They were then seen handing it to each other from glove to glove, placing it back on the floor in a different place from where it was found and then picking it up again.
Professors Conti and Vecchiotti said that this also made it highly likely that it had been contaminated and then they also revealed how they had been unable to retest the clasp because it had rotted away after being wrongly kept in the forensic lab in Rome.
Prosecutors lame arguments that the experts had no professional experience and that their findings were unqualified and unreliable, were ignored by the judge and jury.
Today prosecutors said they would appeal the decision and take the case to the Supreme Court in Rome but in the meantime Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito will be free and they do not even have to show up for the case.
Meredith Kercher crime scene photo
The Supreme Court judges will simply examine all the documentary evidence and see if there is a valid point of law which can be used to overturn the appeal court’s ruling.
If they do not find any cause then the decision to release Amanda Knox will be confirmed while if they do find a justifiable reason then the case will be sent for a fresh trial leaving open the possibility of an extradition request from Italy for Knox.
November 2, 2007: Body of Meredith Kercher is found in Perugia apartment. Investigators say she was killed the night before.
November 6, 2007: Amanda Knox is arrested with then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, and Diya “Patrick” Lumumba, Congolese owner of pub where Knox occasionally worked.
November 20, 2007: Lumumba, implicated by Amanda Knox statements to police, is released from jail for lack of evidence.
December 6, 2007: Ivory Coast national Rudy Hermann Guede is extradited from Germany, where he was arrested, and jailed upon arrival in Italy.
December 14, 2007: Meredith Kercher is laid to rest after funeral in London.
October 28, 2008: Judge indicts Amanda Knox and Raffaelle Sollecito on murder and sexual assault charges. Rudy Guede, who was granted a fast-track trial, is convicted of murder and sexual assault and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
January 16, 2009: Trial of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito opens in Perugia.
June 12, 2009: Amanda Knox takes stand; tells court she was shocked by Meredith’s death, offers alibi and says police beat her into making false statements.
December 4, 2009: Court finds Amanda Knox guilty of murder and sexual assault; sentences her to 26 years in prison. Raffaele Sollecito is convicted of same charges and sentenced to 25 years.
December 22, 2009: Appeals court upholds Rudy Guede conviction and cuts sentence to 16 years.
November 8, 2010: Judge orders Amanda Knox to stand trial on slander charges for claiming police beating.
November 24, 2010: Appeals trial for Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito opens in Perugia.
December 16, 2010: Italy’s highest criminal court upholds Guede’s conviction and 16-year prison sentence.
June 29, 2011: Independent forensic report ordered by appeals court finds much of the DNA evidence used to convict Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito is unreliable.
October 3, 2011: Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are freed after appeals court overturns conviction for murder.
[youtube daGLEMwgLes]
A person over 65, who takes aspirin daily, has twice the risk to develop an age-related vision loss (late stage macular degeneration) than a peer who almost never takes it, a recent study has shown.
Aspirin used daily could aggravate late stage macular degeneration and lead to vision loss.
No directly association between aspirin and vision loss could be proved by the study, but the scientists are worried the aspirin could aggravate the eye disease, as long as lots of seniors take this medicine.
The European study has been published in the journal Ophthalmology and included 4691 people over 65. The subjects were from Norway, Estonia, Britain, France, Greece, Italy and Spain.
Medical scientists, led by Dr. Paulus de Jong at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and Academic Medical Center, gathered health and lifestyle information.
Of the 839 daily aspirin users, around 36 (4%) had an advanced form of the disease, wet macular degeneration. Only 2% of persons who took aspirin less frequently had the same type of macular degeneration (aging macula disorder).
“For people who have age-related macular degeneration, it probably isn’t wise to recommend taking aspirin,” William Christen of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston told Reuters Health. He was not involved in this study.
Wet macular degeneration leads to vision loss in the center of the eye’s field of vision.
The wet form (neovascular or exudative macular degeneration) causes vision loss due to abnormal blood vessel growth. Scarring, bleeding, leaking from these blood vessels eventually cause rapid vision loss if left untreated
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA) use has already been known for causing or aggravating gastrointestinal bleeding, but in the same time it has appeared to protect against cataract and in 2004 a study has shown aspirin is associated with decreased rates of abnormal blood vessel growth in patients with macular degeneration. Thus, aspirin could decrease the risk of vision loss.
The dry form is less severe. Its cause is an atrophy of the retinal pigment, which causes visual impairment, vision loss in the central part of the eye.
Aspirin use was not linked to the dry form, nor to earlier stages of the disease, scientists said.
In other studies aspirin appeared to protect against cataract or neovascularization in macular degenaration, thus protecting against vision loss.
Wet and dry macular degeneration are the leading causes of vision loss in persons over age 60. These conditions affect millions of Americans.
