luni, 29 decembrie 2014

Virgin Atlantic jet lands safely with landing gear problem

Watch the moment the aircraft landed safely

A Virgin Atlantic passenger plane has landed safely at London's Gatwick Airport after discovering a problem with part of its main landing gear.

Virgin flight VS43 with 447 passengers and 15 crew was travelling from Gatwick to Las Vegas when it had to return.

The Boeing 747 circled over Devon and Sussex in southern England for several hours before making a bumpy but safe landing just before 16:00 GMT.

Gatwick's runway is shut to all air traffic causing severe delays.

Aircraft due to land at Gatwick are being diverted to other London airports, while departing flights are being delayed. Passengers are being advised to check the airport's website or contact their airline.

Circled airport

Flashing lights of emergency vehicles could be seen close to the plane, which appeared to have landed without its full set of landing gear.

Ambulances and fire-and-rescue crews had been on standby as the plane circled the airport in the hours after it took off for the US late on Monday morning.

Before the successful conclusion to the incident, Virgin announced the plane would be carrying out a "non-standard landing procedure" at Gatwick airport.

Pictures of the 747 circling over East Sussex - to burn off fuel - were shared on social media

Virgin announced the plane would be carrying out a "non-standard landing procedure"

The problem affected part of the 747's right main landing gear

The issue meant the aircraft had to land on three of its four main landing gear

Emergency crews at Gatwick were quick to the scene

Pictures posted on Twitter of the aircraft circling over East and West Sussex showed part of the main landing gear had not fully extended.

Eyewitnesses reported the jet was flying at relatively low altitude and the pilot appeared to be trying to "shake" the landing gear down.

Nick Hughes, who was on board, said the crew made several attempts to try to free the landing gear.

"They put the thrust on quite heavily and then dipped down, I think, to try and loosen the gears but obviously nothing kind of worked.

'Some crying'

"They gave it every opportunity before they tried the emergency landing. All credit due to the crew and the staff and of course the pilots because the landing was probably one of the softest landings I've ever had."

Another passenger, Hardeek Desai, said: "The staff were trying to keep everyone calm but a few passengers were a bit panicky. One of the crew came out to the seating area to reassure everyone everything was going to be OK.

"The staff were giving out thing like drinks and water to everyone to make sure everyone's OK. Generally, the mood was pretty good at this point until we hit the brace position."

Describing the mood on the plane as it was circling, passenger Dan Crane, 24, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, said it was "anxious, a lot were worried, some crying. The mood was quiet, just waiting for the captain's next announcement."

Mr Crane, who is with family and friends, said the crew kept everyone informed, adding: "They said it was an emergency landing and we had to brace on impact."

Sunjay Patel, who was travelling on the flight to Las Vegas as a birthday treat, tweeted: "We have safely landed back at Gatwick after a bit of drama."

He said the passengers had been taken to a hotel but they did not know when there would be a replacement flight.

'Upsetting situation'

Another passenger, Mike Kaufman, said: "This was one of the greatest emergency landings in history. It was very smooth."

He praised the pilots and the cabin crew, saying the landing had been "textbook".

Virgin Atlantic chief executive Craig Kreeger said: "I am very pleased to confirm that all customers and crew have now disembarked the VS43 flight to Las Vegas, which returned to Gatwick airport this afternoon following a problem with one of the landing gear.

"I understand that this will have been a very upsetting situation for the customers involved, and for their friends and family, and will have significantly disrupted people's holiday plans.

"We will make sure they are well looked after this evening, and will be operating a special flight tomorrow for everyone who would like to continue their journey."

Virgin Atlantic president Sir Richard Branson tweeted: "Well done @VirginAtlantic pilots & team for safe & skilful landing of #VS43. Thoughts with passengers & crew, thanks for support & patience."

'Well-rehearsed'

Gatwick Airport said in a statement: "Virgin Atlantic flight VS043 has landed safely after returning to Gatwick due to a technical fault. Following the emergency landing, passengers have disembarked the aircraft via stairs.

"The runway is currently closed until the aircraft is moved. No flights are departing Gatwick and arriving flights are diverted. We advise passengers to contact their airline for the latest info."

Ch Supt Martin Walker, of Sussex Police, said the emergency operation was part of a "well-rehearsed procedure".

He said: "We are delighted that the plane has landed safely and we will continue to support the operation where we're needed."

A spokesman for British pilots' organisation Balpa said: "Pilots train hard for exactly this kind of situation. It goes to show that well-trained pilots are vital.

Obama: US 'less racially divided' than in 2009

Protesters, demanding justice for Akai Gurley, march towards New York Police Department's (NYPD) 75th Precinct from the site of his shooting death in Brooklyn, New York 27 December 2014

Protesters march toward a New York police station after a man was killed by police in Brooklyn

President Barack Obama has said race relations in the US are better now than when he took office, despite nationwide protests over police actions.

Mr Obama told broadcaster NPR in a wide-ranging interview that he thinks "the issue has surfaced in a way that probably is healthy".

Demonstrations have followed the killing by police of several unarmed black men and boys in 2014.

On Sunday, New York City's police chief said officers feel under attack.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said rank-and-file officers and much of America's police leadership are feeling pressure "from the federal government at the highest levels".

"See us. See the police. See why they have the anxieties and the perceptions they have," he told broadcaster NBC.

What else Obama said:

President Barack Obama speaks on Eric Garner 3 December 2014

Iran: Nuclear deal possible if Iran recognises it's in its own interests - prove to the world it's not interested in developing a nuclear weapon and sanctions will be removed, economy will grow

Healthcare reform: Came at a "significant political cost" but now paying off with millions more covered and slower rise in healthcare costs

Economy: Lower deficit, strong growth in output and jobs, wages "ticking up" for first time, low inflation, high energy production high

Mid-term thrashing: Partly because Democratic party didn't proclaim its record of achievement loudly enough

Cuba policy: A year of negotiations with Cuba and Vatican persuaded him "this would be good for the Cuban people and more likely to lead to a loosening up of the restrictions or oppression that exists there"

Congress: Agreement possible in some areas now Republicans have to show they can govern, but he's ready to veto if needed

Burma elections: The "experiment may go haywire" if different ethnic groups can't unite and military clings to power

Both Eric Garner and Michael Brown were killed by on-duty police officers who were later not charged over the deaths, sparking nationwide protests over perceived police injustices.

In the NPR interview, Mr Obama said such cases "attract attention" but the issue of "police and communities of colour being mistrustful of each other is hardly new".

"I assure you, from the perspective of African Americans or Latinos in poor communities who have been dealing with this all their lives, they wouldn't suggest somehow that it's worse now than it was 10, 15 or 20 years ago."

Mr Obama said he thought day-to-day interactions in the US were "less racially divided" and protests over police treatment of minorities was an encouraging sign.

"I think that the fact that there's a conversation about it and that there are tools out there that we know can make a difference in bridging those gaps of understanding and mistrust should make us optimistic."

People visit the Michael Brown memorial in the Canfield Green Apartments on Thanksgiving Day on November 27, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.

Supporters visit two memorials created at the site of Michael Brown's death

Police turn their backs on New York Mayor Bill de Blasio at a funeral

The apparent schism between people supporting the police and those supporting the protesters has been most sharply felt in New York.

Some police officers turned their backs on Mayor Bill de Blasio during the funeral for Rafael Ramos, a police officer killed sitting in his vehicle.

They are unhappy with the way they think the mayor has sided with protesters in some of his remarks after the death of Mr Garner, but their behaviour was criticised by their boss.

"That funeral was held to honour Officer Ramos," Mr Bratton said. "And to bring politics, to bring issues into that event, I think, was very inappropriate."

Ramos and Wenjian Liu were shot and killed by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who had a lengthy police record and mentioned the killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown in social media posts before he shot the officers.

Meanwhile in Ferguson, Missouri, where teenager Michael Brown was killed, a police officer has been suspended after calling a memorial for Brown at the spot he was killed "a pile of trash".

City officials said negative remarks about the memorial "do not reflect the feelings of the Ferguson Police Department".

duminică, 28 decembrie 2014

Eriksen strike stuns Leicester

Goals from Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen give Tottenham a 2-1 win away to a spirited Leicester in the Premier League

Friday 26th December 2014

Harry Kane gave the visitors the perfect start at the King Power Stadium, firing home his 13th goal of the season from Nacer Chadlis cross to give Spurs the lead after just a minute.

However, Leicester fought back well and had their reward just after the break after Leonardo Ulloa tapped home Mahrezs cross just after the break for his seventh goal of the campaign.

The momentum was with the home side but they could not take advantage and it was Eriksen who made them pay, beating Ben Hamer at his near post from a free-kick.

Leicester finished strong as they went in search of an equaliser and they thought they could have had a penalty when Jamie Vardy was brought down by Jan Vertonghen, but it was Spurs who nervously held on for a 2-1 win to take all three points back to north London.

Nigel Pearson made two changes for the home side with Ulloa and David Nugent coming into the attack but it was Spurs who showed their own cutting edge as they broke for the first time through Erik lamella.

The 22-year-old released Nacer Chadli down the left into space and he picked out a cross as Harry Kane nipped ahead of Leicester captain Wes Morgan, before firing past Hamer into the bottom right hand corner to give the visitors a flying start.

