Lawyers for the passenger dragged violently from a United plane appear to be launching legal action against the airline.
Footage of a bloodied Dr David Dao, 69, being dragged off an overbooked flight by airport security officers on Sunday nightquickly went viral.
On Wednesday, his lawyers filed an emergency request with an Illinois court to make sure that United preserves evidence such as videos, cockpit voice recordings, passenger and crew lists and other materials related to United Flight 3411.
The papers, filed in Cook County courthouse, said: "After being duly processed by the ticket agent, checked in by the attendant and seated in his assigned passenger seat, Petitioner was forcibly dragged and removed from the said aircraft by City employees, sustaining personal injury."
A spokesman for Corboy & Demetrio, one of the firms acting on behalf of the doctor, said he is still being treated in hospital but one of his relatives is expected to give a news conference on Thursday in Chicago.
Videos of Mr Dao's treatment caused millions of dollars to be wiped off the value of the United's parent company United Continental Holdings and social media users from around the world called for a boycott of the airline.
Much of the outrage centred on the fact that Mr Dao was a paying passenger who had been removed from the Chicago to Louisville flight to make way for additional crew members.
United's chief executive Oscar Munoz apologised on Wednesday and said that police would not be used to remove passengers from overbooked flights in future.
He said he had not spoken to Mr Dao but added: "I do look forward to a time when I can, as much as I'm able to, apologise directly to him for what has happened."
Mr Munoz was criticised for his initial response to the incident, where he said the passenger had "defied" authorities and "compounded" the situation.
PR Week, which named Mr Munoz its US communicator of the year just last month, described his response as "tone deaf" and framing the event "purely in terms of its effect on United, rather than the injured passenger".
Mr Munoz also promised every passenger on board the flight would get the price of their ticket refunded.
Three airport security officers have now been put on leave following the incident.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Trump U-turn: NATO 'no longer obsolete' as he declares commitment to alliance
Donald Trump has declared NATO is "no longer obsolete", saying he was committed to the military alliance.
Shortly before taking office in January, Mr Trump questioned its relevance, saying the organisation, established after World War Two, was "obsolete because it was designed many, many years ago".
And "the (member) countries aren't paying what they're supposed to pay", he said.
But now the President has made a U-turn, describing the alliance as a "bulwark of international peace and security".
He has again called on alliance members to spend 2% of their GDP on defence within a decade, following White House talks with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
"If other countries pay their fair share rather than relying on the United States to make up the difference, we will all be much more secure," Mr Trump told reporters.
He said: "The secretary general and I had a productive discussion about what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism.
"I complained about that a longer time ago and they made a change and now they do fight terrorism.
"I said it was obsolete, it's no longer obsolete."
So far, only five of the 28 NATO members, including the UK, spend 2% of their GDP on defence, but the number is expected to rise next year.
Mr Stoltenberg said NATO provides crucial support to the coalition fighting Islamic State, as well as help training soldiers and intelligence sharing.
He says NATO has committed to do more in the global fight against terrorism and is committed to ensuring defence costs are split more fairly.
Shortly before taking office in January, Mr Trump questioned its relevance, saying the organisation, established after World War Two, was "obsolete because it was designed many, many years ago".
And "the (member) countries aren't paying what they're supposed to pay", he said.
But now the President has made a U-turn, describing the alliance as a "bulwark of international peace and security".
He has again called on alliance members to spend 2% of their GDP on defence within a decade, following White House talks with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
"If other countries pay their fair share rather than relying on the United States to make up the difference, we will all be much more secure," Mr Trump told reporters.
He said: "The secretary general and I had a productive discussion about what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism.
"I complained about that a longer time ago and they made a change and now they do fight terrorism.
"I said it was obsolete, it's no longer obsolete."
So far, only five of the 28 NATO members, including the UK, spend 2% of their GDP on defence, but the number is expected to rise next year.
Mr Stoltenberg said NATO provides crucial support to the coalition fighting Islamic State, as well as help training soldiers and intelligence sharing.
He says NATO has committed to do more in the global fight against terrorism and is committed to ensuring defence costs are split more fairly.
Top US diplomat Rex Tillerson meets Putin over Syria crisis
US secretary of state Rex Tillerson is having talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin amid tensions over an American strike on Syria.
The meeting at the Kremlin comes hours after Donald Trump's top diplomat faced his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Mr Lavrov said Moscow was trying to understand the "real intentions" of the Trump administration.
He said Russia has lots of questions about the "very ambiguous" and "contradictory" ideas coming from Washington.
Russia has also accused the US of "primitive and loutish" rhetoric over Syria.
The Russian foreign minister said last week's cruise missile strike on a Syrian government airbase was an unlawful attack against President Bashar al Assad's forces.
Mr Lavrov said: "We consider it of utmost importance to prevent the risks of replay of similar action in the future."
The US claimed the strike was in retaliation for the Syrian regime's deadly chemical attack on civilians - which was believed to have been launched from the targeted airfield.
Russia backs Mr Assad in his fight against rebels, including Islamic extremists, in the country's six-year-old civil war.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated in the early months of the Trump presidency, according to Mr Putin.
He said: "It can be said that the level of trust at the working level, especially at the military level, has not become better but most likely has degraded."
Mr Tillerson has admitted the two countries had "sharp differences" which have got in the way of cooperation but he expressed optimism their talks could narrow those differences.
"We both have agreed our lines of communication shall always remain open," Mr Tillerson said.
Mr Trump has claimed the US had no plans to become more deeply involved in Syria and only did so last week because of the toxic gas attack that killed more than 80 people.
UK analysis of samples from the attack has detected sarin or a sarin-like substance, said Britain's UN ambassador.
The Putin-Tillerson meeting was believed to be the first between the Russian President and a top member of Mr Trump's administration since the US businessman took office in January.
It is not the first time Mr Putin and Mr Tillerson have had talks.
The Russian leader has previously met the American when he was head of US oil giant ExxonMobil.
The meeting at the Kremlin comes hours after Donald Trump's top diplomat faced his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Mr Lavrov said Moscow was trying to understand the "real intentions" of the Trump administration.
He said Russia has lots of questions about the "very ambiguous" and "contradictory" ideas coming from Washington.
Russia has also accused the US of "primitive and loutish" rhetoric over Syria.
The Russian foreign minister said last week's cruise missile strike on a Syrian government airbase was an unlawful attack against President Bashar al Assad's forces.
Mr Lavrov said: "We consider it of utmost importance to prevent the risks of replay of similar action in the future."
The US claimed the strike was in retaliation for the Syrian regime's deadly chemical attack on civilians - which was believed to have been launched from the targeted airfield.
Russia backs Mr Assad in his fight against rebels, including Islamic extremists, in the country's six-year-old civil war.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated in the early months of the Trump presidency, according to Mr Putin.
He said: "It can be said that the level of trust at the working level, especially at the military level, has not become better but most likely has degraded."
Mr Tillerson has admitted the two countries had "sharp differences" which have got in the way of cooperation but he expressed optimism their talks could narrow those differences.
"We both have agreed our lines of communication shall always remain open," Mr Tillerson said.
Mr Trump has claimed the US had no plans to become more deeply involved in Syria and only did so last week because of the toxic gas attack that killed more than 80 people.
UK analysis of samples from the attack has detected sarin or a sarin-like substance, said Britain's UN ambassador.
The Putin-Tillerson meeting was believed to be the first between the Russian President and a top member of Mr Trump's administration since the US businessman took office in January.
It is not the first time Mr Putin and Mr Tillerson have had talks.
The Russian leader has previously met the American when he was head of US oil giant ExxonMobil.
Melania Trump gets apology, damages from Daily Mail over report about her modeling career
British newspaper the Daily Mail has apologized to first lady Melania Trump and paid her an unspecified amount in damages for publishing rumors about Trump’s time as a model and how she met her husband, President Trump.
