Which Swedish ex-world heavyweight boxing champion died in February 2009?

Obituary: Ingemar Johansson | Sport | The Guardian Ingemar Johansson Swedish world heavyweight boxing champion who beat Floyd Patterson 26 Jun 1959, New York, USA Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson mixing it up. Johansson died on 30 January 2009 Photograph: Art Sarno/Corbis Monday 2 February 2009 19.01 EST First published on Monday 2 February 2009 19.01 EST Share on Messenger Close The manager of the boxer Floyd Patterson, Gus D'Amato, the guru who went on to mastermind the career of the young Mike Tyson, rarely got his assessment of boxers hopelessly wrong. An exception to that rule came in 1959, when he decided Patterson should defend the world heavyweight title against the Swede Ingemar Johansson, who has died aged 76. Johansson annihilated the champion and became the first European to win the title for a quarter of a century. D'Amato had avoided the most dangerous contenders for his man and had identified Johansson as a limited fighter whom Patterson could comfortably outbox. But his plans went awry in the third round of their contest at New York's Yankee Stadium. Patterson was floored seven times before the referee Ruby Goldstein called a halt to the massacre. In one fight, Johansson became a national hero in Sweden. The last European to have held the title had been the huge Italian Primo Carnera in the 1930s. Johansson's much vaunted right hand was dubbed "Ingo's Bingo" by the press and it was that right hand that destroyed Patterson. It was a punch that Johansson preferred to describe as the "Hammer of Thor" and had already helped him account for leading British fighters in the shape of Henry Cooper and Joe Erskine. For Johannson, winning the title was a moment of redemption. Seven years earlier, at the Olympics in Helsinki, he had been disqualified in the heavyweight final for not trying. He had chosen to run from big-punching American heavyweight Ed Sanders, but Johansson always defended his actions by saying he had been merely attempting to tire his opponent out. The Olympic officials disagreed and withheld his silver medal. The stigma had remained until he defeated Patterson. Patterson was quoted as saying: "Losing the title was bad enough, but losing it to a foreigner was even worse." It was inevitable that there would be a rematch where Patterson would attempt to regain the title. The US public had come to regard the heavyweight crown as its own through decades during which the likes of Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano had inspired dominance. The sporting pride of a nation was at stake. In 1960, the two men fought for a second time, in front of a crowd estimated at 40,000 at the New York Polo Grounds. Johansson was favourite to repeat his triumph of the previous year, such had been the devastating manner of his win. But Patterson thrilled a delirious crowd by knocking the Swede unconscious in the fifth round to set up a third deciding contest in 1961 that proved to be similarly dramatic. Johansson had Patterson down twice in the opening round of the fight in Miami Beach and it seemed the title would be heading back to Sweden, but Patterson rallied. He became the first man to regain the title, weathering the early punishment, and then outboxing and cutting Johansson. In the sixth round Patterson knocked him out. Not yet 30, Johansson continued his career, regaining the European title by knocking out Dick Richardson of Wales. There was talk of another world title shot, but it was perhaps fortunate he never faced Patterson's successor as the champion - the feared Sonny Liston. Instead he had what proved to be the final fight of his career against Blackpool's Brian London in 1963. He was declared the winner even though he finished the contest slumped over the ropes. London had all but knocked him out with the last punch of the fight and the experience convinced Johansson it was time to quit. He had come a long way from his birthplace in Gothenburg and enjoyed a colourful life away from boxing. He had earned what was, at the time, a huge amount from his fighting career. The three fights with Patterson brought him


Which actor returned to ER in 2009 to huge acclaim?

ER - NBC.com NBC.com Live About the Show NBC's celebrated medical drama "ER" debuted in the fall of 1994 and aired its series finale 15 seasons later. Along the way, "ER" helped launch the careers of George Clooney, Julianna Margulies and Noah Wiley among many others. Combining the extraordinary talents of multiple award-winning producer John Wells ("The West Wing" "Third Watch"), best-selling author Michael Crichton ("Jurassic Park") and the creative team at Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, the venerated series "ER" explores the inner workings of an urban teaching hospital and the critical issues faced by the dedicated physicians and staff of its overburdened emergency room. The highly acclaimed drama series holds the distinction of being recognized as the most Emmy-nominated series in the history of television with 124 nominations. Crichton, Wells and Zabel served as executive producers, along with Christopher Chulack, Joe Sachs and Janine Sherman Barrois. A winner of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, the series also earned 22 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series in 1996, among many accolades. In addition, the cast was honored with four Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Drama Series. In its final season, the staff at County General Hospital included Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney), a recovering alcoholic trying her best to juggle a demanding residency and motherhood while everything around her seems to be falling apart; Dr. Greg Pratt (Mekhi Phifer), an attending fighting for the chief spot on the floor as well as for a firm grasp on his love life; Neela Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra), a skilled surgical resident committed to growing in her craft as well as in her place on the surgical team; Sam Taggart (Linda Cardellini), a spirited ER nurse who is finally getting some time to explore life and love both in and outside the hospital; Dr. Archie Morris (Scott Grimes), the quirky-yet-talented attending dedicated to his work but constantly distracted by his own world; Tony Gates (John Stamos), a paramedic-turned-doctor who has overcome numerous obstacles to take on the rigorous challenges of life in the ER; Dr. Simon Brenner (David Lyons) the newest attending physician with a penchant for stirring things up, and Dr. Cate Banfield (Angela Bassett) as a tough-as-nails attending physician whose arrival shakes up the ER. "ER" is a production of Constant c Productions and Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Television. More


Swiss insurance company SUVA launched a campaign in January 2009 urging slower what?

Insurance Business America issue 1.02 by Key Media - issuu issuu Issuu on Google+ IBAMAG.COM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 On top of their games—these pros left a mark on 2013 WHAT MAKES HANK WATKINS TICK? PEEK OVER THE HORIZON WITH LLOYD’S US CHIEF DUELING THE DIRECTS SOFTWARE TOOLS YOU NEED TO WOO ONLINE BUYERS STORMS SURGE THE INDUSTRY AND THE WORLD WRESTLE WITH NEW RISK PARAMETERS IBAMAG.COM 20 COVER STORY The Hot 100 Roadblocks, hurdles and headwinds don’t bother these folks. They meet ’em and beat ’em. Check out our inaugural list of the Hot 100 industry pros who met the challenges of the year and left their businesses, their industry and their communities better off 42 FEATURE FEATURES 6 | The Big Interview How Lloyd’s top man in North America Hank Watkins eyes the future—and keeps everyone pulling together 42 | Catastrophe insurance: Batten the hatches Colorado Springs. Joplin. Sandy and Katrina. From the mountains to the sea—and everywhere in between—the new normal is not pretty. Insurers (and governments, planners and builders) are recalibrating. It could be a long road 46 | E&S, anyone? Surplus lines are big business. Is it time for you to get into the space—or expand your presence? Insurance Business America explores the terrain 54 | Construction: Going up Construction spending is finally coming out of the doldrums. What does it mean for the insurance marketplace today and what is coming in 2014? DAILY INVESTIGATIONS NOW ONLINE: cyber security insurance fraud gun owner liability insurance ...and more! Sign up for your free daily Insurance Business America e-newsletter at ibamag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 | 1 CONTENTS 50 BUSINESS STRATEGY SERVICE It costs six to seven times more to get a new customer than to keep an old one. Want to pay attention to your clients and offer exceptional service? Here’s how COPY & FEATURES MANAGING EDITOR Kevin Eddy SENIOR JOURNALIST Stewart Huntington JOURNALIST Caitlin Bronson CONTRIBUTORS Nikki Heald, Julia Palmer, John Pickering, Marjorie Preston, Erwann O Michel-Kerjan PRODUCTION EDITOR Roslyn Meredith ART & PRODUCTION SENIOR DESIGNER Rebecca Downing GRAPHIC DESIGNER Marla Morelos, Loiza Caguiat SALES & MARKETING NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Cathy Masek NATIONAL SALES MANAGER James Donnellan MEDIA SALES MANAGER Molly Hummel COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Lisa Narroway MARKETING EXECUTIVE Anna Farah CORPORATE REGULARS 4 | TRIA’s trial The fate of the terror insurance federal ‘backstop’ is hanging in the breeze. What does that mean for your business? 63 | Favorite things An agent dreams of being anywhere and doing anything—and finds there’s no place like home BUSINESS STRATEGY 58 | Networking Don’t be afraid. Networking is not a four-letter word, and indeed, it can be vital to your success. Here are the tips you need 64 | The last word Catastrophic events expert Erwann O Michel-Kerjan lays out a strong case for extending the federal government’s role in terrorism insurance CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mike Shipley MANAGING DIRECTOR Claire Preen CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER George Walmsley CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Colin Chan HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Julia Bookallil Editorial enquiries Stewart Huntington stewart.huntington@keymedia.com Advertising enquiries Cathy Masek cathy.masek@keymedia.com James Donnellan james.donnellan@keymedia.com Molly Hummel molly.hummel@keymedia.com Subscriptions subscriptions@keymedia.com Key Media 7807 E Peakview Ave Suite 115 Centennial CO 80111 United States of America Tel: +1 720 452 2600 Offices in Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Manila, Toronto ibamag.com Copyright is reserved throughout. No part of this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the editor. Contributions are invited, but copies of work should be kept, as IB magazine can accept no responsibility for loss 62 OFFBEAT What do goats, chickens and bras have in common? We didn’t know either CONNECT iba@keymedia.com 2 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 Printed on paper produced from 100% sustainable forestry, grown and managed specifically for the paper pulp industry NEWS / TERRORISM INSURANCE


In 2009 who became English football's most capped outfield player?

