Biker To Fight Manhattan 'Gang' Brawl Charges

A motorcyclist accused of smashing the window of an SUV in a violent confrontation between the driver and a group of bikers has made his first appearance in court.

Reginald Chance made an obscene gesture toward news cameras during his court appearance.

Chance, who is charged with gang assault, assault and criminal mischief, was being held on $75,000 (£47,000) cash bail.

Prosecutors say Chance smashed the window of the SUV with his helmet after the prolonged confrontation on the streets of Manhattan last month.

Change "set into motion a chain of events that resulted in the driver being dragged out of his vehicle and beaten" by others, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Samantha Turino said.

Biker Ed Mieses may be paralysed for the rest of his life, his wife says

Chance's lawyer, Gregory Watts, acknowledged his client broke the window in a burst of anger but said the charges were overblown.

Mr Watts said the SUV's door had knocked his client down earlier in the encounter that went from a Manhattan highway to a neighbourhood street.

"This is not a man riding around assaulting people with a quote-unquote 'gang,'" Mr Watts said.

"We will hotly contest those allegations."

Chance is a married father of six who has been unemployed since being laid off from a food-service company, his attorney said.

The September 29 confrontation was caught on a helmet-mounted camera worn by a biker and was posted online anonymously.

The video showed about two dozen riders slowing down, swarming the SUV and blocking its path.

Another biker involved in the brawl, Christopher Cruz, in court

At various points the Range Rover speeds away. On one occasion it runs over one of the bikers, Ed Mieses, who suffered spinal injuries and may never walk again, according to his family.

Eventually the SUV was stopped, some bikers got off their bikes and approached the vehicle, smashing the window.

The footage does not show what happens after that, but police said some of the bikers pulled out the driver, 33-year-old Alexian Lien, and beat him up.

Mr Lien, who was in the car with his wife and two-year-old child, was left needing stitches to his face.

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Richard Branson's Necker Island Home Open Again

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson's Caribbean island home has been rebuilt after being destroyed by fire two years ago.

The actress, Kate Winslet, and her two children, were among 20 guests staying at the  The Great House on Necker Island when flames razed it to the ground.

Winslet carried Sir Richard's 90-year-old mother, Eve, to safety after the property caught fire when it was struck by lightning during a tropical storm in August 2011.

Kate Winslet was a guest at the house when it caught fire

Speaking after the fire Winslet said: "I will never forget Richard placing his arms around both my children as we were there watching the flames."

She said he told her: "At the end of the day, what you realise is that all that matters is the people you love. Everything else is just stuff. And none of that stuff really matters."

The rebuilt house has been remodelled on the original design, with a few innovations.

It now has a 1,500 sq ft master suite with spectacular views of the ocean.

The master suite

Sir Richard said:  "Necker Island has been my home for more than 30 years and for me it is the most beautiful place in the world.

"The brand new Great House is the heart of the island and I'm thrilled with the results. This signals a new dawn for Necker, which I'm very excited about."

View from the master suite

When he is not staying there himself, Sir Richard rents out the house - for £37,500 a night.

It accommodates up to 30 adults and six children.

As well as the master suite, there are eight bedrooms and a separate bunkroom together with six Bali houses.

The main room

Necker Island, which covers 74 acres and is located in the British Virgin Islands, is normally hired out exclusively.

However, on a selected number of weeks during the year it is possible to rent an individual room.

These are known as 'Celebration Weeks'.

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

John Bush Admits Sex With Teen Girl He Abducted

A 35-year-old man has admitted abducting and having sex with a 14-year-old girl he went on the run with.

John Bush disappeared with the girl, who cannot be named, in June.

A nationwide police hunt was launched after the teenager went missing from her home near Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

She was found with Bush four days later by police at Euston Station, in central London.

Bush appeared for a brief hearing at Sheffield Crown Court where he admitted sexual activity with a child, child abduction and making off without paying for two hotel rooms.

Sarah Wright, prosecuting, said the Crown Prosecution Service needed a week to decide whether Bush's basis of plea was acceptable or whether a judge would have to decide what exactly happened when he took the girl away.

Nicholas De La Poer, defending, said his client "doesn't want to prevaricate" and wanted to be sentenced today but understood the prosecution situation.

Judge Paul Watson QC told Bush: "Custody would appear to be the only outcome."

Bush pleaded guilty today to sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl between January 1 and June 11.

He also admitted the abduction of a child between June 9 and June 15 and making off without paying £120 for two hotel rooms in Melton Mowbray, in Leicestershire, on June 13.

Bush, of Moss Road, Askern, Doncaster, was remanded in custody by Judge Watson and will be sentenced on November 4.

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lib Dem Scottish Secretary Axed In Reshuffle

Senior Lib Dems have been axed from the Government as all three main party leaders reshuffle their teams ahead of Parliament reconvening.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg wielded the axe as David Cameron looked to promote more northern MPs and women to his top team.

