Honeymoon Murder: Dewani In Legal Setback

Honeymoon murder suspect Shrien Dewani has lost his latest legal battle to block his extradition to South Africa.

He argued he should not be forced from the UK to face trial over his wife's killing until he has recovered from mental health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Dewani, who is compulsorily detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act, denies any involvement in her death.

He is accused of ordering the killing of his 28-year-old wife Anni, who was shot as the couple travelled in a taxi on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010.

A panel of judges ruled in January it would not be "unjust and oppressive" to extradite him if the South African government gave an undertaking over how long he would be kept in the country without trial if his illness continues.

The South African authorities have now given the necessary assurances, but Dewani's lawyers returned to London's High Court to challenge the undertaking before judges.

They also asked for permission to take Dewani's case to the Supreme Court - the UK's highest court.

But the judges rejected complaints made about the adequacy of the undertaking and also refused to give the go-ahead for the case to go to the Supreme Court.

More follows...

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Ukraine: Russia Delivers 'Assault Storm' Deadline

Ukraine Protests: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 11:46am UK, Monday 03 March 2014

Protesters in Ukraine have staged three months of demonstrations at the decision to reject an EU deal in favour of closer ties with Russia. Here are the key events:

:: November 2013 - Ukrainian authorities suspend talks on an Associated Agreement with the EU in favour of closer economic ties with Russia. The decision prompts pro-European opposition groups to call for protests.

:: December 1, 2013 - A crowd of up to 500,000 gathers on Independence Squaure in Kiev, setting up a camp and building barricades.

:: December 11, 2013 - Security forces move against protesters in Kiev but are forced back.

:: December 17, 2013 - President Viktor Yanukovych travels to Moscow where he secures a $15bn (£9bn) bailout deal and a huge price cut for Russian gas.

:: January 19, 2014 - Dozens are injured in clashes between police and protesters in the capital after 200,000 defy new restrictions on demonstrations.

:: January 22, 2014 - Police smash barricades in central Kiev. Protesters respond by hurling rocks and firebombs.

:: January 25, 2014 - Yanukovych offers opposition leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Vitali Klitschko entry to the government, but they decline.

:: January 28, 2014 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigns, parliament scraps the anti-protest laws.

:: January 29, 2014 - Parliament passes an amnesty bill, but the opposition rejects its conditions.

:: February 2, 2014 - Yatsenyuk and Klitschko call for international mediation and Western financial aid in Kiev.

:: February 4, 2014 - Klitschko calls for an "end to the dictatorship" during a heated parliament session.

:: February 5, 2014 - EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and top US envoy to Europe Victoria Nuland visit Kiev.

:: February 7, 2014 - Yanukovych meets his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

:: February 9, 2014 - 70,000 protesters gather on Independence Square.

:: February 10, 2014 - The EU stops short of any immediate threat of sanctions.

:: February 14, 2014 - All 234 protesters who have been arrested since December are released, but charges against them remain in place.

:: February 16, 2014 - Protesters evacuate Kiev city hall after occupying the building since December 1. A day later, protesters are granted amnesty.

:: February 17, 2014 - Moscow says it will release $2bn (£1.2bn) from a vital aid package to Ukraine "this week".

:: February 18, 2014 - At least 25 people are killed in the bloodiest day of clashes in nearly three months of protests. Riot police encircle Independence Square, where thousands of protesters remain after a deadline set by security forces.

:: February 19, 2014 - Ukraine's president announces a truce with the opposition.

:: February 20, 2014 - More than 50 people are killed in more clashes between riot police and protesters.

:: February 21, 2014 - President Yanukovych agrees to form a coalition government, hold early presidential elections and make constitutional changes to limit his powers. Mr Yanukovych leaves Kiev.

:: February 22, 2014 - Parliament votes to remove Mr Yanukovych and hold new elections. Yulia Tymoshenko is freed and addresses a huge crowd in Independence Square.