Rooney equals Beckham's England record | Goal.com Rooney equals Beckham's England record Harry Sherlock ShareClose Comments Getty The Manchester United striker has equalled the tally set by the former Three Lions captain and now needs 11 more caps to become the country's all-time record appearance holder Wayne Rooney has become the joint most-capped outfield player in England's history on Monday, after starting against Iceland in the last-16 of Euro 2016. Rooney led the side out to face the minnows in Nice, having played in all three of the Three Lions' fixtures in the tournament thus far; 1-1 and 0-0 draws with Russia and Slovakia respectively and a 2-1 victory over Wales, and has subsequently matched David Beckham's tally of 115 outfield caps. Rooney must now chalk up 11 more caps if he is to overtake Peter Shilton and become England's record appearance holder. The Manchester United striker made his England debut at the age of 17, coming on as a substitute in a 3-1 loss to Australia in 2003, and has since gone on to score 52 goals for his country, making him the leading goalscorer in the history of the Three Lions. Rooney will beat Beckham's record if England defeat Iceland and he is subsequently picked to play against France in the quarter final. Rooney has yet to score at Euro 2016, last netting in a European Championship in 2012. The striker headed home in the 48th minute to give England a 1-0 win over Ukraine.


The phrase 'HDTV is worth every cent' became featured in which TV show's opening sequence?

H d’oh TV: Watching With The Simpsons in High Definition R. Colin Tait / FLOW Staff – Flow R. Colin Tait / Texas Christian University 13 comments HDTV is Worth Every Cent Having grown up with The Simpsons over the last twenty years, it’s easy to assume the show has a largely fixed, rather than dynamic meaning. Conventional wisdom poses that the show’s glory years are well behind it having peaked with Conan O’Brien’s stewardship in the early nineties. However, as the show continues to expand its boundaries (something that Jonathan Gray calls its extratextual “overflow”) 1 we need to ask new questions of the series as it spills into other media industries, particularly with The Simpsons Movie , The Simpsons Video Game , The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida and the show’s conversion to the HDTV format in 2009. As recent years have marked considerable corporate investment in The Simpsons brand by its News Corporation parent company – presently it occupies the opening 8pm time-slot in Fox’s “Animation Nation” Sunday night programming – it is necessary that we take another glance at the series, not only to assess its continual value as a satirical mirror of the absurdities of American life but also its increasing value as a corporate product. The Simpsons themselves might not age, but the show continues to evolve, having entered a new phase in the life of its brand identity with the advent of new technologies. Oh, and it’s still funny too. The series’ recent conversion to the High Definition Television (and widescreen) format has given the 20 year-old show a major face-lift by updating its classic opening sequence. This change has two effects. First, it acts as a public record, documenting American Television’s conversion to digital and HD formats while following U.S. federal government mandates. Second, it retools the show to make way for more detailed animation, expanded storytelling and new jokes by utilizing the previously unused edges of the frame. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb82TUYoa88[/youtube] Far from simply adding a new hat to an old Malibu Stacy doll (as it were) the dynamic new opening raises several issues. For years, Pan and Scan (the process by which a film is converted to match the TV format) has butchered the outer edges of the movie frame for conversion to TV. It is also this process that is understood as the point of absolute difference between the two formats. Put simply, traditional TV resembles a square (The 4:3 ratio, such as the one that the Simpson family used to possess) while film is displayed in widened rectangle (16:9). Thus, The Simpsons’ conversion to HD might change the actual meaning of TV by rendering these differences problematic. Where we used to know that we were watching “TV” precisely because of the square format of the image, HDTVs’ resemblance to film, and its shared rectangular shape, poses us problems when looked to as differentiated products. The Simpsons Movie identifies itself as a different product early on the film, reflexively shifting from the dimensions of TV to those of film in the opening moment. (For my fellow international residents, who are blocked to hulu access portal, view the clip here ) As we can see in this clip, the familiar opening is changed from the outset, as the 4:3 ratio is immediately corrected by Professor Frink in his flying machine as he sings along to the familiar theme, adding “movie…on the big screen” and expanding the image from the standard TV dimensions to the widescreen format. The rest of the sequence can be seen as taking full advantage of the technological and visual superiority afforded in the movie theatre (as does the final credit sequence, which has us sitting in the theater with the Simpsons family as they comment on the names). This sequence also brings us through a sophisticated (nearly) three-dimensional version of Springfield, complete with the familiar settings of the town which literally pop-up and out at us in the opening minutes. The humor of the scene comes from its playfully familiar relationship to the TV


What politician nicknamed 'the big beast' returned to the Conservative party shadow cabinet?

BBC News - Cabinet: David Cameron's new line-up Cabinet: David Cameron's new line-up Here is a guide to the cabinet following the reshuffle which began on 14 July, 2014: David Cameron Prime Minister Prime Minister David Cameron Conservative David Cameron was virtually unknown outside Westminster when he was elected Tory leader in December 2005 at the age of 39. The Old Etonian had dazzled that year's party conference with his youthful dynamism and charisma, reportedly telling journalists he was the "heir to Blair". He has sought to match the former PM by putting the Conservatives at the centre ground of British politics. After the 2010 election he led his party into coalition with the Lib Dems, making tackling the UK economy's deficit its priority. He has faced criticism from some on the right of the party but Mr Cameron has insisted the coalition will see through its full five-year term. Before becoming leader, he was the Conservatives' campaign co-ordinator at the 2005 general election and shadow education secretary. He was special adviser to Home Secretary Michael Howard and Chancellor Norman Lamont in the 1990s before spending seven years as a public relations executive with commercial broadcaster Carlton. Nick Clegg Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg In just five years, Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg, a contemporary of Mr Cameron, went from political obscurity to the absolute front line of British politics. After becoming MP for Sheffield Hallam at the 2005 election, he was promoted to Europe spokesman, before moving on to the home affairs role. When Sir Menzies Campbell resigned as leader in 2007, he entered the race to succeed him, in the end narrowly beating Chris Huhne. He really came to prominence during the televised debates ahead of the general election, being judged in polls to have been the big winner of the first one. However, this appeared to do little to help the Lib Dems when they actually lost seats on 6 May. The party, though, retained enough MPs to become the vital players in the hung parliament. After taking his party into coalition with the Conservatives - and U-turning on a previous pledge to reject university tuition fees - Mr Clegg saw his personal poll ratings slump, but he has pointed to areas where Lib Dem policies have come into force on taxation and consitutional issues. Like David Cameron, he has insisted the coalition is working in the national interest and will continue for the full parliament. George Osborne Chancellor Chancellor George Osborne One of David Cameron's closest friends and Conservative allies, George Osborne rose rapidly after becoming MP for Tatton in 2001. Michael Howard promoted him from shadow chief secretary to the Treasury to shadow chancellor in May 2005, at the age of 34. Mr Osborne took a key role in the election campaign and even before Mr Cameron became leader the two were being likened to Labour's Blair/Brown duo. The two have emulated them by becoming prime minister and chancellor, but have avoided the spats. Some prominent Conservatives have urged Mr Osborne to do more to promote economic growth. Before entering Parliament, he was a special adviser in the agriculture department when the Tories were in government and later served as political secretary to William Hague. Home Secretary Theresa May Theresa May is the second woman to hold the post of Home Secretary. She was the first woman to become Conservative Party chairman, under the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith. She then took up the culture and family portfolios before being made shadow Commons leader by David Cameron. She has been a keen advocate of positive action to recruit more women Tories to winnable seats and was a key architect of the "A list" of preferred candidates. A passionate moderniser, she famously ruffled feathers when she told Tory activists they were seen as members of the "nasty party". In her role as home secretary, she has overseen widespread changes to the immigration system. Mrs May was the shadow work and pensions minister ahead of the election. Philip Hammond Fore


Which UK pornographer and news mogul lost a libel action against biographer Tom Bower in July 2009?

Newspaper magnate Desmond's £1.25m bill for lost libel case | The Independent Thursday 23 July 2009 23:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Richard Desmond, the billionaire publisher, was last night facing an estimated legal bill of at least £1.25m after losing his libel case against the biographer Tom Bower. It took the jury four hours to decide that Mr Desmond was not defamed by Mr Bower's account of a confrontation with a rival newspaper mogul. Mr Desmond claimed that he had been falsely accused of interfering in the editorial policy of one of his newspapers to conduct a personal vendetta against Lord Black of Crossharbour, and that he had been equally falsely portrayed as a "wimp". The author claimed that the disputed passage, in a biography of Conrad Black, was broadly true, and in any case was not defamatory. After the verdict some members of the jury asked Mr Bower to autograph their copies of his book, which he did with obvious pleasure. "I am very grateful to you. You have been an absolutely marvellous jury. You have done a great service to British journalism," he told them. Mr Desmond, who owns four national newspapers, including the Daily Express and Daily Star, plus OK magazine, put a brave face on defeat. "I sued Mr Bower for defamation because he made inaccurate and damaging allegations about me, yet he refused to apologise and publish a correction," he said. "[Mr] Bower made a series of errors about events and timings and even got the name of one of my newspapers wrong. "His biggest mistake was in thinking I would not go to court to uphold my reputation and the resulting action has cost many hundreds of thousands of pounds to defend a few ill-thought-out remarks that were not even essential to his book. It was worth it to stand up in court and set the record straight." Despite the self-justification, the case leaves observers puzzled about why the case was brought at all. The hearing, which took almost two weeks, was over a single paragraph on pages 337 and 338 of a long book that was not even about Mr Desmond. So what drove this tough, buccaneering capitalist to launch an expensive court case over a paragraph in a book about an old business rival? One possible explanation was that he did not like what he had heard about another book Tom Bower was writing, which was to be a life of Mr Desmond. Interviewed by a newspaper in 2006, Mr Desmond was asked to name his favourite author, and replied "Tom Bower". He was obviously not being serious, but the writer with the reputation for destroying the reputations of rich men was on his mind even then. He did not want Tom Bower writing about him, and was prepared to use his vast fortune in an attempt to stop him. In court Mr Desmond claimed that he was reading Tom Bower's book Conrad and Lady Black, Dancing on the Edge on holiday and came unexpectedly on this reference to himself. He told the jury, he had not even thought to do what most famous people do when picking up a book about someone they know – look himself up in the index. After consulting his wife, he decided he must do something to protect his reputation. One of the many ironies of this case is that Tom Bower, despite his well earned reputation as a biographer who rips apart his subjects' reputations, did not mean to offend Mr Desmond. This became clear at the start of the trial – but could not be made public until after yesterday's verdict. There were actually two jury trials, but the first lasted less than a day, and had to be aborted after Mr Bower's quick witted counsel, Ronald Thwaites, had ripped apart the opening address to the jury by his fellow QC, Ian Winter, representing Mr Desmond. Mr Winter treated the original jury to an account of what sort of writer Tom Bower was, referring to him as an "unauthorised" biographer, and describing the book on Mr Black as an "expose" rather than a balanced account of his life. This might have been fair enough, except that Mr Desmond's legal team had already accepted that there was no malice in what Mr Bower had written about their client. By law, it wa


The town of Winnenden, where a deranged teenager massacred 15 school children, is in which country?

