A British grandmother has been sentenced to death by firing squad for smuggling almost 5kg of cocaine into Bali.
Lindsay Sandiford was arrested in May last year after she tried to enter the Indonesian holiday island with illegal drugs worth £1.6 million hidden in her suitcase.
Local prosecutors had called for the 56-year-old housewife to be jailed for 15 years. But today there were gasps in the Bali courtroom when a panel of judges announced Ms Sandiford would be executed for drug trafficking.
As the shock verdict was announced, Ms Sandiford, from Gloucestershire, slumped back in her chair in tears before hiding her face with a brown sarong as she was led out of the courtroom.
yellow jacket is a case that transforms the iPhone 4 & 4S into that 650,000-volt stun gun you've always needed.
scheduled to hit the US market in fall 2012 the case is advertised as being able to easily stop an aggressive male attacker, and ready for use in less than two seconds. its designer seth froom, a former military policeman came up with the product after being robbed in his home at gunpoint.
what is the demand for such a hostile product you might ask? well, yellow jacket has managed to receive over 100,000 USD worth of backing on the crowd-funding website indiegogo which means that there must be quite a few people out there who feel the need to transform their phone into a weapon.
detail of the stun gun nodes
the iPhone's designers could never have conceived half of the the weird and wonderful accessories that have been designed for use with the iPhone since its launch, but even in the name of self defense a stun gun seems a bit much, doesn't it?
Remember that time when everyone got all freaked out about thatsnakeskin pedicure that cost $300? Well, get ready to completely lose it, because we just got a press release for the “most expensive nail polish in the world.”
That title was previously held by Models Own, which produced a $130,000 bottle (featuring a 24-carat gold, diamond-encrusted lid) back in 2010. However, the self-professed “king of black diamonds,” Azature, has doubled that figure. A bottle of black nail polish containing a whopping 267 carats of black diamonds in the actual polish will go for $250,000. Yikes. You won’t be able to just walk into Duane Reade and buy this sucker, however–only one bottle of the stuff will be produced.
For those of us who can’t afford a quarter of a million dollars for a manicure, Azature is offering a $25 version (see, now doesn’t $25 nail polish sound downright cheap in comparison?) containing one measly black diamond. You’ll be able to pick it up in LA at Fred Segal starting this month.
The news was given on Wednesday by the Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares Estepona Town Hall has sacked 176 municipal workers. The PP Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares, announced on Wednesday that the 176 workers are victims of the ERE Employment Regulation which the Town Hall put forward in June. The workers will be compensated with 2.5 million € and they will be given their ‘finiquito payments of 408,000 € between them. Pilar Fernández-Figares said one they were sacked the Town Hall will start to work on a new ‘training program for the reinsertion of the sacked workers’.
The BMW i3 concept car at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January. (John T. Greilick / Detroit News)
BMW will sell cars over the Web for the first time as the world's largest maker of luxury vehicles seeks an inexpensive way to reach more buyers to recoup spending on its electric models.
A direct online sales platform for BMW's new I sub-brand will be unique in an industry where, outside of small-scale experiments, competitors leave Internet orders for cars to dealers. BMW's range of strategies for the models, including a roaming sales force backing a limited showroom network, reflects the challenge carmakers face as low-emission vehicles trickle into dealerships to sluggish demand after years of development.
"There is considerable risk in BMW's approach of promoting the I brand so prominently," said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Science in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. "There is the image risk, if they don't succeed as quickly as expected, and then there's the main risk of costs, which can only be countered with high deliveries."
BMW opened the I models' first showroom Tuesday in London, although only prototype cars and informational materials will be displayed at first because the vehicles themselves won't go on sale before next year. BMW is spending about $3 billion developing the i3 battery-powered city car and i8 plug-in hybrid supercar, according to an estimate by Frost & Sullivan. Industry sales of electric cars last year, at 43,000 vehicles, were only 57 percent of the 75,000 deliveries predicted by Sarwant Singh, a London-based automotive partner at the consulting company.
Starting prices posted
The four-seat i3, scheduled to reach the market in late 2013, will be priced at about 40,000 euros ($48,500), Bratzel estimated. That compares with a 23,850-euro starting price ($29,388) in Germany for the 1-Series, the cheapest BMW-brand car. The i8, targeted for sale in 2014, will cost more than 100,000 euros ($123,221), according to Ian Robertson, BMW's sales chief.
Details of how I-model buyers, the website and dealerships will interact are "still in the planning process" and will be communicated later, Linda Croissant, a spokeswoman at Munich- based BMW, said last week. Sales will be focused on the world's major urban areas, she said.
The online sales option is aimed at a generation of drivers used to making daily purchases over the Internet, and will be an extension of the car configuration that most automakers offer customers to view models with desired options such as interior colors, seat materials and roof styles.
Test drives not an option
The Internet platform may take a while to catch on because "many customers will still want to go somewhere to look at and drive the vehicle before buying," said Ian Fletcher, an auto analyst in London at research company IHS Global Insight.
"With new technologies, there may be even greater skepticism about buying a car over the Internet, as in many cases you'll have to win the confidence of customers that it works and there is support for them," Fletcher said in an email.
The setup may help BMW reduce expenses: Internet sales require less than half the cost of distributing through a dealership, according to Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of the Center Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. That allows online car prices to be 5 percent to 7 percent less than showroom tags.
Still, BMW sees standard dealerships as "the backbone of what we are doing in the interface with the customer" for the I models, Robertson said in June at a press presentation at the sub-brand's Park Lane showroom in London.
Dealer selection criteria
Outlets will be restricted to dealers with high BMW-brand sales volume who have floor space as well as capacity to work with I models' powering technology and carbon-fiber body material, Robertson said. The carmaker has chosen 45 of its approximately 200 dealers in Germany to sell the i3 and i8, a ratio that will probably be similar elsewhere, he said.
Dealers will be designated as agents for the I models, which provides an "advantage" by keeping the vehicles on the carmaker's books, the association of BMW distributors in Germany said in an email.
Electric vehicles' disadvantages versus conventional cars include costly battery packs, limited ranges and the time needed to recharge. Consumer reception to models like the Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf and General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt has been tepid.
"Currently available electric cars have a limited market success because they are a big compromise," said Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based analyst at Credit Suisse AG. "Customers are not willing to compromise and spend a lot of money."
Carbon fiber bodies lighter
BMW Chief Executive Officer Norbert Reithofer started Project I at the end of 2007 as tighter emissions regulations threatened the viability of sporty sedans. BMW chose to create all-new vehicles that use expensive carbon fiber for a lighter body to make up for the weight of the battery system.
The approach contrasts with a decision by Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Cars division to convert existing models, such as the van-like B-Class or two-seat Smart, to electric power.
To make its electric vehicles more attractive, Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler's Smart brand offers to lease the battery separately from the car. The automaker has a target of selling more than 10,000 of the models next year, with a starting price of 18,910 euros plus monthly battery rental at 65 euros.
The I models' new technology poses risks for BMW, "but they have no choice if they want to keep their premium and image as an innovation leader," Ellinghorst said.
The i3 and i8 will probably be among BMW's lowest-selling models through 2024, alongside the existing Z4 roadster, according to IHS estimates. In 2014, the first full year of production, BMW will probably deliver 31,380 i3s, compared with 564,760 of the best-selling 3-Series model and 18,101 Z4s, a study by the research company shows.
BMW's stance is that the models should produce earnings from the start, sales chief Robertson said.
"We clearly, as a company, go into any product launch with the view of making profit, which is no different with the I brand," Robertson said. "This is a car line just as every other car line, and we intend to make profit from Day 1."
Paper Passion, a scent from Geza Schoen for Wallpaper* magazine, makes its wearers smell like freshly printed books. I suppose it can be alternated with "In the Library," a perfume that smells like old books.
Paper Passion fragrance by Geza Schoen, Gerhard Steidl, and Wallpaper* magazine, with packaging by Karl Lagerfeld and Steidl.
“The smell of a freshly printed book is the best smell in the world.” Karl Lagerfeld.
It comes packaged with inside a hollow carved out of a book with "texts" by "Karl Lagerfeld, Günter Grass, Geza Schoen and Tony Chambers."
'It's wisest to pick someone whom you cannot break up with or divorce.' Photograph: Gary Powell/Getty Images
Tattoos are permanent reminders of temporary feelings – at least if you believe the report in Thursday's Daily Mail, which looked at "embarrassing" matching couple tattoos – designs that complement or complete each other across two, romantically involved bodies.
Yet there are millions of people who feel no embarrassment about the tattoos they share with their friends, lovers and even exes. Moreover, as with most perceived "new trends" in tattooing, this practice is one with a history far older than the current generation; it's a phenomenon that provides both an insight into human beings' fundamental relationships with their own bodies and the bodies and lives of those close to them.
Tattoos have been used as markers of association for probably as long as human beings have walked the earth, to mark tribal affiliations, regimental membership in the military, membership of fraternal orders such as the masons or US college Greek letter groups, and to signify gang membership.
The most common of these types of affiliative tattoos, though, is marking an attachment to a loved one. There's an old adage in tattooed circles that suggests getting your lover's name tattooed on you is a sure kiss of death for that relationship, and it's an old gag too: Norman Rockwell's famous 1944 Saturday Evening Post cover painting, The Tattooist, shows a salty sailor in the tattooist's chair, having yet another name added to an arm already full of the crossed-out names of past paramours. Even earlier, a cartoon in Punch from 1916 shows a "fickle young thing" – a well-turned-out young woman, as it happens – revisiting her tattooist to seek an amendment to the ornamental crest tattoo on her arm as she has, euphemistically, "exchanged into another regiment".
None of this seems to have affected the long-standing popularity of having names or symbols tattooed to commemorate couples' love and bond. Magazines in the 1920s reported the latest fad for newlyweds was getting matching tattooed wedding rings; preserved tattooed skins in the Wellcome Collection from the late 19th century feature names and portraits of lovers; studies of tattoos in the American navy in the 18th century reveal a large percentage of seamen of the period bore tattoos of the names of women; even Christian pilgrims in the 16th century were recorded to have borne the names of their wives on their skins, as tokens or identificatory marks; and records attest to romantic tattooing even in ancient Rome – St Basil the Great (329-380) is said to have condemned the tattooing of a lover's name that he observed on someone's hand. While I'd certainly never advocate getting a permanent mark of your relationship too hastily, it does seem that the instinct to inscribe a permanent token transcends the ages. Caveat amator.
Single tattoos that span multiple bodies appear to be a more recent phenomenon, however. In 1977, New York-based tattoo artist Spider Webb undertook what was probably the first conceptual art project to use tattooing, in a piece called X-1000, in which he tattooed single, small Xs on to 999 individuals, and, as a culmination, one large X on the final, 1,000th skin, conceived as one contiguous work. This tattoo, potentially spanning thousands of miles at any one time, was, Webb said, "the largest tattoo ever done at any point in history". In 2000, as the culmination to a performance art project begun in 1998 designed to highlight the horrific lives and plights of the homeless and hungry in Mexico City, Santiago Sierra produced his piece 160cm Line Tattooed on Four People, a single black line tattooed across the backs of prostitutes in exchange for wraps of heroin, as a symbol of their desperation, interdependence, and utter powerlessness. Sierra would later remark: "You could make this tattooed line a kilometre long, using thousands and thousands of willing people." In 2003, author Shelley Jackson famously published her short story Skin on the bodies of 2095, one tattooed word per person. These tattoos bring together strangers in common cause.
My favourite set of matching tattoos, though, are probably the ongoing collection of work worn by twins Caleb and Jordan Kilby, tattooed with matching work by influential and extraordinarily talented New York-based artist Thomas Hooper. If you must get matching tattoos with someone, it's wisest to pick someone whom you cannot break up with or divorce, and to get the work carried out by a tattoo artist who will produce a piece of work that will stand the test of time on its own terms.
We're familiar with seeing tight leather on smoking hot women, and weird old men, but it's a first for us seeing a leather bound Ferrari F430.
There seems to be a lot of fuss over this leather bound Ferrari F430 in the UK with both The Sun and The Daily Mail reporting about it recently.
However, this isn’t a new car by any means as US motoring blog Jalopnikreported on the F430 way back in August last year. It’s a pretty cool, albeit manky, car so we thought we’d show you anyway.
It’s the work of a Latvian custom car company called Dartz who hit the headlines in 2009 when they created a $1.5 million ruby red SUV with whale foreskin-covered seats. Yes, foreskin…
Anyway, some high roller with more cash then sense decided it would be a great idea to cover his €170,000 Ferrari in dark leather.
The owner of Dartz, Leonard Yankelovich, said: "One of our very rich customers from the Cote d'Azur wanted a leather exterior and knew we could deliver.
"It took three of my staff 16 working days to apply the leather and finish. He was more than happy when he picked it up."
He won’t be too happy when he scratches it though.
Maria De Villota, 32, was taking part in her first test for the Formula One team at Duxford Airfield when she 'inexplicably accelerated' to about 40mph into a support truck after completing her opening lap.
After treatment by trackside paramedics, the Spaniard was taken to the local Addenbrooke's hospital.
Scroll down for video
Maria De Villota at a photo call this morning, and in the Marussia car at Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, shortly before the accident
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred after De Villota had pulled up in front of her mechanics after completing her first lap of the day and 'inexplicably accelerated' into a support truck
Emergency workers and Marussia F1 staff at the scene at Duxford today
Marussia test driver Maria De Villota is said to be fighting for her life
Gary Sanderson, spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service, said: 'A woman has sustained life-threatening injuries and following treatment at the scene by paramedics, she has been taken to Addenbrookes hospital for further care.'
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred after De Villota had pulled up in front of her mechanics after completing her first lap of the day, during which she reached speeds of about 200mph.
As the mechanics approached to wheel the car back for service, it accelerated forwards and crashed into the stationary vehicle parked nearby.
The front of the Marussia car was destroyed in the crash and De Villota's helmet was seen to impact with the side of the truck.
The 32-year-old Spaniard was taken to Addenbrooke's hospital
The front of the Marussia car was destroyed in the crash and De Villota's helmet was seen to impact with the side of the truck (file photo)
De Villota was reportedly motionless for around 15 minutes as paramedics attended to her but was seen to move her hands before being transported to hospital.