The seniors often take aspirin to prevent or to slow the progression of cardiovascular diseases. It could be the cardiovascular diseases that are linked with macular degeneration, some medical scientists said. According to Dr. Paulus de Jong, the researchers found that aspirin users, regardless of their heart condition, are at a greater risk of vision loss.
Yet, the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks of vision loss for people with cardiovascular illnesses who take aspirin to prevent the condition from worsening.
People should be aware that aspirin might aggravate macular degeneration, but on the other hand “a healthy eye with full visual capacities is of no use in a dead body,” said Paulus de Jong.
Further larger studies that follow people over time and document their aspirin use and vision are required to established the association between aspirin and vision loss.
Ralph Steinman, a New York scientist working on a cure for cancer today won the Nobel Prize for medicine, but he had tragically died of the disease just three days ago.
Ralph Steinman, 68, had been treating himself with a groundbreaking therapy based on his own research into the body’s immune system but died on September 30 after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
The Nobel committee at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute said it was aware of Ralph Steinman‘s death – but it appeared that it had not known before making its announcement.
Ralph Steinman’s colleagues from Rockefeller University in New York called it a “bittersweet” honor.
It is likely that Ralph Steinman died without being aware he had won the Nobel Prize for medicine, along with American Bruce Beutler and French Jules Hoffmann.
The Nobel committee does not give its awards posthumously, but has decided to make an exception because of what Secretary General Goran Hansson called a “unique situation”.
“The Nobel Foundation has recognized Ralph Steinman for his seminal discoveries concerning the body’s immune responses,” said Rockefeller University president Marc Tessier-Lavigne.
“But the news is bittersweet, as we also learned this morning from Ralph’s family that he passed a few days ago after a long battle with cancer,” Marc Tessier-Lavigne added.
Ralph Steinman, who won the Nobel Prize for medicine for work on fighting cancer, died of the disease himself just three days before he could be told of his award
Rockefeller University said in a statement: “Ralph Steinman passed away on September 30. He was 68.
“He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer four years ago, and his life was extended using a dendritic-cell based immunotherapy of his own design.”
Alexis Steinman, Ralph Steinman’s daughter, indicating that her father had not known on his deathbed of the impending decision in Stockholm, said:
“We are all so touched that our father’s many years of hard work are being recognized with a Nobel Prize.
“He devoted his life to his work and his family and he would be truly honored.”
Bruce Beutler and Jules Hoffmann, who studied the first stages of the body’s immune responses to attack in the 1990s, shared the $1.5million award with Ralph Steinman, originally from Montreal, Canada, whose discovery of dendritic cells in the 1970s is key to understanding the body’s next line of defense against disease.
The Nobel award panel said in a statement in Stockholm: “This year’s Nobel laureates have revolutionized our understanding of the immune system by discovering key principles for its activation.”
American Bruce Beutler (left) and Jules Hoffmann (right) of France won the Nobel Prize for medicine
Before hearing the news of Ralph Steinman’s death, Lars Klareskog, who chairs the prize-giving panel, said:
“I am very excited about what these discoveries mean.
“I think that we will have new, better vaccines against microbes and that is very much needed now with the increased resistance against antibiotics.”
Bruce Beutler, 53, is based at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
Luxembourg-born, Jules Hoffmann, 70, conducted much of his work in Strasbourg.
They were supposed to share half the 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.46million) of prize-money.
The rest should have gone to Ralph Steinman, though the unusual circumstances leave its fate now in some doubt.
Bruce Beutler said he had learned of his prize by e-mail and had to search online to make sure it was true:
“I finally found it on Google News. My name was all over the place.”
Of his work, Bruce Beutler said, it “might lead to new treatments for inflammatory and auto-immune disease and possibly new treatments for other kinds of diseases as well”.
The work of all three scientists has been pivotal to the development of improved types of vaccines against infectious diseases and novel approaches to fighting cancer.
The research has helped lay the foundations for a new wave of “therapeutic vaccines” that stimulate the immune system to attack tumors.
Better understanding of the complexities of the immune system has also given clues for treating inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, where the components of the self-defense system end up attacking the body’s own tissues.
For many years, British passport applicants have been required to provide details of their mother and father; now, after pressure from the gay rights group lobby, the new PC passports will be given the option of naming “parent 1” and “parent 2”.
The change, which is due to take place by December 2011, has been made following claims the original form was “discriminatory” and failed to include same-sex couples looking after a child.
It has led to claims the official travel document is being turned into a “PC passport”.
Campaigners for family values said the move “denigrated” the roles of parents bringing up children in traditional families.
Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, said:
“Fathers and mothers are not interchangeable but have quite distinct roles to play in the care and nurture of their children.
“To speak of <<parent 1>> and <<parent 2>> denigrates the place of both fathers and mothers.
“Much as the equality and diversity social engineers might wish it were otherwise, it still takes a father and a mother to produce a child.”
The decision follows the revelation last month that details of the holder’s sex could be erased from all passports to spare transgender people from embarrassment.