Two killed in court shooting rampage - France 24 Two killed in court shooting rampage print Latest update : 2009-04-07 A gunman opened fire in a German court Tuesday, killing a woman before turning the gun on himself. The attack came less than a month after a teenager killed 15 people in a gun rampage in the German town of Winnenden. AFP - A gunman killed one person and then himself at a German courthouse Tuesday, police said, just four weeks after a deranged German teenager massacred 15 people before turning the gun on himself.     Police spokesman Peter Kremer told AFP that the assailant, believed to be aged 60, had killed himself after opening fire at a hearing which was reportedly part of an inheritance case.     The victim was a woman, possibly the shooter's sister, and another two people were wounded.     It was not immediately clear whether the gunman was involved in the case being heard before the court or was simply a spectator.     "We do not know at this time whether (the shooting) is linked to the case," said another police spokesman, Thomas Ploessl.     He said the courthouse, in the city of 63,000 people about 60 kilometres (40 miles) northeast of Munich, had been evacuated and barricaded.     Because the case was civil and not criminal, people attending the hearing did not have to undergo security checks, the daily Bild newspaper reported on its website.     The court employs 128 people including 34 judges, according to its website.     The incident comes just four weeks after a 17-year-old boy gunned down 15 people in the southwestern German town of Winnenden, in a bloodbath that revived an emotional debate over gun laws.     Tim Kretschmer returned to the secondary school that he had left last year with average marks on the morning of March 11, dressed in combat gear.     He went to several classrooms, picking off his victims mostly with expert shots to the head.     All but one of those killed at the school by the teenager were female.     The teenage killer, a fan of violent "shoot-em-up" computer games and grisly horror films who was said to be clinically depressed, shot himself when police tried to apprehend him after killing three innocent bystanders while on the run.     He stole the weapon, a Beretta pistol, from his father's stocked gun cabinet after cracking its security code.     The case gave way to an outpouring of sympathy across the country for the victims and pledges from leading politicians to firm up gun laws.     President Horst Koehler backed families of the victims who appealed in an open letter for stricter weapons laws and a ban on gory video games.     Gun laws were tightened considerably in the wake of a massacre at a school in Erfurt in 2002 that left 17 dead including the gunman.     Rolling news channel NTV said Tuesday there are 10 million legal weapons in Germany. Date created : 2009-04-07


Name the convicted Lockerbie bomber released in August 2009?

Lockerbie bomber dies more than two years after release - CNN.com Lockerbie bomber dies more than two years after release From Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Updated 5:32 AM ET, Mon May 21, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. JUST WATCHED Lockerbie bomber takes secrets to grave 02:31 Story highlights A Lockerbie victim's mother says she has "no pity" for a "mass murderer" Al Megrahi was convicted of murder after 270 died when Pan Am 103 blew up over Scotland He was released in August 2009 on "compassionate grounds" and welcomed warmly in Libya A Scottish official defends the release, which Britain's current leader and others still criticize Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the only person convicted in connection with the Lockerbie airline bombing that killed 270 people, died Sunday, the Libyan government and family members said. He was 60. The former intelligence officer, who had suffered from prostate cancer, will be buried Monday, according to a Libyan foreign ministry spokesman. Al Megrahi's cousin, Omer al-Gharyani, told CNN he was at a Tripoli hospital with al Megrahi when he died. His death came more than two-and-a-half years after he was freed from a life sentence in Scotland because he was said to be dying. His brother said the family refers "to the deceased as 'the convicted innocent.'" "May God bless his soul," he added. JUST WATCHED Family reacts to Pan Am bomber's death 02:20 Relatives of those killed in the bombing expressed relief and, in some cases, anger. "He was a mass murderer. I feel no pity," said Susan Cohen, whose daughter was among the 189 Americans killed. The destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 was the deadliest act of air terrorism targeting Americans until the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to the FBI. American and British investigators who painstakingly pieced together the wreckage concluded it was destroyed by a bomb. Authorities in those nations claimed al Megrahi -- once the security chief for Libyan Arab Airlines -- and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah were Libyan intelligence agents who planted the explosive. They were charged in November 1991 on 270 counts of murder and conspiracy to murder. That indictment set off the first battle over al Megrahi, until Libya handed him and Fhima over in the face of international pressure. Eight years after his trial and conviction, a fresh uproar arose when he was released from a Scottish prison because he was battling terminal prostate cancer. He received a hero's welcome upon arriving home in Libya. And last year, as rebel fighters advanced and, ultimately, toppled Moammar Gadhafi and his regime, the debate was revived as some called for al Megrahi's extradition back to Britain or to the United States. But even after new leaders took power, he remained in Libya. CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson tracked al Megrahi down last August at the palatial villa Gadhafi had built for him. Apparently in a coma and near death, al Megrahi's family said then that his son and mother were trying to care for him with oxygen and an intravenous drip, but with no medical assistance. His death may make it impossible ever to get the full story behind the Lockerbie bombing. In an interview with Reuters last October, al Megrahi vowed "new facts" would come to light. The truth will come out "one day, and hopefully in the near future," he said. 2011: Convicted Lockerbie bomber says truth will eventually come out Reacting to news of the convicted killer's death, British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday reiterated his belief that "he should never have been released from prison." "Today is a day to remember the 270 people who lost their lives in what was an appalling terrorist act," Cameron at the NATO summit in Chicago. "Our thoughts should be with them and their families for the suffering they've had." Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond -- the top Scottish political figure -- likewise expressed sympathy for the attack's victims, while asserting that al Megrahi's death p


Which film won the 2009 Bafta for best special visual effects?

Film Awards in 2009: Winners Announced | BAFTA Home Media Centre Press releases Film Awards in 2009: Winners Announced Film Awards in 2009: Winners Announced Share 8 February 2009 BAFTA / Richard Kendal The winners of the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2009 have been announced at a ceremony in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE WINS 7 BAFTA AWARDS INCLUDING BEST FILM THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON WINS 3 AWARDS KATE WINSLETT WINS FOR THE READER MICKEY ROURKE WINS FOR THE WRESTLER Slumdog Millionaire was named Best Film at tonight’s Orange British Academy Film Awards, held at London’s Royal Opera House. The film also won six other awards: Director for Danny Boyle, Adapted Screenplay, Music, Cinematography, Editing and Sound. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button won three BAFTAs; for Production Design, Make Up & Hair and Special Visual Effects. Kate Winslet was awarded the BAFTA for Leading Actress for The Reader. The Supporting Actress BAFTA went to Penélope Cruz for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Mickey Rourke won the Leading Actor award for The Wrestler and the Supporting Actor award was presented posthumously to Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight. In a very good night for British film, In Bruges won the BAFTA for Original Screenplay and The Duchess won the BAFTA for Costume Design. Director/writer Steve McQueen received The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film for Hunger. The BAFTA for Outstanding British Film went to the documentary Man on Wire. I’ve Loved You So Long took away the Film Not in the English Language BAFTA and the award for Animated Film went to Wall•E. Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death won the Short Animation award and the Short Film award was presented to September. Two awards were announced earlier this week: the Academy Fellowship was awarded to Terry Gilliam and the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema was presented to Pinewood and Shepperton Studios. The Orange Rising Star Award was presented to Noel Clarke, director and star of Adulthood. This award recognises an international actor or actress who has demonstrated exceptional talent and has begun to be recognised as a film star in the making. This award, now in its fourth year, was created in honour of Mary Selway, the highly respected casting director, who died in 2004. 8 February 2009


The reform charity Transform reported in 2009 that the legalisation of what would save UK taxpayers between £4.6 and £13.9bn per year?

Common Sense for Drug Policy: Drug Policy-Related Research News Psilocybin Drug Trials Underway Some scientists and psychotherapists believe that psychoactive drugs like psilocybin have a better chance than conventional treatments of successfully managing many conditions. According to an AlterNet September 10, 2008 article,( "Is Doctor-Prescribed LSD and 'Shrooms on the Way?" ) "In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved, but not funded, a pilot study aiming to see if the euphoria and insight of a mild psychedelic 'trip' can ease the physical and emotional pain experienced by thousands of terminal cancer patients each year. Charles Grob, Professor of Psychiatry and Paediatrics at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre, California, and lead scientist on the cancer-psilocybin trial, said: 'There is great potential. A significant patient population may gain benefits from these treatments.' Professor Grob will be one of the first scientists in 25 years to administer psilocybin to a person in a therapeutic setting. He wants to see if people's lives can be improved if psychoactive drugs are used under carefully controlled conditions." The article states, "In the past it seemed to work: in the 60s, cancer sufferers reported less anxiety, a reduced fear of death, better moods, and surprisingly, even less pain in the weeks after treatment with LSD, which is similar in structure and effect to psilocybin. In the 50s, 60s and 70s, Britain and many European countries were active centres of psychoactive drug research. Dr Kate Law, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: 'With full, informed consent, we have no problem with it in principle. These patients are adults and people make their own choices. It is right that we look at these chemicals with the same stringent standards as we do for other drugs.' However, Dr Law said Cancer Research UK will only support this type of research if there was an analgesic effect--and the preliminary results suggest the overall procedure did not confuse or harm the patient. Dr Ken Checinski is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and senior lecturer at St Georges Medical School, London. He says it is a question of balancing the benefits and the risks. 'In terminal care the patient has a right to be pain free, but also has a right to go about their business in the usual way during the final weeks of their lives. 'It's unacceptable to be made psychologically unwell during this period. 'But most drugs also have a medical use--amphetamine and cocaine derivatives, opiates, tranquillisers and now the cannabinols--so there is no reason why we shouldn't consider using the serotonin agonists (hallucinogens)." The article adds, "A similar study involving psilocybin and the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is nearing completion at the University of Arizona. And an MDMA (ecstasy) trial for the counselling of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) victims is finally underway after a bureaucratic bad-trip with red tape. 'We are re-opening an area that has been shut down for 25 years,' said Professor Grob. 'A couple of groups have established credibility through the formal channels. It may take time but it's possible." Prohibition Could Prevent Promising Medical Studies Salvia has recieved recent media and legislative attention and is becoming criminalized at a fast pace. Researchers worry as there is promising data into possible medical uses for the powerful substance. According to the New York Times September 9, 2008 article,( "Hallucinogen's Popularity May Thwart Medical Use" ) "Pharmacologists who believe salvia could open new frontiers for the treatment of addiction, depression and pain fear that its criminalization would make it burdensome to obtain and store the plant, and difficult to gain government permission for tests on human subjects. In state after state, however, including here in Texas, the YouTube videos have become Exhibit A in legislative efforts to regulate salvia. This year, Florida made possession or sale a felony punishable by 15 years in prison. Californi