:: February 23, 2014 - Presidential powers are assigned to the Ukraine parliament's new speaker, Oleksandr Turchinov. Pro-Russian protests begin in Crimea, where Russia has a major naval base.

:: February 24, 2014 - Ukraine's interim government draws up an arrest warrant for Mr Yanukovych.

:: February 27, 2014 - Masked gunmen seize regional parliament and government buildings in Crimea. Mr Yanukovych is granted refuge in Russia.

:: February 28, 2014 - Ukraine says Russian troops have taken up positions around strategic locations on the Crimean peninsula. Mr Turchynov says he has put armed forces on full readiness.

:: March 1, 2014 - Russian troops take control of Crimea.

:: March 2, 2014 - Ukraine appeals for international help. The US says it believes Russia has more than 6,000 troops in Crimea. Preparations for June's G8 summit in Russia are suspended.

:: March 3, 2014 - Troops take control of a ferry terminal in Kerch.

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'Bullying A Factor' In Female Soldier's Suicide

A female soldier who hanged herself at an Army barracks was bullied after alleging she was raped, a coroner has ruled.

Nicholas Rheinberg ordered the Army to review its care of vulnerable soldiers following Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement's death at Bulford Barracks in Wiltshire.

Bullying, the "lingering" mental effects of an alleged rape, "work-related despair" and a romantic break-up were all factors, Mr Rheinberg said.

Two years before her death Corporal Ellement accused two soldiers of raping her while stationed in Germany - an allegation that did not lead to charges.

In a statement read outside court in Salisbury, her family welcomed the coroner's conclusions - which come more than two years after her death in October 2011.

Her sister, Sharon Hardy, said: "The family are delighted with this verdict we have today.

"The coroner has confirmed what we have always known - that Anne-Marie was treated appallingly and let down by the Army.

"She was never able to recover from the allegation of rape she made in Germany.

"She then suffered bullying by the Army and was subjected to unacceptable work practices.

"Victims of sexual abuse in the Army need proper support, which the coroner has recognised, and we are delighted with his recommendations."

The Army has apologised following Anne-Marie Ellement's inquest

Mr Rheinberg said that, although the care given to Corporal Ellement in the aftermath of her rape allegation had been of "high quality", the transfer of information when she returned to the UK was "unforgivably bad".

He ruled that she was subject to two periods of bullying.

The first involved the girlfriend of one the alleged rapists. The second saw her superior officer, Staff Sergeant Julian Clark, write a derogatory post on Facebook about her work.

Mr Rheinberg said the latter troubled Corporal Ellement, who was 30 when she died, "again and again".

The coroner identified a recent relationship as another significant factor, and explained how the deceased suffered sexual abuse and bullying as a child.

A previous inquest in March 2012 recorded a conclusion that Corporal Ellement, originally from Bournemouth in Dorset, took her own life - but the High Court ordered a fresh hearing.

Bridgadier John Donnelly, director of personal services for the Army, said: "The Army deeply regrets the tragic death of Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement and although there were aspects of her care that were praised, I want to apologise to her family for the failures the coroner has identified.

"This second inquest has been an extremely thorough investigation, and Anne-Marie's family has shown great dignity throughout.

"We now have a clear understanding of the complex circumstances surrounding her death and where the Army needs to learn lessons.

"Our priority is to study the coroner's conclusions and then identify what further steps can be taken, to help prevent a recurrence of this kind of tragedy in the future.

"At present, however, our thoughts and sympathy lie with Anne-Marie's family and her friends at this difficult time."

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or CALM on 0800 58 58 58.

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Oscars Celebrity Selfie Breaks Retweet Record

Ellen DeGeneres has broken a Twitter record after a picture of her posing with Hollywood celebrities at the Oscars was retweeted more than two million times.

Before hosting the ceremony she vowed to smash the record set by Barack and Michelle Obama after a photograph of them embracing following his re-election in 2012 was retweeted more than 800,000 times.

The picture of DeGeneres surrounded by Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Kevin Spacey and Brad Pitt was taken by American Hustle star Bradley Cooper and titled: "If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars".

The selfie was captured from behind

Within an hour the picture had received 870,000 retweets and had been "favourited" 210,000 times.

"We crashed and broke Twitter. We have made history," DeGeneres told the crowd during the broadcast after the picture went viral.

"See, Meryl, what we did, you and I?"

Twitter users responded by sharing Barack Obama's tweet from 2012

Twitter had to send out an apology because all of the retweeting disrupted the service for more than 20 minutes.

But the record provoked a backlash from Twitter users who began retweeting Obama's tweet in an attempt to nudge it back to the top spot.

They were not successful and by Monday DeGeneres had received 2.4 million retweets and 1.1 million favourites.

Benedict Cumberbatch 'photobombs' U2

She wasn't the only star enjoying photo-based fun at the 86th Academy Awards.

Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch repeatedly jumped behind U2 while they were having their picture taken on the red carpet outside the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

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Computer Coding Skills For Children 'Crucial'

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

A generation of British schoolchildren risks being left behind in an analogue world unless they learn computer programming skills, a group of some of the UK's leading digital entrepreneurs warn today.

Writing on the Sky News website, figures including Baroness Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of Lastminute.com, and Ian Livingstone CBE, whose company created Tomb Raider, say young people could miss out on jobs if they are not taught skills like coding.

"Employers, entrepreneurs and government are aware how important the digital world will be in the future and we have to have a workforce with the right skills. It is vital that the UK is not left behind because we don't have the right talent who understand problem solving and are digitally literate," they write in an open letter.

"To ensure the next generation doesn't miss out on the potential this digital world will bring and the ability for them to succeed in it, we need to teach them about the fundamentals that underpin it."

The warning comes as the Hour of Code campaign is launched the UK, an initiative encouraging everyone to spend one hour learning how to write code.

It is part of a series of projects which will also see code taught in schools for the first time, following changes to the national curriculum from September.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has encouraged children to learn code

Computer science will be taught in all schools for the first time - and at one school in central London where classes are already under way, pupils voiced their enthusiasm.

"I think this should be taught everywhere," said Arb, a Year 9 pupil at Westminster City School. "It will enrich children, it will inspire them to go into coding and software production.

"It's more fun than actually playing [computer games], it's fantastic," Arb added. "You play the game but you don't actually appreciate how much time is put into making it. Now you realise that just making a simple game like this is incredible."

But one tech entrepreneur warned that root and branch reforms of the education system were needed if young people are really to be equipped with the right skills in a changing world.

"There is a massive skills shortage of digital savvy teachers - it's an unfortunate reality of the internet revolution moving a lot faster than anyone would imagine," said the enterpreneur, who wanted to remain anonymous. "I'm supportive of the Hour of Code and the changes to the curriculum, but we are still taking baby steps."

The Government said its changes to the curriculum would give children the right start.

Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: "It is vital our children have the skills they need to succeed in the modern-day world which is why we are scrapping the old curriculum and replacing it with a forward-thinking programme that will teach them how to make computers work for them.

"From September every student will be learning code in the classroom so the Hour of Code is a great way for young people to learn about this exciting new skill and get a head-start for the new school year."

As people of all ages are encouraged to learn code this week, Ian Livingstone said he believed the UK could become a world leader if coding skills were more widespread.

"I would argue that we are the most creative nation in the world - if you look at our music, our fashion, our film, our design, our architecture, our advertising, and of course our games," said Mr Livingstone. " But we have to release digital creativity, and by learning how to code we can do that."

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Pakistan Courtroom Attack Leaves 11 Dead

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News Reporter

A judge and 10 others were killed during an attack in a courthouse in Pakistan.

Judge Rafaqat Awan died after attackers threw grenades and fired indiscriminately inside the premises in the capital Islamabad.

Some 25 others were injured.

Two blasts were heard inside the court building - one near the chambers of a judge and another outside an office of an official.

A senior police official said the incident may be treated as a terror attack, though this is unconfirmed at this stage.

Emergency services help an injured man

The attack began when a defendant was brought before the court and his friends tried to free him, another officer told AFP.

Two attackers are said to have died when the grenade exploded.

It is not clear if they were alone or what the motive was.

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid denied any involvement from his group in the raid.

The group has attacked government institutions repeatedly since the insurgency started in 2007. 

Two days ago they declared a month-long ceasefire to resume the peace talks that were initiated by the government last month.

The attack took place in Islamabad

The talks had stalled when 23 soldiers of the Frontier Corps were executed by a group associated with the TTP.

The Pakistani air force retaliated by pounding militant hideouts in the tribal regions, killing a number of fighters.

Pakistan has been in the grips of continued fighting between the government, its military and the various groups of the Pakistan Taliban.

More than 51,000 people are said to have lost their lives in this conflict.

Pakistan's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, met with army chief General Rasheel Sharif and senior ministers on Monday to discuss the attack, strategies on the peace talks with the Taliban and the military's goal in North Waziristan. 

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Oscar Pistorius Trial Has Nail-Biting Start

He arrived only minutes before the hearing was due to begin and there was even a rumour that the central figure in this historic trial was too ill to attend.

The dozens of cameramen and journalists almost missed Oscar Pistorius as he crept up behind them in the pouring rain before slipping through the throng and into court.

Perhaps they have seldom seen him moving so slowly.

They may have been distracted by the chanting, dancing members of the ANC Women's League who were here to draw attention to the issue of domestic violence.

June Steenkamp (left) in court on day one of the trial

They have used previous hearings to highlight an issue that gets little publicity and few court convictions.

Other key figures arrived with more of a warning, the first being victim Reeva Steenkamp's mother June, who had heralded her own arrival with a published statement.

She entered court after vowing that she wanted to look Pistorius in the eye and let him see the hurt he had caused her by shooting dead her daughter.

The centre of Pretoria was jammed for the hour before court opened as all roads leading to North Gauteng High Court were sealed off, but traffic chaos is hardly an usual event in African cities.

A tent city has been erected by TV crews from around the world, all jockeying for the best positions across the road and on the first floor roof of the Post Office building opposite.

And boy, are we glad of the tents because it hasn't stopped raining since Saturday.

But there is a plentiful supply of food. In our midst the enterprising owner of a fried chicken shop has opened a little open-air cafe for the world's media.

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

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Oscars: 12 Years A Slave Wins Best Picture

British director Steve McQueen's film 12 Years A Slave has won the best picture award at this year's Oscars.

In one of the most hotly contested competitions of recent years, the film beat eight fellow nominees - American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena and The Wolf Of Wall Street.

McQueen jumped for joy at the win and thanked his wife, who first showed him a copy of the original book, for "unearthing this treasure" and his parents before dedicating the win to "everyone who has endured slavery and 21 million who still do today".

Lupita Nyong'o won the best supporting actress prize for her role as Patsey in the 19th century drama.

Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett with their awards

The Mexican-born star, who is of Kenyan descent, paid tribute to McQueen, who she said charged "everything with the breath of your own spirit".

She thanked her co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender and said: "I'm a little dazed. I can't believe this is in my hands. I can't believe this is real life."

Ejiofor lost out in the lead actor category to Matthew McConaughey who won for his portrayal of an Aids activist in Dallas Buyers Club.

His co-star Jared Leto won the first award of the night after being named best supporting actor.

Leto beat Bradley Cooper, Michael Fassbender, Jonah Hill and Barkhad Abdi after playing an HIV-positive transgender woman in the film.

Alfonso Cuaron with his best director award

Gravity was the big winner at this year's awards, winning seven trophies, including best director for Alfonso Cuaron.

The film, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, won in many of the technical categories, including visual effects and original score.

Australian Cate Blanchett won the best actress prize for her role in Blue Jasmine, beating Sandra Bullock, Amy Adams, Dame Judi Dench and Meryl Streep.

Accepting her award, she praised her fellow actresses including the "sublime" Sally Hawkins and said films with strong female characters were not "niche".

