Amanda Knox 'Grateful' For Meredith Acquittal

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 28 Maret 2015 | 18.25

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Amanda Knox said she was "full of joy" after she and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

A tearful Ms Knox added she was "grateful" following the judgement by Italy's top court, which brings an eight-year legal saga to a close.

"I'm still absorbing the present moment, which is full of joy," she told reporters outside her family home in Seattle.

Ms Knox also said she was thankful "for the justice I've received and for the support I've had from everyone - from my family, from my friends, to strangers. I'm so grateful to have my life back".

Asked about Ms Kercher, she replied: "Meredith was my friend. She deserved so much in this life. I'm the lucky one."

Ms Kercher's family said they were shocked by the judges' ruling, although they knew it was a possibility.

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Gallery: Meredith Kercher Murder: Key Events

2 November 2007: The body of Meredith Kercher, 21, is found in her Perugia apartment. Investigators say she was killed the night before

Ms Kercher's flatmate, Amanda Knox, is pictured kissing her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito in the days after the murder

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Police investigate the scene of the crime

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6 November 2007: Knox is arrested along with Sollecito and Diya 'Patrick' Lumumba, the Congolese owner of the pub where Knox occasionally worked

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20 November 2007: Mr Lumumba, implicated by Knox in her statements to police, is released from jail for lack of evidence

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In a statement they said: "Emotions are naturally raw at this stage. The decision came as a shock but was an outcome we knew was possible, even if it wasn't what we expected.

"We now understand this decision to be definitive and the end of what has been a long and difficult process for all concerned.

"We believe we will learn of the full reasoning behind the decision in the coming months but for now we need some time to take this in and remember Meredith, the victim at the heart of this."

Ms Kercher, who was 21 and from Coulsdon, Surrey, was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death in Perugia in 2007.

Her flatmate Knox, also a student, and Knox's then-boyfriend Sollecito spent four years in jail for the murder but were freed on appeal in 2011.

Knox, now 27, returned to the US before an appeal court threw out the acquittal and reinstated the guilty verdicts last year.

But the legal seesawing now seems to be over after both convictions were annulled by Italy's Supreme Court.

"Finished!" declared Knox's lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, after the decision was read out.

He then called his client, who was "crying because she was so happy".

Within minutes Knox, who had remained in Seattle, released a statement saying: "I am tremendously relieved and grateful for the decision of the Supreme Court of Italy.

"The knowledge of my innocence has given me strength in the darkest times of this ordeal."

The judges, after 10 hours of deliberation, concluded that a conviction could not be supported by the evidence. Their reasoning will be released within 90 days.

Sollecito's lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno, shouted "Yes, yes, yes" after the judgement was read out.

"You never saw Raffaele pleading, or praying. He has been a rock," she said.

"He is at home with his father and he is very happy. The verdict has proved him completely right."

A lawyer for the Kerchers, Francesco Maresca, expressed very different sentiments, saying: "This is not so much a defeat for the prosecution as a defeat for Italy's justice system."

The original guilty verdicts led to sentences of 28 years for Knox and 25 years for Sollecito.

The couple maintained their innocence, insisting that they had spent the evening together at Sollecito's watching a movie, smoking marijuana and having sex.

Another man, Rudy Guede, from Ivory Coast, was arrested, tried and convicted of the murder in a separate trial and is serving a 16-year sentence.

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Written By Unknown on Jumat, 27 Maret 2015 | 18.25

By Mike McCarthy, Sky News Correspondent

An investigation is under way into the life of the co-pilot who has been blamed for causing the French Alps plane crash.

Andreas Lubitz, 27, has been accused of deliberately flying the Airbus A320 into a mountainside shortly after preventing the captain from re-entering the cockpit.

All 150 people aboard the aircraft died in the crash.

Police officers have been carrying out searches of Lubitz's flat in Dusseldorf and the home he shared with parents in the historic town of Montabaur.

German media has also reported that Lubitz received treatment for a "serious depressive episode" six years ago during his training to become a pilot.

Der Spiegel reported that investigators searching the apartment in Dusseldorf had found evidence that Lubitz was mentally ill. It was unclear what that evidence was.

For several hours investigators took away cases and boxes from both addresses. Footage also showed one person leaving one of the properties hidden under a coat.

In Dusseldorf police said that they were "looking for clues as to what the co-pilot's motivation might have been".

In Montabaur neighbours reacted with disbelief when the heard of Lubitz's involvement.

One man, who did not want to be named, said that he had known the pilot since childhood.

He told Sky News: "I cannot imagine that he has done it with intention.

"This does not fit in this picture I have of him. It is a very upright family, very helpful and I cannot understand what has happened."

Lubitz grew up dreaming of becoming a pilot.

As a teenager he gained his glider's licence after training with LSC Westerwald flying club in his hometown.

Klaus Radke, the chairman of the gliding club, said: "Over the time he was with us he was a very calm, responsible man.

"Or let me say he was acting responsibly, like many, many others who learn gliding here at our club."

