Somerset East

Details of the album, which will include the singles
Falling and
Don’t Save Me’ were revealed when the album became
available to pre-order on iTunes on Monday, says
NME.

Haim’s new single
The Wire is confirmed for a September 23 release.

In support of the release, the band will tour extensively
through the end of the year, hitting festivals across the globe and
opening for Phoenix and Mumford and Sons, says
Consequence
of Sound.

The hype began in earnest at the start of this year when the
group were named as the winners of the BBC’s Sound Of… poll,
according to
Live4Ever.

DJ Huw Stephens remarked: “Haim have an unapologetic passion for
music that shines in their songs. They’re brilliant musicians who
have a real talent for tunes that merge their tales of growing up
in the 21st Century with a classic songwriting ability.”

Haim’s bass player Este Haim says she “almost died” when playing
the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury last month.

Este, who is diabetic, told NME after her band’s triumphant
performance that she had forgotten to eat before the lunchtime set.
Recalling what happened on stage, she said that her arms went numb
mid-song and she thought she was going to pass out.

Days Are Gone tracklisting is as follows:

Falling

Forever

The Wire

If I Could Change Your Mind

Honey I

Don’t Save Me

Days Are Gone

My Song 5

Go Slow

Let Me Go

Running If You Call My Name

MONTREAL – A section of a downtown commercial street swallowed a backhoe on Monday as city crews were getting ready to repair a leaky water main.

The backhoe had started to chip at asphalt near the corner of Ste-Catherine and Guy streets when the ground crumbled beneath it and the heavy machine tumbled in.

The driver of the backhoe was not injured but was taken to hospital to be checked out as a precaution, city officials said.

Emilie Miskdjian, a spokeswoman for the Ville-Marie borough, said the city was alerted to the possible water leak on the weekend.

She said preliminary indications were that the leak caused the problem but more inspections needed to be done to find the exact cause.

“We think that the water leak was because of the sewer pipe,” she told reporters. “It’s a broken sewer pipe. That’s what we think but we have to do inspections to see what is really the cause.”

Montreal police quickly blocked off streets around the sinkhole and rerouted traffic away from the stretch of street which is dotted with restaurants and stores.

Metal fences were erected around the hole, where the backhoe remained at an angle as crews figured out how to eventually remove it safely.

Firefighters and gas company workers also milled around the scene, which drew a horde of lunchtime gawkers who snapped pictures of it with their cellphones.

Rahman Esmaili, owner of the Sharx pool bar, was instead assessing damage to his basement-level bar where he says water had been leaking in for more than a week.

He says the city was warned about the problem but replied there were no reports of low water pressure.

“The city completely ignored (it),” he said. “This morning, they decided to come and look at it.”

Esmaili said workers hadn’t been there long before the street caved in. He wondered aloud what would have happened if heavy traffic had been passing over the spot at the moment it collapsed.

“It’s very disturbing,” he said.

Esmaili said he will have to close his business for several days to replace soaked carpeting.

Loading Slideshow

• German Cops Seize ‘Strangest-Looking Convertible’ Pool Car

  On July 22, 2013, German police spotted “a convertible of a slightly different kind.”

  “I saw the strangest-looking convertible I have ever seen – a roofless BMW, without registration plates, bordered around the open top with wooden boards and fake plastic flowers. It was also full of water,” a href=”http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Drunk_inventors_caught_cruising_in_car_pool?WT.mc_id=ON_MEC_A_AffWin_SkimbitWT.tsrc=AffiliateWT.mc_id=ON_MEC_A_AffWin_SkimbitWT.tsrc=Affiliate” target=”_hplink”the unnamed police officer told Orange News/a.

  The officer observed four young men, clad in bathing suits, splashing around inside the bizarre home-made car pool. According to the police report, “All of them appeared drunk.”

  The car had been sealed with a synthetic material and filled with approximately 530 gallons of water.

  One of the men, a 27-year-old who police suspect was driving, returned to the scene to collect his wallet, police obtained a sample of his blood for a blood-alcohol analysis.

  The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed yet.

  Speaking with a href=”http://www.bild.de/bild-plus/news/inland/verkehrsstraftat/polizei-stoppt-rasendes-planschbecken-31511980,view=conversionToLogin.bild.html” target=”_hplink”The Bild newspaper/a, one of the men called the ride a “stupid idea.”

  “It was the first time we drove on a street and we just wanted to have a little fun,” he said.

• Penis Strawberry

  A mother has revealed that she celebrated Andy Murray’s Wimbledon victory with a freshly picked strawberry – shaped like a PENIS. Carole Collen, 52, was pottering about in her garden in Dartford, Kent, this Sunday (7/7) when she spotted the cheekily shaped berry dangling amid her fruit and veg patch. Holding back the laughter she went inside to show her family before taking a quick snap to show her friends. Now the mother-of-two is planning to entering the strawberry into a raffle in a bid to raise money for charity.

• This photo released by the Glendale Police Department shows a black Cadillac that lost control and careened onto the roof of a neighbor’s home on Saturday, March 23, 2013 in Glendale, Calif. The Cadillac driver lost control before leaving his driveway, plunging off a hill “onto the roof of his neighbor’s house directly below his driveway. (Photo courtesy of Glendale Police Department)

• Third Eye Blind

  Tilde Nörgaard, a Swedish sixth grader, is still trying to figure out how she got a third eye in her class photo.

• 150-lb Boulder Crashes Through Car Windshield

  This 150-lb boulder crashed through the windshield of a rental car in Sedona, Az. The passengers, Bob Jaczko and Peter Wilson suffered minor cuts.

• Kid Has LEGO stuck in nose for three years.

  Isaak Lasson can finally breathe easy after three years of sinus problem caused by a single wheel-shaped LEGO that he got stuck up his nose back when he was three.

• Scrapyard Destroys Wrong Car

  Ben Forrer outside Sita UK, a scrap yard in Coventry, today, 25, 2012. Refer to NTI story NTICRUSH. Ben Forrer looked on in horror as a Coventry scrapyard crushed his van by mistake. Ben Forrer had only left his Citroen Relay for a few minutes as he dropped off an old cooker at the Sita yard, in Longford. But workers mistook the van for scrap and began crushing it in the jaws of a mechanical grabber

• Middle Finger Bush

  A bush carved into the shape of a middle-finger has landed a gardener into trouble after somebody failed to share his humour over the shrub. The council received a complaint about the shaped bush eight years after it was carved by Richard Jackson, 53, in his front garden. Despite only receiving one complaint, the council have since contacted Richard to alter the bush as it is considered a public offence. But Richard, from Tamworth, Staffs, said his neighbours are backing his pledge to keep the bush and they have even began a Save the Bush campaign to support him. Credit: Caters News

• Cathedral Licker

  A man has made a 5,000 mile pilgrimage to every Anglican cathedral in England so he can give them a good LICKING. Lawrence Edmonds has staked his claim as Britains first every cathedral licker by tongue tickling an incredible 42 in less than two years. Christian approval, Polish condemnation, and looks of confusion from a flock of Dutch tourists have all been experienced by Lawrence on his epic journey Back in January 2011, Lawrences friend Adam challenged him to a bet- that he couldnt lick every Anglican cathedral in the UK within five years. Credit: Caters News

• Baobab Tree Sculpture

  Mike De Butts adds the finishing touches to a giant Baobab Tree sculpture entitled ‘Under the Baobab’, outside the Southbank Centre on May 24, 2012 in London, England. The Pirate Technics’ installation is made from a selection of brightly coloured fabrics from around the world, and is part of the Southbank Centre’s ‘Festival of the World’ exhibition, which includes a series of large scale pieces of art that will be in place around the Southbank centre over the Summer.

• My Little Ponies

  Some of Sarah’s ponies. Sarah Butler, 28 from Barnsley, Yorkshire has been collecting 1980’s My Little Ponies for 24 years and now has over 1,000 of them as well as having a themed room in her house including My Little Pony curtains, bedspread and other collectables.

• Rapunzel Hair

  Natasha Moraes de Andrade, 12, is nicknamed Rapunzel because her hair is more than 5 feet long — just one and a half inches shorter than her height. In March, she planned to cut and sell the locks for some $2,600 to help get her family in Rio De Janeiro out of poverty.

• Moscow City Lights

  Swirling colors of city lights from a 900ft crane fill the Moscow skyline. Photographer D. Chistoprudov boards the crane, which is being used to build a skyscraper called Federation, and takes pictures over a period of two hours. Chistoprudov, 28, starts taking the swirling snaps around 1am and battles freezing weather to remain completely still so not to ruin the careful process. (Caters News / ZUMA Press)

• iPoo

  The sleek design, the impressive functionality, the distinctive logo – was it only a matter of time before Apple redesigned the humble toilet with the iPoo? The iPoo is literally a case of toilet humour and Belgrade designer Milos Paripovic makes the tongue-in-cheek claim his work isn’t intentionally related to the Apple brand.

• Tamaseseri Festival

  Naked men wearing only loincloths vie for a wooden treasure ball weighing eight kilos to bring good fortune, during the Tamaseseri festival at Hakozaki shrine in Fukuoka, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on Jan. 3, 2012. Two teams of farmers and fishermen competed for the rich harvest or largest catch at a festival that dates back some 500 years.

• Snow Church

  Visitors stand around a snow church just after its inauguration on Dec. 28, 2011 in Mitterfirmiansreut, Germany. The circa 25 meters long church was made of 1,400 cubic meters of snow and aims to commemorate the winter of the years 1910/1911, when so much snow fell that believers of Mitterfirmiansreut were no more able to go to church in the neighboring community of Mauth. So they decided to build their own church, made of snow. (Armin Weigel, AFP / Getty Images)

• Snow Church

  Visitors stand around a snow church just after its inauguration on Dec. 28, 2011 in Mitterfirmiansreut, Germany. The circa 25 meters long church was made of 1,400 cubic meters of snow and aims to commemorate the winter of the years 1910/1911, when so much snow fell that believers of Mitterfirmiansreut were no more able to go to church in the neighboring community of Mauth. So they decided to build their own church, made of snow. (Armin Weigel, AFP / Getty Images)

• Heine Braeck, 33, from Sarpsborg, Norway, has been without an right arm since he lost it during a freak accident when he was 13. Now he has decided to make the stump look like a dolpin’s head with the help of Bulgarian tattooist Valio Ska.

• Giant Slipper

  A man who ordered a special slipper to fit his oversized foot was sent a size 1,450 – after manufacturers failed to spot a decimal point in his order. Tom Boddingham, 27, has a size 13 right foot while his left is slightly bigger and measures a size 14-and-a-half. But when he ordered his custom-fit slipper manufacturers in China misread size 14.5 and accidently made a whopping 7ft long size 1,450

• Eight-year-old girl is world’s youngest drag racer

  Eight-year-old girl Belle Wheeler has become the youngest drag racer in the world — just two days after her eighth birthday. The pint-sized dragster then went onto compete against youngsters more than twice her age and qualified for the UK National Finals.

• Lawn Mower Endurance Race

  Competitors race in the 12-hour Lawn Mower Endurance Race on September 24, 2011 in Billingshurst, England. First started in 1973 as a motorsport that would be accessible to as many as possible, this year’s competition included more than 30 teams including some from South Africa, America and Luxembourg.

• Pumpkin Art

  An employee arranges pumpkins to form a fish at the pumkin exhibition of the asparagus and experience farm Buschmann and Winkelmann in Klaistow near Beelitz, northeastern Germany on August 31, 2011. The exhibition will start on September 1 , 2011, with over 100,000 pumkins in 400 different varieties.

• Cable Car High Wire

  High wire artist Freddy Nock balances as he walks up on the rope of a Zugspitze cable car in Grainau near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern Germany, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. Nock walked up the 995 meters long rope with an altitude difference of 348 meters aiming at collecting money for the UNESCO. He is attempting to set a new world record by doing seven summits in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in seven days. It took him about 90 minutes to arrive on top of Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany.

• Third Story Exit

  A 16-ton salt spreader blasted through the fifth-floor wall of a Queens Sanitation Department garage and came within inches of plummeting 50 feet to the street. The driver survived the spectacular 9:30 am crash, which sent bricks and debris raining down on cars parked outside the Maspeth repair facility, but spent 15 terrified minutes dangling in the cab of the bright orange vehicle. It’s unclear how driver Robert Legall, a 10-year Sanitation veteran with a clean record, lost control of the big rig. “There are signs up there warning drivers to slow down,” Commissioner John Doherty told the New York Post. “He’s familiar with the rules. We think it was just an unfortunate accident.”

• Speed Record Spins Out

  Driver Joe Wales crashes through the surf after veering off course during an attempt on the British land speed record for battery-powered vehicles in the Bluebird Electric on Pendine Sands on August 14, 2011 in Pendine, Wales. Driver Joe Wales and his father, fellow driver Don Wales, come from a famous family who have been setting land and water speed records since 1924. Don holds the current UK record of 137 miles an hour in an electric vehicle.

• Giant Cabbage

  Harrogate Autumn Flower show Director Martin Fish with a giant cabbage, as he introduced a series of new classes for Giant Vegetables to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Show. Giant onions, tomatoes and many others will all compete for the top prize of the biggest vegetable.

• Keep Claer

  An incorrectly spelled “Keep Clear” road marking is pictured in Kingswinford, on August 3, 2011 in West Midlands, England.

• Etna Volcano lava

  Lava spewed from a crater of the giant Etna volcano in the southern Italy island of Sicily on July 30, 2011 in Catania. The lava flown into a valley overnight and did not represent a danger to inhabited areas. Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe at 3,295 metres (10,810 feet) which last eruption was in May.

• Killer Plant Eats Bird

  An exotic plant expert was stunned when he inspected one of his garden
  pitcher plants and discovered it had eaten a blue tit.
  Prize winning Nigel Hewitt Cooper one of Britain’s leading carnivorous plant
  growers, from West Pennard, Somerset, couldn’t believe his eyes when he
  checked the Nepenthes x mixta or Monkey Cup pitcher and found the dead bird
  inside.
  Normally the plants which are native to south east Asia consume insects
  which thy attract by secreting a sticky, sweet fluid at the bottom of the
  pitcher.
  Sometimes in the wild they have been known to kill small mammals like mice
  but Mr Hewitt Cooper who regularly wins prizes at the Chelsea flower show
  says for a cultivate plant to capture a bird is incredible.

• Giant Mermaid

  A man adjusts a sculpture “Giant Mermaid” on the Alster lake in the northern German city of Hamburg on August 1, 2011. The sculpture is created by art and advertising agency headed by Oliver Voss.

