A German court ruled Tuesday that Formula One tycoon Bernie Ecclestone can pay a controversial $100-million settlement to end his trial on bribery charges.

In a move that will likely see him stay at the helm of the lucrative sport, the 83-year-old Briton struck an accord with prosecutors on the huge payment which then got the Munich tribunal's blessing.

"The proceedings will be temporarily suspended with the agreement of the prosecution and the accused," pending payment of the settlement within one week, presiding judge Peter Noll said.

The $100-million (75 million euro) payment is reportedly the largest accord of its kind in German criminal justice history.

 

 

Noll said $99 million would go to the Bavarian state coffers while $1 million would be donated to a "child hospice foundation".

He had asked Ecclestone through an interpreter whether he would be able to make the payment within a week, to which he replied: "yes".

Ecclestone went on trial in the southern city of Munich in April on charges of paying a $44-million bribe to a Bavarian state bank executive for help in maintaining his four-decade grip on Formula One.

A settlement is allowed in German criminal cases if the prosecution, the aggrieved parties and the court agree, but the Ecclestone deal has stoked fierce criticism.

 

 

Court spokesman Andrea Titz said the judges had determined that a conviction was "not particularly likely" based on the evidence presented until now.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ecclestone will not have a criminal record and should be able to retain his control of the multi-billion-dollar Formula One empire.

He has attended most of the hearings in person and arrived at the courthouse on Tuesday in a limousine, looking relaxed and accompanied by his young wife, Fabiana Flosi.

 

 

 

Ecclestone's defence team and prosecutors struck the deal, first reported on Saturday in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, to settle the case with a one-time payment rather than continue with proceedings that had been scheduled to last at least until October.

News of the accord drew angry condemnation of a legal proviso in Germany that allows defendants to "buy" a dismissal in some instances.

Former justice minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger had blasted the possible Ecclestone deal Monday as "galling" and "not in harmony with the sense and purpose of our legal practices".

She called on lawmakers to at least tighten -- if not eliminate entirely -- the loophole, which is designed to expedite cases before overburdened courts and whose sums are calculated based on the defendant's financial means.

 

 

he Sueddeutsche Zeitung lashed out at a deal in which "the briber is supposed to be washed clean with a spectacular payment".

"The saying goes 'money doesn't stink' but that's wrong here: these millions stink to high heaven."

And the top-selling Bild denounced "the bitter impression that not everyone is equal before the law".

The Formula One magnate has denied any wrongdoing, but could have faced a jail term of up to 10 years if found guilty.

 

Published: 05 August 2014

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The former personal assistant of Britain's Prince Philip has been charged with sexually abusing a girl while he was working for the royal family in the 1970s, prosecutors said.

Benjamin Herman, 79, was the personal assistant or "equerry" to the 93-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth from 1971 to 1974.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said Herman would appear in court on Monday.

"He is charged with three counts of indecent assault between 1972 and 1974 on a girl aged around 12," the spokesman said.

Herman's role was to attend to Philip's engagements and personal matters, and he later became the head of the household of Philip's daughter Princess Anne.

Newspaper the Daily Mirror reported that police had examined Philip's official diaries from the time and had taken statements from former palace staff.

A police spokesman would not comment on whether former palace staff had been interviewed, and a spokesman for Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Britain has been rocked by a series of scandals involving historic child abuse by prominent figures.

Published: 01 August 2014

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Britain's Prince Harry has followed his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II into the photobomb craze, giving the thumbs up in an image of acclaimed New Zealand rugby sevens coach Gordon Tietjens at the Commonwealth Games.

Just days after the queen was snapped beaming in the background as Australian hockey players Jayde Taylor and Brooke Peris took a selfie, the 29-year-old prince popped up as Tietjens was being photographed at the swimming pool.

Tietjens, New Zealand deputy chef de mission Trevor Shailer and sports psychologist Gary Hermansson were photographed as they sat a few rows in front of the prince, his brother Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Published: 30 July 2014

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Phillip Lim mixed streetwear with a large dose of preppy at Paris fashion on Thursday while Damir Doma and Issey Miyake turned to nature for inspiration.