BBC Cambridgeshire presenter Chris Mann, who was at the Imperial War Museum-owned airfield when the accident happened, said the car 'inexplicably accelerated' into the back of the team's parked support truck.
'The driver's helmet was impacted on the side of the truck,' he reported. 'It just happened suddenly, a very shocking incident.
Racing in the blood: De Villota is the daughter of former Formula One driver Emilio de Villota
'The car slowed down for it to be reversed into the pits which was actually a tent. But at the last second it just suddenly accelerated again so by the time it hit the truck, it was doing 30 or 40 miles an hour.'
He added: 'It appeared to me that she wasn't moving for about 10 or 15 minutes. We saw her move her hands after about a quarter of an hour and it took almost an hour for the ambulance (staff) to feel confident to take her out of the car.'
De Villota is the daughter of Spanish former F1 driver Emilio de Villota.
She was appointed test driver of Russian-licensed Marussia in March, making her the only woman in such a role at the time although Williams have since handed a similar development role to Suzie Wolff.
This year is the first season the team has competed as Marussia after the Russian sports car manufacturer bought a controlling stake in the former Virgin team.
Marussia has not yet scored any points this season.
The team's race regulars are German driver Timo Glock, who missed the last grand prix in Valencia through illness, and Frenchman Charles Pic.
De Villota was given a test drive by Renault in August last year when she clocked up just under 200 miles, and has previously raced in Spanish F3, the Daytona 24 Hours, the Euroseries 3000 and Superleague Formula Championship.
A statement from Marussia read: 'At approximately 09.15 BST this morning, the Marussia F1 Team’s Test Driver Maria De Villota had an accident in the team’s MR-01 race car at Duxford Airfield where she was testing the car for the first time.
'The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team’s support truck.
'Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed, a further statement will be issued.'
A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: 'We were notified by the ambulance service of a slow-speed crash involving a racing car and a lorry.
'It looks like the driver has suffered a serious injury and we will be notifying the Health and Safety Executive as it happened on private land.'
VIDEO: Watch Maria talk to CNN about her driving career only a month before the accident...
Portrait of George Washington, whose personal copy of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights fetched $9.8m at auction. Photograph: Stock Montage/Getty Images
George Washington's personal copy of the US constitution and bill of rights sold for $9.8m (£6.3m) at auction on Friday, setting a record for any American book or historic document.
Bidders at Christie's New York salesroom and others on the telephone competed for the first US president's signed, gold-embossed volume dating to 1789, which had a pre-sale estimate of up to $3m.
The non-profit Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union, which maintains the historic Mount Vernon estate in Virginia that was Washington's home and is now open to the public, was the successful bidder.
"The unique book had been in the Mount Vernon library until 1876, and will soon be returned to that library," said Chris Coover, senior specialist of books and manuscripts at Christie's.
The bound volume was Washington's personal copy of the Acts of Congress and is noteworthy for his bold signature marking it as his own.
The Acts of Congress include the Constitution, whose preamble promises to "secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity," and the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the constitution, which establish such fundamental liberties as the right to free speech, press, assembly and religion.
Christie's described the book as being in near-pristine condition after 223 years. It was specially printed for Washington in 1789, his first year in office as president.
The margins include Washington's handwritten brackets and notations highlighting key passages concerning the president's responsibilities.
The Acts of Congress volume was sold from Washington's library at Mt Vernon in 1876 and eventually bought at auction by collector Richard Dietrich in the 1960s. It was being sold by the family's estate.
Similar volumes created for Thomas Jefferson, the first secretary of state and third US president, and attorney general John Jay, are in Indiana's Lilly Library and a private collection, respectively.
Rare books and manuscripts have achieved impressive prices in recent years.
An autographed manuscript of Lincoln's 1864 election victory speech sold for $3.4m in February 2009, which set a record for an American manuscript at the time. A 1787 letter written from Washington to his nephew on the subject of the ratification of the Constitution fetched $3.2m in December 2009.
Anthony Davidson in hospital after Le Mans 24 Hour race accident Britain's Anthony Davidson is in hospital following a huge accident five hours into the Le Mans 24 hour race. His Toyota flipped into the air and crashed heavily into a barrier after being clipped by Italy's Piergiuseppe Perazzini's LMPGTE Ferrari. A Toyota statement said: "Doctors at the circuit have confirmed that Anthony is suffering from shock and back pain. "However, there are no signs of any injuries and he is walking and talking with no problems." Perazzini walked away from the accident but Davidson, 33, was treated by medical staff at the scene. The race continued behind the safety car for more than 30 minutes as marshals reconstructed the tyre wall which had been badly damaged by Davidson's car. The Hertfordshire-born driver was taken to a local hospital for precautionary checks.
According to Merriam-Webster, ingenuity can be defined as "skill or cleverness in devising or combining" or "cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance." We'd say that's an apt description of a Frenchman named Emile who reportedly found himself stranded in the deserts of Northwest Africa after breaking a frame rail and a suspension swingarm underneath his Citroën 2CV.
What to do? Why, disassemble the broken hulk and build yourself a motorcycle from its pile of parts, of course! As the story goes, Emile was able to use the inventive machine to escape the desert, though not before convincing the local authorities that he wasn't an insurgent and paying a fine for importing a non-conforming vehicle...
Since Emile was the only soul in the area, nobody has been able to confirm the veracity of the events that led to the little French runabout's conversion into a makeshift motorcycle. That said, judging by the images you can see here (apparently from the March 2003 issue of 2CV Magazine), this Citroën-bred two-wheeler does indeed exist, and it was definitely fashioned from parts scavenged from an old 2CV.
Emile, wherever you are, we take our hats off to your real-life MacGyver skills, sir.
McLaren are reputedly poised to offer Lewis Hamilton a new contract worth £20m per year and £100m over its full duration as speculation mounts that the 2008 World Champion's future is finally set for resolution. Hamilton's current deal with the Woking outfit, which has nurtured him since the age of 13, expires at the end of the year. Although the 27-year-old has repeatedly stressed in recent months that he is in no rush to finalise his future, McLaren - presumably mindful of reports linking their star asset with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, all of whom are set to have a driver vacancy for 2013 - are reputedly preparing to make Hamilton an offer seemingly too lucrative to refuse According to a host of reports, Hamilton and his advisors will soon be presented with a £20m-per-year deal by McLaren that would tie the driver to the team through his peak years until the age of 33. However, although The Daily Mail suggests that 'talks are likely to begin in earnest around early July', The Daily Telegraph believes 'any contract is unlikely to be signed until later this summer, or even this autumn, as the finer points are hammered out and Hamilton continues to assess his options.' Although his relationship with Fernando Alonso has thawed of late, the possibility of Ferrari pairing Hamilton with the Spaniard remains remote given that their solitary season together at McLaren proved to be one of the most mutually-destructive and controversial driver pairings in the sport's history. Mercedes, meanwhile, are yet to commit their long-term future to F1, while Red Bull boss Christian Horner has previously ruled out signing a driver hardly renowned for living a quiet life. Hamilton's talent, however, has never been in question, and a scenario in which they have to race against their former protégé is the stuff of nightmares for McLaren. Hence the reputed determination of Martin Whitmarsh and the Woking hierarchy to retain their 'dream team' of Hamilton and Jenson Button, who signed a three-year contract extension with McLaren in October, whatever the cost - even, it seems, if that cost works out at £100m.