The paper in August published an article “questioning the nature of work” and republished allegations that “she provided services beyond simply modeling,” according to a joint statement released Wednesday on behalf of the first lady and the newspaper’s parent company.
“The article also claimed that Mr. and Mrs. Trump may have met three years before they actually met, and ‘staged’ their actual meeting as a ‘ruse.’ ” the statement continued.
Then came the mea culpa: “We accept that these allegations about Mrs. Trump are not true and we retract and withdraw them,” the statement said. “We apologise to Mrs. Trump for any distress that our publication caused her.”
The newspaper will pay costs of the lawsuit and damages, and although the statement didn’t say how much, the Associated Press cites a source claiming that the first lady received a total of $2.9 million for this settlement and a previous one with a Maryland blogger.
The paper in August published an article “questioning the nature of work” and republished allegations that “she provided services beyond simply modeling,” according to a joint statement released Wednesday on behalf of the first lady and the newspaper’s parent company.
“The article also claimed that Mr. and Mrs. Trump may have met three years before they actually met, and ‘staged’ their actual meeting as a ‘ruse.’ ” the statement continued.
Then came the mea culpa: “We accept that these allegations about Mrs. Trump are not true and we retract and withdraw them,” the statement said. “We apologise to Mrs. Trump for any distress that our publication caused her.”
The newspaper will pay costs of the lawsuit and damages, and although the statement didn’t say how much, the Associated Press cites a source claiming that the first lady received a total of $2.9 million for this settlement and a previous one with a Maryland blogger.
Tesco reports annual sales growth for the first time in seven years
Tesco has reported its first annual jump in UK sales for seven years.
The country's largest retailer said growth in operating profits and sales - alongside a £1.9bn debt repayment - over the year to 25 February showed its turnaround plans were ahead of its expectations.
However, pre-tax profits fell 28% to £145m, reflecting costs to conclude separate probes into its 2014 profits scandal.
Its bottom line was hit by a £129m Serious Fraud Office fine, announced last month, as part of a deal to avoid prosecution over the historic accounting practices issue.
At the same time, Tesco also confirmed it was to compensate shareholders to the tune of £85m.
The legacy issue dominated the early days of chief executive Dave Lewis's tenure. He pledged to restore Tesco's fortunes at a time when it was bleeding customers to rivals - especially discounters - in the supermarket price war.
He reported the chain's first full-year rise in UK sales since 2009/10, with comparable sales up 0.9%. Total sales were 4.3% higher - just shy of £50bn.
:: Why Tesco boss Dave Lewis can afford to start smiling
Operating profits, used by analysts to determine the health of day-to-day trading, increased 30% to £1.28bn.
Tesco shares opened lower, despite the improvements, down 2.2% in early trading.
Mr Lewis said: "Today, our prices are lower, our range is simpler and our service and availability have never been better.
"Our exclusive fresh food brands have strengthened our value proposition and our food quality perception is at its highest level for five years.
"At the same time, we have increased (operating) profits, generated more cash and significantly reduced debt.
"We are ahead of where we expected to be at this stage, having made good progress on all six of the strategic drivers we shared in October.
"We are confident that we can build on this strong performance in the year ahead, making further progress towards our medium-term ambitions."
Those include the proposed takeover of the UK's largest wholesaler, Booker, despite opposition from some institutional shareholders, who think the £3.7bn price is too rich.
The country's largest retailer said growth in operating profits and sales - alongside a £1.9bn debt repayment - over the year to 25 February showed its turnaround plans were ahead of its expectations.
However, pre-tax profits fell 28% to £145m, reflecting costs to conclude separate probes into its 2014 profits scandal.
Its bottom line was hit by a £129m Serious Fraud Office fine, announced last month, as part of a deal to avoid prosecution over the historic accounting practices issue.
