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September 30, 2011

Amanda Knox appeal: Lawyer warns Knox will flee Italy



An Italian prosecutor has warned that Amanda Knox will "run away abroad" if she is absolved of the 2007 murder of UK student Meredith Kercher.
Giuliano Mignini also attacked Knox's "million dollar" publicity campaign and rejected charges she had been "crucified" by the media.
Knox, 24, and Raffaele Sollecito, 27, are challenging their convictions for the murder, which happened in Perugia.
A verdict in the appeal is expected on Monday.
Prosecutors have said they will appeal if the verdict is overturned.
But Mr Mignini, giving his final rebuttal after closing arguments, told the jury: "We know that if the verdict is overturned, there will be an immediate escape overseas.
"As a result, even if this is the second of a three-step legal process in Italy, it is up to you to ensure justice."
Knox 'not crucified'
Mr Mignini was critical of the publicity campaign Knox's family and their supporters have launched, both in Italy and in the US.
He asked the jury: "Have you ever seen a defendant who hires a big PR agency? She has a publicity campaign behind her that cost up to a million dollars."
And he said that, far from Knox being "crucified" by the media, as her supporters allege she has been, it is the police forensic scientists, who analysed crucial murder evidence, who have come under fire.
Mr Mignini also accused Knox - sentenced to 26 years in 2009 - of trying to pin all the blame for the murder of Miss Kercher, who came from Coulsdon, south London, on "the black guy".
Rudy Guede, 22, who has joint Italian and Ivorian nationality, has already been convicted of Miss Kercher's killing and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, reduced to 16 years on appeal.
Referring to Sollecito, who was also convicted of murder and sexual assault and is also challenging his conviction in this appeal, Mignini said the two had co-ordinated their defence. "You wanted to make a pact of steel and blame it all on the black guy," he said.
He added "[Knox and Sollecito] covered their tracks well. The poor black guy will pay for everyone."
A lawyer representing another man Knox accused of Miss Kercher's murder told the court his client still suffers nightmares as a result of her slander.
Carlo Pacelli blamed Knox's false accusation for the recurring bad dreams his client Diya "Patrick" Lumumba keeps having.
The body of Miss Kercher was found on November 2 2007 in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox and two other Italian girls.
Mr Magnini said he saw Miss Kercher's "brutallised corpse" with his own eyes and added that when pictures of the body were shown in court: "Amanda never looked at them".
Death sentence
He repeated the prosecution's case that an apparent break-in at the house where the murder took place had clearly been staged, and that a broken window could not have been smashed from the outside because the wooden blinds were closed.
Another prosecutor, Manuela Comodi, said: "[Knox and Sollecito] were young but they killed for no reason," said prosecutor . "They killed for no reason and for this they should be given the maximum sentence, which luckily in Italy is not the death sentence."
Knox and Sollecito, who was jailed for 25 years, deny any role in the murder and say they spent the night of the crime in the Italian's apartment watching a movie, smoking pot and having sex.
Outside the court, Sollecito's father said his son was "very scared, but he is hopeful of the right verdict".
"I am hopeful that the court has heard well the arguments presented in the appeals trial and has realised that there isn't any evidence against my son and Amanda," Francesco Sollecito said.

September 29, 2011

Touring Germany, Italy in BMW X5

"Our friends think you're nuts to drive in Europe," said my wife. "How are we going to find our way around, especially on those narrow city streets? We don't speak the language and they drive fast."
Mercifully it was too late to change our 10-day circular driving tour through southern Germany and northern Italy, passing through Switzerland and Austria.
There was actually less ground to cover than all those countries would suggest, borders were almost nonexistent, the highway system is absolutely brilliant . . . and we were driving a BMW (with navigation!).
The X5 xDrive35i proved an excellent touring vehicle, or as BMW calls it "Sport Activity Vehicle," that was perfect for our little party of four.
Good driving dynamics are a must for any vehicle with a BMW emblem on the hood, even a utility type vehicle like the X5. It drives like a tall version of the 5 Series wagon with a higher seating position, more cargo space in the rear and xDrive allwheel-drive.
BMW tunes its xDrive system to make the X5 handle with the steering precision of a rear-wheel drive vehicle. In normal driving situations most motive power is sent to the rear wheels. And it cleverly sends even more drive to the rear when it senses the X5 is going around a corner.
THE SCORE
A utility vehicle worthy of the BMW badge, X5 xDrive35i is the fun-todrive sporty alternative.

THE SPECS
2011 BMW X5 XDRIVE35I
Trim levels: xDrive35i, xDrive50i, xDrive35d & M Sticker Price: $59,990 to $97,900
Power (xDrive35i): 3.0-litre twin-turbo I6, 300 horsepower. Transmission: 8-speed automatic Fuel consumption (SHO): 13.0/8.5 L/100 km (city/highway)
Basic Warranty: 4 years / 80,000 km
Powertrain Warranty: 4 years / 80,000 km
Rust Warranty: 12 years / unlimited km
THE COMPETITION
Acura MDX: $52,690 - $62,690
Audi Q7: $53,900 - $69,200
Infiniti QX56: $73,000
Land Rover LR4: $59,990 to $70,790
Lincoln Navigator: $73,100 - $76,100
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class: $70,500 - $88,900
Porsche Cayenne: $55,900 - $120,000
Volvo XC90: $51,995 - $59,995

Quebec, Ottawa to sign HST deal Friday


QUEBEC — Prime Minister Stephen Harper will put an end to a decades-old dispute with Quebec Friday by handing over $2.2 billion in compensation on the HST.
Quebec harmonized its provincial sales tax with the federal GST in 1992 and has since pressed Ottawa to compensate it for doing so.
Until recently, the federal government had refused to write Quebec a cheque, arguing it hadn't fully harmonized its tax as Ontario and British Columbia did, because Quebec, as opposed to the federal government, handles the administration.
The federal government promised during the spring election campaign to strike a final agreement with Quebec by Sept. 15, but the deal will be signed by Harper and Quebec Premier Jean Charest on Friday.
"We have managed to settle this long-standing dispute," a source told Postmedia News. "This is a major announcement."
The two politicians are set to meet for more than an hour before making the formal announcement at 1 p.m. Friday at Quebec's national assembly.
The federal government declined to confirm the announcement Thursday but Transport Minister Denis Lebel noted the Conservatives will deliver on their promise.
"The prime minister always kept his word and it was in our election platform. So in due, time the prime minister will make the announcement and I've always believed we would do what we said we would do," Lebel said.
Every province that has harmonized its sales tax received lump sums for doing so: from $4.3 billion in Ontario to $364 million in New Brunswick.
However, those provinces and others handed control of their sales tax programs to the federal government.
Quebec has its own revenue agency that manages and collects both provincial income and sales tax. The settlement is expected to allow the province to maintain control of the federal sales tax as well as its own provincial sales tax.
The Bloc Quebecois, which pressed the issue in Ottawa for years and notably during the last federal election campaign, took some credit for the announcement.
"We've been waiting for this for 20 years. It's a victory for the Bloc Quebecois, considering how long we've been talking about this. It had been a long-standing battle," Bloc MP Andre Bellavance told reporters in Ottawa.
"We still don't understand why, though, Quebec had to wait so long for it. The money is due to us and we're happy it's finally happening," he added.
Official Opposition leader Nycole Turmel criticized the Tories Thursday for making a promise to settle the HST irritant during the election campaign.
"We'll see (Friday) what will happen. I hope for Quebec that they get it like they were promised to represent it. It is in our platform so we support this," the interim NDP leader said.

First ever Kosovo passports issued: Prime minister


Citizens of Kosovo began receiving their first official government passports Wednesday, five months after its ethnic Albanian leaders declared unilateral independence from Serbia.

 
PRISTINA - Citizens of Kosovo began receiving their first official government passports Wednesday, five months after its ethnic Albanian leaders declared unilateral independence from Serbia.

"This is a historic day for our country and for all Kosovan citizens," Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said during a symbolic presentation of the first passport to a woman.

The new passports are blue and adorned with the emblem of the fledgling Kosovan state: a shield with six stars along the top and a map of the territory inside it.

"We are completing our state. Today’s journey marks the final step for citizen of Kosovo," Thaci added.

"From today onwards Kosovan citizens enjoy their real identity, that of the Republic of Kosovo," he said.

Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leaders declared independence on February 17, which was quickly recognized by around 40 countries, including key players such as the United States and more than half of European Union member states.

Serbia, which still claims the territory as its own, has not recognized Kosovo’s independence, nor have Russia and several other states.

Serbia insists that Kosovo is an integral part of its territory, culture and history.

The world's Top 25 train trips


The United States and Mexico gave way to Norway and Britain this year on The Society of International Railway Travelers' (IRT) annual list of the world's best trains trips.
The list is based on the experience of rail society writers, editors, members and staff, with all trips meeting set standards for service, accommodation, scenery, off-train experiences and enjoyment.
New to the Top-25 list are two routes in Norway and the British Pullman, which completes the British leg of Venice Simplon-Orient-Express journeys between Paris and London. But gone are the GrandLuxe Express and Sierra Madre Express, which ran in Mexico's Copper Canyon, both closed due to the economic downturn.
- - -
North America
1. Canadian (Canada)
2. Royal Canadian Pacific (Canada)
3. Rocky Mountaineer (Canada)
South America
4. Andean Explorer (Peru)
5. Hiram Bingham (Peru)
Africa
6. Blue Train (South Africa)
7. Pride of Africa (Rovos Rail) (South Africa)
Asia/Indian Subcontinent
8. Palace on Wheels (India)
9. Eastern & Oriental Express (SE Asia)
10. Shangri-La Express (China/Tibet)
11. Toy Train (India)
12. Deccan Odyssey (India)
Europe
13. Danube Express (Central Europe, Turkey)
14. British Pullman (Great Britain)
15. El Transcanta-brico (Spain)
16. Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express (Russia)
17. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (Europe)
18. Glacier Express (Switzerland)
19. Bernina Express (Switzerland)
20. Royal Scotsman (Scotland)
21. Flam Railway (Norway)
22. Bergen Railway (Norway)
Australia
23. Ghan (Australia)
24. Indian Pacific (Australia)
25. Sunlander (Australia)