Both drivers crashed out of the Spanish Grand Prix on lap 14 after Schumacher drove into the back of Senna's Williams.
Schumacher, who called Senna an "idiot" over the radio, refused to accept blame for the incident, telling Sky Sports F1 HD: "I want the stewards to clarify what happened. He moved to the right, but he shouldn't move back in the braking phase to the left that sharply."
Senna, meanwhile, felt it was just one of those incidents.
"At the end of the day, I was not expecting him to hit me, I thought he was going to dive for the inside," he told the BBC.
The stewards though have found Schumacher was the guilty party and handed him a five-place grid penalty for the Monaco GP.
Friendship ... Webber could be joining Alonso at Ferrari next year, according to reports. Source: Greg Baker / AAP
Formula One star Mark Webber has firmed as a potential replacement for the struggling Felipe Massa at Ferrari in 2013.
Webber, who has floated on and off Ferrari's radar over the years, will replace Massa in a one-year deal, according to reports from Spain.
The Australian seven-times grand prix winner is out of contract at Red Bull next year but wants to remain in a competitive team.
Red Bull are keen to promote either Webber's compatriot Daniel Ricciardo or Ricciardo's Torro Rosso teammate Jean-Eric Vergne.
The young guns are in a shoot-out for Webber's seat but Red Bull could face a dilemma if the veteran outpoints world champion Sebastian Vettel through the season.
Rumours about Massa's departure from Ferrari have been persistent over the past 18 months and Webber has entered the picture, according to Spain's El Confidencial, because of his "great relationship" with their lead driver Fernando Alonso.
In the long term, it is widely believed Ferrari will sign young Mexican sensation Sergio Perez, who has performed brilliantly for the Ferrari-engined Sauber team this year.
But it is understood they want Perez to have at least another year's experience before stepping up, increasing the chances of Webber being signed as a stop-gap driver.
Most accidents in motorsport will immediately terminate any chance you have of winning the race. Not so when you're nickname is "Crazy Leo." Rally driver Leonid Urlichich demonstrates in the videos below how you can shake off an accident like a boxer recovers from a right hook.
The footage comes from the 2012 Rallye Perce-Neige held in early February where Leo and his navigator Carl Williamson were competing in the woods of Maniwaki, Quebec. Leo reportedly tapped the brakes while careening flat out down a snowy straight and his Subaru WRX STI doth protested. The car spun around backwards and slammed, rather violently, into a telephone pole. Amazingly, the damage was mostly cosmetic and the car wound up facing the right way on the track, so Crazy Leo just hit the gas and continued on to ultimately finish the rally in second place.
Scroll down to watch a trio of videos showing the accident as well as the crowd's reaction to Leo's recovery.
Pricey ... Ayrton Senna's steering wheel from his debut at the 1984 Brazillian Grand Prix. Source: Silverstone Auctions / Supplied
As far as Formula 1 memorabilia goes, very few items could match this.
Silverstone Auctions will place the steering wheel which they claim was used by the late, great Ayrton Senna in his Formula 1 debut at the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix under the hammer.
The wheel was personally signed by the man himself, who also left no doubt as to when was in his hands by writing "Brazil '84".
Silverstone auctions called the wheel in it's ad "utterly irreplaceable and far more easily displayed than a Grand Prix car.....How amazing will this look framed up?"Pricey ... Ayrton Senna's steering wheel from his debut at the 1984 Brazillian Grand Prix. Source: Silverstone Auctions / Supplied
As far as Formula 1 memorabilia goes, very few items could match this.
Silverstone Auctions will place the steering wheel which they claim was used by the late, great Ayrton Senna in his Formula 1 debut at the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix under the hammer.
The wheel was personally signed by the man himself, who also left no doubt as to when was in his hands by writing "Brazil '84".
Silverstone auctions called the wheel in it's ad "utterly irreplaceable and far more easily displayed than a Grand Prix car.....How amazing will this look framed up?"
Michael Schumacher has launched a scathing attack on Pirelli, calling on the tyre supplier to rethink its approach to Formula One. The seven-times World Champion believes drivers are unable to drive on their limits because of Pirelli's rubber. The majority of the field in Bahrain, as in China last week, were forced to adopt three-stop strategies and it could have been more but for drivers adopting a conservative approach to preserve their tyres. "The main thing I feel unhappy about is everyone has to drive well below a driver's, and in particular, the car's limits to maintain the tyres," said the veteran German ace. "The main thing I feel unhappy about is everyone has to drive well below a driver's, and in particular, the car's limits to maintain the tyres." Michael Schumacher Quotes of the week "I just question whether the tyres should play such a big importance, or whether they should last a bit longer, and that you can drive at normal racing car speed and not cruise around like we have a safety car. "I'm not happy about the situation, let's see what happens in future. If it was a one-off car issue, you could say it's up to us to deal with it. "But basically it is everybody, with maybe one or two exceptions, and if it is 80% of the field that has this problem, then maybe the tyre supplier should think about that." Pirelli's director of motorsport Paul Hembery was left surprised at Schumacher's comments, telling Autosport: "I'm disappointed to hear those comments from someone of Michael's experience. "Others were getting on with the job and getting their tyres to work. "His comments during winter testing were that he was very happy with the tyres, and now he seems to have changed his tune."
The controversial Bahrain Grand Prix has gone ahead without disruption but British journalists are facing deportation after being held by police elsewhere on the Gulf island. Violent disturbances have been intensifying in recent days with around 50,000 anti-government protesters gathering around the capital Manama, just 25 miles away from where the race meeting took place. Opponents fought pitched battles with security officials, with claims surfacing that protester Salah Habib Abbas, 37, was killed by shotgun pellets fired by riot police on a rooftop during an overnight raid. The race itself passed peacefully, despite rumours leading opposition party al-Wefaq had purchased tickets and planned a protest inside the track. But Channel 4 News' foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Miller was arrested along with his cameraman Joe Sheffer and producer Dave Fuller. They were detained at a police station for several hours before being driven to an airport where they are awaiting deportation. The news crew were unharmed, but concerns were raised about the welfare of their local driver and British-Bahraini human rights activist Dr Ala'a Shehabi, whom they were travelling with. The driver was arrested and assaulted in front of the team and appeared to be bleeding from cuts to his arms, while Dr Shehabi had her arm slammed in a car door by riot police, said the journalist. Mr Miller revealed the team, which was filming a small demonstration in a village, was arrested by "scores" of balaclava-clad riot police after "a short car chase" during which their vehicle was tracked by a police helicopter. The team was then held at a police station and interrogated by local police officers. In an interview broadcast on Channel 4 News, Mr Miller said they had been unable to obtain official accreditation to report on the race due to restrictions by the authorities and were "under the radar". He said that once caught, police were "very aggressive" towards the crew. Mr Miller later told BBC Radio 5Live the security officials were "particularly verbally abusive" to the two Bahrainis they were with. He said: "Today I have witnessed at first hand the the abusive behaviour of both riot police and formal police." Amnesty International said human rights violations are continuing in the country despite government promises that the country is on the road to reform.
