Mc Cann asseguram serviços de perito norte-americano em ADN

A defesa de Kate e Gerry McCann continua a reforçar-se com nomes de peso. Depois de Rogério Alves, o bastonário das Ordem dos Advogados, o casal acaba de garantir os serviços de um dos mais reputados peritos norte-americanos para analisar o ADN dos vestígios biológicos que sustentam em grande parte a constituição de arguidos dos pais de Madeleine, a menina de quatro anos desaparecida a 3 de Maio do Ocean Club, na praia da Luz, Lagos.

Dan Krane é professor de Biologia na Universidade de Wright, na Pensilvânia, mas tem-se notabilizado como perito forense em casos que assentam muito em provas resultantes de análises ao ADN. Tido como um crítico dos métodos usados pelos laboratórios de polícia criminal e muito céptico em relação às provas apresentadas em tribunal, Krane já participou como perito em mais de 60 julgamentos, alguns dos quais de grande mediatismo. É também presença habitual em vários canais de televisão e jornais norte-americanos, como comentador de casos judiciais.

Dan Krane desenvolveu, em parceria com colegas da universidade, um programa informático altamente preciso, capaz de reinterpretar os resultados dos exames efectuados pelo laboratório inglês de Birmingham aos vestígios biológicos recolhidos na Praia da Luz e até de os desmentir, como já aconteceu em julgamentos em que depôs anteriormente.

Os vestígios detectados no apartamento que foi ocupado pelos McCann na praia da Luz e na bagageira do automóvel que o casal alugou cerca de três semanas depois do desaparecimento de Maddie - estes últimos compatíveis em cerca de 80% com o ADN da menina desaparecida e os únicos conclusivos - são peças fundamentais da investigação.

Terá sido em grande parte com base nos mesmos que Kate e Gerry foram constituídos arguidos, apenas por suspeita da prática do crime de ocultação de cadáver. Este estatuto já ter sido confirmado pelo Ministério Público. Robert Murat é o terceiro arguido do processo. Desde que a família recuperou o seu principal porta-voz, Clarence Mitchell, a sua estratégia de comunicação tem vindo a mudar. Mitchell começou a atacar aspectos concretos da investigação, nomeadamente os relacionados com o ADN. Ontem ainda, o casal fez saber que estaria até na disposição de passar pelo escrutínio de um detector de mentiras para provar que nada teve a ver com o desaparecimento da criança.

'Back Seat Sex Made Me Crash My Car'

A carnival worker who drove his car into a telephone pole has blamed the crash on his friends having sex in the back seat.

Joshua D Frank was driving through Moscow, Idaho, US, when the man and the woman allegedly started getting amorous.

The 22-year-old driver said their movement made his sports utility vehicle become "tippy".

He then he lost control and crashed.
Frank suffered a minor head injury.

His friends were also given medical treatment, although it is not known what for.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to notify a police officer of a traffic accident and was fined £94 by a court in Iadho.

DEFIANT CASTRO BREAKS SILENCE

Cuban leader Fidel Castro has appeared in his first television interview in more than three months.


The 81-year-old warned that the Bush administration could go to war with Iran and bemoaned the high cost of the war in Iraq, saying it could lead to economic catastrophe.
But he played down concerns over his health, saying: "Here I am."

Castro looked alert and healthy during an hour-long interview taped and aired on Cuban television.

Mocking rumours of his death that have circulated in Miami and elsewhere in the United States, he said "they say 'I was dying' and 'if I die' and 'I will die the day after tomorrow' or something.

"Nobody knows the day they are going to die," said Castro, who was forced to cede power to his younger brother Raul in July 2006 following emergency intestinal surgery. He has not appeared in public since.

Early on in the interview, Castro often trailed off mid-sentence, and needed some prompting by the interviewer.

He had bags under his eyes, sunken cheeks and his thin grey beard looked as wispy as ever. But he appeared to get stronger and more comfortable as time passed.
The Cuban leader wore a red, blue and white jumpsuit with "F. Castro" in small block letters.

"They criticize me" for wearing the tracksuit, Castro joked. But he said he was "not looking for anything elegant".
Arnaldo Fuster, who watched the Castro interview with his wife and children in his old Havana home, said he thought the Cuban leader looked better.

"He's whole. He's better, I think, than ever," Fuster said. "He's old, but he's whole. His memory is normal, he looks normal."
Cuban officials broke into regularly scheduled programming on state television only minutes before the video was broadcast to announce that a "conversation" with Castro would be shown.

Castro's condition and exact ailment are state secrets, though he wrote in one of his many essays that he had undergone multiple surgeries, at least one of which went poorly.
He is recovering in an undisclosed location.

POLICE CHIEF ATTACKS KATE AND GERRY

Kate and Gerry McCann have hindered the investigation into their daughter's disappearance, says the man in charge of the Portuguese police federation.

Carlos Anjos, head of Asfic, said future interrogation of the couple was effectively pointless because they would, as is their right, refuse to speak.
And he warned the investigation into Madeleine, who was three when she was reported missing, could end up taking a "very long time".
A spokesman for the McCanns dismissed claims they were using their right to silence to withhold co-operation with police.
Mr Anjos said a "difficult and complex case" was "made worse by [the parent's] attitude".
He also said Kate and Gerry had told the portuguese police they would be making no further statements towards the investigation.
Claims that the McCanns were hampering the Portuguese police's search for Madeleine were dismissed by the appointed spokesman for the couple, Clarence Mitchell.
Mr Mitchell said: "We are not prepared to comment on Mr Anjos's remarks but Kate and Gerry have always said they are willing to return to Portugal at any time to help the police with their investigations."
Mr Anjos also said police progress remained slow.
"This case is here for a long time because there is no apparent motive and it will be very difficult to prove if it was homicide if Madeleine's body is not found," he said.
Detectives in the Algarve are reportedly working on the theory that Kate McCann may have accidentally killed Madeleine and relied on her husband, Gerry, to help cover it up.
The couple have vehemently denied the allegation.

Fresh Madeleine Appeal

The McCann family's spokesman Clarence Mitchell has told Sky News that Madeleine's parents are willing to return to Portugal at any time to help police. But he told Martin Stanford they were now hoping to concentrate on the search for the four-year-old.

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Jose Mourinho - What the papers say

Keep up-to-date with all the latest sports stories, football headlines and juicy gossip doing the rounds in the national press. From the tabloids to the broadsheets, you'll find the best bits here!


THE TIMES: Jose Mourinho agreed a £12million payoff as compensation for his dramatic departure from Chelsea, but he is already planning his return to football.

DAILY TELEGRAPH: Chelsea admitted that Jose Mourinho's sensational departure had been caused by an "irretrievable'' breakdown in relations with owner Roman Abramovich. Chelsea's players first suspected that something was not quite right when their manager Jose Mourinho greeted them with emotional hugs at the Wednesday night screening of the club's new film on the Roman Abramovich years.

THE SUN: Didier Drogba has vowed to follow Jose Mourinho out of Chelsea. Chelsea stars were stunned when it was revealed Akram Grant is taking over as manager permanently.

DAILY STAR: Chelsea are facing meltdown in the wake of Jose Mourinho's shock exit. Jose Mourinho was handed a £10million pay-off by Chelsea - and could walk straight into the Portugal job.

DAILY MIRROR: Roman Abramovich has been left facing a backlash from players and fans after the shock departure of Jose Mourinho. New Chelsea boss Avram Grant will miss the last day of training before Sunday's trip to Old Trafford because of his religious beliefs.

DAILY MAIL: Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea on Thursday to collect £12.5million pay-off after declaring his intention to go back to work yesterday.

THE INDEPENDENT: Jose Mourinho shed tears at what was described by witnesses as an extraordinarily emotional farewell to his Chelsea squad at the club's training ground.

DAILY EXPRESS: Frank Lampard is set to be the first star to follow Jose Mourinho out of Chelsea after being left "devastated'' by the departure of the manager to whom he was so close. Avram Grant will miss the crucial final preparations for his first match as Chelsea manager at Manchester United because he will be observing the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Spurs are ready to make an audacious move for Jose Mourinho - if they get any indication the Portuguese manager would be interested.

THE GUARDIAN: Roman Abramovich will take a more active role in team affairs after the departure from Chelsea of Jose Mourinho, according to a source close to the Russian. Avram Grant faces an early test of his man-management skills at Chelsea after the team's star players reacted with fury and disbelief to the departure of Jose Mourinho.

God Sued By Lawyer In Nebraska

God has apparently replied to a terror lawsuit against him in the States - by claiming he is immune to Earth's laws.

A lawyer in Omaha, Nebraska, has filed an injunction against the supreme being - claiming he has made terrorist threats against him and his constituents.
Ernie Chambers, a prominent civil rights leader and a member of the state legislature, claimed the Almighty had inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorisation of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants".
The self-proclaimed agnostic is seeking a permanent injunction against God.
But now it seems the creator has responded to the lawsuit after a file apparently dropped in from the heavens.

"This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden was here, poof!" said John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court in Omaha.
Signed by "God" the response argues that the defendant is immune from our planet's laws and that the US court lacks jurisdiction over God.
Blaming the Almighty for human oppression and suffering misses an important point, it says.
"I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you," claims the response.
St Michael the Archangel is listed as a witness, Mr Friend noted.

Criminal Has Furnace In The Algarve

A criminal who cremates dead animals in a furnace behind his house in Portugal says he has been quizzed about missing toddler Madeleine McCann.

Eef Hoos, 61, says detectives repeatedly questioned him about whether he had ever met Madeleine's parents.
And he said officers had visited his heavily fortified villa in remote mountains in the Algarve where they asked about his animal cremations.
Dutchman Hoos, who has spent almost eight years in jail for planting bombs in the Netherlands, says police have now ordered him to attend their headquarters for questioning on Monday.
He said: "He asked me three times if I had spoken to the parents, I said I had not spoken to the parents.
"The other guy said he had seen that I had spoken to the parents."

The Dutchman explained he earned his living as a debt collector, but carried out animal incineration as a sideline in furnaces on wasteland on the slopes below his house.
Following complaints about the smell from neighbours he said he had closed down the furnaces in March this year.
Meanwhile Gerry and Kate McCann have met lawyers in London to prepare their defence against any possible charges.
Although they remain official suspects, Portuguese police say they have no plans to re-interview the couple in the near future.
But the McCanns want to be ready should the Portuguese authorities try to bring a case against them.

Spokesman Talks To Sky 19/09/07

The McCann family's spokesman Clarence Mitchell has told Sky News that Madeleine's parents are willing to return to Portugal at any time to help police. But he told Martin Stanford they were now hoping to concentrate on the search for the four-year-old.

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BOY DROWNED AS OFFICERS WATCHED

The parents of a young boy who drowned in a pond have hit out at community support officers who stood by and witnessed the incident without acting.

Tracy Lyon and Anthony Ganderton say they do not accept the officers' explanation that they were not trained to deal with the situation.
The officers were sent to the beauty spot in Wigan, Greater Manchester after reports that two children had got into difficulty.
Jordon Lyon, 10, had jumped into the water to help his eight-year-old stepsister Bethany.
Two fishermen were able to rescue Bethany but her stepbrother became submerged.

When Jordon's stepfather and a friend rushed to the scene they saw the police community support officers (PCSOs) standing at the side of the pond, an inquest heard.
The two men jumped into the water at John Taylor's Pit and were later joined by a uniformed officer.
Jordon was eventually pulled from the water but was later pronounced dead in hospital.
His mother, Tracy Lyon, and stepfather Anthony Ganderton, said they could not understand why the PCSOs did not act or why they did not give evidence at the inquest.

Mr Ganderton told the inquest: "I don't know why they didn't go in. I can't understand it.
"If I had been walking along a canal and seen a child drowning I would have jumped in.
"You don't have to be trained to jump in after a drowning child."
In a statement after the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Phil Owen, of Wigan CID, said: "PCSOs are not trained to deal with major incidents such as this.
"Both ourselves and the fire brigade regularly warn the public of the dangers of going into unknown stretches of water so it would have been inappropriate for PCSOs, who are not trained in water rescue, to enter the pond.
"This was a tragic incident where a young boy lost his life and we would once again want to pass on our heartfelt condolences to Jordon's family."
A verdict of accidental death was recorded.

Boy's Parents: ' Why Did No-One Help?'

Ten-year-old Jordon Lyon drowned in a pond after rescuing his sister. Two community support officers were at the scene in Wigan but did not jump in. The boy’s mother Tracy Lyon and stepfather Anthony Ganterton have demanded to know why they did not help.

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Arctic sea ice at all-time low

Record melting of the Arctic sea ice this summer has seen it shrink to an area one million square miles below the average minimum, scientists said.

The National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) in the US said the minimum extent of the sea ice this year shatters the previous all-time low in September 2005 by 460,000 square miles - an area five times the size of the United Kingdom.

The melting, which occurs each summer in the Arctic, has seen the sea ice drop one million square miles below the long-term average minimum, which is equivalent to an area the size of Alaska and Texas put together, or 10 UKs, the scientists said.

The centre believes the sea ice has reached its minimum area for 2007, measured over a five-day average, and ice is now beginning to re-form for the winter.

At its lowest point during the summer melting season, which stretches from around March to September, sea ice coverage in the Arctic plummeted to 1.59 million square miles, compared with the previous low of 2.05 million square miles in 2005, and 2.6 million square miles for the long-term average between 1979 and 2000.

A combination of higher temperatures, clear skies, warm winds from Siberia and thinner ice have all contributed to the record-breaking sea ice melt this year.

Earlier this month scientists at the NSIDC warned that at current rates, the Arctic could be ice-free in the summer by 2030 and pointed the finger at climate change for the record melting.
In the wake of the news of the record sea ice melt, Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: "The canary in the coal mine is singing very loudly now. At this rate we could see the end of summer sea ice in our lifetimes. It's well known that the loss of ice at the North Pole means the Earth absorbs more heat from the sun, instead of reflecting it, and that means even more warming. And yet the world's greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise."

He urged politicians to realise climate change is a planetary emergency and react accordingly.
"As it is, Britain is on the cusp on building new runways and new coal-fired power stations. It's almost unbelievable," he warned.

LAMBORGHINI STUNT CAUGHT ON CAMERA

A drunken man who caused £20,000 of damage by running over a Lamborghini was caught when his friends recorded him on their mobile phones

Unemployed Frankie Hulme, 23, jumped onto the bonnet and then ran across the roof of the £150,000 car after a night out.

His friends videoed him striding across the luxury vehicle and laughing as he jumped off.

They sent the video by Bluetooth to other friends in a pub.

But the footage was passed on to an employee of the car owner.

Police in Dereham, Norfolk, recognised Hulme and he ended up in Norwich Crown Court where he admitted criminal damage.

He was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to car owner Neil Greentree, 38, and told to do 100 hours unpaid work.

See The Lamborghini Stunt

A drunk who caused £20,000 of damage by running over a Lamborghini has been caught after mobile phone footage of his stunt was sent by Bluetooth to punters in his local pub, including an employee of the car's owner. There is no commentary on this video.

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Israel Accused Of Attacking Nuclear Site

Israel is bracing itself for reprisals after reportedly attacking a nuclear facility hidden in the Syrian desert.

It is thought it may have been acting on intelligence that North Korea was shipping nuclear weapons facilities to help Syria build a bomb.

North Korea has denied the allegations.

The details of the raid are a closely guarded secret. Israel has enforced strict censorship rules on its media, and has banned even senior officials from discussing the raid.

But a picture is emerging through briefings by American government officials and other sources.

On September 3, reports claim, Israeli intelligence picked up a North Korean ship unloading nuclear materials at the Syrian port of Tartous.

It is thought Israeli ground forces were sent into northeastern Syria to target a site believed to be a nuclear facility.

Twenty-four hours later, Israeli jets reportedly entered Syrian airspace at supersonic speed, before bombing and destroying the facility.

"Israel is beginning to find itself surrounded by enemies that are pursuing nuclear power," said defence analyst Yaacov Katz, who writes for The Jerusalem Post.

"And if this strike is preventing Syria from obtaining that power, then this is a big deal."

The North Korean nuclear scenario is not the only interpretation of events in the information vacuum following the incident. But it seems to have the most adherents.

Others suggest it was a dummy run for a strike on Iran's nuclear installations.

Israeli air force sources reportedly say a trial run on those targets would not be necessary.

"It's quite obvious here that the next year is about Iran and its nuclear capabilities," Alon Ben-David, an intelligence analyst with Israel's Channel 10, told me.

He believes the raid on Syria shows Israel is prepared to strike targets on an enemy's sovereign territory - even if it risks war in doing so.

The risk of war explains Israel's refusal to publicly admit what it has done. That could force Syria's hand and give it no option but to go to war with Israel.

Thus far Syria has only admitted Israel breached its airspace, but insists it did not bomb anything, merely dumping its munitions instead.

"All this rubbish is not true. I don't know how their imagination has reached such creativity," said Syrian official Bouthaina Shaaban.

But Syria has warned it will respond to the incursion into its territory.

It will avoid anything that would risk war.

But Damascus will be seeking alternatives that restore some of its lost dignity now that Israel has so boldly seized the initiative.

Does Attack Bring Risk Of War?

There are fears of reprisals from Syria after claims Israeli jets bombed a suspected nuclear weapons facility. Middle East correspondent Dominic Waghorn reports on growing tensions in the region.

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'We Talk About Madeleine All The Time'

Gerry and Kate McCann have given their first interview since returning home to Britain - telling how Madeleine is always on their minds.

The couple said they talk to their two-year-old twins about their missing daughter "all the time".

They said nothing was hidden from Sean and Amelie, and when they ask where their older sister is they reply: "She isn't here at the moment."

Mr McCann, 39, added: "It's not a hidden subject or anything like that. We discuss her all the time.

"There is no attempt to shield them from Madeleine. Questions as and when they arise are dealt with.

"When we were in Portugal we told them she was on a little trip."

He said the family was enduring a mixture of emotions, with brief moments of good news tempered by negative reports.

Mrs McCann, also 39, spoke of the comfort she found returning to their £600,000 home in Rothley in Leicestershire.

She said it was "uplifting" to go to church last Sunday, and thanked her community and neighbours for their support.

Although they are constantly reminded of Madeleine, she said the couple were heartened by seeing the twins so happy to be back home.

Despite their experiences, the couple expect they will one day return to Portugal for many reasons, including "spiritual, emotional and social".

Mr McCann stressed the couple were "not seeking to run" and would return as and when they wished.

He said there was no question of them not complying with any formal interview requests from the police.

The only thing that would truly make them happy, he said, would be to find out what has happened to Madeleine.

Their daughter vanished in Portugal on May 3. The couple have been named as suspects in her disappearance by Portuguese police.

Mitchell Speaks Up For Couple 18/09/07

Clarence Mitchell, who has quit his civil service job to work for Gerry and Kate McCann, said speculation about charges against Madeleine's parents had to end. He was live on Sky News outside their home in Rothley.

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Rail Death Teen's Mother Found Dead

A mother who found life "unbearable" after her teenage daughter died on a railway line has been struck dead by a train on the same stretch of track

Police sources said the body of 40-year-old Joanne Coombs had been discovered near Manningtree station in Essex last night.

Her 17-year-old daughter Natasha was found dead near the same spot in August, having vanished following a night out with friends in Ipswich on July 27.

Mrs Coombs appeared at a press conference on August 2 with her husband Gary, 48, to appeal for help in finding Natasha.

She broke down in front of the cameras as the couple discussed the disappearance of Natasha, their only daughter.

"The house is so empty without her," said Mrs Coombs. "It's unbearable."

Mrs Coombs told reporters she was a housewife, while her husband was a mergers and acquisitions manager with insurance company Norwich Union in Norwich.

She said the family had been due to go on holiday to Canada on August 4.

Natasha had been excited by the prospect of the trip and was also looking forward to turning 18 later this year.

Mrs Coombs told of her last conversation with Natasha - when the teenager called on the night she vanished to say she would be getting a taxi home from the station.

On August 8, Mr and Mrs Coombs made a second appeal for help in finding Natasha and said they lived in constant fear of "what tomorrow would bring".

After the identification of her body on August 13, police said they thought the teenager died after being hit by a train, and a coroner launched an investigation.

British Transport Police officers were called to Manningtree station at around 8.30pm last night after the driver of the 19:00 Liverpool Street to Norwich service reported a possible track fault.

When the track was checked by the driver of a following freight train, he found the body on the line.

"It is believed that the woman was struck and killed by the train reporting the track fault. This incident is not being treated as suspicious," said a BTP spokeswoman.

"The deceased has not yet been formally identified and an investigation is under way."

Police are trying to establish whether the 40-year-old housewife killed herself.

Prayers were said for Mrs Coombs' husband Gary, 48, at a church near the family home in Dovercourt, Essex today.

Sky Reports From Scene Of Tragedy

The mother of 17-year-old girl who died on the railway track has been found dead on the same stretch of line. Natasha Coombs was found in Essex in August. Her mother Joanne's body was discovered in the same location. Sky's Emma Birchley reports.

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Will Jose Mourinho last at Chelsea?

Peter Kenyon has outlined Roman Abramovich's long-term vision for Chelsea, insisting the objective is to "build a dynasty'', win with style and claim the Champions League twice in the Russian oligarch's first decade as owner at Stamford Bridge.
Jose Mourinho apparently promised Abramovich during the summer that he would get his side to play a more attractive brand of football this season but it hasn't happened. Chelsea have also made a shaky start to the season with goalless draws against Aston Villa and Blackburn, opposition they should be beating.
The 'Special One' has also got tongues wagging by making a bizarre attempt to distancehimself from Chelsea's stuttering start to the season by claiming that selecting a Champions League-winning team is like "shopping for eggs in a supermarket'' and making an omelette.
Do you think Jose Mourinho will last the season at Chelsea? Or do you think Roman Abramovich has run out of patience? Is Mourinho capable of making a team play stylish football or is it beyond him? Is he beginning to crack under the relentless pressure? Who should succeed him - Guus Hiddink? Should the board stand by Mourinho, or be ruthless like they were with Claudio Ranieri and get rid of him to get to the next level?

This entry has 15 comments: (Add your own)


#15 Comment from armindotavares
18/09/07 21:50 Permalink

Jose Mourinho is the best thing happend to Chelsea and now is not good?What happend the good things Mourinho has bring to Chelsea.Chelsea not deserve the manager Jose Mourinho "O Grande"

Armindo Tavares
West Hendon
London


#14 Comment from graceogoli
18/09/07 20:21 Permalink

Jose Mourinho, has clearly lost it and would be lucky if Chelsea finds itself within the first four by the end of this season, particularly if trashed by Man-utd by the end of this week. But may never rule out luck for the 'special one' - remember he got away with what would have been an outright defeat from Liverpool. Anyway sacking Mourinho, may not change much, morale seem low.


#13 Comment from burrowsph
18/09/07 19:50 Permalink

Instead of Blaming the manager who the best manager we have had in the last 40 years,Look more closely at the way Abramovich has forced us to play 2 European hasbeens that clearly have had their heyday, and they are unable to cope with demands of the premiership.What does everyone want back to the days when we were playing teams like Luton and QPR to say the least.We are a big club and deserve to be where we are due to Jose Mourinho OK he's brand of the football might not be the most attractive but at least it brings results.Just look at our home record now before we were lucky to get 2 games unbeaten at Home under previous managers.So lay of the special one and direct your anger at Abramovich and all crawlers that surround him.Loyal Blue


#12 Comment from kymbaxter
18/09/07 18:44 Permalink

Mourinho is the best thing that has happened to Chelsea. The problem is with Abramovich if he let Jose manage the team as he wants and not interfere then eveyone would be happy. Just because he owns the club doesnt mean he knows anything about football, and by put Jose under pressure the way he does mistakes are bound to happen. LEAVE JOSE ALONE to do his jbo


#11 Comment from pandcellis
18/09/07 18:43 Permalink

Mourinho is a great asset to Chelsea. It is absolutely typical that when a team hits a small run of bad form all the chattering armchair pundits call for the Manager's resignation - usually because they think they could do a better job!! Chelsea is the club it is today because of Mourinho (and his predecesors).Let's not take any notice of the wannabe potbellied whingers and let the future results speak for themselves.


#10 Comment from rash8909
18/09/07 18:33 Permalink

Let him go and spend some of the millions he has been paid on 'How to speak good and interesting English' and then take his new found vocabulary and coach a 3rd division team in outer Mongolia and finally vanish into obscurity.Who should succeed him? Harry the Haddock or any cold, wet, dull eyed flatfish would be prefferable.


#9 Comment from zwan1964
18/09/07 18:29 Permalink

1st of all, we lost 2 0 to Villa (not a goalless draw)The majority of Blues fans love Mourinho. Why wouldn't we when we have won so much under him? Beleive it or not our problem is the squad is far too small and too many promising youngsters are out on loan(again) when we need them (Ben Sahar for example) Mourinho to blame for that - yes, but hey nobodies perfect......some are "special" though!


#8 Comment from eurodomestics
18/09/07 18:27 Permalink

What a stupid question,,, ....You people are never happy,,its wy you didnt get anything during all them years....


#7 Comment from hogwarts1231
18/09/07 18:26 Permalink

Two league championships and a runner up? Aren't you all being a bit hard on him?


#6 Comment from ssndrs37
18/09/07 18:22 Permalink

Its about time the special one went some where else beacause we are all bored of hearing the crap coming out of his mouth. Other managers have achived more with nowhere near the money he has spent please Mr Abramovich get rid of him.


#5 Comment from ssndrs37
18/09/07 18:21 Permalink

Its about time the special one went some where else beacause we have are all bored of hearing the crap coming out of his mouth. Other managers have achived more with nowhere near the money he has spent please Mr Abramovich get rid of him.


#4 Comment from velofitz
18/09/07 18:06 Permalink

If Jose is so special lets see him manage a lower league team without any money.


#3 Comment from chevialli
18/09/07 16:51 Permalink

I'M AFFRAID THAT THE SPECIAL ONE HAS BEEN TINKERING WITH HIS SIDE, AND SOMETHING IS QUITE NOT RIGHT, IN THE BOARD ROOM YOU CAN SENCE THE UNEASE, IN THE AIR,INJURYS APART THEY ARE NOT AS GOOD A SQUADS AS LAST YEAR, SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER FROM PAST GAMES HOW TO HANDLE ASTON VILLA.


#2 Comment from seyiojo
18/09/07 16:41 Permalink

I think the problem with Jose is that he blames everybody but himself for anything on the field. He should take a cue from Steve Coppell of Reading. The team has never played any beautiful football but one that allows them to win. If he has spent so much money in the lst few years on players, the investor with the deepest of pockets will want something tangible as a return. Jose should raise his hands up rather than continue to look for reasons for minor failures here and there.Ezekiel Jojo - Blackheath.


#1 Comment from joandmatt7
18/09/07 16:38 Permalink

Mourinho shoudl go shopping rather then manage a football team , the guy is full of egss and doesnt really have a clue when he cant spend a money. Players he has brought seem to have lost there skills. Why did sidwell go there he will never get a game and it will ruin him like it did scott parker. Wrigh philips well not sure of him. Ashley cole he was a much better play at arse holes.


Courtesy from AOL UK

Seeing Red In Spain

Updated 13:03, Thursday August 30, 2007
Do not adjust your colour settings - red is the order of the day.

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MYSTERY OF GIRL LEFT AT RAIL STATION

Police in three countries are hunting for the parents of a little girl who was abandoned at a railway station in Australia.
Staff at the Melbourne terminus found three-year-old New Zealand toddler Qian Xun Xue crying and alone on Saturday.

Security images showed Xue with a man believed to be her father, Nai Zin Xue, who left the station without her to catch a flight to the US.
"The girl remains calm and composed," said police inspector Brad Shallies.
He added: "Sometimes she spikes in emotions... but the carers settle her back into a routine."
The youngster is being looked after by a foster family in Victoria.
The case has attracted huge media coverage in Australia and New Zealand as authorities try to solve the mystery.

She has been nicknamed "Pumpkin" after the Pumpkin Patch brand of clothing she was wearing when she was found.
Her father is a 54-year-old magazine publisher who moved to New Zealand from China about 10 years ago.
Police said people rang in after recognising the girl and father from images broadcast on television.
The pair had arrived in Australia the previous Thursday on a flight from Auckland.
Police there said the child's mother, Anan Liu, known as Annie, was missing and they were gravely concerned for her safety.
"You can jump to all sorts of conclusions, but there are concerns we haven't heard from her," said a police spokesman.

CCTV Of Man Leaving Daughter

An international search is under way after a three-year-old girl, nicknamed Pumpkin, was found abandoned at a railway station in Melbourne. This is footage of her on CCTV with a man and being found by passers-by.

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MADELEINE'S PARENTS 'UTTERLY INNOCENT

Madeleine McCann's parents are "utterly" innocent and the focus of the police investigation must return to the hunt to find her, the family spokesman has declared.

Clarence Mitchell, who quit his Civil Service job to help Gerry and Kate McCann, said "rampant" speculation about possible charges against the couple had to end.
Both parents, who stood beside Mr Mitchell, have been questioned by Portuguese police over Madeleine's alleged death, sparking "intense media attention".
Mr Mitchell insisted: "The focus must now move away from the rampant, unfounded and inaccurate speculation of recent days, to return to the child at the very centre of this, Madeleine."
Urging people to keep looking for the girl, he added that suggestions the couple somehow harmed Madeleine accidentally or otherwise "was as ludicrous as it is nonsensical".
The statement comes as the tide of suspicion against the parents appears to be turning.

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said Portuguese newspapers had been speculating that police in the country may have "gone out on a limb" by accusing the couple.
A judge in the town has also refused to order Mrs McCann to return to Portugal for questioning.
The Portuguese press had said Madeleine's mother could be called back to the country in the next few days.
But the judge in the case, Pedro Daniel dos Anjos Frias, has now rejected the prosecutors' request, according to the Correio Da Manha newspaper.
Instead, the couple may be interviewed again this week by British police acting on behalf of the Portuguese authorities.
It is now 138 days since Madeleine went missing from her family's holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz.

'She Could Still Be Alive'

Clarence Mitchell, who has quit his civil service job to work for Gerry and Kate McCann, said speculation about charges against Madeleine's parents had to end. He was live on Sky News outside their home in Rothley.

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Sneaky Simian Sparks Security Scare

Wildlife officials have been struggling to catch a monkey which caused mayhem at an international airport.


The sneaky simian managed to get inside the security area of New Delhi's international airport and forced the closure of the VIP lounge.
The VIP area was partially closed for more than an hour after the monkey scampered through the international departures terminal.
Indian wildlife experts have been trying to capture the mischievous creature.

An airport official explained: "They are giving the monkey fruit to keep it in one area around which a net has been put.
"There was some panic last night, but now since the net has been put up, the monkey is isolated."
The official said the animal entered the building from a hole in the ceiling due to construction at the airport.
It is not unusual for India's exotic animals to cause disruption to transport networks.
Elephants and cows have been known to stop traffic in cities and villages.

Microsoft Loses Out In Euro Appeal Case

Microsoft has lost its courtroom appeal against the biggest single fine ever imposed by the European Commission


The computer software giant had hoped to overturn a £343m penalty for abusing its "dominant position" by effectively keeping rival software firms out of the market.
But Europe's second highest court threw out the appeal, saying it was "beyond dispute" that Microsoft obliged customers to buy its Windows operating system along with the company's Media Player software.
The Commission imposed the fine because it said Microsoft was using its powerful position in the computer software market to keep rivals out.
As well as the fine, Brussels insisted that Microsoft offer Windows without support software - and offer rival firms the necessary communications codes for their own software products to operate with Windows.
The European Court Of First Instance said the fact that Microsoft bundled Windows with its own software and did not charge any extra costs was "irrelevant".

The judges said tying the product together and not providing the necessary technical information to rivals to enter the same market was an abuse of Microsoft's dominant position.
The company is now studying the complex judgment.
It is almost certain to launch another appeal, this time to the European Court Of Justice, the final arbiter in anti-trust cases.
European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said the verdict against Microsoft upheld a landmark Commission campaign to give consumers more choice in computer software markets.
He pointd out: "The decision sets an important precedent in terms of the obligations of dominant companies to allow competition, in particular in high tech industries.
"The ruling shows that the Commission was right to take its decision.
"Microsoft must now comply fully with its legal obligations to desist from engaging in anti-competitive conduct. The Commission will do its utmost to ensure that Microsoft complies swiftly."

MADELEINE DETECTIVE 'QUITS CASE'

The official police spokesman in the Madeleine McCann inquiry has reportedly resigned.


Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa is said to have quit in disgust at the way the missing girl's parents have been treated.
Sky sources said Portuguese police had given their counterparts in the UK 40 questions they want the couple to answer.
Gerry and Kate McCann - who are now back at their home in Rothley in Leicestershire - are expected to be given the list in the next few days.
The couple have been named official suspects in Portugal, and a slew of newspaper reports have linked them to their daughter's disappearance.
They plan to sue one Portuguese paper which said the police believe they killed Madeleine.
Mr Sousa is reportedly upset at leaks to the local press from his officers - leaks which he feels are designed to undermine the couple.
Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "The official line is that he was taken off the case on Friday because he is the police spokesman, and the case has moved from the police to the prosecution.
"But word on the ground is that some people were unhappy about the leaks to the media.
"His phone was switched off at the weekend, which is unusual because he normally answers it."
Madeleine went missing from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3.

Casal McCann lança nova campanha

CERCA DE 100 MIL EUROS PARA ENCONTRAR MADDIE

Gerry e Kate McCann vão relançar a campanha mediática “Find Maddie”, dentro de duas semanas, anunciou ontem a nova assessora do casal, Nathalie Orange. Os pais de Madeleine, que desapareceu a 3 de Maio da Praia da Luz, continuam a defender a tese de que a filha de 4 anos está viva e à guarda de um eventual sequestrador, algures em Portugal ou Espanha. Será nestes dois países que vão investir entre 75 a 110 mil euros num conjunto de plataformas, como cartazes, publicidade e meios televisivos. “O principal objectivo do fundo de Madeleine é o de não deixar uma única pedra por revirar nas buscas. O fundo vai financiar um vasto conjunto de iniciativas de publicidade para lembrar a todos que Madeleine continua desaparecida”, escreve John McCann, irmão do pai da criança, num comunicado reproduzido pela porta-voz. Os McCann já receberam cerca de mil cartas de apoio, desde que foram constituídos arguidos, na semana passada. Os indícios recolhidos pela Polícia Judiciária reforçam as suspeitas de ocultação de cadáver e simulação de rapto. Kate McCann deverá ser ouvida na próxima terça-feira pelas autoridades inglesas. As perguntas do novo interrogatório serão enviadas pelos agentes portugueses.

McRae and son killed in crash

Rally driver Colin McRae and two children - one his five-year-old son - died in the helicopter crash near his country home, police said.
Strathclyde Police said they now know the 39-year-old former world champion, his son Johnny, and two family friends died in the aircraft which burst into flames in Lanark, Scotland, on Saturday afternoon.

The other victims were named as six-year-old Ben Porcelli, of Lanark, and Graeme Duncan, 37, who lived in France.
The Twin Squirrel helicopter which McRae owned came down about 4.10pm, bursting into flames and starting a massive fire.

It was returning to McRae's home at Jerviswood from a nearby visit to the village of Quarter when the aircraft got into difficulty, police said.
Chief Superintendent Tim Love, divisional commander of Strathclyde Police's South Lanarkshire Division, said: "We believe that the group were just returning from a visit to the nearby village of Quarter around 4.05pm yesterday, when it appears that the helicopter got into difficulty and crashed within the grounds of Mr McRae's family home.
"Our officers are working closely with the Air Accident Investigation Team who are presently at the scene.

"Family Liaison Officers have been appointed and are with the families to help them through this distressing and difficult time."
A team of air accident investigators are spending the day at the scene examining the wreckage.
Strathclyde Police initially said that the damage was so bad from the accident that they didn't know how many people were on board. A team of around 40 firefighters were at one point dealing with the fire from the blast.

Going Naked On Ice

Brrrr, it's cold outside!
This brave group of volunteers got naked in the Alps to draw attention to melting glaciers.

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Police Searching For Girl Find Body

Police in Switzerland hunting for a missing five-year-old girl kidnapped in July have found the body of a child.
Authorities in the state of St Gallen said the body was found in woods by a member of the public after animals appeared to have dug it up from the ground.

Specialists have yet to officially identify the body, but criminal investigation chief Bruno Fehr said it is almost surely that of Ylenia Lenhard, who disappeared July 31 in Appenzell, eastern Switzerland

Police have been investigating in nearby St Gallen since finding the body of the suspected kidnapper.
Urs Hans Von Aesch killed himself with a gunshot to the head on the same day as the kidnapping.

Investigators have found evidence that Ylenia was almost certainly in Von Aesch's van.
They have confirmed DNA traces of Van Aesch on the girl's bicycle helmet, backpack and scooter.
The search for the missing girl has been a major story over the past six weeks in Switzerland, mirroring the intense media speculation and public concern generated in Britain by the disappearance in May of four-year-old Madeleine McCann.

MCCANNS THANK PUBLIC FOR THEIR SUPPORT

Kate and Gerry McCann have thanked the public for the support they have received since their daughter Madeleine went missing

The couple issued a statement saying they had received thousands of letters.
"Kate and Gerry McCann today expressed their profound thanks and gratitude to all of those who have shown them their support over the last 136 days," the statement said.
"Kate and Gerry have received thousands of letters from around the world, and the numbers continue to grown week on week.
"They are comforted knowing that Madeleine remains in people's hearts and prayers."
The statement came as the couple attended mass in their home town of Rothley for the first time since returning from Portugal.
The couple walked hand in hand from their home to The Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart.

Their twins, Amelie and Sean, walked a few minutes ahead of them with other family members to avoid being filmed or photographed.
The couple were followed by photographers and camera crews as they made their way from the house.
The pair are under intense media scrutiny at the moment following a week of fevered reporting and speculation in both the Portuguese and British press.
They are officially being treated as suspects by Portuguese police in the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine.
The four-year-old went missing on May 3 from the family's holiday apartment in Portugal.
:: Richard Branson has pledged to give the McCanns £100,000 in legal fees if they are charged.

Friends Come To Kate's Defence

Close friends have described Kate McCann as a devoted mother who could never harm any of her children. They say the McCanns are an 'amazinglly strong' couple and have a tight network of friends and family to support them. David Crabtree reports.

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Rally Driver Feared Dead In Helicopter Crash

Former World Champion rally driver Colin McRae is believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash close to his home in Scotland. Stathclyde police have confirmed four people were on board when the aircraft came down. Angela Corpe reports.

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Rally Driver Feared Dead In Helicopter Crash

Former World Champion rally driver Colin McRae is believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash close to his home in Scotland. Stathclyde police have confirmed four people were on board when the aircraft came down. Angela Corpe reports.

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