At the same time, Tesco also confirmed it was to compensate shareholders to the tune of £85m.
The legacy issue dominated the early days of chief executive Dave Lewis's tenure. He pledged to restore Tesco's fortunes at a time when it was bleeding customers to rivals - especially discounters - in the supermarket price war.
He reported the chain's first full-year rise in UK sales since 2009/10, with comparable sales up 0.9%. Total sales were 4.3% higher - just shy of £50bn.
:: Why Tesco boss Dave Lewis can afford to start smiling
Operating profits, used by analysts to determine the health of day-to-day trading, increased 30% to £1.28bn.
Tesco shares opened lower, despite the improvements, down 2.2% in early trading.
Mr Lewis said: "Today, our prices are lower, our range is simpler and our service and availability have never been better.
"Our exclusive fresh food brands have strengthened our value proposition and our food quality perception is at its highest level for five years.
"At the same time, we have increased (operating) profits, generated more cash and significantly reduced debt.
"We are ahead of where we expected to be at this stage, having made good progress on all six of the strategic drivers we shared in October.
"We are confident that we can build on this strong performance in the year ahead, making further progress towards our medium-term ambitions."
Those include the proposed takeover of the UK's largest wholesaler, Booker, despite opposition from some institutional shareholders, who think the £3.7bn price is too rich.
Attackers dug tunnel in Turkish police compound terror blast
At least two people were killed after attackers dug a tunnel and detonated explosives under a Turkish police compound, officials have said.
The explosion, which flattened part of the facility in Diyarbakir, was initially believed to have been triggered during the repair of an armoured vehicle.
However, Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu said it "was the result of a terrorist attack" which was carried out "through a tunnel dug from outside".
He said a technician working at the compound was trapped under the rubble and died, and a policeman was also killed.
State-run news agency Anadolu reported a third victim died, while 12 others were injured.
Mr Soylu said: "We scan the surrounding of our police buildings approximately once in every month, so as not to encounter any threat.
"It means they had placed it in a short period of time."
The minister did not say who was believed to be behind the blast, but Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants have previously carried out similar attacks on police and military compounds in southeast Turkey.
The PKK is designated as a terror group by Turkey, the US and the EU.
The blast comes just days ahead of a referendum on changing the Turkish constitution and giving President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more powers
The explosion, which flattened part of the facility in Diyarbakir, was initially believed to have been triggered during the repair of an armoured vehicle.
However, Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu said it "was the result of a terrorist attack" which was carried out "through a tunnel dug from outside".
He said a technician working at the compound was trapped under the rubble and died, and a policeman was also killed.
State-run news agency Anadolu reported a third victim died, while 12 others were injured.
Mr Soylu said: "We scan the surrounding of our police buildings approximately once in every month, so as not to encounter any threat.
"It means they had placed it in a short period of time."
The minister did not say who was believed to be behind the blast, but Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants have previously carried out similar attacks on police and military compounds in southeast Turkey.
The PKK is designated as a terror group by Turkey, the US and the EU.
The blast comes just days ahead of a referendum on changing the Turkish constitution and giving President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more powers
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Borussia Dortmund team bus attack: Letter 'claims responsibility'
A letter found near the scene of a bomb attack on the Borussia Dortmund team bus claims responsibility for the blasts, according to prosecutors.
Police are investigating three "serious explosive devices" which went off as the players and coaching staff left a hotel ahead of a Champions League match in Germany.
Defender Marc Bartra, a Spain international, was taken to hospital after being injured by shattered glass from the coach's windows.
He has had an operation for a broken bone in his hand.
Other players were unhurt, but the match against Monaco was postponed.
Police are investigating three "serious explosive devices" which went off as the players and coaching staff left a hotel ahead of a Champions League match in Germany.
Defender Marc Bartra, a Spain international, was taken to hospital after being injured by shattered glass from the coach's windows.
He has had an operation for a broken bone in his hand.
Other players were unhurt, but the match against Monaco was postponed.
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