Sunday 7 August 2016
All Russian Athletes Banned From Paralympics
The International Paralympic Committee has banned the entire Russian paralympic team from competing in the Rio de Janeiro games.
Sir Philip Craven, President of the IPC, said told a news conference in Rio his committee had listened to the evidence of experts and to submissions from the Russians and decided what action it needed to take.
He said the decision was based on a report on the Sochi 2014 Olympics and Paralympics by Professor Richard McLaren, sponsored by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which found evidence of state-sponsored cheating.
The report found that several samples taken from athletes who had taken part in paralympic events in Sochi had been tampered with.
The report also found evidence of the swapping of doped urine samples for clean ones through holes drilled in the wall of laboratories.
WADA previously recommended that Russia's entire team be banned from the Rio Olympic Games but the International Olympic Committee decided only to suspend some Russian athletes.
Sir Philip said: "(The IPC) is strongly of the view that the Russian Paralympic Committee is currently unable to ensure compliance with... the IPC's anti-doping code and the world anti-doping code within its own national jurisdiction.
Video: Analysis: What Does It Mean For Russia?
"Therefore, it cannot fulfil its fundamental obligations as an IPC member and as a result the IPC governing board has resolved to suspend the Russian Paralympic Committee with immediate effect.
"This means... the Russian Paralympic Committee will not be able to enter its athletes into the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games."
Sir Philip said he had deep sympathies with Russian athletes who will not be able to compete, but added that the doping culture that the report had found stemmed from the Russian government.
He added: "At the same time as feeling great sympathy towards the Russian athletes, we must not forget the feeling of those athletes from their nations who competed at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter games.
"Now it has been revealed that the sample swapping regime in the Sochi laboratory took place during the winter games, some athletes may be questioning whether the results from the Sochi 2014 will change."
Video: July: All Russian Teams Face Ban From Rio
The British Paralympic Association put out a statement immediately afterwards, saying: "While we have real sympathy for those individual Russian Paralympians not going to Rio who train and compete clean, it is crucial for the integrity of our sport that those involved as well as the public feel confident that all necessary measures are in place to tackle doping and the playing field is level.
"The British Paralympic Association therefore congratulates the IPC on taking a clear stand."
Russian newsagency Interfax reported that Russia will challenge the decision of the International Paralympic Committee to suspend Russian athletes from the Paralympic Games, according to the president of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) Vladimir Lukin.
He told the newsagency he would file a lawsuit against the IPC in the Sports Arbitration Court in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Under IPC rules, the RPC has 21 days to appeal.
The Paralympics take place after the conclusion of the Olympics and begin on 7 September.
More follows...
from
http://betternews.co.uk/all-russian-athletes-banned-from-paralympics
Macedonian Flooding 'Catastrophe' As 21 Die
At least 17 people have been killed and 60 hurt after Macedonia's capital Skopje was hit by flooding, with warnings the number of dead could rise.
Part of the ring road around the city was swept away during torrential rain and some cars were reportedly carried hundreds of metres into fields.
The nearby villages of Stajkovci, Aracinovo and Smiljkovci were also badly affected by thunderstorms and strong winds on Saturday night.
Most victims are believed to have drowned in their houses when large amounts of water swept through the area.
Hundreds of homes and vehicles were destroyed by the floods, which left roads impassable and several areas without electricity.
Some cars were reportedly carried hundreds of metres into fields
More than 1,000 people had been evacuated as police and army units in helicopters search for several missing following the storm.
The capital's mayor Koce Trajanovski said the damage was "the worst Skopje has ever seen".
Deputy prime Minister Nikola Todorov called it "a catastrophe of unprecedented proportion" and warned the death toll could go up.
Special police forces and trucks loaded with drinking water were heading for the worst affected areas.
The government is believed to be planning to declare a state of emergency for two weeks.
By Sunday morning, the rain had stopped and water levels were receding, but more downpours were forecast for the capital later in the day.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/macedonian-flooding-039catastrophe039-as-21-die
Macedonian Flooding 'Catastrophe' As 17 Die
At least 17 people have been killed and 60 hurt after Macedonia's capital Skopje was hit by flooding, with warnings the number of dead could rise.
Part of the ring road around the city was swept away during torrential rain and some cars were reportedly carried hundreds of metres into fields.
The nearby villages of Stajkovci, Aracinovo and Smiljkovci were also badly affected by thunderstorms and strong winds on Saturday night.
Most victims are believed to have drowned in their houses when large amounts of water swept through the area.
Hundreds of homes and vehicles were destroyed by the floods, which left roads impassable and several areas without electricity.
Some cars were reportedly carried hundreds of metres into fields
More than 1,000 people had been evacuated as police and army units in helicopters search for several missing following the storm.
The capital's mayor Koce Trajanovski said the damage was "the worst Skopje has ever seen".