Lim said his collection was all about mixing up influences to put his finger on what "boys are really wearing right now".

The US designer kicked off his show on day two of the men's collections with a pale blue and grey check suit teamed with white sports shoes and high-necked black shirt.

Other looks for spring/summer 2015 included shorts and an asymmetrical top in large white check and tartan worn with long white socks.

"It was street-prep. It was prep's influence on street urban clothes... I wanna really polish streetwear up," he told AFP backstage.

Lim said he drew on masculine codes and patterns for a "spirit of youthful elegance".

"Streetwear is permanent now in men's fashion. Instead of just making the street, you know, bring it up," the designer added, dressed in one of his own boilersuits.

At Issey Miyake, designer Yusuke Takahashi was inspired by a holiday to the Palau island chain in the Pacific to produce an environmentally conscious collection that delighted marine conservationists.

In contrast to Raf Simons' sombre, prison-chic collection on Wednesday, Takahashi sent out smiling models in joyous clothes.

Squids, jellyfish, pineapples and dragon fruit popped up on garments, giving the collection a playful, pop art feel.

'Polishing up streetwear'

"It's a nice present" from Issey Miyake, Claire Nouvian, founder of marine conservation organisation Bloom, told AFP at the show.

"The depths (of the oceans) are a very beautiful place, but also fragile and devastated by deep sea fishing," she said, adding that she hoped the collection would help to "sensitise" people.

Croatia's Damir Doma also turned to the natural world for inspiration.

Published: 27 June 2014

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Leading estate and lettings agent Andrews is holding a free landlord seminar in Streatham on Wednesday 25^th June between 7pm to 8pm with doors open at 6.30pm.

The event, held at the Andrews branch, 266/268 Streatham High Road, Streatham, London, SW16 1HS is aimed at helping landlords to make the most of their buy-to-let investment.

The evening will focus on revealing the secrets of how to maximise your buy-to-let property investment in London. Topics will include: what to look for in an investment property to reap the highest rewards, how to finance your buy-to-let portfolio and the best time of year to buy a rental property. The event is suitable for both seasoned landlords and anyone looking to purchase their first buy-to-let property.

As well as an overview of the local market from the Lettings Manager Karen Jones and  David Bourne from Andrews Mortgage Services, there will be a discussion about suitable properties currently on the market and information on the best buy-to-let mortgage deals. Landlords will also be able to learn more about how to utilise their money in order to make the most of the current buoyant sales market for properties.

Published: 19 June 2014

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Colleagues at Sainsbury’s Nine Elms Temp Store have managed to raise £1200.00 to Trinity Hospice. The funds have been raised through various store activities and donations from the store’s Community Budget over the last four weeks.

Customers and colleagues got behind Sainsbury’s Nine Elms Temp store fundraising activities for TrinityHospice, which began in 5^th May 2014 with bucket collections at the checkouts. The store PR Ambassador Mohammed Abdul and colleagues Emma, Janet have also taken part in collections in the foyer area which was a great success.

On 29^th May 2014, managers from the store Damien Brown (HR Manager), Waqas Butt (Manager), Paul Currie (Manager) and store colleagues Naana Turkson, Michelle Bate, Colin Jeffery, Janet Carroll, Carmel Murphy and Omar Wellington went took part in a five mile walk around the River Thames Embankment which raised over £500.00.

Published: 06 June 2014

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"At my age life tends to get a wee bit boring. So you've got to grab at any chance at excitement!"

That was the verdict of 89-year-old D-Day veteran Jock Hutton after he had jumped from a plane at 5,000 feet on Thursday in his own unique act of commemoration for this week's 70th anniversary.

The Scot landed in the same field outside the Normandy village of Ranville where, as a member of the 13th Battalion of Britain's Parachute Regiment, he was part of the first wave of troops taking part in the Allied invasion of continental Europe.

