LIVE from Rostov-on-Don following deadly FlyDubai plane crash
Cypriot pilot of jet that crashed in southern Russia had accepted job with Ryanair, said friend
Dubai: Aristos Sokratous, the Cypriot pilot of the flydubai jet that crashed in southern Russia, had informed the airline that he was leaving for a job with Ryanair on Monday, a source close to Sokratous toldGulf News.
Sokratous, recently married and expecting a son with his wife, was just days away from starting a new life back home in Cyprus.
The friend told The Associated Press that Socratous was an experienced pilot who had no complaints or problems with flydubai. He said Sokratous was "very happy" about flydubai promoting him to full captain a year and a half ago.
The president of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, sent his condolences to the family of Sokratous.
Especially to those close to Aristos Sokratous, the President of the Republic expresses his deepest condolences, and his support towards them, Anastasiades said in a statement.
In a landmark decision on free speech and privacy, a Florida juryawarded former wrestling legend Hulk Hogan $115 million in a verdict against Gawker Media on Friday. The company was found guilty of violating Hogans privacy when it posted a clip of him having s*x with the wife of radio host and former friend Bubba the Love Sponge in 2012.
The verdict was reached after a three-week trial. Jurors heard testimony from Hoganreal name Terry Bolleaas well as several Gawker employees, including founder Nick Denton and former editor-in-chief A.J. Daulerio, who wrote the essay accompanying the 90-second video on Gawkers site in 2012. According to BuzzFeed, Hogan sued Gawker Media for $100 million for posting the clip without his consent and causing him severe emotional distress. Hogan says he was unaware that he was being filmed during the incident.
Denton released a statement on Twitter after the verdict:
Other Twitter users also had strong reactions to the cases outcome:
Kate del Castillo no se siente responsable de la recaptura de "El Chapo"
Last October, Mexican actress Kate del Castillo found herself where few outsiders had been before -- in the presence of notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
"My heart started pounding," del Castillo said in an interview with ABC News" Diane Sawyer. "I couldn"t believe that we were there."
Guzman was recaptured in January by Mexican authorities after he escaped from a maximum-security prison last July. The drug lord was serving a sentence for homicide and drug charges at the Mexican prison and had escaped from prison once before.
Guzman, a fan of del Castillo"s, had reached out to del Castillo through his lawyers years earlier and gave her the rights to tell his life story, she said. Eventually, the two began communicating directly through encrypted phones.
Del Castillo later made headlines when it was revealed that she helped arrange the meeting with Hollywood actor Sean Penn and Guzman last October. The meeting was documented in Penn"s article about Guzman in Rolling Stone magazine this January.
Mexico"s attorney general said del Castillo is being investigated by authorities because there are indications del Castillo may have received money from Guzman for her tequila company, Honor del Castillo, according to El Universal.
"For now, in the eyes of everybody, I"m guilty. You know, because they"ve been manipulating all this info," del Castillo said.
But before del Castillo became the person she says Guzman trusted with his life story, del Castillo"s first message to him was through a tweet.
See a timeline of their relationship below:
Jan. 10, 2012: Kate del Castillo writes her now-famous tweet.
Del Castillo, who starred in the Mexican telenovela "La Reina del Sur" in 2011, took to Twitter to express her mistrust of the Mexican government. Written in Spanish, del Castillo"s tweet asks drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to "traffic with love." "Mr. Chapo, wouldn"t it be cool if you started to traffic with good?" wrote del Castillo in Spanish. "Come on Don, you would be the hero of heroes. Let"s traffic with love. You know how to."
Feb. 22, 2014: Guzman is rearrested.
Guzman was arrested for the first time in Guatemala on June 9, 1993, for homicide and drug charges. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but he escaped from Puente Grande on Jan. 19, 2001. Marines later found him in a modest apartment with his wife, two daughters, a chef and a nanny. After a sustained operation, Guzman gave himself up and was rearrested in a resort hotel in Mazatlan, Sinaloa.
Joaquin Guzman Loera, alias "El Chapo Guzman" is shown to the press after his arrest at the high security prison of Almoloya de Juarez, outskirts of Mexico City, June 10, 1993.
Summer 2014: Guzman"s lawyers contact del Castillo.
In late summer 2014, del Castillo said Guzman"s lawyers contacted her to ask if she was interested in producing a film about his life.
June 2015: Del Castillo meets Guzman"s lawyer.
Del Castillo has a meeting with Guzman"s lawyer Andres Granados in Mexico City.
July 11, 2015: Guzman escapes from prison a second time.
Guzman escaped from Altipano Prison after less than 17 months later through a hole in his shower. He escaped through a mile-long tunnel dug underneath his cell 30 feet underground. The tunnel had oxygen pipes, lighting and a motorbike mounted on rails, and seven prison officials are charged in connection with the escape. On July 15, Granados, Guzman"s lawyer, texted del Castillo saying, "I"m celebrating." Del Castillo replied, "Me more."
