Roberto Mancini gets chance to become big spender

ROBERTO MANCINI has had his eye on a job in the Premier League for some time. “If,” he told this reporter several seasons ago, “I ever get the chance to go and work in England, I’d take it.”

At the time he was coach at Lazio, admired for what he could do on a shoestring. His career stepped steadily upwards to successive Serie A titles with Internazionale but his enthusiasm for a gig in English football remained. He got his wish last night when a City statement announced: “We can confirm the appointment, with immediate effect on a permanent contract, of Roberto Mancini and are also pleased to announce that [technical director at the club’s academy] Brian Kidd, inset, will join Roberto as assistant manager.”

Mancini has been at a loose end since he left Inter in the summer of 2008, fresh from winning the Italian league, and he has made it known over the past two months that he felt ready for the next gig. If he was bound to be on City’s radar anyway, he would not have been shy at placing his name near its centre. His son, Filippo, had a trial at City last year.

Eighteen months off the touchline has not damaged his standing; at 45, he is bracketed among the brightest younger coaches in Europe. He left Inter as champions of Italy and also-rans in Europe; his replacement there, Jose Mourinho, is in charge of an Inter who remain leaders domestically and lacklustre internationally. In other words, only in small details can Mancini be said to have been bettered by his successor. And what Mancini initially achieved at Inter had been a true watershed, delivering to the club their first championships for 18 years. Under Mancini, they were awarded the 2006 scudetto after Juventus had been disqualified from it for their involvement in the calciopoli affair.

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They triumphed again in the next two seasons. Before that, Mancini repaired a Lazio regularly obliged to fire-sale the superstars accumulated in the free-spending 1990s. He did likewise as head coach at Fiorentina, with whom he won the Italian Cup. These were demanding assignments and Mancini, 36 when he started coaching, undertook both amid suspicions he was too much of a novice. Fabio Capello took a dim view of the fact Mancini was promoted to a Serie A post without serving his apprenticeship. Mancini and Capello would go on to have a spiky relationship as coaches, respectively, of Lazio and Roma and then as adversaries at Inter and Juventus.

Among others who have enjoyed success in the Italian game, though, he had backing. In Sven-Göran Eriksson, once a Manchester City manager, he has always had a strong ally. Eriksson took Mancini the player, an inside-forward who won 36 caps for Italy, from Sampdoria to Lazio, and made him a confidant and an on-field lieutenant.

Later, as England manager, Eriksson helped arrange for Mancini to have a brief spell in England, at Leicester City, as his 20-year playing career came to a close. That left Mancini with an enthusiasm for the English game. “England seems more fun, both for players and managers,” he told me. “Italy’s the hardest place to be a coach, because it’s always the results that count. It doesn’t matter if you play well — if you don’t get the right result, they crucify you.”

The challenge of breaking up the established hierarchy of any league appeals. As a player, he won his two Serie A titles with upstart clubs, Sampdoria — for whom he played more than 500 games and with whom he won a silver medal in the European Cup — and Lazio, neither of them among the Big Four of Juventus, Milan, Inter or Roma.

As a coach, he returned Inter to a summit dominated by Juve and Milan. He carries himself with self-confidence and his sense of humour is appreciated by his friends, among whom Gianluca Vialli was a close one during their playing days, though his departure from Inter included some falling-outs. He appeared to have resigned in March 2008 after defeat by Liverpool in the Champions League and then apparently changed his mind after talks with the president Massimo Moratti. The team and coach went on to win the league but that marked the end of the four-year relationship. Severance disputes were only resolved at the end of October. Promptly, Mancini started job-seeking in earnest.

Mancini's CV
Roberto Mancini, 45, was capped 36 times for Italy, scoring four goals, in a playing career that spanned 19 years with Bologna, Sampdoria, Lazio and Leicester City. As a player he won two Serie A titles, five Coppa Italias and two Cup Winners' Cups. As manager he won three Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias, two Italian Supercups

Target players
Will have unlimited finances, although that would be made up of money for players leaving the club. Among his targets would be: Fernando Torres (Liverpool forward, £80m), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich winger, £65m), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, forward £40m), Angel Di Maria (Benfica winger, £35m), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool midfielder, £20m), Yaya Toure (Barcelona midfielder, £15m*), Matthew Upson (West Ham defender, £12m), Thierry Henry (Barcelona forward, £10m*)

*Possible part-exchange with Robinho

Playing career
1981 Bologna
1982-1997 Sampdoria. Wins one Serie A title, four Coppa Italias and Cup Winner's Cup
1997-2000 Lazio. Wins one Serie A title, Coppa Italia and the Cup Winners' Cup Cup
2001 Plays five games for Leicester City

Coach
2000 Joins Lazio coaching staff as assistant to Sven-Goran Eriksson but quits after the Swede resigns and resumes playing career at Leicester
2001 Becomes coach at Fiorentina. Wins coppa Italia
2002 Resigns as Fioretina coach and joins Lazio. Wins Coppa Italia
2004-08 Inter Milan wins two Coppa Italias and two Italian Supercups. Wins Serie A after Juventus and AC Milan are stripped of points in match-fixing scandal. Successfully defend title in next two seasons.
2008 Sacked as Inter coach and replaced by Jose Mourinho
Dec 19 2009 Appointed manager Man City

Hughes's CV
Mark Hughes, 46, was capped 72 times for Wales, scoring 16 goals, in a 20-year career with Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Southampton and Blackburn. As a player he won two Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, two League Cup and two Cup Winners' Cup. He has not won anything as a manager

Major transfers
Spent £244.5m on players such Robinho (32.5m), Carlos Tevez (£25.5m) Emmanuel Adebayor (£25m), Joleon Lescott (£22m), Roque Santa Cruz (£17.5m) and Craig Bellamy £14m)

Player
1978-1985 Signs schoolboy forms with Manchester United. Wins PFA young player of the year award and FA Cup
1985-88 Plays 28 games for Barcelona and is loaned out to Bayern Munich
1988-1994 Re-signs for Man Utd for £1.8m. Wins PFA player of the year, two Premier Leagues, One FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup
1995-1998 Chelsea. Wins FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup
1998-2000 Southampton
2000-02 Blackburn. Wins League Cup

Manager
1999-2004 Appointed manager of Wales
2004 Blackburn
2008 Man City
Dec 19 2009 Sacked as manager of Man City

Whisky hangover 'worse than vodka, a study suggests'

Drinking whisky will result in a worse hangover than vodka, according to research by US scientists.

The reason might lie in the number of molecules called "congeners" which it contains compared to vodka, the Brown University team said.

But the study also suggested that sticking to vodka all night rather than whisky would not improve your performance at work the next day.

The study is published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Drinking too much of any alcoholic drink can have a number of undesireable short and long-term effects Chris Sorek, DrinkAware

The 95 volunteers for the research, all healthy alcohol users, had one night of "acclimatisation" before drinking either whisky or vodka the following night.