• Huge Pastry

  People look at a huge khachapuri (Georgian cheese pastry) in central Batumi on July 28, 2011. The cake was baked using 100 eggs, 90 kilograms of cheese, 150 kilograms of flour, has 8 meters length and was eaten within 1minute 32 seconds by people at a street.

• Velomobiles

  Velomobiles, recumbent bicycles with sleek, colorful outer shells, head for the open road in Portland, Ore., Thursday, July 28, 2011. Twenty five riders from Europe and twenty five riders from North America are on a cross-country trip which will finish on the U.S. Capitol steps in Washington D.C. on August 26. The bikers are trying to spread the message that sustainable, clean transportation can be fun.

• Bobblehead Bishop

  Erie Catholic Bishop Donald W. Trautman has been immortalized in miniature with a bobblehead doll made in his likeness. The bobblehead comes as Trautman prepares to end his tenure as bishop of Erie.

• Canadian bubble artist

  Canadian bubble artist Yang Fan, who has set world record by packing 118 people inside a soap bubble, performs at the Gazillion bubble show in Beijing on July 19, 2011. Yang has earned international acclaim as a result of his complex displays of “bubble theater”. In addition to performing he has developed his own bubble solution formulas and equipment to create bubbles.

• Giant Marilyn

  Newly-wed bride Magda Villasenor looks at “Forever Marilyn”, a sculpture by Seward Johnson, on July 15, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The stainless steel and aluminum sculpture, which stands 26 feet tall and weighs 34,000 pounds, will be on display in Chicago through the spring of 2012. The sculpture was inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s iconic scene in the 1955 movie “Seven Year Itch”.

• Hot Dog Hot Rod

  The iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile vehicle is seen outside of the New York Stock Exchange as part of its day-long 75th birthday celebration, Monday, July 18, 2011. To commemorate the milestone, the Oscar Mayer brand rang the closing bell at NYSE. (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Oscar Mayer)

• Harry Potter Corn Maze

  An aerial view of Top Pearsy’s Maize Maze in the shape of Harry Potter, on July 11, 2011 in York, England. Farmer Tom Pearcy has cut two portraits of Harry Potter in his crop of maize plants. With some subtle differences the two images create the world’s largest spot the difference competition. At over 50m in diameter, and cut out of over 1 million living maize plants, the York Maze is the largest ‘Maize Maze’ in Europe and one of the largest in the world.

• Recycled Sailboat

  A sail boat made of recycled material makes its maiden voyage to mark World Oceans Day in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

• Pontiac Deluxe Six ‘Ghost Car’

  An extraordinary transparent car could fetch as much as GBP 295,000 when it goes up for auction.The motor, dubbed the ‘Ghost Car’, is a Pontiac Deluxe Six which has been covered in Plexiglas. The first transparent full-sized car to be made in America, it was built in 1939 by General Motors and chemical company Rohm and Haas. Billed as a vision of the future, it was a sensation at the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair and continues to cause a stir today. Just two were ever made and this model, which has a three-speed manual transmission, is thought to be the last of its kind. It has clocked up just 86 miles in its lifetime; and now its set to go on sale for the first time since the early 1980s. It last sold for an undisclosed amount. American auctioneers RM expect it to sell for between $275,000 and $475,000.

• Serbian Brides Race

  Serbian women take part in a wedding dress race in downtown Belgrade on June 19, 2011. More than fifty “brides” took part in an annual wedding dress race in the Serbian capital, competing for numerous prizes. (Andrej Isakovic, AFP/Getty Images)

• World Naked Bike Ride

  People take part in the annual “London World Naked Bike Ride” event in central London on June 11, 2011. Now in it’s eighth year, the event has seen participation grow from 58 in 2004 to 1,200 in 2009. Taking a route that passes many of London’s most famous landmarks, the ride allows those participating to decorate their body with messages of protest against oil dependancy and motor vehicle usage.

• Hanging Around

  British artist Alice Newstead hangs by shark hooks during her demonstration to protest against shark slaughter in Hong Kong on June 14. The protest was organized by marine conservation group Shark Savers, and supported by Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics who are launching a global campaign to protect the sharks.

• Reptile House

  Diska Putra, holds one of his snakes in bed at home on June 10, 2011 in Bintan, Indonesia. Putra, 24, cohabitates in Indonesian with a collection of 30 snakes, some of which are deadly poisonous.

• Monkey God

  An Indian priest walks outside the temple of Hindu monkey God Hanuman in New Delhi early June 12, 2011. The highly popular monkey-god Hanuman known for his strength is worshipped for his unyielding devotion and selfless dedication to the Lord Rama.

• Big Baby

  Ron Mueck’s ‘Big Baby’ sculpture is displayed in front of Jenny Saville’s painting ‘Interfacing’ at the Masterpieces Exhibition at Christie’s on June 13, 2011 in London, England.

• Drunken Knight

  A would-be knight who tried to woo a maiden by riding into her home on a horse is facing five years behind bars for aggravated burglary. Lovelorn Jan Rudnicki, 40, hatched the scheme to bowl over divorcee Gosia Domoslawska after a night’s drinking down his local bar in Jarnoltowka, Poland. But terrified Gosia, 36, dialed 999 when her drunken suitor – stripped to the waist – galloped up her garden path and smashed his way through the front door like a battering ram.

• Sideshow Fat Man Dies

  Bruce Snowdon, the last sideshow fat man, was honored in a memorial service on Jan. 30, 2010. Snowdon performed as “Harold Huge,” and weighed 607 pounds (though by some billing he tipped the scale at 712 pounds). Here he is with fellow sideshow star Peter Terhurne, a fire-eating dwarf.

• So, What Do You Do For a Living?

  Mexican tattoo artist and trained lawyer Maria Jose Cristerna, known as “Vampire Woman”, attends the Fifth International Tattoo Convention in Bogota, Colombia, on June 4, 2011.

• It’s All Fun And Games…

  A Sufi Kalandar (wandering ascetic) performs an act of self torture during devotion at the annual death anniversary of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, India on June 2.

• Indian spiritual guru Swami Baba Ramdev

  Indian spiritual guru Swami Baba Ramdev performs yoga during his hunger strike at the Pitanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar, some 240kms from New Delhi, on June 7, 2011. India’s embattled prime minister on June 7 defended a police crackdown on a peaceful anti-graft demonstration led by a famous yoga guru, saying authorities had been left with no choice.

• Kwok Mang Ho

  Chinese artist Kwok Mang Ho performs during the 54th International Art Exhibition in Venice on June 1, 2011. The Biennale entitled Illuminazioni that will open to the public from June 4th to November 27th 2011, in the Giardini and the Arsenale exhibition venues, as well as in various other locations around the city.

• Tweet
• 
  
• 

Anthony Weiner’s account of the number of text messages he sent to a then-17-year-old girl in 2011 differs substantially from the number of tweets that the girl and her family said they received.

Weiner and the family of Margaret Henning also gave conflicting accounts of the contents of those private messages during a police investigation of the former New York congressman’s relationship with the girl.

Henning’s mother Donna Synnamon, an unnamed family member and Weiner have all given contradictory accounts of just how many private messages Henning received from the congressman, with the mother saying she got two messages, the family member three, and Weiner saying he sent five.

Henning, now 19, was a high school student in Delaware, and is currently enrolled in the Arizona State University. Neither she nor her family returned repeated requests for comment.

Henning was one of many young women with whom Weiner maintained furtive Twitter relationships while he was in Congress. She is the only one known to have been underage at the time.

Weiner, whose campaign for New York City mayor is collapsing, has been back in the news following revelations that he continued sexual Twitter relationships with an unknown number of women even after he resigned from Congress in disgrace. Weiner has declined to say definitely that he no longer sexts with strange women today.

The new revelations and Weiner’s determination to keep himself in the public eye have brought new attention to unanswered questions about his behavior two years ago.

In June 2011 New Castle County police visited the Wilmington home of Henning and her mother. At the time, Henning gave conflicting accounts of how many messages she received. Henning told FoxNews.com’s Jana Winter that she was “doing OK” after the police visit.

The police did take, and later returned, the girl’s laptop. A records officer from the New Castle County police department declined to give out any other information about the case, saying that this reporter needed to file a subpoena to get the police logs.

When news of Weiner’s having sent her lewd messages surfaced, Henning quickly blocked her account and changed her twitter handle @maggiehenning, but at the end of the month, she returned to Twitter, tweeting, “I didn’t do shit and I’m in no way involved in your political bullshit.” She later deleted the account.

Henning is a political liberal and a supporter of gay marriage, but she works for Chick Fil-A in the Concord Mall and supports drug-testing welfare recipients, according to her Facebook page. She works with her boyfriend’s mother, Gretchen Trotter, who is a pro-Second Amendment, pro-life Blaze reader.

Henning is pictured on her Facebook page with Dan Cathy, president and COO of Chick Fil-A, with the caption, “We really don’t agree on a single thing, except for a love of chicken and outstanding service.”

‘RepWeiner you used to follow me don’t forget me!!!’

• Tweet
• 
  
• 

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama told House Democrats Wednesday morning that they should not believe everything in the Huffington Post, referring to the liberal publication’s critiques of Larry Summers, the President’s former economic advisor whom he is now considering as a possible chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Rep. Brad Sherman of California told reporters after the meeting that Obama offered a “spirited defense of Larry Summers,” after Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado voiced some concerns about his possible nomination.

Asked what, specificially, Obama had said, Sherman replied: “Not to believe everything you read in the Huffington post.”

“And,” he went on, “that it’s unfair to criticize Summers for the fact that the stimulus bill wasn’t even larger because who amongst us thinks that you could have passed a larger stimulus bill. And, you know, lauded Larry for his incredible hard work in the administration.”

“He wasn’t there to tell us who he was going to pick as chair of the Fed, just that Larry Summers deserves thanks for his work and recognition of his ability,” Sherman added.

Follow Alexis on Twitter

Durham are handed t20 tie they wanted

9:31am Friday 2nd August 2013 in Sport

By Tim Wellock

INTERNATIONAL VENUE: England’s James Anderson bowls to Shane Watson as Test match cricket returns to the venue, during day one of the third Ashes Test match at Old Trafford yesterday. It will be the North-East’s turn to host the Ashes when the fourth

DURHAM were handed the tie they craved in the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals when they were drawn away to Northamptonshire next Tuesday evening.

The hosts will be without their leading run scorer in the competition, Richard Levi, after he received a call-up for South Africa A.

Durham will move straight on to Northampton after finishing their LV County Championship match against Middlesex at Lord’s, which starts today and is scheduled to end on Monday.

After squeezing through as one of the two best thirdplaced teams in the three groups, Durham were certain to have an away tie. But Hampshire, Surrey and Nottinghamshire would surely have provided tougher opposition and Durham will now fancy their chances of reaching finals day at Edgbaston on August 17.

Levi, who had a top score of 110 not out as Northants surprisingly topped their group, is required for a one-day triangular event with the A teams from Australia and India in Pretoria.

The Steelbacks’ second highest t20 scorer has been ex- Durham player Kyle Coetzer with 275 runs at an average of 30.55, closely followed by former Australia T20 captain Cameron White.

White had a hugely successful season with Somerset in 2006 and went on to play in four Tests in 2008, but now seems to be regarded as a oneday specialist.

He scored 71 in 48 balls in the win away to Glamorgan which clinched top spot for Northants, although they then lost their unbeaten home record in the final group game against Worcestershire.

The fact that they lost that game by 37 runs will boost Durham’s confidence, although the Steelbacks did rest the two bowlers who have taken most of the wickets, Pakistani Muhammad Azharullah and David Willey.

South African all-rounder Andrew Hall, who has just turned 38, has recently returned from injury and is also likely to feature against Durham.

When the two sides were in the same group two years ago, Durham won by nine wickets at Northampton. They restricted the hosts to 124 for nine then knocked off the runs in 16.1 overs with Phil Mustard unbeaten on 61.

The return fixture was the last group game, in which Northants had no interest.

They sent a weakened side and were all out for 47, Paul Collingwood recording Durham’s best t20 figures of five for six.

Collingwood will have to decide whether to return for the quarter-final after missing all but the first two group games with his thumb injury.

He will return to action at Lord’s today as Durham embark on the final seven matches of what promises to be an exciting climax to the championship programme.

Third in the table, they have a game in hand and are 4.5 points ahead of Middlesex, who got back into the title race by beating second-placed Sussex by ten wickets at Hove in their last match.

The battle between Graham Onions and Steven Finn, both left out of the squad for the third Test, will be a focal point.

Durham had the better of the contest when the sides met at the Emirates ICG in May, but a day’s rain cost them a likely win.

Collingwood set Middlesex a target of 304 in 51 overs and they finished on 165 for six after Chris Rogers made 54 and Joe Denly 73 not out.

Rogers is now with the Australia squad and has been replaced by countryman Adam Voges.

Middlesex are also likely to include England one-day international Eoin Morgan, while Durham have preferred young off-spinner Ryan Buckley to Gareth Breese.

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President Donald Ramotar today declared that the “stalled” opposition-controlled Parliament is like a wound on the body politic that has to be resisted.

Speaking at the PPP’s 30^th congress at Port Mourant, Ramotar implored the party faithful to fight any opposition attempts to retard progress and he said members must “rise, reorganize and rebuild”.

The text of his presentation follows:

Address by His Excellency Donald Ramotar at the 30th Congress

of the People’s Progressive Party

Comrades

Delegates and observers

Delegates from fraternal parties

Members of the Diplomatic Corps

Distinguished Invitees

Comrades and Friends all

 

I wish to join my colleague Irfaan Ali in extending a warm welcome all of you to the Opening of the 30th Congress of the People’s Progressive Party.

Today, I stand before you as a proud member of the PPP, who, like many of you, worked tirelessly to build and strengthen this Party so that we can create a better future for our children, grand children and the future generations.

And while I – like you – live in hope and dream of peace, we must never forget where we have come from and the dark spectre of the past where all of us – Amerindians, Africans, Indians, Portuguese, Chinese and everything else in between – were shackled in under development and abuse.

We are meeting in this year full of many significant anniversaries of our people’s struggles and sacrifices:  the 250th Anniversary of the Berbice Slave Uprising; the 190th Anniversary of the Demerara Uprising; the 175th Anniversary of the arrival of Indentured labourers from India, the 175th Anniversary of the final abolition of slavery; the 100th Anniversary of the Rose Hall Rebellion and the 65th Anniversary of the Enmore Martyrs and the 40th anniversary of our Ballot box heroes.

These struggles are our history.  They have marked our character and distinguished us as a people and nation.

Speaking of sacrifice, let us not forget Comrade Balram Kanhai who was murdered here eleven years ago at our 27th Congress.

As a father, I cannot even begin to contemplate the terrible pain of his family that the years since will have done nothing to ease.

While time will help to dull the pain, no amount of speeches and no amount of condolences will ever fill the space in his family. But let us please honour that loss and grieve with his family.

Even though his sacrifice was extreme it was not solitary. Nor was it in vain.

In the eleven years since he left us much has been achieved.  We have worked tirelessly to build our democracy, grow our economy and give the people of Guyana the opportunities they deserve.

The effects of our programmes can be felt across the whole of our country.

We have achieved economic growth and wealth creation that is the envy of many countries and we will continue to exert ourselves to improve on those performances.

We have invested in our hospitals, in our roads, in our schools and in our people  and  we will continue to leave no stone unturned to provide more of these vital physical and social infrastructure so indispensable to advance Guyana and to lift the quality of life of our people.

This investment has made a huge positive difference to the lives of all our people – directly and indirectly. Comrades, there have been visible improvements in our country’s landscape and you can attest to these changes.

The Takutu Bridge to Brazil, the Berbice Bridge have both been completed and are now operational.

New and resurfaced highways and roadways have been completed or are under construction from New Amsterdam to Moleson Creek, in Black Bush Polder, in East and West Canje, on the East Coast of Demerara from Better Hope to Belfield and on the East Bank of Demerara from Providence to Diamond.

Major road upgrades will commence shortly on the West Coast of Demerara from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, and on the East Bank of Berbice from Stanleytown to Everton.

Community roads have been rehabilitated in almost every village throughout our coast.  In fact, we too few contactors and need more to execute all our road works that we have.

Our stellings have been upgraded at Parika and Supenaam and new ferries introduced on the Parika to Supenaam route reducing travel time vastly while enhancing the comfort of our  commuters, and we are working to have a new ferry to ply the Georgetown/Mabaruma route.

A new airport with an extended runway is under development at Timehri and a second international airport has been brought into operation at Ogle.  Indeed, the Ogle International Airport runway has been extended and improved and the first international commercial flight landed just last month – a promising preview of many more such arrivals that will bring our country tourism, investment and, I very much hope, new friends.

In addition, preparatory work is being done in the development of a new bridge across the Demerara River and on a second entrance into Georgetown from Diamond to ease the evident congestion that has arisen from the rapid development of the East Bank of Demerara corridor. Only two nights ago a large amount of Guyanese could not make it in time to the stadium to see a beautiful opening of that match when I drove the ball through the covers.

In social infrastructure, new schools and dormitories have been built at Mabaruma, Aurora, Parika, Diamond, No. 8 Village West Coast Berbice, No. 79 Village, Paramakatoi, and Surama.

New hospitals and health facilities have been commissioned at Georgetown, Linden, Mabaruma and Lethem.

There is the new National Ophthalmology Hospital at Port Mourant and new diagnostic and treatment centres at Suddie, Leonora, Diamond and Mahaicony.

Water treatment plants have been constructed at Lima, Vergenoegen, Cotton Tree, Sophia, No. 56 Village and Queenstown, Berbice.  Water wells have been sunk at Hague, Somerset, Parfait Harmonie, Tuschen, Diamond, Manchester, No. 47 Village, and Rose Hall.

And let us not forget the tens of thousands of new house lots that have been, and are being developed across the country in places such as Diamond and Grove, affordable home ownership, including extension of tax breaks to people paying interest on low and middle income housing loans.

Since 2008, an additional 28,474 house lots have been distributed, 236 core houses and 80 Turnkey houses have been constructed.

Indeed since we first came to power, over a hundred thousand house lots have been distributed to the Guyanese people – bringing home ownership within the reach of almost every single Guyanese family.

 

In the electricity sector, two new power plants have been commissioned at Kingston, along with substations at Vreed-en-Hoop, Edinburg and Kingston, an upgraded transmission and distribution system was commissioned from Kingston to Sophia. Sub-marine cables have been laid from Kingston to Vreed-en-Hoop and from Vreed-en-Hoop to Edinburg and Canefield to No. 53 Village and are also under construction from Georgetown to Onverwagt.

In addition, under an ambitious hinterland electrification system, 12,351 solar panels have been distributed to households in the interior bringing electricity to those homes for the very first time.

Now amongst all of those numbers and names, it is easy to get ‘lost in the progress’.

And whilst we are proud of the projects we have completed so far, we must never forget what all the hard work is for. And I say to you comrades, as a member of the PPP, as a proud Guyanese man and a family man – all of our hard work is for you – the people, the families and the children and future children of Guyana.  Every project I talk of today is for directly for that. All of the sweat, the frustrations, the efforts that have gone into making these things happen are for the sole purpose of making life better for the people of Guyana, and to make sure there is a brighter future for our country.

Brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, we must never forget what our work is for, and it is for you and your families.

As a family man, I am very lucky to have a wonderful partner of 39 years. I think she needs congratulations. I am also lucky to have three wonderful children fully committed to securing a better life for all future generations of Guyanese.  I am committed to securing better healthcare, better schools, better jobs, better transportation and security to all families.

This is my dream and we as the PPP will do everything in our power to make this dream a reality.

But let me get you to pause for a moment to briefly recall what things were like.

Not so long ago, in the pre-1992 days our teachers hardly had chalk to use in the schools, our medical services were abysmal, shortages of drugs, of housing that led to overcrowding was the order of the day particularly in urban areas.  Shortage of electricity led to black outs, we are still having some blackouts, but nothing like what we had when people used to scream after being in darkness for two weeks, when they got light.

Recall too the long lines for very basic food items and the galloping inflation that eroded workers’ wages.

These great changes are often overlooked as we mature into a more developed nation. But every now and then we should reflect on how far we have come as a blossoming country on the cusp of much greater things.

 

Our achievement at home is also reflected in our international achievements – many of them brought about thanks to the assistance and cooperation of many international partners, some of their representatives sitting right here today.

First of all, we have made great strides in improving the relations with our neighbours in Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela.

As many of you would know it was under the PPP administration that the Guyana/Brazil Bridge was negotiated and brought to fruition and we are now seeking to do the same with Suriname.

Our relations with Brazil continue to strengthen through the current negotiations over development of the Deep Water Harbour, a Guyana Brazil road and the development of cheap energy, and we must also remember that our relationship with Venezuela has come a far way, and for that we must thank late President Chavez for his efforts in improving our relations. And that has been deepened by our work in Petrocaribe and our trading arrangements with Venezuela.

Indeed just this past month, we joined MERCOSUR as an associate member, paving the way for greater partnership with our South American neighbours and linking us to some of the biggest and fastest growing economies in the world.

Further afield, it was just a few weeks ago that our achievements were recognised by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation which awarded us – and I mean us, all of us,  every single individual in this country for achieving the first Millennium Development Goal three years ahead of schedule.  The fact that we are also one of the seventeen countries in the world that has not only reduced poverty but increased nutrition for our people was also recognised by the United Nations.

Over this period the democracy we sacrificed so much for has been reinforced.  It stood at the heart of our many achievements internally and externally.  It is now not just about elections, but of people’s involvement, accountability and transparency.

From standing committees that invite government ministers and senior public servants to present and explain their work, to more robust initiatives to encourage debate, we have built a thriving democracy.

Yes, we have achieved much in recent times. But also much has changed. On my way here today I was reflecting on the changes since our last meeting five years ago in Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.

At that time we had secured the second largest victory in our history and as a party were faced with a political landscape more stable, constructive and united than it is today.

Five years ago Guyana’s external debt had declined by 46%, we had just received EU support to reform the sugar industry, we were reporting our highest rice exports in 10 years, we had signed a security agreement with Brazil to develop that sector and had successfully sold off some non-performing government assets.

 

Five years ago, we were forging ahead with plans and ideas to move Guyana forward as a developing nation.

These plans remain in place and as always, spring from the moral foundations established by our own party from its inception with comrade Cheddi Jagan the head, whose legacy is very much evident today and in this hall.

His principles of social justice, of hard work and labour, of unity in the face of division and of investment in the people of Guyana are, and have been and will always be what this party is all about.

As the People’s Progressive Party we have a duty to fight for these principles and never to relent – even in the face of an uncompromising and uncomprehending opposition.  I make this personal commitment that I, as President and Head of State, will not relent. And as General Secretary of your party, I commit you, members of the People’s Progressive Party, to never ever relent either.

We cannot afford to do so because we strive for the people, and it is their dreams that we were elected to protect, foster and realise.   We will press forward.

But we do face challenges. And in the face of those challenges we must be resolute.  We must not allow those who seek to reduce our parliament to a farce and impede our efforts to invest in our future to win, for what they fail to see is that every time they pat themselves on the back for supposedly embarrassing the government, it is in fact a defeat for the brighter future they claim to want for our people.

For the progress that we have made, it is not invincible, it is not irreversible, it has to be defended every day, it must be reinforced and pushed yet further. It relies on investing in our people, and it is this investment that has come under threat by the opposition’s nonsensical stance that growth can be achieved by cutting investment.

In fact their plans have nothing to do with growth and everything to do with cutting the PPP’s nose to spite the face of all of Guyana.

Since 2011, the opposition has sought to continually block our proposals; they tried to denigrate our ideals and attempt to use Parliament to block social and economic progress.  They voted to cut from the 2012 budget most areas that affect people’s lives. They voted down contract workers. They voted down the solar panel project or people in the interior stopping Amerindian communities from enjoying basic services to which all people are entitled. They voted down the Amerindian Land Titling stopping people in those communities from developing their own projects and creating their own wealth.

 

In fact, they have voted down pretty much everything they can find that is ambitious, planned and good for the people of Guyana.

Indeed the opposition have made it abundantly clear that they do not care about the people of Guyana as a whole or even the people who supported them.

This was most deplorably demonstrated last year in Linden where they conspired to foster disruptions and unrest that impacted in a hugely negative way on the life and businesses of their supposed constituents.

The deaths that occurred there were a tragedy for all of us and my heart goes out to their families – and like the Kanhai family they deserve our thoughts and our sympathy.

This year they have continued to demonstrate that they are unfit to lead our nation. With Minister Singh having developed a budget that could have boosted the economy, creating thousands of new jobs and put in place the building blocks for the future of Guyana, the opposition again stalled parliament and put the brakes on development, but cutting $31bln out of the Budget.

I understand and sympathise with many Guyanese I meet who daily  who come up to tell me, “Mr. President – parliament not working, boy,” and  “Parliament messing up things,” and that is relating to some of the less colourful statements I have heard.

This is a serious issue.   In fact it is a wound on the body politic of our nation. It is a wound and one that is festering and reopening every time a sensible, moral and costed development project is stalled because the Opposition wants to hold back progress, or the cheap publicity or promoting agendas inimical to our people.

We have to resist these acts vigorously.

We must therefore rise, reorganise and rebuild – as someone once said – share ideas, define the points of disagreement and overcome these whilst continuing to deliver development for all.

To take but one recent example, it is beyond comprehension that the opposition cannot agree to pass a project like Amaila that is so universally beneficial for Guyana, so sound in its financial viability and so badly needed for the future of our country. A project that the opposition themselves were in favour of a year ago – a year ago they voted for it and all the talk now, that they are making about transparency – they didn’t say that a year ago. They did not make those points.  We gave them three opportunities to brief them on all the technical details, we gave them every opportunity to ask us very question and in parliament there was not a single question that they asked that remain unanswered, none was avoided, all were confronted and they were all given. What we are hearing today is sheer excuses.

And it is so disingenuous to bandy about figures – the vast majority of them completely false – that are not comparable to what is, and what we are trying to achieve. I remember comrade Cheddi Jagan used to say that there are lies and statistics that is what the opposition is trying to throw at us.

 

This project has been in the work for decades, inspected and approved by professional economists from national agencies, private companies and our international development partners.

This project has been costed and designed by the best project planners the nation and region have to offer, and reviewed and approved by the most credible agencies and financing institutions in the world. The Blackstone Group is no ordinary group; it is a company with more than $200Billion at their disposal.  This project has been called for by countless energy sector experts, all of whom agree that Amaila will bring opportunities and prosperity to our country and our people.

No villages will be displaced by our plans, no longer will we have to rely on fossil fuel for energy and after two decades, it is us, the people of Guyana that will own this project.

During that time, before the 20 years, the people of Guyana will save enormously in importation bill for fuel and will have more disposable income in their pockets, because electricity rates will be cut by up to 40 %. See this as an achievement in our future, an investment in the future of our people, but if the opposition will not put the people first, then it is we – the People’s Progressive Party that must do so and compensate for their opposition –we have to therefore work harder.

There is only one hope for Guyana – and that lies right here in this hall with us.

We must continue to battle against this force that could not even pass something as universally popular and needed as the firearm bill earlier this year that was designed to take off a lot of guns from off our streets.

We must not only battle, but we must win, and we can win and we will win.

And we will do so because it is putting the people – and not ourselves – first, that is the very principle on which our party is based.

So the opposition will not pass a bill that seeks to control gun violence – we will continue to push them to do so while employing other means to fight crime.

Through our communities and through increased efforts to bolster, improve and assist the brave men and women in our force who put their lives on the line to protect our families and our children, we will find all the ways to support them to fight the criminals.

The government can do some, but it is the party that must do more.

 

I stress here that the People’s Progressive Party must be the party of understanding, the party of empathy, the party that shares the pain and the ambitions of families across Guyana – and indeed of Guyanese across the world, irrespective of race, creed and irrespective of their politics.

We must stand up – you must stand up – and be the light that the people of Guyana must turn to.

Believe me; we will press on with our plans.  We will reinforce our principles.  And we will renew the people’s confidence in us.

Comrades, some of you know me very well, and I, like all of you are family people, am a husband, a brother, am a father and am a friend and so whilst we are right to be proud of our projects and achievements to date, we must never forget that we have to work together.

You know, if I could have one wish in my life it would be to know that my time spent serving this beautiful country and our party would result in me helping to leave in place a better future for my children and grandchildren and great grandchildren, and I suspect the same is true for all of you here in this hall today.

So join me in making that wish come true – let us live the dream that unites us across the ages with Cheddi Jagan like the golden thread: We must fight and achieve better healthcare for our people, better schools for our children, better security for the nation, better electricity, better infrastructure, better jobs, and a better Guyana.

This process starts now, it starts today, it starts right here and thank you for being a part of it.

 

August 2, 2013

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On Wednesday’s “Hardball” on MSNBC, host Chris Matthews continued his attack on Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, but this time took it a step further.

Matthews had been comparing Cruz to former Wisconsin Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy over the past few weeks based on his looks and demeanor. But Matthews introduced a new description into his attack on Cruz for his suggested tactic of threatening a government shutdown to stop Obamacare — “terrorist.”

“It’s not just the issue of Obamacare and a government shutdown where Cruz and his allies are threatening destruction,” Matthews said. “In addition to their vowel to blow up Obamacare and shut down the American government this September, they’re also moving to block an increase in the debt ceiling. And that means the government wouldn’t be able to pay its bills, wouldn’t be able to pay its debts and would go into default. The consequences would destroy the United States’ credit rating, of course, and send us spiraling into default. This is Cruz’s operation, by the way, and his allies operation. This is more than obstructionism — this is political terrorism. It’s a strategy of mass destruction and demolition with the hope after the rubble is settled they’ll be the ones left around to pick up the pieces.”

Matthews justified the label by saying it was an effort to undermine the U.S. system of government.

“I believe it’s terrorism,” Matthews said. “This is the first time I’ve seen a political party or even a fraction of it saying that their number one goal is A — to shut down the American government, it is the American government. Kill a bill that has already passed by Congress and refuse to pay bills already run up by the Congress in an attempt to basically risk default. This is an attempt to destroy all we know of as the republican form of government in this country with the purpose — I don’t know the purpose.”

Matthews continued with comparisons to McCarthy and indicating he wasn’t going to back off the terrorist label.

“You know, I’ve compared him to McCarthy. Maybe that’s just a look-a-like. I shouldn’t get into what people look like. He reminds me so much when I look at him interrogating a witness on the Hill — he looks like Joe McCarthy. He just acts that way with that somber indicative aspect, like this guy is the evil one. But I will say he’s a terrorist. What this guy has basically done is say my goal is demolition. Blow up health care, blow up the continuing resolution. Bring the government to a standstill. And then make us forfeit on the national debt.”

MSNBC contributor Steve Schmidt, who fancies himself as a moderate Republican, challenged Matthews’ use of the term.

SCHMIDT: Chris, I disagree with your use of the word terrorist in its application to him.
MATTHEWS: Why?
SCHMIDT: He’s a demagogue. He’s irresponsible — because when we use the word terrorist, we apply that to the Boston bombers.
MATTHEWS: A political terrorist. I’ve said political terrorist. That’s what he is.
SCHMIDT: I’m not comfortable with the word. But –
MATTHEWS: OK, don’t use it. Use your words, use your words. I’m comfortable with it.
SCHMIDT: He’s politically — he couldn’t be more irresponsible on this. This is as stupid a political strategy as you could possibly conjure up. It will be a disaster for Republicans who have a great chance I think of picking up seats in the U.S. Senate. Remember, we’ve given up five U.S. senate seats over the last two election cycles by nominating this cast of characters out there that have been rejected in states even Republican states, Missouri with Todd Akin.

Schmidt continued to protest, but also got former Obama adviser and MSNBC contributor David Axelrod to back him up on the ill-advised use of “terrorist.”

SCHMIDT: He is causing chaos. Chris, I’m not going to come off this. I just don’t like the use of the word in the way that you’re — in the way you’re using it.
MATTHEWS: Because he’s a fellow Republican.
SCHMIDT: No, he’s not from my wing of the Republican Party. What I think he’s doing is dangerous and wrong. And I think it will have terrible political consequences for Republicans.
AXELROD: Just to support my friend Steve because we share the same barber, I want to tell you that I also am uncomfortable with the word only out of respect for the victims of violent terrorists.

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Llewellyn Walters CEO Massbuild, said, “As the largest home improvement retailer in South Africa and with the success of our Gaborone store, we are delighted to be opening another store in Botswana. We have been looking forward to bringing customers in Francistown the best choice at the lowest possible prices.”

Products and services

The comprehensive range of products in the store includes: Bathroom, building materials, cement, décor, electrical, flooring (tiles, laminates and carpets), garden plants, hand tools, hardware, kitchens, lighting, outdoor, paint, plumbing, civil, pool, power tools, sanitary ware and security products.

The store will also offer its contractor customers a dedicated department and service counter that can assist them with their bill of quantities for projects. An experienced key account manager is allocated to attend to their individual needs with regard to tender pricing, specifications and the supply of building and civil material. In addition the following services will also be offered: building cost estimation, on-site measurements for additions and roofs, supervised installations of kitchen cupboards, cornices specifically designed in width and cut to size, quotations and estimations, delivery as well as the option to either open a 30 Day account, cash or deposit account.

Other service offerings include, remote control programming, made to measure curtains and blinds, gas filling and swopping, glass cutting, key cutting, kitchen design and installation, pool water testing and advice, paint mixing and colour consulting, precision timber and board cutting.

African expansion

Grant Pattison, Massmart CEO, added, “The store opening is in line with Massmart’s Africa expansion strategy and we have several new sites approved in our existing African markets. We are also focusing on East and West Africa where we are already in the planning stages of implementing our discount food retail strategy.”

Massbuild opened its first central distribution centre, located in Midrand, in April this year. The 35000 m2 facility will service all of its brands throughout Africa. It is the third largest distributor of consumer goods in Africa, the leading retailer of general merchandise, liquor and home improvement equipment and supplies and the leading wholesaler of basic foods. It currently has 381 stores in sub-Saharan Africa with plans to expand into East and West Africa.

The first Builders Warehouse store in Botswana opened in Gaborone, in September 2011.

What apparently started out as a unique plan to beat the mid-summer heat could land a young man in hot water with German police.

According to an incident report released by Chemnitz police, a motorcycle cop was on patrol near Chemnitz, southern Saxony, on Sunday when he spotted “a convertible of a slightly different kind.”

“I saw the strangest-looking convertible I have ever seen — a roofless BMW, without registration plates, bordered around the open top with wooden boards and fake plastic flowers. It was also full of water,” the unnamed police officer told Orange News.

The officer observed four young men, clad in bathing suits, splashing around inside the bizarre home-made car pool. According to the police report, “All of them appeared drunk.”

When the joyriders spotted the police officer they pulled over and allegedly fled the scene on foot.

Upon closer inspection, the officer discovered the car had been sealed with a synthetic material and filled with approximately 530 gallons of water.

The officer disabled the vehicle by disconnecting the spark plugs and flattening the tires.

When one of the men, a 27-year-old who police suspect was driving, returned to the scene to collect his wallet, police obtained a sample of his blood for a blood-alcohol analysis.

Chemnitz police spokesman Frank Fischer told The Associated Press no charges have been filed yet, as the investigation is ongoing. While it is unclear if driving a car full of water is illegal in Germany, Fischer said the vehicle “probably didn’t have a road permit.”

Speaking with The Bild newspaper, one of the men called the ride a “stupid idea.”

“It was the first time we drove on a street and we just wanted to have a little fun,” he said.

Also on HuffPost:

Loading Slideshow

• German Cops Seize ‘Strangest-Looking Convertible’ Pool Car

  On July 22, 2013, German police spotted “a convertible of a slightly different kind.”

  “I saw the strangest-looking convertible I have ever seen – a roofless BMW, without registration plates, bordered around the open top with wooden boards and fake plastic flowers. It was also full of water,” a href=”http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Drunk_inventors_caught_cruising_in_car_pool?WT.mc_id=ON_MEC_A_AffWin_SkimbitWT.tsrc=AffiliateWT.mc_id=ON_MEC_A_AffWin_SkimbitWT.tsrc=Affiliate” target=”_hplink”the unnamed police officer told Orange News/a.

  The officer observed four young men, clad in bathing suits, splashing around inside the bizarre home-made car pool. According to the police report, “All of them appeared drunk.”

  The car had been sealed with a synthetic material and filled with approximately 530 gallons of water.

  One of the men, a 27-year-old who police suspect was driving, returned to the scene to collect his wallet, police obtained a sample of his blood for a blood-alcohol analysis.

  The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed yet.

  Speaking with a href=”http://www.bild.de/bild-plus/news/inland/verkehrsstraftat/polizei-stoppt-rasendes-planschbecken-31511980,view=conversionToLogin.bild.html” target=”_hplink”The Bild newspaper/a, one of the men called the ride a “stupid idea.”

  “It was the first time we drove on a street and we just wanted to have a little fun,” he said.

• Penis Strawberry

  A mother has revealed that she celebrated Andy Murray’s Wimbledon victory with a freshly picked strawberry – shaped like a PENIS. Carole Collen, 52, was pottering about in her garden in Dartford, Kent, this Sunday (7/7) when she spotted the cheekily shaped berry dangling amid her fruit and veg patch. Holding back the laughter she went inside to show her family before taking a quick snap to show her friends. Now the mother-of-two is planning to entering the strawberry into a raffle in a bid to raise money for charity.

• This photo released by the Glendale Police Department shows a black Cadillac that lost control and careened onto the roof of a neighbor’s home on Saturday, March 23, 2013 in Glendale, Calif. The Cadillac driver lost control before leaving his driveway, plunging off a hill “onto the roof of his neighbor’s house directly below his driveway. (Photo courtesy of Glendale Police Department)

• Third Eye Blind

  Tilde Nörgaard, a Swedish sixth grader, is still trying to figure out how she got a third eye in her class photo.

• 150-lb Boulder Crashes Through Car Windshield

  This 150-lb boulder crashed through the windshield of a rental car in Sedona, Az. The passengers, Bob Jaczko and Peter Wilson suffered minor cuts.

• Kid Has LEGO stuck in nose for three years.

  Isaak Lasson can finally breathe easy after three years of sinus problem caused by a single wheel-shaped LEGO that he got stuck up his nose back when he was three.

• Scrapyard Destroys Wrong Car

  Ben Forrer outside Sita UK, a scrap yard in Coventry, today, 25, 2012. Refer to NTI story NTICRUSH. Ben Forrer looked on in horror as a Coventry scrapyard crushed his van by mistake. Ben Forrer had only left his Citroen Relay for a few minutes as he dropped off an old cooker at the Sita yard, in Longford. But workers mistook the van for scrap and began crushing it in the jaws of a mechanical grabber

• Middle Finger Bush

  A bush carved into the shape of a middle-finger has landed a gardener into trouble after somebody failed to share his humour over the shrub. The council received a complaint about the shaped bush eight years after it was carved by Richard Jackson, 53, in his front garden. Despite only receiving one complaint, the council have since contacted Richard to alter the bush as it is considered a public offence. But Richard, from Tamworth, Staffs, said his neighbours are backing his pledge to keep the bush and they have even began a Save the Bush campaign to support him. Credit: Caters News

• Cathedral Licker

  A man has made a 5,000 mile pilgrimage to every Anglican cathedral in England so he can give them a good LICKING. Lawrence Edmonds has staked his claim as Britains first every cathedral licker by tongue tickling an incredible 42 in less than two years. Christian approval, Polish condemnation, and looks of confusion from a flock of Dutch tourists have all been experienced by Lawrence on his epic journey Back in January 2011, Lawrences friend Adam challenged him to a bet- that he couldnt lick every Anglican cathedral in the UK within five years. Credit: Caters News

• Baobab Tree Sculpture

  Mike De Butts adds the finishing touches to a giant Baobab Tree sculpture entitled ‘Under the Baobab’, outside the Southbank Centre on May 24, 2012 in London, England. The Pirate Technics’ installation is made from a selection of brightly coloured fabrics from around the world, and is part of the Southbank Centre’s ‘Festival of the World’ exhibition, which includes a series of large scale pieces of art that will be in place around the Southbank centre over the Summer.

• My Little Ponies

  Some of Sarah’s ponies. Sarah Butler, 28 from Barnsley, Yorkshire has been collecting 1980’s My Little Ponies for 24 years and now has over 1,000 of them as well as having a themed room in her house including My Little Pony curtains, bedspread and other collectables.

• Rapunzel Hair

  Natasha Moraes de Andrade, 12, is nicknamed Rapunzel because her hair is more than 5 feet long — just one and a half inches shorter than her height. In March, she planned to cut and sell the locks for some $2,600 to help get her family in Rio De Janeiro out of poverty.

• Moscow City Lights

  Swirling colors of city lights from a 900ft crane fill the Moscow skyline. Photographer D. Chistoprudov boards the crane, which is being used to build a skyscraper called Federation, and takes pictures over a period of two hours. Chistoprudov, 28, starts taking the swirling snaps around 1am and battles freezing weather to remain completely still so not to ruin the careful process. (Caters News / ZUMA Press)

• iPoo

  The sleek design, the impressive functionality, the distinctive logo – was it only a matter of time before Apple redesigned the humble toilet with the iPoo? The iPoo is literally a case of toilet humour and Belgrade designer Milos Paripovic makes the tongue-in-cheek claim his work isn’t intentionally related to the Apple brand.

• Tamaseseri Festival

  Naked men wearing only loincloths vie for a wooden treasure ball weighing eight kilos to bring good fortune, during the Tamaseseri festival at Hakozaki shrine in Fukuoka, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on Jan. 3, 2012. Two teams of farmers and fishermen competed for the rich harvest or largest catch at a festival that dates back some 500 years.

• Snow Church

  Visitors stand around a snow church just after its inauguration on Dec. 28, 2011 in Mitterfirmiansreut, Germany. The circa 25 meters long church was made of 1,400 cubic meters of snow and aims to commemorate the winter of the years 1910/1911, when so much snow fell that believers of Mitterfirmiansreut were no more able to go to church in the neighboring community of Mauth. So they decided to build their own church, made of snow. (Armin Weigel, AFP / Getty Images)

• Snow Church

  Visitors stand around a snow church just after its inauguration on Dec. 28, 2011 in Mitterfirmiansreut, Germany. The circa 25 meters long church was made of 1,400 cubic meters of snow and aims to commemorate the winter of the years 1910/1911, when so much snow fell that believers of Mitterfirmiansreut were no more able to go to church in the neighboring community of Mauth. So they decided to build their own church, made of snow. (Armin Weigel, AFP / Getty Images)

• Heine Braeck, 33, from Sarpsborg, Norway, has been without an right arm since he lost it during a freak accident when he was 13. Now he has decided to make the stump look like a dolpin’s head with the help of Bulgarian tattooist Valio Ska.

• Giant Slipper

  A man who ordered a special slipper to fit his oversized foot was sent a size 1,450 – after manufacturers failed to spot a decimal point in his order. Tom Boddingham, 27, has a size 13 right foot while his left is slightly bigger and measures a size 14-and-a-half. But when he ordered his custom-fit slipper manufacturers in China misread size 14.5 and accidently made a whopping 7ft long size 1,450

• Eight-year-old girl is world’s youngest drag racer

  Eight-year-old girl Belle Wheeler has become the youngest drag racer in the world — just two days after her eighth birthday. The pint-sized dragster then went onto compete against youngsters more than twice her age and qualified for the UK National Finals.

• Lawn Mower Endurance Race

  Competitors race in the 12-hour Lawn Mower Endurance Race on September 24, 2011 in Billingshurst, England. First started in 1973 as a motorsport that would be accessible to as many as possible, this year’s competition included more than 30 teams including some from South Africa, America and Luxembourg.

• Pumpkin Art

  An employee arranges pumpkins to form a fish at the pumkin exhibition of the asparagus and experience farm Buschmann and Winkelmann in Klaistow near Beelitz, northeastern Germany on August 31, 2011. The exhibition will start on September 1 , 2011, with over 100,000 pumkins in 400 different varieties.

• Cable Car High Wire

  High wire artist Freddy Nock balances as he walks up on the rope of a Zugspitze cable car in Grainau near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern Germany, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. Nock walked up the 995 meters long rope with an altitude difference of 348 meters aiming at collecting money for the UNESCO. He is attempting to set a new world record by doing seven summits in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in seven days. It took him about 90 minutes to arrive on top of Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany.

• Third Story Exit

  A 16-ton salt spreader blasted through the fifth-floor wall of a Queens Sanitation Department garage and came within inches of plummeting 50 feet to the street. The driver survived the spectacular 9:30 am crash, which sent bricks and debris raining down on cars parked outside the Maspeth repair facility, but spent 15 terrified minutes dangling in the cab of the bright orange vehicle. It’s unclear how driver Robert Legall, a 10-year Sanitation veteran with a clean record, lost control of the big rig. “There are signs up there warning drivers to slow down,” Commissioner John Doherty told the New York Post. “He’s familiar with the rules. We think it was just an unfortunate accident.”

• Speed Record Spins Out

  Driver Joe Wales crashes through the surf after veering off course during an attempt on the British land speed record for battery-powered vehicles in the Bluebird Electric on Pendine Sands on August 14, 2011 in Pendine, Wales. Driver Joe Wales and his father, fellow driver Don Wales, come from a famous family who have been setting land and water speed records since 1924. Don holds the current UK record of 137 miles an hour in an electric vehicle.

• Giant Cabbage

  Harrogate Autumn Flower show Director Martin Fish with a giant cabbage, as he introduced a series of new classes for Giant Vegetables to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Show. Giant onions, tomatoes and many others will all compete for the top prize of the biggest vegetable.

• Keep Claer

  An incorrectly spelled “Keep Clear” road marking is pictured in Kingswinford, on August 3, 2011 in West Midlands, England.

• Etna Volcano lava

  Lava spewed from a crater of the giant Etna volcano in the southern Italy island of Sicily on July 30, 2011 in Catania. The lava flown into a valley overnight and did not represent a danger to inhabited areas. Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe at 3,295 metres (10,810 feet) which last eruption was in May.

• Killer Plant Eats Bird

  An exotic plant expert was stunned when he inspected one of his garden
  pitcher plants and discovered it had eaten a blue tit.
  Prize winning Nigel Hewitt Cooper one of Britain’s leading carnivorous plant
  growers, from West Pennard, Somerset, couldn’t believe his eyes when he
  checked the Nepenthes x mixta or Monkey Cup pitcher and found the dead bird
  inside.
  Normally the plants which are native to south east Asia consume insects
  which thy attract by secreting a sticky, sweet fluid at the bottom of the
  pitcher.
  Sometimes in the wild they have been known to kill small mammals like mice
  but Mr Hewitt Cooper who regularly wins prizes at the Chelsea flower show
  says for a cultivate plant to capture a bird is incredible.

• Giant Mermaid

  A man adjusts a sculpture “Giant Mermaid” on the Alster lake in the northern German city of Hamburg on August 1, 2011. The sculpture is created by art and advertising agency headed by Oliver Voss.

• Huge Pastry

  People look at a huge khachapuri (Georgian cheese pastry) in central Batumi on July 28, 2011. The cake was baked using 100 eggs, 90 kilograms of cheese, 150 kilograms of flour, has 8 meters length and was eaten within 1minute 32 seconds by people at a street.

• Velomobiles

  Velomobiles, recumbent bicycles with sleek, colorful outer shells, head for the open road in Portland, Ore., Thursday, July 28, 2011. Twenty five riders from Europe and twenty five riders from North America are on a cross-country trip which will finish on the U.S. Capitol steps in Washington D.C. on August 26. The bikers are trying to spread the message that sustainable, clean transportation can be fun.

• Bobblehead Bishop

  Erie Catholic Bishop Donald W. Trautman has been immortalized in miniature with a bobblehead doll made in his likeness. The bobblehead comes as Trautman prepares to end his tenure as bishop of Erie.

• Canadian bubble artist

  Canadian bubble artist Yang Fan, who has set world record by packing 118 people inside a soap bubble, performs at the Gazillion bubble show in Beijing on July 19, 2011. Yang has earned international acclaim as a result of his complex displays of “bubble theater”. In addition to performing he has developed his own bubble solution formulas and equipment to create bubbles.

• Giant Marilyn

  Newly-wed bride Magda Villasenor looks at “Forever Marilyn”, a sculpture by Seward Johnson, on July 15, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The stainless steel and aluminum sculpture, which stands 26 feet tall and weighs 34,000 pounds, will be on display in Chicago through the spring of 2012. The sculpture was inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s iconic scene in the 1955 movie “Seven Year Itch”.

• Hot Dog Hot Rod

  The iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile vehicle is seen outside of the New York Stock Exchange as part of its day-long 75th birthday celebration, Monday, July 18, 2011. To commemorate the milestone, the Oscar Mayer brand rang the closing bell at NYSE. (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Oscar Mayer)

• Harry Potter Corn Maze

  An aerial view of Top Pearsy’s Maize Maze in the shape of Harry Potter, on July 11, 2011 in York, England. Farmer Tom Pearcy has cut two portraits of Harry Potter in his crop of maize plants. With some subtle differences the two images create the world’s largest spot the difference competition. At over 50m in diameter, and cut out of over 1 million living maize plants, the York Maze is the largest ‘Maize Maze’ in Europe and one of the largest in the world.

• Recycled Sailboat

  A sail boat made of recycled material makes its maiden voyage to mark World Oceans Day in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

• Pontiac Deluxe Six ‘Ghost Car’

  An extraordinary transparent car could fetch as much as GBP 295,000 when it goes up for auction.The motor, dubbed the ‘Ghost Car’, is a Pontiac Deluxe Six which has been covered in Plexiglas. The first transparent full-sized car to be made in America, it was built in 1939 by General Motors and chemical company Rohm and Haas. Billed as a vision of the future, it was a sensation at the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair and continues to cause a stir today. Just two were ever made and this model, which has a three-speed manual transmission, is thought to be the last of its kind. It has clocked up just 86 miles in its lifetime; and now its set to go on sale for the first time since the early 1980s. It last sold for an undisclosed amount. American auctioneers RM expect it to sell for between $275,000 and $475,000.

• Serbian Brides Race

  Serbian women take part in a wedding dress race in downtown Belgrade on June 19, 2011. More than fifty “brides” took part in an annual wedding dress race in the Serbian capital, competing for numerous prizes. (Andrej Isakovic, AFP/Getty Images)

• World Naked Bike Ride

  People take part in the annual “London World Naked Bike Ride” event in central London on June 11, 2011. Now in it’s eighth year, the event has seen participation grow from 58 in 2004 to 1,200 in 2009. Taking a route that passes many of London’s most famous landmarks, the ride allows those participating to decorate their body with messages of protest against oil dependancy and motor vehicle usage.

• Hanging Around

  British artist Alice Newstead hangs by shark hooks during her demonstration to protest against shark slaughter in Hong Kong on June 14. The protest was organized by marine conservation group Shark Savers, and supported by Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics who are launching a global campaign to protect the sharks.

• Reptile House

  Diska Putra, holds one of his snakes in bed at home on June 10, 2011 in Bintan, Indonesia. Putra, 24, cohabitates in Indonesian with a collection of 30 snakes, some of which are deadly poisonous.

• Monkey God

  An Indian priest walks outside the temple of Hindu monkey God Hanuman in New Delhi early June 12, 2011. The highly popular monkey-god Hanuman known for his strength is worshipped for his unyielding devotion and selfless dedication to the Lord Rama.

• Big Baby

  Ron Mueck’s ‘Big Baby’ sculpture is displayed in front of Jenny Saville’s painting ‘Interfacing’ at the Masterpieces Exhibition at Christie’s on June 13, 2011 in London, England.

• Drunken Knight

  A would-be knight who tried to woo a maiden by riding into her home on a horse is facing five years behind bars for aggravated burglary. Lovelorn Jan Rudnicki, 40, hatched the scheme to bowl over divorcee Gosia Domoslawska after a night’s drinking down his local bar in Jarnoltowka, Poland. But terrified Gosia, 36, dialed 999 when her drunken suitor – stripped to the waist – galloped up her garden path and smashed his way through the front door like a battering ram.

• Sideshow Fat Man Dies

  Bruce Snowdon, the last sideshow fat man, was honored in a memorial service on Jan. 30, 2010. Snowdon performed as “Harold Huge,” and weighed 607 pounds (though by some billing he tipped the scale at 712 pounds). Here he is with fellow sideshow star Peter Terhurne, a fire-eating dwarf.

• So, What Do You Do For a Living?

  Mexican tattoo artist and trained lawyer Maria Jose Cristerna, known as “Vampire Woman”, attends the Fifth International Tattoo Convention in Bogota, Colombia, on June 4, 2011.

• It’s All Fun And Games…

  A Sufi Kalandar (wandering ascetic) performs an act of self torture during devotion at the annual death anniversary of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, India on June 2.

• Indian spiritual guru Swami Baba Ramdev

  Indian spiritual guru Swami Baba Ramdev performs yoga during his hunger strike at the Pitanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar, some 240kms from New Delhi, on June 7, 2011. India’s embattled prime minister on June 7 defended a police crackdown on a peaceful anti-graft demonstration led by a famous yoga guru, saying authorities had been left with no choice.

• Kwok Mang Ho

  Chinese artist Kwok Mang Ho performs during the 54th International Art Exhibition in Venice on June 1, 2011. The Biennale entitled Illuminazioni that will open to the public from June 4th to November 27th 2011, in the Giardini and the Arsenale exhibition venues, as well as in various other locations around the city.

VENTURES AFRICA- In line with its African expansion strategy, Massmart Holdings Ltd. (MSM) – a food and general goods retailer controlled by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., has opened its second Builders Warehouse store in Somerset West, Francistown, Botswana.

Earlier this year, Massmart CEO, Grant Pattison had announced that the retailer will continue to expand its store network in sub-Saharan Africa with the opening of 27 stores before the end of 2013, including a Makro in Amanzimtoti, Durban, and a Builders Warehouse store in Botswana and Mozambique.

Following the announcement of the new 5,150m² Builders Warehouse on Monday, Pattison said the group which has 381 stores in sub-Saharan Africa, had several new sites approved in its existing African markets.

“We are also focusing on East and West Africa, where we are already in the planning stages of implementing our discount food retail strategy,” he said.

The store design and layout is in line with the group’s South African stores and natural lighting has been introduced into the store through translucent roof sheeting to help reduce energy consumption. The new store’s design and layout is easy to navigate and helps define the store’s merchandise areas.

Massmart’s Massbuild division invested R20.5 million ($128,000) in the project. The first Builders Warehouse store in Botswana opened in Gaborone, in September 2011.

Wal-mart which has a presence in 12 African countries is following the global trend set by other world-giant companies to take advantage of the emerging middle class consumer boom in Africa. In 2011, the company bought a 51 percent stake in Massmart.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is expected to expand by 5.3 percent this year, above the 3.6 percent expected worldwide.

 

 

 

Walmart-owned Massmart opened its second Builders Warehouse store in Botswana‚ in line with its African expansion strategy‚ the company said on Monday.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that the economy of sub-Saharan Africa will expand 5.3% this year‚ above the 3.6% expected worldwide‚ and the retailer‚ like its peers‚ is targeting African cities for expansion as an emerging middle class drives growth.

Massmart CEO Grant Pattison said the group‚ which has 381 stores in sub-Saharan Africa‚ had several new sites approved in its existing African markets.

“We are also focusing on East and West Africa‚ where we are already in the planning stages of implementing our discount food retail strategy‚” he said.

Walmart’s acquisition of a 51% stake in Massmart in 2011 was the global giant’s ticket into the continent’s consumer boom.

According to professional services company PwC‚ the American retailer will initially focus on the South African market but plans to use Massmart’s presence in 12 African countries as a stepping stone into the rest of Africa.

Massmart’s Massbuild division invested R20.5m in a new 5‚150m² Builders Warehouse‚ located in Somerset West‚ Francistown‚ in Botswana.

The group’s central distribution centre‚ located in Midrand‚ will service all of Massbuild’s brands throughout Africa‚ the company said.

Rival Cashbuild already operates through 10 stores in Botswana. It also has stores in Malawi‚ Namibia and Swaziland.

Imara SP Reid equity research analyst Sibonginkosi Nyanga said Africa presented a compelling opportunity for the building materials and DIY retailers‚ but at an elevated risk.

“Returns in Africa are good but high returns are usually associated with increased risk. South African companies usually have a competitive advantage as their brands are tried and tested‚” he said.

AP

The series between Pakistan and West Indies is under investigation.

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London – Cricket is once again facing up to the spectre of corruption with the recent one-day international series between West Indies and Pakistan set to be investigated over allegations of wrongdoing.

Suspicious betting patterns were identified during the low-profile five-match series, which concluded last Thursday, while unusually slow run-rates during certain overs followed by bursts of high scoring have ‘set alarm bells ringing’, according to industry experts.

Concerns have been raised, in particular, around the tied third match of the series played in St Lucia a week ago last Friday, as well as the final game, which resulted in a last-ball win for Pakistan last Thursday. The second ODI, which saw Pakistan fail to score a run off the bat in the first five overs after being set 233 to win, will also be looked at.

One betting website reported unusually large sums of money – said to run into several millions of pounds – being wagered between innings on a tied result during the third ODI after the West Indies were set 230 to win from 50 overs.

Pakistan appeared to be cruising to victory, with their opponents still requiring 45 off the last 21 balls and only three wickets left. But with the tail-enders scoring at more than four times the rate of most of their teammates, West Indies scraped the unlikeliest of ties.

Field placings for the final over, when No 11 Jason Holder and fellow tailender Kemar Roach crashed 14 off six balls from Wahab Riaz, will be scrutinised by officers of the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (Acsu), along with a failed run-out bid off the last delivery. Television commentator Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler, said at the time: “There is no way you can convince me, whatever happens to this last ball, that Wahab Riaz and Misbah ul Haq have had this field right to the length they have been trying to execute. There is no one who can convince me of that. Totally wrong.”

The fifth ODI, which saw Pakistan win by four wickets off the final ball, is also to be scrutinised. Acsu officers will also analyse patterns on spread-betting sites around the first 18 balls of the Windies innings when only one run was scored.

“There were suspicious betting patterns on a betting exchange,” said betting expert Ed Hawkins, the author of Bookie, Gambler, Fixer, Spy. “A suspicious pattern, simply, is a flood of money wagered on an outcome just before it happens. There were some noticeable examples of this during the West Indies-Pakistan series. In the tied match, a weight of cash arrived on the tie market before Pakistan’s innings.”

Another passage of play, between the 29th and 34th overs, when star batsmen Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels were at the crease, will also be analysed in an effort to understand why just two runs were scored from five overs before 16 were hit off the 35th over.

Betting is illegal in India, so there is no paper or electronic trail for bets. This means bookies and fixers can launder money easily.

The average amount bet on an ODI is £15 million, with legitimate online sites such as Betfair and Sporting Index offering markets on anything from the number of runs scored in a five-over ‘bracket’ to the number of wickets a player will take in the series. The five-over ‘brackets’ are especially vulnerable to manipulation, with prior knowledge of a player’s intentions potentially worth millions of pounds.

Illegal gambling syndicates often have a network of ‘employees’ – with the majority of activity, but by no means all, emanating from the Middle East and India. Crucial to any syndicate intent on fixing matches is access to players. There are several ways of ‘grooming’ players, including lavishing gifts, offering them cash incentives or even, as has been the case in some cases in India, employing beautiful women to initiate contact between the player and the syndicate.

Bookies will try to befriend players and, despite stringent ICC rules about player access, have even been known to book hotel rooms long in advance of a tour and paying corrupt hotel employees to ensure they stay on the same floor as the team.

The captain of the team is seen as the most important when it comes to carrying out a fix. The captain is in charge of all on-field strategy such as field settings and bowling changes and influences the outcome of a game.

So-called ‘court-siders’ have been targeted this season in an effort to identify possible fixers who are passing real-time information back to bookies from games, in order to manipulate markets before the nine-second time-delayed broadcasts show play ‘live’.

Acsu investigators, who have been criticised in the past for failing to root out deep-seated corruption in cricket, will analyse betting patterns around those overs amid concerns that anyone with prior knowledge could have made a certain profit in the market for run predictions, which are usually based on totals in five-over ‘brackets’. The same process will occur for the second ODI.

“If I was presented with this level of information, I would want this series investigated,” said ECB information manager Chris Watts, who is responsible for anti-corruption in domestic cricket in England. “There are classic signs (of wrongdoing).”

In May 2008, Samuels was suspended for two years. The West Indies Board said he had “received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game into disrepute”. They looked into charges that Samuels had passed on team information to a bookmaker during a one-day series in India in January 2007, which he denied.

Key to any investigation will be to establish a link between illegal bookmakers, normally working on behalf of billionaire businessmen in India or the Middle East, and the players. The Acsu have the power to access a player’s bank records and analyse mobile phone data. Deleted text messages can be accessed through improved data retrieval methods. “Players know we are on the look-out for wrongdoing, but they also know it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said an ICC source.

The ICC and their constituent governing bodies have introduced education programmes in recent years to warn players of the dangers of getting involved with the murky underworld of black-market betting and reminding them of the potential punishments if they are caught.

Strict limits on the processing of mobile data at county grounds have also been implemented in an effort to stop ‘court-siders’ passing real-time information on to bookies. Recently, two individuals were ejected from a T20 game between Northants and Somerset at Wantage Road after being caught by ECB anti-corruption officials phoning live commentary to the sub-continent.

The nine-second time delay between live action and the TV broadcast in India is enough for ‘market manipulation’.

‘Danger Zones’ include the Indian Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League and county cricket. – Daily Mail

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Featuring: June 2013.

THE AMERICAS

Caesars Entertainment has named Tom Arasi President of Hospitality. He is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the $5.7 billion Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Previously, he has held senior roles at Intercontinental Hotels Group and Tishman Realty. He also worked at Salomon Brothers.

Thomas Steinhauer has been appointed Regional Vice President and General Manager of the Four Seasons Orlando. Since 2004, he had served as Regional Vice President and General Manager at the Four Seasons Maui. He is the former General Manager of the Four Seasons New York and Hotel Manager of the Four Seasons Boston. From 1990 to 1994, he was part of the Executive Team at the Phoenician.

Leslie Pchola has been appointed Area Vice President, Southeast, at Hilton Worldwide. She was most recently serving as General Manager of the Hilton Austin and is a former Hotel Manager of the Hilton Chicago.

Terry Green is now in Indianapolis as General Manager at the Omni Severin Hotel. He has been with Omni for ten years and was most recently the General Manager of the Omni Austin at Southpark. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing at the Omni Austin Downtown.

Wyndham has appointed Kathy Maher Senior Vice President, Revenue Management. For the past twelve years, she had been with Hilton, most recently as Vice President, Revenue Management.

Barry Bloom has joined Inland American Lodging Advisor as Executive Vice President of Asset Management and Chief Operating Officer. He is the former Executive Vice President of Portfolio Management and Administration for CNL Hotels Resorts.

Heimo Brandstatter has moved to Phoenix as General Manager for the Cibola Vista Resort. He was most recently the Resort Manager at the Resort at Squaw Creek. He had previously overseen food and beverage at the Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa and at the Carmel Valley Ranch.

Robert LaCasse has been appointed General Manager at the Hyatt Regency Newport in Rhode Island. Most recently, he served as Regional Director of Operations for Interstate Hotels Resorts. He is the former General Manager at the Sheraton Austin.

Demetrio Maduro has returned to the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa in the new role of General Manager. He had previously served the resort as Director of Groups and Conventions. Maduro was most recently the General Manager at the Renaissance Caracas La Castellana Hotel.

Wonny Rengersen has joined the Petersen Village Inn in Solvang as General Manager. For the past two years, she had been the General Manager at the Inn at Dos Brisas in Texas. Rengersen is the former Director of Lodging for the Resort at Paws Up and was the Hotel Director at Lajitas.

Philippe Eversdijk has been appointed General Manager for the Santa Barbara Beach Golf Resort in Curaçao. He had previously served as General Manager for the Marriott Clearwater Beach Hotel in Tampa Bay.

Victor Tiffany has moved to Florida to join Seminole Gaming. He had spent the past six years in Australia with Echo Entertainment Group as Head of Hospitality and Entertainment, and at Tabcorp in a similar role. A Cornell graduate, Tiffany also served as opening Vice President of Food and Beverage at Atlantic City’s Borgata and developed the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego for Tarsadia.

David Altobello has joined Interstate Hotels Resorts as Senior Vice President of Development and Acquisitions. He is the former Managing Director with Rockwood Real Estate Advisors and Vice President with Molinaro Koger.

George Cozonis takes over from Hans Hordijk as General Manager at the Plaza. He is the former General Manager for the W Miami South Beach and the W Vieques.

Steve Zanella has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of the MGM Grand Detroit. Zanella had served as General Manager since 2010. He is the former Senior Vice President of Marketing for the MGM Grand Las Vegas.

Martha’s Vineyard’s Winnetu Oceanside Resort has named Dan Scully General Manager. He was most recently overseeing Boston Magazine. At Winnetu, he takes over for long-time General Manager Roderick Anderson.

The Kona Kai Resort and Spa in San Diego has appointed Joe St. Laurent General Manager. He is the former Director of Rooms and Operations of the Paradise Point Resort and Spa, San Diego.

The Loews Philadelphia has named Sean Clancy General Manager. He was most recently with the Loews Miami Beach Hotel as Hotel Manager. Clancy is the former General Manager of the Boca Beach Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort. 

Tom Xavier has joined the Luxe City Center Hotel as General Manager. He was most recently Task Force General Manager with Dolce Hotels and Resorts. He is the former General Manager of the Renaissance Las Vegas.

The Sierra Nevada Resort has appointed Brent Truax General Manager. He is the former General Manager at the Westin Monache Resort Mammoth, the Peaks in Telluride and the Mirbeau Inn Spa.

Mohamed Elbanna has been named Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Westlake Village. He was most recently the Resort Manager at the Four Seasons Nevis. Elbanna is the former Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons Alexandria and the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.

Diego Stembert has been promoted to Resort Manager at the Four Seasons Nevis, taking over from Mohamed Elbanna. Stembert had joined the resort in 2010 as Director of Rooms. He is the former Director of Operations for the Grand Mauritian Resort.

Jones Lang LaSalle has named Christie Kelly Chief Financial Officer, replacing Lauralee Martin, who became Chief Executive Officer for the Americas business in January. Kelly was most recently the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Duke Realty Corporation. She had previously served in similar roles with Lehman Brothers and General Electric.

Danny Corral has moved to New York’s Plaza as Director of Finance. For the past seven years, he had been in the same position at the St. Regis New York. He is the former Director of Finance at the Essex House.

Andrew Blair has been appointed Controller for the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. He was previously the Resort Controller and Director of Finance for Hammock Beach in Florida while also overseeing finance at the Reunion Resort in Kissimmee.

Chia-Hui Lin has been appointed Controller at the Hotel Granduca in Houston. She was previously the General Manager for the Hilton Garden Inn Houston Westbelt. She is the former Corporate Controller for Allied Hospitality.

Gerry Peck has been named Director of Finance for the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica. Peck is a former Regional Controller with Joie de Vivre Hotels.

Mel van den Bergh has joined the Four Seasons Nevis as Director of Food and Beverage. The CIA graduate was most recently overseeing food and beverage for the Omni Orlando. He is the former Director of Food and Beverage at the Loews Miami.

The Four Seasons Philadelphia has named Phil Clough Food and Beverage Director. He was most recently in the same position at the Four Seasons Lana’i. He is the former Food and Beverage Director at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch.

Peggy Williams-Smith has been promoted to Corporate Vice President of Food and Beverage at Marcus Hotels Resorts in Milwaukee. She was most recently serving as Senior Corporate Director, Catering Sales and Event Management.

Al Ferrone has been named Vice President of Food and Beverage with Rim Hospitality. He is the former Vice President of Hospitality at Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas and Senior Corporate Director of Food and Beverage Operations with Hilton Worldwide.

Serge Couturiaux has been appointed Corporate Food and Beverage Director for Melia Hotels Cuba Division. He is the former General Manager at the Hotel G Beijing.

Jacques Chrétien has joined the Viceroy San Lucia as Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage. For the past ten years, he had been in Los Cabos, running Café Riviera as Chef and Owner. He is the former Executive Chef at Esperanza and the Presidente InterContinental Mexico City.

Katherine Melchior-Ray has been named to the newly created role of Vice President, Luxury Brands, for Hyatt Hotels. She was most recently the Executive Director of Strategic Planning at Gucci in Japan. She is the former Vice President of Marketing for Louis Vuitton Japan and for Tommy Hilfiger Japan.

Tony Bruno has been appointed Vice President of Special Projects for Rim Hospitality. He was most recently the General Manager for the Sheraton Park Hotel. He had previously served nearly 25 years with Disneyland Resort properties in California.

George Fleck has been promoted to Vice President, Global Brand Management for Le Méridien and Westin based in Stamford. He was previously the Senior Brand Director for W Hotels and Le Méridien, and the former Director of Marketing at the W Barcelona.

Dianna Balabon has joined Rosewood Hotels and Resorts as Vice President – Sales and Marketing, taking over from Ralph Aruzza who moved to Orient-Express. Balabon had previously overseen sales and marketing for Andre Balasz Properties, the New York Palace, Trump International and Peninsula Hotels.

Richard Rodriguez has returned to Occidental Hotels to take the post of Vice President of Sales and Marketing USA. He had previously served as Director of Sales and Marketing for the company before taking on his most recent role as Director of Sales and Marketing at Karisma Hotel Resorts. 

Doug Kaminski has moved as Director of Sales and Marketing to the Four Seasons Miami. He was most recently with the Four Seasons Silicon Valley where he had been Director of Marketing for three years.

Samantha Spurgeon has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at the W South Beach Hotel Residences. She was most recently with both the Westin Maui Resort Spa and Westin Ka¹anapali Ocean Resort Villas as Director of Sales and Marketing after overseeing sales and marketing for the W Westwood for three years.

Barry Cockrum has been named as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Alexander in Indianapolis. He had previously served in sales and marketing roles for the JW Marriott Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown and the Detroit Marriott at Centerpoint. 

Justin Bird has joined the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera as Director of Sales and Marketing. He is the former Corporate Director of Sales and Strategy for MetWest Terra Hospitality.

Destination Hotels Resorts has promoted Kevin Barosso Assistant Vice President of National Sales. He was most recently the Director of Group Sales at Terranea Resort.

Denielle Godwin has been appointed Director of Sales and Catering for the Costa d’Este Beach Resort in Florida. She was previously the Director of Sales for both the Westgate Resort Spa in Park City and the Westgate River Ranch in Florida. 

Jeff Gillick has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at Kona Kai Resort and Spa. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing at Bacara Resort and Spa and the Boulders.

Deirdre Yack has moved to the Lexington New York as Director of Sales and Marketing. She was most recently serving in the same capacity for the Hyatt 48 Lex. Yack is the former Assistant Vice President of National Sales for Denihan Hospitality.

Daniel Keyser has been named Executive Director of Resort Sales at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. He was most recently the Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for BF Saul Company‘s Hospitality division. Keyser is also a KSL veteran, who handled sales and marketing at Rancho Las Palmas, La Quinta and Emerald Pointe.

New York’s Hotel Chandler has appointed Mike Stewart Director of Sales and Marketing. Most recently, he served as director of corporate accounts at the Empire in New York. Stewart is a former Sales Manager at the Roosevelt Hotel and Director of Sales at the Executive Hotel Pacific, both in Seattle.

Michael McMahon has joined the Arizona Biltmore as Director of Sales and Marketing, taking over from Stephanie Hinckley now Vice President Sales for Loews Hotels. McMahon is the former General Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain and the Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort.

Todd Scholl has been named Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hotel Sorella Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, slated to open this fall. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing for the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock and for the Hyatt Regency Tulsa.

Jackson Ferguson has been named Director of Sales and Marketing for the Warwick San Francisco. He was most recently in Bangkok as Director of Sales and Marketing at the Rembrandt Hotel.

Richard Ross has been appointed Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort Spa. He was most recently the Vice President and Director of Sales and Marketing for Remington Hotels, based at the Hilton Fort Worth. Ross is the former Complex Director of Sales and Marketing at the Buffalo Thunder Resort.

L’Auberge Del Mar has promoted Robert Harter to Director of Sales and Marketing. He joined the resort last year as Director of Sales. Harter is the former Associate Director of Group Sales at La Costa Resort and Spa and the Rancho Bernardo Inn.

Jeffrey Livingston takes over from Robert Harter with a promotion to Director of Sales at L’Auberge Del Mar. He was previously the Associate Director of Sales and National Sales Manager for the resort.

The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has named Nancy Wilkerson Director of Group Sales. This is promotion from her most recent role at the resort as Director of Regional Sales based in Atlanta.

L’Auberge Del Mar has named Jamie Clave Sales Manager. She was previously in the same position at sister property, the Estancia La Jolla Hotel.

Donna Smith has been appointed Director of Leisure and Travel Industry Sales at the Grove Park Inn and the Homestead. She had previously headed Leisure Industry Sales for North America and Canada for Salamander Resorts Hotels.

The JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek has named Colin Bennett Sales Manager. He spent the past twelve years working with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, most recently serving as a Sales Manager at the Grand Hyatt Denver Downtown and the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.

Melanie Hague has joined the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort Spa and Rampart Casino as Director of Events. She was most recently a Senior Catering Manager at Wynn and Encore Las Vegas.

Tiera Steele has been appointed Director of Revenue Management at the Eldorado Hotel Spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was most recently Director of Revenue Management for the Arizona Golf Resort Conference Center. 
Valeria Benner has been named Executive Chef at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago. She was most recently overseeing the Lockwood Restaurant in the Palmer House Hilton Hotel. Benner is the former Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director at the Pump Room at the former Ambassador East Hotel, now the Public Chicago.

Ben Jones has joined the Resort at Paws Up as Executive Chef. He was most recently with the Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern as Executive Chef. He is a former chef with Levy Restaurants and the Peninsula Chicago.

Michael Rotondo has joined the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco as Executive Chef for Parallel 37. Since 2009 he had been in Chicago as Chef de Cuisine for Charlie Trotter’s.

Daniel Harrison Dumont has been appointed Executive Chef for the Taj Boston. The CIA graduate was previously the Vice President of Culinary and Corporate Chef for Ocean Properties.

Steve Topple is now in Idaho as Executive Chef at the Shore Lodge. For the past two years, he had been in Vail, overseeing the kitchen for the Sonnenalp Resort. Topple is the former Executive Chef at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek.

Mark Timms has returned to the Capitol City to join the Fairmont Washington, D.C. as Executive Chef. He was the former Executive Chef at the Fairfax at Embassy Row before taking on the Executive Chef post at the Inn at Perry Cabin.

Eric Scuiller has joined the Sofitel Miami as Executive Chef. For the past year, he had been in a similar post with the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort Spa. He is the former Executive Chef at the Fiestamericana Grand Coral Beach Cancun, the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman and the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Michael DeStefano has been promoted to Executive Chef at the Monarch in Chicago. He moves up from his most recent post as Sous Chef to take over from Andrew Brochu.

Thorsten Leighty has joined the New Orleans Marriott as Executive Chef. He was most recently in the same role for the Eden Roc, a Renaissance Beach Resort Spa in Miami Beach. Leighty is the former Executive Chef for the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort Spa in Hawaii and Executive Sous Chef for the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort Spa in Tucson.

Gunnar Thompson has been named Executive Chef for Primland Resort taking over from Andrea Griffith. Thompson is the former Executive Chef at Chateau du Sureau in Oakhurst. He was previously in Durham as Sous Chef for the Washington Duke Inn Golf Club for two years.

Daniela Koch has been promoted to Director of Rooms at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins in San Francisco. She was most recently the hotel’s Rooms Division Manager and had previously served in rooms positions at the InterContinental Hong Kong.

The JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort Spa and Rampart Casino has named Kevin Glass Director of Room Operations. He most recently served as Director of Resort Operations for the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas.

The Hotel Vermont has appointed Jessica Andreola Assistant General Manager. She was most recently with the Courtyard Burlington Harbor as Operations Manager.

John Q. Hammons has died at 94.  He entered the hotel industry in 1958 and joined with Roy E. Winegardner to purchase their first ten Holiday Inn franchises from founder Kemmons Wilson. The rest is history.

EUROPE

Oscar Del Campo has moved to Mallorca to take on the role of Complex General Manager, responsible for the St. Regis Mardavall, Hotel Castillo Son Vida and the soon-to-be-relaunched Sheraton Mallorca Arabella Golf Hotel. He was most recently the Hotel Manager of Le Méridien Piccadilly.

Sergio Leandro takes over from Del Campo as Hotel Manager of Le Méridien Piccadilly. Leandro had been with the Sheraton Algarve in Portugal since 1999 and was most recently serving as Complex Director of Operations for the entire resort, including the Pine Cliffs Luxury Collection Residencies.

Matthias Roeke has been named Managing Director of the Rosewood London, slated to open in October. He is the former General Manager for the China World Summit Wing Beijing, and the Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort Spa. 

Kenyon Price has been appointed General Manager at Castello di Casole. He had previously managed the Palazzo Arzaga Hotel in Northern Italy and the St. Regis Rome.

Frédéric Picard has been named General Manager at the Château Saint-Martin Spa in Vence. He is the former General Manager at the Palais Namaskar in Marrakesh, its sister property within the Oetker Collection.

Danilo Iovieno has been named General Manager at Le Palais Prague. He is the former General Manager of the Raito Hotel on the Amalfi Coast.

Tristan Nesbitt has been appointed General Manager of the Sheraton Grand Hotel Spa, Edinburgh. He was most recently the Hotel Manager at the Sheraton Park Tower in London.

Sue Finlay takes over from Nesbitt as Hotel Manager of the Sheraton Park Tower. Finlay had spent the past 22 years at the Sheraton Grand Hotel Spa in Edinburgh most recently as the Director of Sales and Marketing, a role she held for the past twelve years.

Stefan Buchs has been appointed Area General Manager for Switzerland at Steigenberger. He is the former Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa at Banyan Tree Hotels Resorts, based in London.

Andy Roger is now overseeing the running of Cameron House. He had previously served in managerial roles at the Malmaison Aberdeen and at One Devonshire Gardens.

Simon Franks is now overseeing Buckland Manor in the Cotswolds. He was most recently the General Manager at the Bath Priory.

Andrew Foulkes takes over from Franks as General Manager at the Bath Priory. Foulkes was most recently the General Manager of Gidleigh Park.

Damien Bastiat takes over from Foulkes with his promotion to General Manager at Gidleigh Park. Bastiat moves up from his role as Operations Manager.

Bjorn van der Horst has joined the Rosewood London as Director of Food and Beverage and Culinary Operations. He had previously served in culinary positions for Soneva Fushi Resorts and Spas, the Eastside Inn in London and La Noisette with Gordon Ramsay.

Cornel Uys has been promoted to Executive Chef at Ardanaiseig on Loch Awe, taking over from Gary Goldie. Uys was most recently Goldie’s Sous Chef.

The Hotel Métropole Monte-Carlo has appointed Claudia Venturini Director of Sales and Marketing. She is the former Sales Director with Fairmont Hotels Resorts based at the Fairmont Nile City.

At Orient-Express, the new Vice President Human Resources is Amrita Bhalla. Since July 2010, she had been the Executive Vice President, Human Resources, for Oberoi. From 2005 to 2010, Bhalla was the Toronto-based Director of Recruitment and Development for Four Seasons.

Rosewood London has named Brad Simmons Director of Sales. He was most recently with the Maybourne Group as Assistant Director of Sales for the Connaught, Claridges and the Berkeley.

Anna Nash has been appointed Director of Communications for the Rosewood London. For the past eleven years, she had been with Orient-Express Trains Cruises, most recently as Director of Public Relations.

Mark Scholfield has been appointed Director of Event Management and Operations for the Rosewood London. He was most recently with RBS as Group General Manager of Hospitality.

Sushisamba in London has appointed Cláudio Cardoso Executive Chef. Cardoso most recently helped open Il Mercato in Ritz-Carlton’s Penha Longa Hotel, Spa Golf Resort in Portugal. He is the former Chef de Partie at the Burj Khalifa, Armani Hotel in Dubai and Sous Chef at Kaiten Sushi in Avenida, Portugal.

Matt Weedon has joined Fallowfields in Oxfordshire as Head Chef. He is the former Head Chef at Lords of the Manor in the Cotswolds.

Lords of the Manor has appointed Richard Edwards as Head Chef replacing Weedon. For the past three years, Edwards had been with Lucknam Park, most recently as Head Chef.

Paul Evans and Chris Weatherstone have joined Lords of the Manor as Sous Chefs. For the past three years, Evans was at the Crown at Whitebrook, while Weatherstone comes to the property after five years at Simpsons in Birmingham.

Sam O’Neil has been named General Manager at Drake Morgan’s the Happenstance. He was most recently overseeing the Refinery.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Richard Griffith-Jones was recently appointed Director, Hotel Planning and Design, with Melco Crown Entertainment. He was previously the Director of Technical Services with Hyatt International SWA.

Jean Keijdener has moved to Bangkok to take over as Country General Manager, Thailand, for Ascott. He was most recently the Country General Manager for South Korea, managing the Somerset Palace Seoul.

Yuji Tanaka has been appointed General Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto. He was most recently the Hotel Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo and Interim General Manager for the Ritz-Carlton Osaka.

Franz Zeller has been appointed Senior Vice President, Asia, at Millennium Hotels Resorts. Most recently, he was Managing Director of Archipelago Hotels Resorts, based in Kuala Lumpur. He is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Taj Luxury Hotels.

Le Méridien Bora Bora has promoted Boumédiène Ouadjed to General Manager. For the past two years, Ouadjed had served as Assistant General Manager for the resort. He is the former Complex Director of Sales and Marketing at Le Méridien Libreville in Gabon.

Rodolfo Fao has been appointed General Manager of Hawaii’s newly re-opened Volcano House Hotel. He was most recently with Outrigger Hotels as Assistant General Manager for the Ohana Honolulu Airport Hotel, and the Best Western The Plaza Airport Hotel.

Erkin Aytekin has been appointed General Manager at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. He was most recently the General Manager of the Novotel Melbourne St Kilda.

Llewellyn Wyeth has moved into the General Manager role at the Novotel Melbourne St Kilda that was vacated by Erkin Aytekin. Wyeth had previously served in regional positions for Accor in Melbourne and Perth.

Mark Losi has been appointed General Manager at the PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur. He is the former General Manager at the PARKROYAL Penang Resort, the Pan Pacific Orchard Singapore and, most recently, the PARKROYAL on Beach Road in Singapore.

Jennifer Cheung has been promoted to General Manager of EAST, Hong Kong. She was most recently serving as Hotel Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing for the hotel.

Michael Faulkner has been appointed General Manager at EAST, Beijing. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing at the Metropolitan in London.

Peter Wynne has been appointed area General Manager – Beijing at Swire Hotels. He is the former General Manager – Projects and Development for Swire.

Dean Winter has been appointed Area Director of Operations, Hong Kong Hotels and China Projects, at Swire Hotels. He is previously the Area General Manager for the company and the former General Manager at The Upper House. Winter is also a Mandarin Oriental veteran.

John Roberts has been promoted to General Manager at Jumeirah Himalayas Shanghai. He joined the hotel in 2010 as Hotel Manager and is the former General Manager of the Marco Polo Jinjiang in China.

Simon Hirst moves with Raffles from the Seychelles to Singapore as General Manager. Prior to joining Raffles, he had been running One Aldwych in London and its sister properties, Campbell Gray Hotels. In the Seychelles, his successor is Christoph Ganster, from the Fairmont Cairo.

Francois-Regis Simon has been appointed Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Shenzhen. He was most recently the Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Hong Kong after joining two years before as Director of Food and Beverage. Simon is the former Assistant Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons George V Paris.

Vivien He has been appointed Director of Human Resources at the Four Seasons Shenzhen. She is the former Director of Human Resources for the Crowne Plaza Panda Garden Chengdu, the Four Points by Sheraton Beijing and the Aloft Beijing.

Lee Kelly has been appointed Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons Singapore. Kelly was most recently the Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons London at Canary Wharf.

Bastian Germer has joined the Ritz-Carlton Osaka as Executive Assistant Manager Food and Beverage. He was most recently the Hotel Manager at London’s Renaissance St. Pancras.

Paul Gert Beuchel has joined the JW Marriott Jakarta as Director of Food and Beverage. He is the former Director of Food and Beverage at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort Spa and the Shangri-La Changchun.

Chris Bateman has joined the Four Seasons Hualalai as Executive Chef. He was most recently the Executive Chef at the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Dubai. 

Tony Coveney has been named Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Sydney. He was most recently the Director of Rooms with the Four Seasons Dublin.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Rami Sayess has been named Regional Vice President and General Manager at Four Seasons Doha. He was most recently in the same role for the Four Seasons Bangkok. He is the former Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Amman and General Manager at the Four Seasons Riyadh at Kingdom Centre.

Andrew Humphries has joined Viceroy Hotels in Dubai as Regional Vice President. Since 1997, he had been with Four Seasons, most recently as Regional Vice President and General Manager at the Four Seasons Nevis. Humphries is the former Regional Vice President and General Manager at the Four Seasons Amman and Hotel Manager with the Four Seasons Park Lane, London.

Hans Hordijk is now in Dubai with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts as General Manager, Special Projects. He was most recently in New York as General Manager at the Plaza. Hordijk is the former General Manager of the Fairmont Beijing, the Oberoi Rajvilas and served as Vice President Operations at Echelon Las Vegas.

The Taj Palace Marrakech has named Dino Van Eeckhaut General Manager, taking over from Yves Wencker. Van Eeckhaut is the former General Manager of the Palmeraie Golf Palace, also in Marrakech.

Dirk Bansemer has been appointed Executive Assistant Manager Food and Beverage at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in Dubai. He was most recently the Director of Food and Beverage at the Al Faisaliah and Al Khozama Hotel in Saudi Arabia for Rosewood Hotels.

Carine Aubrun is now in Abu Dhabi as Talent Acquisition Manager for the Viceroy Hotel Group. She was most recently the Recruitment Manager at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme.

John Pelling, the 52-year-old British General Manager of the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi, was killed in a car accident. Prior to joining the hotel during pre-opening in 2010, he had been the General Manager of Raffles Dubai. Pelling was also a ten-year Jumeirah veteran.

Do you have news for us? Please do not hesitate to send us an e-mail at benoit@boutiquesearchfirm.com. Edited by Susana Parks, Benoit Gateau-Cumin Lisa Leroy.

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HEADS above the Rest® is a copyrighted publication; redistribution is prohibited. Reprinted with permission.

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WASHINGTON — Conservatives on Capitol Hill are drawing a line in the sand: they will not vote to stop the government from shutting down if Obamacare is not defunded.

Led by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, a dozen senators sent a letter Thursday saying they will not support any resolution to continue funding the federal government if President Obama’s health-care law remains funded.

Under current law, the government is funded until Sept. 30, meaning a continuing resolution needs to be passed to keep the government from shutting down.

“The Obama Administration’s recent decision to delay Obamacare’s employer mandate and eligibility verification for the individual exchanges is further proof the law is a failure that will inevitably hurt businesses, American families, and the economy,” Lee said.

“In light of this admission, I and several of my colleagues will be informing Sen. Reid that we will not vote for a continuing resolution that funds Obamacare,” he added.

Among those who signed onto the letter: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

Over in the House, a large contingent of House Republicans are pushing a similar strategy, led by Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina.

“Congressman Meadows is leading a letter, currently co-signed by 66 Members, encouraging House leadership to defund Obamacare through the appropriations process,” spokeswoman Emily Miller told The Daily Caller on Thursday.

Meadows said she expects the movement to grow as lawmakers are “still signing on to support the effort.”

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25th July 2013

LYME Regis based charity, Lym Zim Link, raised almost £600 for its projects in Zimbabwe at its 10th anniversary celebration.

The event was held at Lyme Regis Baptist Church on one of the hottest days of the year, resulting in lower attendance than expected but organisers are still pleased with the funds raised.

The money will go towards paying for hearing aids at Emerald Hill School and help towards a building project at Pedro Arrupe centre.

The event included stalls selling Lyme souvenirs and African artefacts, plus cakes, refreshments and a cash prize raffle.

Thanks go to all those who helped and supported the event, plus the Volunteer Inn and Nag’s Head whose generous regulars contributed £150 to the total.

PICTURE: Sisters Kate and Jo Enright, founders of the Lym Zim Link.

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–> AB de Villiers reckons Mark Boucher can still play a key role in South Africa’s upcoming Test series in England despite a freak injury that forced him into retirement. De Villiers is preparing to keep wicket in Boucher’s place during next week’s first Test at The Oval after the Proteas great suffered a severe eye injury after being struck by a flying bail in the tour opener against Somerset at Taunton earlier this week.

That injury prompted the 35-year-old Boucher, whose tally of 555 dismissals in 147 Tests is a world record, to announce his international retirement and so rule him out of a three-match series where any sort of win for South Africa will see them replace England as the world number one in the five-day format.

But de Villiers, who will try to get is glovework going during a three-day game against Kent in Canterbury, south-east of London, starting Friday, said Boucher, with the cricket world wishing him well in his battle to save the sight in his left eye, would prove a powerful source of inspiration. “He’s been an idol in South African cricket for many years; he’s been a rock, the guy with the guts,” middle-order batsman de Villiers, who has kept in a handful of Tests during Boucher’s 15-year career, said Thursday.

And the 28-year-old has particular reasons for wanting to do well in his former team-mate’s place. “He was someone who was there at the start of my career, who looked after me, took me under his wing, helped me a lot with my cricket,” de Villiers explained.

“I probably wouldn’t be here without him. It’s probably a big call but it’s true – he’s done a lot for my cricket.

“So not to have him here, it’s a bit of an emotional thing – which I’ve sort of gotten over over the last few days. But yes, they are huge boots to fill.”

Proteas vice-captain de Villiers added: “Obviously, he was, if not the best, then one of the best wicketkeepers in the world and I’m a little bit undercooked when it comes to Test cricket wicketkeeping.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012

I am on the train to North Yorkshire where Philippa Gregory lives and have been so engrossed by her latest novel, I’m pages from the end when I alight at Yarm station. The White Princess takes over from where The White Queen, subject of the BBC drama series about the War of the Roses, leaves off and I have been wondering what sort of queen Gregory would make. It is the sort of game you start to play after immersion in her historical fiction – everyone I look at seems Plantagenet material.

We meet at a country house hotel not far from where she lives because of upheaval at home: she is building a barn on her 100-acre farm. She is the first person I see as I walk through grand stone portals to the reception. At 59, Gregory has an animated face framed by blonde curls. Although casually dressed for our mid-morning tea, her matching fuschia sandals and bag suggest she enjoys dressing up. She has queen potential – you can tell she knows her own mind, but she might have to work on being less friendly. We bond immediately over Max Irons, son of Jeremy, who plays the ludicrously dishy Edward IV in The White Queen and was recently quoted as saying: “Philippa Gregory – she can tell a story.”

His compliment is an understatement; Gregory has written 24 novels and two books for young adults since 1987. Her Plantagenet series is five books strong and keeps turning like Fortune’s wheel: the cast changes, but the narrative spokes stay the same – the pursuit of power, arranged marriages, a need for male heirs, swerving political loyalties. Gregory’s audience of 10 million reads on.

The TV mini-series of The White Queen is also gorgeously escapist and has attracted swathes of viewers (the first episode was greeted by 5.3 million). Critics have swiped at its anachronisms: zips, hand rails and French manicures have all been spotted and the White Queen’s clothes are “too white”. Gregory recognises, as one of the show’s producers, that television will “do something different from the novel”, but you sense these difficulties would not have arisen in her meticulously researched fiction.

I ask her whether total historical accuracy is desirable in television anyway; surely the actors would all be short and have bad teeth? “Well, actually, their teeth would be good,” she says. “You don’t really get the rotting teeth until the Tudor period when the big explosion of imported sugar comes in. And they’d have washed more than we traditionally think. Their clothes would have been brushed and aired.” Would we understand them though? “No. They’d speak a regional dialect of English but prefer to speak French, or they’d be happy to fall back on Latin.”

While the extent of Gregory’s Latin is unclear, her academic credentials are listed on the new book’s dust jacket: a graduate from Sussex with a PhD, alumna of the year 2009 at Edinburgh. Her publisher adds that her “commitment to historical accuracy” is a hallmark. Off the jacket, David Starkey dubs her novels “good Mills Boon.” Her rejoinder: “You sell much more fiction than you do history.” Starkey’s comment is sour grapes, “entirely and understandably so”, and she points out that the great historian Eric Ives’s biography of Anne Boleyn only came back into print because her novel The Other Boleyn Girl was made into a film (with Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman). History, she reflects, must always involve imagination. “Even a historian who prides himself on rectitude as much as Starkey, if you read his history of Elizabeth, you see the creation of a partly imaginary character.”

Royal decree: Rebecca Ferguson as the White Queen. Photograph: Ed Miller/BBC/Company Pictures ALL3MEDIA

Her added skill is that her writing flows effortlessly, to the point where some readers have told Gregory they are convinced she writes under hypnosis. Others insist she must have mastered a computer program on how to write bestsellers. They want to know her secret. She reflects: “You’re a storyteller before you can write.” She remembers telling her mother stories “in an orderly fashion” as a child and mentions, too, her training as a journalist in Cardiff, after leaving school. But the reality is that the facility with which she writes is earned. She works hard. She researches comprehensively, reading everything available about her characters and their world. She ends up with “a ring binder folder of notes” equivalent in bulk to “what you might tackle in the first two years of undergraduate study” and her question is always: “What do I not know about this world?”

Does the weight of that research ever make it hard for her to write? “I try to read so much I know it, until it becomes almost like a memory. A common error in historical fiction,” she says, “is for people to do the research but never digest it.”

I do not admit to auditioning her for the role of queen but ask which of her characters she would choose to be if given the chance. “Elizabeth Woodville,” she says without hesitating. “She marries the man she loves – Edward IV – manages to survive, gives him a dozen children. She has a supportive family. Her husband was unfaithful, but he is a medieval king so he was bound to be. For the years of her ascendancy, she has a fantastic life. She also has terrible reversals – losing her two boys must have been unbearable, but she sees her daughter on the throne as Queen of England.”

The story of the White Princess, Elizabeth’s daughter and subject of the new novel, is more complex: “While The White Queen is almost a Cinderella story, her daughter’s life is more ambivalent. Elizabeth of York marries Henry Tudor, a conquering King, enemy of her house. Their marriage unfolds slowly, works towards unity. She comes to understand him and I think when you understand someone, you always love them a bit.”

Writing as a feminist, Gregory always puts women centre stage in her work. But were they central – or does she write with wishful hindsight? “The more research I do, the more I think there is an untold history of women.” She says that whenever she writes about a remarkable woman, people comment that the woman was “exceptional”. But she thinks there were lots of remarkable women “striving for their lives, trying to satisfy their own needs”. She is fascinated by the way patriarchy operates: “In the medieval world, patriarchy is naked. Nobody pretends to respect women. Women are criticised as sexually uncontrollable or stupid. In our society, you’ll sometimes get a remnant of this – you know, when a man wants to help park your car. It is an absolute insult.”

She has a robust directness. The more we talk, the more I like her. I’ve also got wind of another, less obvious, way into her writing than the championing of women – a love of horses. She has four, rides every day on the North York moors, and “all the people I write about have to ride to get anywhere”. Sometimes, riding in a quiet wood, she will have a moment when she thinks: “It must have been just like this. Only they would have been riding all day.” She adds that she often thinks about writing while riding: “Your body is engaged but your mind is freed, and horses, for me and my characters, are an emblem of freedom.” I ask whether women rode astride then as Margaret Beaufort does on TV and she treats me to a mini-lesson on the side-saddle, “a later development brought in from the French court by Anne Boleyn.”

Scarlett Johansson Nathalie Portman in The Other Boleyn Girl.

Photograph: Alex Bailey

Her third husband, Anthony Mason, is from the north. “He’s a northerner who couldn’t possibly go south of Hull,” she laughs. They moved to their Yorkshire farm eight years ago and although “not by nature or nurture farmers” they now run an arable farm, “a real joy”. Their children – Gregory has a daughter of 32, a son of 20 and four stepchildren, the youngest being 17 – are almost all grown up. She takes out her phone to show me her “adorable” grandson Freddie, then her dapple grey Connemara. She treasures gardening, too, and says that beyond the “hollow wall” of her own gardens, where there are blue irises, lupins and geraniums, she has woodland ponds where she raises ducks and has a pair of swans. Thirty years ago, she founded a charity, Gardens for the Gambia, that has paid for 180 wells in African primary schools. She was in Gambia researching her novel on 18th- century slavery, A Respectable Trade. She also has an African connection of her own – her father was a navigator for East African Airways and the family moved from Nairobi to Bristol when she was two. “My mother was brought up in a large country house in Somerset, my father was the son of a brickyard manager in Plymouth. When Hitler invaded Poland, they were called up and met in uniform near an air force base – my father joined the RAF.”

Their story reflects, she says, her own take on history – the way individual lives are shaped by national events: “Geographically they had been apart, socially they were incredibly apart. If Hitler hadn’t invaded Poland, they would never have met or married and I would never have been born.”

Growing up, she was optimistic about getting married: “I was living with my first husband by the time I was 19. He was at my 18th birthday which seems extraordinary.” But she implies she has struggled with compromise. Third time round, she is “getting better” at it. “I suppose I have a vision of how I like the world to be and try and get that to happen,” she laughs.

She is already at work on the next novel – about Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, cousin to the White Princess. Can she pin down why historical fiction is so popular – addictive even? “Some people must read with their hair standing on end thinking, ‘Thank God we have contraception, sanitation, penicillin.’ Others look at the costumes, revels and folderol and think: ‘How glorious is that?'”

Whatever the case, our time is up. Although I am sorry to be saying goodbye I won’t pretend not to be looking forward to the train journey home because Henry Tudor is about to be attacked, is barely speaking to the White Princess and a dangerously charming “York boy” is about to appear over the horizon.

Philippa Gregory’s The White Princess is published by Simon Schuster on 1 August at £20. To order a copy for £16, with free UK pp, click on the link . The White Queen is out on DVD on 19 August

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Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s campaign manager sent an email to supporters Thursday with the subject line, “Why am I emailing you about sodomy?”

“Instead of focusing on the pressing issues facing the commonwealth, Ken Cuccinelli is spending his time supporting an anti-sodomy law that criminalizes consensual sex between adults. Seriously,” campaign manager Robby Mook’s email alleges, claiming that McAuliffe’s Republican opponent Ken Cuccinelli plans to re-instate the crimes against nature law, which would “outlaw oral sex among consenting adults, married people, all kinds of folks, making it a felony.”

“We need to raise $100,000 by the end of July to make sure Virginia’s next governor is someone who is focused on jobs — not someone who is fighting for an outdated and offensive law,” the email states.

“Cuccinelli’s views about the LGBT community are so strong, he’s willing to put his political capital on the line to try and restrict the private lives of all Virginians. Maybe that’s not surprising, since this is the same candidate who called being gay a ‘personal challenge’ during last weekend’s debate,” the email states.

Cuccinelli, the attorney general of Virginia, has recently come under fire for his so-called “War on Oral Sex.” Even “The View” host Sherri Shepard overshared to announce that if oral sex is equivalent to gay sex then she, Shepard, is “gayer than a gay two-dollar bill.”

(The two-dollar bill is legal tender in the United States. Shepard was apparently misremembering the phrase “queer as three-dollar bill.”)

Cuccinelli launched a website this week called vachildpredators.com to clarify his controversial position on the issue. Cucinelli claims that Virginia’s anti-sodomy law helps law enforcement officials prosecute sex crimes involving minors over the age of 15 as felonies.

“90: The number of sexual predators in neighborhoods across the commonwealth that could come off Virginia’s sex offender registry if a Virginia law used to protect children is not upheld,” according to the website.

It is currently unclear whether the McAulliffe campaign’s sodomy-themed email will help him meet his fundraising goals, but the man is a self-proclaimed master of the fundraising arts.

McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, not only left his wife Dorothy’s side while she was in labor in order to attend a Washington Post fundraiser, but also took his wife and newborn son to a fundraiser on their way home from the hospital, according to his own memoir.

“I felt bad for Dorothy, but it was a million bucks for the Democratic Party,” McAuliffe wrote.

McAuliffe leads Cuccinelli 43 to 39 percent, according to a poll released last week.

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