She said: "Audiences want to see them and in fact they earn money."

Despite being nominated 10 times including in all four acting categories, David O Russell's American Hustle did not win a single prize.

DeGeneres managed to take this widely tweeted selfie. Pic: @TheEllenShow

The ceremony at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre was hosted by comedian Ellen DeGeneres, who opened the show with a string of gags poking fun at the event.

Referring to a recent spell of wet weather in LA, she said: "For those of you around the world who are watching it has been a tough couple of days - it has been raining. We're fine, thank you for your prayers."

A selfie taken on DeGeneres' phone featuring Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence has become the most retweeted tweet in Twitter's history, garnering over one million in just 45 minutes and going on to be retweeted more than two million times.

DeGeneres announced: "We have broken Twitter."

Pharrell Williams was the first act to perform at the event, singing Happy from Despicable Me 2. He was followed by Karen O, U2 and Pink.

Williams, Karen O and U2 lost out in the original song category to Let It Go from Frozen. The box office hit also won the best animation prize.

DeGeneres gave out pizza to stars including Brad Pitt

Bette Midler received a standing ovation after singing The Wind Beneath My Wings following a montage paying tribute to members of the film industry who have died in the last year.

After joking about how hungry stars get during the notoriously long ceremony, DeGeneres appeared to order pizza which she then handed out to Leto and others sitting in the first few rows at the theatre.

The award for best documentary short went to The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life - a week after its inspiration, pianist and world's oldest Holocaust survivor, Alice Herz-Sommer, 110, died in London.

Italian film The Great Beauty won best foreign film while 20 Feet From Stardom was named best documentary, beating The Act Of Killing which had been a favourite to win.

The Great Gatsby won best costume and production design while the make-up and hairstyling award went to Dallas Buyers Club.

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Oscar Neighbour Heard 'Bloodcurdling Screams'

A neighbour of Oscar Pistorius has told how she heard screams and four gunshots on the night the star killed Reeva Steenkamp.

Michell Burger - the first witness at the athlete's highly anticipated murder trial - told the court how she woke up at 3am to the sound of "terrible screams" and called security.

In front of a packed public gallery, which included Ms Steenkamp's mother June, she described hearing "bloodcurdling screams".

"She screamed terribly and she yelled for help," she said.

"Then I also heard a man screaming for help. Three times he yelled for help.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius' home in February 2013

"Just after her screams, I heard four shots. It was very traumatic for me. You could hear that it was bloodcurdling screams."

When Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux repeatedly asked if she thought Pistorius was lying, she said she did not understand how Pistorius could not have heard the screams.

Mr Roux also suggested she had in fact heard the sound of Pistorius hitting the toilet door with a cricket bat after the shooting, rather than the actual shots.

When pressed by Mr Roux whether the shots could have been fired before she woke up, she insisted she had heard gunshots.

During a tense exchange, Mr Roux also asked for details about the screams she heard between gunshots, and why details in her court testimony did not appear in her witness statement.

Pistorious' lawyer Barry Roux

He asked: "Was there continuous screaming?"

She replied: "The screaming, it went very fast. I didn't expect that that evening."

Mr Roux said sharply: "What is it that you say to me by mentioning that?"

Ms Burger replied: "I didn't sit there with a stopwatch and take down the timing of each shot, or write when she shouted.

"What I can say is that there were four gunshots, and I heard her petrified screaming."

Pistorius' home pictured after the shooting

Mr Roux said: "You are not sure and what you are now doing is adapting, you're speculating, you're trying to close all the gaps."

Ms Burger said she later saw aerial shots on Sky News which showed how close her house was to Pistorius' home. Until then she knew the athlete lived nearby, but not exactly where.

The trial started with Pistorius, wearing a dark suit and tie, pleading not guilty to murder and a series of firearms charges.

For much of the opening statement by the defence counsel, Pistorius had his eyes closed and occasionally sighed.