They were given enough alcohol to put them a third over the legal driving limit for the UK.

On the third night they were given a "placebo" drink containing no alcohol.

On each occasion, they were then asked how they felt the following day, and were tested on how well they could concentrate on tasks.

The volunteers who drank whisky reported far more hangover symptoms such as headache nausea, thirst and fatigue compared with those who drank vodka.

However, the overall performance at the concentration task was roughly the same between the two groups.

Professor Damaris Rohsenow, who led the research at Brown University in Rhode Island, said: "While people felt worse, they didn't perform worse after bourbon (a type of whisky made in the US) than after vodka."

He said that the study also showed that workers in "safety-sensitive" roles could be impaired by drinking - long after the alcohol itself had disappeared from the bloodstream.

Chemical trace

The study, which also monitored sleeping patterns in the volunteers, found that disrupted sleep was no worse in either group.

The reason why whisky might cause more unpleasant hangovers might lie in the number of molecules called "congeners" which it contains compared to vodka, said Professor Rohsenow.

These include small amounts of chemicals such as acetone, acetaldehyde and tannins.

Chris Sorek, the chief executive of charity Drinkaware, said that social drinkers should be aware that no alcoholic drink removed the risk of a hangover.

He said: "Christmas is a time to socialise and celebrate, but many people will be drinking excessively - drinking too much of any alcoholic drink can have a number of undesirable short and long-term effects."

While exceeding recommended daily limits might mean hangovers the following day, he said, in the long term, regular heavy drinking could increase the risk of cancer or liver disease.

Swinney calls for investigation into Globespan collapse

Scotland's finance secretary has called for a full investigation into the collapse of the Flyglobespan airline.

Thousands of passengers were stranded abroad and 550 staff made redundant when the Edinburgh-based firm went into administration on Wednesday.

John Swinney said any probe should examine the role of E-Clear, which failed to pass on £35m to the airline.

E-Clear also handled credit card transactions for the Allbury Travel Group, which collapsed on Saturday.

Mr Swinney has written to UK Transport Secretary Lord Adonis demanding urgent action so that flight-only passengers can also be covered by a travel protection scheme.

Of the 4,500 passengers stranded abroad, 1,100 customers of Globespan package holidays were covered by the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority, which guarantees refunds and return flights.

Mr Swinney told Lord Adonis he accepted there would be "complexities" in extending the Atol scheme to flight-only travellers.

Mr Swinney said Atol's scheme should be extended to flight-only travellers

But he said: "The sheer number of travellers involved in non-protected travel arrangements in the Globespan collapse means that this requires to be addressed as a matter of urgency."

Mr Swinney said the UK government was currently consulting on this issue and argued such a change would "give passengers the reassurance they need when booking flights".

He added: "This should be funded, as with the existing scheme, through the industry itself."

The Scottish finance secretary also called for an investigation into the circumstances of the collapse, after administrators claimed that E-Clear, the credit card handling company, owed the airline £35m.

"This is money that should have been in Globespan's account ensuring the company could continue to do business," he said.

"Instead, this Christmas, thousands of passengers have been left stranded across the world and 550 staff are looking for work."

After Flyglobespan went into administration, E-Clear vowed it would work with the administrators to "clarify and address the various complexities around the airline's financial position, so that matters may be resolved as quickly as possible".

Talks took place on Saturday in a bid to "reach an agreement on what is a sustainable minimum fund for E-Clear to hold" to allow it to cover any claims it may have to pay out on from Flyglobespan customers.

'Financial risks'

A spokesman said: "The situation normally is that E-Clear in its dealing with an airline would be covered by business risk insurance.

"Unfortunately it wasn't possible for Flyglobespan to have that kind of insurance.

"That is why the financial risks that E-Clear has been bearing have been very considerable with regards to Flyglobespan."

E-Clear was involved with the Hertfordshire-based Allbury Travel Group, which also operated under the brands Libra Holidays, Argo Holidays and JetLife.

Allbury went into administration on Saturday, leaving some 100 holidaymakers abroad. It also had 4,000 forward bookings.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond told BBC Scotland he believed there was a "case for a serious investigation by the department of business regulation".

He added said it needed to look at "the negotiations and the financial structure of Globespan and if indeed money, as is claimed, was being withheld from the company making worse or perhaps even precipitating its cash flow crisis".

Fine for Google over French books

A Paris court has found Google guilty of copyright infringement in a ruling which could have ramifications for its plans to digitise the world's books.

The search giant must pay 300,000 euros (£266,000) in damages and interest to French publisher La Martiniere.

It was one of many to take Google to court for digitising its books without explicit permission.

Google was also ordered to pay 10,000 euros a day until it removes extracts of the books from its database.

Google expressed disappointment at the ruling.

"French readers now face the threat of losing access to a significant body of knowledge and falling behind the rest of internet users," said a spokesman for the firm.

Serge Eyrolles, head of the French publisher's union Syndicat National de l'Edition, said he was "completely satisfied with the verdict".

"It shows Google that they are not the kings of the world and they can't do whatever they want," he said.

Google wants to scan millions of books to make them available online.

This court case will be seen as a victory for critics of the plan who fear Google is creating a monopoly over information.

Publisher Herve de La Martiniere launched his court case three years ago but Google continued to scan books during this period.

La Martiniere, the French Publishers' Association and authors' group SGDL who started the court battle initially demanded that Google be fined 15m euros (£13.2m).

The book publishers claimed that scanning books was an act of reproduction and, as such, was something that should be paid for.

Google's plans to establish a digital library have hit several buffers.

It agreed to a settlement with US authors and publishers but is renegotiating after the US Justice Department concluded that the deal violates anti-trust law.

Eurostar suspends services for third day

Eurostar has said there will be no services for a third day on Monday while further tests are carried out on its fleet of trains.

But commercial director Nick Mercer said engineers have now pinpointed the cause of electrical problems and he hoped services would resume shortly.

Thousands of passengers were trapped on five trains in the Channel Tunnel on Friday and Saturday in wintry weather.

The company is transporting 500 of its "most vulnerable" passengers to France.

Flights grounded

Mr Mercer said severe snowy conditions in northern France has caused snow to be ingested into trains in a way never seen before.

He said tests would be carried out on Monday with new modifications and it was hoped there would be an announcement later in the day that services would be able to resume.

On Sunday evening an emergency plan was introduced to put 'vulnerable' stranded passengers on Javelin trains to Dover to catch ferries and then coaches on to Paris and Brussels.

The company ran test trains without passengers on Sunday after five trains broke down in the tunnel on Friday when condensation affected electrical systems.

Another train, which had been laid on to try to clear the backlog, suffered the same fate on Saturday night.

Those stranded complained of a lack of food and drink, power supplies and information and there were further problems when some rescue trains themselves broke down.

A Eurostar spokeswoman said: "We have managed to get 500 passengers on to a Javelin high-speed train to Dover Priory and from there we bussed then on to a ferry to take them on to Paris and Brussels.

"They were the most vulnerable people, who needed to get back home to France and Belgium."

No arrangements were in place for Britons stuck in France, she added.

Meanwhile, severe weather warnings remain in place in northern parts of the UK and freezing conditions have continued to disrupt travel.

Snow fell in Northern Ireland, western Scotland and north-western parts of England, and temperatures are expected to remain below freezing.

Ambulance services have urged people to take extra care walking and driving and to wrap up warm.

At Bristol International Airport hundreds of people were stranded when Easyjet scrapped five flights.

Flights were grounded for 90 minutes at Manchester Airport on Sunday morning as staff moved snow and de-iced a runway.

There have been delays at Belfast International Airport after it closed but later reopened, and Inverness Airport has also been disrupted.

'Out of touch'

Eurostar passenger Claire McKinney Williams, who is 35 weeks pregnant and unable to fly, was stranded at a hotel in Brussels.

She told the BBC: "It's been very disruptive. We haven't had any help, we've been over to Eurostar in the station, and they've not been very helpful, they haven't given us any help on alternative ways home or anything."

Clearly, if you're on a train stranded in a tunnel, it is a distressing experience Richard Brown Eurostar chief executive

Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown asked people not to travel unless it was essential.

He said: "When we resume service it's going to be very busy, we're not going to be able to carry everyone who's booked yesterday, today and during this week."

Passengers who have suffered delays will be offered a full refund, £150 compensation and a free return ticket.

The compensation would be offered until the backlog of passengers was cleared and the service was back to normal.

Nirj Deva, Conservative MEP for the South East of England, said he wanted the Eurostar chief executive to step down.

The company had not been adequately prepared for the situation, and Mr Brown should therefore "do the decent thing" and resign, he said.

Mr Brown told BBC Breakfast he was "very, very sorry" for the inconvenience and described events as "unprecedented".

He admitted it had taken a "very long time" to evacuate people from the trains.

"Clearly, if you're on a train stranded in a tunnel, it is a distressing experience," he said.

He conceded it took too long to get trains out to people and said while trains had spare water, it ran out.

Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said the disruption was a "catastrophe" for people trapped trying to get home for Christmas.

She said: "After a reprieve from BA strikes, it is a huge concern to see travellers hit so hard by this crisis."

On Sunday, all ferry services from Dover to Dunkirk, Boulogne and Calais were running, and traffic queues had eased.

The Port of Dover said traffic was running freely on the A2 and A20 into Dover, and freight traffic stuck on the M20 was being called forward in batches to be shipped across the Channel.

Ed Balls accused of sidestepping MPs on Ofqual decision

Children's Secretary Ed Balls has been accused of sidestepping Parliament by naming a new education watchdog chief before MPs had a chance to quiz her.

Kathleen Tattersall was named chair and chief regulator of new exams watchdog Ofqual without being vetted by MPs.

Barry Sheerman, chairman of the House of Commons Children's Select Committee, said it was a "shabby" act.

Mr Balls' department said she had been interim head before the policy of involving MPs in decisions came in.

Former education minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry said Mr Sheerman had got the wrong end of the stick.

She said: "Not having a pre-appointment hearing when she [Ms Tattersall] was already in post seemed the right decision to me and is also what my officials advised.

"By trying to personalise things in this way, I'm afraid Barry has totally misunderstood what's happened."

Pre-selection hearings by cross-party select committees were introduced with the intention of giving MPs greater say over appointments to senior public jobs.

They were part of a package of constitutional reforms launched by Gordon Brown shortly after he became prime minister.

Opinions 'ignored'

Ms Tattersall had been chairing an interim Ofqual since it began work as part of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority last spring.

Earlier this year, Mr Balls clashed with the Children's Committee when he dismissed its rejection of his choice as children's commissioner for England. On that occasion Mr Sheerman accused him of being "a bit of a bully".

On the latest decision Mr Sheerman told the Guardian: "This is a shabby way to treat Parliament. For the first appointment [Mr] Balls ignored our judgment, for the second one he's sidestepped us altogether.

The permanent secretary advised ministers that - since this is not a new appointment - it need not be subject to the pre-appointment hearing process DCSF spokesman

"If pre-selection hearings, which were supposed to strengthen parliamentary powers, are to mean anything they've got to at least happen."

In a letter to Mr Balls, he wrote: "As most parliamentarians had understood that pre-appointment hearings were a significant part of the prime minister's determination to strengthen parliamentary democracy, I am rather at a loss to understand the logic in the appointment of the chief regulator with no reference to the committee and no pre-appointment hearing."

A DCSF spokesman said: "Future appointments to the post of chief regulator will - rightly - be subject to pre-appointment hearings.

"But we have always made clear, following her appointment last year after a full public appointments process, that Kathleen Tattersall would be the first chief regulator following the passage of the Act.

"The permanent secretary advised ministers that - since this is not a new appointment - it need not be subject to the pre-appointment hearing process."

Former education minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry told Parliament in February there would be no pre-appointment hearing for Ms Tattersall, said the spokesman.

Teacher suspended in prayer row

A Christian supply teacher has been suspended from her job teaching ill children at home after offering to pray for a sick pupil.

Olive Jones, 54, from Weston-super-Mare, said the girl had been too poorly for a lesson. The teacher then decided to speak about her belief in miracles.

But the girl's mother said they were not believers and made a complaint.

Mrs Jones, who did not have a formal contract, was told by Oak Hill Short Stay School she would be suspended.

Mrs Jones, who is originally from Llanteg in Pembrokeshire, visited the child at her home on 25 November and said she was told of the decision just hours after the incident.

The part-time maths teacher had worked for the Oak Hill Short Stay School and Tuition Service North in Nailsea, near Bristol, for almost five years.

I am amazed that a country with such a strong Christian tradition has become a country where it is hard to speak about your faith Olive Jones

She said: "If I had done something criminal, I believe the reaction would have been the same.

"It is like a black mark against my name and character when it comes to getting a reference for another job, just because I shared my testimony, as if I committed a criminal act.

"I simply wanted to encourage them to be open to prayer but if they did not want to then I would never force it down their throat."

She said she had been called to her manager's office and told that sharing her faith with a child could be deemed to be bullying.

Mrs Jones added: "I was in complete shock, I was trembling.

"I am amazed that a country with such a strong Christian tradition has become a country where it is hard to speak about your faith."

'Their loss'

Nick Yates, of North Somerset Council, said: "Olive Jones has worked as a supply teacher, working with the North Somerset Tuition Service.

"A complaint has been made by a parent regarding Olive. This complaint is being investigated.

"To complete the investigation we need to speak to Olive and we have offered her a number of dates so this can happen.

"At the moment we are waiting for her to let us know which date is convenient for her."

In February a community nurse, Caroline Petrie, also from Weston-super-Mare and a friend of Olive Jones, was suspended from her job for offering to pray for a patient.

She was later reinstated by the health trust.