After a period of further training in Arizona, he took a job with Lufthansa in Germany.

The airline's chief executive said air crew were carefully selected and subjected to psychological vetting.

On Friday, Germanwings said it was setting up a family assistance centre in Marseille for relatives of those killed in the crash.

Spokesman Thomas Winkelmann said in a statement that "in these dark hours our full attention belongs to the emotional support of the relatives and friends of the victims of Flight 9525".

Some relatives took part in a memorial service on Thursday near the crash site in the French Alps.

German President Joachim Gauck also attended a memorial service in Haltern for 16 students and two teachers from the local high school who were killed.

It comes as police and rescue workers hunt for the aircraft's second black box on the fourth day of recovery operations at the scene of the crash.

Officials are searching the wreckage for body parts and DNA to try and identify the 150 people killed in the crash.

Some 75 German people were on board the aircraft, which was flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. At least 50 Spanish citizens were also on the flight, along with three Britons.

The second black box contains technical flight data.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clarkson Row Producer Will Not Press Charges

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Oisin Tymon, the Top Gear producer punched by Jeremy Clarkson during a row over food, has told police he does not want to press charges.

Mr Tymon had to drive himself to hospital when he was left with swelling and a split lip after the Top Gear presenter launched an "unprovoked" attack on him at a hotel in North Yorkshire on 4 March.

Clarkson's Top Gear contract has not been renewed by the BBC after an internal investigation found he had "crossed a line".

The outspoken presenter received widespread public support - including from his friend, Prime Minister David Cameron - while one million people signed a petition calling for the BBC to reinstate him.

But Mr Tymon has received huge abuse from trolls on Twitter, including death threats.

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Gallery: Who Could Replace Jeremy Clarkson?

Model and TV presenter Jodie Kidd is a well-known car expert and amateur racing driver. She currently presents The Classic Car Show on Channel 5

Actor and comedian Stephen Fry famously drives a black cab around London and would be a popular choice for many

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Chris Evans has repeatedly denied that he is interested in the job but bookies still seem to think he's a hot contender

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Comedian Steve Coogan has appeared on Top Gear several times, but since then has been critical of the show's brand of humour

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Former racing driver Eddie Irvine would certainly tick the boxes in terms of car knowledge, but his lack of TV experience could count against him

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On Thursday, Clarkson called on people to leave Mr Tymon alone "because none of this was his fault".

Mr Tymon's lawyer Paul Daniels issued a statement in which he said: "Mr Tymon has informed the police that he doesn't want to press charges.

"The events of the last few weeks have been extremely unpleasant for everyone involved. The matter has taken a great toll on Oisin, his family and his friends.

"Quite simply, Mr Tymon just wishes to return now to the job at the BBC he loves, as soon as possible. Further, the BBC have, in his view, taken action with a view to addressing the issues at hand.

"Mr Tymon agrees with the BBC's stated view that all parties should now be allowed to move on, so far as possible."

North Yorkshire Police, which has already spoken to some potential witnesses, said the force is still investigating the incident.

A spokesman said: "Inquiries are ongoing."

Two major companies, Sky and Channel 4, are understood to have ruled out working with Clarkson, while ITV would not comment on "a BBC issue".

Chris Evans leads the betting as favourite to take over at the show, even though he has ruled himself out on more than one occasion.

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Written By Unknown on Kamis, 26 Maret 2015 | 18.25

Pilot Locked Out Of Crash Jet's Cockpit: Report

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One of the pilots of a jet that crashed in the Alps killing all 150 people on board was locked out of the cockpit before it started its descent, according to US media.

Investigators have not revealed details of conversations on the cockpit voice recorder black box recovered from the crash site.

But the New York Times quoted a senior military source involved in the probe as saying one of the two Germanwings pilots appeared to have left the cockpit and then been unable to get back in.

The source said: "The guy outside is knocking lightly on the door and there is no answer. And then he hits the door stronger and no answer.

"There is never an answer. You can hear he is trying to smash the door down."

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Gallery: Alps Plane Crash: The Victims

Maria Radner, Oleg Bryjak and Greig and Carol Friday

Elena Bless, a student from the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium

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Martyn Matthews, of Wolverhampton, with his family. Mr Matthews, 50, was travelling on business for the German automotive manufacturer Huf

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Paul Andrew Bramley, 28, originally from Hull. He was studying hospitality and hotel management in Lucerne, Switzerland

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Filmmaker Marina Bandres, who came from Jaca in the Spanish Pyrenees and lived in Manchester, was travelling on the plane with her baby Julian Pracz-Bandres

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The official added: "We don't know yet the reason why one of the guys went out.

"But what is sure is that at the very end of the flight, the other pilot is alone and does not open the door."

The source said conversation between the pilots during the early part of the flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf had been "very smooth, very cool."

In January a Delta Air Lines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a pilot was accidentally locked out of the cockpit.

The door malfunctioned leaving the first officer to land the plane at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

And in November 2013 LAM Mozambique Airlines flight with 27 passengers and six crew on board crashed in Namibia.

