Italian police have released an eight-minute footage with underwater images from within the Costa Concordia wreckage, two and a half years after it capsized.
Several scenes are spookily reminiscent of James Cameron’s recordings from the Titanic wreck.
Italian police have released an eight-minute footage with underwater images from within the Costa Concordia wreckage
The 950-foot liner, which ran aground off the Italian island of Giglio with the loss of 32 lives in 2012, has lain on the seabed since it capsized. The hull of the ship was righted last September, allowing police divers to record the extraordinary scenes. Splashing into the water beside the discolored wreck, the divers are seen swimming through eerily empty corridors and public areas, past shop fronts and desks with computers still standing, and floating by balconies on which sunbathers would once have stretched.
Paintings are slowly being turned green by algae.
Since the tragedy, Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino has been on trial for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.
Costa Concordia ship will be refloated within 7-10 days and towed to Genoa, where it will be dismantled for scrap.
Tammy Rivera got married to Waka Flocka Flame on May 26, 2014, as the reality star announced on her Twitter account.
The Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star tweeted the news by writing: “Mrs.Malphurs,” then thanked fans for their congratulatory replies.
Tammy Rivera got married to Waka Flocka Flame on May 26, 2014 (photo Instagram)
Tammy Rivera is known for using her Instagram account quite regularly and often posts pictures of her life with Waka Flocka Flame.
On May 31, 2013, when Waka Flocka Flame – aka Juaquin Malphurs – celebrated his 27th birthday, she posted pictures announcing their engagement.
Instead of going the traditional route and simply buying rings, Tammy Rivera and Waka Flocka Flame marked their engagement by getting tattoos on their ring fingers. Tammy Rivera’s says “Waka,” while Waka Flocka Flame’s reads “Tammy.”
Tammy River has a daughter, Charlie, from a previous relationship.
During Love & Hip HopAtlanta Season 3, Tammy Rivera and Waka Flocka Flame are being filmed as they plan their wedding. There are also hints of drama between Tammy Rivera and Waka Flocka Flame’s mother, Debra Antney, who is already somewhat of a regular on the show.
Twenty five more people have died from Ebola in West Africa since July 3, taking the total number of deaths to 518, health officials say.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said 50 new cases of the deadly disease had also been reported.
A WHO spokesman said health workers were struggling to contain the outbreak in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
On Monday, a doctor in Ghana said preliminary tests on a US citizen showed he did not have the disease.
But further tests are now being carried out.
Twenty five more people have died from Ebola in West Africa since July 3
The man had recently visited Sierra Leone and Guinea and was quarantined after showing signs of the virus.
In a statement on Tuesday, the WHO said the latest figures from health ministries in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea showed a total of 844 cases since the epidemic began in February.
Guinea’s ministry reported two deaths since 3 July but no new cases in the past week, the WHO said, calling the situation in the affected region of West Africa a “mixed picture”.
It said Sierra Leone had accounted for 34 of the new cases and 14 deaths, while Liberia reported 16 new cases and 9 deaths.
“These numbers indicate that active viral transmission continues in the community,” the statement said.
WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said the two main modes of transmission were people caring for sick relatives at home and people attending funerals of victims.
“If we don’t stop the transmission in the several hotspots in the three countries we will not be able to say that we control the outbreak,” she said.
Last week, health ministers from 11 West African countries adopted a common strategy to fight the outbreak.
At an emergency meeting in Ghana last Thursday, ministers promised better collaboration to fight what has become the world’s deadliest outbreak to date.
Under the new strategy, the WHO will open a sub-regional control centre in Guinea to co-ordinate technical support.
Dolly Parton has announced she wants to adopt a dog that was left behind following the exodus of Glastonbury Festival 2014.
The white lurcher was discovered in one of the 5,000 tents discarded at Worthy Farm during a clean-up of the 1,200-acre festival site last week.
Dolly Parton has announced she wants to adopt a dog that was left behind following the exodus of Glastonbury Festival 2014
Taken in by the Happy Landings animal shelter, the dog was named Dolly after Dolly Parton stole the show with her debut performance at the event.