Despite being a goal down Nigel Pearsons side were enjoying plenty of possession but as has been their problem for most of the season, they were not creating enough to trouble Hugo Lloris.

The Frenchman was finally called into action in the 18th minute as Ulloa flicked up the ball and fired a volley goalwards from outside the box which Lloris comfortable tipped over the bar.

However, it was Spurs who looked the more likely every time they moved forward and next it was Chadli who tested the keeper. Hamer could only parry the curling shot to Christian Eriksen inside the box, but the Danes shot was well blocked.

It was all becoming too easy for Spurs but with half-time approaching the home side, spurred on by their fans, came to life and should have scored the equaliser.

Excellent work by Drinkwater found Ulloa on the edge of the Spurs penalty area. The Argentine striker skipped past Danny Roses challenge and with the goal gaping missed his kick and the ball trickled out for a goal kick.

Momentum was certainly now with Leicester as Mahrez forced Lloris into a smart save but it was Ulloa who had Leicesters best chance in the 39th minute.

Mahrez was the provider this time and placed a brilliant cross right on Ulloas head but with most of the goal to aim at the former Brighton striker could only hit the right hand post.

Despite Leicesters excellent spell, Tottenham should have been out of sight just before the break as Kane rose highest to meet Lamelas free-kick, but the England U21 internationals header flew wide with the goal at his mercy.

Pearson would have been delighted with how his side finished the first-half and despite replacing Andy King with Matty James due to injury, he would have wanted more of the same from his side.

In contrast, Pochettino would not have been pleased with what he saw towards the end of the first 45 minutes and attempted to shore up his midfield by bring on Ryan Mason for Stambouli.

However, the move did not work as Leicester responded straight away after more good work from Mahrez. The Algerian international broke free down the right and produced a low cross along the edge of the six yard box. Ulloa used his strength to get in front of Fazio and was on hand to level the scores from close range.

Leicester were now looking the more likely and minutes later they were denied the lead by the woodwork. The impressive Mahrez beat Lloris all ends up with his stunning free-kick but the ball cannoned back off the cross bar.

There was nothing coming from Spurs as an attacking force and Pochettino reacted by throwing on Roberto Soldado to partner Kane, however, it was Leicester on the front foot again.

This time it was Jeff Schlupp going close and it took a fine fingertip save from Lloris to push his thunderbolt shot around the post.

As with many of Spurs recent away performances there only looked like one winner and it was the home side. But with against the run of play, Kane won a free-kick to the left of the Leicester penalty area.

With just 20 minutes remaining, Eriksen seemed to be lining up to put in a cross but the Denmark international whipped in a free-kick which beat Hamer, who should have done better, at his near post.

The goal sucked the life out of Leicester and Pearson responded by sending Vardy on with 15 minutes remaining and it nearly had the desired effect as Jan Vertonghen appeared to bring the forward down in the penalty area.

There was no question the Belgium defender got a touch on the ball and there was more contact with the man, but referee Neil Swarbrick waved away the appeal.

Their final chance came as the impressive Mahrez sent in another testing cross which Lloris was forced to deal with. The ball fell at the feet of captain Morgan, but with the goal at his mercy he could not make proper contact and the ball was cleared to safety by Spurs.

The win means Spurs close the the gap to fourth place to just two points but despite another good Leicester performance, they stay rooted to the bottom of the table.

sâmbătă, 27 decembrie 2014

Ho, ho, ho! NSA reports on its spying naughtiness

Grassroots groups fly an airship over an NSA data center in June to protest its mass surveillance program.Greenpeace

The National Security Administration gave its critics a Christmas gift this year: a treasure trove of reports on the agency's spying wrongdoings.

Though hardly a gift of the heart -- the NSA released the heavily redacted reports Christmas Eve in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from the ACLU -- the reports do detail privacy violations that took place amid an overly broad surveillance net cast after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The quarterly and annual reports, filed with the president's Intelligence Oversight Board, cover NSA activities from 2001 to 2013. They cite examples of information on Americans being emailed to unauthorized recipients, stored in unsecured computers and retained after it was supposed to be destroyed, according to Bloomberg, which first noticed the reports as others awaited Santa's arrival.

The NSA maintains that the majority of the compliance incidents "involve unintentional technical or human error" and that in the "very few cases" involving intentional misuse, a thorough investigation was completed and reported, and appropriate disciplinary action was taken.

"By emphasizing accountability across all levels of the enterprise, and transparently reporting errors and violations to outside oversight authorities, NSA protects privacy and civil liberties while safeguarding the nation and our allies," the agency said in a statement.

In one example of intentional misuse, highlighted by Bloomberg, an analyst reported in 2012 that "during the past two or three years, she had searched her spouse's personal telephone directory without his knowledge to obtain names and telephone numbers for targeting." In a 2009 incident, a "US Army sergeant used an NSA system 'to target his wife,' also a soldier," according to The Wall Street Journal. That led to a reduction in his rank to specialist.

