NFL player Jovan Belcher kills girlfriend and self

Jovan Belcher was a first-team linebacker for the Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs American football player Jovan Belcher has shot himself dead outside the team's main stadium.

Police said the 25-year-old first shot his girlfriend dead a few miles away, before driving to a training facility at Arrowhead Stadium.

He committed suicide in the car park in front of team officials.

The club confirmed that "an incident" had occurred at Arrowhead on Saturday. "We are co-operating with authorities in their investigation," it added.

Kansas City police spokesman Darin Snapp told AP news agency that authorities were told early on Saturday that a woman had been shot five miles away from the Arrowhead complex.

The victim was later identified as Belcher's girlfriend.

Police were then called to the training facility, where they saw the player in a car holding a handgun to his head, talking to two Chiefs officials.

They then heard a gunshot.

Read more »

Egypt crisis: Islamists rally for President Morsi

Islamist backers of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi have held mass rallies to support his sweeping new powers and the drafting of a constitution.

The demonstrations in Cairo came after days of rival protests by supporters and opponents of the president.

His opponents are angry that the draft constitution was hastily passed by an Islamist-dominated assembly on Friday.

The assembly acted before Egypt's top court could meet to rule on whether the body of MPs should be dissolved.

Senior judges have been in a stand-off with the president since he granted himself sweeping new powers last week.

'God's law'

Tens of thousands of supporters of Mr Morsi, carrying flags and portraits of the president, gathered outside Cairo university on Saturday.

"The people support the president's decision!" they chanted, while a banner read: "The people want the implementation of God's law."

Riot police stood by, with roadblocks erected to contain crowds. One person died and some 20 were injured when the branch of a tree outside the university fell on the crowd.

Pro-Brotherhood crowds also demonstrated in other Egyptian cities. In Alexandria clashes broke out between supporters of Mr Morsi and unidentified activists, the state-run Mena news agency reported.

Mr Morsi's supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist parties had called for a huge turnout to show that the president's recent moves were supported by the public.

In Tahrir Square, meanwhile, a smaller demonstration of government opponents continued into its ninth day, setting up sentry points, in case the Square came under attack by pro-government activists.

Under an emergency decree issued last week, Mr Morsi's decisions cannot be revoked by any authority, including the judiciary, until the new constitution has been ratified and a fresh parliamentary election held.

The decree also states that the courts cannot dissolve the constituent assembly.

Mr Morsi says he will give up his extraordinary powers once the new constitution is approved by a referendum.

Later on Saturday members of the constituent assembly were due to hand him the draft of the constitution they quickly adopted on Friday. The president is then expected to ratify the draft and schedule a referendum.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says Mr Morsi may announce the referendum on Saturday and hold it in as little as two weeks' time.

Our correspondent says the key question will be whether the opposition can mobilise its support and get it to the ballot boxes to vote in the referendum - or boycott it altogether.

It is going to be a tense time as Egypt prepares for what will be a referendum not just on the constitution, but on the country's very future, he adds.

On Friday, the president's opponents rallied in Cairo's Tahrir Square, chanting slogans including "The people want the fall of the regime!" - one of the rallying cries against former President Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled last year.

'Divisive move'

The extent of Mr Morsi's new powers has raised fears that he might become a new dictator.

UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has written to the president, asking him to reconsider his decree.

In her letter, Ms Pillay "warned that approving a constitution in these circumstances could be a deeply divisive move", her spokesman said.

Mr Morsi's supporters point to the fact that he is Egypt's first freely elected president and argue that liberals and secularists do not represent the vast majority of Egyptians.

The presidential decree of 22 November gave the 100-member constituent assembly until January to complete the draft constitution.

When the Supreme Constitutional Court, Egypt's highest judicial authority, said it would soon rule on challenges to the process, supporters of the president in the assembly decided to rush through the draft.

During a marathon session that began on Thursday and continued through the night, the assembly voted on and passed all 234 articles.

Among the historic changes to Egypt's system of government, the draft limits the amount of time a president can serve to two four-year terms.

It also introduces some civilian oversight of the military establishment.

The draft keeps in place an article defining "principles of Sharia", or Islamic law, as the main source of legislation.

Read more »

St Etienne miss out on top spot after draw at Ajaccio

St Etienne missed a chance to claim top spot in Ligue 1 when they were held to a goalless draw at AC Ajaccio on Friday.