Dolly Parton, 68, said she would take it in if its owner was not found.
The shelter, which described the dog as a “sweet-natured older lady”, said it had received “many, many phone calls” but that it would not be re-homed “until we can ascertain whether she has an owner”.
A South Dakota 4th of July hot dog eating contest turned tragic when a contestant choked to death.
Walter Eagle Tail, 47, of Custer, died at a hospital Thursday after attempts to save him at the scene failed, Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler told the Rapid City Journal.
“There was someone doing CPR when we arrived,” Rick Wheeler said.
“He probably just suffocated. It got lodged in his throat and they [paramedics] couldn’t get it out.
A South Dakota 4th of July hot dog eating contest turned tragic when a contestant choked to death
“It all happened within minutes,” the sheriff said.
The Custer Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the contest, canceled a pie-eating contest scheduled for Friday.
“We are at a loss for words,” Chamber Executive Director Dave Ressler said.
“We are mourning for Walter and his family right now.”
Speed-eating competitions are popular over the 4th of July weekend. Eight-time champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut managed to eat 61 hot dogs in 10 minutes at an annual contest in Coney Island, New York, on Friday – eight short of the record 69 he swallowed in the 2013 competition.
George Shea, chairman of Major League Eating, a competitive eating organization based in New York, said organizers do all they can to prevent casualties during contests.
Funeral arrangements were pending for Walter Eagle Tail, whom friends described as a fun-loving, kind and caring man.
Giorgio Faletti died on Friday, July 4, in Turin, Italy, at the age of 63.
The Italian author and actor died from an incurable illness.
Giorgio Faletti earned a law degree before starting his eclectic show business career as a comedian on several Italian TV shows. He went on to enjoy great success and acclaim as a singer/songwriter, actor and painter.
Giorgio Faletti died from an incurable illness
His first novel, I Kill, published 2002, was an international sensation, topping the bestseller lists in Italy for over a year and selling more than 5 million copies to become one of the bestselling books in the history of Italy. The book has since been published in 35 countries and translated into 25 languages.
Giorgio Faletti’s later works include The Killer in My Eyes (2004), I Am God (2009), Three Acts and Two Strokes (2011) and A Pimp’s Notes (2012).
As an actor, Giorgio Faletti starred in Fausto Brizzi’s 2006 Italian teen comedy Notte prima degli esami (Night Before the Exams), which is considered a cult hit amongst European teens.
Giorgio Faletti’s funeral service will take place on July 8 in his hometown of Asti, where he lived with his wife Roberta.
The producers of the latest Transformers movie are being sued by a Chinese tourism company for breach of contract, according to state media.
The Chongqing Wulong Karst Tourism Co Ltd said in a statement that the producers had failed to show its logo prominently in the film as promised.
The company said it would file a case against Paramount Pictures and one of the movie’s Chinese partners.
The Beijing-based 1905 Internet Technology company, the Chinese company also being sued, said in a statement on its website that Wulong had not paid them on time.
The Chongquing Wulong Karst Tourism Co Ltd said it is suing for unspecified damages.
The Chongquing Wulong Karst Tourism is suing Transformers producers for unspecified damages
The company said it was not clear to viewers that the shots of the scenic spot in Transformers: Age of Extinction were of Wulong, because they were interspersed with scenes from Hong Kong.
It also said that other tourist spots were claiming that the famous Karst peaks were theirs.
Last month, a Beijing property developer said it had filed a case alleging that Paramount and two of its Chinese associates had not featured images of its hotel in trailers and movie posters as promised, and had reneged on a pledge to hold the film’s premiere at its hotel.
Soon after, Paramount and the developer said they had come to an agreement over the dispute.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the fourth movie in the Transformers franchise has now become China’s biggest film.
Its cumulative total now stands at $222.74 million, overtaking the record held by James Cameron’s Avatar, which took $221.9 million. It was released in China in January 2010.
The success of the latest Transformers film has been boosted by the inclusion of Chinese actors Li Bingbing and Han Geng, along with product placement featuring various Chinese goods.
JK Rowling has published a new short story about Harry Potter on her Pottermore fan website, set during the Quidditch world cup final.
The 1,500-word tale is written in the style of a newspaper column by Daily Prophet reporter, Rita Skeeter.
The article reports that Harry Potter took his sons James and Albus to visit the world cup compound “where he introduced them to Bulgarian seeker Victor Krum”.
Rita Skeeter then speculates on the absence of Harry Potter’s wife Ginny at the event.
“Are cracks beginning to show in a union that the Potters are determined to promote as happy?”
JK Rowling has published a new short story about Harry Potter on her Pottermore fan website, set during the Quidditch world cup final
Quidditch is the fictional game played on broomsticks that features in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter novels.
Harry Potter is about to turn 34 in JK Rowling’s latest story, which can be accessed by registering on the Pottermore website.
The former boy wizard now “sports a nasty cut over his right cheekbone” along with his famous lightning scar. His hair is said to be slightly greying.
There is no mention of Harry and Ginny’s third child, Lily, who is referred to in the epilogue of Rowling’s final Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Hermione, who now has two children with her husband Ron, is now deputy head of the department of magical law enforcement.
Ron is now full-time at his brothers’ joke shop, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.
JK Rowling had said in previous interviews that Ron was an auror with Harry Potter at the ministry of magic but Rita Skeeter now claims he has had to leave for unknown reasons.
Now working for his brothers’ joke emporium Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, she claims Ron has had to step away from his job at the Ministry of Magic for reasons he has not revealed to the public.
The article also refers to other well-known characters from the Harry Potter series, including Luna Lovegood and Fleur Delacour.
JK Rowling, who is a supporter of the Hacked Off campaign which is putting pressure on newspapers to put into practice the Royal Charter on press self-regulation, has also penned a tongue-in-cheek reference to the media and privacy.
“One always hesitates to invade the privacy of young people, but the fact is that anyone closely connected with Harry Potter reaps the benefits and must pay the penalty of the public interest.”
More than 450 million copies of JK Rowling’s seven Harry Potter books, the first of which was published in 1997, have been sold worldwide.
The profit of the Vatican bank plunged in 2013 largely due to a clean-up process which has seen it end relationships with 3,000 customers.
Officially known as the Institute for Religious Works, the bank reported a 2.9 million euro (3.9 million) profit for 2013, down from 86.6 million euros ($117.8 million) in 2012.
Most of its losses came from the winding up of investments made before its reform program began.
Without these, it said profit would have been 70 million euros.
Pope Francis has sought to stamp out corruption and other abuses at the Vatican bank, which handles funds for the Catholic Church (photo Bloomberg)
Pope Francis has sought to stamp out corruption and other abuses at the Vatican bank, which handles funds for the Catholic Church.
He pledged to clean up the bank following accusations of money laundering and a lack of due diligence which allowed non-religious, and even crony, businessmen to hold accounts.
Between May 2013 and June 2014, outside experts combed through all the bank’s accounts in what the Vatican said was a “systematic screening of all existing customer records”.
As a result, it said it had terminated 2,600 “dormant” accounts which had seen no activity for a long time, as well as 396 customers who didn’t meet the criteria for doing business with the bank.
It said a further 359 customer accounts which didn’t meet its criteria were in the process of being terminated.
“I repeatedly said that I would proceed with zero tolerance for any suspicious activity. We have carried out our reforms in this spirit,” said the bank’s President, Ernst von Freyberg.
Ernst von Freyberg’s statement came ahead of an announcement on Wednesday which is expected to detail further expected re-structuring at the bank.
Henri Matisse’s painting Odalisque in Red Pants, which was stolen more than a decade ago, has been handed back to the Venezuelan authorities by US officials.
Odalisque in Red Pants was recovered in Miami Beach in an undercover operation two years ago.
An American and a Mexican citizen were both arrested and convicted of theft.
The painting, which used to be on display in a museum in Caracas, was replaced by a fake but the switch took years to discover.
Odalisque in Red Pants was recovered in Miami Beach in an undercover operation two years ago (photo AP)
It was exchanged for a bad copy sometime between 1999 and 2002 but it was not until 2003 that officials at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas realized what had happened.
The original was found by US undercover agents in a hotel room in Miami.
“The work is in extraordinary condition, with only slight imperfections on the edges, but it is fine,” said Joel Espinoza, an official with Venezuela’s attorney general’s office.
Odalisque in Red Pants was flown back and arrived in Venezuela on Monday where it will go on public display in two weeks time.
Painted in 1925, Odalisque in Red Pants has been valued at more than $3 million.
Odalisque in Red Pants was bought by the Venezuelan government from a gallery in New York in 1981.
Samsung Electronics is forecasting a 25% drop in profit for Q2 2014 due to a slowdown in the smartphone market and a strong Korean currency.
It expects to make an operating profit of 7.2 trillion won ($7.1 billion) in the April-to-June period, down from 9.5 trillion won a year ago.
Its operating profit has now fallen for three straight quarters.
Samsung is the world’s biggest maker of mobile phones and the handset division accounts for the bulk of its profits.
The South Korean firm said it “witnessed a slowdown in the overall smartphone market growth and saw increased competition in the Chinese and some European markets” during the period.
Meanwhile, a stronger Korean currency also hurt Samsung’s earnings during the period.
Samsung Electronics is forecasting a 25 percent drop in profit for Q2 2014 due to a slowdown in the smartphone market and a strong Korean currency
The Korean won rose more than 11% against the US dollar and nearly 7% against the euro between July 2013 and end of June this year.
A strengthening currency hurts profits of firms such as Samsung – which rely heavily on exports – when they repatriate their foreign earnings.
Samsung’s growth in recent years has been powered mainly by its mobile phone division.
The success of its Galaxy range of smartphones, coupled with a growing global demand for such gadgets, saw it displace Nokia as the world’s biggest mobile phone maker in 2012.
However, the pace of growth of the smartphone market has been slowing down and the competition in the sector has also increased, forcing manufacturers to cut costs of their devices in an attempt to attract consumers.
Analysts said that profit margins in the sector are likely to fall even further.
Various other smartphone makers including China’s Xiaomi, Huawei and ZTE have been increasing their market share steadily.
For its part, Samsung has said it “cautiously expects a more positive outlook in the third quarter”.
Abdullah Abdullah has claimed victory in the second round of Afghanistan’s presidential race, despite results giving a lead to his rival, Ashraf Ghani.
Addressing supporters in Kabul, Abdullah Abdullah repeated claims that the election process was marred by fraud.
US Secretary of State John Kerry had earlier warned against a power grab, amid reports that Dr. Abdullah Abdullah was planning a “parallel government”.
Meanwhile, a bomb near Kabul has killed 16 people, including four NATO troops.
Ten civilians and two police officers were also reportedly killed in the attack on a clinic near Bagram, home to the largest US base in the country.
Abdullah Abdullah has claimed victory in the second round of Afghanistan’s presidential race, despite results giving a lead to his rival, Ashraf Ghani (photo Reuters)
Abdullah Abdullah told the gathering in Kabul that he would never “accept a fraudulent government”.
“We are the winners of this round of elections, without any doubt,” he said, to cheers from the crowd.
However, Abdullah Abdullah stopped short of declaring a parallel government as his supporters had earlier suggested he might. Instead, he called for a unified country.
“We don’t want civil war, we don’t want a crisis,” he said.
“We want stability, national unity, not division.”
Preliminary results announced on Monday gave Ashraf Ghani 56.44% of votes in the June 14 run-off.
Abdullah Abdullah, who fell just short of an outright majority in the first round, had 43.56%.
Both of them have alleged fraud in the election. Votes are being re-checked at nearly a third of polling stations – more than 7,000.
Correspondents say recounts could significantly alter the final result, due on July 22.
