Class Trip

0 Comments | Daily Mirror, The; London (UK), Apr 28, 2010 | by Anonymous

Gossip Girl (ITV2, 8pm)

Things don’t quite go to plan for Serena (Blake Lively, left) when she finally reunites with her father.

CHOICE

Wanted (Sky Movies Action & Adventure, 10.35pm)

Angelina Jolie, left, stars in this stylish action thriller.

CHOICE

The Beach (E4, 9pm)

Fine drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, left, as a backpacker who discovers trouble in paradise.

0 Comments | Northern Echo, Jul 30, 2010 | by Mark Foster

THE massive hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence is being scaled down, 16 months after she was last seen alive.

From next month, only seven officers will be working on the case – down from a peak of more than 100 when the investigation was at its height.

But police have pledged that the inquiry – which they are treating as a suspected murder – will continue, despite the reduced resources now being deployed.

Miss Lawrence, was 35 when she was last seen in March last year, after finishing her shift at York University’s Goodricke College.

Although both her parents were originally from Darlington, she was brought up in Malton, North Yorkshire, and at the time she went missing, was living in Heworth, York.

Her disappearance sparked a huge police operation – the biggest in North Yorkshire since the hunt for quadruple killer Mark Hobson in 2004 – and so far it has cost about [pounds]770,000.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Madgwick said specialist resources had now been concentrated on the case for a “considerable period of time”.

He said: “During the past 16 months, as leads are followed, investigated and actions completed, we are now in a position where there is no longer a requirement for the level of resources allocated to the inquiry.”

He said the decision to scale back had followed several months of review and detailed scrutiny.

He added: “Claudia’s family have been fully informed about the current position of the investigation.

“They have been assured that our overriding desire is to bring the person or persons responsible for Claudia’s disappearance to justice.”

And he insisted: “The investigation remains open and will be continuously reviewed with the necessary resources allocated, should any new evidence or lines of inquiry emerge.”

The missing woman’s father, solicitor Peter Lawrence, 64, accepted the police decision and yesterday described it as a realistic one – although he still clings to the hope that his daughter is still alive.

His friend and spokesman Martin Dales said: “It is both regrettable but quite understandable that after 16 months searching for Claudia, police have to be realistic about the number of officers that can be devoted to her disappearance.

“It is clear that other police forces might well have given up on a case such as hers, and it is good to hear that there is no letup in their determination to find out what has happened to Claudia.”

Channel Four is to screen a documentary Missing, the Claudia Lawrence Story – at 7.30pm on Friday, August 13, and police are to allocate a dedicated response team and telephone number for calls reacting to the programme.

Meanwhile, anyone with information that could help the inquiry is asked to contact police on 0845-60-60-24-7 or Crimestoppers, which is offering a [pounds]10,000 reward, on 0800-555-111.

0 Comments | New Straits Times, Jul 30, 2010

PETRONAS Syntium Team, who scored a sensational 1-2 at the 2009 Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race (MMER), will be back to defend their crown in Sepang next weekend.

“We will be returning with a line-up of two BMW Z4M Coupes to compete in the revamped GT-class.

“The team are hoping to maintain and build on their impressive form at the 2010 Super Taikyu Endurance series, where they chalked up four wins out of the four rounds contested so far.

“The team will sport competition numbers 1 and 28,” the team announced in a statement yesterday.

Featuring a combination of experience and youth in their pool of drivers, the team’s challenge this year will be spearheaded by 27- year old Malaysian Fariqe Hairuman.

He will be joined by young Malaysian Melvin Moh Chun-Ho who will be making his first appearance at the MMER.

Completing the line-up in the team’s No 1 BMW Z4M Coupe is experienced Japanese driver Tatsuya Kataoka.

Japanese duo Masataka Yanagida and Nobuteru Taniguchi will be making their third appearance at the MMER, piloting the No 28 BMW Z4M Coupe.

The duo will be joined by another young Malaysian rookie driver, Imran Zaharias Shaharom.

Team principal David Wong said they are looking forward to the race.