An anti-government protester has been found dead following clashes with riot police on the eve of the controversial Bahrain Grand Prix , according to opposition activists. The opposition group al-Wefaq named the dead man on Saturday as Salah Abbas Habib and said his body was found on the roof of a building after he and other protesters were beaten by riot police who suppressed a demonstration in the village of Shakhoura late on Friday night. Bahrain's interior ministry said it had launched an investigation. News of the protester's death spread quickly on Twitter amid reports of intensified security in the Shakura district, where his body was reportedly found.
Rarely, though, can it have found itself on the horns of a dilemma such as it encounters now, at the centre of a complex row over human rights, money, politics, even international diplomacy. The decision to push ahead with Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in spite of ongoing civil unrest was always a big gamble. Now it has turned into a potentially ruinous one. With Force India skipping second practice on Friday — they were worried about returning to their hotel in the dark — after a firebomb incident on Wednesday night, and Sauber admitting that a bus-load of their mechanics were approached by masked men brandishing Molotov cocktails the following night, everyone out here is jittery. An estimated 10,000 people swarmed the highway north of the circuit on Friday to protest against the ruling Sunni regime, with rioting expected to break out across the city as it has most nights this week. Every day the protesters become more encouraged by the international attention they are garnering, with news reporters being denied visas as they scrabble to get in on the action.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton headed Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel to set the pace in first practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Englishman, who is leading the championship despite not having won any of the first three races, was 0.305 seconds quicker than the German. The world champion was ahead of Force India's Paul di Resta, who ran the softer of the two types of tyres. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was fifth from McLaren's Jenson Button. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg was sixth ahead of Mercedes' Michael Schumacher. Red Bull's Mark Webber, Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean completed the top 10. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, third in the championship behind Hamilton and Button following his win in Malaysia last month, was only 13th. The grand prix is taking place amid much controversy about the wisdom of racing in the Gulf state, where civil unrest has been continuing for more than a year. And after four Force India mechanics were caught up in an exchange of petrol bombs and tear gas between protestors and riot police on Wednesday, there was a heavy police and army presence on the route to the track on Friday. Continue reading the main story “ The Mercedes I think is now the quickest - particularly over one lap. Not sure they are quickest in race pace. ” Lewis Hamilton F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, who had insisted before the race that he would be "very surprised if we have problems", visited the Force India team during first practice on Friday. Sources say the team are considering sitting out the second practice session because team members are refusing to travel in the dark, following the incident on Wednesday. Out on the track, the drivers continued as normal, with McLaren continuing to look on balance the strongest team and Red Bull and Mercedes their closest challengers. Rosberg arrived in Bahrain fresh from his maiden career victory in China last weekend, and his team are tipped to continue their strong form here. Hamilton said: "The Mercedes I think is now the quickest - particularly over one lap. Not sure they are quickest in race pace. "I think the Red Bull is probably the quickest in race pace. We have shown we have good qualifying pace and race pace. We are there or thereabouts and we have as good an opportunity as anyone." The teams will be concentrating a lot of their efforts in Friday's two 90-minute sessions on understanding the behaviour of their tyres. The 2012-specification Pirellis have proved especially sensitive and teams are struggling to keep them in the right operating range. The suspicion so far is that cool conditions favour Mercedes, while hotter temperatures are better for McLaren and Red Bull, but the picture is changing constantly so early in the season. Second practice starts at 1200 BST. BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY ONE Friday 20 April: First practice 0800-0930 and second practice 1200-1330. BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and live text commentary on BBC Sport website. BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY TWO Saturday 21 April: Third practice 0900-1000 BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; Qualifying 1200. BBC Radio 5 live and live text commentary on BBC Sport website; Qualifying replay 1720-1840 BBC One HD. BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY THREE Sunday 22 April:: Race 1300 BBC Radio 5 live and live text commentary on BBC Sport website; Race replay 1700-1820 BBC1 HD; Highlights 0100-0220 BBC2 and Red Button.
Patrol cars police a checkpoint outside the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir (Picture: AP)
Checkpoints around the circuit have been tightened as tensions have escalated this week, with calls growing for the event to be called off even at this late stage.
Two workers from Force India have returned to Britain after their car was caught up in a petrol bomb incident after leaving the Sakhir circuit on Wednesday night.
Protesters gather at an anti-government rally in Manama, Bahrain (Picture: Reuters)
The team have confirmed they will not be withdrawing from the race over the incident but their German driver, Nico Hulkenberg, said: ‘We shouldn’t have been put in this position. It is not good we have to worry.’
Worried: Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg (Picture: AP)
Just one week ago the FIA insisted the sport was safe to travel to Bahrain and there were no security concerns.
However, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has spoken out against the decision to hold the race.
'It shouldn't go ahead, I don't think British drivers should go, I think the Formula One should not go ahead in Bahrain,' she told Question Time.
'You have got demonstrations by democratic protesters who have been violently suppressed and although it should be a matter for the sport to decide rather than for the government, I do think government ministers can express an opinion.
'That opinion should be it should not go ahead, it would send the wrong signal, it should not happen.'
F1 personnel could find themselves in harm’s way, with the number of protests to be ramped up over the next few days.
Defiant: A protester flashes victory signs at riot police (Picture: Reuters)
There were reports of tear gas being used against protesters in Manama, while some foreign journalists were reportedly turned away from the capital’s airport last night.
However, reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel attempted to project a mood of calm from within the Sakhir circuit.
‘Generally in the paddock it seems to be no problem,’ said the Red Bull driver.
‘Outside of the paddock maybe there is a risk but I think there is a risk everywhere we go.’
Force India team members were forced to flee as petrol bombs were hurled over their vehicle on their way back from the Bahrain Grand Prix track. The four mechanics in a 4x4 were caught in the middle of an incident as police clashed with protesters. Some tear gas fired by police entered the car, before the driver escaped through a gap in the flames on the road. No Force India staff were hurt but two team members have asked to return home. Analysis Dan Roan BBC sports news correspondent in Bahrain This circuit in the desert is a cocoon, shielded from the realities of this divided island. Publicly, the drivers obediently follow the FIA's orders, say the right things, and prepare to race. But Force India's traumatic experience last night has sparked a fresh sense of unease and tension among the teams. Some I've spoken to are angry with Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt for making guarantees over safety that now appear hollow. The expectancy is that the unrest will escalate before Sunday, and most say privately that they would rather be somewhere else, despite the renewed reassurances of the circuit authorities. Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg questioned the decision to stage the Bahrain race , telling BBC Sport: "We shouldn't have been put in this position". But while team-mate Paul di Resta described Wednesday's incident as "uncomfortable" he is prepared to take part if Sunday's grand prix goes ahead. The mechanics were travelling on the main highway from the track into the capital Manama when unrest spilled into the road. After being stopped in the road for two to three minutes, the vehicle was able to move away as part of a larger group of traffic. Anti-government protests in Bahrain caused the 2011 race to be called off, and a number of teams expected a similar outcome for this year's race amid security concerns. Teams and drivers are known to have private misgivings about the wisdom of racing in Bahrain amid ongoing civil unrest, but none have so far publicly questioned the decision. The four men were said to be emotional, upset and angry with organisers that the race had been allowed to go ahead. Bahrain circuit chairman Zayed R Alzayani said: "They weren't targeted. They just happened to be there. "I think it's unfortunate. It's an issue of timing. It could happen in any place in the world really, getting caught up in a riot or a fight or anything." Bahrain GP factfile First held: 2004 Last race: 2010 2010 race winner: Fernando Alonso, Ferrari Circuit length: 5.412km Laps: 57 2011 race: The event was called off because of anti-government protests in the Gulf state 2012 race: A number of teams expected this year's event to be cancelled, but the FIA said the race will go ahead. Schedule: First practice begins at 0800 BST on Friday, Qualifying at 1200 BST on Saturday, Race at 1300 BST. One of the Force India team who has asked to return home was in the 4x4, which ran into trouble around 20 minutes from the circuit on the outskirts of the capital Manama. It came at the end of the first day of work for teams in Bahrain, where they have travelled for this weekend's race following assurances from the country's authorities and F1's governing body, the FIA, that the Gulf state is completely safe. The MRS team entered in the supporting Porsche SuperCup series has withdrawn from the weekend's season-opening race, saying it could not guarantee the safety of staff. A spokesman for the McLaren F1 team said: "We are putting in place the appropriate security measures, which we always do at every grand prix, in accordance with local requirements." Alzayani said there would "probably" be more violence, adding: "I can't comment on the degree of violence, whether it will be more or not - I don't have that kind of information. "I don't think they will be within the track or close to the track, and I think they will be handled in the right way." Alzayani said his advice to fans was "be vigilant". "I would give them advice to enjoy the weekend," he said. "Don't be too worried and too distracted not to enjoy the weekend." A statement from the circuit said the Force India group had driven through "an isolated incident involving a handful of illegal protestors acting violently towards police." It added: "During this incident a Molotov cocktail landed in the vicinity of their vehicle. "After approximately two minutes, the route was cleared and the vehicle carried on its journey. There were no casualties and eyewitness reports from the scene confirmed that their vehicle had not been targeted itself." The Gulf Kingdom's ruling royal family are being pressured to improve human rights and make reforms by the majority Shia population, who accuse the minority ruling Sunnis of discrimination. Use accessible player and disable flyout menus Amnesty International says torture and ill-treatment continue in Bahrain On Friday, the FIA said it was "satisfied that all the proper security measures are in place for the running of a Formula 1 world championship event", and the race will go ahead. However, with practice in Sakhir due to start on Friday, protests have continued in Manama with more scheduled for near the circuit on Sunday's raceday. The Foreign Office said it would not be advising British fans to avoid travelling to the grand prix, although it was concerned about the unrest. An all-party for group of MPs has written to F1 sponsors and urged them to boycott the event. Some television broadcasters have decided against attending this year's race, but it is set to be shown in the UK. Sky Sports refused to comment, while a spokesman for BBC Sport - which is due to screen highlights - said: "As the race has been officially sanctioned by the FIA we will cover the event as part of our contractual obligations. "We take staff safety very seriously and continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground." BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY ONE Friday 20 April: First practice 0755-0935 and second practice 1155-1335 BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and live text commentary on BBC Sport website. BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY TWO Saturday 21 April: Third practice 0855-1005 BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; Qualifying 1155 BBC Radio 5 live and live text commentary on BBC Sport website; Qualifying replay 1720-1840 BBC One HD. BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY THREE Sunday 22 April:: Race 1255 BBC Radio 5 live and live text commentary on BBC Sport website; Race replay 1700-1820 BBC One HD ; Highlights 0100-0220 BBC Two and Red Button.
"Is Michael past his sell-by date?" Johnny Herbert, standing in as a Sky TV commentator for Damon Hill this weekend, pondered the question for a moment, shortly before the man whom he had partnered at Benetton in 1995 set the fastest time in yesterday's second practice for the Chinese Grand Prix.
"No, actually I would think he's pretty close to his peak," Herbert answered, unconsciously rubbing his own waistline as he added: "And if you look at him physically, he is in great shape at 42."
It's clear that the multiple world champion has a car that suits his style this year, and he looks more comfortable and more like his old self than at any time since his comeback in 2010. Now he has one he can throw at a corner, relying totally on front-end grip, and whose tail happiness he can worry about and control as he exits.
Moreover, yesterday he drove it with the added boost of knowing that the FIA race stewards have declared its innovative wing-stalling system as fully legal. When he set the best time, and saw the morning session's fastest runner, Lewis Hamilton, come up short in his attempt to dislodge the Mercedes, it made it a great day.
"It was a trouble-free day, and I am quite happy with how our car is handling so far here," Schumacher said cheerfully. "The balance of the car was reasonably good, and obviously a balanced car contributes a lot to lap time. As a team, we are a lot stronger in certain areas this season, and we have a much better base to work from, although we are not quite where we want to be with this car yet – but I am confident we will get there.
"We will now have to look deeper into the data in order to find out where we really are here, but I am looking forward to tomorrow's qualifying."
It remains to be seen if Mercedes have solved the tyre degradation problems that have restricted them to the single point Schumacher scored for 10th place in Malaysia, but the camp is optimistic. As it is at McLaren, despite Hamilton's five-place grid penalty for the gearbox change that he will have today, and a problem on both his car and Jenson Button's with locking front brakes.
"It's been a great day," Hamilton said. "It stayed dry in the afternoon so we successfully got through our run programme. We're still working away to improve the set-up, but the new bits seem to be working. The guys back at the factory have done a great job.
"We look competitive – and I've been particularly focusing on the longer runs for this weekend. We still need to make a few improvements but our car looks good. We will be changing the gearbox on my car before the third practice session. It's going to be a close qualifying session tomorrow – I think we'll still be in the race and among the leading group. I love the challenge of coming through and gaining positions."
Button had a less happy time. "It's been a little bit of a difficult day for me," he said. "I was trying to find a good set-up but the cold weather made it difficult to understand the car because the tyres weren't working perfectly.
"Tomorrow should be a bit warmer than today – we don't quite understand the tyre temperatures and can't get them quite in the right area. And if we make a set-up change and the tyre temp changes by five or 10 degrees, then that change goes out the window. That's something for us to sort out, but we've got a lot of useful information from the low- and high-fuel runs.
"It's been a tricky day but there's a lot of good information to go through – we'll find a better direction overnight."
It was a good day for Sebastien Vettel, who was only 0.15sec slower than Hamilton after running a modified exhaust system on his Red Bull.
"It's tight between the cars," he said. "I haven't seen everything, but I think overall we can be quite happy. We tried a lot of things today and now we need to go through everything and see what the best set-up is ... I felt more comfortable, but we'll see."
And he warned: "It's tricky to say if we look competitive. McLaren look good in all conditions."
Focus on China: Three things to watch this weekend
1 Lewis Hamilton's progress towards the front from wherever he eventually starts once a five-place grid penalty is levied for a gearbox change. The 2008 and 2011 Chinese GP winner is in great form this weekend and desperate to score his first victory of the 2012 season.