Speaking about her friend's case, Mrs Petrie said: "All Olive wants to do is help, she sometimes cries over those children and calls me to pray with her over the phone for them.

"This is a total shock, she is an amazing maths teacher so it really is their loss."

Mrs Jones, who has been a teacher for more than 20 years, trained at Aberystwyth University in Wales.

US repatriates 12 Guantanamo men, including 6 Yemenis

The US has transferred 12 detainees from its Guantanamo Bay prison camp to Afghanistan, Yemen and the Somaliland region, the Justice Department says.

Six Yemenis, four Afghans and two Somali detainees were sent to their homelands over the weekend, it said.

President Barack Obama acknowledged in November that he would miss his January deadline to close down the camp.

The US plans to send 116 detainees to their home countries or to third countries willing to accept them.

Security fears

"These transfers were carried out under individual arrangements between the United States and relevant foreign authorities to ensure the transfers took place under appropriate security measures," the Department of Justice said in a statement.

"Consultations with foreign authorities regarding these individuals will continue."

Yemenis account for almost half of the 198 detainees who remain at the US military base in Cuba. But officials fear many could re-join militant groups if sent back to Yemen.

The Washington Post reported last week that the Yemeni transfers were the result of months of high-level talks with the government in Sanaa.

It said US officials are prepared to repatriate more Yemenis if the transfer goes well.

President Obama has pledged to shut the controversial detention centre in 2010, and announced last week that many of the detainees would be sent to a prison in the US state of Illinois.

Some will face trials in US criminal or military courts, while others are expected to be transferred abroad.

Massive US snowstorm heads north to New England

One of the worst US blizzards in decades is continuing north, with parts of New England likely to record up to 16in (41cm) of snow.

Long Island has suffered whiteout conditions and New York City saw nearly 11in of snow by Sunday.

The slow-moving monster - known as a nor'easter - has sprawled 500 miles (800km) over a dozen states, affecting about a quarter of the US population.

It has sparked emergencies in a number of states and cities.

Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky and Delaware, along with Washington and Philadelphia, at some stage all declared them.

Stranded train

Blizzard warnings are still in place in some parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

For those looking for a white Christmas, this certainly will stick around Bruce Sullivan US National Weather Service

Washington DC earlier saw the largest snowfall ever recorded in a single December day and southern New Jersey its highest single-storm snow in almost four years.

Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty expressed confidence that most city streets would be cleared by Monday.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said thousands of workers were out clearing streets on Sunday.

He remained upbeat, saying the snow fell too late on Saturday to affect Christmas trading severely.

"Hopefully, we'll have a little bit of a white Christmas," he said.

Some tourists were happy. Briton Kevin Sanders said: "We just came off the Statue of Liberty when it came down last night, and look this morning. It's amazing. It gives it the Christmas feel as well."

Others suffered more difficulties - about 150 people were stranded for five hours on a Long Island train.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled into New York airports but they are now trying to return to normal.

Airports in Washington, Baltimore and Boston were also still experiencing severe problems.

Snowstorm blankets US East Coast

The storm has also brought wind gusts of up to 60mph (96km/h).

Hundreds of thousands of householders earlier lost power in West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina.

The Greyhound bus firm cancelled services on nearly 300 routes across the eastern seaboard, while Amtrak trains experienced major delays.

HAVE YOUR SAY

The people who were driving small cars were slipping and sliding and crashing into parked cars

Steve, Arlington, Virginia

In Virginia, several hundred motorists were earlier stranded in their vehicles and had to be rescued by the National Guard. Some 500 people sought refuge in emergency shelters.

Three people died in Virginia. One was killed when a car hit a tree, a second died of exposure and a third was also apparently killed in a road traffic accident.

In Ohio, two people died in accidents on snow-covered roads hit by the same storm system.

The system originated over the Gulf of Mexico, unleashing flash floods in much of the US south-east.

The rain turned to snow as the storm tracked north-eastward into sub-freezing temperatures.

Toddler taken from police found

An 18-month old girl who police mistakenly allowed to be taken by an impostor from a station has been found.

Audrey Kessie Nyanor's mother, Cynthia Boakye, 36, was arrested on Thursday in Southwark, south London, over alleged immigration offences.

A woman claiming she was a friend of Ms Boakye went to Walworth police station and took the toddler.

The child was found in Harlesden, north London. A woman, 31, has been arrested on suspicion of abduction.

A Met spokesman said officers were called at 1400 GMT by a member of the public and that the toddler and the 31-year-old woman were found 55 minutes later on Harlesden High Street.

The woman remains in police custody at a west London police station.

Another six people were arrested during the investigation. One has been released and the other five are bailed to return to south London police stations in February next year.

'Great mistake'

The spokesman added: "While we are pleased to have found Audrey safe and well.

"We are working closely with colleagues in our Directorate of Professional Standards to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident, to look at how it happened, and to ensure that any lessons are learned.

"In the meantime, the matter has also been voluntarily referred to the IPCC."

Earlier, Audrey's grandmother Agatha Owsuah, 54, of Peckham, south-east London, said the police made a "great mistake".

She said Audrey's mother should have been asked to confirm the woman's identity before the toddler was handed over.

They should have asked for ID before handing over a human being to someone Agatha Owsuah

"All the time in this country they check your identity," she said.

"They ask for my ID when I take money from the bank, they ask for ID before you can get a job.

"They should have asked for ID before handing over a human being to someone."

The child went missing after officers went to an address in Walworth to make inquiries about a man wanted for failing to appear at court.

He was not in, but police arrested Ms Boakye and took the pair to Walworth police station.

Mrs Owsuah said an officer asked her daughter who they could call to look after the toddler.

Phone call 'overheard'

"Cynthia gave them a relative's number but the officer would not let her call and went outside the room to make the phone call," the grandmother said.

She thinks someone overheard that phone call and then came back to the police station pretending to be the relative and was given Audrey.

She said the woman who took Audrey gave a different address to the one the relative gave over the phone.

A police spokesman said: "The details she gave to police corresponded with the name of the woman Audrey's mother had told police would pick up her daughter, and as a result she left the police station with the child."

Mrs Owsuah's husband, Eric Obeng, 48, said police arrested him and several other relatives and friends the day after Audrey was taken but later bailed them without charge.

He said: "They thought we had taken the child. Why would we do that?

"Why would we take our own child? The police were wasting time."

Audrey's mother was later released on bail.

The Metropolitan Police has begun an internal inquiry into what happened.

Dutch teenage sailor Laura Dekker 'missing'

Dutch police say teenage sailor Laura Dekker - who seeks to be the youngest person to sail solo around the world -has been missing since Friday.

Police say the 14-year-old's boat is moored at its berth and she appears to have left her father's home on her own.

Spokesman Bernhard Jens told the Associated Press news agency no criminal activity was suspected - but the authorities were concerned.

She was placed under state care after a Dutch court blocked her sailing bid.

Miss Dekker had planned to set off on her solo voyage in September, but the Utrecht District Court said concerns for her safety were too grave.