The defence used the statement to allege the crime scene had been "contaminated and tampered with". State prosecutor Gerrie Nel denied there had been any tampering.

Pistorius walks past Ms Steenkamp's mother (second from right)

Pistorius' team also said claims the athlete wanted to kill Ms Steenkamp "couldn't be further from the truth", and that he thought there was an intruder in his home.

After the opening statement Pistorius then fixed his gaze on the witness box, where his neighbour gave evidence for most of the day.

Earlier, there was disruption in court as a woman known only as Anna Marie - who has attempted to intervene in previous hearings - turned up at court and was surrounded and asked to leave.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who is in court, said the woman told reporters she knew Pistorius' mother, and wanted to see the judge.

She also claimed to be the ex-wife of the surgeon who amputated Pistorius' legs as a baby.

Large parts of the trial are being televised

In a landmark ruling, large parts of the case are being broadcast live by three remote-controlled cameras in court, but testimony given by Pistorius can't be shown.

The trial, which will hear from more than 100 witnesses, is scheduled to run for three weeks but could go on for longer.

The South African legal system does not have trials by a jury, so a judge is presiding over proceedings who will ultimately pronounce Pistorius innocent or guilty.

The 27-year-old double amputee faces charges of murder, illegal possession of ammunition and two additional counts relating to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before shooting Ms Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria on Valentine's Day last year.

He stands accused of fatally shooting the 29-year-old model and reality TV star four times through a toilet door intentionally following a jealous row and then lying extensively about it.

Pistorius acknowledges he killed Ms Steenkamp but denies murder and says he shot her after mistaking her for an intruder.

Pistorius says he was terrified at the mistaken belief that there was a dangerous intruder in his home about to hurt him and the woman he loved dearly - but he had to intervene.

If found guilty of premeditated murder, the Paralympic and Olympic athlete could be jailed for at least 25 years.

June Steenkamp - who was sitting on the same bench as members of the Pistorius family - was in court for the first time. Earlier she had said she wanted to look Pistorius in the eyes during the trial.

She glared at the star as he walked into court.

The High Court in Pretoria where the trial is taking place

At the end of the first day of the trial he was bustled out of court through crowds of photographers and journalists and into a waiting car.

Crawford said: "There were quite extraordinary scenes when Oscar Pistorius left.

"His car was absolutely mobbed, he was followed by crowds and crowds of people who ran after his car shouting and screaming.

"It was absolute chaos for 15 minutes."

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

 

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Boy Who Raped His Sister Will Return To Family

A 12-year-old boy who raped his seven-year-old sister after watching hardcore pornography on the internet has walked free from court.

He had apparently seen porn on an Xbox games console at a friend's house and this had led to a "sexual conversation" with his friends.

The youngster then gained a "desire to try it out" and he committed a number of sexual offences against his sister.

The boy, now 13, pleaded guilty to one count of rape, two counts of indecent assault and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The offences happened between March and May last year but they did not come to light until last autumn.

In a statement, the offender who attended court with his father and a social worker said he was "disgusted" with his actions and promised it would not happen again.

Social workers will now work with the boy to return him to the family home in the coming months.

In a victim impact statement, the girl said she was "sad" at what her brother had done but she wanted him to come home because she loved him and missed playing games with him.

Sentencing him at Blackburn Youth Court, District Judge James Prowse said he thought it "highly improbable" the boy would reoffend in this way.

He imposed a 12-month referral order as he followed the recommendations of a Youth Offending Team.

The youngster would also be placed on the sex offenders register for two-and-a-half years.

Detaining him would "tear the family apart" and would expose him to "hardened and sophisticated" youth offenders, he added.

Under a referral order, the child is ordered to appear before a Referral Order Panel accompanied by a parent.

And it aims to prevent re-offending by ensuring the person is made aware of the impact and consequences of his criminal activity.

Judge Prowse said the order would be "intense" and was specifically tailored to deal with last year's events.

He said it would be "a tough haul" for his parents, who were also confronting the abuse of their daughter, but he said he felt they were "going to get there".

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