According to an interim report of South Korea’s government, the April 16 sinking of the Sewol ferry was partly due to government negligence and corruption.
The report cited lax regulation, poor safety inspections and a slow and badly-coordinated coast guard response as factors that led to the disaster.
Eleven officials have been referred to prosecutors on corruption charges and dozens more face possible legal action.
The Sewol ferry sinking killed 304 passengers, most of whom were students.
A total of 293 bodies have been recovered and 11 passengers remain unaccounted for. Search operations are still continuing.
The Sewol ferry sinking killed 304 passengers, most of whom were students
The disaster sparked national mourning and intense public criticism of the government.
Two separate trials, one for the ferry’s captain and crew, and another for the head of the ferry operator and other company officials, began last month.
The South Korean government’s audit and inspection board said in its report on Tuesday that the regional port administration had licensed the ferry even though it had been illegally converted, according to state news agency Yonhap.
The ship was found to have been illegally modified so that it could carry more cargo.
The Korean Register of Shipping, which is a body appointed by the government to inspect ships, also did not carry out proper safety check-ups.
The report also said the coast guard missed a crucial period to rescue passengers and botched its rescue operations. The agency failed to maintain proper communication with the ferry and issued ill-matched rescue orders.
Meanwhile the trial of the ferry’s captain and 14 crew members continued on Tuesday in the city of Gwangju, with video evidence from inside the stricken ship shown in court.
Prosecutors have alleged that the more than 300 deaths were avoidable had the crew acted differently. They said they would show footage of a young passenger standing metres from an exit door as the ship sank.
The gallery was packed with parents of victims, who jeered and shouted at the defendants when a video of the captain and crew jumping into a rescue boat was shown, according to agencies.
Oscar Pistorius’ lawyer Barry Roux has said that some witnesses refused to testify at the televised trial of the South African athlete because of the publicity.
They did not want “their voices all over the world”, Barry Roux told the court as his team ended its case.
The court has now adjourned until August 7 for closing arguments.
Oscar Pistorius, 27, denies intentionally killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius’ lawyer Barry Roux has said that some witnesses refused to testify at the televised trial of the South African athlete because of the publicity
The prosecution accuses Oscar Pistorius of deliberately shooting dead Reeva Steenkamp after the pair had an argument.
The trial, which began on March 3, is the first in South Africa to be broadcast live on TV and has attracted intense global attention.
Barry Roux said the defense, which began its presentation on March 28, had no more witnesses to call.
He said he had chosen not to ask Judge Thokozile Masipa to make them appear, the Associated Press news agency reports.
“There’s nothing that we can do about it,” he said.
He did not name the witnesses who had refused to testify.
Both the prosecution and defence teams must submit their written arguments Judge Thokozile Masipa before the trial resumes in August.
She warned that these documents should not be leaked before the arguments were put forward in court.
Japanese authorities have urged hundreds of thousands of people to seek shelter as powerful Typhoon Neoguri passes over Okinawa island chain.
Typhoon Neoguri was due to pass over Okinawa’s main island later on Tuesday, with strong winds and torrential rain.
Forecasters said it generated winds of up to 151 mph and warned of high waves.
Flights have been cancelled and schools shut. Local television footage showed palm trees being tossed by strong wind.
Local authorities urged some 480,000 residents across Okinawa to stay at home or move to community centres for shelter.
Typhoon Neoguri was due to pass over Okinawa’s main island later on Tuesday, with strong winds and torrential rain
Four people, including an 83-year-old woman, were injured and a fisherman was reported missing, government officials said.
“There is a risk of unprecedentedly strong winds and torrential rains. Please refrain from non-essential outdoor activities,” Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) spokesman Satoshi Ebihara told a news conference on Monday night.
More than 50,000 households were reported to be without power, and one oil refinery has halted operations.
Residents have also been bracing themselves for rough weather.
Okinawa, Japan’s southern-most prefecture that comprises several islands, is home to major US bases. Around 26,000 US troops are stationed there under a long-standing security alliance.
Officers have evacuated some aircraft from Kadena Air Base in preparation for Typhoon Neoguri’s arrival.
Urging residents to remain on maximum alert, JMA warned of the possibility that Typhoon Neoguri could move north to Japan’s main island of Honshu.
A blood test to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease is being under development.
Research in more than 1,000 people has identified a set of proteins in the blood which can predict the start of the dementia with 87% accuracy.
The findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, will be used to improve trials for new dementia drugs.
A blood test to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease is being under development (photo Getty Images)
Experts warned that the test was not yet ready for doctors’ surgeries.
Research into treatments for Alzheimer’s disease has been plagued by failure. Between 2002 and 2012, 99.6% of trials aimed at preventing or reversing the disease flopped.
Doctors believe the failure is down to treating patients when it is already too late, since symptoms appear around a decade after the start of the disease.
Identifying patients earlier is one of the priorities for dementia research.
The British research group, which combines university and industry scientists, looked for differences in the blood of 452 healthy people, 220 with mild cognitive impairment and 476 with Alzheimer’s disease.
They were able to tell with 87% accuracy which patients with mild cognitive impairment would go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease in the next year.
President Barack Obama spent his summer vacation in each of the first three years of his presidency at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
The president skipped his annual Vineyard vacation during 2012’s re-election campaign.
According to CBS News White House reporter Mark Knoller, who tracks presidential travel, a numerical look at vacation time taken by Barack Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush, revealed:
Barack Obama has taken 92 days of vacation since he was sworn in, compared to 367 for George W. Bush at the same point in his presidency
14: Number of vacation trips taken by Obama since he took office in January 2009.
92: Number of days, all or in part, Obama has spent on vacation.
57: Number of vacation trips taken by Bush at this same point in his presidency.
50: Number of visits Bush made to his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
323: Number of days, all or in part, Bush spent at the ranch.
7: Number of trips Bush made to his family’s compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.
26: Number of days, all or in part, Bush spent in Maine.
The numbers do not include visits to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
Uber has temporarily cut the price of its cheapest service, UberX, by 20% to match the rate of New York City’s yellow taxis.
The move follows similar price decreases in San Francisco and Boston.
UberX price has been temporally cut to match the rate of New York City’s yellow cabs (photo Wikimedia)
Most analysts see the move as an effort to undercut competitors like Lyft and Hailo, as well as attracting newcomers.
Uber drivers – who are paid around 80% of the total fare – will be forced to accept lower payments as a result.
In a blog post announcing the fare changes, Uber countered: “What we’ve seen in cities across the country is that lower fares mean greater demand, lower pickup times and more trips per hour – increasing earning potential and creating better economics for drivers.”
In June, Uber raised $1.2 billion in capital, in a move which valued the car-sharing service at more than $18 billion.
However, Uber has faced competition from other companies, questions from regulators and angered traditional taxi drivers in cities across the globe, from Berlin to Paris to Madrid.
General Motors is regretting a bad settlement, again.
From the Associated Press:
“For more than a year, a lawsuit filed by Brooke Melton’s family has caused major migraines for General Motors. Litigation over the 29-year-old nurse’s death was settled by GM last October. But not before it laid bare how the company allowed millions of small cars to stay on the road more than a decade after GM discovered ignition-switch flaws linked to at least 13 fatalities.”
The legal team representing the late Ms. Melton and her family is trying to re-open the case due to negligence and a possible cover up by GM.
So upon getting into a serious car accident there are a lot of different concerns at play and most of these are medical and financial. Being unable to perform at work due to serious injury is something that the driver at fault should be liable for. Typically the other driver’s insurance coverage is going to be put forward to cover these costs, but in some situations the insurance company will put up a fight. Being able to receive compensation in a situation like this will help out a great deal in order to make sure life returns to normal. Costs such as physical therapy and other medical bills are all things that are typically covered by the insurance coverage of the other driver.
An attorney will be able to advise an accident victim about what sort of compensation they might be able to receive. Knowing when to settle and when to push forward is the job of an experienced civil litigation attorney, because they will have settled numerous, similar cases in the past. Of course no one knows what the outcome will be should a given case go to trial, and this is where the advice of an attorney can be especially invaluable. Most of the time civil litigation lawsuits involving a car accident are going to be settled out of court, because going to trial opens up the possibility of a larger settlement for the victim. This fact is not lost on the defense, who will find car accident statistics from TennandTenn.com very useful. As the site suggests, just in the state of New Hampshire where the firm operates, car accidents account for over $140 million in lost wages alone; every single year.
Asking several attorney’s to provide you with the most conservative course of action available will help to avoid the dangers of receiving no settlement at all. Of course, there will be certain instances where the other side is not willing to cooperate, and in these situations it could be necessary to go to trial. Going to trial can be very intimidating for some people out there, but if it is the only way to receive compensation, then it could be the last option available. Always make sure to be honest with your attorney prior to going to trial though, because they need to be prepared for any surprises that may occur. A qualified, experienced settlement attorney having an accurate picture of the situation is the best way to give yourself a solid chance at winning after deciding to go to trial.
President Barack Obama has set a new record for travel on the taxpayer dime in 2013, according to Judicial Watch.
The conservative watchdog group obtained travel records from the US Department of the Air Force that show the Obamas racked up $7.4 million during just three trips in 2013 – in flight expenses only.
The records include the Obama family’s Christmas vacation in Hawaii from December 21, 2012, to January 5, 2013. During that stay, Barack Obama took a short break and flew back to Washington to work on a budget deal, then returned for the rest of his vacation.
President Barack Obama has set a new record for travel on the taxpayer dime in 2013 (photo Getty Images)
The second trip was in early August, 2013, when Barack Obama flew to California for a private fundraiser with DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, then appeared with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. Later that month, the Obama family vacationed in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
In August 2013, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit after repeated stonewalling by the White House. The watchdog group reported: “The outbound flight to Honolulu for the Obamas’ 2012-13 Christmas vacation cost taxpayers $2, 214, 393.60. The return flight to Washington cost $1,871,961.60. Flight expenditures alone came to $4,086,355.20.
“The outbound flight to California in August, 2013 for Obama to dine with Katzenberg and appear on the “The Tonight Show” cost taxpayers $1,209,926.40. The return flight to Washington cost $935,980.80. Flight expenditures alone came to $2,145,907.20.
“The outbound flight to Martha’s Vineyard for the Obama family’s August vacation cost taxpayers $890,323.20. The return flight to Washington cost $273,945.60. Flight expenditures alone came to $1,164,268.80.
“The grand total of $7,396,531.20, Judicial Watch pointed out, only accounted for flight expenses for the three trips.”
Germany is planning to tax the millions of foreign drivers who use its roads, including the famous autobahn highway, from 2016 onwards.
Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the levy should raise 2.5 billion euros over four years.
Vehicles will be issued with badges, costing between 10 euros for 10 days and about 100 euros for a year-long permit.
Germany is planning to tax the millions of foreign drivers who use its roads from 2016 onwards (photo Wikipedia)
Critics of the planned toll say it violates EU anti-discrimination laws.
While vehicles registered in Germany will also have to pay the charge, their owners will be compensated by an equivalent reduction in a separate car tax.
Austria and the Netherlands have complained about the planned tax, the AFP news agency reports.
However, Alexander Dobrint has insisted that the law – due to be passed this year – does not violate EU rules against discrimination.
His Christian Social Union party campaigned for a toll in last year’s elections.
The party’s base is in the southern region of Bavaria, where residents have long complained of having to pay to use roads in neighboring Austria and Switzerland, while motorists from those countries pay nothing to drive in Germany.
According to French prosecutors, a Swiss helicopter company is at the centre of an inquiry into attempts to sell Michael Schumacher’s medical file, reports say.
Michael Schumacher, 45, was moved on June 16 from a French hospital to a hospital in Lausanne in Switzerland.
Although the former F1 champion was transferred by road, initial contact was reportedly made with the helicopter company.
Michael Schumacher suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident last December and has come out of a medically-induced coma.
Michael Schumacher suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident last December and has come out of a medically-induced coma (photo AFP)
His manager, Sabine Kehm, said last month that his medical files had been “clearly stolen” and were being offered for sale. She warned that criminal charges would be pressed if such “confidential files” were bought or published.
The medical records, said to consist of a few pages written by his doctors in the French city of Grenoble, were apparently being offered for sale to media across Europe for 50,000 euros ($68,000).
Now French and Swiss media say the prosecutor in Grenoble is looking at a computer whose IP address has been traced to a Swiss helicopter company, which was sent the medical files while the ex-champion’s doctors were considering how to transport him to Lausanne.
The latest development emerged in French newspaper Le Dauphine Libere, and Swiss media said it had been confirmed by the prosecutor in Grenoble.
Suspicions had initially fallen on the hospital in Grenoble and the ambulance team which eventually drove him across the border.
According to the Grenoble prosecutor, the computer was traced back to a helicopter company in the Swiss canton of Zurich. The company’s name has not been made public.
The file had been sent to a doctor at the company, although there was nothing to link the doctor to the alleged offence.
The news emerged last month when German newspaper Bild said it had received an email offering the medical files for sale. Swiss, French and UK tabloid newspapers were also said to have been approached.
The Grenoble prosecutor said the handful of pages of the medical file sent appeared to date back to late May, and referred not to Michael Schumacher but a pseudonym, Jeremy Martin.
It is thought the latest findings of the French inquiry will now be handed to the authorities in Switzerland.
Michael Schumacher’s family has said very little about his medical progress, preferring to avoid the gaze of the international media.
However, the Swiss media reported on Monday that Michael Schumacher’s wife Corinna had posed smiling for photographs at the weekend while visiting a horse ranch given to her by her husband.
Ashraf Ghani is leading the Afghan presidential race, according to preliminary results.
The former finance minister won 56.44% of votes cast in the June 14 second round, the Afghan election commission said.
Ashraf Ghani is leading the Afghan presidential race after preliminary results
Ashraf Ghani’s opponent Abdullah Abdullah had 43.56%, the commission said.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah led after the first round and has alleged widespread fraud in the run-off. Votes are being re-checked at thousands of polling stations.
The vote comes during a critical year for Afghanistan. Most foreign troops are due to withdraw by the end of 2014.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah pulled out of Afghanistan’s 2009 presidential election which was also marred by claims of mass fraud.
Pink Floyd will release The Endless River, an album of never-before-heard material in October, lyricist Polly Samson has revealed.
The Endless River will be based on sessions for Pink Floyd’s last studio album, The Division Bell, which was released 20 years ago.
The music will feature multi-instrumentalist Rick Wright, a founder member of Pink Floyd, who died in 2008.
Writing on Twitter, Polly Samson called the record “Rick Wright’s swansong” and described it as “very beautiful”.
The Endless River will be based on sessions for Pink Floyd’s last studio album, The Division Bell
The writer, who is married to Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour, previously contributed lyrics to The Division Bell and Gilmour’s solo album On An Island.
Backing singer Durga McBroom-Hudson, who has toured with Dave Gilmour and Pink Floyd, subsequently confirmed the new album on Facebook.
“Yes, there is a new Pink Floyd album coming out and I’m on it!” she wrote, posting a photo of the recording sessions.
Prompted for more information by fans, Durga McBroom-Hudson revealed that The Endless River consisted of “all unreleased songs” that had originally been planned for a side project called “The Big Spliff”.
“It was originally to be a completely instrumental recording, but I came in last December and sang on a few tracks,” she said.
“David then expanded on my backing vocals and has done a lead on at least one of them.”
“I don’t know if there will be a tour or not yet,” she added.
“Stay tuned.”
Pink Floyd, who has sold 250 million albums, last performed at the Live 8 concert in London in 2005.
The new Pink Floyd album will be released separately from a 20th anniversary, six-disc box set of The Division Bell, which came out last week.