Lib Dem Scotland Secretary Michael Moore was replaced by Alistair Carmichael to provide a tougher approach as the independence referendum looms.

And in one of the biggest shocks so far, Home Office minister Jeremy Browne - tipped as a possible future party leader - was also ousted.

Michael Moore (left) has been replaced by Alistair Carmichael

He has been replaced with Norman Baker who moves from Transport, where he could prove a thorn in the side of Home Secretary Theresa May.

Don Foster, Lib Dem MP for Bath, replaces Mr Carmichael as his party's chief whip and Baroness Susan Kramer takes Mr Baker's old job.

Mr Moore said he was "disappointed" to be leaving office but "very pleased at what I have been able to achieve in the last couple of years".

In his letter to Mr Browne, the Lib Dem leader said it was "always very difficult to move colleagues out of Government".

But he added: "I have always been keen that we provide the opportunity for as many in our ranks as possible to contribute their skills to ministerial office."

The MP said he remained supportive of the Government but cautioned against "lapsing into transactional trade-offs and deferred decision making".

Promoted: Tories Esther McVey and Sajid Javid in Downing Street on Monday

Mr Cameron has avoided changes to his Cabinet but handed promotions to women including Esther McVey and Nicky Morgan.

Ms McVey rises up the ranks at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to become employment minister and Ms Morgan goes from assistant whip to Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Greg Clark has been moved from the Treasury to become a Cabinet Office Minister responsible for cities and constitutional reform.

And Andrew Robathan replaces Mike Penning as Northern Ireland minister, with Mr Penning becoming a Work and Pensions minister instead.

Helen Grant was another winner - moving from the Department of Justice to become sports and equalities minister, replacing Hugh Robertson who has been promoted to the Foreign Office.

Camborne MP George Eustice, a prominent EU rebel and Mr Cameron's former press secretary, has been appointed environment minister.

Out: Tories John Randall and Chloe Smith have resigned

Greg Hands, a close ally of Chancellor George Osborne, is also climbing the ladder - going from assistant whip to deputy chief whip.

His predecessor John Randall as well as Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith and fisheries minister Richard Benyon are all returning to the backbenches.

Simon Burns has also already stood down as transport minister so that he can launch a bid to become a Commons Deputy Speaker.

There was further bad news for other long-serving Tories, with Mark Hoban, Mark Prisk, Alistair Burt and Richard Benyon all leaving the front bench.

Mr Prisk wrote on Twitter: "Asked to step aside from Housing for a younger generation. Disappointing but it's been a great eleven years on front bench."

Mr Benyon stuck a more upbeat tone, writing: "On back benches! 3 and half really fun years with much achieved. Really appreciate time working with outstanding Ministers and Officials."

Labour leader Ed Miliband is also announcing changes to his shadow cabinet this afternoon, with Liam Byrne among those predicted to go.

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madeleine McCann Inquiry 'Making Progress'

Gerry McCann says he is pleased with the progress being made in Scotland Yard's review of the search for his missing daughter.

He told Sky News he and his wife Kate were "very pleased with the work of the Metropolitan Police both during the review process and now that they have moved into an investigatory phrase.

"I think that is all that any parent would want when their child is missing.

"They've uncovered new evidence and we hope that the appeals that go out next week will lead to further new evidence that helps fill in pieces of the jigsaw and moves at least a step closer to finding Madeleine and those responsible."

The disappearance of Madeleine will be the subject of a Crimewatch appeal next Monday.

Scotland Yard assistant commissioner Mark Rowley said it is hoped it will produce new witnesses, but a conclusion to the case "is not imminent".

A reconstruction of the "latest, most detailed understanding" of the events around the time Madeleine went missing will be shown on BBC Crimewatch.

Gerry McCann

It comes after the Metropolitan Police revealed a vast log of mobile phone traffic could be the key to finding out what happened to the-then three-year-old.

Scotland Yard detectives have interviewed 442 people as part of their review-turned-investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. It has identified 41 people of interest, including 15 UK nationals.

They hope to track down as many people present in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on or around May 3, 2007, as possible.

Dr McCann, speaking outside the General Medical Council (GMC) in London, also said the press needed tougher, independent regulation in order to protect the lives of ordinary people.

He talked about need for speedy arbitration for victims of press intrusion and misreporting, in the light of the Leveson Inquiry, at which he gave evidence.

He said "Ordinary peoples lives are being damaged every day of the week by press intrusion, by lies being printed or exaggeration."

It "personally troubles him and his wife" that "stories are published with no regard to Madeleine's safety, to the investigation itself or whether they will be putting Madeleine or others in danger or alerting those responsible".

He highlighted the need for an independent body that could act quickly saying: "We have absolutely no confidence that the press barons can regulate themselves."

