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Defiant Magnussen blames his age

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 24 Februari 2013 | 23.08

Olympic Swimmers Eamon Sullivan and James Magnussen talk about taking stilnox ahead of the London Olympics.

Olympic swimmer Jade Neilsen has accused three men's relay team members of inappropriate behavior.

Australian swimmer James Magnussen and teammates explain their behaviour at a press conference. Source: Herald Sun

AUSTRALIAN swimming star James Magnussen has provoked controversy by seeming to claim scapegoat status, but says he is ready to move on from the latest swimming furore.

The 100m world champion agreed with a suggestion he had been "hung out to dry", during a candid interview on Channel 7's Sunday Night program.

"For lack of a better word on my behalf, right now that is one way of putting it," Magnussen said.

He said he was young and inexperienced.

The 21-year-old said he had felt enormous pressure to perform at the Olympics, but said he took responsibility for what he did as an individual.

"I have lost a lot of sleep over it, and I have lost sleep in the past waiting for it to come out. But I do think the buck stops here ... I will be glad to put this one behind me," he said.

Magnussen was one of the Olympic men's 4x100m freestyle relay team who admitted taking the drug Stilnox during a bonding session while at a team camp in Manchester before the London Games.

He said the team had gone to see a movie and had discussed taking the drug over a meal.

The swimmers admitted also making prank calls to other team members and knocking on doors, but said it was all in jest.

"I told Mum and Dad that the story was going to come out, and stuff like that, when I got back from the Olympics.

"They definitely gave me a pretty solid lecture.

"I definitely won't be mucking up again.

"I have never had to deal with something like this before and it is pretty tough."

He said it was the first time he had taken the drug but he had not been "off his face" during the incident.

The drama emerged after silver medallist Jade Neilsen accused Magnussen, James Roberts and Cameron McEvoy of inappropriate behaviour towards her and her female roommate.

She also said there was a tradition of drinking in the team.

Stilnox is not considered to be a performance-enhancing drug, but it had been banned by the Australian Olympic Committee three weeks before the London Olympic Games.

alex.white@news.com.au


23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Waiting for a mate' goes viral

FOOTAGE of a man at the wheel of a crashed car telling a Victorian policeman he was "just waiting for a mate" has gone viral.

The footage, from Channel 7's Highway Patrol, has amassed over 50,000 YouTube views and over 33,000 Facebook likes after it was uploaded early this week.

The video shows Senior Constable Ash Bowden responding to reports of a car doing burnouts in Carrum Downs, 34km southeast of Melbourne's CBD.

Do you know this man? Contact our news desk on (03) 9292 1226

What seems like a routine hunt for hoon drivers takes a turn for the bizarre, when he finds a car crashed on a curb and the driver, named in the video as Clinton, sitting inside.

When asked what happened, Clinton nonchalantly explains: "I'm just waiting for a mate."

Seemingly unaware of the extensive damage to his car, Clinton continues the charade and repeats the "waiting for a mate" line four times over the next few minutes.

Clinton and Senior Constable Ash Bowden from the "I'm Just Waiting for a Mate" viral video.

The exchange starts:

Sen-Constable Bowden: How did you get down here?

Clinton: Does it matter?

Sen-Constable Bowden: Yeah, it kind of does mate, because you've just been involved in an accident.

Clinton: No I haven't.

Sen-Constable Bowden: Yes you have.

Clinton: Have I?

Sen-Constable Bowden: Yeah.

Clinton: What kind of accident?

Sen-Constable Bowden: One with a curb mate. Your whole car's smashed up.

Sen-Constable Bowden shows the patience of a kindergarten teacher when saying he wants to conduct a breath test, with this exchange:

Clinton: I'll do this for you.

Sen-Constable Bowden: Yep, that'd be great.

Clinton: I trust you.

Sen-Constable Bowden: Yep.

The quarrelsome Clinton continues to give the policeman a headache when asked to go to the police station, insisting that a higher authority was required to rein in his drink-driving.

Clinton: I'm not sure that you're a federal officer of the law.

Sen-Constable Bowden: I'm not a federal officer.

Clinton: Aren't ya? Well, I'll move on then.

Sen-Constable Bowden: I'm a Victoria Police officer mate.

Clinton: Well that's not good enough.

Clinton eventually agrees to go to the cop shop, but not before testing the officer's saint-like demeanour with one last argument, this time over linguistics.

Sen-Constable Bowden: I need you to make a definitive decision.

Clinton: Definitive - can you define that?

According to the TV show, Clinton was fined $600, sentenced to four months' community service and disqualified from driving for three years.


23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Samsung unveils 8-inch tablet with phone

Samsung Electronics Galaxy Note 8.0, the latest version of its oversized smartphone lineup. The new device is expected to take on its rival Apple's iPad mini. Source: AFP

SAMSUNG has unveiled an eight-inch (20.3cm) tablet with phone capability to rival Apple's recently launched iPad mini and to cement its market dominance by offering devices in a variety of sizes.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 features an eight-inch screen and, where it may steal a march on its rival which measures 7.9-inches, the ability to make phone calls.

The new device, now being marketed by Samsung as a ''tablet'', is powered by Google's Android software and will be showcased at the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona beginning on February 25, the company said in a statement.

Like previous incarnations of the Galaxy Note, the device comes with a stylus pen allowing the user to write or draw on the screen, which can be split in two to run various programs at the same time.

Global sales will begin in the second quarter, the firm said.

Samsung is the world's top maker of smartphones and mobile phones in general.

The latest device - the first from the company to feature an eight-inch screen - is set to fill a gap in the firm's wide product lineup, which ranges from the flagship smartphone Galaxy S to the 5.5-inch (14cm) Galaxy Note 2 and the 10.1-inch (25.7cm) Galaxy Tab tablet PC.

The firm has recently shifted its focus to its Galaxy Note, which turned out to be far more popular than the larger Galaxy Tab, offering the Note in various sizes in a move that blurred the lines between smartphones and tablet PCs.

Samsung said the launch of the Galaxy Note 8.0 will "reignite the mid-size tablet category" - a segment increasingly crowded by rival products including the iPad mini that launched last November and Google's seven-inch (17.8cm) Nexus 7.

Samsung and Apple accounted for more than half of all smartphone sales in the final quarter of 2012 - 29 per cent for Samsung and 22.1 per cent for Apple - according to research firm Strategy Analytics.


23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fiery bike stunt goes horribly wrong

A spectator rushes to the aid of the stunt riders after they caught fire during a jumping stunt. Picture: Facebook Source: adelaidenow

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SPECTATORS desperately doused flames on three teenagers when a dangerous cycling stunt went spectacularly wrong at Findon yesterday.

The two boys and a girl, all believed to be aged 15, suffered burns when performing the "jump through fire" stunt at Findon Skid Kids on Reserve Parade about 4.30pm.

They caught fire when the flaming cardboard they jumped through failed to break up as planned and instead stuck to the riders.

Spectators used blankets to douse the flames on the riders' protective clothing.

St John Ambulance crews treated the riders before SA Ambulance crews arrived and took the trio to the Women's and Children's Hospital.

A hospital spokesman would not release details on their injuries or condition without parental consent last night but their injuries were not considered life-threatening.

The fire-jump stunt was the final event of the club's 55th birthday celebration championship at the track yesterday.

Findon Skid Kids president Mick Harley said the stunt went wrong because it was incorrectly set up.

"We've been doing the fire jump for 55 years and every so often, somebody might get some burns," he said.

Three teenagers were burned during this bike-riding stunt at Findon. Picture: Facebook

"The cardboard is normally in two sheets joined at the middle so it breaks when they hit it. They used cardboard that was a full sheet so it wasn't cut.

"On this particular occasion they took the cardboard with them and that's how they got burnt."

The riders were wearing protective clothing including overalls, goggles, helmets and balaclavas.

A man who also performed the stunt was unhurt.

"They are pretty well protected. It's just in this instance they took the fire with them and the heat has got to them," Mr Harley said.

The Findon Skid Kids display team gained global coverage for their stunt riding, including what Mr Harley dubbed the "world-famous fire jump" in the 1970s.

The display team ceased in 1996 but the club still performs the fire jump on some occasions, such as yesterday's birthday celebrations.

"We will be doing it again in the future," Mr Harley said.

"What we will be doing in the future is making sure (the cardboard) has the split down the centre and making sure it's done correctly."


23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius's brother on death charge

Aimee, Carl and Henke Pistorius have taken the same seats each day during the dramatic and emotional bail hearing for Oscar Pistorius, charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. AFP Source: AFP

THE brother of accused murderer Oscar Pistorius is himself facing a charge of culpable homicide, it has been revealed on a day in which reports also said that police found a herbal sexual stimulant in the star athlete's home.

Carl Pistorius was charged over the death of a woman who died when her motorbike collided with his car outside Johannesburg in 2008, his lawyer Kenny Oldwage said.

Oscar Pistorius, who has been charged with the Valentine's Day shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was granted bail on Friday.

Mr Oldwage said in a statement that Carl had been involved in a car accident "in which a woman motorcyclist sadly lost her life". He said that "there is no doubt that Carl is innocent and the charge will be challenged in court".

The elder brother of athlete Oscar Pistorius was supposed to have gone on trial for culpable homicide on Thursday - the day before the Olympian got bail, according to South African media reports.

Carl Pistorius and lawyer Kenny Oldwage pictured outside Brooklyn police station, where Oscar Pistorius was being held, last week.

Mr Oldwage said that "Carl deeply regrets the accident" and that a blood test showed he was not drunk at the time. "It was a tragic road accident after the deceased collided with Carl's car."

He said the charges had initially been dropped, only to be reinstated later.

Oscar Pistorius and his brother Carl were seen driving into the home of their uncle Arnold today in Waterkloof, a wealthy suburb of Pretoria, the nation's capital, where Oscar is now staying.

'Sex stimulant, not steroids, found in home'

Meanwhile, a South African newspaper reported that a substance found in Oscar Pistorius's home during a search by police investigating the killing of his girlfriend is a herbal sexual stimulant, a South African newspaper reported.

The prosecution said during Pistorius' bail hearing last week that police had found two boxes of "testosterone" and needles in his Pretoria home, but the defence countered that it was a legal herbal remedy known as testocompasutium coenzyme.

The City Press newspaper said the remedy was a combination of vitamins and herbal cures partly derived from animal organs.

Sports physician Jon Patricios told the paper the product is used to boost sexual energy, but that athletes are not advised to use it since it may increase their testosterone levels.

"This is not an anabolic steroid and it is unlikely it will lead to irrational anger," he said.

The National Prosecuting Authority has said it was awaiting the results of forensic tests to determine what the product is.

Charges against Carl compound problems

The problems surrounding his older brother Carl, 28, are the latest twist in a case that has transfixed South Africa and much of the world. The revelation of the culpable homicide charge immediately created a stir.

"It's also doubly sad because it's involved with Oscar and his brother and all the family - so they have double sort of trouble. So, not good," said Johannesburg resident Jim Plester.

Carl Pistorius's trial was pushed back a month, but the specific date is not known. The Pistorius family has yet to react to the accusations that Carl is facing.

The latest developments comes just days after Hilton Botha, the lead detective investigating the Oscar Pistorius murder case, was dropped after it emerged he was facing seven attempted murder charges over a shooting incident in 2011.

Along with his sister Aimee and father Henke, Carl Pistorius has been a strong source of comfort and support to his Paralympian brother, attending last week's bail hearings.

Carl Pistorius's Twitter account was taken down this weekend after a hacker sent a tweet thanking everyone for supporting the families of Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp.

"Carl did not tweet this afternoon, out of respect to Oscar and Reeva," family spokesman Janine Hills said in a statement. "We are busy cancelling all the social media sites for both Oscar's brother and his sister."

Questions raised over Oscar Pistorius's character

The character of Oscar Pistorius also continued to take centre stage. For many, it mirrors his public appearances as an articulate, well-spoken advocate for Paralympic athletes facing hardship. Witness statements backing up Oscar Pistorius as a down-to-earth guy were presented at the hearing.

Others have described him as a reckless risk taker who has been in trouble before, such as a boat accident in 2009 which put him into the hospital.

Today, a South African man who said Steenkamp had stayed at his home since September, described Pistorius as moody and impatient. Cecil Myers, whose daughter was a close friend of Steenkamp's, said in an interview published in the City Press, that Pistorius will have the killing of Steenkamp on his conscience. "I hope he gets a long sentence. Gets what he deserves," said Mr Myers.

"Very nice and charming to us when they started dating," said Mr Myers. Mr Myers said Pistorius initially used to come into the house but later just dropped Steenkamp off and picked her up when they began to date steadily, and he described the change as a lack of respect.

Mr Myers recalled their first date and told the newspaper: "After that he wouldn't leave her alone. He kept pestering her, phoning and phoning and phoning her."

According to Mr Myers, Steenkamp "told me he pushed her a bit into a corner. She felt caged in."


23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flare crime shocks festival crowds

Soundwave music festival 2013 at Olympic Stadium, Homebush. Picture: Attila Szilvasi Source: The Daily Telegraph

A flare is let off in the Soundwave Sydney mosh pit. Picture: Instagram Source: Supplied

A YOUNG heavy metal fan suffered severe burns after she was struck by a flare during last night's Soundwave concert at Sydney Olympic Park.

In the middle of Bring Me The Horizon's set a magnesium flare was lit in the moshpit, injuring the girl and those around her.

Sustaining burns to her forearm, the girl was rushed to hospital where she went underwent emergency treatment.

At this early stage of the police investigation, it is thought the flare may have burnt some plastic which then fell on the woman and caused the burns.

Music fans reacted angrily on social media sites about the stupidity and dangers of lighting a flare in the crowd.

"I was hit by that flare & standing next to that girl who was really hurt. My shoulders all hurt..." Kiwi Conway wrote on Facebook.

An irate AJ Maddah, Soundwave promoter, went to Twitter to voice his rage towards the offender.

"Massive awful burn on her forearm. I am devastated for her," AJ Maddah said on his Twitter feed called iamnotshouting.

"If you see anyone with a lit flare please take their photo and tweet to me so I can hand to police."

Last year, a 23-year-old man was critically injured in an accident during the Soundwave music festival at Brisbane's RNA Showgrounds.

The young man underwent life-saving surgery after he suffered massive head injuries caused by a 5m fall from the top of a staircase at the exhibition hall.
 


23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dhoni puts Aussies to sword

Check out these the extended highlights from day three of the first Test between India and Australia in Chennai.

AUSTRALIA's brave decision to field four pacemen has been brutally exposed after Indian skipper MS Dhoni bludgeoned the attack to leave the tourists' first Test hopes in disarray.

On a spinning Chennai deck looking as red as planet Mars, only James Pattinson (4-89) escaped a mauling as Dhoni (206no from 243 balls) cracked the first double century of his career in a pyrotechnics show that lit up MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The tourists rolled the dice deploying four quicks and former Test batsman Damien Martyn took to Twitter to criticise the selection methodology, taking aim at Cricket Australia high-performance chief Pat Howard in the process.

"I'm sorry Australia but Test match has very quickly slipped away! I wonder how many Test matches Pat Howard played in India," said Martyn, Australia's player of the tour during their 2004-05 trip to India.

At stumps on day three, India were 8-515, a lead of 135 runs, with Dhoni, Virat Kohli (107) and Sachin Tendulkar (81) tormenting Australia's attack with a brutal fusion of hard-hitting and textbook strokeplay.

Full scoreboard and live updates at the FoxSports match centre

The fireworks extended beyond Dhoni's sparkling blade. Just after tea, Dhoni and rival gloveman Matt Wade exchanged words, prompting Michael Clarke's intervention, although the Australian later said there was no "spite" in the meeting of minds.

Either way, the tourists are under the pump. To have any hope of winning this Test, Australia needs its pace squadron to hunt as a pack and on the evidence of the past 48 hours, Pattinson is ostensibly flying solo.

Spinner Nathan Lyon (3-182) had a bitter-sweet day, removing Tendulkar and Kohli, only to suffer a third-session pasting as Indian skipper Dhoni went berserk.

But of greater alarm is the frontline impotence of Peter Siddle (0-61) and Mitchell Starc (0-75), who went wicketless from 47 collective overs.

The fourth seam option, debutant Moises Henriques (1-48) was also largely ineffective. Ultimately, there was consolation: a lower-order dismissal of Harbhajan Singh which gave the 26-year-old his first Test victim.

Kohli, who reached his ton from 199 balls, said the Indian camp raised eyebrows when the Australians named their starting XI with Lyon as their only recognised spinner.

"All of us were a bit surprised by that decision," he said.

"They had Xavier (Doherty) in the (squad) as well so we really thought he was going to play this game and we were really surprised to see three seamers in their squad which was a good thing for us on that wicket.

"We just decided to take advantage of that because knowing these conditions you can only have those quick-bowling spells, those bursts, for like three or four overs, not more than that.

"We had it in mind to play out those spells and capitalise on anything loose.

"All of us were really surprised with that decision (to play one spinner).

The tourists now a face a tactical conundrum. Lyon can extract more turn with each passing day, but Australia were prepared to defy convention by backing their pace quartet to run amok on a spinner's deck.

It was always going to be a boom-or-bust strategy.

Dhoni did his best to bust Australia completely. By nature, the Indian skipper is not a man of subtlety. He doesn't so much play the angles as take the angle-grinder to any attack with the temerity to take him on.

Some deliveries left his bat like a tracer bullet. Just ask Henriques, who watched one ball sail for six over long-off and nearly smash the clock in the Madras Cricket Club stand.

By the time he left the ground unbeaten, Dhoni had blasted 22 fours and five sixes and eclipsed Sunil Gavaskar (205) for the highest Test score by an Indian captain.

Wade, however, defended Australia's decision to load their attack with pace options.

"The way Dhoni batted he could have easily done it to our second spinner as well," he said.

"We certainly haven't lost any confidence in Nathan. He bowled well at times and he got hit for a few runs at times.

"He can take a lot out of that and he can come back bigger and stronger in the next innings and win the game for us.

"He would have learned a lot bowling in these conditions today."

Asked if Dhoni's knock had broken their spirits, Wade said: "Not really. We knew we were only one wicket away from breaking the game open and hopefully bowling them out.

"Everything he went for today went for six or four. He just had a day out. We tried a lot of things to him and he countered that and played really nicely.

"He backs himself from ball one ... not everyone can come out and do that."

Amid the carnage, Lyon worked overtime. The maligned tweaker may not be Shane Warne but he managed to do what the legendary leg-spinner never could in the Test arena - clean bowl Sachin Tendulkar.

The delivery was worthy of a big scalp: Lyon gave the ball enough air to lure Tendulkar, extracted turn and induced an inside-edge on the drive which clipped the 195-Test veteran's leg stump.

No other Australian spinner can claim to have bowled Tendulkar in the Test arena. Not Stuart MacGill, who once claimed him lbw. And not Warne, who had success three times, once trapping the Indian phenom lbw, twice having him caught.

How Australia still wish they had the king of spin.

PHOTO DISPUTE

We are unable to publish photographs from the Test series in India due to a dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and international news organisations.The BCCI has refused access to Test venues to established picture agencies including our supplier Getty Images. News Limited considers the BCCI action to be a strike against freedom of the press. News Limited, along with international photo and news agencies, is not providing live imagery from the tour in protest.


23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police investigate Facebook 'party page'

Yohans 'YoYo' Shol, host of the party where five teens were treated for alcohol-related injuries. Picture: Channel Nine News Source: Supplied

FIVE teenagers have been treated for alcohol-related injuries and police are launching an investigation after a party promoted on Facebook went wrong last night.

Up to 1000 people converged on Tamborine Memorial Hall at Mount Tamborine on the Gold Coast from 7pm for a party dubbed 'Yo-Yo's Round 2'.

An ambulance spokeswoman confirmed crews were called to the hall for five different alcohol related injuries and two people, including an 18-year-old, were transported to Logan hospital for precautionary reasons.

Channel Nine reported two of the five cases were 14-year-olds.

The Coomera police are conducting follow-up investigations after they were called to the party at around 7.45pm.

Organisers of the party said they legally rented the hall and security were on hand, however police described the mood of the crowd as 'very aggressive' and reported the security was not adequate, with several fights breaking out throughout the night.

A scene from the party where five teens were treated for alcohol-related injuries. Picture: Channel Nine News

Both uniformed and plain clothes police from North Tamborine, Beaudesert, Coomera, Jimboomba, Nerang and the dog squad were needed to control the situation.

Buses and private transport were used to transport party-goers to the site but there was inadequate transport to get those in attendance off the mountain.

Police monitored the situation until buses could be organised to transport them away from the scene.

The party was not registered with the police, and both the owners of the hall and the organisers of the party will be investigated.

The party was promoted on a Facebook page described as the 'official' page to post and promote open events and house parties in the Brisbane area. 

A scene from the party where five teens were treated for alcohol-related injuries. Picture: Channel Nine News


23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More
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