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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

By John Bingham, and Andrew Hough 10:00PM GMT 14 Dec 2010

Howard Riddle, the Chief Magistrate, agreed that reporters could send the short messages, known as “Tweets” as long as they did so "quietly" and "did not disturb" the court.

Ther majority of the tweets were posted by Alexi Mostrous, a Times journalist, and Heather Brooke, the Freedom of Information campaigner.

Although there is no central rule banning the use of mobile phones in court, in practice they are prohibited during hearings in the same way that television cameras and recording equipment are not allowed.

But it emerged that senior judges are “actively considering” whether courts should allow Tweets.

It follows comments from the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, in a lecture in Belfast last month in which he openly pondered an easing of restrictions.

“If it is possible to file a story via email from a laptop in court, then why is Twitter any different?" he asked.

“On the other hand tape-recordings are prohibited by statute.

“Why is Twitter in the form of text-based transmission of material from court any different?”

A spokesman for the judiciary said: “The questions raised by bthe Lord Chief Justice in his recent lecture regarding the use of Twitter and the principles of open justice are under active consideration by the senior judiciary.”
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Michael C. Hall and his wife Jennifer Carpenter have filed for divorce.The two “Dexter” stars’ split is amicable, according to their representatives.

“Having been separated for some time, Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall have filed for divorce,” the reps say in a statement.

The couple married on December 31, 2008.

On the Showtime series, Carpenter plays the foster sister of the serial killer portrayed by Hall.
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Danny Mwanga hasn’t been back to the Democratic Republic of Congo since he was 15 years old, but a feeling of great pride still swelled inside the Philadelphia Union striker as he watched a team from his native country make history.

On Tuesday, the Congolese club TP Mazembe became the first African side to reach the Club World Cup final, beating Copa Libertadores champs Internacional of Brazil, 2-0.

“It’s definitely exciting,” said Mwanga, who scored seven goals for Philadelphia and was a Rookie of the Year finalist this past season. “To have a team from the country I was born in and grew up in – it’s making me proud. It’s making us all proud.”

Mwanga, who grew up in Congo before a civil war and the tragic death of his father forced his family to emigrate to the United States, never played too much club soccer as a kid. Because of all of the strife and turmoil surrounding him, he says he spent most of his childhood kicking a ball around on the streets with friends.

But as a 14-year-old, he did get the chance to train with a second-division professional team that his uncle, Jean-Claude Mwanga, coached. Going up against players as old as 25 tested his mettle and, he says, helped turn him into the fearless player that he is today.

MEXSPORT
“I was getting beat up in the beginning,” the Union striker said, “I realized that was going to help me.”

Soon after, Mwanga moved to Oregon, he quickly made a name for himself as one of the best high school and collegiate soccer players in the country. But he still makes sure to call his uncle often to talk about his native land. In fact, they just spoke this week to discuss the Crows’ historic run in the Club World Cup.

“He was very excited about it,” Mwanga said about his uncle. “This is a sign that maybe shows that there is a lot of young talent out there. Hopefully it will open the eyes of other people around the world to take a look at the young talent in Africa and help them find a professional career.”

TP Mazembe will look to take that final step to bring home a championship when they play either European champions Inter Milan or Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa in Sunday's final.

“I’m hoping they go all the way,” Mwanga said said of Mazembe. “But even if they don’t, I’m really excited that a team from the Congo is representing the whole continent.”
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One may scratch their head upon hearing that mega-studio Universal Pictures chose to release the highly-anticipated trailer to the fifth installment in their “Fast and the Furious” franchise to Vin Diesel‘s Facebook page. Yet, that kind of naivety can send a movie’s social media strategy straight down the gutter.

Universal Pictures has wisely leveraged the star’s whopping 19+ million Facebook fans to drum up buzz for the upcoming release of “Fast 5,” the second sequel to reunite the original cast of 2001′s “The Fast and the Furious.”

In addition to returning cast members Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris, the film is adding big screen heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

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The nominations for the 68th Golden Globe award were announced this morning, I quickly scroll through the list - The Kings Voice, The King's Speech, the social network, The Kings Speech - to watch the documentary nominations. But then I remembered: the Golden Globes does not do documentaries.

The Golden Globes was a short documentary category, between 1972 and 1977. (The last non-fiction filmmaker to take home the greedy orb was Lew Ayres for Altars of the World.) Maybe the suits at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had to trim down the broadcast, perhaps, if Frederick Wiseman's heyday No one cared much about documentary films of the past.

But - I think I'm biased - is not that different now? We have Michael Moore, the March of the Penguins and Waiting for Superman - documentary blockbusters, with broad, successful theatrical releases. And non-fiction films that did not receive theatrical releases tend to travel the festival circuit to HBO, Showtime, or PBS. Given that both the Golden Globe film and television awards, it seems the perfect place to hand out several awards for nonfiction films. It would be a great outlet to honor and public awareness documentary films that end with the airing on television as saying: "12 & Delaware" or "My Perestroika."
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Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
"After long and careful consideration on both our parts, we've decided to end our marriage," they say in a joint statement. "We entered our relationship with love and it's with love and kindness we leave it. While privacy isn't expected, it's certainly appreciated."

According to a source, the couple quietly split six months ago, and Johansson initiated the move. The actress began apartment-hunting in New York City and is currently in Jamaica with some girlfriends, the source adds.

However, last month the pair were spotted looking cozy together at New York hotspot Avenue.

Johansson, 26, and Reynolds, 34, tied the knot in a quiet September 2008 ceremony in a wilderness retreat in Vancouver, which is Reynolds's hometown. The ceremony was attended only by a handful of close family and friends – and no photos were released.

"It was my mission to have a moment of privacy, to do something for myself," Johansson told the Los Angeles Times of the hush-hush affair. "I was happy with the results of that."

The pair remained fairly mum about their relationship, only rarely giving up small tidbits about their married life.

But the actress told In Style in April 2010 that she enjoyed cooking for Reynolds – and her domestic life with him. "There's a nice comfort in that. That part of your life is certain, in a way. You've got your home in that other person."

Reynolds, who is PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive, told PEOPLE that the best thing about married life was, "You get to hang out with your best buddy every day."
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TP Mazembe goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba and team mates from the Democratic Republic of Congo celebrate their 2-0 win over Brazil's Sport Club Internacional at the end of their semi-final FIFA Club World Cup football championship match in Abu Dhabi, on December 14, 2010. Tout Puissant Mazembe won 2-0. AFP PHOTO
African champions Tout Puissant Mazembe pulled off the biggest shock in the 10-year history of the Club World Cup by beating Internacional 2-0 in the semi-finals here on Tuesday.

The side from the Democratic Republic of Congo prevailed through fine second-half strikes by Mulota Kabangu and Dioko Kaluyituka to become the first team from outside Europe and South America to reach the tournament’s final.

Having already seen off Mexicans Pachuca in the quarter-finals, they will now face either European champions Inter Milan or Asian Champions League holders Seongnam Ilhwa of South Korea in Sunday’s decider.

South American champions Internacional, from the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, were bidding to become the first team to win the competition twice, having already tasted success in 2006.

Brlliant save

They were, however, routinely frustrated by TP Mazembe goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba, whose brilliance played a decisive role in one of the most famous results in his club’s history.

Inter’s technical qualities were apparent from kick-off and their inventive approach play saw them procure a number of early opportunities. Rafael Sobis twice shot off target before being denied by a brilliant save from Kidiaba, who plunged to his left to deny the former Real Betis forward as he took aim from 10 yards.

Inter defender Indio went close with a header that flashed across the face of goal, while precise crosses from right-back Nei set up first Tinga and then Matias, neither of whom were able to find the target.

The second half was eight minutes old when Kabangu made the breakthrough, skilfully taming the ball inside the Inter box and then steering a half-volley inside the right-hand post with his right instep.

Bottom-left corner

Sobis spurned two chances to equalise for Inter, drawing a smart reaction save from Kidiaba with a swerving strike and then heading over from Andres D’Alessandro’s left-wing centre.

Inter coach Celso Roth made two changes in a bid to force a way back into the contest and saw substitute Giuliano bring another splendid stop from Kidiaba with a left-foot effort in the 69th minute. As the Brazilians pressed forward, TP Mazembe hit them with a sucker punch in the 85th minute.

Kaluyituka picked up the ball wide on the left and bamboozled Pablo Guinazu with a series of step-overs before cracking a low drive into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.

Elsewhere, Nigerian football officials have announced an enquiry into the death of a Premier League player at the weekend.

Ocean Boys defender Emmanuel Ogoli died after collapsing during a game against visiting Niger Tornadoes on Sunday. (AFP)
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Since friends of his death and Associates came forward to say that Mark Madoff was a kind man and sensitive, that does not deserve its reputation tarnished by the sins of his father.
They also say he was feeling the pressure of being the son of Bernie Madoff. Last year, according to police in New York, Mark was found in a hotel room in New York registered under a different name after his wife Stephanie had called police to report him missing. Madoff told police he was under duress and was going to seek help for his mental problems.

Madoff, 46, committed suicide Saturday on the anniversary of two years in prison's father Bernie, almost the same time. Police say the father of Mark-in-law found the body hanging from a pipe, with two years of age, Mark son Nick sleeping in another room.

Friends have posted memories on a page memorial Facebook Monday, in an exclusive interview, former Secretary of Bernie Madoff told ABC News said she was sad for Mark who used to greet her with a smile every morning, had been so depressed that he thought there was "no light at the end of the tunnel."

"It hurts me because this is not what it was," said Eleanor Squillari. "He was in a very bad place."

As secretary of Bernie Madoff for 25 years, Squillari saw Mark and his brother Andy grow up and come to work in the family business.

Squillari said he knew Mark was having a hard time with the shame of being a Madoff.

"I always knew that Mark wore his heart on his sleeve, and he wanted to be loved," said Squillari. "I could see him thinking that his family would be better off without him, and that makes me very sad, because this is not true. But when you're depressed, you do not see it."

Squillari said "shook to the core" think Madoff, who she described as "cheerful, sweet, and" supersensitive "decided to kill himself despite his four children." He was an exceptional person ... When I think about it, think of your smile and that twinkle in his eyes. "

"That kind of someone so wonderful and so to think he was useless, it breaks my heart."
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By Tom Ayres, Comics Reporter
Glee actor Chris Colfer has admitted he is overjoyed after being nominated for a Golden Globe.
It was announced earlier today that the star is in the race for Best Supporting Actor in a television series for his role as gay student Kurt Hummel at the show.
"It is becoming bigger and bigger and I think he has much to do with music - it unites everybody," he told the Hollywood Reporter after receiving the news. "Everybody is on the moon. "
Colfer and nod, Glee has also received four nominations for others, including "Best Comedy Series and Best Actor in a TV series for Matthew Morrison.
The Golden Globes ceremony is scheduled to air January 16, 2011.
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Oregon will sport new Nike uniforms in the BCS title game on Jan. 10 vs. Auburn.
At a Nike Football event in Dallas on Tuesday, new uniforms were unveiled for multiple schools affiliated with the brand. The most notable unveiling came for the Oregon Ducks, who will play in the Bowl Championship Series title game on January 10.

New bowl uniforms were also unveiled for Boise State, TCU and Florida.

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Moving on quickly after Cliff Lee turned them down, the Yankees “have agreed to terms on a contract with Russell Martin,” according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. It’s believed to be a one-year deal, although the Yankees would also have Martin under team control in 2012 as an arbitration-eligible player.

Because of his fractured hip Martin passing a pre-signing physical exam is probably no sure thing, but assuming he does the Yankees beat out the Red Sox and Blue Jays to nab the two-time All-Star after he was non-tendered by the Dodgers.

If healthy Martin will be given every opportunity to serve as the Yankees’ primary catcher, with Jorge Posada spending the bulk of his time at designated hitter. Francisco Cervelli is in line to be the backup after starting often in place of Posada this year and the Yankees’ top prospect, Jesus Montero, is for now at least a catcher even if many people believe he’ll eventually move out from behind the plate.

Not so long ago Martin was one of the best all-around catchers in baseball, hitting .285 with a .373 on-base percentage and .433 slugging percentage in 427 games through age 25, but he’s batted just .249 with a .350 OBP and .330 SLG in the past two seasons while missing half of 2010 with the fractured hip that remains a question mark. Bouncing back is hardly guaranteed considering how hard the Dodgers rode Martin prior to the hip injury, but he’s still just 28 years old and would bring plenty of value to the table with his defense and on-base skills even if the rest of his game lags behind.
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Former captain Gary Speed has been unveiled as the new manager of Wales.

The 41-year-old, who only has four months of managerial experience, succeeds John Toshack who stepped down in September.

Sheffield United handed Speed his first job in August but the Blades have let him go after compensation was paid by the Football Association of Wales.

"It's something that's very difficult to turn down when your country comes calling," said Speed.

"I am a very proud man at this moment to be asked to be manager of Wales."

Speed, who is Wales' most capped outfield player with 85, has signed a three-and-a-half year deal.

He has less managerial experience than the likes of former Sweden manager Lars Lagerbeck, ex-Fulham and Coventry boss Chris Coleman and Wales caretaker manager and youth boss Brian Flynn, who were all interviewed by the FAW for the vacant position.

Former Wales striker John Hartson is another candidate to have applied for the post vacated by Toshack, following a poor start to the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

Speed replaced Kevin Blackwell as Blades boss in August having already been part of the backroom team at Bramall Lane, but has struggled on his managerial debut.

United lost half of Speed's 18 games in charge, leaving them one point and two places above the Championship relegation zone.

Wales are bottom of their qualifying group for Euro 2012, losing all three matches they have played.

Their next Group G qualifier is against England on 26 March.

More to follow.
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By the CNN Wire
December 14, 2010 -- Updated 1139 GMT (1939 HKT)
New York (CNN) - Convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff will not attend the funeral of his son, Mark, out of consideration for her daughter and grandchildren, the lawyer Ira Sorkin, said.

Mark Madoff body was discovered hanging from a ceiling pipe, in his Manhattan apartment on Saturday, two years after the day that his father was arrested for swindling $ 50 billion to investors in the biggest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history.

The death of the young Madoff was ruled a suicide by the Office of New York medical examiner after an autopsy on Sunday, the spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said.

"He will be holding a private service in his own where he is currently incarcerated," said Sorkin.

Madoff, 71, is at the Butner Federal Correction Complex, a medium security prison in eastern North Carolina, where he is serving a sentence of 150 years.
2009: Madoff sentenced to 150 years
RELATED TOPICS

  • Bernard Madoff
  • Ira Sorkin
  • Corporate Crime

Reports from various media on Monday Madoff not seek to participate in her son's funeral - the prison rules prohibit inmates with more than two years remaining in their terms of imprisonment for clearances.

Madoff harm to investors out of their money, which appears as the head of a legitimate business investment, without the use of funds from new investors to send their payments to earlier investors, falsely portraying them as revenue when they were actually stolen money, said promoters.

Madoff criminal activities generated a wave of civil lawsuits against Mark Madoff, his mother, brothers and hundreds of other defendants accused of profiting from the Ponzi scheme, taking more money from the fund Madoff they invested money they supposedly thought it was investment income.

A person familiar with the family, says Mark Madoff has not been in touch with his family during the past two years.

Irving Picard, the trustee in charge of recovering and distributing goods Madoff, filed a series of lawsuits in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan last week on behalf of some victims of Madoff.

A filed on December 8 named Mark Madoff - as did his brother Andrew and his uncle Peter Madoff Madoff - as one of several defendants in a civil action.





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"If you can, avoid today Drottninggatan. A lot can happen there ... just so you know," the message said, according to news agency TT.

The spokesman of the Armed Forces Jonas Svensson told TT on Sunday he was unaware of the message.

"I have not heard about it at all. Now I'm going to get information," said TT, when confronted with the news.

Later, the Swedish military said it was now "preparing the way the issue will be addressed."

"The Swedish Armed Forces did not know ahead of time about the plans and the circumstances surrounding the events that took place. If this were the case, (Sweden's security service) Sapo, which is the agency responsible for these types of cases would have been informed immediately, "said military spokesman Erik Lagersten in a statement.

Swedish intelligence agencies may have known something was in the works, Wilhelm Agrell, a professor in the analysis of intelligence, told TT.

"A warning is a slippery term, and anything concrete. The warnings may include very detailed information that can be implemented, but it is common that the warnings are more diffuse and can not be executed," said Agrell.

On Saturday night, TT said John Daniels, chief of security shall Swedish military intelligence agency. But he declined to comment, instead directing all inquiries to Sapo.

Toad said Sunday he was taking the investigation of two blasts, which occurred within minutes of each other and about 200 meters away on Drottninggatan, a busy commercial street in central Stockholm.

The agency believes that the explosion being a terrorist crime.

A man suspected of being a suicide bomber was killed in the second explosion, when the first explosion injured two others.

Shortly before the blasts, the Frog and the news agency TT received a message from a 29-year-old southern Sweden, which stated that the prophet Muhammad was being degraded.






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School Closing dates

Posted by Jamshaid Yousaf at 12/14/2010 04:01:00 AM
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Z
Location Condition
Arch Br. Sch. - Bethlehem 90 Min Delay
Avon Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Barkhamsted Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Belle Academy of Cosmetology 90 Min Delay
Bethel Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Brookfield Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Canton Public Schools No AM K
Canton Public Schools 2 hr delay
Cobb School Montessori 90 Min Delay
Colebrook Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Connecticut Friends School 90 Min Delay
Danbury Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Emmanuel Lutheran - Danbury 90 Min Delay
Farmington Vly Acad Montessori 90 Min Delay
Hartland Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Henry Abbott Tech HS 90 Min Delay
High Road School - Waterbury 90 Min Delay
Holy Cross H.S. Waterbury 90 Min Delay
Hudson Cntry Montessori Sch. Opening at 9 AM
Immaculate High 90 Min Delay
Indian Mountain School 1 Hr Delay
Kaynor Technical High School - Waterbury 90 Min Delay
Litchfield Montessori School 90 Min Delay
Litchfield Public Schools 2 hr delay
Naugatuck Public Schools 2 hr delay
New Fairfield Public Schools 2 Hr Delay, No AM K or Pre-K
New Hartford Public Schools 90 Min Delay
New Milford Public Schools 90 Min Delay
New Milford Public Schools No AM K
Newtown - The Fraser-Woods School 90 Min Delay
Newtown Public Schools 90 Min Delay, No AM K
Norfolk Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Oliver Wolcott Tech HS - Torrington 2 hr delay
Plymouth Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Reg. 7,Brkhamstd,Colbrk,New Hftd,Norfolk 90 Min Delay
Regional District 01 90 Min Delay
Regional District 06 2 hr delay
Regional District 10 90 Min Delay
Regional District 12 90 Min Delay
Regional District 14 2 hr delay
Regional District 15 90 Min Delay
Regional District 16 90 Min Delay
Ridgefield Public Schools 2 hr delay
Sacred Heart H.S. Waterbury 90 Min Delay
Sherman Public Schools 90 Min Delay
The Masters School 90 Min Delay
Thomaston Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Torrington Public Schools 2 hr delay
Washington Montessori 90 Min Delay
Waterbury Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Winchester Public Schools 90 Min Delay
Wooster 90 Min Delay






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Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens broke up,
A source tells us that the longstanding relationship "has run its course" and calls the split "amicable." In fact, our informant states, "They are still friends."

 
The two stars are both very young, and he simply "would not go further," said the source.
 
Efron and Hudgens began dating in 2006 while filming the blockbuster "High School Musical."






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Image Credit: WireImage.com
After nearly two years of marriage, Dexter stars Michael C. Hall, 39, and Jennifer Carpenter, 31, are divorcing. A joint statement unique to the DP representatives read: "Having been separated for some time, Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall, filed for divorce." Both representatives added that the split was amicable. The couple - who met on the set of the Showtime drama in which she plays her adoptive sister - married on December 31, 2008. Hall finished treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma earlier this year.






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