Les Verts climbed from fourth place to second on 26 points and trail leaders Olympique Lyon, who host champions Montpellier on Saturday, by two points.

Ajaccio are 16th on 16 points, two points above the relegation zone.

St Etienne enjoyed most of the possession in a game hampered by rain and gusty winds but they were toothless up front.

Adrian Mutu had a good chance for Ajaccio in the first half when his header shaved Stephane Ruffier's post. The Romanian was then replaced on the hour mark.

St Etienne's Brazilian striker Brandao went off 15 minutes from time because of a strained leg muscle.

Next week Christophe Galtier's side host arch-rivals Lyon at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard.

Read more »

'Winnerhofer' triumphs in Beaver Creek

Christof Innerhofer put his latest injury woes behind him by winning the Beaver Creek men's downhill in style on Friday, a victory he said amounted to "a recovery."

The Italian earned the nickname 'Winnerhofer' after bagging three medals, including the Super-G gold, at the Garmish-Partenkirchen world championships in 2011, but since then, wins had been fewer than health problems.

A 2011 injury during training left him with a concussion and back problems and a car crash in July revived painful memories.

"This podium is very important for me because some time ago I wasn't even sure I would be able to keep skiing. Today, I beat Svindal, I couldn't be happier. It's more than a race today, it's a recovery," said Innerhofer.

His victory in last winter's final Super-G in Schladming had signalled his talent was intact and the Italian, 28, confirmed his return to form on the Birds of Prey piste in one minute and 41.69 seconds to win his second World Cup downhill.

Innerhofer, who clinched his maiden downhill victory in Bormio in 2009, beat pre-race favourite Aksel Lund Svindal by 0.23 seconds while fellow Norwegian Kjetil Janrsrud was third, 0.50 behind.

"It's been such a long time since my first downhill victory in Bormio that I don't really know what to say, especially after what I've been through," said Innerhofer, who has now won four World Cup races.

"I really didn't know what to expect. I went through hell for the past 10 months and it doesn't seem real. After each skier I kept looking at the scoreboard to make sure I was still up there."

'TOO FAST'

Svindal, who achieved a rare double by winning both the downhill and the Super-G in Lake Louise a week ago, failed to make it three in a row but took his lead in the overall World Cup standings to 110 points over giant slalom world champion Ted Ligety of the U.S.

On a roll after his two victories in Canada, the Norwegian admitted he had probably taken too many risks on a piste he knows like the palm of his hand.

"It's clear that I was going too fast. To be forced to brake in a downhill is just crazy. It cost me victory but I took my chances and that's the way to do it on a piste like this," he said.

To share the podium with team mate Jansrud was ample consolation.

"I'm glad to be on the podium with Kjetil. As I said before, you can never rule him out, in downhills and Super-G's as well.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow as I'm sure there's more to come for Norway during the weekend," Svindal added.

The Beaver Creek programme continues with a Super-G on Saturday and a giant slalom on Sunday.

The race was marred by the crash of Germany's Tobias Stechert, who ended his run in the safety nets with a knee injury.

"I hurt my knee. Unfortunately I had this before and I know what it is to tear your ligaments. I hope that's not the case but I feel it's not good," he said.

Read more »

South China Sea maritime dispute escalates

The Phillippines has objected to China's plan to board and search foreign ships that enter into what Beijing considers its territory in the disputed South China Sea.

On Saturday, the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs urged Beijing to clarify the new law aimed at strengthening maritime control allowing the border patrol in Hainan province to board, inspect, detain, confiscate, immobilise and expel foreign vessels.

The department said: "This planned action by China is illegal and will validate the continuous and repeated pronouncements by the Philippines that China's claim of indisputable sovereignty over virtually the entire South China Sea is not only an excessive claim but a threat to all countries," 

The two nations have been locked in a maritime standoff at a disputed shoal since April. The Phillipines has called on international support to have the territorial dispute resolved in multilateral talks by hosting a meeting with Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei on the issue this month.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the South China Sea, which straddles key shipping lanes in the region and is believed to be rich in resources.

Read more »

NO COMMENT

Read more »

No Comment

Front of many supporters, Lasha Pataraya set a new world record Thursday in Rustavi (Georgia Southern) he managed to take a truck to the strength of his ear. The vehicle of more than 8 tonnes advanced more than 21 meters

.

Read more »