Deputy prime Minister Nikola Todorov called it "a catastrophe of unprecedented proportion" and warned the death toll could go up.
Special police forces and trucks loaded with drinking water were heading for the worst affected areas.
The government is believed to be planning to declare a state of emergency for two weeks.
By Sunday morning, the rain had stopped and water levels were receding, but more downpours were forecast for the capital later in the day.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/macedonian-flooding-039catastrophe039-as-17-die
Iran Executes Nuclear Scientist For 'Spying'
Iran says it has executed one of its nuclear scientists after he was convicted of spying for the United States.
Shahram Amiri was hanged after allegedly giving America information about the Islamic republic's nuclear programme.
He revealed top secrets to "the enemy", according to a judicial spokesman, who claimed Tehran had "outsmarted" America.
News of his reported death comes a year after his country agreed a landmark agreement with the West to limit uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.
Mr Amiri, who had worked for a university affiliated to Iran's defence ministry, vanished in June 2009 while on a pilgrimage to holy sites in Saudi Arabia.
He resurfaced a year later in the US when he appeared in a set of online videos.
Mr Amiri then walked into the Iranian interests section at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington and demanded to be sent home, returning to a hero's welcome in Tehran.
Back in the Islamic republic, he said he had been held in the US for more than a year after being "kidnapped" at gunpoint by two Farsi-speaking CIA agents in Medina.
Mr Amiri pictured arriving back in Iran in 2010
Mr Amiri was detained in Iran in 2010 and judicial spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie said he was tried in accordance with the law and had access to a lawyer.
He denied having any classified information, saying: "I'm not involved in any confidential jobs. I am a simple researcher who was working in the university."
But Mr Amiri, aged in his late 30s, was convicted of handing over "confidential and vital" information to the US.
"He appealed his death sentence based on judicial process. The Supreme Court... confirmed it after meticulous reviews," Mr Ejeie added.
US officials said in 2010 Mr Amiri was paid $5m (£3.8m) to offer the CIA information about Iran's nuclear programme, though he left the country without the money.
They said Amiri, who ran a radiation detection programme in Iran, stayed in the US for months under his own free will.
Some analysts suggested Iranian authorities may have threatened Amiri's family back in Iran, forcing him to return.
It is not known what prompted Iranian authorities to execute him, years after his first disappearance.
However, since the nuclear deal, hardliners in Iran's government have increasingly targeted dual nationals for arrest and cracked down on journalists, artists, human rights activists and others.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/iran-executes-nuclear-scientist-for-039spying039
Biggins 'very sorry and very sad' over CBB removal after unacceptable language
Christopher Biggins said he was "very sorry and very sad" after he was removed from the Celebrity Big Brother house for "unacceptable language."
The 67-year-old was warned three times for comments which could cause "widespread offence."
The final one involved a conversation with Renee Graziano where he said Aids was "a bisexual disease".
He'd also made comments to Katie Waissel who said she wasn't in the house to represent Jewish people.
On a separate occasion Biggins was hauled into the diary room when he told Graziano in another conversation: "I think the worst type is the bisexuals, what it is is people not wanting to admit they are gay."
He was ejected on Friday after saying that homosexuals had been blamed for the rise of Aids.
He called it a "killer disease" adding that he thought it "was a bisexual disease, if I'm honest".
Biggins said: "There were a lot of bisexuals who went to those countries and had sex with those people and brought it back to their own families in America and that's how it became a worldwide disease."
Big Brother called him into the diary room later in the day and noted this comment as the third use of "unacceptable language", which left them with "no choice" but to remove him from the house.
Biggins looked shocked as he was told and when asked if he had anything to say he replied, "I'm very sorry and I'm very sad."
On Twitter opinion has been split.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/biggins-039very-sorry-and-very-sad039-over-cbb-removal-after-unacceptable-language
Siege Police Find Suspect Asleep In Restaurant
An injured man who barricaded himself in a restaurant has been taken to hospital after a stand-off with police which lasted several hours.
Specialist police officers entered the Dubrovnik restaurant in Saarbruecken, in southwest Germany, after trying to negotiate with the man.
The 43-year-old, who was not identified, was found asleep in the basement of the building, police said.
The details of how he came to be injured are unclear, but he was unarmed.
Previous reports suggested he was covered in blood and had a weapon on him.
It is believed no hostages were involved.
He ran into the restaurant in the town centre on Sunday morning while shouting for everyone inside to leave, according to a report by German newspaper Bild.
Footage from the scene earlier showed a police street cordon in place and several vehicles outside the building, including a marked police car.
Police said the man seemed to be mentally disturbed and that there were no indications that it was a terrorism-related incident.
A police spokesman described the man as appearing to be in an "exceptional psychological situation".
It is thought he is the son-in-law of the owner of the restaurant and is originally from Macedonia, but has lived in Germany for several years.