It placed her under state supervision until July 2010, but allowed Miss Dekker to continue living with her father.

Dutch police say they have issued an alert to airports in neighbouring countries for the missing teenager.

Sailing dreams

At the time of the court ruling in October, Miss Dekker's spokeswoman said she was disappointed, but that the teen could still set the record if she were to sail next year.

Miss Dekker is a seasoned sailor who was born on a yacht off the coast of New Zealand during a seven-year world trip.

She had a yacht by the age of six and began sailing solo when she was 10.

Her father, Dick Dekker, supports her attempt at the record, while her mother has expressed some concerns.

Miss Dekker had planned to spend about two years aboard her 26ft (8m) boat, Guppy, to break the record set in August by a 17-year-old UK boy.

Mike Perham tackled 50ft waves, gale force winds and technical problems during the 28,000 mile (45,000km) circumnavigation, which took him nine months.

UPDATE: YES I AM BACK UPDATING!

Sorry, Such a long break!

Hey Guys!

Yes sorry about the long break! It was definitely longer than I suspected. I have been so busy but now I am alright now to blog. I am now going to continue updating this blog Every Day!!

I better get posting the news then shouldn`t I?

IM BACK! =) =) =)

-Nathan133

Rocket hits moon on water mission

Two unmanned spacecraft have crashed into the Moon as Nasa scientists try to find out once and for all if there's any water there.

A 2,200kg rocket smashed into the surface, throwing up all kinds of dirt and dust into the air.
Equipment on another rocket is now studying the particles to check for signs of ice made from water, before it also crashes.
Scientists say finding the ice in the crash debris would be a huge discovery.

That's because having a water supply on the Moon would be vital for any astronauts who may want to try to live there in the future.

Scientists think the dark craters may be home to water-ice on the Moon
Lots of scientists think ice made from water exists in shadowy craters at the Moon's two poles, but it's never been confirmed.

Last month, three spacecraft found signs of a fine film of water coating particles in the lunar dirt.

The shuttle hit the moon at around noon on Friday, it was travelling at incredible speed when it made contact, shooting hundreds of tonnes of dust into space.
But space experts and astronomers watching the mission with telescopes from Earth were a bit disappointed because there was not the big, exciting explosion which they were expecting.

Funeral of boy in air gun tragedy

Hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of a 10-year-old boy who died in what police described as "a tragic accident" with an airgun.

Rhys Johnson is believed to have been playing with friends in a lane behind his home in Llansamlet, south Wales, when he was shot on 27 September.

He was taken to hospital in Swansea, but later died from his injuries.
Family and friends wore something pink for the service at St Samlets Church as it was Rhys' favourite colour.

Rhys has been described as "a quiet but popular and likeable young man" by head teacher Darren Casker, who said he would be sadly missed.

Chipmunk grabs first number one

Teen rapper Chipmunk has stormed straight to the top of the singles chart with Oopsy Daisy.
His first number one follows his recent success at the Mobo awards where the 18-year-old, whose real name is Jamal Fyffe, won the best hip hop award.

He beat girl group The Saturdays to the top, giving them the second highest new entry at two, with Forever Is Over.
That pushed American hip hop artist Jay-Z down to number three with Empire State Of Mind featuring Alicia Keys.

And after three weeks at the top of the chart, Taio Cruz dropped to number four with Break
Your Heart.

In the album chart, 67-year-old Barbra Streisand climbed three places to number one with her record Love Is The Answer, knocking American rockers Paramore from the top spot.
Their album, Brand New Eyes, fell to number three, while Madonna's greatest hits compilation, Celebration, stayed put at number two.

Nathan133: "" OOPSY DAISY!!! ""

Lol.

Rescue teams search for survivors

Rescue teams have been searching for survivors of the earthquake that struck on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The United Nations have reported that at least that 1,100 people have died in the disaster - that number is expected to rise.

Britain has sent rescue teams to help reach people who may still be trapped underneath the rubble. Other countries have sent medicine, blankets and food.
Reports say it will weeks before it's clear how much damage has been caused.

The earthquake and a really strong aftershock brought down hospitals, schools and shopping centres as well as causing landslides across the island.
The city of Padang, which is very close to the coast, is among the areas hardest hit by the tremors.

Whale escapes after net tangle

A whale has had a lucky escape after getting tangled up with a net off the coast of Australia.
The eight-metre long humpback got caught up in nets used to protect beaches from sharks in Queensland.

It was spotted by a life guard, who noticed the whale hadn't moved for a long time.
Rescuers took three hours to free the animal from the net. Once it was loose, the lucky animal slapped the water with its tail and swam off.

This is the second whale to get caught up in an anti-shark net this month.
Some people want to ban the nets, because although they do keep swimmers safe, they regularly snare other animals.

Kanye cancels American tour

Kayne West's tour of America and Canada has been cancelled for no reason.

The rap star was due to start his tour of North America in November with pop star Lady GaGa.
The concert promoters, Live Nation, said that the Fame Kills tour had been cancelled and that people would be able to get their money back for tickets.

This comes just a couple of weeks after Kanye stormed the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech.

Kanye has been criticised by lots of people including American President Barack Obama for saying that Taylor shouldn't deserve her award for best female video.

He came on stage to say that the country star shouldn't have won and that his friend Beyonce should have been given the title instead. Later he apologised for the interruption.

A reason hasn't been given to explain why the tour has been called off but Kanye has said in other interviews that he needed some time off.

Suspended ban for Adebayor

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been given a £25,000 fine and a suspended two-match ban for his celebration against Arsenal.
He ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate infront of the Arsenal fans.

The suspended punishment from the FA means Adebayor will only serve the ban if he breaks the rules again before December 2010.
Adebayor has already been served his three-match ban for a stamp during the same game.

The FA said they took into account the fact that the Togo international had said sorry.
He'll now be available to play a part in Man City's next game against Aston Villa on Monday.

Rio de Janeiro gets 2016 Olympics

Rio de Janeiro has won the race to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, making Brazil the first South American country to be picked to host the Games.

It beat rivals Madrid in a final round of secret voting by members of the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen, in Denmark.

Chicago had been tipped to win but went out in the first round of the voting, followed by Tokyo.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Rio was ready for the Games.

"Rio will deliver an unforgettable Games," he said. "You will see for yourselves the passion, the energy and the creativity of the Brazilian people.

"I truly believe this is Brazil's time. For the others, it would be just another Games."

It will be a busy couple of years for Brazil as the Olympics will come just two years after it hosts the Football World Cup in 2014.

British handover

Lord Sebastian Coe, who led London's bid for the 2012 Games, said it was a good decision.
"We're really happy to hand over to a country that put young people at the heart of its bid, and to a continent that has never before hosted the Games," he said.

"I would not have wanted to vote myself today because it really was a tough call."

No more Construction

Ok now I am back posting after all that! I did some new additions to the site while the construction was going and I had a bit of a rest! Quite a challenge doing my site and doing loads of other things.