“Coming back to compete on our home soil in the country’s largest motoring event is always a welcomed and special occasion for the team.

“The quality of the participants will definitely raise the standard of competition.

“Having established itself as a great platform for teams from Malaysia and the region to showcase their craft, we can definitely look forward to a great MMER,” said Wong.

“This year, we are returning to take on the challenge in the new GT-Class with the two BMW Z4M Coupes.

“Looking at the level of competition, it will be difficult to expect a repeat of the fantastic feat we achieved here last year.

“Nevertheless, everyone on the team has worked hard preparing for this race and we are optimistic that we can put up a challenge to the other drivers.

“As for drivers, we will be returning with the same driver line- up as our campaign in the Super Taikyu Endurance Series.

“The No 1 BMW Z4M Coupe will feature the trio of Tatsuya, Fariqe and Melvin, while the No 28 car will see the current STES leaders Nobuteru, Masataka and Imran.

“This will be the very first MME in our colours for the two youngest members of our squad, Melvin and Imran.

“But I am confident of what they can achieve.”

This year marks the 11th edition of the MMER, which will be held at the Sepang Circuit on Aug 5-8.

The revamped structure features the new Super GT class, Sports Production and Touring Production classes; replacing last year’s categories – the Open class, A1 Class and A2 Class.

The 2010 event looks set to be the most competitive ever; having attracted plenty of big names, which include winners of the prestigious 24 Hours LeMans Race such as Frank Biela, Marco Werner, Peter Kox, Christopher Haase, Daryl O’Young, Matthew Marsh, Dominik Farnbacher, Malaysia’s former F1 driver Alex Yoong as well as Fairuz Fauzy, the Lotus F1 Racing test driver.

0 Comments | Cornish Guardian; Truro (UK), Jul 14, 2010

TOY STORY 3 opens in the UK on Monday so make a date in your diary now – I saw it last week and it is nothing short of a masterpiece, writes Conor Nolan. You can read my full review next week.

Tom Cruise’s career seems to have taken a wrong turn with the thriller Knight & Day which after two weeks on release in the US has only managed to take a paltry $49 million which will not even cover his and Cameron Diaz’s fee – audiences just do not seem that interested in him anymore which does not bode well for another Mission Impossible sequel.

Another below par performer for 20th Century Fox has been the big budget remake of the classic TV series The A-Team – reviews were very mixed and you can read mine in a few weeks time.

Festival is offering a feast of fun

0 Comments | Leicester Mercury, Jul 28, 2010

FLAVOURS and traditions from around the world will be celebrated when a town holds its first-ever food and culture festival.

Coalville’s Belvoir Shopping Centre is the venue for the free family event, which takes place on Saturday, from 11am to 3pm.

Attractions will include bellydancing, a gospel choir, world music, a treasure hunt, facepainting, circus workshop and a Punch and Judy show.

Visitors can also sample food from a variety of stalls, share recipes and learn how to cook with a celebrity chef.

The festival is being organised by volunteers at Coalville’s Marlene Reid Centre.

Development worker Charlotte Corden said: “This free event aims to bring together and celebrate the quality and diversity of our local community – it will be a feast for all the senses.”

Three injured after boat bursts into flames

0 Comments | Buffalo News, Jul 28, 2010 | by Charlie Specht

Three men were injured, one seriously, at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when a boat burst into flames in the front yard of a home on Route 104, Wright’s Corners Fire Company officials said.

The three were working on the boat — a mustard-yellow AMF Slickcraft — when the 16-foot craft burst into flames, Niagara County sheriff’s officials said.

The fire left much of the boat’s interior charred. And next to 11/2-foot hole toward the rear of the craft, partially melted jumper cables — still hooked up to the engine — dangled to the ground.

A ratchet set rested on the boat’s rear seat, just a foot away from the burned backs of the boat’s two front seats. Engine parts were strewn on the lawn beside the boat.

John Jancef, who lives next-door, was driving toward the scene when he noticed smoke billowing next to his house.

“I flew into the driveway,” he said
interior doors