September 2015: Del Castillo and Chapo have direct contact through text messages for the first time.
Guzman"s lawyer gave del Castillo a mobile phone to contact Guzman directly. She began exchanging BlackBerry messages with Guzman. In a text conversation with Guzman on Sept. 25, Granados asked if del Castillo could bring actor Sean Penn to their first meeting. Guzman agreed and told him to allow her to bring whatever and whoever she likes. The next day, del Castillo messaged Guzman about their future meeting. Thanks to you Ill meet you, and you have no idea how excited I am. Thank you for your trust, del Castillo wrote in Spanish.
Oct. 2, 2015: Del Castillo and Sean Penn meet Guzman.
Penn, del Castillo and Argentine producers Fernando Sulichin and Jose Ibez traveled to meet Guzman in Mexico. They first took a small plane, then a truck into the mountains, and they were then escorted by one of Guzman"s sons. During the meeting, Guzman gave Penn permission to write a story about him for Rolling Stone magazine.
Actor Sean Penn and actress Kate del Castillo are pictured together with notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman during their meeting.
Oct. 6, 2015: The Mexican Navy unsuccessfully raids Guzmans hideout.
After an unsuccessful raid of his hideout launched by the Mexican Navy, Guzman sustained injuries to his legs and face, but the injuries were not the result of a direct confrontation.
Jan. 8, 2016: Guzman is captured a third time.
Mexican marines raided the home in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, where Guzman was staying. They exchanged fire with Guzman"s men, killing five of them, while Guzman escaped through a hidden door in a walk-in closet. Despite emerging outside through a manhole and stealing two cars, Guzman was caught by police. He is currently being held at a maximum-security prison in Mexico, but he is willing to accept extradition to the United States.
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is made to face the press as he is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican soldiers and marines at a federal hangar in Mexico City, Mexico, Friday, Jan. 8, 2016.
Jan. 9, 2016: Penn"s Rolling Stone magazine article about Guzman is published.
Rolling Stone magazine published Penn"s story about Guzman on its website the day after Guzman"s capture. He later appeared on "60 Minutes" on Jan. 15, talking about his meeting with Guzman.
Jan. 13, 2016: A Mexican publication publishes del Castillo and Guzman"s messages.
Milenio, a Mexico newspaper, obtained and published the message exchanged by del Castillo and Guzman over their encrypted BlackBerry devices. The messages were confirmed as authentic by a federal official. That same day, del Castillo sent out a tweet saying, "Thank you for your support over the past days. Not surprisingly, many have chosen to make up items they think will make good stories and that aren"t truthful. I look forward to sharing my story with you. Kate del Castillo"
A photo released by Plaza de Armas purports to show Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman after his arrest in Mexico, Jan. 8, 2016.
March 4, 2016: Guzman calls for extradition to the United States.
The Mexican lawyer who leads Guzman"s defense team said Guzman wishes to be extradited to the United States as soon as possible because of the unbearable conditions that Guzman says exist at the Mexican prison he is being held at.
March 18, 2016: Del Castillo speaks to ABC News" Diane Sawyer.
Del Castillo sat down for an interview for ABC News "20/20" that airs at 10 p.m. ET.
Diane Sawyer interviews actress Kate del Castillo on the El Chapo controversy.
An Oxford education, elite media lawyers and the constitutional shield for freedom of the press was not enough to protect Gawker publisher Nick Denton and the view of press rights in America from the wrath of 6ft 7in, 302lb Hulk Hogan.
On Friday in St Petersburg, Florida, the legendary pro-wrestler, whose real name is Terry Bollea, delivered a $115m legal hit on the iconoclastic web publisher, a victory that signals a significant change in the publics tolerance for media invasions of privacy and that could bankrupt the site.
For three weeks jurors heard how Denton, a media star with ambitions of revolutionising news coverage, and AJ Daulerio, a former Gawker editor, had published and refused to take down a 2006 s*x tape of Hogan and the wife of his best friend, DJ Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.
Dentons refusal to do so now stands as a fateful decision that could determine whether the 49-year-old publisher goes down as both creator and destroyer of Gawker Media. If the judge in the case imposes as $50m bond on Gawker, which its representatives say it cannot pay, the site and its nine ancillary publications could quickly collapse.
Related: Hulk"s lawyers say Gawker founder was "playing G*d" in closing court arguments
Whether DJ Clem approved of his wifes extramarital activities Hogan settled with him for $5,000 publication of the bedroom events were not. Hogan sued Gawker, Gawker stood on its right to publish, and jurors sided with Hogan, who shed tears in the courtroom when the verdict came down after just six hours of deliberations.