Anyway Are You Ready To Start Posting?

YES!

Nathan133 :-)

Cuddly!

Hi Guys,

Luna wanted a freind because she was lonely and now she has cuddly! Cuddly is a nice little penguin and you can feed her!

Luna + Nathan133

Luna the panda!

Hi guys!

See the panda on the right? ------------------->
She is called luna and she will help me make this blog and if she is really good I will let her have a friend :-) so its not just Nathan133`s site! Its Nathan133`s site starring Luna the panda!
Also you guys have to treat her with respect..
Also no feeding her,
Thank You,
Nathan133 + Luna the panda

Text Colour Changed

Hello Everyone,

I have changed the text colour!! It should be green now! Instead of dull black. I thought black all the time was a bit boring so I changed it to green.

More updates to come,
Nathan133

New Template!

Hi Guys,

Still under construction - but I am telling you I have changed my template! You should have noticed by yourself but you know!

:-)
Nathan133

My new banner!!

Hi Guys,

Look on the left and see my penguin and "Nathan13" (one of the 3`s cut off LOL) Nice banner right? SAY YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ok. I might make my site Under construction and add more stuff.

I might also stop doing news and post about something ELSE! I dont know what to post about. Any ideas?

Please comment with your ideas,
Nathan133

PLEASE NOTE: SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Widgets!

Hi Guys,

You should have noticed by now that I have added some widgets to the site!! Please click them and check out the sites.

Please!

Nathan133

New Ideas

I have had a think about this but now I am wondering if you want anything on my site to make it better! Dont hesitate to comment and put in your ideas. I am sure you can come up with ideas and I will always try to use the ideas Plus: I will ALWAYS GIVE CREDIT.

Thank You,
Nathan133

Blogroll!

Hi Guys,

I would like to add more websites to my blogroll! So If you want your website up on the blogroll please comment - Much Appreciated.

I want To help you all get more views!

-Nathan133

I am Back! That Was QUICK!!!

Hi Guys,

This is only an hoour after the bye post... BUT I want to stay!! and I am staying and This time I am gonna update this site all the time!

Also, You will have noticed that I have bought some music with me!!! I have a widget which controls the music!! The widget should have on "Mixpod" , Mixpod Is where I got the music from! I am so excited to post EVERY day... It will take take but I will get there!!

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!
Nathan133

Bye...!

Hi Guys,

I have enjoyed posting for you! But Now I hardly post so I am gonna leave blogging and have a little rest. I might come back in a few months I dont know yet.

Bye!

-Nathan133

England storm into the World Cup

(Picture Available Later)

England have qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after thrashing Croatia 5-1 at Wembley.
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard both scored twice, before Wayne Rooney netted a fifth goal, finishing off a stunning performance by the team.

Croatia did manage to get one goal back when Arsenal striker Eduardo struck from close range with 18 minutes left.
England's campaign to get to the World Cup has gone really well with eight wins in eight games.

Spot on

Frank Lampard reckoned the match was England's best performance under manager Fabio Capello. He said "it was spot on... We could have won the game by even more goals."

But while England were celebrating, it was a bad night for the other British clubs.


Scotland's dream to go to South Africa is over after they lost 1-0 against the Netherlands.

Northern Ireland were beaten 2-0 by Slovakia and now only have a slim chance of qualifying.
Wales already knew they couldn't make it to the World Cup, but they lost 3-1 against Russia.

-Nathan133

Girl gets school note from Obama

It can be tough remembering to take a note to school if you take a day off, but one girl in

America couldn't forget hers because Barack Obama wrote it!
Kennedy Corpus, 10, missed school to hear President Obama speak, and needed a note to explain her absence.

When Kennedy's dad told Mr Obama about her day off while asking a question, the president offered to write a note.
Everyone thought he was joking, but then Mr Obama wrote a note to Kennedy's teacher and handed it over.

The note read: "To Kennedy's teacher: Please excuse Kennedy's absence. She's with me. Barack Obama."

He then stepped off the stage to give the note to Kennedy by hand, who said: "I thought he was joking until he started walking down.

Best thing ever

"It was like the best thing ever," she added.

But her teacher will have to settle for a copy of the original as Kennedy said she's planning on framing the real thing, along with her ticket to the event!

-Nathan133

Hundreds saved from sinking ferry

More than 900 people have been rescued after a ferry in the Philippines sank with around 960 people on board.

The SuperFerry 9 was sailing off the coast of the south Asian country when it began tilting.
The coastguard, the navy, the air force and private boats rushed to help the distressed ship, managing to carry most of the passengers to safety.
Officials say five people have died and around 60 are still missing but the rescue operation is continuing.

Authorities say most of those who were rescued were taken to safety on navy ships.
Rescue operation

Several other smaller boats which had responded to the SuperFerry 9's distress call also helped carry passengers back to land.
The Philippine air force and army sent helicopters to help search the sea for those still missing.

The ferry ran into trouble in the early hours of Sunday morning, about 530 miles south of the Philippine capital city, Manila.

It's not known what caused the boat to sink but the weather, which can sometimes cause problems for big ferries, was reported to be good.

Please not that this is from http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8240000/newsid_8240500/8240507.stm

Thanks!

-Nathan133

Cougar living in US park caught

A cougar that has been on the loose in the city of Seattle in America has been caught after two weeks on the run.
The cougar was captured in Discovery Park after it ran up a tree to escape a pack of dogs used to help catch it.

Officials were then able to shoot it with a dart to put it sleep, before taking it away from the city and releasing it back into the wild.
They said the park was the perfect place for the cougar to live, as there were lots of small animals to snack on.

Capt. Bill Hebner, of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said he thought the big cat was feeding on animals including pet cats while on the prowl.

NOTE: PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS NEWS IS FROM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8240000/newsid_8241100/8241148.stm

I`m Sorry.

Hay Guys,

I`m sorry I haven`t updated this blog for atleast a week I have been very busy!! and I mean VERRRRRY BUSY!

I`m gonna update the blog now!

Have Fun,

-Nathan133

Greece fires burn out of control

Six big fires near the Greek capital Athens are still out of control, and strong winds are making the flames hard to contain.
Thousands of people have spent the night away from home as the fires closed in on homes there.
Although the wind dropped a little on Sunday night, officials warn the flames are still spreading.
The fires have already destroyed many homes and buildings just north of the city.


More than 90 small fires are thought to have started since Saturday. No-one has been killed by the blazes so far.
Emergency services are trying to get many as people as possible away from danger. In areas at
risk from flames, police are using loudspeakers to tell people to evacuate their homes, but some have refused to leave.
Water relief
Helicopters and planes have been used to drop water onto the fires, and countries including F


france, Italy and Cyprus have stepped in to help.
Fires aren't unusual at this time of year in Greece because it is often very hot, dry and windy there in the summer.
Past Stories

England win to regain the Ashes

NO PICTURE - PICTURE WILL BE COMING LATER!!