X Factor winners: Where are they now? | The Independent X Factor winners: Where are they now? Winning isn't everything as One Direction, JLS and Olly Murs have proven Tuesday 10 December 2013 16:20 BST Click to follow The Independent Culture Last year's winner James Arthur achieved the biggest-selling X Factor Christmas single ever in 2012 As the final of ITV talent show The X Factor looms this Sunday, the three remaining acts will be practising hard, gunning to win and fearing for their future careers if they fail. But should 17-year old Nicholas MacDonald, big-haired guitarist Luke Friend and bookies' favourite Sam Bailey take a glance back through the competition’s history, it might just dawn on them that winning really isn’t everything.   A recent online quiz asking viewers to guess the names of former winners and runners-up found that many briefly famous faces have long since been forgotten. Only 49 per cent could recognise series winner Steve Brookstein , while less than one in five people correctly identified 2005 runner-up Andy Abraham, according to quizfactor.com . With the exception of winners Leona Lewis , girl band Little Mix and Alexandra Burke , many a runner-up has done better in the success stakes than the singer who beat them in the final vote. X Factor winners: Where are they now? X Factor winners: Where are they now? 1/10 2013: Sam Bailey The clear winner from the outset, Sam Bailey went on to beat teen singers Luke Friend and Nicholas McDonald. Bailey's cover of Demi Lovato's 'Skyscraper' went straight to number one on 22 December 2013, becoming the first X Factor winner in three years to gain the Christmas number one spot. Her debut album is due to be released on 24 March. She is also currently pregnant with her third child. Rex Features 2/10 2012: James Arthur He secured the biggest-selling X Factor winner's song ever with 'Impossible', but last year's victor James Arthur has been at the centre of controversy recently. Arthur got into a Twitter spat with fellow former contestant Lucy Spraggan when he used a homophobic lyric in a rap. The singer apologised on-air for 'abusing [his] position as an X Factor winner' after a performance on the results show a few weeks ago. Arthur's new single 'Recovery' is currently number 19 in the Official UK Singles Chart. 3/10 2011: Little Mix Girl band Little Mix are one of The X Factor's success stories. Formerly known as Rhythmix, the group released an autobiography in August 2012 and their debut album came out that November, reaching number three. Little Mix's Perrie Edwards is engaged to One Direction's Zayn Malik which, you know, helps with the the whole fame thing. The band toured earlier this year and have enjoyed US success too. Their latest album Salute was released on 15 November. 4/10 2010: Matt Cardle Singer-songwriter Matt Cardle performed 'Unfaithful' with Rihanna during the 2010 X Factor finals. He famously criticised Syco for being 'very pop' when he, apparently, wasn't. Shortly afterwards, he left Cowell's label. Cardle returned to the charts when his first album 'The Fire' made number eight and was well-received by critics. He recorded a duet with Spice Girl Melanie C, 'Loving You', in the summer and will be touring new album 'Porcelain' in April 2014. 5/10 2009: Joe McElderry Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name' famously beat Joe McElderry to the Christmas number one in 2009, following an internet campaign to do battle with Cowell's chart machine. McElderry's luck failed to pick up and he soon found himself winning yet another talent show, Pop Star to Opera Star. Recently, he's enjoyed some success in the classical world and appeared in several West End shows. He is signed with Universal Music's Decca label. 6/10 2008: Alexandra Burke Alexandra Burke's cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' sold more than a million copies in the UK, a success she followed with five top ten singles and a hit album. Burke has been a brand ambassador for a women's deodorant and signed a modelling contract in 2010. She joined The X Factor as a guest judge


Which soccer player maintained his record of playing and and scoring in every Premier League season?

Premier League Top Scorers | Most Premier League Goals Barrie 25 May, 2012 Best of SL , English Premier League , Football Stats , Lists Who are the the all time Premier League top scorers? Which Premier League players have scored 100 goals or more? Who has scored the most goals in each Premier League season? And who is the top Premier League scorer this season? Below we’ve answered all of the above questions – all players in the Premier League 100 club, the golden boot winners from previous Premier League seasons and the goalscoring charts from the most recent (2013/2014) Premier League season. The top five Premier League goal scorers get their own little write up and a link to video of their goals. Everyone outside of that gets just their name, the clubs they played and scored for (or club, in the case of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Matt LeTissier) and, of course, their total number of Premier League goals. You can also jump directly to the Premier League Golden Boot winners and Most Premier League goals this season sections. Premier League Top Scorers This Season All Time Premier League Top Scorers The top ten all time Premier League top scorers are: 1. Alan Shearer: 260 goals in 434 appearances 2. Andy Cole: 187 goals in 408 appearances 2. Wayne Rooney: 187 goals in 374 appearances * 4. Frank Lampard: 177 goals in 586 appearances 5. Thierry Henry: 175 goals in 258 appearances 6.  Robbie Fowler: 163 goals in 375 appearances 7. Michael Owen: 163 goals in 362 appearances 8. Les Ferdinand: 150 goals in 347 appearances 9. Teddy Sheringham: 147 goals in 407 appearances 10. Robin van Persie: 144 goals in 314 appearances *Still playing ———————————————————————————————————- ALAN SHEARER: Blackburn (1992-1996), Newcastle (1996-2006) Alan Shearer, OBE, was born on 13th August 1970. Having started his career at Southampton, he went on to become one of the most prolific scorers of all time with Blackburn and his beloved Newcastle. Great in the air, predatory from close range and deadly from distance, Shearer was at one time the complete striker. A series of knee injuries robbed him of some pace, but Shearer adapted his game in his later years and continued to find the net. After the first ten years of the Premier League, Shearer was named as the outstanding player of the decade. He is also listed in the FIFA 100 greatest living footballers. Shearer played 63 times for England, scoring 30 goals. He captained the side on 34 occasions. Now working as a pundit on BBC television’s Match of the Day, Shearer had a brief spell as Newcastle United manager in 2008/9, when he took charge for the last eight games but was unable to save the club from relegation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqkfzH7A8Ow   ANDY COLE: Newcastle (1993-95), Manchester Utd (1995-2001), Blackburn (2001-04), Fulham (2004-05), Man City (2005-06), Portsmouth (2006-07), Birmingham (2007), Sunderland (2007-08) Andy Cole, or Andrew Cole, as he now prefers to be called was born on 15th October 1971. He began his career with Arsenal, but played just one game before moving to Bristol City. His goal scoring exploits for The Robins caught the attention of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, who signed the striker in 1993. Cole partnered Peter Beardsley, won the First Division and continued scoring in the Premier League for he following two seasons. He was sold controversially to Manchester United in 1995, where he went on to achieve huge success. He was the top scorer in Europe for United in the treble winning season of 1998-99, a season in which he and Dwight Yorke contributed 53 goals between them overall. Cole scored the goal that won the Premier League title, and the goal that took them to the Champions League final. He has five Premier League winners medals, one Champions League winners medal and two FA Cup winners medals. Since leaving United Cole has played at Blackburn, Fulham, Mancheser City, Portsmouth, Birmingham and Sunderland, without quite recapturing his best goal scoring form. Cole finished his career with a loan move to Burnley and a brief spell at Nottingham Forest


What is Google's 'city panorama' service called, launched in the UK in March 2009?

Our history in depth – Company – Google 1995-1997 1995 Larry Page and Sergey Brin meet at Stanford. Larry, 22, a U        Michigan grad, is considering the school; Sergey, 21, is assigned to show him around. 1996 Larry and Sergey begin collaborating on a search engine called BackRub . BackRub operates on       Stanford servers for more than a year—eventually taking up too much bandwidth. 1997 Google.com is registered as a domain on September 15. The name—a play on the word       "googol," a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by       100 zeros—reflects Larry and Sergey's mission to organize a seemingly infinite amount       of information on the web. 1998 April Larry launches a monthly " Google Friends Newsletter " to inform       fans about company news. (We've since shut down Google Friends Newsletter in favor of       blogs, Google+ and other methods of sharing       news .) August Sun co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim writes a check for $100,000 to an entity that       doesn't exist yet—a company called Google Inc. Before heading to the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert, Larry and Sergey       incorporate the iconic Man into the logo to keep people informed       about where the Google crew would be for a few days—our first doodle . September On September 4, Google files for incorporation in California. Larry and Sergey open       a bank account in the newly-established company's name and deposit Andy Bechtolsheim's       check. Google sets up workspace in Susan Wojcicki's garage on Santa Margarita Ave., Menlo       Park, Calif. Larry and Sergey hire their first employee. Craig       Silverstein is a fellow CS grad student at Stanford who works at Google for 10+       years before joining education startup Khan Academy. December "PC Magazine" reports that Google "has an uncanny knack for returning extremely relevant        results" and recognizes us as the search engine of choice in the Top 100 Web Sites        for 1998. 1999 February We outgrow our garage office and move to new digs at 165 University       Avenue in Palo Alto with just eight employees. April Yoshka, our first "company" dog, comes to work with our senior vice president of operations, Urs Hölzle. May Omid Kordestani joins to run sales—employee #11. Ten years later, Omid steps down       from his active role in the company, becoming a senior advisor. June Our first       press release announces a $25 million round from Sequoia Capital and Kleiner       Perkins; John Doerr and Michael Moritz join the board. August We move to our first Mountain View location: 2400       Bayshore . Mountain View is a few miles south of Stanford University, and north of       the older towns of Silicon Valley: Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose. November We hire our first chef, Charlie       Ayers (his previous claim to fame was catering for the Grateful Dead; he now owns a       cafe in Palo Alto). Today Google's food programs focus on providing healthy,       sustainably sourced food to fuel Googlers around the world. 2000 April We announce the MentalPlex : Google's       ability to read your mind as you visualize the search results you want. Thus begins our       annual foray in the Silicon Valley tradition of April 1 hoaxes. May We win our first Webby Awards: Technical Achievement (voted by judges) and Peoples'       Voice (voted by users). We run a series of       doodles featuring a little alien—our first doodle series and the first doodle not       associated with any particular event. The first 10 language versions of Google.com are released : French, German, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,        Norwegian and Danish. Today, search is available in 150+ languages. July Our first international doodle celebrates Bastille Day in France. September Google New York starts        in a Starbucks on 86th Stree