In a concession to Hutton's advanced age, this year's skydive was undertaken in tandem with a member of the Red Devils, Colour Sergeant Billy Blanchard.

But it was ten times higher than when he landed 70 years ago, aged just 19.

"They (the Red Devils) made me feel very relaxed but I wanted to get out of that door!" Hutton said.

Published: 06 June 2014

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• Sainsbury’s Nine Elms Temp Store are looking for a new Local Charity partner
• Customers can vote for their favourite local charity between 28^th May and 8^th June
• The chosen charity will be announced in July and will receive a year’s worth of support

Sainsbury’s Nine Elms Temp Store are calling on customers to cast their votes and help a registered local charity receive a year’s worth of fundraising and awareness support. From Wednesday 28^th May, customers will be able to vote for their favourite local charity either instore or by visiting www.sainsburys.co.uk/localcharity.

The retailer’s Local Charity scheme is now in its sixth year and gives customers the chance to vote for their favourite local charity to be considered to receive a year’s worth of support from their nearby Sainsbury’s store.

This year’s voting ends on Sunday 8^th June. After voting closes, a shortlist of nominations will be drawn up and the Nine Elms Temp Store colleagues will then invite the three charities that they feel best fit the needs of the community into store to talk about how Sainsbury’s can support them. The chosen charity will be selected based on the reasons given and the store will announce their chosen charity in July.

Published: 22 May 2014

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Britain's Prince Charles stoked controversy during a visit to Canada by comparing the recent actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin's to those of Adolf Hitler, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

The British newspaper said several witnesses heard the prince make the comment to Marienne Ferguson, a 78-year-old who fled the Nazis aged 13 and lost family members in the Holocaust.

"I... talked with him about my own family background and how I came to Canada," Ferguson told the Mail.

"The prince then said: 'And now Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler'.

Published: 21 May 2014

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Russian official rhetoric has increasingly compared events in Ukraine to the darkest crimes of Nazi Germany, ahead of next week's anniversary of Soviet victory in World War II.

Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, Russian television and officials have made frequent references to the "fascists" Moscow claims are now running Ukraine.

But the latest outbreak of deadly violence has seen the official Moscow propaganda reach new heights, analysts said.

The fire in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa that claimed at least 42 lives on Friday has been swiftly dubbed a new "reprisal raid" and even the "new Khatyn," a reference to the Belarussian village where 149 residents were burned alive by the Nazis in 1943.

The entire village was punished for the death of a Nazi officer and the Nazi battalion behind the massacre consisted of collaborators including nationalists from western Ukraine.

The Khatyn massacre went down in Russian history books as one of the Nazis' most brutal "reprisal raids," a term the Kremlin has now adopted to describe the offensive Kiev authorities have launched against pro-Moscow rebels in the flashpoint town of Slavyansk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman on Saturday pointedly referred to the Odessa tragedy as a "reprisal raid," saying "extremists" burned people alive.

State television and officials went even further by overtly likening the Odessa blaze to a Nazi-style massacre.

"What has happened, especially in the Trade Unions House, brings to mind the crimes of the Nazis during World War II," pro-Kremlin lawmaker Leonid Slutsky told reporters in Moscow, referring to the Odessa fire. "These are the new Khatyn and Auschwitz." A senior official in the pro-Kremlin government of Crimea, Ukraine's peninsula taken over by Russia in March, chimed in. "The last time people were burned alive in Ukraine was by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War," Rustam Temirgaliyev said on Facebook, referring to the Russian name for World War II. have taken control of a string of towns and cities across Ukraine's southeast as a "reprisal raid" last month and the term has since become a Moscow favourite to depict events in Ukraine, used by everyone from television news anchors to Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin. Russia's losses and sacrifice during World War II remain a hugely sensitive subject in the country and Putin has often reached into this history to cast pro-Western authorities in Kiev as Moscow's enemies.

Published: 04 May 2014

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