England have won the Ashes back from Australia after winning the final Test match at the Oval in London.

Graeme Swann claimed the final wicket when Michael Hussey was caught by Alistair Cook for 121, with spinner Swann finishing with four wickets.

England won the match by 197 runs to take the five-match series 2-1.
Australia battled really hard on the fourth day of the match, but they had just too long to bat to save the game, and England finally got them all out.

After the match jubilant England captain Andrew Strauss said: "This is a special moment. We had to dig pretty deep and showed a hell of a lot of character and fight.
"At times I didn't think we were going to make it. That makes it more special."

Brilliant Broad

One of the key moments came when Andrew Flintoff - playing in his last ever Test for England - ran out Australian captain Ricky Ponting with a brilliant throw.

The final Test was a brilliant end to a series which swung from one team to the other and back again.
England batted well to score enough runs to set them up for the win, but it was Stuart Broad's bowling spell Friday that was the key for the home team.

England in the lead
He grabbed 5-37 as Australia were bowled out for 160 runs, giving England a big lead.
They built on that with a big second innings total, scoring 373 runs.

That set Australia a world record target to get and more than two days to bat, and while they batted very well it was just too much to ask.

-Nathan133

Joe Jonas as American Idol judge?

Joe Jonas looks set to be one of the celebrity guest judges on the new series of American Idol.
It's being reported that the pop star will help fill the seat left empty by Paula Abdul, who's quit the show.

But if he is joining American Idol, it'll only be for one show. Lots of guest judges will be taking part in the new series, including Victoria Beckham.

There are also rumours that Kelly Clarkson, who won the first series of the show, will be appearing as a judge.

-Nathan133

Michael Jackson's burial date set

Michael Jackson will be buried on 29 August, the day he was set to turn 51, it was announced on Tuesday.
He'll be laid to rest in a cemetery in Los Angeles in a private ceremony, a spokesman for his family said.

Michael died on 25 June in his home in Los Angeles. Investigators looking into what caused his death think his heart stopped after he took powerful drugs.
He had been set to perform in a series of comeback concerts in London, and was rehearsing before he died.

-Nathan133

NEWS OF THE DAY: Black Eyed Peas break US chart record

The Black Eyed Peas have taken a record in America by staying on top of the singles chart for 20 weeks.

They managed it with two separate tunes. Boom Boom Pow was number one for 12 weeks, followed by I Gotta Feeling, which has been on top for eight weeks.

That beats Usher, who held the American number one spot for 19 weeks in 2004 with Yeah! and Burn.
Singer Fergie said it is "amazing to know that these songs have connected with so many people".

She added that their chart success had "kept them alive for so long".
I Gotta Feeling is also at the top of the singles charts in the UK.

Nathan133: "I`m starting to like the Black Eyed Peas now!!"

-Nathan133

NEWS OF THE WEEK: Eight-year-old twins get A-levels

A pair of eight-year old twins have proved they're pretty far ahead of most people their age by passing an A-level advanced mathematics exam.
Peter and Paula got a C and B after taking the exam.

Peter's got big ambitions after such a strong start - he wants to become Prime Minister, while his sister one day wants to teach other kids maths.
The twins have also helped to write a book with their classmates on how to do well at school.

Their dad Chris said: "This result made us realise that every child is capable of any achievement or feat.

"If we allow any child to express their passion for a subject, there is no height they cannot reach or A-level they can't exceed."
The twins have three older sisters who also passed maths exams at an early age.

-Nathan133

Two charged with £40m jewel theft

Two men have been charged in connection with Britain's biggest ever jewellery robbery, worth £40m.

The robbery happened on 6 August at Graff jewellers in Mayfair, central London. The men were also charged with having a gun.
During the robbery two shots were fired and 43 pieces of jewellery taken.

Ever since it happened police have been looking for the people behind it, and now two men have been charged - Solomun Beyene, 24, and Craig Calderwood, 26.

They were charged with "conspiring with others" to rob the jewellery shop.

Among the items taken were a pair of white round diamond double hoop earrings, a yellow diamond flower necklace, platinum white marquise diamond ring and a men's 45mm chronograph watch.

Another man was arrested earlier in the week in connection with the crime, and he is still being questioned by police.

-Nathan133

Record breaking Bolt wins again!

Usain Bolt is celebrating his 23rd birthday with another world record and another world title, in the men's 200m.

The Jamaican turns 23 on Friday, hours after smashing his own record mark. On Thursday he crossed the line in 19.19 seconds, taking 0.11s off the old time.

Bolt wasn't put off when the race had one false start, finishing a long way ahead of the rest of the field.
Alonso Edward of Panama was second, a huge 0.62 seconds behind. Wallace Spearmon of the US took bronze.

After the race Bolt said he thinks he can go faster still: "I keep saying anything is possible. You work hard, you train hard. I still train very hard and running fast races doesn't change that."

And when a journalist asked him if he fancied a knighthood the cheeky star said he'd quite like one to add to his gold medals.

-Nathan133

Mixed Euro results for Brit teams

Everton were big winners in the Europa League qualifying round, beating Sigma Olomouc 4-0.

Jack Rodwell and Louis Saha each bagged two goals against the team from the Czech Republic, virtually putting Everton into the group stage.

Fulham were also winners, beating Amkar Perm from Russia 3-1 at Craven Cottage.
But the news wasn't so good for fans of Aston Villa or Hearts. Villa lost 1-0 to Rapid Vienna while Hearts were thumped 4-0 by Dinamo Zagreb.

That result will make it very difficult for Hearts to make it into the group stages, but Villa and Fulham will be hopeful of making it through.

Villa's narrow defeat was in Austria, so they have the return leg to come to overcome the 1-0 defeat.

Fulham have the advantage going to Russia for the second leg, but the goal they conceded means the Amkar Perm only need to win 2-0 to go through.

The London side will also be without striker Andy Johnson, as he dislocated a collarbone in the win, and will be injured for around eight weeks.

-Nathan133

Millions vote in Afghan elections

Millions of people in the country of Afghanistan have started voting in an election to decide the next president.

The country has been in the news a lot recently because a number of British soldiers have been killed there.

Around 300,000 soldiers from all over the world are in Afghanistan, trying to make sure the election runs smoothly.
The group that used to be in charge of Afghanistan - called the Taliban - doesn't agree with the elections and has been using violence to stop them.

The Taliban has warned people that they shouldn't vote, and that they could be hurt if they do.

Journalists in Afghanistan say there have been some rocket attacks near places where people are voting.
The current President Hamid Karzai is hoping to keep his job for a second five-year term of office.

Results aren't expected for at least two weeks, and if the winner doesn't get enough votes there will have to be another election to decide the president.

Nadal not bothered by ranking

Rafael Nadal is taking his demotion to world number three in his stride and focusing on the long-term as he continues his comeback from injury at the Cincinnati Masters this week.