The new PC passport changes follow lobby activity from gay groups
The latest shift follows lobbying from gay rights groups, who argue that the current passport application form fails to recognize same-sex couples who are both officially registered as a child’s parents.
The Home Office “Diversity Strategy” states: “IPS [the Identity and Passport Service] is working with Stonewall [the gay rights group] in response to an issue about having to name a “mother” and “father” on the passport application form.”
Gay couples are registered as the official parents of any child they adopt. Those who use surrogate mothers must apply to the courts for a “parental order” in order to be recognized as a child’s official parents.
Similar changes have been made in recent months to passport application forms in the U.S., outraging traditional family groups and religious conservatives.
British officials accepted that the move was made following lobbying from gay rights groups who claimed it was discriminatory.
A spokesman for the UK Identity and Passport Service insisted it was necessary to incorporate same-sex parents on the form so that accurate information is collected.
“IPS is planning to amend the application form and associated guidance to deal with same-sex parents applying for a passport on behalf of a child.
“Currently, the application form provides the relevant boxes of <<mother>> and <<father>> to be completed.
“The new form to be introduced by December 2011 will in addition provide for <<parent 1>> and <<parent 2>>.
“It is essential that any parent provides the necessary information on their status as parents or guardians when applying for a passport on behalf of their child.
“This protects the interests of the child and ensures that IPS is able to issue passports securely and safely to the right person.
“The passport application form is therefore being updated to incorporate same-sex parents.”
Gay lobbyists and politicians have long claimed that 10% of the population is homosexual, but figures from the Office for National Statistics in UK suggest that this is a wild exaggeration.
According to the Integrated Household Survey, homosexuals and bisexuals make up only 1.5% of the population.
1% said they were gay or lesbian, while 0.5% said they were bisexual.
More men than women declared themselves homosexual, with 1.3% of men saying they were gay compared with 0.6% of women who described themselves as lesbian.
94% said they were heterosexual, 4.3% declined to answer the question or said they did not know, and 0.4% said their sexuality was “other”.
Amanda Knox made a dramatic plea for her freedom in a tearful way as she addressed the judge and jury today in her appeal trial and told them: “I did not kill, I did not rape, I did not steal.”
Amanda Knox, 24, spoke for just over ten minutes and needed to pause frequently for breath, at one point the judge asked her if she wanted to speak sitting down.
But Amanda Knox, who is fighting to avoid a possible life sentence, turned down his offer and after a gentle encouraging squeeze of her hand from her lawyer Luciano Ghirga she addressed the court.
Speaking in Italian, Amanda Knox pleaded her innocence for the brutal murder of Meredith Kercher and said:
“Esteemed people of the court, it has been said many times that I am a person different than what I am.
“I am the same person I was four years ago, the same person, the only thing that distinguishes me from four years ago is the four years that I have suffered.
“In four years I have lost a friend in a brutal and unexplained way. My faith in the police has been betrayed. I have had to face accusations, injustice and suggestions without foundation and I am paying for my life for something that I did not do.”
Tearful Amanda Knox in the court room in Perugia, Italy, this morning on the final day of her appeal
“I am not what they say I am. I am not perverse, violent, disrespectful towards life, people, these things do not apply to me and I have not done the things that have been suggested.
“I did not kill, I did not rape, I did not steal. I was not there. I was not present at this crime.”
According to court watchers who have been covering the trial, her plead was a powerful delivery and much better than the one Amanda Knox had made at her original trial two years ago when she confused the court by saying she did not want the “mask of an assassin forced upon me”.
Crucially for her this time Amanda Knox also said that she did not kill Meredith Kercher – something she failed to do at her original trial and as she spoke her parents, Curt Knox and Edda Mellas, were in tears.
As Amanda Knox spoke there was complete silence in court and the packed chamber listened intently to her who added:
“I had never faced such tragedy, suffering, I didn’t know how to tackle it, how to interpret it.
“When we learnt Meredith was dead, we just could not believe it. How was this possible ?
“Then I felt scared. A person who I was sharing my life with, who had the bedroom next to me, she was killed in our house and if I was there that night I could have been killed.
“I wasn’t there. I was at Raffaele’s.”
Police asked the media to leave the court room this morning before Amanda Knox hearing began
Amanda Knox then criticized the police who had questioned her that night. She said: “I had a sense of duty towards justice, the authorities who I put my trust in.
“They were there to find the guilty and to protect us. I put my faith in them absolutely.
“I made myself available for them in those days but I was betrayed – the night of 5/6 November I was pressured, stressed and manipulated.”
Amanda Knox has already told the court how she was questioned for 14 hours without a lawyer or an interpreter and was even cuffed twice around the back of the head by police as they demanded answers from her.
Her version of the events that evening is crucial to the appeal as prosecutors say Amanda admitted being on the scene and had also provided – wrongly – the name of bar man Patrick Lumumba who was wrongly arrested and held in jail for two weeks before being freed.