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Captain 'Plotted Fatal Sail Past For Days'

The captain of the doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship had been plotting his fatal "sail past" of the island of Giglio for days, a court has heard.

The Italian court was also told that after steering the 114,000 tonne vessel into the island's rocky coast, Francesco Schettino failed to give clear instructions to officials after they discovered sea water flooding the engines through a tear in the hull.

Schettino is on trial facing charges of manslaughter, shipwreck and abandoning ship for his role in the capsizing of the Costa Concordia in January 2012 during which 32 passengers and crew drowned.

He was in court in Grosseto on Monday to hear statements from engine room officer Giovanni Iaccarino.

"Schettino wanted to sail very close to Giglio the week before," he said.

The Costa Concordia was righted last month

"It wasn't possible because the weather wasn't right, the sea was too rough and the idea was abandoned."

The following week conditions were better, and Schettino decided to risk the sail past, a manoeuvre used by captains to impress passengers and show off seamanship.

Schettino did not warn passengers of the event, or inform the ship's owner, Costa Crociere, that he was attempting the manoeuvre, said Iaccarino.

"The route was planned that night, it was not in the official programmes," he said.

Iaccarino said he was off duty playing Playstation when the ship struck the rock, causing a huge impact and making his possessions fall from shelves.

Heading for the engine room, he found the first three diesel generators and the ship's electrical generators flooded.

"Inside me I had the feeling the ship was lost," he said, adding that he communicated the state of the engine room to Schettino through an official.

As he discovered the other three diesel generators were flooded, there was a blackout, leaving on emergency lighting, he said.

In addition to hearing testimony from Iaccarino, the court also watched an earlier court-ordered video interview with him, in which he said he continued to hear "calming" announcements from the bridge as he watched the water rise up through the ship.

"Then I saw the captain (as he climbed up the bridge) who put his hands in his hair and said 'I have made a mess'."

Iaccorino is the first of over 1,000 witnesses due to be called in the trial, which is set to last for months.

One witness due to be called by the prosecution is Domnica Cermontan, the Moldovan dancer who was invited on to the bridge on the night of the sail past by Schettino.

She was due in court on Tuesday, but has been excused because her child is unwell.

After 20 months lying on its side in shallow water off the Tuscan island of Giglio, the Costa Concordia was righted last month, part of a 600m euro operation to float it off to a scrap yard on the Italian mainland.

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Scalped' Woman's Body Found In Moscow Park

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

A young woman has been found mutilated and murdered in a Moscow park - the second such attack in the same area in recent weeks.

The woman's body was found wrapped in tape inside a roll of cardboard, hidden in a ravine in Bitsevsky Park on Sunday evening.

She is thought to have been 20 to 25 years old.

Russian news agency Ria Novosti cited an unnamed law enforcement source as saying that the woman appeared to have been scalped.

She also had her right ear cut off, and had a severe wound to her throat, multiple broken ribs and a broken nose.

The source said a note was found in the woman's pocket with the name of a man who had allegedly raped her.

Searches are under way to locate the man.

A spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee later told news site gazeta.ru that due to the nature and severity of the woman's head injuries it was not yet possible to confirm whether she had been scalped or badly beaten.

Another woman was found murdered in the same park, a large forested area to the south of the city, on August 29.

She had suffered multiple injuries to her head and body, as well as reportedly having her fingers severed.

Her body was discovered by a couple out walking, who noticed a woman's hand in a bush by the side of the path.

In a statement on the latest murder, the Investigative Committee of Russia said: "On October 6 in a ravine near one of the houses on Rokotova Street was found a roll of cardboard, inside of which there was a body of an unknown woman with head and body injuries.

"The investigative committee started a criminal case based on the signs of murder.

"At the moment there is an ongoing investigation and measures are being taken to determine the circumstances of the event, the identity of the victim and the person who participated in the crime.

"The criminal investigation is continuing."

Bitsevsky Park has a notorious reputation among Muscovites as the location of scores of murders by a serial killer who became known as the Bitsevsky Maniac from 2001 to 2006.

Later identified as Alexander Pichushkin, he was convicted in 2007 of 48 murders, although he has since claimed he killed 62, and was aiming for 64 deaths to match the number of squares on a chess board.

Pichushkin is currently serving a life sentence in prison.  Investigators have not said whether they are considering the possibility of a copycat killer.

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Power Blackout Risk 'At Its Highest Since 2008'

The electricity and gas network operator for England and Wales is keeping a "close watching brief" on supplies as the risk of blackouts was predicted to be at its highest since 2008.

Traditional North Sea gas sources are replaced by "uncertain" imports making it more likely that at any other time in six years that supplies will fall short in the coming colder months.

However, the National Grid has said it is confident that the market has the capability to keep the lights on.