Some reports suggested he was a former employee.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/siege-police-find-suspect-asleep-in-restaurant
Injured Man Barricades Himself In Restaurant
An injured man who barricaded himself in a restaurant has been taken to hospital after a stand-off with police which lasted several hours.
Special forces entered the Dubrovnik restaurant in Saarbruecken, in southwest Germany, after trying to negotiate with the man.
The details of how he came to be injured are unclear, but he was found unarmed.
Previous reports suggested he was covered in blood and had a weapon on him.
It is believed no hostages were involved.
He ran into the restaurant in the town centre on Sunday morning while shouting for everyone inside to leave, according to a report by German newspaper Bild.
Footage from the scene earlier showed a police street cordon in place and several vehicles outside the building, including a marked police car.
Police said the man seemed to be mentally disturbed and that there were no indications that it was a terrorism-related incident.
A police spokesman described the man as appearing to be in an "exceptional psychological situation".
It is thought he is the son-in-law of the owner of the restaurant and is originally from Macedonia, but has lived in Germany for several years.
Some reports suggested he was a former employee.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/injured-man-barricades-himself-in-restaurant
Armed Man Barricades Himself In Restaurant
An armed man covered in blood has barricaded himself in a restaurant in Germany, police have said.
It is unclear how he injured himself and what type of weapon he has on him.
Officers outside the eaterie in Saarbruecken, in southwest Germany, are trying to convince him to end the stand-off.
It is believed he is not holding anyone hostage.
He ran into the restaurant called Dubrovnik in the town centre on Sunday morning while shouting for everyone inside to leave, according to a report by German newspaper Bild.
Footage from the scene shows a police street cordon and several vehicles outside the building, including a marked police car.
Police said the man appeared to be mentally disturbed and there are no indications that it is a terrorism-related incident.
A police spokesman said the man appeared to be in an "exceptional psychological situation".
It is thought he is the son-in-law of the owner of the restaurant and is originally from Macedonia, but has lived in Germany for several years.
Some reports suggest he is a former employee.
More follows...
from
http://betternews.co.uk/armed-man-barricades-himself-in-restaurant
Oscar Pistorius Denies Prison Suicide Bid
Oscar Pistorius has denied "speculations" of a suicide attempt after he was treated at a private hospital in Pretoria for injuries suffered in jail.
The South African Paralympian was rushed to Kalafong Hospital from his Pretoria prison cell on Saturday, where he is serving a six-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
He has since been returned to jail following treatment.
Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesman for the correctional services department, said Pistorius told officials that he suffered injuries after falling out of bed.
Video: Pistorius Breaks Down In Court
But South African media reported that Pistorius also had injuries to his wrists.
A spokesman at the Department of Correctional Services said: "Oscar Pistorius denied speculations of a suicide attempt.
"As a policy principle we cannot further discuss a particular offender's personal condition in the public domain."
The athlete fatally shot Ms Steenkamp in his home on Valentine's Day in 2013.
He initially served one year of a five-year prison sentence for manslaughter, but the conviction was later overturned by an appeals court.
Video: Reeva Steenkamp's Family Says Goodbye
Pistorius was then convicted of the more serious charge of murder.
The runner has always insisted the shooting was a mistake, saying he thought an intruder had entered his home and he feared for his safety.
He fired four shots through a locked toilet door, killing Ms Steenkamp. She was hit in the head, hip and arm.
Pistorius claimed in court it was only when he battered down the door with a cricket bat that he realised the person behind was Ms Steenkamp.
Last month prosecutors said they would appeal Pistorius' six-year sentence, saying it was too lenient.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/oscar-pistorius-denies-prison-suicide-bid
Oscar Pistorius Rushed To Private Hospital
Oscar Pistorius has been treated at a private hospital in Pretoria after suffering injuries in jail.
The Paralympian was rushed to Kalafong Hospital from his Pretoria prison cell on Saturday, where he is serving a six-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
He has since been returned to jail following treatment.
Video: Pistorius Breaks Down In Court
Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesman for the correctional services department, said Pistorius told officials that he suffered injuries after falling out of bed.
The athlete fatally shot Ms Steenkamp in his home on Valentine's Day in 2013.
He initially served one year of a five-year prison sentence for manslaughter, but the conviction was later overturned by an appeals court.
Pistorius was then convicted of the more serious charge of murder.
Video: Reeva Steenkamp's Family Says Goodbye
The runner has always insisted the shooting was a mistake, saying he thought an intruder had entered his home and he feared for his safety.
He fired four shots through a locked toilet door, killing Ms Steenkamp. She was hit in the head, hip and arm.
Pistorius claimed in court it was only when he battered down the door with a cricket bat that he realised the person behind was Ms Steenkamp.
Last month prosecutors said they would appeal Pistorius' six-year sentence, saying it was too lenient.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/oscar-pistorius-rushed-to-private-hospital