But the question remains: why had Denton insisted on Gawkers right to publish, flying as it does in a perceptible shift in how the public sees privacy rights?
Dentons vocal adamance made clear that he was out of step with public sentiment long before the Hogan case came to court. Advocating a philosophy of extreme openness, which he applied to Gawkers editorial choices, the site has arguably stepped over the line repeatedly. In 2012, Denton said he was proud to have taken part in outing a CNN presenter; in 2013 and 2014, it published a string of articles about the private life of a Fox News anchor; and in 2015, it exposed an affair involving a married media executive from a rival firm. The site was accused of gay-shaming, and Denton subsequently pledged to make Gawker 20% nicer.
But Dentons attempts to apply extreme openness to others could cost the ruin of his company. Like the jurors in Florida, the public is now far less likely to side with the media over privacy issues. Its an empathetic shift, some argue, that has come from having to manage public and private identities on and offline.
The public has seen the damage that online speech can do, and is getting sick of the media and becoming very pro-privacy, said Samantha Barbas, a law professor at the University at Buffalo. The public is becoming disenchanted with freedom of speech and this verdict is a reflection of that.
Related: US woman pursues ex-boyfriend in landmark UK revenge-p**n action
New laws prohibiting revenge p**n, or growing calls for the right to be forgotten are signals of the same shift, she said.
Last month, US sportscaster Erin Andrews was awarded $55m against Marriott Hotels, after a Tennessee jury found the chain had not protected her from being filmed in the shower by a stalker. Last week, a Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty and now faces five years in prison for dumping a trove of n**e celebrity images, some including actor Jennifer Lawrence, in 2014 an event now thought of as a turning point in attitudes toward celebrity privacy.
Throughout the Hogan trial, Denton maintained Hogans sexual activities were of legitimate public interest. We believed the story had value, Denton said. That it was true, that it was a story honestly told, and that it was interesting to millions of people.
Denton has now vowed to appeal the case, arguing the jurors were not given the chance to hear key testimony from Clem. We feel very positive about the appeal that we have already begun preparing, as we expect to win this case ultimately, he said in a statement after the verdict.
Regardless of any appeals outcome, Denton may have inadvertently ushered in a second phase in the way the media operates. The first came with the founding of Gawker in 2002 as a gossip blog that skewered celebrities and New York media figures. Fridays verdict could herald a shift in media practices around privacy, reflecting growing disdain for invasions of privacy.
Hogans legal team said as much in a statement, calling the verdict: a statement as to the publics disgust with the invasion of privacy disguised as journalism.
Related: Google to extend "right to be forgotten" to all its domains accessed in EU
Ordinary people feel like theyve been burned and this decision could be felt [in the media] very tangibly right away, Barbas said.
Courts have long grappled with the question of what defines a newsworthy story, and what constitutes legitimate public concern under the law and many celebrities and politicians have come down on the losing side of judges and juries over their high status in the public eye. But the Gawker verdict firmly rejected Dentons arguments that Hogans fame and boasting of his sexual exploits made him any different from an anonymous member of the public.
Inadvertently, Denton and Gawker may also have revealed something more about the contemporary dilemma of two personas the public and private that celebrities have long since grappled with.
Its something were all struggling with and thats kind of what the Hulk Hogan verdict was about, Barbas said. Even someone who makes s*x part of their public persona deserves a right to privacy in their own intimate lives. Its an important decision.
India vs Pakistan Cricket Rap Battle || Shudh Desi Raps By: PTI | Kolkata | Updated: March 19, 2016 1:38 pm India and Pakistan will play each other on Saturday. (Source: AP)
The enormity of the Indo-Pak rivalry is not lost on R Ashwin, who considers it bigger than the Ashes but the Indian off-spinner also feels that players will have to keep their emotions in check during Saturdays high-voltage World Twenty20 clash in Kolkata.(Full Coverage|| Fixtures||Photos)
India and Pakistan are heading into the much-anticipated clash with contrasting results.The hosts suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of New Zealand while Pakistan roared into form with a crushing win over Bangladesh.
This rivalry is huge, its hard to say how huge it is. Its probably bigger than the Ashes, Ashwin said on the eve of the high-octane clash.
WATCH: What to expect from India vs Pakistan
As far as the Indians and Pakistanis go, I dont think they watch this game as a game of cricket. Its more of a border rivalry. They want to get one up on each other. Theres much more rather than this game taking centerstage. As far as people are concerned, they put their emotions into the game.
For the players, its all about keeping their emotions aside and trying to play the best way we can, he said.
READ:World T20 tied match my favourite India-Pakistan moment, says VirenderSehwag
Asked about pressure that the players have to face in such a game, Ashwin said they would like to take it easy.
We dont sit together and cram a lot of stuff into each others head. That will eventually lead to a lot of confusion. Everybody has different plans. As for me, I plan a lot and that has given me success in the past.
We just take it as easy as possible. As far as the Pakistan game is concerned, we will take it lightly. We are used to playing a lot of India-Pakistan game. Every game that India plays is a pressure game. We are pretty much used to it, he said.
Ashwin said Indias loss in the opening match against New Zealand, during which they were bundled out for 79 in a small chase of 127 could be a blessing in disguise.
From here on if we go through, we will be more dangerous, than probably at the start of the tournament. I dont think anybody has an edge. We start 50-50. They are upbeat after beating Bangladesh but if we can raise our standard and play to our potential, we can try and win the game as well.
Asked why the Indians took the day off from training even as the Pakistanis sweated it out at the nets, Ashwin said, Theyre probably a little more hardworking than us. It was more about relaxing and nothing to do with who we are playing. We have been on the road for the last three months. The best thing we can do is to think of ourselves rather than sitting together and practising.
Generally after a game like that you tend to go to practice and try harder and eventually go into the match day a little more tired. Thats the idea behind it.
Leading up the World Cup, maintaining momentum is very important. We will have to pick it up from Eden Gardens.
Pressure is buzzwoprd heading into the marquee clash but Ashwin said there are a lot of other factors that affect the players.
Cricket is a psychological game. I find it quite amusing, when people say you will have to keep it simple, its not. Its a psychological game. Unless youre exceptionally talented you find yourself losing a psychological battle.
Ashwin also preferred not to read much into their defeat against the Kiwis.
If we knew we would have got out for 79, we would have tried to bowl them out for a lesser score, he quipped.
Unfortunately we did not. We have been doing a fabulous job. It was a bad day. They bowled brilliantly. We got to give credit to Santner. Obviously we contributed to their success. If at all theres an International team which can put it behind and go forward, it is us.
Its not the first time this has happened to us. We have done it in the past. We have it in us to come back from behind. That is what were looking forward to. Its about understanding the game, the ground, the wicket and all that. Whichever team gets used to it may have an edge.
Its not the right time to relook and revisit our strategies. Its about fine-tuning and trusting our abilities. We cant change a whole lot, can we?, he concluded.
Gold Rush fans and friends troop to social media to extend their condolences for the passing of Alaskas legendary miner and TV personality John Schnabel, who died in his sleep at the age of 96.
TMZ reported that the news was announced by Schnabels family, who popularly calls the famous miner Grandpa in Discoverys reality show. In the show, he is always being shown together with his grandson Parker, who took over the mining chores.
Parker in his social media account thank everyone for their kind words and for consoling their family with the loss of a great man.
John Schnabel, who was a former mayor of Haines and a shareholder of the Big Nugget Mine, suffered a heart attack towards the end of the TV shows second season and survived. He then was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 to which he handed over the operations of the mine to Parker.
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Thank you all for the kind words. Grandpa John lived a great life and was one of a kind. I am glad the world got to see an amazing man.
Parker Schnabel (@goldrush_parker) March 19, 2016
Rest in peace grandpa. I know you will be watching over me and @goldrushparker forever. Thank you for everything you have and continue to do for us. We love you, and always will.
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A photo posted by Payson Schnabel (@paysonschnabel) on Mar 18, 2016 at 7:07pm PDT
In the show, John Schnabel would always state that he always dreamed of mining at Smith Creek Hill and his grandson, Parker, would make that dream come true in the shows episode entitled Granpas Last Wish. The episode was documented and it showed Parker together with his brother Pyson making that wish come true.
Despite his health issues, John Schnabel was still active as a miner as depicted in the shows season four as he would always advise Parker, but as soon as Parker left Porcupine Creek, which is also known as Big Nugget Mine, John would resume handling the operations once again.
John Schnabel was born in Kansas in 1920 and due to the Great Depression his family moved to Haines, Alaska. At age 12, he would get his first job as a paper boy. It was also mentioned in the show that when John set foot in Alaska, he knew that it was the place where he would be successful.
Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse Basketball Highlights (2015-16)
"If I had anyone else, he wouldn"t play a minute." That was Jim Boeheim describing Tyler Robersonnearly a month ago. It"s a good thing Boeheim couldn"t go out and sign a free agent, because Roberson made the most of every minute when it counted the most.
"Plugged-in Robie" was present in St.Louis as Roberson dominated the Flyers with 10 points and 18 rebounds. 8 of those 18 boards were on the offensive glass.
"When he plays like that, he can"t be stopped," Syracuse center Dajuan Coleman said after the game. "He had a good couple finishes around the rim, some nice dunks. And he did a good job on defense and rebounding the ball. We need him."
Syracuse does need him, especially on days like Friday when seniors Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney have average days at the office.
Timing is everything in life. Perhaps Roberson is sending a signal he"s ready for this to be his team next season by helping Syracuse go as far as it can in this one.