Much of the NSA's mission stems from a 1981 executive order that legalized the surveillance of foreigners living outside of the US. The agency's actions have come under increased scrutiny following the leak of documents in 2013 by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Some of those pointed to alleged surveillance violations similar in nature to ones the NSA detailed in its Wednesday release.

Patrick Toomey, a staff attorney with the ACLU's National Security Project, said the new documents "shed more light on how these spying activities impact Americans, and how the NSA has misused the information it collects. They show an urgent need for greater oversight by all three branches of government."

Drop in Boxing Day sales shoppers as cold bites

Queues formed in the dark overnight at Selfridges and other popular stores - but overall shopper numbers in the high street this morning were 12 per cent lower than last year

While traditional sales favourites such Selfridges and Harrods in London and Bluewater in Kent reported busy mornings, figures show the overall number of visits to shops by was down 12 per cent on last year.

In London, thousands of hardy souls waited outside stores on Oxford Street in the dark, frost and freezing temperatures. Queues began to form around Selfridges at 10.30pm on Christmas Day - the earliest ever.

The popular department store opened at 9am, with Harrods next at 10am and Liberty at midday. John Lewis and Fortnum & Mason were closed, while House of Fraser, Next and Marks & Spencer opened by 8am in most parts of the country.

In festive tradition, Harrods rolled out a red carpet at 8.30am and offered customers complimentary mince pies, pastries and hot chocolate or Harrods Green Juice, a new drink sold in its food hall.

Shops expected 10 million visitors in the high street, shopping centres and retail parks in another record Boxing Day. Spending was tipped to hit £217 per person, or £2.17 billion in total.

But warnings of severe weather later in the day and the rise in internet shopping appear to have dampened shoppers' enthusiasm, with many staying at home and browsing the internet from the warmth of a living room sofa.

_{Bargain hunters burst into Next for Boxing Day sales}

Figures from Springboard, a retail analyst, showed footfall was down 21.7 per cent against last year in high streets across the country during the first shopping hour of the day.

The fall was "consistent across all physical shopping destinations", according to Diane Wehrle, retail insights director.

"There have been reports of adverse weather conditions which could have kept shoppers away but we cannot ignore early online sales as a significant driving force in the dwindling appeal of Boxing Day," she said.

By midday, footfall across high streets, shopping centres and retail parks was down 10.5 per cent.

Even London was more muted than in the past. By late morning, Oxford Street was swarming, but shoppers said there was a "less frantic" feel than last year, when a record £2.7 billion was spent.

_{A Boxing Day scene from Selfridges}

By midday, queues had formed outside some of the smaller stores in the centre of the capital shopping district, such as jewellery shop Pandora. Many areas of Selfridges, particularly designer handbags and casual clothes areas, had developed bottlenecks. But there was a calm about the rest of the store and many security guards were standing idle.

Shop assistants in a number of stores confirmed the picture. A staff member at House of Fraser in Oxford Street said: "Compared to last year, which was crazy, it actually feels quiet today."

By 5pm, footfall across the high street, retail parks and shopping centres was down more than 9 per cent, Springboard said.

However, some retail bosses refuted suggestions of a slowdown. Selfridges said it had experienced its best-ever start to a Boxing Day, taking £2 million pounds between 9am and 10am.

Shoppers started queuing on Christmas Day at 10.30pm - the earliest staff had seen. There were 4,000 people surrounding the perimeter of the building by morning.

As the crowds flooded in Maeve Wall, Selfridges store director, said it was "a phenomenal start" and easily the "busiest day of the year".

_{There were long queues outside Harrods in London}

There were over 300 people waiting outside as the doors at Fenwick Brent Cross in north west London opened at 8.30am.

Jenny O'Donoghue, managing director at Fenwick Brent Cross, described it as a "very strong start" to the Boxing Day sale with "our biggest ever first hour of trade".

A manager at a concession store in Harrods reported a "horrendously busy morning".

Bluewater shopping centre, in Kent, reported a "fantastic" start. However, it noted a "swing towards calm and collected" shoppers, who had planned their trips using its click and collect services.

Robert Goodman, general manager said: "Many are 'virtually' bagging their bargains online before enjoying the whole family day out experience that they are after."

It said the top-selling gifts were Mulberry handbags, Russell & Bromley leather boots, Children's clothing, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One games consoles and GoPro cameras.

Queues began forming as early as 5am at Cabot Circus in Bristol as shoppers descended on the centre to take advantage of some of the top sales from retailers including Next, Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser.

In other parts of the country, though, shoppers scrapped for discounts, with one assistant at Next leaving this Twitter message: