The FDA announced a recall today for cantaloupes from Jensen Farms, after the Colorado company confirmed that one of its Rocky Ford melons had tested positive for the bacterium Listeria.
A Jensen Farms spokeswoman said today that more tests would be needed to determine whether the strain found in its produce was linked to two confirmed deaths and 16 cases of listeriosis, a potentially deadly infection, The Associated Press reported.
FDA recalls Jansen Farms cantaloupe
Amy Philpott, Jensen Farms representative said the farm had shipped more than 300,000 cases across the U.S. between July 29 and September 10 and has recalled the entire harvest.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it was the first Listeria outbreak tied to cantaloupe in the U.S.
The listeriosis cases have been reported in five states and Colorado authorities have told retailers to remove Jensen Farms’ cantaloupes from the shelves.
It was also reported that a couple from Denver was expected to file the first lawsuit related to the listeriosis outbreak after the husband ate a Jensen cantaloupe and got sick. The man tested positive for listeriosis and remains hospitalized.
“Jensen Farms continues to stay committed to the highest levels of food safety and maintains many third party safety audits, as we have for many years. We continually look for ways to enhance our protocol,” said Ryan Jensen, partner at Jensen Farms.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 14, 2011 – Jensen Farms, of Holly, CO is voluntarily recalling their shipments of Rocky Ford whole cantaloupe because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria. The company is working with the State of Colorado and the FDA to inform consumers of this recall. L. monocytogenes is a bacterium that can contaminate foods and cause a mild non-invasive illness (called listerial gastroenteritis) or a severe, sometimes life-threatening, illness (called invasive listeriosis). Persons who have the greatest risk of experiencing listeriosis after consuming foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are fetuses and neonates who are infected after the mother is exposed to L. monocytogenes during pregnancy, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.
The whole cantaloupes in question were shipped between July 29th, 2011 and September 10th 2011, and distributed to the following states: IL, WY, TN, UT, TX, CO, MN, KS, NM, NC, MO, NE, OK, AZ, NJ, NY, PA. The whole cantaloupes have a green and white sticker that reads: Product of USA- Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford-Cantaloupe or a gray, yellow, and green sticker that reads: Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords. If the whole cantaloupe is unlabeled, please contact your retail store for sourcing information. Jensen Farms is requesting any consumer that many have one of these cantaloupes to please destroy the products.
The recall involves only whole cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms, and no other commodities are involved. Jensen Farms feels it is prudent to participate in the recall as the State of Colorado has stated (in their September 12th, 2011 press release) that people at a high risk for infection should not eat whole cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford growing region.
“Jensen Farms continues to stay committed to the highest levels of food safety and maintains many third party safety audits, as we have for many years. We continually look for ways to enhance our protocol,” said Ryan Jensen, partner at Jensen Farms. Jensen Farms is a 3rd generation family farm of the Holly, Colorado community.
Consumers with questions may contact Jensen Farms via email at [email protected] or phone 1-800-267-4561 between the hours of 9am and 4pm MST.
Kweku Adoboli is the suspected rogue trader who was arrested in London at early hours today on suspicion of losing $2 billion of UBS, the major investment Swiss bank group.
Ghanaian Kweku Adoboli, 31, was detained on suspicion of committing fraud while working at Swiss bank UBS, after police raided his home at 3.30am.
After the raid UBS shares fell by 8%, as the bank warned that the unauthorized trading could tip the firm into a third-quarter loss.
Kweku Adoboli, the rogue trader arrested in London for $2 bn UBS losses (Facebook image)
UBS CEO, Oswald Gruebel sent a memo to UBS staff yesterday that the rogue deals had been discovered within the past 24 hours.
Gruebel told staff:
“We regret to inform you that yesterday we uncovered a case of unauthorised trading by a trader in the Investment Bank. We have reported it to the markets in line with regulatory disclosure obligations.
“The matter is still being investigated, but we currently estimate the loss on the trades to be around 2 billion US dollars.”
Oswald Gruebel vowed to “establish exactly what has happened” and underscored that “no client positions were affected”.
The UBS CEO urged staff to remain focused on their clients as the investigation continues.
“We want to reassure you that we, together with the rest of the management, are working closely with the Investment Bank’s management and risk and controlling to get to the bottom of the matter as quickly as possible, and will spare no effort to establish exactly what has happened. We will keep you updated on the progress of our investigation.”
Trader Kweku Adoboli worked at the UBS’ headquarters in the very heart of London’s finance district.
UBS has around 65,000 employees worldwide, but it said the bank has recently reduced its staff by 3,500 as part of a bid to save $2.3 billion by the end of 2013.
The cuts came as it said pre-tax profits dropped 23% on the previous quarter to $2 billion at the end of June.
As well as the economic downturn, UBS said regulatory changes such as the Basel rules, which require the bank to hold more capital, were behind the need for the cost reductions.
Despite being one of the biggest wealth managers in the world, UBS has a chequered recent history.
In 2008, UBS was rescued by the Swiss state following huge losses on toxic assets held by its investment bank.
The bank then became embroiled in a serious tax evasion dispute with US authorities and was forced to hand over 300 client names and pay a $780 million fine. There was then a second case in which bank agreed to hand over data on 4,450 American clients.
A restructuring then saw UBS launch a multi-million dollars advertising campaign which used the slogan ‘we will not rest’.
UBS Investment Bank’s offices in Stamford, Connecticut boasts the largest trading floor in the world – it is the size of two American football pitches, and sees more than $1 trillion in assets traded every day.
The outbreak of listeriosis, an illness caused by the food-borne pathogen Listeria, has killed 5 people and sickened many others across at least six states in US following the consumption of cantaloupe.
Three of the five deaths that have been attributed to Listeria contamination were in New Mexico, and people in Colorado, Texas and Nebraska were also infected following the consumption of cantaloupe.
Rocky Ford cantaloupe is the likely culprit of Listeria infection
Listeria infection is generally contracted from deli meats and hot dogs, and can result from consumption of dairy as well.
The higher risk of Listeria infection is among the elderly, small children, people with compromised immune systems and particularly pregnant women, who risk a miscarriage or stillbirth from exposure to the pathogen.
A person who comes down with Listeria infection usually experiences fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and confusion. The infection almost always spreads to the gastrointestinal tract, but can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.
Two of the five deaths, which have been related to Listeria infection, occurred in Colorado, and public health officials believe they may have traced the outbreak to “cantaloupe from the famed Rocky Ford area” as the “likely culprit” of the severe illnesses and deaths.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a cantaloupe warning after 16 cases of a strain of Listeria were reported in five states, including 11 from Colorado, two from Texas, and one each from Indiana, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
The agency said it was the first Listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupe in the United States. The US Food & Drug Administration said it had not recalled the cantaloupes while it worked to locate the source.
Most FDA recalls are voluntary, but since January 2011, the FDA now has the authority to require a recall through the Food Safety Modernization Act.
For a recall to be ordered or requested, FDA must identify products involved and have at least some evidence that there is a “reasonable probability that an article of food … will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.”
“Both FDA and state public health officials have collected product and environmental samples,” the FDA said in the statement. “Laboratory testing is under way.”
Rocky Ford cantaloupes, named for a region along the old Santa Fe Trail about 130 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of Denver, are prized for their above-average sugar content.
Dr. Chris Urbina, director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, commented on the investigation into the Listeria outbreak:
“People at high risk for listeria infection should not eat cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford growing region… The department expects additional test results later this week that may help identify the specific source of the cantaloupe linked to the multistate outbreak.”
According to officials, general recommendations for avoiding Listeria infection include heating deli meats and hot dogs to steaming hot, and avoiding soft cheeses. In the particular case of the Listeria outbreak affected states, they are cautioning residents to refrigerate cut melon as well as to discard any melon that has remained at room temperature for more than 4 hours.
Britain is facing the second day of storms as the remnants of Hurricane Katia continue to batter vast swathes of the country today.
Severe weather warnings have been issued for Scotland and northern England, with winds expected to reach 60 mph (100 km/h) later in the day.
Power outages, falling masonry, downed trees and transport chaos struck as gales reached 82 mph (130 km/h) in Wales and north of England, reviving memories of the Great Storm of 1987.
Severe weather warnings have been issued for Scotland and northern England, with winds expected to reach 60 mph (100 kmh) later in the day
A yellow alert – the second-highest of four warning levels – had been issued by the Met Office for much of the country as roads were closed and ferry services cancelled.
Ten flood warnings were issued as waves and high tides threatened to overwhelm coastal defences in the North East and southern Scotland.
Thousands of homes, shops and businesses across central England were blacked out for hours as wind speeds of more than 50 mph (80 km/h) damaged an overhead power line. Central Networks said 2,000 homes in Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire were left without electricity.
Tour of Britain cycle race was cancelled over safety fears.
The remnants of Hurricane Katia hit Britain yesterday morning, bringing the worst storms since the remnants of Hurricane Lili wreaked havoc in 1996.
Met Office forecaster Sarah Holland said today:
“Winds will reach 60mph in exposed areas of northern England and southern Scotland with 50mph inland, and about 30-40mph in the Midlands.
“High tides and the full moon mean there is a higher risk of tidal flooding.”
The Environment Agency issued nine flood alerts on Monday for the north-west coast from Morecambe Bay in Cumbria down to Blackpool, North Wales and Anglesey, and one for the north-east coast at Bridlington in Yorkshire.
The blustery conditions will tail off in the Midlands and south of England by Wednesday and across the whole country by Thursday.
The storm caused havoc for passenger aircraft attempting to land at England’s highest airport, Leeds Bradford International Airport in Yorkshire.
A Ryanair jet was forced to abort its landing after being blown sideways across the runway, while a Flybe jet managed to touchdown safely despite heavy winds interfering with its flight path.
Ports around Britain have been battered by huge waves leading to the cancellation of ferries while trees have been uprooted, causing damage to cars and houses.
Increasing wind speeds as the hurricane approached forced the cancellation of high speed ferries to France from Portsmouth.
The transportation company, Brittany Ferries said it was scrapping its high speed ferries on two crossings scheduled from Portsmouth to Cherbourg yesterday.
Safety regulations state that when waves reach a height of 10 feet (3 meters) or more the high speed crossings must not go ahead
Although the Hurricane Katia has been downgraded, it still appears to create the worst storms since 1996, when Hurricane Lili brought 90 mph (about 150 km/h) winds to these shores.
A new drug derived from autumn crocus extracts could wipe out tumors in a single treatment with minimal side effects, according to University of Bradford researchers in UK.
The British researchers from University of Bradford have turned a chemical found in crocuses into a “smart bomb” that targets cancerous tumors.
The most important fact is that healthy tissue is unharmed, reducing the odds of debilitating side effects.
Unlike other side effect-free products, the new drug is able to kill off more than one type of the disease, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung and bowel cancer.
The miraculous drug is based on colchicine, an extract from the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), known also as meadow saffran
Potentially, all solid tumors could be vulnerable to drugs developed this way, meaning it could be used against all but blood cancers.
In some tests of the drug, half of tumors vanished completely after a single injection and the results will be presented at the British Science Festival this week.
The miraculous drug is based on colchicine, an extract from the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), known also as meadow saffran, and is at an early stage of development, being so far tested only on mice.
But the University of Bradford researchers are optimistic about drug’s potential in humans.
Professor Laurence Patterson said:
“What we have designed is effectively a <<smart bomb>> that can be triggered directly at any solid tumour without appearing to harm healthy tissue.
“If all goes well, we would hope to see these drugs used as part of a combination of therapies to treat and manage cancer.”
Colchicine has long been known to have anti-cancer properties but has been considered too toxic for use in the human body.
To solve this issue, the specialists attached a chemical “tail” to the substance, deactivating it until it reaches the cancer.
Once colchicine reaches the target, the tail is cut off by an enzyme called MMP (Matrix metalloproteinase involved in cell proliferation), which is found in tumors.
Once the tail is removed, the drug is activated, which then attacks and breaks down the blood vessels supplying the tumors with oxygen and nutrients.
Cancerous tumors use the blood supply to spread around the body and it is hoped that the treatment, called ICT2588, will also combat this.
The first tests on humans could start in as little as 18 months.
If the treatment will be successful, the drug could be on the market in 6 to 7 years.
A British tourist was murdered and his wife was kidnapped by pirates during their stay at an exclusive Kenyan beach resort.
The British couple, David and Judith Tebbutt, was attacked on Saturday late in the night by a gang carrying guns within hours of arriving in a beach cottage close to the border with lawless Somalia.
The attackers arrived at the private resort by speedboat and stormed into the couple’s secluded hut, which had just a piece of cloth as the door, and demanded all their money.
One of the Kiwayu Safari Village's exclusive bungalows, where David Tebbutt was killed and Judith Tebbutt kidnapped
David Tebbutt, 56, finance director of publishers Faber and Faber, was presumed to try to stop the gang but he died eventually from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
The assailants then forced Judith Tebbutt, 56, into the motorboat and locals reported that they sped off north in the direction of Somalia.
David Tebbutt, 56, finance director of publishers Faber and Faber, died from a single gunshot wound to the chest
Helicopters, speed boats and a spotter plane deployed in the search of the British woman, but no sightings of her have been reported.
On Sunday, there were suggestions Judith Tebbutt had been taken by an Islamist group Harakat al-Shabab al Mujahideen, an extremist group based in Somalia, according to The Guardian.
If Somali pirates are to blame, it would be the first time they had moved on to land to capture western hostages in what, at sea, has become a lucrative multi-million pound business in ransom demands.
All the other hostages – including British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler – have been taken during raids on ships and yachts in the Indian Ocean.
The FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) confirmed yesterday it has sent a team from Nairobi to work with Kenyan authorities to secure Judith Tebbutt’s release.
According to Kenyan police commissioner Matthew Iteere, who revealed the identity of the couple:
“So far we are treating it as a bandit attack. We’ve not received any hint pointing at a terror group.
“The gunmen gained entry very easily because only a piece of cloth was used in the place of the door at their cottage. They may contact us demanding a ransom. Maybe they are from Somalia but we cannot be certain.”
The British couple is believed to have travelled to the Kenyan coast for the second part of a two-leg trip which had earlier seen them enjoy a safari in the Masai Mara game reserve.
David and Judith Tebbutt are from Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire and have a 25-year-old son.
The couple had only checked into the Kiwayu Safari Village resort, near the island of Lamu, in the same day at 4:00 p.m.
They were the only tourists at the resort that boasts around-the-clock security with 21 guards who patrol alongside six police officers.
Kiwayu Safari Village resort has a total of 18 bungalows are spread out over a mile of beach. The price for a bungalow is £600 a night in September – the off-season, but the cost is nearer to £900 a night during the December peak season.
Mick Jagger, actress Imelda Staunton and artist Tracey Emin have stayed in the bungalows and it had been also considered by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for their honeymoon.
Despite its setting near a national reserve, the resort is barely outside the safety zone from the Somali border recommended by the Foreign Office.
A statement posted on the FCO travel advice website said:
“We continue to advise against all but essential travel to within 30 kilometres of Kenya’s border with Somalia. There have been previous attacks by Somali militia into Kenya. Three aid workers were kidnapped in July 2009, and two western nuns in November 2008.”
Beautytek claims to reshape bodies for both men and women
A non-invasive technique, Beautytek,claims to reshape, lift and tone over nine areas of the body.
Practitioners said Beautytek can lift breasts by up to five centimeters, flatten stomachs, lift buttocks and thighs, smooth out cellulite, reduce acne, scarring, wrinkles and stretchmarks.
The treatment seems to be pain free, without side effects. After twelve sessions one’s appearance is change and with one to two top up treatments each year, the results last a lifetime, it is said. Without annual treatment, the effects last only several months.
“Beautytek triggers the body’s natural chemicals to encourage anti-aging of the skin to take place.There is nothing artificial or chemical about the device which makes it an entirely drug-free treatment without the need for surgery.” Said Henning Buscher who helped develop Beautytek.
Beautytek combines ancient Chinese principles of acupressure (certain points of the body are stimulated to adjust energy flow) with modern technology.
This technique could balance the organiwsm by stimulating the lymphatic system blood circulation, hormonal release, and metabolism.
The practitioners said the human body has its own electro-magnetic field and they think fatigue, weight problems and skin complaints (spots, wrinkles) are caused by inefficient electrical flow.
A computer analyzes one’s electro-magnetic field and if the electrical current is slow, the computer stimulates certain acupressure – or energy – points with mild electrical pulses.This triggers movement of fluid between skin cells and “push out” fat from cells. The excess fat passes along the lymphatic drainage system towards the kidney and it is eliminated from the organism through urine. The blood circulation is increased on the stimulated areas and tone the muscles. Beautytek also triggers the endocrine system into releasing the correct amount of hormones. The combined effects boosts natural collagen production of skin cells. A session takes around 45 minutes and the need to urinate may occur during it.
Every adult can undergo a Beautytek treatment except pregnant women and people with pacemakers, said the practitioners. However, it is better to get medical exam and a consult from the GP before the treatment.
Dr Horst Frank, a dermatologist from Frankfurt, Germany, has monitorised 150 patients over a year in his clinic and the patients report their treatment was 90 per cent successful.
In the same time the dermatologists warn that there’s no proving that Beautytek works until double blind clinical trials have been completed.
“I’m not aware of any reason why people shouldn’t use the method, but unless there is reasonable data to prove that the claims work, I can’t endorse the treatment.” said Dr Neil Walker, a dermatologist at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.
Iniatially Beautytek was designed as a device to treat pain in hospitals, then the technique was developed in Italy in 2000 for cosmetic purposes. Beautytek has been used in over 30 countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Austria, US, Canada, China, UK.
A surfer has been killed today in a horrifying shark attack near a crowded beach in Western Australia.
Eyewitnesses said the shark – believed to be a great white – came up beneath him, grabbed the young man (aged in his early 20s) and pulled him below the surface.
The surfer, who has yet to be named, was riding on a bodyboard – a cut-down version of a surfboard – when the shark attack occurred near Cape Naturaliste in the south west of Western Australia.
The victim was frolicking with a group of five friends off popular Bunkers Beach when the shark struck.
The young surfer was bitten in two by the shark, which had grabbed him from the waist down.
An eyewitness, Kurt Morris, who was having lunch at the Bunker Bay Cafe with his family when shark attack happened, said he had been told by the victim’s friends that he had been torn apart.
“They were saying they were just two meters away from him,” Morris said.
“From the waist down, it was all gone.”
“Surfers were sprinting out of the water to their cars, driving to nearby surfing breaks to let others know of the shark.”
“It was about 50 metres from the shore. No-one is going back in the water.”
Hamish McLeay, Bunkers Beach Café’s manager, said the water was full of people when the attack happened.
“There were at least another 20 people in the water but it seemed that no-one had seen the shark lurking about,” McLeay said.
“There’s a big seal colony around the coast and the shark might have mistaken the young man for one of the seals – it’s been known to happen.”
Police spokesman Graham Clifford said officers believed they knew who the dead man was, but it has not been revealed whether his body has been found.
“The person was body-boarding at the time with a mate and also three or four to five others were in the water at the time but unfortunately he was taken from the lower part of the body,” Clifford said.
Police confirmed that the man had been torn in half and the lower half of the man’s body had been ripped away.
“He was bodyboarding with about four or five of his mates when he was taken out of the group.
“He’s lost the lower half of his body and he’s deceased.”
Friends of the victim have told police that the young surfer had been staying in the popular wine-growing area of Margaret River. The young man is believed to have been on holiday from the east of Australia.
The shark attack occurred near a popular surfing area known as The Boneyards, near Bunker Bay.
Distribution of white shark worldwide
According to police, the victim had been positively identified but his name would not be released until his family had been informed.
Enrique Hillman, a surf shop owner told W.A.Today that a sombre mood had spread across the south-west region following the tragedy.
Hillman also agreed with local people that the shark had probably been attracted to the area by seals that were known to inhabit the area.
“There’s a seal colony just next to the lighthouse – there’s a channel the seals use along there.”
Hillman believed it was strange that the shark had attacked in the middle of the day, pointing out that they usually occurred early in the morning or at dusk.
According to the locals, it was the first major shark attack they could recall in the area, which is a popular surfing and fishing spot.
But local people said it was known that sharks prowled the waters and there was also the added danger of powerful undersea currents.
Australian Shark Attack File said there have been 13 other fatal shark attacks around the continent since 2002.
Today’s tragedy on the Australian beach was the second this year – in February an abalone diver was killed when he was attacked by two sharks, believed to be great whites, in Coffin Bay, South Australia.
Not all attacks have been by great whites. In January 2006, Sarah Whiley, 21, was mauled by three bull sharks while swimming in waist-deep water at Amity Point off Queensland’s North Stradbroke Island.
In July 2004 a bronze whaler is believed to have been involved in an attack that killed Brad Smith, 29, in the south west of Western Australia.
Read below for his comments on the HP TouchPad ressurection
Before I share, let me first say thank you for enthusiasm for this product. Since we announced the price drop, the number of inquiries about the product and the speed at which it disappeared from inventory has been stunning. I think it’s safe to say we were pleasantly surprised by the response.
HP TouchPad Tablet
Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand. We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many we’ll get, and we can’t promise we’ll have enough for everyone. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase. See more information in the updated FAQs below.
Bryna (@BrynaatHP) and I (@MarkatHP) will update you here and on Twitter on the status of the new batch of systems. Please continue to share your thoughts and questions with us. Although we can’t respond to every one directly, we are sharing your feedback with teams inside HP.
Please note that many of the questions below address concern about orders previously placed on our HP Home & Home Office and HP Small & Medium Business online stores. It’s important to note that these are separate stores with slightly different procedures. We also know that we’re sparse on information about availability outside the US. We will share updates on regional availability as the information comes in.
Updated TouchPad Availability & Pricing…
Q: When is HP getting more HP TouchPads? One week, two weeks, a month?
A limited supply are coming and it will be a few weeks before they are available. As we know more about how, when, and where TouchPads will be available, we will communicate that here and through email to those who requested notification. We can tell you that HP’s Small and Medium Business team has sold out of HP TouchPads and will not have more inventory.
Q: Can you comment on whether HP had to manufacture more to meet the recent demand?
HP will be manufacturing a limited quantity of TouchPads with webOS during our fourth fiscal quarter 2011, which ends October 31.
Q: Will HP continue to make more TouchPads with webOS to meet the demand?
HP is discontinuing the development of webOS devices and is winding down device operations within our fourth fiscal quarter 2011.
Q: Will the notification/alert emails go out all at once so everyone has a fair shot?
All those who requested notification have been notified today that more are coming in the future, and will be notified again when more specifics are known.
Q: How does HP plan to address disappointed customers?
All those who requested notification have received a one-time exclusive offer along with their email as our thanks for their patience and loyalty throughout this situation.
Q: What about retailers? Some retailers won’t price match or drop their price to $99.
Each retailer will manage their own policy and process regarding pricing and price matching. Please contact the local retailer of your choice to see what their current position is.
Q: Please limit stock to 1 per person: some people are getting 20 and then selling them on craigslist and eBay for a major profit.
If more inventory is available in the future, there will be an order limit.
Q: What if you already own a TouchPad but want to get $99 pricing?
Please contact the retailer or the specific HP store where you originally purchased for their policy on this question.
Q: What about other regions, such as hp.ca, etc.?
At this time, other regions have limited to no inventory available. Please check with your chosen retailer or your local hp.com web site for more information.
Q: Any news on discounted TouchPad accessories or Pre2 or Veer phones or accessories?
Limited inventory remains on TouchPad and smartphone accessories. Please visit HP Home & Home Office or your chosen retailer for current availability as this situation is changing rapidly.
Information about Online Orders…
Q: What does ‘your order has been captured’ mean?
If you received this message when placing an order, it means the order itself was captured. Because of the fast pace of orders being received, that order may not have been fulfilled once processed. If it was not you should have received a cancelation notice.
Q: The website had issues, so I couldn’t place an order. Can I still order a TouchPad?
More information will be available in the next few days about whether HP’s Home & Home Office Store will have more units available in the future or not. HP’s Small and Medium Business team has sold out of HP TouchPads.
Q: Does my TouchPad order qualify for free shipping?
No other discounts or promotions can be applied to the TouchPad promotion. However, because a Free Shipping offer was on the website for a portion of the promotional period and some customers received Free Shipping as a result, we are waiving ground shipping charges for all customers who ordered the TouchPad after the reduced promotional pricing was announced on Saturday August 20. Ground shipping charges are being manually removed from all orders that had ground shipping. However, for those orders that have already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied for the standard ground freight charges and a revised invoice sent.
Regretfully, expedited shipping is not available on the TouchPad promotion orders. If you requested and were charged for expedited shipping, you will receive a credit for those charges. If your order has already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied and a revised invoice sent.
Q: Can I use an eCoupon or HP corporate discount to my TouchPad order?
No other discounts or promotions can be applied with the TouchPad promotion.
Q: What if your order status says approved but you haven’t received an email yet?
You should have received either an email confirming your order, or an email canceling your order if we were unable to fulfill it. If you received no follow-up emails after placing your order online, please contact us at www.hpdirect.com/shop/liveassistance
Q: Can I return my HP TouchPad?
No. Any HP TouchPad purchased at the price promotion of $99 and $149 is not eligible for a return.
If you are having technical difficulties with your product or it was damaged during deliver, please contact HP Technical Support at 1-800-474-6836.
Q: What is the process for withdrawing my cancel request?
Unfortunately, if you requested to have your TouchPad order canceled, it is already in process and cannot be stopped. We are not able to reprocess the order due to lack of TouchPad inventory.
More Information about Online Orders from HP’s Home & Home Office store…
Q: I placed my order online with HP’s Home & Home Office Store. How can I check the status of my order from HP?
For Home & Home Office customers you can check your order status here. Once you follow the steps to either enter order number and phone number or sign into the site, you will be shown your order status:
If it shows Shipped, then your order has already shipped.
If it shows Item being processed, then your order is in queue to be shipped and all shipments should be complete by Wednesday August 24, 2011.
If it shows Order Pending, then your order is in review and we ask you to please check your order status again the next business day.
For all other order statuses, please contact our call center at 1-888-476-3988.
Q: Why was my order canceled from HP Home & Home Office Store?
Because of the fast pace of order volume over the weekend, some customers placed orders which we were unable to fulfill. Those customers received cancelation emails informing them that we were unable to fulfill their order and that their credit would appear on their bank statements within 3-5 business days. If you have not received an email notification and are still uncertain, please visit www.hpdirect.com/shop/liveassistance for more details.
More Information about Online Orders from HP’s Small & Medium Business store…
Q: I ordered from the HP SMB Store during the promotion but the discounted price was not reflected in my cart/order confirmation page/invoice. Is HP honoring the discount price?
Yes, some of our SMB customers may have experienced a pricing error while purchasing on August 20th and 21st. We are in the process of ensuring every order is honored at the discounted price. Most orders are being manually updated to reflect accurate pricing, prior to invoicing being sent. However, for those orders that have already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied for the difference and a revised invoice sent.
Q: I placed my order online with HP’s SMB Store. How do I confirm that it was received?
For orders placed after 4am CT on Monday 22nd August, US SMB had already sold out of HP TouchPad. We are unable to fulfill these orders and they have been cancelled. If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card, no actual charges have been made and this reserve hold will be released now that the order has been cancelled.
If you placed an order prior to 4am CT Monday, August 22, we are working through the large volume of orders, verifying payment details and seeking to source inventory for fulfillment. This process is taking longer than first anticipated. At this time, we cannot guarantee supply to all these orders but are working to supply as many orders as possible.If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card and your order cannot be fulfilled, no actual charges have been made, and this reserve hold will be released if the order is cancelled.
You can check your order status here. If your order is not recognized, please check your order status again the next business day.When inventory has been allocated the status will change to “shipped.” Please note that planned ship and delivery dates on the order status page are not accurate for TouchPad orders. You can only be certain that we have identified a unit to fulfill your order once the order status shows a shipment tracking number.
Q: Why was my order canceled from HP Small & Medium Business Store?
If you placed an order for a HP TouchPad on Monday, August 22nd – Wednesday, August 24th this was after a Sold Out message was posted on our webstore. All of these orders are being cancelled. If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card, no actual charges have been made and this reserve hold will be released as soon as the order is canceled.
There are several reasons that your order would have been canceled if you placed it on Saturday, August 20th or Sunday, August 21st, such as a duplicate order found or billing issues on the account. If you believe your order was canceled in error, please contact an HP Customer Service Representative at 1-866-625-0242 (Dial option #3) or via Email Customer Service option who will be happy to assist you. Please be aware that we are experiencing significant call volumes with extended wait times, so we ask for your patience.
On Monday, August 29, a knife attack, with eight children stabbed, occurred at a daycare center for migrants in suburban Minhang district of Shanghai.
The children stabbed at a daycare center in eastern China were taken to the hospital
The children were taken to the hospital for medical care. One was relatively severely injured and four had mild wounds, but none of the children suffered life-threatening injuries, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The kids were slashed by a woman who works at that daycare center, possibly a teacher. She was arrested and the police began the investigation, said Zhuang Liqiang of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau. He added no further details.
Apparentely the woman had a “psychotic episode”, said Xinhua News Agency and local reports. “The teacher is bad” said the mother of a child who was attacked.
Lots of adults and children died or were hurt in recent years in Chinese schools, nurseries and other public places. This led to an increasing security in schools and nurseries.
The Minhang district of Shanghai has a lot of migrant workers. The children of migrant workers are not usually qualified to attend city public schools and their parents cannot afford to pay the fees for private facilities. There are ten millions of people who work in the cities, far from their rural homes. Their children remain unsupervised or in grandparents care.
Because of safety concerns there were local moves that closed the informal schools and nurseries. Without these facilities to cater for migrant families, the migrant persons have a bigger problem with children care.
Shanghai’s Dragon TV showed children’s clothing at the hospital covered with blood. Doctors said they had to cut off the clothes quickly to treat the children’s injuries.
On Augus 27 is the 82th birthday anniversary of Ira Levin, mystery and suspense writer, dramatist and songwriter, awarded with The Grand Masters Award by the Mystery Writers of America in 2003.
Ira Levin‘s work generated a worldwide interest and inspired lots of famous movies. Rosemary’s Baby (the best known novel), A Kiss Before Dying (Edgar Allan Poe Award), The Boys from Brazil, The Stepford Wives, Sliver, Deathtrap (the best known play), This Perfect Day (Prometheus Hall of Fame Award) are among his writings.
Ira Levin became early attracted by mystery and writing.
When he was twelve Ira Levin was fascinated by the magicians of Tannen’s Magic Shop in Times Square and he learned about concealing reality behind illusion. He liked detective stories and had a collection of mystery books. Anagrams played major roles in Rosemarys’s Baby and Son of Rosemary. Ira Levin continued the tradition of using the transposition of letters (Lon Chaney Jr. in Son of Dracula) and basics of cryptology (Poe in The Gold Bug).
Ira Levin said he had considered being a writer from the time he was fourteen or fifteen years old. “Before that I wanted to be a magazine illustrator – I probably would have painted Gothic scenes.”
He was accused thinking ahead to the movie script while writing. He denied saying he is a playwright at heart.
Ira Levin's "Stepford Wives" entered the common vocabulary
Ira Levin‘s first novel, A Kiss Before Dying (1953) won the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America as the year’s best first mystery.
The Underground Gourmet published in 1954 was adapted for TV and appeared on G.E. Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan.
Rosemary’s Baby (horror, 1967) was a best-seller (over 5 million paperback copies in the U.S.) and it was translated into lots of languages. It became a horror classic and a milestone. It was followed by books and movies about Satan (The Omen, The Exorcist and others). Ira Levin felt somehow responsible for the rise in Christian Fundamentalism, but “I didn’t send back any of the royalty checks,” he said.
Ira Levin read Future Shock (Alvin Toffler, 1970) and was fascinated by its references to domestic robots. The animated figures in the Hall of Presidents at Disneyland also enchanted him. In this way The Stepford Wives (satirical thriller, 1972) emerged. It tells about men’s desires. The way they found to fulfilled them was considered insulting by Women’s Lib Movement. The word Stepford entered the common vocabulary, with meanings from someone who allow his/her role in society to be dictated to someone resembling an automaton, someone conformist, submissive, or unemotional, mechanical.
This Perfect Day (heroic science fiction, 1970) was often compared with Brave New World (Aldous Huxley), and 1984 (George Orwell). Generally, Ira Levin just tells the story without making any judgements regarding the basic state of the human race, but in this novel he talks about absolute control over the human emotions and desires.
Ira Levin saw an article on cloning that included a picture of Adolf Hitler and that was the beginning of The Boys From Brazil (thriller, 1976).
Three of his mystery novels begin with similar facts: Rosemary Woodhouse is sure she would enjoy living at the Bramford (Rosemary’s Baby), Joanna Eberhart thinks she has found the perfect home (The Stepford Wives), Kay Norris is delighted to move into 1300 Madison Ave (Sliver, 1991).
The basic premise of Ira Levin’s Deathtrap (1978) is: How far will someone go to have a hit play? and it was a hit play, it ran for 1,792 consecutive performances.
“Ira Levin makes the fact that we’re going to die okay. That’s one of the things that horror novels in general do.” said Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk.
Ira Levin died from a heart attack on November 12, 2007.
Steve Jobs, the man who had visions with people loving the iPod (2001), iPhone (2007), iPad (2010), has resigned from Apple CEO, possibly because of an [googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”] aggravation caused by pancreatic cancer.
Steve Jobs has been perceived as an technology’s oracle, thus his health and medical condition have been considered strong related with Apple’s stock position. Right after he announced his retirement as CEO, Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares dropped fell 5.4 percent and Walt Disney Co. (DIS) stock fell 1.5 percent.
Steve Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor) in 2004. Since then he only took three medical leaves from company. He underwent surgery (pancreaticoduodenectomy) intended to cure the malignancy, and a liver transplant in 2009.
Perhaps Steve Jobs pancreatic cancer forces resignation.
“About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. […]
[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]I lived with that diagnosis all day.[…] I had a biopsy […] I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.” Said Steve Jobs (Stanford Commencement speech 2005).
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor develops from hormone-producing cells (islet cell) of the pancreas. Around 5% of the pancreatic cancers diagnosed each year are neuroendocrine. It is less aggressive and more curable than other types of pancreatic cancer, but if the cancer metastasizes (spreads into other organs), the survival rate decrease dramatically.
The researchers of Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University have deciphered the genetic code of neuroendocrine tumors. This open the way for personalized cancer therapy. Also, this year, Food and Drug Administration approved two new drugs for neuroendocrine tumors, sunitinib and everolimus.
Steve Jobs resigned possibly because of an aggravation caused by pancreatic cancer
The billionaire with $1 salary a year co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. In 1985 Steve Jobs was head of the Macintosh division and he was fired by John Scully who was Apple CEO.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]
Then he founded NeXT Computer, bought Pixar, which would be bought by Disney, making Steve Jobs Disney’s largest single shareholder with (around 7 percent). In 1996 Apple bought NeXT and Jobs returned to the company.
The youth, perseverance, vision, and hard work of the man who “never graduated from college” made Time (1982) to describe him as “the most famous maestro of the micro”. Also, Steve Jobs has been a character played by Noah Wyle in Triumph of the Nerds (1996), Nerds 2.0.1 (1998), Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999).
Amy Winehouse toxicology tests results showed absence of ”illegal substances” in her body at the time of her death, according to a today family statement.
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Amy Winehouse was found dead at her residence in north London on 23rd of July 2011.
Amy Winehouse family’s today statement said:
”Toxicology results returned to the Winehouse family by authorities have confirmed that there were no illegal substances in Amy’s system at the time of her death
Results indicate that alcohol was present but it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death.
The family would like to thank the police and coroner for their continuing thorough investigations and for keeping them informed throughout the process. They await the outcome of the inquest in October.”
An initial post-mortem examination of Amy Winehouse’s body proved inconclusive and subsequently an inquest was opened and adjourned with no cause of death given for the 27-year-old singer.
Amy Winehouse toxicology results showed "no illegal substances" in her body.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”] Amy Winehouse’s drink and drugs addiction was very well known and made the news of her death to be immediately followed by speculations it could be related to one or the other.
Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s father told mourners at her funeral on July 26 his daughter had been the happiest she had been in a long time in the weeks before her death.
Her father added she had “conquered” her drug addiction and was “trying hard to deal with her drinking” and his daughter had recently “completed three weeks of abstinence.”
Amy Winehouse had told her father: “Dad I’ve had enough of drinking, I can’t stand the look on your and the family’s faces anymore.”
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During Amy’s funeral service at Edgwarebury Cemetery in north London, Mitch Winehouse said:
“She was the happiest she has been for years. We all remember that great night at the 100 Club on Oxford Street, her voice was good, her wit and timing were perfect. She told me that she had <<thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed herself>>.
But knowing she wasn’t depressed, knowing she passed away, knowing she passed away happy, it makes us all feel better.”
Mitch Winehouse has also revealed family’s plans to set up an “Amy Winehouse” foundation to help people struggling with addiction.
Nick Ashford (Nickolas Ashford), famous songwriter of Motown, died on Monday, August 22, in a New York hospital.
[googlead tip=”lista_mare”]Ashford has been suffering from throat cancer for years and was undergoing radiation therapy. His wife, Valerie Simpson and their daughters were with him when he died on Monday afternoon, said Liz Rosenberg, publicist and friend of Nick Ashford.
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson were inducted into the “Songwriters Hall of Fame” in 2002.
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson
The duo, performers and songwriters, had a great contribution on setting the golden standard for R&B duets. [googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”]
They broke out as R&B stars in the late ’70s and ’80s, with hits like Don’t Cost You Nothing, It Seems to Hang On, Found a Cure, Street Corner and their signature song, Solid.
Nick and Valerie recorded eight albums with Warner Bros., (four of them went gold), five with Capitol and two independently. Been Found, recorded in 1996, was created along with Maya Angelo, poet.
In 1966 they started to work with Motown. Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote or produced most of the songs of Motown’s Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, You’re All I Need to Get By, Your Precious Love. They also wrote hits for Chuck Jackson, The Shirelles, Maxine Brown and the Fifth Dimension.
Let’s Go Get Stoned, Ray Charles’ 1966 number one R&B hit, was written by Nick Ashford and Valerie together with Josie Jo Armstead.
They wrote and produced Diana Ross’ solo hits, including Diana’s first solo Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand) and I’m Every Woman for Chaka Khan (Whitney Houston recorded it later).
In the recent years they performed occasionally. In 2001 they sang, with various artists, We are a family, a song by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers re-recorded as a benefit record for the September 11 attacks. Also they often hosted events at Sugar Bar. Bruce Willis, Michael Douglas, Steve Wonder, Whoopi Goldberg, David Rockefeller Jr., and many others attended their New York restaurant. [googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”centrat”]
Nick Ashford was born on May 4, 1942, in Fairfield, South Carolina, New York, and he wished to be a dancer. In 1963 he met Valerie at Harlem’s White Rock Baptist Church and they married in 1974. They have two children, Nicole (born in 1975) and Asia (born in 1987).
In the link below you can find pictures of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson children:
[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”] The University of Michigan Health System researchers said stem cell could offer new hope for unlocking the secrets of bipolar disorder.
A new project begins at the University of Michigan as the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund marks ten years in the search for a cure of bipolar disorder.
According to a University of Michigan Health System statement posted on its website on August 22, the new stem cell lines developed from the skin of adults living with bipolar disorder are providing researchers at the University of Michigan Health System an unprecedented opportunity to delve into the genetic and biological underpinnings of the devastating mood disorder.
Scientists will be able to link new findings – such as how gene expression is affected by different medications – to extensive clinical and demographic data from the cell donors, who are also participants in an ongoing long-term study of hundreds of individuals with bipolar disorder.
The induced pluripotent stem cells could offer new hope for unlocking the secrets of bipolar disorder.
The new research comes as the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund, based at the University of Michigan Depression Center, prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of its establishment by Waltraud “Wally” Prechter following the July 2001 death of her husband, Heinz. Before he took his life, few people knew that the well-known automotive entrepreneur wrestled with bipolar disorder.
“Currently the best treatments for bipolar disorder are only effective for 30 percent to 50 percent of patients,” said Melvin McInnis, M.D., the Thomas B and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression at the University of Michigan Medical School and associate director at the University of Michigan Depression Center.
“New discoveries have been limited, in part due to the lack of access to tissue and cells from individuals with bipolar disorder. But that is now changing because of the Prechter research program and advances in stem cell research.”
The new stem cell lines – among the first to be created by the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies – were made from fibroblasts from skin samples donated by adult research volunteers both with and without bipolar disorder.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]
In the lab, scientists can coax these skin cells into behaving like embryonic stem cells. Known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSC, these, in turn, can be manipulated to develop into different types of body cells, including brain cells.
“We will be able to see if there are differences in how the neurons of a person with bipolar disorder make connections, determine how they respond to different medications and explore potential deficiencies in signaling pathways,” explained Sue O’Shea, Ph.D., a professor of cell and developmental biology at the Medical School who leads the stem cell lab with Gary Smith, Ph.D, professor of obstetrics and gynecology.
“So far, five lines have been created. The goal, is to develop 30 cell lines – 20 from people with bipolar disorder and 10 control subjects. Creating each line is a painstaking and expensive process.”
“We often think of stems cells being used in therapies to treat disease, but this is a great example of stem cells’ usefulness for studying the mechanisms of disease.”
“The iPS cells renew themselves, so they’re an unlimited source of material and offer hope to individuals with bipolar disorder.”
Still, the researchers caution, new treatments spurred by this work could be a decade or more away.
Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, affects 5.7 million adults in the United States. It is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and marked by significant changes in mood, thoughts, energy and behavior.
Heinz Prechter, the well known automotive entrepreneur wrestled with bipolar disorder.
[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”dreapta”]Because bipolar disorder runs in families, research at University of Michigan (U-M) has focused on studying disease genes. There is no single gene that “causes” someone to become bipolar, but the disease has its roots in genetic vulnerabilities.
The Prechter Bipolar Genetic Repository already houses more than 1,500 genetic samples from people with bipolar disorder and healthy controls from studies at U-M along with collaborating sites: Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Cornell and Penn State. It is the first independently funded bipolar genetics repository in the nation. In addition to sharing the knowledge between the different universities, confidential, coded DNA repository samples and clinical information will be made available to scientists worldwide to accelerate and share clinical breakthroughs in evaluating and treating bipolar disorder.
The Prechter longitudinal study has already collected more than 5 years’ worth of data.
“I’m really proud that over the last 10 years my husband’s legacy has grown to include the strides we’re making to understand bipolar disorder and find new treatments,” Wally Prechter says.
“Bipolar is like any other illness – cancer, diabetes, heart disease – and deserves the same urgency.”
“That lack of effective treatment is a big reason for the high risk of suicide or suicide attempts among people with bipolar disorder. Anywhere from 5% to 15% of bipolar patients will attempt or commit suicide sometime in their lives,” said McInnis.
“Depression caused by Heinz Prechter’s bipolar disorder affected his whole being,” said Wally Prechter.
“He was extremely exuberant and happy, and very, very optimistic, to the point that I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve never met anyone like that.’ But when he was depressed it was to the point that he would stay home and just sit in a chair and look out at the river,” she said.
The memory of how her brilliant husband was reduced to such a low, unable to tell anyone what he was going through, is part of what continues to drive her today.
U-M Health System CEO and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., points to the research as a great example of the strides that can be made when public institutions and private donors collaborate on research that benefits the public.
“The Prechter research shows how we continue to fuel innovation through exciting collaborations that highlight our commitment to bench-to-bedside medical advances,” Pescovitz said.
“We are very fortunate to have Wally and her family as part of our Michigan family.”
London: “Red Arrows” (British Royal Air Force) pilot died in a plane crash
[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]Acording to Ministry of Defense the plane of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, 33, crashed near an airport some 100 miles from London. The plane apparently suffered a failure after performing at the Bournemouth Air Festival. Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging was flying under the call sign RED 4 and it seemed to have tried to eject only after guiding the RAF jet towards a field to avoid crashing over the houses. He was the first Red Arrows pilot to die in a crash for 33 years.
It is with sadness that the MOD must confirm the death of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging of the Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team (The Red Arrows).
Flight Lt. Jon Egging – Red Arrows Brittish Royal Air Force
[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]Flight Lieutenant Egging was killed when his Hawk T1 aircraft – Red 4 – crashed around 1km South East of Bournemouth Airport at 1350 on Saturday 20 August 2011.
A full Service Inquiry into the details of the crash has been initiated. It would be inappropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident at this time.
Dr Emma Egging, the wife of Flt Lt Jon Egging, said:
“Jon was everything to those that knew him, and he was the best friend and husband I could ever have wished for. I know that he would have wanted me to say something from the heart at this time. There was nothing bad about Jon. He loved his job and was an exemplary pilot. Watching him today, I was the proudest I’ve ever been. I loved everything about him, and he will be missed.”
Group Captain Simon Blake, the Commandant of the RAF’s Central Flying School, said:
“Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, known as ‘Eggman’, joined the Team as Red 4 in the Autumn of 2010. A gifted aviator, he was chosen to fly in the Red 4 slot, on the right hand outside of the famous Diamond Nine formation – an accolade in itself being the most demanding position allocated to a first year pilot. Throughout his winter training and the display season to date, his professionalism, skill and humility have shone through.”
“A true team player, his good nature and constant smile will be sorely missed by all. In such a close knit team, this tragedy will be keenly felt by his fellow team members, the Reds and all of the engineering and support staff, the Blues.”
Air Vice Marshal Mark Green, Air Officer Commanding 22 (Training) Group, said:
“I first met Flt Lt Jon Egging in 2003 when I became his Station Commander. Even at that early stage in his career, Jon’s professionalism, competence and ever present smile made him stand out from the crowd. Hence, his eventual selection for duties with the Red Arrows came as no surprise. His time with the Team was typified by the characteristics that were Jon’s trademark: professionalism, enthusiasm for life and a willingness to help others that transcended all boundaries. Jon will be sorely missed by all those that had the privilege to know him; our thoughts and prayers are with Jon’s family and friends at this tragic time.”
Flight Lieutenant Egging, aged 33 from Rutland, flew the Harrier GR9 before joining the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team. Jon became interested in flying at an early age, inspired by his airline pilot father who used to take him ‘down route’, allowing him into the cockpit for take off and landing. Jon is survived by his wife, Emma.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mic”]He attended Southam School in Warwickshire gaining A-Levels in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. He was a member of 2028 (Southam) Sqn Air Training Corps from age 13. During the sixth form he was awarded a Royal Air Force Flying Scholarship and had his first solo flight in a Cessna 152 flying from Wellesbourne Mountford Aerodrome. Following a gap year spent working in the UK and travelling around Australia, Jon went on to read a BSc in Environmental Science at Southampton University. He joined Southampton University Air Squadron and was awarded a Royal Air Force Bursary in his second year.
Whilst at University Jon completed Elementary Flying Training with the University Air Squadron, flying the Bulldog; he went on to join the Royal Air Force in 2000. Selected for fast jet training Jon flew the Tucano and Hawk before becoming a ‘Creamie’ Qualified Flying Instructor on the Hawk at Royal Air Force Valley, teaching both students and instructors. Jon went on to serve with IV(AC) Squadron – ‘Happy IV’ – based at Royal Air Force Cottesmore, flying the Harrier GR9.
During his time on the front line Jon was proud to support coalition ground forces when flying operational missions in Afghanistan. He has also taken part in exercises in the United Kingdom and America. As part of Joint Force Harrier, Jon served with IV(AC) Squadron on HMS Illustrious, flying training missions off the UK coastline. He became the Squadron Qualified Flying Instructor during his last year on ‘Happy IV’, making the transition to teach on the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit, based at Royal Air Force Wittering, in April 2010.
Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said:
“It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging whilst performing with the Red Arrows today. He was a gifted aviator who was selected for one of the most demanding flying jobs in the RAF. Joining the Red Arrows was his lifetime ambition and he performed with great skill whilst on the team. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Emma and his family and friends at this terrible time.”
The first festival held in two different places over one weekend, V Festival 2011, started in England on Saturday, August 20, and it will close on Sunday, August 21.
Rihanna is singing at V Festival 2011 (Photo shows Rihanna during Loud Tour)
The V Festival is an annual rock music event held at two parks simultaneously, Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in South Staffordshire. Musicians sing at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. It is a predominantly rock music festival, but other musical genres are accepted, pop has become common in the last years.
This year many genres (rock, pop, rap, R&B) are blending in entertaining and exciting performances.
Eminen, Rihanna, Artic Monkeys, Plan B, The Script, Manic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs, LostProphets at “Virgin Media” stage.
“Music” venue features Pendulum, Primal Scream, The Courteeners, The Wobats, N-Dubz, Dizzie Rascal, Razorlight, Tinie Tempah, Jessie J, Example.
Calvin Harris, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl, The Wanted, Big Audio Dynamite, Hurts, The Saturdays, Chase and Status, GlasVegas, Kathy B, Professor Green, whiz Kalifa at “The Arena” stage.
The “Undercover” venue presents Jaguar Skills, Wolf Gang, The Pierces, Goldie Lookin Chain, The Airborne Toxic Event.
For fans who could not come to V Festival 2011, the official website is streaming live the event to introduce them into the atmosphere.
Weston Park is one of the sites of V Festival 2011
Although the copyright might impede this kind of strategies, it seems that they are beginning to spread, making the events more popular. We mentioned classical music events that was broadcasted on the internet, or that are going to be aired online partially (George Enescu Festival 2011).
The “V” means the Virgin Group, the event being sponsored by Virgin Media and broadcasted on 4 Music and Channel 4.
“V Festival has being going strong as one of the UK’s leading music festivals since 1996. The first festival to take place across two different sites over one weekend, Virgin’s very own brand of rock ‘n’ roll festivities in a field now reaches across the whole wide world.” Virgin Festivals said.
Virgin Festival Canada (from late June to late August) and Virgin Mobile FreeFest in September at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Jimi Hendrix sang here) in Columbia, Maryland, along with V Festival 2011 are parts of Virgin Festivals.
Paradise Lost filmmakers, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky witnessed when Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelly were freed from prison and filmed the ending for their third documentary about West Memphis Three.[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]
Paradise Lost tells the West Memphis Three story
On Friday, August 19, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Judge David Laser decided to give West Memphis Three ten year suspended sentences, considering the eighteen years already served.
“To see our work culminate in the righting of this tragic miscarriage of justice is more than a filmmaker could ask for,” said Joe Berlinger.
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“Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” was an award winning documentary in 1996. It raises doubts upon lots of details of the case against Baldwin, Echols and Misskelly. On the Satanism panic of the late 80s and early 90s town’s eccentrical figures were found guilty of murdering three little boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993, despite the fact there were little physical evidence. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky carried forward their investigation and in 2000 “Paradise Lost 2: Revelations” was aired.
Along with “Paradise Lost” directors other celebrities has shown their support during the time, Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and Johnny Depp were among the first.
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
The “Paradise Lost” series express the doubts regarding the validity of the West Memphis Three verdicts. In the same time they were not declared not guilty. In an Alford Plea, a defendant declare onself innocent and simultaneously accepts the ability of the prosecutor to prove the charges with present evidence. In the same time one plead innocent and admit the guilt. This might lead to the new trials.
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The directors were already working on “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,” but with the recent change their third documentary has got a new ending.
“Eighteen years and three films ago, we started this journey to document the terrible murders of three innocent boys and the subsequent circus that followed the arrests and convictions of Baldwin, Echols and Misskelly. To see our work culminate in the righting of this tragic miscarriage of justice is more than a filmmaker could ask for.” Joe Berlinger said in an HBO statement.”
“Today, we, along with HBO, are humbled to be a part of this remarkable outcome” said Bruce Sinofsky.
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” will recapitulate the entire story; from the arrests in 1993 to their release. Paradise Lost 3 will be presented at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2012 and will be broadcasted on HBO in January 2012.
Liam Gallagher, former Oasis front-man is suing brother Noel for what he claims are “lies” over the band split in 2009.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”] Liam Gallagher, who has re-launched his music career as front-man of Beady Eye, has filed a High Court action against Noel Gallagher’s claim that he pulled out of a 2009 headline performance at V festival due to a “hangover”.
He also has been enraged by Noel’s comments made last month at a press conference – when he was promoting his new solo album – about the band’s split in 2009, which was partly due to an argument over whether Liam could advertise his Pretty Green clothing range in the concert programme.
Liam Gallagher sues brother Noel for "telling lies" over Oasis breakup.
[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”]Liam Gallagher demands public apology from his guitarist brother after claimed that he cancelled V festival Oasis performance due to hangover.
He took the extraordinary action because he said he wanted Oasis fans and festival-goers “to know the truth”.
In a today statement, Liam Gallagher confirmed his legal action against his brother Noel Gallagher and said he was looking for an apology to put the record straight about the festival cancellation.
“I have taken legal action against Noel Gallagher for statements he made claiming Oasis pulled out of the 2009 V festival Chelmsford gig because I had a hangover. That is a lie and I want Oasis fans and others who were at V to know the truth.”
“I was gutted when I couldn’t play the gig because I didn’t want to let the fans down.”
Liam Gallagher insisted Noel was aware he had laryngitis, which was diagnosed by a doctor.
“But the truth is I had laryngitis, which Noel was made fully aware of that morning, diagnosed by a doctor.
Noel also falsely stated the demise of Oasis followed a massive row in which he claimed I demanded to advertise my clothing range Pretty Green in the Oasis tour programme.
The truth is there was no such discussion or row between us.
I am used to being called all sorts of things by Noel and I have in the past said things about him. But what Noel has alleged this time went way beyond rock-and-roll banter and questioned my professionalism.
I tried to resolve this amicably but have been left with no choice but legal action. All I want is an apology.”
Noel Gallagher has yet to respond to the suit, although he has expressed regret over Oasis’ split in a recent interview with Absolute Radio.
“We could maybe have [just] all gone off and done other things for a few years,” he said.
“It was a hasty decision … If I had my time again I’d have thought about it a bit more and gone back, done the gig, done the next, there was only two gigs left on the tour.”
“If we had simply agreed to a hiatus, Oasis could have returned to the project in a renewed, relaxed – and even nostalgic – way.”
“In my own head the 2015, 20-year anniversary of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory is looming,” he said.
“We could have maybe come back, made a new album and played that album in its entirety and gone and been the greatest thing ever, but there you go.”
[googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”stangaa”] Noel Gallagher broke up with Oasis following a row moments before a festival in Paris in August 2009.
Noel – who also wrote most of the group’s hits – said the Gallaghers’ rocky relationship worsened after Liam demanded free plugs for his clothes brand in the tour programme, which Noel opposed.
He also said Liam pulled out of an appearance at the V Festival in Chelmsford in 2009. At the time it had been explained as a bout of laryngitis, but Noel said the reason for the no-show was his brother’s “hangover”.
The two brothers have had a long-running public spat ever since they found fame in the mid-1990s.
Cancellation of a major festival appearance due to a hangover rather than a medical condition could potentially lead to contractual issues with the organizers.
The possibility of Oasis reunion now looks exceedingly remote.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]The West Memphis Three case, that has turn out to be a wide known cause for a number of celebrities (American actors along with music artists), went to an intense and surprising final result.
On Friday the three men found guilty of murdering three eight-year-old boys in 1993 were freed from jail. Their release comes after “Alford plea” that permit them to assert innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict them.
West Memphis Three: Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin in 1993.
Damien Echols was sentenced to death while Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were serving life sentences.
Interest in the initial trial focused on Damien Echols, back then 18, who had dressed in black garments, had colored his hair black, had read books on vampires, and listened to heavy-metal music. He was frequently inquired by law enforcement regarding satanism.
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The horrible homicides, that were described as satanic by the law forces, stunned West Memphis, Arkansas. However residual uncertainty whether the West Memphis Three had been responsible led to campaigns feed by stars to have the men liberated.
Those uncertainties has increased last month, when a report on new DNA data was submitted in Craighead County Circuit Court. It could not link the crimes to the West Memphis Three charged in the murders.[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]
Two HBO documentaries shot within the the nineteen nineties ( “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” won an award), have increased consciousness concerning the case. Metallica has permitted their songs to be utilized in the film. Another documentary will be launched this fall.
Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and Johnny Depp have grown to be highly effective supporters for Echols, specifically.
Previous year, Eddie Vedder, together with “Arkansas Take Action”, organized “Voices for Justice” live concert in Little Rock to raise understanding about the West Memphis Three. Depp made an appearance together with Patti Smith and Natalie Maines.
“Three innocent people are losing years of their life on a wrongful conviction on a crime they didn’t commit. It makes me scared. It could happen to any of us” said Natalie.
Through the years, Depp and Vedder have donated for Echols legal fees. Eddie has composed songs in relation to Damien and visited him. Other celebrities have given souvenirs for auctions to assist the cause.
Internet sites were meeting places for allies and additional followers. They written to the West Memphis Three and also to political figures.
“From beginning to end, this is probably the first national case to play out on the Internet. The Internet was the way to mobilize the troops all over the world. I don’t see how we would be where we are right now without the Internet,” said Lisa Fancher, an activist for the West Memphis Three Fund, on Friday prior to the hearing.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]After almost three months from Charla Nash face transplant Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Boston, released a picture of her new visage on Thursday, August 11.
While the postoperative swellings and bruises vanished, Charla, who was photographed in the hospital bed looks spectacularly different. She has a new nose, new lips, new palate and new skin. Charla is now able to eat solid food. She can breathe through her nose and even she can smell and taste the food.
Charla Nash face transplant three views before and after attack and after the transplant
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Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, director of the BWH Plastic Surgery Transplantation Program, is satisfied with recovery progress. He led the team that gave Charla a new appearance. Over thirty physicians, plastic surgery doctors, orthopedists, anesthesiologists and nurses contributed to the full face transplant procedure which was performed on May this year.
In 2009 Charla Nash suffered terrible injuries after Sandra Herold’s 200-pound (91 kg) pet chimpanzee, Travis, attacked her. It ripped her lips, nose and eyes and it tore her hands making her defaced and blind.
Since then, Charla covered her disfigured face with a hat and a veil, but she unveiled on a November 2009 episode of “Oprah”. She could not eat any but liquid food, she was not able to breathe through her nose, she could not smell or taste food.
Charla Nash face transplant replaced her entire facial area (nose, lips, facial skin, muscles, and nerves) and it took over twenty hours. She underwent face and double hand transplant at the same time. After the surgery she developed kidney failure and pneumonia and that affected blood circulation to the hands. The hands became septic and they had to be removed.
Charla and her family expressed their gratitude for the medical team, for anonymous female donor and her family, they also thanked the doctors at the Stamford Hospital in Connecticut, where she was treated after the attack, and at the Cleveland Clinic, where she was admitted for the long rehabilitation program.
Charla Nash face transplant is the third full face transplantation performed by plastic surgery doctors from BWH and it is also the third operation of this kind in US.
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The first world full face transplantation was done in Spain in 2010 and it is the second time when face and double hand transplant were done simultaneously. The first one was in France in 2009, but the patient died in 2010.
Photos credits from left to right: Courtesy of the Nash family, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, by Lightchaser Photography
[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]Three nights of rioting in London and other British cities will raise the final England insurance bill to hundreds of millions of pounds.
Last days, Nick Starling, director of General Insurance and Health for the Association of British Insurers (ABI), made the prediction after further rioting in Birmingham, Bristol, Croydon, Lewisham and other locations of tens of millions, but the full extent of the looting, arson and criminal damage became apparent.
Charred remains of Reeves furniture shop Croydon, South London, following riots on Monday
The association added that it was still too early to have an accurate picture of the total costs:
“It is too early for us to have an accurate picture of total costs, especially business interruption costs, but insurers are expecting significant losses, of at least £10s of millions.”
News footage from last days events has shown a number of business premises looted and vandalized, including an apparent arson attack on a furniture store in Croydon, South London, that had been trading in the same location for over 100 years.
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[googlead tip=”vertical_mic”]The ABI has urged people affected by the riots in London and other parts of the country to contact their insurer as soon as possible. Many insurers run 24 hour help-lines and will be on hand to support people affected.
The ABI has also written to business groups to let business owners know that many commercial insurance policies will cover them for loss of trade as well as damage. People should contact their insurer for information and advice.
Nick Starling said:
“We have everysympathy for residents and business owners who have suffered damage to their properties.”
“We urge people to contact their insurer as soon as possible to check what they are covered for and arrange for immediate help. Many insurers operate a 24-hour claims line and can help people arrange for urgent repairs.”
“Home insurance should cover people for fire, looting or damage caused. Many policies will also cover people for accommodation costs if they can’t stay in their home.”
And he added that the priority for insurers at the moment is to help people through this incredibly traumatic time.
Regarding businesses affected by rioting, ABI informed people that:
“Most commercial insurance policies will cover businesses for damage to their premises, including the interruption to their business as a result of fire, looting and the other damage caused by the recent riots.”
It is important to know that some policies will cover those businesses which are not damaged but whose trade has been affected by the rioting aftermath.
PM David Cameron announced that a Riot Act police compensation scheme will operate as normal.
PM David Cameron announced that a Riot Act police compensation scheme will operate as normal, which has been welcomed by the UK insurance industry and ABI pledged to use its expertise to help the government and police authorities implement the scheme.
Otto Thoresen, ABI’s General Director said:
“The insurance industry is already paying out claims to people with insurance, but wants to do more to support the Government in helping people get back on their feet.”
The association also welcomed the PM’s agreement to its request to extend to the maximum of 42 days the amount of time claims can be made under the scheme.
The announcement came as the ABI revised its estimated figure of claims likely to be paid out by the insurance industry to be in excess of £200 million.
In addition, the ABI General Director said:
“We will work in partnership with the Government, and share our expertise, to make sure that the police compensation schemes work effectively and get compensation to people who need it quickly. It is important that, after the sad events of recent days, we do everything we can to help people recover.”
[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]The ABI is the voice of the UK’s insurance, investment and long-term savings industry. It has over 300 members, which together account for around 90% of premiums in the UK domestic market.
The UK insurance industry is the third largest in the world and the largest in Europe.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]Tuesday, the fourth night of riots in UK. One Nottingham police station was set ablaze by a group of up to 40 people, according to the police, meanwhile there was looting in Manchester and other disturbances in Salford.
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16,000 police officers have been placed on London’s streets in order to prevent a fourth night of disturbances
10:00 p.m., local time. Canning Circus police station in Nottingham was attacked by a group of 40, no injuries were reported and a number of men were detained nearby, said Nottinghamshire police.
Birmingham and other parts of the West Midlands met some trouble, but was relative calm in London as Scotland Yard attempted to put the city in a lockdown with 16,000 police on the streets instead of 6,000 on Monday.
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Scotland Yard gave specific orders to the officers to use each available force including the possible deployment of plastic bullets to tackle widespread rioting and looting as London was flooded with the biggest police presence in British history.
Manchester, looting was taking place across city centre. There were also disturbances in Salford and tense scenes around Shopping City, where a large group of youths had gathered.
Rioters set ablaze a Miss Selfridge shop on Market Street in Manchester city centre. About 100 young people looted Foot Asylum in the Arndale Centre after two of them smashed the windows with stones and jumped into the store carrying out clothing and shoes.
On King Street, a recently opened fashion boutique, owned by former Oasis singer, Liam Gallagher, was been hit by looters too.
A Bang & Olufsen store and a Diesel clothing shop were also broken into, with a chorus of cheers going up among the crowd as the front window of the latter was smashed.
Few looters shouted out for the others to follow, suggesting a degree of co-ordination. They immediately spread away in many directions as police sirens sounded.
An amusement arcade had been looted in Piccadilly Gardens. In Piccadilly Museums, machines were overturned with coins spread across the carpet.
A cafe on Deansgate also had its windows smashed.
Large crowds gathered along the street, while looters helped themselves to bottles of alcohol from a Sainsbury’s Local at the corner of Bridge Street.
The thieving continued for several minutes in front of onlookers.
All the looters had grabbed what they wanted and disappeared into side streets before three police vans arrived.
A jewellers was also reportedly attacked before plain-clothed police nearby ran in to arrest two looters from the shop.
Riot police in vans chased large groups of youths wearing ski masks and hoods as they rampaged through the city streets.
Other gangs prowled the streets on mountain bikes, their faces also masked.
On occasions they could be seen talking to drivers of cars on mobile phones, exchanging information, while they drove around the streets in what appeared to be co-ordinated manoeuvres.
Terry Sweeney, assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police said:
“The force has been engaged with dealing with outbreaks of minor disorder in Salford and Manchester city centre this afternoon, involving a small number of youths. A handful of shops have been attacked by groups of youths who have congregated and seem intent on committing disorder. As we have said, we will not allow such mindless criminal damage and wanton violence to go unpunished and we will arrest and prosecute anyone found to be involved in looting or acts of criminal damage.”
Earlier two cars were set on fire in West Bromwich where shops closed early in the afternoon after rumours of trouble circulated online.
[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]Police made a total of 36 arrests in the West Midlands on Tuesday night, as fresh disturbances saw looting and vehicles set alight Birmingham, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.
But West Midlands Police said the disorder was not as severe as Monday’s looting in Birmingham city centre, which led to 142 arrests and saw 13 people taken to hospital.
Shops, including a branch of Marks & Spencer and a hi-fi store, were again targeted in Birmingham tonight, although two groups of youths were largely kept away from the city centre by riot police.
In central Birmingham a fluid mob of up to 300 youths gathered, dispersed and regrouped, attacking shops.
Chased by police, groups tried to get into the Mailbox shopping, office and restaurant centre near the city’s rejuvenated canal basin, and the Pallisades shopping complex above New Street station before staff brought shutters down.
Marks and Spencer’s had windows damaged and a car was set on fire in Albert Street by a large gang retreating from the Dale End part of the centre. House of Fraser was attacked along with a nearby jewellery shop before a line of riot police with batons drove the crowd away.
West Midlands police urged to families with teenagers out to get in touch with them and persuade them to go back home.
3 men had been arrested by 8:00 p.m.
Police pinned 60 rioters in part of Wolverhampton after 5 hours of sporadic violence which left the town centre empty of residents and visitors, with shops shuttered and pubs shutting early. As in Birmingham, a core of several hundred troublemakers continually gathered, dispersed and then picked new targets.
The atmosphere also remained very tense in Handsworth with groups of Afro-Caribbean youths gathering, while Asian shop-owners and security staff stood outside their heavily-shuttered stores.
The man who was shot by police, sparking the wave of rioting that has hit London, died of a single gunshot wounding his chest. An inquest has heard.
Mark Duggan was deadly shot by armed officers in Ferry Lane, Tottenham, north London, on Thursday, August, 4, after they stopped the minicab he was in to carry out an arrest as part of a pre-planned operation.
Mark Duggan, the man who was shot by police, sparking the wave of rioting that has hit London, died of a single gunshot wounding his chest
[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]An inquest, which began on Tuesday morning at North London coroner’s court, in High Barnet, heard that Mark Duggan died of a single gunshot wounding his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene onThursday at 6:41p.m.
Last Thursday evening, officers from the Metropolitan Police (Met) Operation Trident and Special Crime Directorate 11, accompanied by officers from CO19, the Met’s specialist firearms command, stopped the silver Toyota Estima minicab in Ferry Lane, close to Tottenham Hale tube station, to arrest Mark Duggan.
According to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Mark Duggan, whose shooting by police sparked London’s riots, did not fire a shot at police officers before they killed him.
Releasing the initial findings of ballistics tests, the police watchdog said a CO19 firearms officer fired two bullets, and that a bullet that lodged in a police radio was “consistent with being fired from a police gun”.
The IPCC said Duggan was carrying a loaded gun, but it had no evidence that the weapon had been fired. It said tests were continuing.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]The officer who fired the fatal shots has been removed from firearms duties, which is standard procedure, pending the IPCC investigation. One theory, not confirmed by the IPCC, is that the bullet became lodged in the radio from a ricochet or after passing through Duggan.
The IPCC’s statement said the bullet lodged in the police radio was a “jacketed round“. This is a police-issue bullet and is “consistent with having been fired from a [police] Heckler and Koch MP5“, it said.
The statement said:
“Our investigators will be examining recordings of radio transmissions from both police and London ambulance service, including 999 calls, with a view to tracing further witnesses. We will also be examining any intelligence and surveillance material leading up to the planning of the operation.”
The non-police firearm found at the scene was a converted BBM Bruni self-loading pistol. The gun was found to have a “bulleted cartridge” in the magazine, which is being subjected to further forensic tests.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]The police officer whose radio was hit was taken to Homerton hospital where he was examined and discharged later that night.
The minicab driver was not injured but was badly shaken by what he saw, the IPCC said. His account, as well as those of the officers, is being examined along with the forensic evidence.
The police watchdog said it was examining CCTV footage of the area, including from buses passing by at the time.
Colin Sparrow, the deputy senior investigator for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), told the brief hearing that the organization’s “complex investigation” could take 4 to 6 months.
Andrew Walker, the coroner for the northern district of Greater London, adjourned the hearing until December, 12, when a pre-inquest review will be held.
Semone Wilson, Mark Duggan's fiancee, at North London coroner's court, in High Barnet, Tuesday morning
Walker told members of Duggan’s family, including his fiancee, Semone Wilson:
“Can I just offer my deepest sympathies to the family of Mark Duggan.”
“As members of the family will know, in due course there will be an inquest touching the death of Mark Duggan and this is the first stage in that process.”
“Of course, as well as offering our deepest sympathies to members of the family, I would like to reassure members of the family that we will be working closely with the IPCC throughout the process.”
According to Rachel Cerfontyne, the IPCC commissioner:
“Any concerns expressed by the wider public about a perceived lack of information from the IPCC should be considered in the context that I am only willing to share information once I have had it independently verified and once the people who are directly involved in this case – including Mr Duggan’s family and community leaders – have been fully informed.”
After the hearing, the family said they were “distressed” by the rioting in the wake of his death. In a statement on their behalf, Helen Shaw, from the organization Inquest, said:
“The family wants everyone to know that the disorder going on has nothing to do with finding out what has happened to Mark. They also want people to know they are deeply distressed by the disorder affecting communities across the country.”
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