In Killarney, Ireland, Mark Davis became the the first 'Six-Red' world champion in which sport?

Davis claims Six Reds title in Killarney Davis claims Six Reds title in Killarney Updated / Dec. 19, 2009 16:31 Snooker news Mark Davis pocketed a Christmas bonus of €10,000 by winning the inaugural 888sport.com Six Reds World Championship in Killarney tonight. Davis, the world no.47 from Sussex, defeated twice Crucible world champion Mark Williams 6-3 in the final. And it means his six year-old son, Jack, and daughter Millie, aged two, can enjoy an extra special festive period. 'It’s good timing and the kids will be pleased because they know they’ve got a good present coming,' Davis said. 'I played well all through the tournament. I had some luck, which you need with this shorter format, but I made some good breaks in the final. 'With the standard of the players who came here it was always going to be a bit of a lottery as to who won. I’m just happy to be the last man standing. 'I enjoyed the whole week. It was a good tournament and very well run. Killarney is a lovely place and it’s fair to say I’m a big fan of six reds snooker.' Davis, 37, had previously won two minor invitation events, the 2002 Masters qualifying event and 1996 Malta Masters. To reach the final he beat fellow main tour professionals Gerard Greene, Jamie Cope, Mark Joyce, Joe Swail and Mark King. He twice trailed Williams by a single frame but from 2-2 was the stronger player, knocking in breaks of 71 and 65 on the way to clinching victory. Williams edged Sheffield amateur Adam Duffy 5-4 on the black in the quarter-finals before completing a comfortable 5-1 semi-final defeat of Barry Hawkins. 'I’ve had a good week,' the Welshman said. 'It was more relaxed than the ranking tournaments and Mark played very well from 2-2. He deserved to win. I think all the players have enjoyed this tournament. It’s something different and I’m a fan of the six red format.' Reigning 15 red world champion John Higgins saw his bid to complete a unique double ended by a 5-1 defeat to Mark King in the quarter-finals. Ken Doherty, beaten by Duffy in the last 32 and one of the tournament organisers, said he was pleased with the first staging of the short form World Championship. 'The feedback I’ve had from the players has been very positive and we’ll definitely be back next year,' he said. 'There’s no doubt that six reds snooker has its place and we hope to be even bigger and better in 2010.' More on


Which car's 50th anniversary was featured on a Royal Mint 2009 commemorative coin?

2009 ROYAL MINT MINI CAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN MEDAL PACK | eBay 2009 Royal Mint Mini Car 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Medal Pack We work out the trending price by crunching the data on the product’s sale price over the last 90 days. eBay Premium Service Excellent customer service as rated by buyers 14-day returns Excellent customer service as rated by buyers 14-day returns Please enter a minimum and/or maximum price before continuing. £ Copyright © 1995-2016 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. User Agreement , Privacy , Cookies and AdChoice Amounts shown in italicised text are for items listed in currency other than Pounds Sterling and are approximate conversions to Pounds Sterling based upon Bloomberg's conversion rates. For more recent exchange rates, please use the Universal Currency Converter This page was last updated:  18-Dec 20:40. Number of bids and bid amounts may be slightly out of date. See each listing for international postage options and costs.


Who in 2009 ended Rafael Nadal's 4 year run of 31 wins in the French Open Championship?

2010 French Open: Rafael Nadal beats Robin Soderling for men's title comment PARIS -- Scurrying along the baseline as only he can, sliding through the red clay he rules, Rafael Nadal stretched to somehow dig the ball out of a corner and fling it back over the net -- once, twice, three times -- during a 14-stroke exchange that ended when Robin Soderling sailed a shot long. The French Open final was all of seven points old, and the message was unmistakable: Nadal's knees are fine now, which means he is an entirely different player from the one Soderling stunned at Roland Garros in 2009. That was the first loss of Nadal's career at this tournament, and it remains the only one. His body sound, his mind at ease, Nadal played his unique brand of relentless, perpetual-motion tennis to handily beat the No. 5-seeded Soderling of Sweden 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 Sunday. Nadal won his fifth French Open championship, his seventh Grand Slam title overall, and earned a return to No. 1. "I lost last year because I was not well-prepared, and I had very low morale last year, as well," said Nadal, who will supplant Roger Federer atop the rankings Monday. "But this time, I'm back," said Nadal, who covered his face with a red towel and sobbed at match's end. "I'm back -- and I win." Yes, Nadal most definitely is back, and he is as good as -- or perhaps even better than -- ever. "He has more or less one game," Soderling said, "but he does it so well." Nadal is 38-1 over his career at Roland Garros and, three days after his 24th birthday, stands just one French Open title shy of Bjorn Borg's record of six. For the second time in three years, Nadal won the tournament without losing a set. As former No. 1 Andy Roddick posted on Twitter: "rafa nadal best ever on clay.... period." Nadal's uncle, Toni, who has coached the Spaniard since he was 4, called Sunday's performance "one of the best matches I've ever seen Rafael play." Rafael Nadal won all 21 sets on his way to his fifth French Open championship.  Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images Put simply, Nadal was far superior in every aspect, from start to finish, in improving to 38-4 with four titles this season, both tour bests. He saved all eight break points he faced. He returned well, too, against a guy who tops 140 mph, managing to hit the same number of aces Sunday, seven apiece, even though Soderling had totaled 75, and Nadal only 12, through the semifinals. He made only 16 unforced errors, 29 fewer than Soderling. Most significantly, he never allowed his big-swinging foe to dictate points the way Soderling did during his pair of career-defining upsets -- against Nadal in last year's fourth round, and against defending champion and top-seeded Federer in this year's quarterfinals. Part of that was a result of going after Soderling's weaker backhand side at the outset of points. Mainly, though, it was thanks to Nadal's sublime scrambling, side to side, forward and backward, never relaxing one bit, nearly always forcing Soderling to conjure up more than one brilliant shot to win a single point. Effort of that sort can be as demoralizing to an opponent as it is decisive on the scoreboard. "I think he felt, like, everything he tried, he had to play three or four winners every point to be able to win it," said Soderling's coach, 2000 French Open runner-up Magnus Norman. "So it was tough." Not that this match was very competitive, but there were a few key moments. The first came 21 minutes in, when Nadal broke for a 3-2 lead with an on-the-run, cross-court backhand passing winner that dropped right in a corner, leaving Soderling shaking his head. The next came a half-hour later, when Nadal watched Soderling float a forehand wide, ending the first set. Get this: Nadal entered Sunday 94-1 when winning the opening set of a Grand Slam match. What would turn out to be Soderling's last, true stand came in the second set's second game, when he compiled four break points. Nadal saved the first with an ace. He saved the second when Soderling sent a backhand long to cap a 10-stroke exchange in which Nadal twice retrieved bo


As Corpus Christi captain in the University Challenge quiz show who made the news for her remarkable points-scoring?

Why everyone loves to hate clever women…. - The F-Word Why everyone loves to hate clever women…. Louise Livesey // 25 February 2009 Gail Trimble has been declared amazing in the admittedly small world of University Challenge. The PhD student from Corpus Christi College Oxford demonstrated a remarkable degree of general knowledge recall and led her College to victory. So far so good. So how long did it take for the backlash to a woman’s achievement to start? Seconds flat. She’s been vilified and insulted. Here’s a random assortment for your reading pleasure(?) “Each answer was met with a smug grin or a cocky smirk. My normally placid girlfriend ended half-poetically seething: ‘Not a friend did she own at school’, before physically turning her back on the screen so she didn’t have to bear this odious little smug specimen.” From Daily Mail article “‘so brain-rupturingly irritating and smug’ that they hoped science would come up with ‘a screen that you can reach through and punch those inside’. ” From TV Scoop (by the way this site has published a disingenious, half-assed apology here “Bright, she may be, but the girl is “proper butters” as we say over here. I mean, I’m turned on by exceptional intellect like the rest, but it has to be carried in a vehicle of reasonable visual excellence, and this bird is considerably sub par! Comment from Failed Muso on Riemann’s Cut Father Jack Hacket over at Fark.com “”She is now studying for a doctorate in Latin literature.”She can’t be that smart then.” From FastFude.com “Judging from her hair, one can only imagine the state of her vast, unkempt etc etc.” Defences of Trimble have been interesting, another commenter on Fark.com , Perducci, hits the nail on the head: There are plenty of smart people out there who others really like or respect (Ken Jennings on Jeopardy, Stephen Hawking, Obama, Malcolm Gladwell…). Not everyone loves them, and they have plenty of detractors, but when they’re attacked it’s for their ideas, conclusions, opinions, etc. — not their attitude. And – they’re all male. Being male and clever isn’t seen as a problem, being female and clever is. But perhaps even more frustratingly is that where publications have sought to defend her, it’s been by reference to her being, well female and good-looking. “Men have been captivated by “hot lips Trimble” and “tasty Trimble”, and she has been described as “a fine young lady, beautiful in a scholarly sort of way”.” The Observer . Trimble herself has been asked about her status as a “sex symbol” and her brother was approached over Facebook by Nuts magazine asking whether they could do a semi-naked photo shoot (according to Trimble on Radio 4 this morning). Quite why her brother was asked and not, say, her I don’t know – maybe Nuts believes that close male relatives are the people who can consent to this? As Ruby at The Anti-Room points out: Once again we have an extraordinarily bright and academically excellent woman being reduced to her physicality…Why are people threatened by others who are cleverer than them? But this case is certainly about ability as much as it is about gender and Trimble herself says in the article: “I don’t feel I would have been treated the same way were I a man.” It’s true. Patriarchy dictates that all the intelligence (and the centres of power that come with that intelligence) should reside in the heads of men. Women shouldn’t dare try to match – or gasp, exceed – their intellectual levels. Smart women are bitches who are too clever for their own good and are asking to be challenged, negated and put down. So apparently it’s OK to be smart if you are also deemed heteronormatively attractive, because that, of course, makes everything OK! (One site coined the new phrase “smexy” (smart + sexy). But being smart and female is only OK if you don’t put blokes of wanting to have sex with you apparently.