"It's only a number," Nadal said. "I hope to be ready in the future to come back to number two or to be in the top position.
"Number 3 is a very good number, too," he added with a smile.

The 23-year-old Spaniard, forced out of Wimbledon by his aching knees, returned last week in Montreal after an absence of more than two months.His run to the quarter-finals wasn't enough to stop eventual champion Andy Murray from seizing the world number two spot behind Switzerland's Roger Federer.

Nadal said he wouldn't let the rankings - or anything else - lure him into pressing too hard, too soon, as he battles to come back and salvage the remainder of his season.
"I need to go slow, no?" Nadal said, even if that means he won't be at his best for the US Open that starts in a fortnight.
"Sure, the US Open is very important," Nadal said. "But after the US Open remains a lot of the season, and I would like to be ready to play a good end of the season."

For this week, at least, Nadal still has the number two seed behind Federer, with defending champion Murray seeded third in the same half of the draw as Federer.
The top eight all enjoy first-round byes, and ninth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon was the highest seed in action, posting a 6-3, 6-2 victory over American Wayne Odesnik.

Federer, who claimed his record 15th Grand Slam title with a five-set victory over Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon final, has taken time away since as he and wife, Mirka, welcomed the arrival of twin daughters.

He, too, lost in the quarters in Montreal.
Federer said it was good to have Nadal back in the frame in time for the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows later this month.

"Andy (Murray) and myself have both benefited from Rafa being injured," Federer said. "We both took advantage of it.

"Now, he's back, I'm back playing again after a few weeks. Everybody seems healthy again, and that can only be a good thing for the rest of the season."

-Nathan133

Heineken Cup - Richards banned for three years

Dean Richards has been banned from coaching for three years by the ERC for his part in the Harlequins 'Bloodgate' scandal.

Richards, 46, was found to be at the centre of a cover-up over an incident in Quins' Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Leinster in April in which wing Tom Williams faked a blood injury.

Former England forward Richards was also found to have been involved in four similar cover-ups, hence the severity of his punishment, which applies to ERC-organised tournaments but which the ERC will request is extended worldwide.
Richards, who resigned as the club's director of rugby last weekend, admitted his guilt during a 14-hour independent committee meeting in Glasgow. Charges against him were originally dismissed by a disciplinary committee last month.

The meeting, chaired by Rod McKenzie, came about after the ERC's own disciplinary officer, Roger O'Connor, contested that decision.
It is thought O'Connor was seeking Quins' expulsion from this season's Heineken Cup but the club escaped that sanction.

O'Connor also contested the decision to dismiss charges against former Quins physio Steph Brennan, who was handed a two-year ban for his part in the scandal.
Last month's hearing saw Williams admit faking a facial cut during the April 12 defeat to Leinster in order that substituted drop-goal specialist Nick Evans could re-enter the field of play.

Williams was banned for 12 months but saw that suspension reduced on appeal to four months after providing evidence implicating Richards and Brennan, who has been England physio since the summer.

Williams will now be able to resume playing on November 20.

-Nathan133

Robbie Williams to appear on X Factor

Pop star Robbie Williams is set to appear on the new series of TV talent show X Factor, it's been confirmed.

The former Take That star said exact details of his involvement were being decided, but it's thought he'll give the finalists a singing masterclass.

Earlier in the week, newspapers reported that the 35-year-old would make an appearance during the series.

Now a statement posted on his website has confirmed it, saying: "We're very excited to tell you that this is true."

It's not known exactly when Robbie will be making his X Factor appearance, but it's likely to coincide with the release of his new album in November.

Robbie's the first star to confirm he's joining the new series, but some other big name stars are also rumoured to be taking part, including Rihanna and Madonna.

-Nathan133

Girl escapes car's cliff plunge

An 11-year-old girl who leapt out of a runaway car just seconds before it plunged off a cliff into the sea has said she feels lucky to be alive.

Paige Dean was listening to music in the car at a campsite in Anglesey when she accidentally knocked the handbrake off and couldn't pull it back on.

As the car started to pick up speed, Paige threw herself to safety, seconds before the car shot off the cliff.

Paige escaped with minor injuries but was pretty shaken up by the drama.

Injured elephant gets false leg

An elephant in Thailand who had to have her foot amputated after stepping on a land-mine is learning to put her best foot forward again with the help of a new false leg.

£1m reward to catch jewel thieves

A massive £1 million reward is being offered for information that helps catch the robbers who carried out Britain's biggest gem raid.

Thieves stole jewellery worth a staggering £40 million from a jewellery shop in central London on 6 August.

Two robbers walked into the shop and threatened staff before leaving with the jewels. A 50-year-old man who was later arrested has since been released.
Police say the reward is the biggest ever offered for a crime of this type.

-Nathan133

More UK troops die in Afghanistan

Two more British soldiers have been killed by explosions in Afghanistan, bringing the number of personnel who've died in action there to 201.

A soldier from 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, died after being caught in an explosion while on foot patrol in Helmand province on Saturday.

A second soldier has died in hospital after a separate incident on Thursday.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has paid tribute to the soldiers, but says Britain's Afghanistan mission is vital.

Around 8,000 British troops are currently fighting in Afghanistan, alongside thousands more from America.

The soldiers are there to try to destroy camps where terrorists train.
They are also trying to make the area safe for elections planned for August.

Gordon Brown said the soldiers' efforts were helping to make the world safer and that progress had been made in allowing the forthcoming elections to take place.

"It is to make Britain safe and the rest of the world safe that we must make sure we honour our commitment to maintain and keep a stable Afghanistan," he said.

-Nathan133

Black Eyed Peas are back on top

The Black Eyed Peas are back at number one in the UK singles chart, just one week after Tinchy Stryder knocked them off the top spot.

I Gotta Feeling pushes Tinchy's duet with Sugababes singer Amelle Berrabah, Never Leave You, down to number two.

Peter Andre had been tipped to top the chart with Behind Closed Doors, but he had to settle for a new entry at four.
Calvin Harris got the highest new entry of the week with Ready For The Weekend going straight in at number three.

In the album chart, Michael Jackson's Essential compilation is spending its seventh week at number one, which is a UK record for a Jackson album.
Meanwhile, Beyonce's album I Am... Sasha Fierce continued to climb the chart, up three places to number two.

BLACK EYED PEAS!!

-Nathan133

Murray moves up in world rankings

Andy Murray is set to be named as the second best tennis player in the world when the latest rankings are announced.

The British number one secured his new position as world number two by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals of the Montreal Masters.

The win means he's got enough points to overtake Rafael Nadal when the new world rankings are confirmed on Monday.

Andy, who's already the highest-ranked Briton since the system was introduced in 1973, is currently number three.

The 22-year-old Scot is also the first man, other than Federer and Nadal, to hold the second spot since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.

"To get past Rafa is incredible," he said. "Roger and Rafa have shared the one and two ranking for the last five years.

"They are so consistent and I didn't know if I was ever going to get there. Just one more to go now."

-Nathan133