Chris Train, director of market operations, said electricity margins - the difference between peak demand and available supply - were "tighter than we have seen historically".

The reserve margins are forecast to drop from 9% last winter to 4.5% this winter.

National Grid made the gloomy forecast in its Winter Outlook 2013/14, and highlighted reducing gas output from UK territorial waters, primarily in the North Sea.

"Source supplies continue to evolve as UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) gas supplies decline and the UK's reliance on imports increases," it said.

"The decline in UKCS supplies and subsequent increase in import capability has materially changed the UK's gas supply landscape and fundamentally changed the dynamics of supply from that of near predictability to considerable uncertainty."

Last winter's repeated and prolonged periods of freezing weather saw a dramatic spike in imports through pipelines to Bacton in Norfolk, from the Netherlands and Belgium.

Daily winter imports from mainland Europe last winter reached 57%, tilting away from traditional UK North Sea and sources.

Traditionally, gas imports flowed from north to south through a North Sea pipeline network based at St Fergus, near Aberdeen.

Last winter coal-fired power generation was increased because of the widening cost differential between coal and gas.

However, the availability of coal-fired plants has fallen almost 20% since last winter.

Mr Train said: "While there have been power station closures since last winter, the information suggests that the market can meet demand in cold weather.

"But as the system operator, we're never complacent and it's up to us to be ready to balance the system in real time. We believe we are ready and have the tools we need to play our part."

Wind power helped meet the increased demand last winter, with the amount of power generated from that resource higher than  gas-fired electricity levels for the first time.

However, supply needed to be boosted during periods of low wind speed by greater reliance on gas.

Lengthy periods of cold, still weather will further exacerbate gas usage this coming winter.

The National Grid has estimated wind turbine output at 25%, factoring in breakdowns and insufficient wind speed periods, but add that extended periods of no wind could drop the system reserve safety margin even lower.

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hillsborough Police Film 'May Have Been Edited'

Hillsborough: Many Questions Remain

Updated: 4:49pm UK, Tuesday 17 September 2013

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent

The police watchdog says it has uncovered "differences" between early statements given by fans at Hillsborough and later accounts.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) now wants to hear from as many as possible of the 50,000 fans in the stadium that day so that a clearer picture of what happened can be drawn.

The force responsible for taking those statements was West Midlands Police - their methods, practices and procedures adopted back then then are now under scrutiny.

Although careful not to prejudge, the IPCC clearly has either hard evidence or strong suspicions - or both - to suggest that West Midlands Police didn't do their job properly when dealing with those crucial eyewitness accounts.

But the scale of the task ahead of the IPCC is potentially enormous and pressure to avoid a long, drawn out investigation equally so.

The families of the 96 people who died at Hillsborough want answers. They also want any wrongdoing to be punished.

They fear that appealing for thousands of people to come forward can only mean one thing - another long inquiry.

The deputy chair of the IPCC, Deborah Glass, told me that they've had "constructive talks" with the families and that they understand the sense of frustration.

"We cannot ignore the mistakes of the past but we must be thorough now," she said.

It's hard to argue with both views.

We know from last year's Independent Panel report into the disaster that police and ambulance statements were altered to paint the police in a better light.

What we don't know yet is how many accounts from the fans themselves were altered, changed or even rewritten.

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Byrne And Twigg Lose Out In Labour Reshuffle

Changes To Main Parties' Teams

Updated: 5:20pm UK, Monday 07 October 2013

A list of all the changes to the Tory, Lib Dem and Labour teams as they are announced in Westminster.

TORIES

In/Promoted:

Esther McVey - Employment Minister

Greg Clark - Minister of State (Cities and Constitution)

Greg Hands - Deputy Chief Whip

Mike Penning - Work and Pensions Minister

Sajid Javid - Financial Secretary to the Treasury

Nicky Morgan - Economic Secretary

Andrew Robathan - Northern Ireland Minister

Matt Hancock - Skills and Enterprise Minister

Hugh Robertson - Foreign Office Minister

Helen Grant - Sports and Equalities Minister

George Eustice - Environment Minister

Shailesh Vara - Justice Minister

Robert Goodwill - Transport Minister

Sam Gyimah - Whips' Office

Out:

Deputy Chief Whip John Randall

Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith

Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon

Transport Minister Simon Burns

Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt

LIB DEMS

In/Promoted:

Ex-Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael - Scottish Secretary

Don Foster - Chief Whip

Norman Baker - Home Office Minister

Baroness Susan Kramer - Transport Minister

Out:

Scottish Secretary Michael Moore

Home Office Minister Jeremy Browne

LABOUR

In/Promoted:

Rachel Reeves - Shadow work and pensions secretary

Tristram Hunt - Shadow education secretary

Chris Leslie - Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury

Gloria De Piero - Shadow minister for women and equalities

Out:

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg

More to follow...

23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More