[quaist]

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post) That she put her arms to try and protect herself? Yeah, that's gonna stay with me for a while.

Yeah, that's disturbing.

But at the same time it seems to reinforce the suspicion of Pistorius having known fully well who he was shooting at.

For you don't put up your arms to protect yourself if you're not anticipating shots, which in turn militates for them having had an argument right before it happened.

[sunnykerr]

To me, the fact that she put up her hands, that she feel and he still managed to shoot her dead...

How can you do that through a door?

Unless he unloaded way more rounds than has been reported, he had to see where he was shooting, and thus also see that it wasn't some fanthom intruder.

If she fell and his shots kept hitting her, then he saw what he was doing and he kept doing it.

[quaist]

Good point. I guess he must shot multiple times...

[sunnykerr]

Well, I thought it was established that he had shot multiple times.

The thing that freaks me out is that, after she fell, he kept hitting her... so he had to have been able to see her.

I've gone from being quite willing to give his as much benefit of the doubt as possible to essentially believing there's no way this could have been anything but murder. How fickle am I?

Plus, the defense hasn't had its say yet.

[sunnykerr]

Oscar Pistorius trial: Defence case postponed The defence in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has been postponed until 7 April as one of the assessors assisting the judge has been taken ill. The athlete had been expected to take the stand on Friday. The trial, in the South African city of Pretoria, has already heard 15 days of prosecution-led testimony. Mr Pistorius denies deliberately shooting his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in February 2013, saying he mistook her for an intruder. Prosecutors allege that he killed her after an argument. Judge Thokozile Masipa, announcing that the assessor was ill, said that in her absence the court was "not properly constituted". The judge suggested the date of 7 April to resume the trial, which both prosecution and defence teams accepted. Under South African law, there is no jury system and two assessors, normally lawyers or retired magistrates, help the judge reach a decision in serious cases. The BBC's Karen Allen in Pretoria says that, although Mr Pistorius is not legally obliged to testify, he is the only witness to the alleged murder and is expected to testify when the trial restarts. His lawyers had previously told journalists that it was "likely" they would call him to give evidence first, she adds. Prosecution testimony has relied on accounts from neighbours and specialist ballistics, forensic and mobile phone evidence. Our correspondent says the defence had been due to address key questions, in particular: Allegations from witnesses that Mr Pistorius was reckless with guns and had fired a pistol indiscriminately on two occasions in the past Why he didn't check the whereabouts of Ms Steenkamp when he feared an intruder was in the house Why, as a person used to handling weapons, he didn't fire a warning shot Ms Steenkamp, a model, reality TV celebrity and law graduate, was hit by four bullets while in the toilet cubicle of Mr Pistorius' home in Pretoria. People who were in the area on the night of the shooting have told the court they heard screams, shots and bangs. However, Mr Pistorius has said he believed Ms Steenkamp was in bed when he shot at the toilet door, thinking an intruder was about to attack them. Mr Pistorius is a double amputee who holds six Paralympic medals and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. If found guilty, the 27 year old - dubbed the "blade runner" because of the prosthetic limbs he wore to race - could face life imprisonment.

So there's no conspiracy here.

It's just delayed because the assessor is sick and, the way the court system works in South Africa, they need her to be there.



I do suppose this will allow the defence more time to prepare, but one assumes they had already been prepared to present their case.

[sunnykerr]

And another one:

Brazil worker killed in World Cup stadium fall A Brazilian construction worker has died after falling 25ft (8m) at the Sao Paulo stadium where the football World Cup is due to start on 12 June. The man suffered fatal injuries when he fell from a stand while installing temporary seats at the Sao Paulo Arena. His death is the third fatality at the new stadium. In November, two workers were killed when a crane collapsed. Brazil's preparations for the World Cup have been marred by accidents and missed deadlines. A total of eight men have already died working in World Cup stadiums. Jerome Valcke, head of football governing body Fifa, said on Twitter: "Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a worker at Arena Sao Paulo today. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and colleagues." 'Time flying' Last week, the Fifa official said there was still work to do at the stadium and added that time was "flying". Worker Fabio Hamilton da Cruz had been working on the installation of seats on the south side of the Sao Paulo stadium when he fell. In a statement, the firm Fast Engenharia, that had hired Mr Cruz' employers, WDS Construcoes, said he was still alive when taken to a hospital. But he died from his injuries hours later. In February, a Portuguese man was hit by a crane part and died while working at the Arena Amazonia, in Manaus. He became the fourth person to die in the north Brazilian stadium where England and Italy will start their World Cup campaign. Another man died in the Mane Garrincha stadium, in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, in 2012. In the preparations for the previous World Cup, in South Africa, two workers died.

Workers dying is obviously not something construction sites can avoid.

But it's not the first one to have died on this particular site and, let's face it, there's already a lot of suspicions about the lack of safety here.

[canflam]

Police say Dante Cunningham sent 'terroristic level' texts

Fifth year Minnesota Timberwolves forward Dante Cunningham was arrested for a second time in three days on Sunday because he sent threatening messages to a woman he was living with that ''rose to a terroristic level'', police said Monday.

Authorities in Medina, Minn., released the details one day after Cunningham was jailed for another alleged incident with the woman he had been living with for the previous right months. Cunningham had already been charged with felony domestic assault for allegedly choking the woman last week.

Police said they received a call from the woman in the early-morning hours Sunday saying that Cunningham had violated a protection order by contacting her.

''When the officer arrived and reviewed the messages, they were direct and rose to a terroristic level,'' the police statement read.

Cunningham surrender Sunday and turned over his cellphone and computer as part of the investigation. The Associated Press left a message with Cunningham's attorney seeking comment.

Cunningham remained in custody after his second arrest, but has not been charged. He was scheduled for an initial court appearance Monday afternoon related to his assault charges.

The Timberwolves said Sunday they were gathering information about the latest arrest.

''The situation with Daunte Cunningham is very fluid, and we continue to monitor all available information,'' the team said. We reiterate that the Minnesota Timberwolves do not condone the behavior described in the accusations. We continue to wait for the legal process to run it's course and will have furthur comment when appropriate.''

Cunningham played for the Timberwolves in Orlando on Saturday night, starting against the Magic for the injured Kevin Love and getting 12 points and six rebounds in 34 minutes. The NBA's collective bargaining agreement requires the league to allow players to work while the legal process plays out.

In his fifth year in the league, Cunningham is averaging 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds. He is set to become a free agent on July 1, after completing the final year of a contract that pays him $2.1 million this season.

[sunnykerr]

Well, he sure sounds like a prince of man, huh?

[sunnykerr]

Oscar Pistorius recounts moment of killing South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has described the moment he fired the shots which killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home. He told his trial in Pretoria he had heard noises from the toilet and thought an intruder was coming out. "Before I knew it, I had fired four shots at the door," he said. The trial of the athlete, who could face life imprisonment if convicted of murder, was adjourned until Wednesday after he broke down crying. The 27-year-old double amputee denies deliberately shooting Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year. On his first day on the stand, on Monday, he made a tearful apology to Ms Steenkamp's family. The prosecution alleges that Mr Pistorius killed his girlfriend after an argument with her. 'She wasn't breathing' In the early hours of 14 February 2013, he said he had got up from bed to bring in some fans he had left outside, in order to cool his bedroom. When he heard a window opening in the bathroom, he said, he thought there was a burglar trying to get in. Wanting to protect Ms Steenkamp, who was not sleeping, he had gone to get his gun in the dark. "I whispered to Reeva to get down and phone the police," he said. He said he then went into the passage without his prosthetic legs and, overcome with fear, started screaming, and shouted for Ms Steenkamp to get to the floor. The toilet door slammed, reconfirming his belief there was a person or people in the bathroom, the athlete said. "I heard a noise from inside the toilet, what I perceived to be someone coming out of the toilet," he said tearfully. At that point, he shot at the door. After the shooting, Mr Pistorius said he had smashed in a door panel to get into the toilet, where he discovered what he had done. "Whilst I leant over the partition to get in, I saw the key, so I took it and I unlocked the door, and I flung the door open, and I threw it open," he said, sobbing. "And I sat over Reeva and I cried... and um, I don't know how long... I don't know how long I was there for... She wasn't breathing." As the athlete broke down, the judge adjourned the trial. Valentine's gifts Earlier, the athlete described how the couple had spent a quiet evening together on 13 February, Ms Steenkamp doing some yoga as he spoke to his cousin on the phone. He had then watched TV in bed with his head resting on her stomach and she would occasionally show him photos of cars she was looking at on her phone, he said. He said that they had bought Valentine's Day gifts for each other. He had bought her a bracelet and they had been due to go the jewellers' to collect it the next day, he said. Ms Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, reality TV celebrity and law graduate, was hit by at least three bullets while in the toilet cubicle of Mr Pistorius's home in Pretoria. Known as the Blade Runner, Mr Pistorius holds six Paralympic medals and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors. Even if he is acquitted, South African law stipulates that the court must consider the separate, lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter. If convicted on this charge, he could face between six and 15 years in prison. Mr Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, which he denies.

How does a person just shoot four times without even thinking about it?

And, since she fell and he continued to hit her with bullets, are we really supposed to believe it was that instantaneous, to the point where he didn't know what he was doing?

[Logan]

WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior.

TMZ reported that Warrior collapsed outside of a hotel in Arizona at 5:50 p.m tonight Pacific time while walking to a car with his wife. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.


Warrior began his WWE career in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Warrior became WWE Champion at WrestleMania VI, defeating Hulk Hogan in an epic encounter.

We are grateful that just days ago, Warrior had the opportunity to take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame and was also able to appear at WrestleMania 30 and Monday Night Raw to address his legions of fans. WWE sends its sincere condolences to Warrior’s family, friends and fans.

Warrior was 54 and is survived by his wife Dana and his two daughters.

The Official Site of the WWE Universe | WWE.com

as a wrestling fan i saw him last night on Live TV he looked fine all of last weekend on Wrestlemania ..

[canflam]

Very sad news.

[sunnykerr]

What did he die of?

[canflam]

Reportedly it was a massive heart attack.

[sunnykerr]

Well, if that's the case, and this will be cold comfort for his loved ones, but he likely didn't suffer very much.

[sunnykerr]

A reporter's point of view on the trial capturing the world's attention at present:

Oscar Pistorius 'close to disaster' I'm tapping this out in Courtroom D, on a hard bench, at the end of an extraordinary, roller-coaster week of drama, tears and confrontation. The Pistorius family are sitting on the row just in front of me, and it is hard not to follow events through their own, visceral reactions, as they flinch and cry. A few yards to my right, I can see Reeva Steenkamp's mother, June, staring - almost trance-like, hour after hour - at the man who killed her daughter. The memory of the athlete's remorseful tears earlier this week has been quickly supplanted, at least in my mind, by the fury of prosecutor Gerrie Nel's cross-examination - the initial shock of his showing the graphic photograph of the victim's head wound, and now the compelling second-by-second analysis of the night itself. So who has the upper hand? This week has reminded me, once again, of the dangers of taking anything for granted in this trial. And there is still a long way to go. And yet I would conclude that, overall, these past few days have been close to a disaster for Mr Pistorius - and one that largely seems to have been of his own making. Let's leave aside, for a moment, the four bullets fired through the toilet door, and examine the three other gun-related charges the athlete decided to fight at the same trial. It is a decision that must surely be haunting him and his team right now. 'Cocky schoolboy' One was a very minor issue about keeping some of his father's ammunition in the house. On the stand, Mr Pistorius' attempt to go head-to-head in a pedantic legal argument with prosecutor Gerrie Nel was like watching a cocky schoolboy trying to score points off a university professor. He failed. Another was the gunshot under the restaurant table in Johannesburg. This was even worse. Instead of admitting he had fired it by mistake, Mr Pistorius tried to suggest that the gun's trigger had somehow been pulled independently - that he had not been directly responsible for the action. Mr Nel scoffed at the "miracle" shot, and at the athlete's reluctance to accept blame. It seemed clear to many that Mr Pistorius made a mistake. But his casuistry impressed no-one, and nor did his desire to keep the "story" out of the media, when surely he should have been more concerned about answering to the police about an extremely dangerous act. Then came the sunroof gunshot - preceded by a weekend boating party to which the athlete admitted he had taken his loaded pistol. His then girlfriend Samantha Taylor, and former friend Darren Fresco, earlier both told the court, under oath, that Mr Pistorius had fired his gun out of a moving car after an altercation with a police officer who, well within his rights, had spotted Mr Pistorius' pistol on the passenger seat and picked it up. Mr Pistorius' criticism of the policeman's lack of "courtesy" and "professionalism" spoke volumes about his attitude to authority in South Africa - a country where some cocky white men still do not always show appropriate deference to the country's racial sensitivities and legacies of apartheid. But it was the athlete's lawyerly insistence that his two friends had "fabricated" evidence against him that struck me as most damaging. If you check the record, you will see that Mr Pistorius never actually denied firing a shot. But I've been led to understand - and he hinted as much in court - that he maintains he did so on a different day, in different circumstances. So why not admit that to the police, take the rap, and move on? Instead, by now already badly bruised, Mr Pistorius staggers on to the central question of this trial. And I am not talking about the position of the various fans and plugs and curtains and duvets in his bedroom that so preoccupied Gerrie Nel on Thursday. The police clearly moved some evidence, so I doubt the prosecution is going to find any certainties there. The real question, of course, is why did he shoot four times through that toilet door? On Wednesday, Mr Pistorius said he had done so "accidentally." The word is crucial, but watching him trying to explain it under rigorous cross-examination has been uncomfortable, to put it mildly. Mr Pistorius must know that if he admits he shot at the door "deliberately" - regardless of whether he thought Reeva Steenkamp or half a dozen armed burglars were inside - then he has also come perilously close to admitting he intended to kill someone. That makes it easy for the prosecution to argue they have proved it was murder, or at the very least culpable homicide. And so, the athlete continues to walk his narrow tightrope and insist on four "accidental" gunshots - on top of the other accident in the restaurant. Mr Nel, meanwhile, is gleefully tugging on that same rope. Ultimately, Mr Pistorius's strategy at this trial is to argue that he is, in an admittedly repentant and awkward fashion, innocent on all charges. Perhaps so. But it is an intellectually nuanced and demanding argument that the athlete, by turns distraught and pedantic, often struggles to articulate, alone on the stand with no counsel to fall back on. We still have, as I mentioned earlier, a long way to go in this trial. I suspect the defence will produce more expert witnesses to undermine and muddle more of the state's "premeditated" case - the female screams, and the bangs heard by some neighbours. But this trial is a curious one - not a whodunnit, but a whydunnit - and Mr Pistorius still has a minefield ahead of him, and a daunting adversary encouraging him to stumble.

Well, that makes it sounds like Pistorius is headed to jail, huh?