French wine makers objected to EU plans to allow the blending of which sort of wine?

Loire Valley Wine Tour | blogging the tour – the region, the wines, the chateaux Loire Valley Wine Tour Posted on July 17, 2012 by ukhostland Welcome to the world of Loire Valey Wine Tour! On these pages we will be discussing our tours, the wines and the vineyards of the Loire Valley. Grape varieties, wine shows and even the weather will be featured from time to time, together with wine news and events. We hope you will drop in often to see what is happening in the Loire Valley wine growing region. 47.253433 1.649578 Posted on December 9, 2015 by ukhostland My family have been giving me a hard time recently for not giving them a wish list for Christmas 2015. With this in mind and tongue firmly in teeth, I thought I would produce this, my first Christmas Gift List for Wine Enthusiasts. In no particular order, here are a few ideas: Bath-time fun with the Umbra Aquala Bathtub Caddy. This bamboo bathtub caddy is the ultimate accessory for your bath (I am told) and features a book and a wine glass holder – very civilized! A snip at $46.92 plus shipping. The Discovery WineStation is an automated, temperature controlled, four-bottle wine dispensing and preservation system for the home.  You choose the right wine and just the right amount – a taste, a half glass or a full glass – with the touch of a finger.  The WineStation maintains the freshness of your wine for up to 60 days using argon gas. I have seen these or similar devises used in Maison des Vins around the region: it really does work. The web site I saw suggests you ask for a quote – never a good sign – but I gather they cost around $5000.   The are companies around the world making furniture out of old barrels, recycled corks and of course, bottles. While some are very chunky and look like I made them, there are also some delightful pieces out there. I rather like the Champagne cork side table and other assorted tables and stools pictured here and have even found a UK source: www.notonthehighstreet.com  Barrel staves seem to be widely used in furnature making and I was able to try one of my favourites and the Chateau de Miniere in Ingrandes de Touraine recently. Delightfully comfortable, it also featured that all-important wine glass holder. They  had a barrel stave hammock hung between two ancient trees in the park,  which I really must have a swing on at some stage. Wine luggage is essential for when you go on a Loire Valley Wine Tour and decide you would like to take a dozen bottles back on the plane with you. In this case we can leap to the rescue with the Lazenne Wine Check, an example of which I normally keep in the back of the car in case someone needs one. This specialized wine travel carrying case works in combination with polystyrene inserts allowing you to bring up to 15 bottles of delicious, local goodness (wine, champagne, cider, beer, whiskey, olive oil) home! It’s reusable, easy to handle (rolling wheels, carrying straps) and airline / FAA approved; cost around €120. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Posted on January 28, 2015 by ukhostland It’s only natural. I am often asked to take clients to a “boutique winery” and it is so easy to oblige; in the Loire Valley there are very few major producers. The average vineyard holding is just 10Ha (less than 25 acres) producing around 70,000 bottles of wine. Often they are third, fourth or even fifth generation family affairs, passionate about their wines and concerned about the quality of the environment in which they live and work. Most growers recognise the importance of nurturing and protecting the environment and a number of those who do not use organic methods subscribe to systems of cultivation which use only a minimum amount of pesticides and fertilisers. Interestingly, only about 15% of French vineyards are currently registered organic – Bio in French – but the trend is an upward one, with large numbers of growers under conversion.   Why is this important? The vine suffers from a large number of pests and diseases and in the 18thC European vineyards were nearly wiped out by the devastation caused by the Phylloxera inse


Australian novelist Harry Nicholaides was jailed in January 2009 for insulting the monarchy in which country?

Economist pulled again from Thailand newsstands after monarchy article | Media | The Guardian Economist pulled again from Thailand newsstands after monarchy article Ian McKinnon Monday 26 January 2009 12.45 EST First published on Monday 26 January 2009 12.45 EST Close This article is 7 years old The Economist has for a second time in two months failed to appear in Thailand amid concerns over its coverage of the country's monarchy. In a message to subscribers the Economist explained that its Thai distributor had decided not to circulate the London-based international weekly. This week's issue published last Friday considers the fate of an Australian novelist, Harry Nicolaides, 41, who was jailed for three years for insulting the Thai monarchy. Last month the magazine published a critical analysis of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 81, and the monarchy's role in the political tumult that has beset Thailand over the past three years. The Economist's December issue also discussed the lese-majesty laws that threaten up to 15 years imprisonment and called for an open discussion of the monarchy despite the legislation that stifles debate. Publishers of the magazine decided not to send that issue of the magazine to Thailand out of consideration for its local distributor who would have risked falling foul of the laws. The latest edition discusses the case of Melbourne-born Nicolaides, who pleaded guilty to lese-majesty over a 103-word passage in his self-published novel, Verisimilitude, considered insulting to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn. Nicolaides' offending 2005 novel sold just seven copies in Thailand before it was belatedly withdrawn from bookshelves, though a copy is still available in Bangkok's national library. The Australian writer is one of few foreigners convicted of lese-majesty despite an increasingly febrile atmosphere that has seen thousands of websites critical of the monarchy blocked and many Thais prosecuted. Nicolaides is seeking a royal pardon, hoping to match a Swiss man pardoned and deported within a month of his lese-majesty conviction two years ago. This week's Economist article goes on to examine Thais' changing mood. The piece says that following the prolonged political crisis – particularly the eight-day closure of the airport by royalist protesters – many ordinary Thais are more willing to openly discuss the monarchy's role in public life. The remarks appear to have been too risky or inflammatory for the Economist's Thai distributors. "This week our distributors in Thailand have decided not to deliver The Economist in light of our coverage relating to the Thai monarchy," the publishers told subscribers in an apologetic email. Despite the magazine's absence, the article could still be read on the internet as the website was not blocked by the Thai government. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".


Who brought a legal suit against Michael Jackson in early 2009 claiming a share of profits from the Thriller video?

Nederlander Presentations Files Suit Against Michael Jackson Estate Nederlander Presentations Files Suit Against Michael Jackson Estate Tweet Share      Broadway powerhouse Nederlander Presentations have filed suit against Michael Jackson 's estate, claiming Jackson's representatives are blocking them from creating a Broadway musical based on the hit maker's catalogue. According to TMZ, the Nederlanders claim the estate won't provide the rights to use the songs for the stage show, which had been announced in January of 2009. Reports TMZ: "Nederlander has already filed a creditor's claim but so far they've gotten nothing. The suit names co-executors John Branca and John McClain as defendants. Howard Weitzman, attorney for the MJ estate, tells TMZ, "The contract provides for certain approvals by Michael on a number of important elements.  Unfortunately, Michael is not available to participate in the process, and therefore I don't think the contract is enforceable.  The lawsuit has no merit." With Michael Jackson 's untimely death on June 25, 2009 the fate of a previously announced Broadway musical adaptation of THRILLER has seemed uncertain for the past year. Last year, the LA Times reported that while plans for the show are currently up in the air, news might be emerging shortly. "We just don't know what's going to happen, and that's all we're saying for now," said a spokesman for the Nederlander Organization , who announced plans in January, 2009 for a Broadway production. "Plans for the future are forthcoming, and we may know more in the next week of two. All we're saying for now is that we're mourning the death of Michael Jackson ." On June 26, 2009 Time Out New York contacted Producer James L. Nederlander directly to discuss the project's future. "Everything's ready to go," Nederlander asserted to Time Out NY theater editor David Cote . "[But] we're going to have to see where the future lies for everything. Right now we're grieving the loss of Michael. I'm not trying to be rude...but this is probably a future conversation piece. Hopefully we'll revisit this in a very positive vein as a legacy for Michael. Someday. But right now, it's really early to think about this. I mean, good for you for noticing it." To read the entire Time Out NY piece, click here . In a statement on January 29, 2009, Broadway producer James L. Nederlander says he's hopeful the "Thriller" legal battle over the musical rights for the project can be resolved. Nederlander expressed hope that the issue could be settled,"I'm confident that these past differences can be worked out." Acclaimed Hollywood director John Landis, who co-wrote and shot the 1983 Michael Jackson Thriller music video, filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Jackson in Los Angeles Superior Court on January 21st, just days five days before James L. Nederlander announced he had bought the rights to adapt the video for the Broadway stage. Landis' lawyer stated that the director will sue to stop the production if necessary. The 14-minute Thriller video, a tribute to the classic Universal monster classics and featuring dancing zombies, was first aired in 1983 and remains one of the most influential music videos ever worldwide. Landis also made a documentary about the making of the Thriller video, a first for that kind of project. Landis, whose hit films include Animal House, Trading Places, An American Werewolf in London and The Blues Brothers among many others, said in his lawsuit that he had not received his 50 per cent share of the profits from Thriller, including licensing rights for at least the past four years from Jackson's now-shuttered Optimum Productions. Jackson, 50, is accused in the lawsuit of "fraudulent, malicious and oppressive conduct," claiming that the star had failed to produce full and proper accounts for the past four years "and earlier". Landis also contends that Jackson had no right to negotiate a deal to make a Broadway musical of "Thriller," without his consent. Reps for Michael Jackson did not return calls on the lawsuit. It was announced January 26, 200


Which bankrupt UK construction firm was scrutinised in 2009 for having an £11m ruby on its balance sheet?