The investigation found that the captain had intended to crash the Embraer 190 aircraft, with the cockpit voice recorder capturing loud bangs on the cockpit door from the co-pilot who was locked out of the flight deck.

Cockpit doors have been reinforced since the September 11 attacks in 2001, to stop intruders from reaching the crew and controls.

Former Lufthansa engineer Stephen Wright said that in the US a senior cabin crew member has to sit in the cockpit whenever a pilot leaves, so there are always two people there. Elsewhere, the obligation does not exist.

The New York Times report emerged after a bus carrying the first relatives to the area where their loved ones lost their lives left Barcelona on Wednesday evening.

The group of 14 will meet with other family members who chose to fly from Barcelona to Marseille this morning.

The crash investigation is likely to focus on why there was no distress call from the plane, which went into a slow descent shortly after reaching its 38,000ft cruising altitude and continued along its flight path for some eight minutes before smashing into mountains with such force that it was "pulverised", according to one official.

Theories include the complete incapacity of the cockpit crew, possibly after a windscreen blow-out.

Asked about reports that the second black box - the flight data recorder which indicates how an aircraft's systems were working - had been found but was too badly damaged to be of use, a French air investigation bureau spokesman said this was not the case.

"We have not located the second black box," he said.

Earlier, Germanwings parent company Lufthansa said the plane was "technically flawless" while the firm's CEO Carsten Spohr, himself a pilot, described the crash as "inexplicable".

Lufthansa says the co-pilot joined Germanwings in September 2013, directly after training, and had flown 630 hours.

The captain had more than 6,000 hours of flying time and been a Germanwings pilot since May 2014, having previously flown for Lufthansa and Condor.

Lufthansa said: "We cannot comprehend how a technically flawless airplane steered by two experienced pilots could encounter such a situation at cruising altitude.

"All of us at Lufthansa are working to ensure that such an incident will never occur again. We cannot believe that this has happened. We are doing everything to support the families."

A spokesman for the French air investigation bureau, the BEA, said that "usable" material had been extracted from the black box cockpit voice recorder found at the crash site.

He said it covered the entire flight but would not say what conversations, if any, between the pilots had been captured on the recording, nor what language they had been conducted in.

Three Britons - Martyn Matthews, 50, Paul Bramley, 26, and Marina Bandres Lopez Belio, 37 - were among 150 on the Airbus A320 plane to have lost their lives.

While some nationalities were still to be verified, Germanwings said the dead included 72 Germans, 35 Spaniards and two Australians.

Two Americans are also known to have been on the plane

Other countries with passengers on the flight included Iran, Israel, Japan, Denmark, Belgium and Colombia.

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Written By Unknown on Rabu, 25 Maret 2015 | 18.25

Alps Plane Crash: The Lines Of Investigation

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Air crash investigators are working around the clock to establish what caused the Germanwings A320 plane to crash in the Alps, killing all 150 people on board. Here are some of their likely lines of inquiry.

The Black Box

The black box – which records cockpit conversations and flight data – was recovered between Barcelonnette and Digne in the French Alps.

French interior minister Bernard Cazaneuve said that the box is damaged but still "useable", and should shed light on what happened in the moments before the plane plummeted.

Investigators are reportedly taking the box to Paris to extract the data.

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Gallery: Rescue Teams Resume Search After Plane Crash

Gendarmerie and French mountain rescue teams fly in a helicopter near the site of the Germanwings plane crash near the French Alps

Television news satellite vehicles are seen in front of the mountains

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Search and rescue operations restarted the day after a Germanwings Airbus A320 smashed into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board.

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Gendarmerie and French mountain rescue teams arrive near the site of the Germanwings plane crash

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Possible Engine Failure

Sources suggest that the speed of the plane shortly before the crash - about 350mph (300 knots) - might indicate engine failure as a cause of the crash.

This is because 350mph is the speed a pilot would aim to reach before trying to "relight" the engines after a double engine failure.

The Descent

Flight 4U 9525, which left Barcelona for Dusseldorf at 10.01am (local time), had started descending one minute after reaching its cruising height.

It then plummeted from 38,000ft to 6,000ft in less than eight minutes, before it crashed.

French aviation authorities said the plane did not issue a distress call and lost radio contact with air traffic controllers at 10.31am.

Autopilot Problem

According to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, airline KLM sent a message to all other Airbus customers warning about a problem with the autopilot system on board the A320 aircraft.

Dusseldorf Servicing

Reports in German media suggested that the plane had been grounded for a few hours on Monday due to technical issues.

Germanwings said the plane had a routine service in Dusseldorf, adding that it had its last major check-up in summer 2013.

Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin says French, Spanish and German authorities would formally request information about the plane's maintenance and the conditions of its flight.

Terrorism Speculation

It seems unlikely that terrorism was the cause of the crash, Mr Cazaneuve has said.

While he said it is too early to rule it out completely, the possibility of foul play appears to be slim.

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