Amanda Knox also insisted that despite prosecution claims she did not know Rudy Guede who has already been convicted of the murder and added: “I have never done what they say I have done, it is not as they say it was.”
“I had a good relationship with all my flatmates. I was messy, carefree but we had a good relationship we were all ready to help each other.
“I shared my life with Meredith, we had a friendship, she was worried for me when I went to work, she was always gentle with me.
“Meredith was killed and I have always wanted justice for her. I am not fleeing from the truth and have never fled. I insist on the truth. I insist after four desperate years for our innocence because it is true. It deserves to be recognized.
“I want to go home. I want to return to my life, I don’t want to be punished and deprived of my life, future for something I have not done because I am innocent, Raffaele is also innocent.
“We deserve our freedom. We have never done anything not to deserve it.”
Earlier in his declaration Raffaele Sollecito had spoken and had told the court:
“I have so much to say but I don’t think I have enough time. I just want to tell the court how much I have been suffering.
“I just want to say i never hurt anyone, never in my life,”. He added: “I hoped that this would have all been cleared in a short time – instead it did not happen this way.”
Raffaele Sollecito paused several times and took several sips of water as he spoke and said: “Amanda and I have been in jail for 1,400 days. These 1,400 days have been spent 20 hours a day in a space 2.5m by 3m – it’s difficult to imagine that situation.”
Then turning to the night of Meredith’s murder Raffaele Sollecito said: “I was in a beautiful situation. I was about to hand in my dissertation for my final degree.
“During that period I met Amanda Knox, she was beautiful, sunny, lively and sweet and that was supposed to be our first weekend together.”
Painting a romantic picture Sollecito said: “We were free that night. Our only aim that night was to have an evening of tenderness and cuddles. The other descriptions just did not happen. This was our simple desire.”
After Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito had addressed the court judge Hellman also spoke sternly to the packed chamber and said: “We will now retire but I to ask you to reflect on something. This is a court room and not a football match there is no room for supporting when the verdict is read.
“Let’s remember that a beautiful girl was murderered and the lives of two other young people are in the balance. So I say again when the sentence is read, respect and silence. Having said that we will now retire and the verdict will not be before 8pm local.”
The final day of the 10-month appeal trial began with Amanda Knox’s lawyer, Luciano Ghirga, making his final rebuttal, stressing how the investigation had been carried out in a climate of “hostility” towards his client.
Amanda Knox, 24, is serving 26 years for the brutal murder of British student Meredith Kercher, 21.
There are four possible outcomes for Amanda Knox today:
1. Conviction upheld and she serves remaining 22 years
2. Conviction upheld and sentence increased to life
3. Conviction upheld and sentence reduced
4. Conviction overturned and she is released from prison
Mary Bach, a Walmart shopper has successfully sued the retail giant after she was charged $1 instead of 98 cents for a pack of sausages.
Mary Bach, who has made a habit of taking Walmart to court, was angered when the chain’s store in Delmont, Pennsylvania made her pay $1 for a box of Banquet Brown ‘N Serve sausages, which had been priced at 98 cents.
Walmart argued new packaging caused a mix-up on the price, but Mary Bach, a consumer activist from Murrysville, claimed the overcharge was intentional.
Murrysville District Judge Charles Conway agreed with Mary Bach and ruled the store breached trade laws. The judge awarded Mary Bach $100 in damages, plus $80 in court costs, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.
Mary Bach said the court battle was not about money, but principle
“This is the fifth lawsuit that I have now won against this store, this Delmont Walmart, for the same problem: practice of putting up a shelf tag that was lower than the price charged at the cash register,” Mary Bach told WPXI outside court.
“All this is for the scanner charge to correlate with the shelf tag or vice versa. I’m not telling them what price to charge for the item they’re selling.”
Mary Bach said she hopes her court case will ensure the error does not happen to any other costumers, no matter how small.
Mary Bach said the Walmart should be more careful in guaranteeing that prices listed on shelves match what prices scan at the register, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.
“Walmart was wrong. They were overcharging customers. Even though it was a minimal amount, they were wrong,” Mary Bach told WPXI.
Mary Bach testified that on August 20 she picked up the sausages, which had a listed price of 98 cents, but was charged $1 when she reached the check-out.
Mary Bach was angered when Walmart made her pay $1 for a box of Banquet Brown 'N Serve sausages, which had been priced at 98 cents
“The clerk did everything right when I pointed out the error and refunded me the difference and noted the error,” Mary Bach said.
However, six days later, Mary Bach went back to the store to purchase more of the same sausages when the same thing happened, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.
This time Mary Bach was not interested in a refund and she took the store to court.
Walmart attorney Timothy J. Nieman argued that Mary Bach, who has a reported 17-year history of legal battles over pricing faults, was not really shopping for groceries, but was looking for her next lawsuit.
“Never once have I been questioned by a cashier whether an item I’m purchasing is for my personal use or not,” Mary Bach said.
“Everything I buy is for my personal use.”
Mary Bach told the court her husband and grandchildren enjoy the sausages on a regular basis.
Mary Bach was overcharged two cents for sausages at the Delmont, Pennsylvania Walmart
Walmart spokesman Greg Rossiter told WPXI the company tried to refund the money to Mary Bach, but she refused. He said Walmart respectfully disagrees with the decision, and is considering its options.
Passengers from two flights landed at Boston Logan Airport were taken to hospital with head, back and neck injuries and burns last night after the aircraft they were on suffered extreme turbulence.
The two commercial aircraft landed in Boston after 18 passengers sustained injuries while in the sky.
A Lufthansa flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Munich was diverted to Boston after it experienced problems when it flew through the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia.
Flight 429, which had 245 passengers and 18 crew on board, was greeted by emergency crews as it landed at 11:45 pm.
Passengers at Boston Logan Airport were taken to hospital with head, back and neck injuries
“I saw the plane go down, down, down and I said, <<Oh my God, oh my God>>,” one passenger told local station WCVB.
The other aircraft, a Jet Blue flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Boston also landed at the airport with seven people injured.
Seven people were injured on flight 852, which had 130 passengers and five crew members.
Six of the people injured had head, back and neck injuries. One people had been burned by coffee.
The 852 flight landed at its intended destination of Boston around 10:00 pm, about 20 minutes ahead of schedule, according to the airline’s website.
“I thought, <<Oh my God, this could be it>>. But it didn’t last that long. It was quite a surprise,” one female passenger told WCVB.
“I had the coffee jump everywhere. We started screaming. Oh my God, so scary,” another female passenger told the station.
Phil Orlandella, spokesman for the Boston Logan Airport, said he did not know the extent of the injuries on the Lufthansa flight.
[youtube nuQiEX1hY28]
The anti-corporate protest – Occupy movement – which began in New York City two weeks ago, have spread across US, with demonstrations occurring in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Denver and Seattle.
Sparked by the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has seen thousands of protesters camped out in New York’s Financial District for the past two weeks, mass gatherings have started nationwide, with the unified purpose of voicing anger at the U.S. banking and political systems.
The protests against corporate America in New York City entered its fifteenth day today, as the city’s residents began to increasingly feel the effect of a mass gathering that began as little more than a dozen students.
Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, several hundred protesters marched from Pershing Square to City Hall on Saturday, and said they would remain camped at the site “indefinitely”, like their New York counterparts.
Organized by a group called Occupy LA, the demonstrators echoed the refrain begun by those on the East Coast, saying they hoped to change economic polices that benefit the richest 1% of Americans.
“Occupy LA” protesters marched from Pershing Square to City Hall on Saturday, and said they would remain camped at the site “indefinitely”, like their New York counterparts
Demonstrators waved signs, including one that read “The Banks Ate My Baby”, and chanted “Hey hey, ho ho, corporate welfare’s got to go”, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“In the end, what we want to do is inspire working-class people to get involved in the political process,” Adam Liszkiewics, a 32-year-old USC graduate student, told the Los Angeles Times.
Boston
The Occupy Boston movement appears the most well-developed of the off-shoot protests, with a sizeable camp, featuring tents, medical supplies and even wi-fi, setting up at Dewey Square, across from the Federal Reserve building.
Tactical groups have been formed, covering legal affairs, food and media outreach, and a crowd in the spot had reached nearly 1,000 on Friday night on the first day of protest, the Boston Herald reported.
Key organizers said they had been to New York to learn from the protests. Matthew Krawitz, an unemployed I.T. expert, told how he had been in Manhattan for the first day of the demonstrations there and wanted to replicate the scene in Boston.
“Occupy Boston” demonstrators camping outside the Federal Reserve building
There were other protests in the city over the weekend, including one outside the Bank of America aimed at expressing people’s anger at foreclosures and the announcement the bank will charge customers $5 a month to use debit cards to access their own money. It resulted in 24 arrests.
President Barack Obama’s old stomping ground has been gripped by the “Occupy” movement as well. A group of activists have gathered in front of the Federal Reserve Bank Chicago as part of a rally to protest against poverty and unemployment in the U.S.
Chicago
The Chicago sit-in began on September 23 with a march from Willis Tower to the bank, the Chicago Tribune reported, with some protesters calling it their Tahrir Square, in reference to the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Demonstrators hold signs across from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on Friday
One demonstrator, Emilio Baez, told Press TV the protest is a “direct call to working people worldwide”.
“This is our Tahrir Square,” he said of the spot which led to a revolution in the African country. “We’ll stay here for months if we have to.”
Seattle
Meanwhile, more than 100 people turned out for Occupy Seattle on Saturday, with protesters waving signs and mingling peacefully with police.
The demonstrators, however, are only beginning to coalesce and they acknowledge that they need to clarify their goals. Like their New York counterparts, the protesters are seeking for a place in Seattle’s financial district to camp out for the winter.
“Occupy” protests in Seattle
Denver
Denver had its first protest on Saturday, with demonstrators telling 9News that they are a leaderless resistance movement of people who will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of Wall Street.
“Occupy” protests in Denver
Further “Occupy” protests are planned for San Francisco, Washington DC, Phoenix and Albuquerque.
New York
In New York, the protesters, who have been camping out in Manhattan’s Financial District, say their movement has grown and become more organized over the last couple of weeks and they have no intention of stopping.
The Occupy Wall Street demonstration started out small, with less than a dozen college students, but has grown to include thousands of people in communities across the country.
Now entering its third week in Manhattan, those spending their days and nights at Zuccotti Park said they’re going to stay as long as they can.
Yesterday, the Brooklyn Bridge was shut down and more than 700 people arrested after protesters camping out near Wall Street spilled onto the New York landmark and blocked traffic.
Around 1,500 protesters march over the Brooklyn Bridge in New York during an Occupy Wall Street protest
In a tense showdown, police took swift action – cuffing and dragging hundreds to the sidings – after many of the protesters risked being hit by cars by moving from the walkway on to the road.
A large group of marchers, who are rallying against corporate greed, broke off from others on the bridge’s pedestrian walkway and headed across the Brooklyn-bound lanes.
In two separate videos released by police, officers are heard warning protesters that they will be arrested if they strayed from the path and onto the roadway.
A police captain is heard saying: “I’m ordering you to leave this roadway now. If you do so voluntarily, no charges will be placed against you. If you refuse to leave, you’ll be placed under arrest and charged with disorderly conduct. If you do not wish to be arrested, you must leave this area now.”
The videos emerged as a film of protesters coming face to face with the subjects of their ire attracted more than 230,000 views on YouTube.
[youtube fockzr7rXys]
[youtube 50jIRIf3fSw]
The iPhone 5 highly-anticipated launch is planned for the next Tuesday and speculation is mounting over what the must-have gadget will look like.
Now designers have developed an iPhone 5 mock-up, showing a slightly wider device to its predecessor and a four-inch screen covering the whole model.
Experts at Giga Netzwerk have compiled leaked hints, hardware components and computer designs to show how they think iPhone 5 will appear.
The iPhone is still the smartphone industry’s benchmark after four years and its new model is expected to come out in the U.S. this Tuesday, before the holidays.
The Giga Netzwerk designers have developed a 3D mock-up, showing a slightly wider device to its predecessor and a four-inch screen covering the whole model
The Giga Netzwerk mock-up shows a “teardrop” design of iPhone 5, aluminium back instead of glass and an oval rather than a circular “home” button.
iPhone 5 mute switch is expected to move to the other side of the phone but the camera placement is likely to remain unchanged from the iPhone 4.
A new operating system is expected to have excellent voice recognition software that will allow users to dictate emails or SMS messages.
The device could even be called the “iPhone 4S” instead of the “iPhone 5” when it is launched on Tuesday, reported the Huffington Post.
The iPhone 5 release will be Tim Cook’s first major product launch since taking over from an ill Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO in August.
The iPhone 5 is already widely expected to have a bigger touchscreen and faster processor than the current iPhone 4.
iPhone 5competition is fierce, as more than 550,000 Google Android-based devices – including tablets- are activated each day globally.
An insider source said in August that the new model will have a bigger screen, better antenna and an impressive eight-megapixel camera.
Apple’s iPhone has been a huge success since it debuted in 2007, transforming the company into one of the world’s leading mobile device makers.
Experts at Giga Netwerkz have compiled leaked hints, hardware components and computer designs to show how they think iPhone 5 will appear
iPhone accounts for around 40% of Apple’s revenue, with margins estimated at 60%.
Meanwhile, the mysterious closure of a number Apple stores in the U.S. has prompted speculation they will re-open as the iPhone 5 launches.
iPhone 5 tech predictions:
• 4 in touchscreen
• 1GB RAM
• 960 x 540 resolution
• 8 megapixel camera
• 16/32GB storage
[youtube BFmHxz5n8qs]
The first “hands-free” pedestrian crossing will be launched in UK, so that devout Jews do not have to break a religious law that prohibits them from using electricity or operating machinery on the Sabbath.
As the crossing is near a busy synagogue, pressing a button to operate it is considered a breach of the strict rules that apply to Orthodox Jews.
Traffic will be held every 90 seconds from Friday evening until nightfall on Saturday, covering the Jewish Sabbath period.
The first automatic crossing will be placed on one of London’s busiest roads, the North Circular at the Henlys Corner junction.
But planners insist it will not cause traffic chaos.
The first “hands-free” pedestrian crossing will be launched in UK, so that devout Jews do not have to break a religious law that prohibits them from using electricity or operating machinery on the Sabbath
The new “hands-free” system will come into operation in December when the junction fully reopens after a massive ten-month upgrade costing $12 million (£8 million).
The decision to include automatic crossings was taken after leaders at Finchley United Synagogue explained their predicament to staff at Transport for London, which is responsible for maintaining main roads in the capital.
Transport for London (TfL) says the “hands-free” green man has not added to the cost of improvements.
A TfL spokesman said: “We always consult with the community over major road projects. This idea was suggested by the synagogue, whose members asked if it could be done. We thought about it and came to the conclusion that it could.”
No one at the synagogue was available for comment because of the Jewish New Year. But someone from the congregation said: “This is a sensible idea that will make a real difference.”
The move follows the controversial formation of an eruv – a boundary recognized by Jewish law within which certain activities are permitted – in the same part of North London.
Although observant Jews are allowed to carry household objects such as door keys, and to push prams and wheelchairs within the six-square-mile area, they are still banned from using electricity.
Dressed in their underwear, protesters have taken the streets of New York today after it emerged the NYPD were warning women in Brooklyn to cover up in the face of sex attacks.
The “slutwalk” protest comes a day after women in Park Slope were warned by police short skirts should not be worn and shorts that show too much leg have been deemed inappropriate.
Protesters have taken the streets of New York today after it emerged the NYPD were warning women in Brooklyn to cover up in the face of sex attacks
On today’s march the protesters chanted “No means no – however we dress, wherever we go.”
Speaking to the New York Post, organizer Sammy Lifson, 21, said:
“The cops in Park Slope have really stepped up their presence and they’re trying to be helpful.
“But to focus on women isn’t going to help catch the perpetrator.”
The international series of protests known as SlutWalks, sparked by a Toronto police officer’s flippant comment that women should avoid dressing like “sluts” to avoid being raped or victimized, is taking root in the United States.
Some women and men who protest dress in nothing more remarkable than jeans and T-shirts, while others wear provocative or revealing outfits to bring attention to “slut-shaming”, or shaming women for being sexual, and the treatment of sexual assault victims.
The police officer made his comments in January to a group of York University students at a safety forum.
He later apologized, but his comments were publicized widely on Facebook and Twitter.
The police officer comments inspired a march in Toronto that drew more than 3,000 people, as well as SlutWalks since then in Dallas, Asheville, North Carolina, and Ottawa, Ontario.
The movement has since spread around the world, with slut walks organized in several countries.
The SlutWalk march was organized after a NYPD officer “advised” women not to wear short skirts after at least 10 unsolved sexual attacks have occured
Yesterday’s “advice” was given out in response to at least 10 unsolved sexual attacks that have taken place in the area since March.
But in Park Slope, which is famous for being liberal and feminist, the campaign has provoked fury.
Jessica Silk, founder of neighbourhood watch group Safe Slope, told the Wall Street Journal that such a measure was “completely inappropriate”.
One of the women who had been spoken to, who identified herself only as Lauren, told how she was three block from her home when she was stopped for wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
She claimed a cop asked to speak to her then did the same to two other women wearing dresses.
Some protesters at SlutWalk wore jeans and t-shirts, others dressed more provocatively
Lauren, 25, claimed he asked if she knew about the sex attacks and when they all replied yes he “pointed at my outfit and said, <<Don’t you think your shorts are a little short?>>”
“He pointed at their dresses and said they were showing a lot of skin,” she said.
Lauren claimed the cop said such clothes could make the rapist think he could get “easy access”.
The officer then said that they were “exactly the kind of girl this guy is targeting”.
A teenager is reportedly in a coma after falling off a skateboard whilst filming himself for an appearance on Anderson Cooper’s new show.
A producer for the daytime programme “Anderson” allegedly encouraged the boy to record his wild behavior for a show on the teenage mind.
Anderson Cooper, who has only been hosting the show for three weeks, is “very saddened” by the incident and is praying for the boy and his family.
Anderson Cooper said he is “very saddened” by the teenager who is reportedly in a coma after falling off a skateboard whilst filming himself for the show
A representative for Anderson Cooper said producers had been working with the boy and his parents on the science behind the teenage brain.
“As part of our routine process, we ask guests for video footage and photos,” he told Gawker.
“We did not provide the family with a camera.”
On the morning the boy was supposed to travel to New York City, producers found out that he had been injured.
The teenager was encouraged by Anderson Cooper’s new show producer to “film the crazy stuff you do”, but suffered a severe head injury when falling from his skateboard, a source told Gawker.
The teenager was reportedly encouraged to “film the crazy stuff he does” but suffered a severe head injury when falling from his skateboard (file picture)
This left the teenager in a coma and the show never aired.
“I was very saddened to hear the news of this accident, and want to express my deepest concerns for the teenager who was injured,” Anderson Cooper told Gawker through a spokesman.
Anderson Cooper added that his “thoughts and prayers” are with the boy and his family.
Emmy-award winner Anderson Cooper is a Yale University graduate and joined CNN almost 10 years ago after working for ABC and Channel One News.
L’Oréal’s anti-grey pill, a daily medication based on a secret fruit extract, is scheduled to launch within the next four years.
Bruno Bernard, head of hair biology at L’Oréal, told The Sunday Times:
“We have a watertight proof of concept with this, and we think it will have a market among men as well as women.”
Although L’Oréal has been researching the pill for more than a decade, scientists acknowledge it will take at least another 10 more to chart its effectiveness, because hair-greying is such a slow process.
The bad news for people whose hair has already started to turn grey, the scientists believe the anti-grey pill won’t reverse the process.
“Ideally you would take it (the pill) for your whole life,” said Bruno Bernard.
“But realistically we would encourage people to start using it before their hair goes grey because we don’t think it can reverse the process once it has started.”
Scientists say they don't believe their anti-grey pill will work on people like George Clooney, whose hair has already begun the greying process
Hair cells are at their best between puberty and the age of 25. Once people hit 30, the hair cells slump into an “oxidative stress” process and their defense against toxins breaks down summoning the appearance of grey hairs.
The new anti-grey pill is designed to protect the hair cells.
According to researchers, the absence of a protective enzyme called tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2) causes hair pigment cells to die as people get older.
But, instead of developing a synthetic drug that mimics TRP-2, L’Oréal screened thousands of natural compounds humans are exposed to already and found one in the fruit.
Des Tobin, professor of cell biology at Bradford University’s Centre for Skin Science, told The Sunday Times:
“With people living longer and working longer, they are in the grey zone for longer, and the demand for something like this is huge.”
George Cotsarelis, a hair cell expert at the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine, said although he was skeptical, if the company had found a way to prevent pigment cells from dying off it could be “very interesting”.
North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Il has been spending nearly $200,000 a year on his dogs while his nation starves, it has been revealed.
The allegations were made in a report presented to the country’s parliament leaked by a South Korean Member of Parliament.
Nearly six million North Koreans – a quarter of the country’s population – live in extreme poverty due to food shortages in the country.
A third of children younger than five years old are reported to suffer from malnutrition in North Korea.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il lives a lavish lifestyle while his people live in poverty
MP Yoon Sang Hyun said the Kim Jong-Il‘s regime had purchased around 600 bottles of fine French wine that were consumed at parties for senior party and military officials last year.
Yoon Sang Hyun said the dictator had also imported several dozen Russian horses, and bought ten US jet skis for his son and heir Kim Jong Eun.
Most of the luxury goods had been purchased through China – the North’s sole major ally, and Russia, Yoon Sang Hyun said.
If found to be true, the Kim Jong-Il’s actions will have breached United Nations Security Council sanctions banning the export of luxury items to the communist state.
The sanctions were imposed after the North’s missile and nuclear tests.
MP Yoon Sang Hyun, a member of the ruling conservative Grand National Party in South Korea said: “The luxury life for Kim Jong-il’s family goes on regardless of the worsening suffering of North Koreans amid the third-generation succession.”
A football game between Los Angeles high school football rivals turned tragic when Angela Gettis, a cheerleader collapsed on the sideline and died.
Angela Gettis was briefly revived after passing out Friday at Fremont High School, according to LA Unified School District spokesman Tom Waldman.
The top student and member of the Reserve Officer Training Corp, Angela Gettis, who planned to go to college to study forensic sicence, was rushed to a hospital where she died about three hours later.
Cheerleader Angela Gettis, a student at Washington Prep High School, apparently suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a football game
Angela Gettis, a student at Washington Prep High School, apparently suffered sudden cardiac arrest, spokesman Tom Waldman said.
Washington Prep Principal Todd Ullah told KABC-TV that Angela Gettis was a good student and a leader on campus.
School district Superintendent John Deasy said Saturday that Angela Gettis was “a wonderful young lady” and added:
“It is a catastrophic loss for the school and for the community. My heart goes out to her family.”
Angela Kirkindoff, the student’s aunt said: “I just want people to remember the heart she had. She was very kind.”
A witness, Cameron Bonner, told City News Service the Washington Prep squad tied the game against Fremont in the fourth quarter when the cheerleader Angela Gettis collapsed.
Play was stopped as coaches and trainers ran to help the cheerleader Angela Gettis.
Cameron Bonner said: “They had just tied the game up, and the cheerleaders were pumped up.”
He added that Angela appeared “to just pass out”.
Bystanders performed CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Angela Gettis was briefly revived after passing out on the sideline, but she died in a nearby hospital
“All of her friends were in a circle crying,” Cameron Bonner said.
Crisis counsellors will be at Washington Prep on Monday to help students and faculty deal with the death, Superintendent Deasy said.
An autopsy has been scheduled to find the exact cause of Angela Gettis’ death.
Prev1...1,0001,1821,1831,184...1,202Next 
Page 1,183 of 1,202