Perplexing Tale Of A Bankrupt Construction Firm... - House prices and the economy - House Price Crash forum House prices and the economy Not recommended on shared computers Sign in anonymously Yes. A missing ruby. Has the world gone officially mad now? What is even more amazing is that we all have a little interest in its whereabouts. Wrekin creditors hunt for £11m ‘ruby’ By Jonathan Guthrie, Enterprise Editor Published: March 13 2009 20:55 | Last updated: March 13 2009 20:55 An ordinary tale of business collapse has taken an extraordinary turn with the revelation that a medium-sized Shropshire construction business was the purported owner of an £11m ruby called “The Gem of Tanzania”. When Wrekin Construction went into administration this week, directors lambasted the company’s bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, which is majority-owned by the government. What has now come to light is a jaw-dropping note to the 2007 accounts of the civil engineer. This reported that Wrekin bought the ruby from shareholder Tamar Group for a “fair value” of £11m paid in interest-bearing preference shares. The transaction revived Wrekin’s parlous balance sheet, making it easier to stay in business. The ruby would be one of the most valuable gems on the planet. Ernst & Young, the administrators of Wrekin, would therefore like to know where it is. So would Wrekin’s 80 creditors. Because these include RBS, every taxpayer in the country has a small indirect interest. It is not known whether RBS’s decision to grant a £4.25m overdraft facility was influenced by the borrower’s ownership of the gem. The assets of builders rarely extend beyond hard hats and pneumatic drills. Christie’s said the highest recorded price paid for a ruby was $3.6m (£2.6m) in 2006. Key directors of Wrekin were unavailable for comment on Friday. Their PR man had resigned in protest at not being paid. David Unwin Jnr, managing director of Tamar Group, was available instead. He is the son of David Unwin Snr, ultimate owner of both Wrekin and Tamar. When asked “Where is the ruby?” he replied “no comment”, as he did to the inquiry “Does this ruby really exist?” Note 13 of Wrekin’s 2007 accounts states: “The fair value of the ruby gemstone was determined by a professional valuer at the Instituto Gemmologico Italiano (sic) based in Valenza, Italy, on 31 August 2007.” Loridana Prosperi, a gemmologist at the head office of the Istituto Gemmologico Italiano in Milan, said: “That is impossible, because we were on holiday on August 31 2007.” She said IGI never assesses the price of gemstones, only the quality – and the Valenza office does not even do that. Ms Prosperi said an £11m ruby would be equivalent to “The Black Prince”, a jewel the size of a chicken’s egg in the Queen’s crown. She said she would like to get a look at “The Gem of Tanzania”. She is not the only one. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009 Edited


Which Welsh town had its first public showing of the film Life of Brian in March 2009 afer a 30 year ban?

The amazing Life Of Brian's girlfriend: From her naked film roles and the jailing of her ex-husband to becoming Mayor of Aberystwyth | Daily Mail Online The amazing Life Of Brian's girlfriend: From her naked film roles and the jailing of her ex-husband to becoming Mayor of Aberystwyth comments The clock ticks as Aberystwyth town councillor Sue Jones-Davies flicks through a list of concerns from local residents. There are complaints about the lack of parking spaces, calls to upgrade the local skateboard park and worries that the seaside town’s seagulls are beginning to rival the aggression of Daphne Du Maurier’s Birds on bin day. Sue’s furrowed brow reveals how seriously she takes her civic duties – and as an ex-mayor of the town, it is only to be expected – but she has not always portrayed such a studious demeanour. Still smiling: Sue Jones-Davies Thirty years ago Sue appeared stark naked in one of the most controversial films in British movie history – Monty Python’s Life Of Brian. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share In her big scene, with arms splayed she leaps in front of Graham Chapman – who plays Brian – as his mother, played by Terry Jones, bellows the unforgettable line: ‘Brian, leave that Welsh tart alone!’ Released in 1979, Monty Python’s Life Of Brian is now a comedy classic. And Sue’s star turn as Brian’s feisty girlfriend, Judith Iscariot, was the most significant role the Pythons ever gave to a woman. Controversial: Sue Jones-Davies appeared stark naked in Monty Python's Bible spoof This autumn, the BBC is to screen a new 90-minute comedy drama, Holy Flying Circus, which will focus attention, once again, on the furore created by Life Of Brian. ‘The film is phenomenal,’ says Sue, in a rare interview. ‘But when we were making it I don’t think many people thought it was going to do very well. It was very left-field. ‘When the money man, Bernard Delfont, finally read the script he pulled all the money out, just days before we started filming. The Pythons were very worried about getting distribution.’ They were right to fret. Their tale of Brian Cohen, who is mistaken for the Messiah and ends the film being crucified as Eric Idle sings Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, caused a riot of religious controversy. Banned in Ireland, Norway and in large parts of Sue’s native Wales, it enraged churchgoers from Mary Whitehouse to the Bishop of Southwark. And of course audiences flocked to see it where they could. Billed as ‘the film so funny they banned it in Norway’, it made more than £15 million at the box office – a fortune in those days. Today it is still widely considered one of the funniest movies ever made. ‘I had no idea the film was going to create such a fuss,’ says Sue. ‘Or that 30 years on, all these blokes would still be quoting the dialogue at me – particularly “Brian, leave that Welsh tart alone” and “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.” ‘You want to say, “Oh get a life.” ’ Scandal: Sue Jones-Davies's ex-husband Chris Langham was jailed for downloading child porn She adds: ‘I’ve never been a Python fan. I never even had a television. But the film is still so popular. ‘People often tell me that if I’d had a penny for every time the video went out, I’d be rich. But back then I was paid £300 a week, which seemed like masses of money.’ As a 62-year-old local councillor, yoga teacher and grandmother who likes nothing better than to hike up a mountain and recite poetry, Sue’s life is now wholly different from the one she led in the late Seventies. Agonising: Chris Langham outside Maidstone Crown Court with by his sons Dafydd Jones-Davies (left), Siencyn Langham and Glyn Langham (far right) in 2007 -Sue Jone-Davies said the trial was hard for her children Back then she was married to fellow actor Chris Langham and would regularly perform alongside comedy legends, including French & Saunders and Victoria Wood. Sue’s past often intrudes now, sometimes very painfully. Four years ago, Langham was sent to prison for downloading child pornography. Sue had split from him acrimoniously in the mid-Ei


Tzipi Livni led her Kadima party in what country's elections?

Israeli elections: Kadima emerges with most seats | World news | The Guardian Israeli elections 2009 Israeli elections: Kadima emerges with most seats Tzipi Livni's party holds 28 seats, one more than Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud, which is predicted to form coalition government Tzipi Livni, right, led her Kadima party to win 28 seats but Binyamin Netanyahu, left, is expected to govern Israel. Photograph: Reuters Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, David Batty and agencies Thursday 12 February 2009 13.35 EST First published on Thursday 12 February 2009 13.35 EST Close This article is 7 years old Final results in Israel's general elections were announced today, confirming that the centrist Kadima party of the foreign minister, Tzipi Livni , won only one seat more than Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud party. With military and overseas ballots counted, Kadima had 28 seats – far short of the 61 needed to govern alone. Likud won 27 seats, while the far-right Israel Our Home party won 15 seats, making its leader, Avigdor Lieberman, a likely kingmaker. The final results, which include the votes of several thousand soldiers and Israelis living abroad, were unchanged from the preliminary results. As Israeli leaders tried to break out of their political deadlock, a senior figure in Livni's Kadima party said today that it would not join an extreme rightwing government led by Netanyahu. Livni is struggling to form a majority coalition that would see her become only the second female prime minister in Israel's history. Most analysts expect Netanyahu will eventually emerge as the country's next leader, although there are still days of tough negotiations ahead. "We won the battle, but lost the war," one Kadima minister was reported as saying. Netanyahu is thought to want to form a broad coalition that includes Kadima, rather than relying on a narrow majority of rightwing parties that would oppose any peace moves with the Palestinians and bring confrontation with Washington. Reports said Netanyahu might offer Livni the job of foreign minister and her deputy, Shaul Mofaz, the post of defence minister. However, Meir Sheetrit, the current interior minister and number seven on the Kadima list of candidates, made it clear today that Kadima would not submit easily. "We will join a Netanyahu government only if it is not an extreme rightwing government," he told Army Radio. "We are not afraid to sit in the opposition." Sheetrit said Livni was still working to form her own coalition. "We need to think about what's best for Israel and get away from the politics," he said in an interview with Israel Radio. "Currently, it seems most likely that the government to be formed will be an extremist religious coalition led by Netanyahu. If a government like this is established I anticipate it will have a very hard life, and the lives of Israel's citizens will be even harder ... With all due respect to Netanyahu, he cannot manage a government like that. He will have trouble in every realm." Livni herself said she was still working on a coalition that she could lead, but said she would not pay "an exorbitant price" to have other parties join her. "I can also put together a coalition that is united around the peace process. Netanyahu doesn't want that, and couldn't do it even if he did, with his rightwing partners," Livni said. Last autumn, Livni failed in her first attempt to put together a majority coalition that would have made her prime minister following the decision by Ehud Olmert to stand down. Now she is heavily reliant on wooing Lieberman, whose party came in a strong third, buoyed by its anti-Arab stance. Lieberman wants the country's 20% Arab minority to swear an oath of loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state or lose their citizenship. Livni has reportedly offered to adopt some of his policies on civil marriage and on creating a presidential style of government. But Netanyahu, who also needs Lieberman's support, has reportedly offered him the job of finance minister. Lieberman met both Livni and Netanyahu yesterday but has not said publicly whom he will back. "I know


What website founded by Biz Stone and Jack Dorsey was never out of the news in 2009?