2 The pace of the Sauber-Ferrari driver Sergio Perez, the hero of the recent Malaysian GP, if, as forecast, light rain falls during the race. The Mexican is a master of preserving his tyres and has a car that is notably kind to them, and wants nothing more than to go one place better than he did in Sepang.
3 The qualifying and race performances of Red Bull, who have made changes to their exhaust in the search for more speed, and Lotus who have reverted to the Malaysia aerodynamic specification after a troubled practice yesterday chasing tyre temperatures.
One of the leading V8 Supercars outfits - incidentally run by two New Zealanders - Stone Brothers Racing knows talent when they see it. Ross and Jimmy Stone have a reputation for spotting Marcos Ambrose, who won the championship in 2002 and 2004, and young guns like Shane van Gisbergen. For 2012 they snapped up Lee Holdsworth after the Victorian had cut his teeth at Garry Rogers Motorsport. He scored his maiden win in 2007 at Oran Park and continued his good form with further podium finishes. He finished seventh in the championship in 2010 and replaced Alex Davison in the No 4 IRWIN Tools Falcon as part of the SBR team in 2012. Holdsworth is a fan of the Hamilton street circuit and is looking forward to next weekend's ITM400. He knows he's in for a battle, as defending round champion van Gisbergen is back on home soil and wants to keep the Hamilton title, and it's the last time the event will be held in the Waikato city. "I've really liked coming to Hamilton to race and they've put together a brilliant world-class street circuit," said Holdsworth. "I finished second to Shane last year in race two and have been on the podium every time we've raced there and I'm hoping we can do the same again this year. "The Stone Brothers' cars are always quick over there [Hamilton] and I think Shane will definitely be one of the drivers to beat in Hamilton this year. Having won there last year he's going to be hard to beat." Holdsworth has made a great start to the 2012 season with his new team and his transition from a Holden to a Ford has so far been pretty seamless. The cars have different balance and grip dynamics, and while Holdsworth is keen to do well in his new team, he knows to take it easy early on. However, Holdsworth is fifth in the championship after two rounds, 45 points behind teammate van Gisbergen, and is pleasantly surprised to be where he is. He likes the street circuit format and has a good track record at this type of event. He is looking forward to showing the way home to the rest of the field over the weekend. "To be honest I love coming to Hamilton and it's such a shame it's going to be our last year there. I hope there's going to be a huge crowd over the weekend. "It's a really challenging track and you can push it to the limit. There's plenty of grip and you push it to within millimetres from the wall. It's one of those tracks where you've got to hold your breath and go as hard as you can to get the most out of the car," said Holdsworth. The consensus among the drivers is Hamilton's kerbs are probably the most difficult things about the track, so the drivers need to have a car that can handle them. They're damn hard, especially through the first chicane (turn four) at the back. Drivers, and in particular team owners, don't want to ride them because there's a high likelihood they'll damage the car. The secret, apparently, is to get through them smoothly and quickly to make up time and distance on the car in front. "I had heaps of confidence in what the car could do around the track with my previous team and hopefully I'll get the same feeling with the Irwin car this year," said Holdsworth. "I'm still working on gaining complete confidence in the new car and it's coming to me a lot quicker now. Things didn't really click at Clipsal [opening round in Adelaide] but things are really coming together now and especially at the last round in Tasmania." The Hamilton track is a difficult place to get to grips with in the dry and if it's wet like last year it's anyone's game. Holdsworth is showing good pace in the dry as he gets more used to the car and is no slouch in the wet either. He just could be the one to watch next weekend.
The government of Bahrain cannot guarantee the safety of Formula One teams and spectators at this Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix as violence escalates in the Gulf kingdom, according to the British former police officer who is working on security at the track. John Yates, the former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police who is employed by the Bahrain government to advise on police reform, told the Guardian: "People say can we guarantee security. Of course we can't guarantee security. I'd be a fool to sit here and say that. "Is it possible there might be an incursion on the track? Of course there is. It's an open event. Can you stop some idiot running onto the track? There have been other incidents of track incursions." Yates also said police would retaliate with live rounds if necessary: "The police will have all the options you would expect. If the opposition started firing live ammunition, the police would respond with live," he said, adding: "But I don't think that's likely." The British policeman, known universally as "Yates of the Yard", went to Bahrain on a six-month contract four months ago. He led the cash-for-honours investigation, but resigned last year following criticism of the police investigation into the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. "There will be protests over the weekend. But we want to make this a sporting event not a security event. The man who is heading the security said he wanted security to be felt but not seen. And I applaud that. "I judge it more likely there will be protests on the route and protests around the villages. I just hope it's a good event and I hope it goes off without too much trouble." Yates made his comments as protesters stepped up their activity with a demonstration in middle of he capital, Manama, which had to be broken up with stun grenades, and promises of 15 further demonstrations overnight, compared with seven on Tuesday night. The controversial Bahrain Grand Prix has been foisted on the reluctant F1 teams only after they were give assurances that they would be safe following meetings in Shanghai last week with Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's commercial rights holder, and a statement from FIA, the governing body. Formula One has refused to get involved in the political and moral row which has engulfed Bahrain and has concentrated purely on the security aspect. The sport will be dismayed by the comments from Yates, who also said the police needed their own human rights. "What some of the police are facing it's horrific. I saw four or five cops with life-changing injuries, faces taken off, ingested flames and lungs damaged. Where are their human rights? The cops have taken some heavy, heavy injuries." Yates dismissed much of the reported violence as "malicious propaganda". He added: "There will be incidents when police have not acted appropriately. You saw that in a supermarket recently, and that's being investigated." He also played down allegations that the police are making preemptive strikes in the villages surrounding the capital. He said: "There's allegations that people are arrested and not taken to the police station but go to these holding sites where allegedly terrible things happen. But that would be on YouTube. That would be posted." Following an independent inquiry into the bloodshed in Bahrain last year, Yates said that what happened in the country was "tragic" and "appalling". He added on Wednesday: "But the will is there to move on and make the changes. I've seen a of changes in the four months I've been here. Some of the pace of the change is frustrating for some but it's the nature of the beast. But the will is there."
Bahraini security forces have fired stun grenades at protesters outside a cultural exhibition in Manama ahead of Sunday's Formula 1 Grand Prix. A local journalist told the BBC the demonstrators in Old Manama were shouting "Down, down, F1" and demanding the release of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. The activist has been on hunger strike in prison for more than two months. Mr Khawaja's lawyer earlier told the BBC that his client had removed the intravenous drip keeping him alive. The 52-year-old told his wife on Tuesday afternoon that he was also now refusing anything but water, Mohammed al-Jishi said. Mr Khawaja believed nothing was being done to resolve his continued detention, and this was the only way to force the issue, he added. Abdulhadi al-Khawaja's lawyer released this picture of his client taken in hospital on 3 April Mr Khawaja was convicted by a military court in June of plotting against the state, but human rights groups have said that his trial was "grossly unfair". They said his conviction was based on a confession he made under duress, and that no evidence was presented showing he had used or advocated violence during protests against King Hamad Al Khalifa. Bahrain's highest court is due to rule on Mr Khawaja's appeal against his conviction on Monday - a day after the Grand Prix. Last year's race was cancelled after at least 35 people, including five police, were killed during a crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
What they say: Why Sunday's race 'must go on' Bernie Ecclestone, chief executive, Formula One "I'm happy our position is quite clear. We don't get involved in politics in a country. There's nothing happening. I know people here, it's all very peaceful." Ross Brawn, principal, Mercedes team "We have to take the advice of people who have all the information. We have reassurances from the FIA that we can have a safe race." Sebastian Vettel, driver, Red Bull "I think it is safe enough to go and we should go there and race and not worry about something that is not our own business." Jenson Button, driver, McLaren "I look to the governing body to decide whether we go to Bahrain or not. I don't know all the facts, hopefully they can make the right call." International Automobile Federation (FIA) "Based on the information the FIA has, it is satisfied that all the proper security measures are in place for the running of an F1 World Championship event." Damon Hill, former F1 world champion "Human rights organisations have had their cases heard. No one is under any illusion. But we also have a responsibility to our fans." The BBC, which will be broadcasting the Bahrain Grand Prix "As the race has been officially sanctioned by the FIA, we will cover the event as part of our contractual obligations."
After seeing NASCAR take a PR hit when four of its drivers skipped a White House ceremony in September, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Tuesday "everybody learned a good lesson to be here this year." By Carolyn Kaster, AP President Obama, right, talks with 2011 Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart Tuesday at the White House. Stewart was one of four NASCAR drivers to decline the previous invitation from the president. Enlarge By Carolyn Kaster, AP President Obama, right, talks with 2011 Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart Tuesday at the White House. Stewart was one of four NASCAR drivers to decline the previous invitation from the president. Sponsored Links The last time the 12 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers were invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., four stars —Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart — declined, citing scheduling conflicts. Athletes declining a White House visit had recently become bigger news than those athletes who do attend. In January, Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was the only member of the team to not visit the White House, where President Obama honored the 2011 Stanley Cup winners. Thomas skipped due to his political beliefs. 2011 champion Tony Stewart in focus Tuesday, as Obama spoke on the South Lawn to reigning Cup Series champion Stewart and the 11 other Chase drivers of 2011 who donned suits and ties, there was no such flap. Obama honored Stewart for his third championship run, in which he won five of the 10 Chase races after going winless in the first 26 races of 2011. Stewart edged Edwards for the title in the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "Tony himself acknowledged he didn't see it coming; nobody saw it coming," Obama said. "We've all heard about athletes who say they're going to do what it takes to win it all. But back in August, with the season winding down, Tony predicted he wouldn't be able to pull it off. In fact, he said that if he did end up winning the championship — this is a quote — 'I'll declare I'm a total bumbling idiot.' " The small congregation of NASCAR friends and family and the media laughed as the sun beamed down on the drivers and gave the Cup trophy a shine. Obama continued: "Here's your chance, Tony." The president glanced back at Stewart. The driver grinned, then shrugged. Obama also congratulated Edwards on a finish that was "down to the wire and came about as close as you can get without actually winning." "Everybody who saw Carl after the race — it was a great lesson in how you handle disappointment with grace and with class," Obama said. "He's a outstanding representative for all of NASCAR." In addition to Stewart and Edwards, other drivers in attendance were: Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch. Earnhardt Jr. also missed the trip to the White House last year. That's because NASCAR's most popular driver wasn't in the Chase in 2010 (he finished seventh last year). "I was just glad to have an opportunity to shake his hand and get my picture made," Earnhardt said of Obama. "I'm appreciative to be here, to have the opportunity to do. He seems like a busy man. "I hope that every time we come back and the president gets to know more of us better that he becomes a fan, a bigger fan. It's an important connection for us to have with the government as much as we support and work with our military." Two Cup cars graced the South Lawn, and to Obama's disappointment, he wasn't able to take a lap in one. Besides Stewart's championship cars and the Cup trophy, the typical NASCAR atmosphere was left at the racetrack. No logos donned Earnhardt's black suit. The boldest color in his ensemble was his gold tie. "Oh, this suit," Earnhardt said, glancing down. "It's not as comfortable. It's appropriate, I guess, for this occasion. I don't wear a suit or tie a tie too often, so I'm not too good at it. I spent all day trying to get this one tied and finally got it right before we got here." He wore one because he saw it as an important event. It was an invitation "you never turn down." "This year I brought my girlfriend (Amy Reimann)," Earnhardt said. "If I get the opportunity to come back, I'll probably bring my mother."
Hundreds of Bahraini protesters have taken to the streets of Manama, the country's capital, after an opposition call for a week of anti-government demonstrations to coincide with the Formula One Grand Prix set to be hosted by the Gulf state.
Sunday's protest was the first in a week of planned daily demonstrations and sit-ins called by al-Wefaq, Bahrain's largest Shia opposition political party, to last through the end of the international racing event scheduled for April 22.
Al-Wefaq said the pro-democracy protests under the banner of "steadfastness and challenge" would take place in Shia villages on the outskirts of Manama, including one on Tuesday near Bahrain's international airport.
The party said there are no plans for protests near the Sakhir circuit where the F1 race will be held.
Grand Prix controversy
Al-Wefaq leader Abdel Jalil Khalil told AFP that the bloc would not try to prevent the event but was organising protests to "take advantage of this week's race to highlight our political and democratic demands".
Foreign journalists have been routinely blocked from entering the country since the government cracked down on an uprising in February and March 2011, killing at least 35 people.
The Grand Prix controversy has for the second time shed the international media spotlight on the troubled kingdom, an opportunity the opposition says will use to publicise demands for greater equality and democracy.
Bahrain's cabinet insisted in a statement on Sunday that the decision by Formula One's governing body to go ahead with the race reflected "confidence in the country's security and stability".
The shooting and wounding of a 15-year-old boy by riot police last week had increased pressure on race organisers and participating teams to boycott the event.
On Friday, both the sport's governing body, the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile), and commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone announced the race will take place as scheduled.
Human Rights Watch, a US-based rights watchdog, condemned the decision, arguing the sporting event would be exploited "to obscure the seriousness of the country's human rights situation"
02:26
blogzone
Remember that time when everyone got all freaked out about thatsnakeskin pedicure that cost $300? Well, get ready to completely lose it, because we just got a press release for the “most expensive nail polish in the world.”
Paper Passion fragrance by Geza Schoen, Gerhard Steidl, and Wallpaper* magazine, with packaging by Karl Lagerfeld and Steidl.
According to Merriam-Webster, ingenuity can be defined as "skill or cleverness in devising or combining" or "cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance." We'd say that's an apt description of a Frenchman named Emile who reportedly found himself stranded in the deserts of Northwest Africa after breaking a frame rail and a suspension swingarm underneath his Citroën 2CV.
Patrol cars police a checkpoint outside the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir (Picture: AP)
Protesters gather at an anti-government rally in Manama, Bahrain (Picture: Reuters)
Worried: Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg (Picture: AP)
Defiant: A protester flashes victory signs at riot police (Picture: Reuters)