Jack Dorsey: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com Get Heavy's Top 5 News Stories Every Day We will never share your email address. Jack Dorsey: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Published Updated 1:55 pm EST, October 11, 2015 Comment By Stephanie Dube Dwilson 3.3k Share Tweet Share Email Follow Jack Dorsey, the founder of Square and co-founder of Twitter, will likely be named Twitter’s new CEO. He’s currently the interim CEO of Twitter. (Getty) Jack Dorsey has been named the new CEO of Twitter, The New York Times reported . He’s been serving as the interim CEO for three months, ever since Dick Costolo left the position. He co-founded Twitter, is the founder of Square, and will continue to also serve as CEO of Square,  Variety reported . Dorsey is a brilliant man, who had a speech impediment at a child that helped shape what eventually turned into his vision for Twitter. He won’t be taking a salary for his job as CEO of Twitter, according to a securities filing . Here’s what you need to know. 1. Dorsey Had a Speech Impediment as a Child That Eventually Led to His Idea for Twitter Jack Dorsey’s speech impediment led to his idea for Twitter. (Getty) Jack Dorsey was born in St. Louis and had a speech impediment growing up, CNET reported.  He was embarrassed by his speech problems and stayed at home a lot as a child, passing the time by listening to police scanners. The short bursts of communication that officers use to communicate fascinated him and, years later, inspired his idea for microblogging. As the CEO of Twitter, Dorsey said that he’ll focus on disciplined execution, communicating Twitter’s value to users, and simplifying the service, The New York Times reported. 2. Dorsey’s First Creation Was Taxi-Dispatching Software, But He Also Loved Punk Rock And Worked as a Massage Therapist Dorsey has been a massage therapist and started out as a hacker before founding Twitter. (Getty) At the age of 15, Dorsey created taxi dispatch software that some taxi companies still use today. This was his first major software creation, Business Insider reported.  In 1998, Dorsey hacked into Dispatch Management Service’s computers while Greg Kidd was building the software, and sent Kidd an email from Kidd’s own account stating that he could fix the security hole, The Wall Street Journal reported . Before Twitter he also founded dNet, a company that enabled same-day e-commerce purchases   But Dorsey wasn’t just a computer geek as a teenager and a young adult. He also attended punk rock concerts and ran a fantasy football league with his friends, the Wall Street Journal reported . The fantasy league was pre-Internet and as “smooth as it could be,” his friends said, recounting how Dorsey kept everything in a computer database and used the local newspaper for stats. In his mid-20s, he also became a certified massage therapist for awhile. Even to this day, he stays involved in a variety of interests. For example, he’s on the board of Disney, Business Insider reported. 3. He Co-Founded Twitter, But His History There Hasn’t Always Been Peaceful Jack Dorsey has a tumultuous past relationship with Twitter. (Getty) Dorsey is a co-founder of Twitter, but his history with the company hasn’t always been peaceful. He co-founded Twitter with Biz Stone and Evan Williams in 2006. He approached Odeo, a podcast startup run by Williams and Stone, with the idea of sharing a status quickly and easily with your friends. His idea was originally called Status, then called Obvious, before they settled on Twttr (eventually renamed Twitter), a simple site that allowed 140-character statuses, Biography reported . Dorsey, Stone, and Evans bought the Twitter domain name for $7,000, Business Insider reported. When it was first launched, it was referred to as a type of group send SMS application, TechCrunch reported back in 2006 . In fact, the top comment reads: “This is NEVER going to catch on.” Dorsey’s original idea for Twitter, called Stat.us. ( Flickr /Jack Dorsey) Dorsey was Twitter’s CEO in 2006, Variety reported , and he published Twitter’s first tweet: “just s


Indian coporation Tata launched a 100,000 rupee (£1,350) new what in 2009?

Tata Nano Launch - Official Images and Press Release Press Release The Tata Nano arrives Tata Motors today announced the commercial launch of the Tata Nano, keenly awaited across India since its unveiling on January 10, 2008. The Tata Nano is BS-III* compliant and comes with an all-new 2-cylinder aluminium MPFI 624cc petrol engine mated to a four-speed gear box and will be available in three variants. The cars will be on display across the country at Tata Motors passenger car dealerships and other select authorised outlets from April 1. Speaking at a press conference, the Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, Ratan N Tata, said, “The Nano represents the spirit of breaking conventional barriers. From the drawing board to its commercial launch, the concept, development and production of the car has overcome several challenges. It is to the credit of the team at Tata Motors that a car once thought impossible by the world is now a reality. I hope it will provide safe, affordable, four-wheel transportation to families who till now have not been able to own a car. We are delighted in presenting the Tata Nano to India and the world.” The Tata Nano is currently being manufactured at the company’s Pantnagar plant in Uttarakhand in limited numbers. The new dedicated plant, at Sanand in Gujarat, will be ready in 2010 with an annualised capacity of 350,000 cars. The three variants The Tata Nano offers an incredibly spacious passenger compartment which can comfortably seat four adults. With a length of just 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, the Tata Nano has the smallest exterior footprint for a car in India but is 21 per cent more spacious than the smallest car available today. A high seating position makes ingress and egress easy. Its small size coupled with a turning radius of just 4 metres, makes it extremely manoeuvrable in the smallest of parking slots. The three trim levels and their key features available at the launch are: Tata Nano Standard (BSII* and BSIII*): The standard version, in three colour options, single-tone seats, and fold-down rear seat. Tata Nano CX (BSII* and BSIII*): In five colour options, with heating and air-conditioning (HVAC), two-tone seats, parcel shelf, booster-assisted brakes, fold-down rear seat with nap rest. Tata Nano LX (BSIII*): With the features of CX plus complete fabric seats, central locking, front power windows, body coloured exteriors in three premium colours, fog lamps, electronic trip meter, cup holder in front console, mobile charger point, and rear spoiler. Many of these features are not available on current entry-level small cars in the country. Performance and specifications Performance: The 2-cylinder engine – delivering 35 PS @ 5,250rpm and a torque of 48nm @ 3,000rpm – enables the car to have a top speed of 105kmph and negotiate inclines with a gradeability of 30 per cent. Fuel efficiency: 23.6km/litre, certified by the Automotive Research Association of India under mandated test conditions, which is the highest for any petrol car in India. Emission: The high fuel efficiency, coupled with a low kerb weight of 600kg, ensures that the Tata Nano – at 101gm / km – has the lowest CO2 emission amongst cars in India. The Tata Nano is BS-III* compliant and is BS-IV* ready. It is also available in BS-II* norms. Safety: The Tata Nano’s safety performance exceeds current regulatory requirements – it passes the roll-over test and offset impact, which are not regulated in India. It has an all sheet-metal body, reinforced passenger compartment, crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, besides mandatory seat belts and complies fully with existing Indian safety standards. Tubeless tyres – among which the rear ones are wider, endowing extra stability – enhance safety. Warranty: 18 months or 24,000km, whichever is earlier. The booking process In view of the expected significant demand and limited production capacity initially until the Sanand plant is fully ramped up to capacity, the Tata Nano will be available through a booking mode. Tata Motors has entered into an exclus


Name the British mercenary given a presidential pardon from his 34 year jail term for his part in a failed coup in Equatorial Guinea?

Mercenary Simon Mann's family 'delighted' over pardon | The Independent Mercenary Simon Mann's family 'delighted' over pardon Tuesday 3 November 2009 13:24 BST Click to follow The Independent Online The family of former British soldier Simon Mann spoke today of their delight after he was granted a full pardon for his part in a failed coup plot in Equatorial Guinea. Mann, 57, was sentenced to a 34-year jail term after admitting conspiring to oust President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, leader of the tiny West African country. A statement released by the Mann family read: "The family is absolutely delighted that Simon has been pardoned and is to be released shortly." The statement continued: "Everyone is profoundly grateful to the President and the Government of Equatorial Guinea. "The whole family is overjoyed at the prospect of finally welcoming Simon home after five-and-a-half long years away." Mann was granted the full pardon on humanitarian grounds, a statement on the website of Equatorial Guinea's Information Ministry said. The mercenary has been held in the country's notorious Black Beach prison and is expected to be released later today. He will then be free to return to the UK. A family spokesman said Mann was due to arrive home "in the next few days". A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We have been informed of the imminent release of Simon Mann. "We understand this was a personal decision by the President of Equatorial Guinea on humanitarian grounds." Mann was sentenced in July last year following a high-profile trial. The former SAS officer was accused of masterminding an operation to oust President Obiang. The old Etonian was originally arrested with around 70 other people, mostly former soldiers, when their aircraft arrived at an airport in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, in March 2004. The plan was to put opposition leader Severo Moto, who is exiled in Madrid, in power and gain control over the country's oil wealth. At first Mann denied that the group had come to collect weapons for a coup. His lawyers claimed they were on their way to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help secure diamond mines. He was jailed for seven years in Zimbabwe for conspiring to buy weapons of war. Mann said he suffered a violent abduction in February from Chikrubi prison in Zimbabwe to Equatorial Guinea. He has always insisted that he was not the main man behind the plot. Equatorial Guinea held its first trial into the alleged plot in August 2004. South African arms dealer Nick Du Toit was sentenced to 34 years in prison as a result of the case. Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of former prime minister Baroness Thatcher, was given a suspended sentence in South Africa in relation to the funding of Mann's operation, though he has always denied any knowledge that a coup was being plotted. During his trial Mann told the court the ex-prime minister's son was "part of the management team" behind the failed plot and "not just an investor". Four other men - Mr du Toit, Sergio Cardoso, Jose Domingos and George Alerson were also granted pardons for their part in the plot. Supreme Court Chief Justice Obono Olo, who was the attorney general who prosecuted the coup plotters, said Mann and his accomplices would be freed at some point today. He denied rumours that Mann was unwell, telling the Associated Press that he was "fine, fit." The country is Africa's third biggest oil producer but many of its people remain poor. It is also considered to be among the continent's worst violators of human rights. More about: