An illegal immigrant was sliced to death by a ferry's 'machete-like' propellor after launching a bid for freedom across the North Sea  to avoid deportation. Albanian Artur Doda, 24, plunged to his death alongside fellow countryman Leonard Isufaj, 27, after jumping from one of the world's largest ferries, minutes after it had taken off from British shores. The pair were said to be 'tantalisingly close' to the port in Harwich, Essex, when they decided to launch themselves into the sea. Albanian Artur Doda, 24, and fellow countryman Leonard Isufaj, 27, plunged to their deaths after jumping from one of the world's largest ferries, the Stena Britannica (pictured), while being deported from the UK . An inquest heard how the pair, who were being taken to Holland, were just 500 metres from the port - but that even an Olympic swimmer would have struggled to swim through the currents. The incident, which took place in February last year, came after the pair had arrived in the UK with 13 other stowaways hidden in the back of a lorry on a freight ferry. They were believed to be part of a group which had broken into the vehicle without the driver's knowledge. After today's hearing, the coroner said the incident was part of 'a bigger picture on immigration and how it's handled'. The inquest heard how the vehicle had been randomly selected for X-ray as it entered the port six hours earlier. After Border Agency checks, all but two women were sent back on the Stena Britannica 9am ferry the same day to the Hook of Holland. But, at around 10am, it was reported to the captain that two immigrants had jumped from the ship. The inquest heard how an eyewitness saw them jump from the railings on the side of the ship before resurfacing briefly then disappearing back into the water. But despite an extensive search  involving 21 vessels and two helicopters, neither man was rescued. Mr Isofaj, who died from drowning, was found on March 20, 2014, washed up on a beach in Felixstowe. He was identified by fingerprints taken during his deportation by Border Force agents. Mr Doda's badly decomposed body was found floating in the North Sea on April 29, 2014, and could only be identified by DNA from his mother in Albania. The two men had been deported from Harwich International Port, Essex, to Holland when they decided to jump into the North Sea. A huge search operation was launched but neither man was found alive . Inspector Christopher Willis, from Essex Police, told the inquest that the sea would have appeared deceptively calm, instilling a false belief that it would be possible to swim to shore. But even if they had not been sucked under the ship, they were unlikely to have survived fierce competing tides, he said. 'To swim to land with those tides and the water temperature would have been nigh-on impossible - an Olympic swimmer would have struggled,' he added. Mr Willis said a tide heading out to sea at about four knots met another northerly tide at about the point where the men jumped. This, combined with a sea temperature of about 7C, meant the conditions were virtually unsurvivable, he said. 'It may have been that the were used to warmer and less tidal waters in their home country and this gave them a false sense of security that they could make it,' he added. Giles Young, senior officer with Border Force at Harwich International Port, revealed that the men had been part of a routine deportation and immigrants, during which they are treated like ordinary passengers on the return journey and not put in handcuffs. He said: 'This is not a case of being marched on in handcuffs. 'During the process, neither offered any verbal or physical resistance to being moved onto the vessel.' He added that the organisation saw 'a lot of these particular cases'. 'The same people will turn up two or three times,' he said. 'We have individuals this year who are already on their second attempt and it is only March. It's a carousel system.' Pathologist Dr Ian Calder, who performed a post-mortem examination on Mr Doda, described his injuries saying: 'This was a very forceful cut across the vertebrae by a sharp, curved blade. 'It is the sort of injury you would get from a machete. 'This would be quite compatible with the sharp blade of a propeller.' Coroner Eleanor McGann recorded a conclusion that both men died accidental deaths. She said: 'On face value it is easy to conceive of a situation where they jumped off the ferry in their desperation intending to drown, but there is no evidence of that. 'The evidence suggests they were intending to swim back to England, something that they could see was tantalisingly close to them. 'In fact they did not know about the effect of a moving ship on somebody who jumps over the side, and they were sucked underneath.' Mrs McGann said it was difficult to make recommendations to the Government based on this case. 'This is all part of a bigger picture on immigration and how it's handled, and nothing I could say could help prevent such sad deaths in future,' she added. The Stena Britannica is one of the largest Superferries in the world and can cater for up to 1,200 passengers. Speaking after the hearing, Mr Isufaj's cousin, Besnik Vata, 33, from north London, said the case highlighted the plight of many other immigrants . He added: 'They had come to the UK for better a life and it seems they were determined to stay. 'We heard that they weren't escorted on board the ship so there was always a risk this would happen - if I was in that position I would have done the same. 'There are lots of people in the same situation and they are just desperate. 'I think there should be better security to stop this happening because they're not just immigrants, they are people too.'

Artur Doda, 24, and Leonard Isufaj, 27, both Albanian, jumped in North Sea . Both were being taken to Holland after illegally arriving in Harwich, Essex . Incident took place when Stenna Britannica ferry was 500m from UK shore . Huge rescue operation was launched but neither man was found alive .

 his death into the North Sea when he became entangled in the propellor on the ferry travelling to the Netherlands.
Doda is alleged to have arrived in Britain just days before the incident. It is not known what led to his desperate bid for freedom - but The Independent has learned that his fingerprints are already on record after the last time he was arrested for an illegal entry in July 2008.
Doda was wanted in his home country after being sentenced for drug offences, but he was released from prison last year on humanitarian grounds, because Albania was unable to cope with overcrowding.
The ship which struck Doda, the MV Viking Line 1, has been running from the port of Esbjerg in Denmark to Harwich in Essex since June 2. The ferry left port early on Thursday morning, and was due to arrive at around 2pm - Doda's body was found in the water later in the afternoon.
The ferry is operated by DFDS Seaways, and a spokesman for the company told the Press Association that the incident was the fault of passengers. She said the company had been "aware of a group of passengers behaving strangely on board".
"The group was taken into custody by UK authorities as a result of a complaint from a member of the public," she said. "The group was under police surveillance throughout their journey to Harwich.
"The matter is now in the hands of the UK authorities. The incident is not connected with the operation of the ship."
A police source said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the accident, which came just five days after the deaths of four Chinese nationals who were also found dead after they were hit by a vehicle in North Norfolk.
The accident happened shortly after 5am on Wednesday on the A1065 at Titchwell, about one mile north of the junction for the A148 and 11 miles south of the Norfolk-North Yorkshire border. Police had said earlier in the week that three of those who died had lived in Luton, but police now say they cannot confirm their place of origin.
The group had been visiting a church on the same road earlier in the morning. They were among about 10 others from the same group who had arrived in the UK at Stansted Airport on Monday. A second group of about 10 were due to arrive in the same flight.
At least five other members of the group were among the dead, and a number more were taken to hospital


A new video shows the terrifying moment a film crew rushed to save the life of Oscar-winner William Hurt. The crew of the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider can be seen dashing to get him off the tracks of a railroad bridge, along with their equipment, as he lay across the railway filming a scene in Georgia while a train rushes towards him and the crew at breakneck speed. The other actor in the scene, Wyatt Russell, can also be seen trying to scramble out of the train's path. Hurt and Russell somehow made it to safety. But,  several crew members  suffered injuries. Camera assistant Sarah Elizabeth Jones was tragically killed. She was just 27 years old. Scroll down for videos . A new video shows the terrifying moment a film crew rushed to save the life of Oscar winner William Hurt (above) from a train . The video shows the moment the cast and crew of the Greg Allman biopic Midnight Rider were forced to scramble as a train approached (above) The crew and actor Wyatt Russell (above with guitar) were filming a dream sequence on a railroad bridge . Camera assistant Sarah Jones (above) was struck by a fuel tank and run over by the train as she tried to flee and was killed instantly . The film's director Randall Miller (above with wife Jody Savin) pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and will serve two years in prison . The video also shows the crew desperately trying to get a bed off the track, which Hurt was laying on during the scene as they filmed a dream sequence while Russell played the guitar. Russell, the son of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, can be seen clearly in the video as he flees with a guitar still on his back. Footage taken just before the tragic incident unfolded was later edited and cut into a scene. It would have been used in the film if production hadn't been stopped. Two weeks ago, the film's director, Randall Miller, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing and will serve two years in a county jail and eight years probation while also paying a $20,000 fine. Executive producer Jay Sedrish also pleaded guilty to the same charges and received 10 years probation. 'We hope the sacrifice of our daughter's life will continue to change the film industry,' Jones' father, Richard Jones, told reporters outside the courthouse. 'I believe it sends a message, frankly, that if you do not respect those you're in charge of, you may end up behind bars.' In addition, Hillary Schwartz, an assistant director on the film, was also convicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing and also received 10 years probation. Charges against Miller's wife and business partner, Jody Savin, were dropped as part of his plea. Prosecutors said all three defendants knew that CSX Transportation, which owned the trestle spanning the Altamaha River, had denied them permission in writing to film on its tracks. 'It was a horrible tragedy that will haunt me forever,' Miller said in a statement provided by a publicist. 'Although I relied on my team, it is ultimately my responsibility and was my decision to shoot the scripted scene that caused this tragedy.' Hurt (above) won the Best Actor Oscar in 1986 for Kiss of the Spider Woman . Assistant District Attorney John B. Johnson said Miller and the other filmmakers even attempted to rewrite the script to drop the scene they planned to shoot with actor William Hurt, in the role of Allman, in a hospital bed placed on the tracks. Miller decided to shoot the scene anyway, Johnson said, after the owner of the property surrounding the tracks said the movie crew could access its land. He said Miller and his crew went onto the railroad bridge after mistakenly thinking no more trains would pass that day. The train, traveling at 55mph, smashed into a metal-framed bed on the tracks, sending shrapnel flying as crew members scrambled for safety and clung to the bridge's metal railing high above the Altamaha River. After his plea was accepted, Miller followed a sheriff's deputy from the courtroom to begin his two-year sentence at the Wayne County jail. He also agreed to serve an additional eight years on probation and pay a $20,000 fine. Miller's attorney, Ed Garland, said he expects the director could be released from jail within a year. He said Miller accepted the plea deal to prevent prosecution of his wife, who left the courthouse in tears. Garland said the filmmaker never intended to put his crew at risk. The crew was filming a dream sequence that featured Hurt, as Allman, on a bed (above) Russell (above) was playing a guitar in the scene, and can be seen carrying it still as he ran from the train . 'We hope the sacrifice of our daughter's life will continue to change the film industry,' Jones' father, Richard Jones (above), told reporters on Monday . The incident occurred on February 20, 2014, the very first day of filming on the picture. Jones was first struck by a fuel tank and then fell on the tracks, being run over by the train seconds later. Miller recalled the moment he was forced to call her parents and deliver the heartbreaking news that their daughter was dead. Filming was immediately suspended, and many in the industry began a push for better safety regulations in the aftermath of the tragedy. A group called Slates for Sarah also began putting the words RIP Sarah Jones on film slates in her memory on programs including Girls, Scandal, Parks and Recreation, The Leftovers, Parenthood, Glee, The Mindy Project, Revenge and The Vampire Diaries, a show on which Jones had previously worked as an assistant.

A new video shows the moment the cast and crew of the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider were forced to scramble as a train approached . The crew and actors William Hurt and Wyatt Russell were filming a dream sequence on a railroad bridge . Camera assistant Sarah Jones was struck by a fuel tank and run over by the train as she tried to flee . Footage taken moments before was edited into a scene intended for use . This week the film's director Randall Miller pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and will serve two years in prison .

 with other crew members. Hurt was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition following the incident.
"He was in a bad car wreck on a real bridge, not a movie bridge. It was an actual train bridge that we were using on location. William Hurt is a star who just did a movie and has an Academy Award, and he had an accident," director Randall Miller said on the "Today" show Friday. Hurt was in a trailer behind a moving freight train when it crashed into his vehicle. Crew members said they couldn't find any train cars nearby, indicating it may have just passed through.
"It wasn't there. I mean, they were talking about moving the bridge, but nobody knew that it was moving at that time," Allman said. "You know, we really thought that was it. And then after all of the chaos went away, we started to wonder what happened to him."
Hurt was conscious and alert when he arrived at Augusta, Georgia's Medical College of Georgia Hospital around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, reports AP.
"We have him in the ICU right now, but we're pleased that his condition is stable and we are treating all of his injuries," hospital spokeswoman Julie O'Donnell said at a 9:30 a.m. press briefing. "They're really quite serious."
"He's one of the finest actors this country has," said Allman. "He's also one of the finest men I've ever met. He's done so much for so many people in his life. I've never seen anything like this."
While Hurt has suffered several injuries, including fractures of his left eye, right ankle, and right hand, he remains alert, as he has throughout the day, according to Allman.
"William was moving his thumb up and down today, his feet, his head," Allman said in an update just after 3 p.m. "He said, 'I've still got work to do,' so I think we got a very good sign."
A spokesperson for the 58-year-old actor added, "William is recovering at the Medical College of Georgia Hospital in Augusta after his accident on the set of the film 'Midnight Rider.' He is in stable condition."
Miller, who was also on the train that crashed into Hurt's car, added, "We are all


Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Jessica Ennis-Hill’s burgeoning rivalry has all the ingredients to propel athletics into the spotlight in a similar manner to the Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett clashes which captivated sports fans in the 1980s. ‘They could have a rivalry like Steve and I had,’ said Lord Coe. ‘Head-to-heads are what get people excited. My kids got up at the weekend to watch Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The more opportunities we have for athletes going head-to-head, the better. It’s what people talk about. ‘It’s actually not just the thought of Jess and Kat but you have Morgan Lake, too, coming through and I’m sure she will be equally good. It’s an extraordinary period to be entering.’ Katarina Johnson-Thompson won the World Indoor's in Prague, Czech Republic to become world No 1 . Jessica Ennis-Hill is the Olympic Champion and her future rivalry with Johnson-Thompson is 'exciting' Johnson-Thompson, 22, is the World’s No 1 hept-athlete and broke Ennis-Hill’s British record at the European Indoor Championships in Prague this month. Her blistering form — coupled with murmurs from the Ennis-Hill camp that her training for a comeback after the birth of son Reggie is going very well — has set the scene for a mouthwatering duel. The pair are understandably keen to play down talk of a rivalry, Johnson-Thompson out of reverence for the Olympic champion of whom she claims to be ‘in awe’ and Ennis-Hill because she is unsure what competitive shape she will be in. But those charged with promoting the sport are keen to make the most of the fact that Britain boasts the world’s two leading multi-eventers. They were expected to compete against each other for the first time since London 2012 — when Johnson-Thompson was 15th — at the Hypo-Meeting at the end of May, when the world’s leading heptathletes descend on the Austrian alpine town Gotzis. But Brendan Foster revealed to Sportsmail that he is trying to set up a head-to-head for earlier that month at the Great CityGames in Manchester. Lord Sebastian Coe wants the heptathletes to have an exciting duel like he did with Steve Ovett in the 1980s . ‘Kat has already agreed to do the 200 metres hurdles and long jump,’ said Foster. ‘Jess was invited to take part in the same events and soundings are favourable from her. ‘With heptathlon they might only battle it out twice a year but if sport in Britain is to benefit from the rivalry that is going to be inevitable between these two then they should compete against each other a couple more times head-to-head in one, two or three events. It’s in their interests and very much in the sport’s interest.’ Both Johnson-Thompson and Ennis-Hill, 29, have the World Championships in Beijing this summer as their primary aim and will probably be joined by 17-year-old Lake, who has surpassed anything either of them achieved at the same age. Johnson-Thompson and Ennis-Hill are friends off the track despite the well speculated competition . Lord Coe and Ovett were great rivals in the 80s and provided huge entertainment for the athletics world . With 12 years spanning their ages the three are unlikely ever to stand on the podium together but Lord Coe thinks that they can transform the image of a sport that increasingly seems to command the spotlight only when a new doping scandal emerges. ‘Those three can really help engage, particularly with young girls where the challenge is to get them involved in sport,’ he said. ‘Stars like Kat and Jess are important for the sport. They are from normal backgrounds, they haven’t come out of some kind of super-schools, they are like the kids next door and that is really important so that people can identify with them.’ The Morrisons Great Newham London Run takes place on Sunday, July 19 and gives you the chance to run on the track and cross the finish line in the Olympic Stadium. To take part, visit www.greatrun.org. 17-year-old Morgan Lake is highly regarded and could add serious competition to the title in the future .

Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson could become an 'exciting' rivalry like Lord Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett's in the 1980s . The heptathletes look set to compete during the outdoor season . Johnson-Thompson is the World No 1 but Ennis-Hill is Olympic Champion . 17-year-old Morgan Lake is also a hot prospect for the event . Click here for all the latest athletics news .

s.
The first meeting of the women’s heptathlon and heptathlon world indoor champions came when Johnson-Thompson made her indoor debut at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena, claiming third place with 5725 points.
The 22-year-old Briton was 11 points behind Johnson-Thompson’s personal best score of 5726 points, but 17 clear of Ennis-Hill’s bronze medal of 5598 points and 39 better than Yasmin Thomas’ fourth-placed effort of 5399 points.
The fact Ennis-Hill was the reigning European champion but failed to medal in the heptathlon at London 2012 – where she won silver in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles – is further motivation for the Sheffield City athlete.
“I was surprised because I thought I was going to be 10th,” Ennis-Hill said. “I think Katarina and I have a great rivalry, but I think our heptathons have been totally different this season.
“There has not been a great deal between the two of us which is quite unusual. I thought we were on similar scores this year but we are quite different athletes.
“I think that is why we have had such good head-to-head battles over the last couple of years. It is good to know we have put ourselves in a similar position again.”
However, Ennis-Hill could have no complaints with her eighth-place finish, the first time since 2007 she had failed to finish in the top three in an indoor heptathlon.
“You need to be satisfied with a PB and being in fourth place, I would have said, ‘job done’,” she added.
“Katarina is a wonderful athlete and she’s got a big future ahead of her. I am very excited to watch her progress throughout this season. We both look forward to the World Championships in Beijing.”
The pair will next face off at the IAAF Indoor World Championships in Beijing in March, with the 24-year-old Liverpool-born Ennis-Hill hoping to claim her first global gold.
In the other major athletics news of the weekend, World 1500m bronze medallist Andy Baddeley came out of retirement to post 3:38.89 and set a British Record in the men’s 1500m at the BUPA Great Edinburgh International.
Meanwhile,


Nigel Farage today lost another UKIP election candidate who has quit the party in protest at 'unforgivable racist abuse' from a senior MEP. Tim Wilson rounded on Mr Farage for ignoring the widespread condemnation of Scotland MEP David Coburn, who recently compared a Muslim minister in the Scottish Government to convicted terrorist Abu Hamza. In his resignation letter, Mr Wilson, who was due to stand for UKIP in South Northamptonshire – and was tipped to come second behind the Tories – claimed he has been 'forbidden to speak about Islam favourably' by party bosses. Ukip leader Nigel Farage defended Ukip MEP David Coburn who compared a Muslim minister in the Scottish Government to convicted terrorist Abu Hamza. Ukip candidate Tim Wilson rounded on Mr Farage for ignoring the widespread condemnation of the remark . The move has piled more pressure on Mr Coburn to resign and comes just days after another candidate, Jonathan Stanley, quit in protest at the 'racist filth' in UKIP. Mr Stanley, who was due to stand in the Cumbrian seat of Westmorland and Lonsdale, was the party's former head of policy in Scotland. UKIP has also lost two other General Election candidates in recent days in separate incidents. MEP Janice Atkinson was expelled after her chief of staff was filmed allegedly attempting to make fraudulent expense claims. The party's candidate for Scunthorpe Stephen Howd, was suspended last week following an 'alleged incident at his workplace'. Mr Coburn's recent controversial comment was made during a telephone conversation with the Scottish Daily Mail earlier this month, in which he spoke about his appearance on BBC Two show The Big Immigration Debate. He claimed that SNP Europe and International Development minister Humza Yousaf was supposed to appear on the programme, and said: 'Humza Yousaf, or as I call him, Abu Hamza, didn't seem to turn up.' Ukip's only Scottish MEP David Coburn is facing calls to resign . Mr Coburn has since apologised for the remark and Mr Farage has dismissed it as a 'joke in poor taste', adding today: 'That's David… that's the way he is.' But Mr Wilson told the Mail: 'What Coburn said is unforgiveable - it's racist abuse. It doesn't matter whether it was a private comment, or a public comment, this man has public office and he needs to filter the ridiculous thoughts that come from his brain. 'He should be dismissed from UKIP and held to account.' He added: 'Mr Farage cannot dismiss something like this as a joke. You can't toss this thing off as a joke with a pint of beer. It's unacceptable. 'If a leader cannot understand that it is the effect of his words not his intention that matters then maybe he too needs to consider his position and I would be the first to welcome Mr Farage into the political wilderness.' In his resignation letter to the local party, seen by the Mail, Mr Wilson wrote: 'Since selection, I have been systematically gagged by the party 'whip' and forbidden to speak about Islam favourably… . 'Ironically, while I am told not to talk positively about Islam, a Scottish MEP and member of UKIP has used appalling language that should never be condoned and that must be described as Islamophobic. Mr Farage has dismissed this as a joke. 'This is a red line, therefore, that has been crossed. This is not a joke to me. 'In an interview today, I have criticised both Mr Farage and the Scottish MEP and for that reason, I cannot and will not represent UKIP at an election. 'However, if the party is to progress, it must certainly deal with the thugs and bullies who currently have positions of power and whose appalling views are both tolerated and/or presented as party policy.' Mr Wilson was selected as the party's candidate in February, and joined UKIP last year after leaving the Tories. Earlier today, UKIP leader Mr Farage continued to defend Mr Coburn. He said: 'What's he done wrong apart from telling a joke in poor taste? 'That's David, he's out there, that's the way he is. There was no malintent in it. It was a joke in very poor taste. I wish he would think a bit more before he tells such jokes again.' Nicola Sturgeon arrives at The Scottish Parliament with Humza Yousaf - described by Ukip's David Coburn as Abu Hamza . But Mr Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, said: 'UKIP's pathetic response to religious hatred, racism and bigotry has exposed them as a party that is so out of touch with people that even their own senior members are abandoning them. 'I welcome Tim Wilson's resignation. He has demonstrated that he is unwilling to be associated with a party that allows Islamophobia to be rife within its ranks. 'Serious accusations have been made about UKIP actively preventing their members talking positively about Islam. Nigel Farage should heed warnings from his own members and demonstrate that he will not tolerate prejudice in any form by expelling David Coburn without any further delay.' A spokesman for UKIP said: 'Tim Wilson was never gagged or told that he could not speak about Islam. 'When Mr Wilson submitted some videos that he intended to use as a viral campaigning tool, all that his regional officers advised him to do was produce shorter videos focused on national issues such as the NHS, not five minutes or more discussing the nuances of Islam in Britain.'

MEP David Coburn's said he called the SNP's Humza Yousaf 'Abu Hamza' Nigel Farage said the comment was merely a 'joke in poor taste' Ukip leader rejects cross-party demands to kick the MEP out of the party . Ukip election candidate Tim Wilson rounds on Farage for defending gibe .

 Coburn, who has been forced out of the party after his recent comments comparing refugees to 'cattle'.
I've decided to withdraw from the UKIP elections and from UKIP. The NEC should have a zero tolerance approach towards "unforgiveable racist abuse". No, I have not received any official support for these views...and that is unforgiveable (pun not intended) too.— Tim Wilson (@CoburnUKIP) April 12, 2017
"UKIP has a very clear racist agenda and I feel the party has let me down in my hour of need."
Mr Wilson went on to say that after the recent attack on him by Mr Coburn, the party’s leader Paul Nuttall had ignored his calls and emails seeking a meeting to discuss the incident.
In his statement, Mr Wilson said that he had been a UKIP member since 2010 and that, 'in 2015, I stood for a second parliamentary seat to fight against the Conservative Party's complacency to immigration, especially for the sake of public services'.
'I also stood to challenge Labour's silence on immigration.'
Farage responds
In a letter published on the UKIP website, Paul Nuttall, the party leader, defended his position on UKIP member, Mr Coburn.
"I was appalled to hear of the statement you put in to the press. I am sure you are sincere in your comments and in your disappointment, but I have to question your timing and your loyalty to the Party."
"Why do you think I am not upset and have not responded to your comments at the NEC?
"I have a very clear view on our immigration system, there are more important things to deal with right now.
"As you know I have been in a negotiation with the Conservatives for months, as has Boris (Johnson) been doing so, which has resulted in a much better deal for all parties. In fact we have made great strides."
He said that he is not defending Mr Coburn's statements as it is clear he 'needs to apologise', but also felt that the 'party has been let down'.
He said that the party is working hard and has already secured an EU citizens bill.
'Your letter is wrong, and the words that have come out of your mouth are wrong,' he said.
'UKIP has an excellent group of MEP's at present, many


Mount Everest towers over Nepal and although many people dream of scaling its summit, there are beautifully remote villages, farms and monasteries nestled within its huge shadow that are also worth a visit. Last year Google took its Street View cameras on a 10-day trek around the Khumbu region - also known as the Everest region - to explore these quaint landmarks and locations. During the trek the cameras captured the small Sherpa village of Thame, the Phortse Thakiri Chholing Gomba monastery and Khumjung inside the Sagarmatha National Park. Scroll down for video . Google recently took its Street View cameras on a 10-day trek around the Khumbu region - also known as the Everest region - (pictured) to explore the remote villages and landmarks of Nepal. During the trek the cameras captured the small Sherpa village of Thame, the Phortse Thakiri Chholing Gomba monastery and Khumjung inside the Sagarmatha National Park . The trek was led by Apa Sherpa, a 55-year-old Sherpa mountaineer  who holds the world record for reaching the summit of Mount Everest 21 times - more than any other person. He scaled the summit for the first time at the age of 30. In 2009, Apa founded the non-profit Apa Sherpa Foundation to help the local community of young people in the Khumbu region. The Street View images were captured in March 2014 when Apa took members of Google Earth Outreach, and the Nepalese nonprofit Story Cycle through the region. Mount Everest is the Earth's highest mountain, with a peak at 8,848 metres above sea level. In 1865, Everest was given its official English name by the Royal Geographical Society upon a recommendation by Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India. Mr Waugh named the mountain after his predecessor in the post, Sir George Everest. It has become a mecca for climbers, and has two main climbing routes, the southeast ridge from Nepal and the north ridge from Tibet. The southeast ridge was the route used by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay when they reached the summit for the first time in 1953. 'Our region is famous for being home to Everest, but it’s also the home of the Sherpa community and has been for centuries,' Apa said. 'The region has much more to offer than just the mountain. So last year, I guided the Google Maps team through my home region to collect Street View imagery that improves the map of our community. 'Now you can find Thame on the map and explore other communities nestled at the base of Everest, like Khumjung and Phortse.' Thame, and neighbouring upper Thame are small Sherpa villages in the Solukhumbu District of Nepal. Tenzing Norgay, one of the first people to climb Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary grew up in the region and the Thame monastery is one of the oldest in Khumbu. Another village captured by the Street View trekkers was Khumjung. It sits 13,000ft (3,970 metres) above sea level near Mount Khumbila. It is located inside the word heritage site Sagarmatha National Park. 'When people ask what it feels like to reach the top of Mount Everest, I say "heaven,"' added Apa. 'My hope is that my children and future generations have many choices for employment outside of mountaineering.' But the images don't just feature peaks and landscapes. Google also captured parts of the Phortse farming village in the Khumbu Valley including the Thakiri Chholing Gomba, or small monastery. Paintings inside the monastery began in 2008 by Buddhist artists and were completed by the end of 2009 using funding from the Greater Himalayas Foundation. The trek was led by Apa Sherpa (pictured), a 55-year-old Sherpa mountaineer who holds the world record for reaching the summit of Mount Everest 21 times - more than any other person. He scaled the summit for the first time at the age of 30.In 2009, Apa founded the non-profit Apa Sherpa Foundation to help the local community of young people in the Khumbu region . The Street View images were captured in March 2014 when Apa took members of Google Earth Outreach, and the Nepalese nonprofit Story Cycle through the region. They include Thame, and neighbouring upper Thame - small Sherpa villages in the Solukhumbu District of Nepal. Tenzing Norgay, one of the first people to climb Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, grew up in the region . Google also captured parts of Phortse in the Khumbu Valley, including the Thakiri Chholing Gomba, or small monastery (pictured). The paintings on the monastery walls were started in 2008 by Buddhist artists using funding from the Greater Himalayas Foundation . 'Partnering with Google Maps allowed us to get important local landmarks on the map and share a richer view of Khumbu with the world, including local monasteries, lodges, schools and more, with some yaks along the way!,' continued Apa. Mount Everest: 29,035ft (8,850m) K2: 28,253ft (8,612m) Kangchenjunga: 28,169ft (8,586m) Lhotse:  27,890ft (8,501m) Makalu:  27,765ft (8,462 m) Cho Oyu: 26,906ft (8,201 m) Dhaulagiri: 26,794ft (8,167m) Manaslu: 26,758ft (8,156m) Nanga Parbat: 26,658ft (8,125m) Annapurna: 26,545ft (8,091m) Gasherbrum I: 26,470ft (8,068m) Broad Peak: 26,400ft (8,047m) Gasherbrum II: 26,360ft (8,035m) Shishapangma: 26,289ft (8,013m) 'My hope is that when people see this imagery online, they’ll have a deeper understanding of the region and the Sherpa people that live there. 'Your online trip to my home awaits you on Google Maps. And if you ever get the chance to visit the Khumbu region in person, come stay at the Everest Summiteer Lodge that I built with my own hands. We’ll be ready to welcome you.' Everest is one of 14 mountain peaks on Earth that stand taller than 26,000ft (8,000m) and the local Nepalese name for it is Sagarmatha, which means 'mother of the universe.' Mount Everest is the tallest of these so-called ‘eight-thousanders’ and is the standard to which all other mountains are compared. All 14 of them are found in China, Pakistan or Nepal. Everest’s geological story began 40 million years ago when the Indian subcontinent began a slow-motion collision with Asia. The edges of the two continents were forced together and formed the tall ridges that make up the Himalayas today. Glaciers have chiselled Mount Everest’s summit into a huge, triangular pyramid, defined by three faces and three ridges that extend to the northeast, southeast, and northwest. The southeastern ridge is the most widely used climbing route. It is the one Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay followed in May 1953 when they became the first climbers to reach the summit and return safely. Despite its reputation as an extremely dangerous mountain, commercial guiding has done much to improve the safety of the Everest ascent. As of March 2012, there had been 5,656 successful ascents of Everest, although 223 people had died at fatality rate of 4 per cent. The satellite image was taken in December, just weeks after Nasa captured the rivers of black lava snaking over the snow-covered slopes of the stratovolcano Mount Etna in Sicily. In 2012, mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears took 477 individual images to create gigapixel image of the Khumbu glacier from the Pumori viewpoint near Mount Everest. Everest (pictured) is one of 14 mountain peaks on Earth that stand taller than 26,000ft (8,000m) and the local Nepalese name for it is Sagarmatha, which means 'mother of the universe.'Mount Everest is the tallest of these so-called ‘eight-thousanders’ and is the standard to which all other mountains are compared. All 14 of them are found in China, Pakistan or Nepal . In 2012, mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears took 477 photos to create this gigapixel image of Khumbu glacier from the Pumori viewpoint near Mount Everest .

Everest Street View images were captured last year when Google took a 10-day trek through Khumbu . The region is also known as the Everest Region and is on the Nepalese side of the world's highest mountain . Trek was led by world record-holding mountaineer Apa Sherpa who has scaled the summit 21 times . Images include Thame and upper Thame - small Sherpa villages in the Solukhumbu District of Nepal . Another village captured by the Street View trekkers was Khumjung sitting 13,000ft (3,970 metres) above sea level . Google also captured parts of the Phortse farming village  including Thakiri Chholing Gomba, or small monastery . Paintings inside the monastery began in 2008 by Buddhist artists and were completed by the end of 2009 .

,000-mile journey around the globe to document the incredible diversity of the world around us. And in the process, it has also documented some of the most fascinating and hidden corners of the Earth.
Here’s a selection of the most unexpected things you can see in Nepal, using the technology. Enjoy!
1.The world’s tallest mountain:
2.Everest:
3.A monastery in the shadow of Everest:
4.A man walks along the mountain path:
5.A village on the edge of the mountain:
6.A cow that’s lost it’s legs:
7.Tibetan monks pray in one of the world’s most important Buddhist monasteries:
8.The world’s tallest mountain:
9.A monk and a woman watch as a man loads a yak with hay:
10.A Buddhist monk at one of the world’s holiest Buddhist monasteries:
11.A cow takes a snooze:
12.A woman is working the land with a yak:
13.A monk crosses a small bridge while on his way to a ceremony at the monastery:
14.A traditional wedding:
15.A young boy playing in a pond:
16.The Himalayas:
17.A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery:
18.A view of the Himalayas:
19.A monastery is dwarfed by the Himalayan mountains:
20.A view of the Himalayas:
21.A yak rests as it’s herded to a yak-hair-making mill in Nepal:
22.A woman watches as a child plays with a yak:
23.A man working with his yaks:
24.A yak being herded by a child:
25.The Himalayas:
26.A prayer wheel at a monastery:
27.Two women in the shadow of the Himalayas:
28.A group of Tibetan monks:
29.Two monks pose for a photo:
30.Nepal is famed for its beautiful temples:
31.A monk:
32.A monk in his quarters:
33.The Himalayas seen from a monastery:
34.A Tibetan Buddhist monastery:
35.A monk watches as his yaks are herded:
36.A Tibetan Buddhist monastery:
37.A group of yaks being herded:
38.A prayer wheel at a


(CNN)Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will announce Monday that he is launching his campaign to become the 2016 Republican nominee for president. Cruz has been positioning for this nomination almost since he entered the upper chamber in 2012. His announcement takes place at a bastion of  conservatism, Liberty University, the institution founded by evangelical leader Jerry Falwell. Cruz is going to run from the right. He has spent much of his short career in Washington blasting the "mushy middle" of his party (which might be news to most Democrats), which he dismisses as a "failed electoral strategy." During a recent visit to New Hampshire, where he vowed to eliminate the Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service, Cruz said that "I'm pretty sure, here in New Hampshire, y'all define gun control like we do in Texas: Gun control is when you hit at what you aim at." Fifty years ago, another Republican senator ran this kind of campaign, Arizona's Barry Goldwater, who took on President Lyndon Johnson. Cruz will test the conventional wisdom that Goldwater's strategy was and remains a failure. When Republicans voted to nominate him in 1964, Goldwater told the delegates that "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice no virtue." When the icon of moderate Republicans, New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, spoke to the convention, the delegates hissed and booed. The outcome was far from great for the GOP. Johnson defeated Goldwater in a landslide election that brought in huge liberal Democratic majorities that passed the exact programs that conservatives abhorred. Although Goldwater was clearly wrong when he ran in 1964, Cruz thinks that the times have changed. Is he right? Right now, the chances are not great. If Cruz really sticks to this strategy of extremism, he faces very long odds of making it to the White House. The strategy might help him to garner some primary votes against Jeb Bush in red states, but it is not an approach with a great track record. Even as the Republican Party has shifted to the right in recent decades, Republican candidates who have obtained the nomination, and those who have also won the presidency, always developed campaign themes that allowed them to appeal to broader coalitions than voters on the extremes. Ronald Reagan had anti-communism and tax cuts to attract voters into one big tent, and George H.W. Bush had a thousand points of light. His son George W. Bush emphasized policies tied to "compassionate conservatism" to prove that he was not an extreme zealot. Even Republicans who didn't win in the general elections, like John McCain and Mitt Romney, did not win the primary and caucus tallies by only playing to the base. Notwithstanding the conventional wisdom, even in primaries it seems that Republican voters understand the importance of finding someone who has the potential to win in November. This coming election will be tough for Republicans. As all the experts have shown, the electoral college math does not favor the GOP. Some experts have predicted that Democrats have over an 80% chance of winning the Electoral College. According to the Washington Post, if one looks at the states where the margin was narrow in the 2012 election, five currently favor Democrats (Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania) while in others, like Colorado, Democrats have a very good chance of winning as a result of demographic trends, namely growing minority populations that favor their party's nominee. Barring any dramatic changes in the coming months, Democrats will also have a very strong and seasoned nominee in Hillary Clinton. Cruz is also not just someone who defends extremism but a politician who can easily be tied to the congressional obstructionism that has turned off so much of the electorate. The Republican Party has been dragged down by the kind of politics that voters have observed in Washington. In 2014, congressional approval ratings plummeted to 14%. As the new year began, the approval ratings were only slightly better: just 16%. This is the congressional Republicanism where Cruz comes from. Many voters who like conservatism and the GOP don't love what their representatives are doing on Capitol Hill. The kind of scorched earth, always say no to anything politics has not done well in terms of the favorability ratings. There have been few practitioners of this style of legislative politics as prominent as Cruz. During his campaign for the presidency, he might pay the price for the kind of politics that brought him great attention in Congress. When Goldwater squared off against Johnson in 1964, the President predicted that there would be a "frontlash" of Republican and independent voters who would move way from the GOP just because Goldwater was at the top of the ticket. This was Johnson's response to predictions of a backlash in the South from Democrats who were angry about civil rights. The frontlash, Johnson explained to Bill Moyers is "liberals, independents, moderate Republicans." The electorate is not as likely to experience any dramatic swings like we saw in Midwestern states in 1964, where solidly Republican areas went Democratic because they were scared off by Goldwater, but a Cruz campaign could be exactly what Democrats need to cement victories in the swing states where the outcome is still uncertain. Monday, Cruz will bask in the spotlight of his announcement. But Republicans are going to have to really think hard about whether they want to put all of their electoral eggs in this volatile basket which, at least based on the history, has a very slim chance of winning.

Julian Zelizer: If Ted Cruz follows Barry Goldwater's path, he and his party could lose big . Contrary to conventional wisdom, GOP primary voters are more interested in victory than ideology, he says .

 him another step closer to his ultimate goal.
Cruz is also scheduled to appear on Fox News on Monday evening.
The 43-year-old senator is expected to use a speech Monday to formally declare that he is running for president, a source involved with his campaign tells CNN.
The high-profile speech will follow weeks of intense speculation about Cruz's presidential ambitions. The rising star in the conservative movement will officially begin a run that his supporters see as having almost no chance of getting him the Republican presidential nomination.
He's been laying the foundation for the run for the White House with speeches attacking Washington's political class -- and his critics in that party.
"We have to tear this thing down. This is not the America our Founders envisioned," Cruz said in his speech at CPAC, the annual gathering of conservatives in Washington. "That's why I've been leading the fight against the nationalization of the student debt market. That's why I've been leading the charge against the nationalization of the health insurance market."
The Texas Republican has been building a national following with a message that resonates well outside of the beltway. As he did during the government shutdown last year, Cruz is known for rallying GOP activists.
"Cruz is seen as the outsider candidate, somebody who can take on the machine and take on the party establishment," said Mike Murphy, an adviser to the Cruz campaign. "Part of what makes him appealing is that he's not a creature of Washington."
The senator's announcement is expected to take place on the campaign trail. Cruz is scheduled to speak at a rally Monday at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, campaign aides said. That appearance comes ahead of another expected speech at the National Rifle Association convention this week.
The former solicitor general in the Bush administration has been laying the foundation for his candidacy for months.
Cruz has spent time traveling the country with Texas evangelist preacher Ken Cooke and Texas radio legend Hugh Hewitt. Cruz has made trips to Colorado Springs, the site of this year's National Republican Convention, and he has even traveled to Iowa, where he attended the Iowa State Fair.
Cruz will also be working with a small team of veteran Republican operatives -- and some advisers say a big part of the senator's strategy is to run an insurgent-like campaign that has the backing of traditional political operatives.
"When you see the numbers and you see that Cruz


The last the world knew of Pia Farrenkopf, she had withdrawn $1,500 from her checking account in February 25, 2009. Friends and family didn't see or hear from the woman they described as fun and intelligent in the years since, but they chalked it up to Farrenkopf's solitary tendencies. Meanwhile, letters piled up in her mailbox in the middle-class neighborhood where she lived in Pontiac, Michigan, before being taken back to the Post Office as unclaimed. Mummified: Pia Farrenkopf, who was 44 when authorities believe she died, sat for five years in the backseat of her car mummified . A family member even tried to phone in 2012 to tell Farrenkopf her mother had died, but never got a response. Mortgage payments kept being deducted automatically from bank accounts flush with cash from Farrenkopf's job at ALLTEL Information Services, where she had once programmed banking software. It was not until the money ran out in 2013 and the bank foreclosed that Farrenkopf was finally discovered. The Detroit Free Press reports two repairmen, hired to patch a hole in the roof, found her in 2014, slumped in the backseat of the Jeep Liberty parked in her garage, mummified. Investigators later noted she was found surrounded by hundreds of unopened letters and several empty packs of cigarettes. She had $500 in cash in her pockets and a partially drank bottle of wine by her side. Detectives couldn't find a single fingerprint on the bottle. The home was in a state of chaos and disrepair - a far cry from the way her friend Joan Gill Strack said Farrenkopf liked to keep her home. Scene: Neighbors said they helped clear the driveway and mow the lawn while they believed Farrenkopf was still in the home, though many eventually moved away . World traveler: Farrenkopf traveled to England and Scotland, as well as around the United States, while working programming banking software for ALLTEL Information Services . 'Her house was well-kept, very clean, very tidy,' Strack said. 'She liked things picked up and ordered.' But police found the floors littered with empty soda bottles, more unopened mail, loose clothing and refuse. Black mold had invaded after the sump pump broke down, with dark spots dotting the walls. Strack, who had worked with Farrenkopf when the two lived in Little Rock, Arkansas, said she was 'fun to be around' and 'very, very good at her job,' and traveled to Scotland and England and throughout the US for work. Still, Farrenkopf was never extremely social. Siblings recalled long stretches of time where they wouldn't hear from Farrenkopf, who would often not  return phone calls. Fun and smart: Farrenkopf, pictured in this undated photo taken at a coworker's birthday celebration, was described as an excellent employee . Mysterious: Darryl Tillery, a neighbor, said he could not have known that the solitary Farrenkopf was in her garage for five years . Then a postcard or call came from a far-flung destination like Austria. 'Sometimes she would go, literally, for years without us hearing from her,' one sister, Jean LeBlanc, who lives in the Boston area near where Pia and her nine siblings grew up, told the Free Press. 'And then all of a sudden, she'd show up, so nobody ever thought anything about it.' Strack remembers how easily Farrenkopf could cut people out of her life when, after a friend showed up a few hours late for a party without calling, she immediately ended the relationship. 'Pia told her she was done with her,' Strack said. 'She didn't speak to her after that.' Strack said her own friendship with Farrenkopf ended in 2001, though she could provide few details beyond saying that they were together too much. Yet Farrenkopf was by all accounts still doing well. She continued working at Pontiac Fidelity National Information Services, where she was an 'exemplary employee,' management told the Free Press. She even began planning to open a small business of her own - a fitness business in nearby Waterford called Slender Lady. LeBlanc, who managed a Curves location in Massachusetts, agreed to travel to Texas with her sister in 2003, where the two attended a two-week seminar on health in preparation for Farrenkopf opening her business. Past due: Bills and letters would stack up in Farrenkopf's mailbox and then be returned to the Post Office unclaimed, a letter carried told the US Postal Inspector in 2014 . Towed: Authorities dragged out the 2003 green Jeep Liberty that once belonged to Farrenkopf where she was found dead and mummified . That plan was never fully realized. Court records showed the owners of the property sued Farrenkopf in 2005 for breaking her lease, though Farrenkopf never responded to the complaint. Credit card companies also initiated three lawsuits against her from 2005 to 2007 over unpaid bills, receiving judgments that added up to over $15,000. Her homeowners association placed liens totaling more than $2,000 against unpaid dues for the association. Farrenkopf wasn't always shut in her home, though it was often unclear where she was. Officers checked on her home in 2005, when neighbors told them they had not seen her in a month. Inside the home, police said they rescued her abandoned cat, Bungie, and white poodle, Baby, but while the pets were kept in a shelter - Baby was later adopted - there's no evidence Farrenkopf came to collect them. Sister Mary Mulligan looks over an image of Pia Farrenkopf in the 1983 Cardinal Cushing Central High School, an all-girls Catholic school yearbook in Boston (file photo) In May 2008, she resigned from her job under circumstances that are unclear, then in October of that year, she was cited for driving with a suspended license, expired plates and no proof of insurance. There's no record of Farrenkopf after the 2009 cash withdrawal, and investigators, who checked credit card statements and subpoenaed bank, phone and health records in a 'massively thorough' search say her cause of death is undeterminable. 'There was no trauma to body, so it only leads to a couple conclusions,' Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. 'Either it was a medical situation that led to her death or something self-induced.' Medical records showed Farrenkopf, who was 44 when investigators believe she died, smoked more than a pack a day and in spite of being worried about her liver, drank regularly. Other family members dealt with cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and kidney disease, according to that report. But the tank in the car still had two gallons of gas left, which led investigators to rule out carbon monoxide poisoning and her organs were so mummified, according to deputy medical examiner Dr Bernardino Pacris, making a toxicology report impossible. The case is now inactive, leaving relatives wondering what happened to their sister that would have ended her life quietly and out of sight. 'I just don't understand why anybody would sit in the backseat of their own car. And just stay there,' LeBlanc said. 'Why would you do that?'

Pia Farrenkopf of Pontiac was found mummified in the backseat of her car . Investigators believe she died at 44 in 2009 but it wasn't until 2014 her body was discovered . Relatives and a friend described Farrenkopf, who lived alone, as smart and fun but often solitary . Her remains were in such a state of desiccation that the medical examiner was unable to conduct a full autopsy and the cause of death is unknown . She was only discovered after bank foreclosed on her house .

 as "a nice, well-put-together lady" for months. It wasn't until February 28, 2009, that they noticed her credit card was declining because it wasn't working.
A worrying report was sent to her family with some of her belongings on March 3, 2009, but she wasn't believed to be missing until someone called her house and no one answered the door. Farrenkopf's car was also missing from the driveway. On March 8, 2009, the day after she went missing, she filed a missing person report in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
There were no missing persons reports for Farrenkopf, as she lived in the area. At the time she vanished, police did not think she was a crime victim.
There was an extensive search for the missing woman after she went missing. Local law enforcement as well as the US FBI searched for her in local homes and vehicles. Her house was scoured three times as the fearful family feared the worst was about to happen to Pia. Despite the extensive search, Farrenkopf has still not been found.
What made her case bizarre is that she was not a missing or missing-and-endangered person until four days after she vanished, and there was no obvious explanation as to why she suddenly went missing.
The cause of Farrenkopf's disappearance and eventual death is still under investigation. Farrenkopf's family believes she was murdered. However, there were no crimes or incidents reported that happened to Farrenkopf, or the area she lived in, leading up to the time she disappeared.
Farrenkopf's body was found in her car in February 2013. The cause of death is still unknown. An anonymous man had called police and gave a "hint" about where Farrenkopf's body would be found, after having killed her.
The suspect has not been charged with any crimes and was identified after a search warrant was issued in connection with the murder of Farrenkopf.
What do you think happened to Pia Farrenkopf? If you have any information, you are urged to contact


(CNN)As relatives and friends mourn the loss of their loved ones aboard Germanwings Flight 9525, the world community is stunned by the sequence of events that led to co-pilot Andreas Lubitz purposely crashing the plane into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board. I happen to have several personal connections to this tragedy: a recent graduate of Drexel University -- where I teach -- and her mother were on the ill-fated flight, I lived in Germany for 18 years and I am a psychologist who has researched the psychology of terrorism and developed psychiatric tests that are used to determine pilot flight fitness. While the engineering of the Airbus aircraft is fascinating and the world of air traffic control absorbing, what is even more complex and challenging to understand is the human mind of the co-pilot investigators say is responsible for the crash -- the machine that flies the machine. When complex engineering systems interact with human factors, it is most often the human that causes the anomaly. Humans are far less reliable than machines. The average aviator has superior intellectual and cognitive abilities, and is psychologically stable and reliable. While it is not surprising that when it comes to aviation accidents, the first line of inquiry is into what went wrong with the plane. However, very often, as apparently is the case here, something went wrong with the human flying the plane. Pilots are typically tested for emotional stability and screened for the presence of mental illness when they are selected. The U.S. Navy has strict testing programs related to fitness for duty protocols for their pilots during the length of their careers. But we have learned that the German company Lufthansa and its budget airline affiliate Germanwings do not use psychological testing once the pilots have made it through the selection process. Psychological assessment and screening is not held in as high esteem in Germany as it is in the United States. Perhaps it should be. A fitness-for-duty evaluation asks this important question: Can the pilot safely and effectively perform his job from a mental health and cognitive standpoint? The deliberate destruction of Flight 9525 by a single person, most likely related to some grievance or other unknown intrinsic motivation that he took to the grave, can also be considered an act of terrorism. The action constitutes the unlawful use of violence against the passengers on the flight to further some yet unknown objective. Research on the perpetrators of terrorism has revealed that a single person is capable of executing odd, unexplainable violent actions. Their behaviors may be related to a political or social framework, or it may be associated with something deeply personal. Examples include Richard Reid, the failed shoe bomber; Eric Rudolph, the Olympic bomber; or Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber. In 2009, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army officer and psychiatrist, went on a shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 and wounding 32. And in 2012, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, a 38-year-old father of two, opened fire and killed 16 innocent Afghan civilians. When examining Germanwings Flight 9525 from the "cockpit of the human mind," one must ask this question: How can we ever predict or prevent tragedies like these when we can never truly know what lurks in the mind of another human being? As a psychologist, I would, of course, advocate for more rigorous psychological screening and regular testing for pilots, as well as instituting additional security measures to prevent future incidents like this. Just as aircraft are inspected and maintained, it is important to regularly evaluate one of the more fragile components of modern aviation -- the pilots operating the plane. But, just as the overwhelming majority of automobile accidents are caused by driver error, with a human mind at the helm of an aircraft, there will always be an element of unpredictability present. And, unless we had a "flight recorder" for the human brain, we will never really know what took place inside the mind of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz. One thing is for sure: the tragic events of Flight 9525 will surely renew conversation about what happened to Flight MH370 -- the biggest aviation mystery since Amelia Earhart vanished in 1937 -- and the role that human factors may have played in its disappearance.

Eric Zillmer: It's hard to predict or prevent tragedies like the Germanwings crash . He says German airlines should consider more rigorous psychological screening and testing for pilots .

 Alps, taking with it all 148 people aboard.
A preliminary report by Airbus, the manufacturer of the plane, shows that Lubitz had repeatedly complained of anxiety to colleagues since early 2012. But investigators have not been able to confirm why Lubitz decided to take his own life.
The plane was carrying passengers from 18 nations, including five Americans. Some of them were traveling to soccer's World Cup competition.
Here's what we know about those who died:
A 28-year-old German woman
Claudia Kammerer, 28, was remembered as a quiet, intelligent woman who had a deep passion for languages.
"She loved to travel," her father, Thomas Kammerer, told CNN affiliate NDR. "She loved to learn languages -- that's what she did here in Leipzig at the university, she wanted to become a teacher of English, Spanish, French and Italian."
He said she had gone to college in Paris and Berlin, but chose to work for a German company after graduation. He said that for him, she had seemed to "fit in well" in France.
"She was always a free spirit and always lived life to the fullest," Kammerer said. "We don't understand it ourselves. We can only assume that it is the result of an illness."
Two sisters: 4 and 1
Dora Martinez was a 4-year-old Spanish native who was a talented tennis player who was headed to France with her sister, Daniela, and their parents to play in the U14 tournament in the French town of Roissy en France.
Martinez had also been an artist with a great interest in drawing. Her teacher, Sandra Paredes, said Dora "was a fighter, because the diagnosis was tough" for the 4-year-old.
Daniela Martinez was 1.
A German schoolgirl, 8
Susanna Schwinge was on her way to see her father who lives in Paris.
"She was not that keen on coming over here because she had been to Paris already and seen Disneyland, so now we are really missing her so very much," Schwinge's cousin, Andrea Schmid, told CNN.
Another cousin, Stefan Kuhn, was devastated, telling the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that Susanna Schwinge's parents were distraught.
"They are in deep


A French teacher from Florida has been suspended for five days without pay after she was accused of calling her 14-year-old Muslim student a 'raghead Taliban' when he walked into class wearing a hoodie. The administrative complaint filed against Maria Valdes also claimed that, when the teacher called on on  Deyab-Houssein Wardani, she once asked 'Okay the Taliban, what is the answer?' It also alleged that the Cypress Bay High School teacher would say 'Ah no! The Taliban is here' when he walked into the classroom and would refer to him as a 'terrorista,' which is Spanish for terrorist. Scroll down for video . A French teacher from Florida has been suspended for five days without pay for allegedly calling her 14-year-old Muslim student Deyab-Houssein Wardani (pictured) a 'raghead Taliban' Deyab-Houssein, who did not know the Taliban referred to a terrorist organization until he asked his parents, said the other students in his class laughed at the nickname. 'I would not expect this from a teacher, teachers are supposed to set an example for their students,' he told the Sun Sentinel. 'It's very sad that people still think like that, that all Muslims are your average daily terrorist.' Valdes will also have to undergo a diversity training program. The punishment is not enough for Deyab-Houssein's father Youssef, who said that, at a minimum, he believes the teacher should have been suspended for a year without pay - if not fired. Wardani said the five-day suspension amounted to a 'vacation'. He made his anger loud and clear after the punishment was passed down at the Broward School Board's meeting on Tuesday. The father told school administrations they should 'all be removed for bullying,' according to Local 10. Superintendent Robert W. Runcie, who filed the administrative complaint after he was notified of Valdes' alleged comments, said the matter was taken 'very seriously' and was addressed with the 'appropriate sense of urgency'. 'I take a lot of exception to any statement, or suggestion that somehow this administration and school board did nothing or was ever lax in our response', he said, according to the Miami Herald. The punishment is not enough for Deyab-Houssein's father Youssef, who said that, at a minimum, he believes the teacher should have been suspended for a year without pay - if not fired . During the meeting Runcie, a Jamaican immigrant, said that he had personally been affected by racism. He shared the story of when he watched his mother get shot in the face by a man who blamed Jamaican immigrants for his inability to get a job. Wardani said this was not the first time his son, who is half Lebanese and half Moroccan, has experienced discrimination. In the fourth-grade a school bus driver who knew Deyab-Houssein was Muslim told him 'we're going to wipe you off the face of this planet and turn you into dust and sand,' Wardani told the Sun Sentinel. Although the school board voted unanimously to discipline the teacher, Wardani was not done fighting after the meeting was over. 'I promise you for the rest of my life, until my dying breath, I'm going to make sure no child goes through what my Deyab-Houssein had to go through,' said Wardani, who has reached out to the FBI . 'This is motivating me to work harder,' Deyab-Houssein said. 'To prove that I am not a random guy who you can call a Taliban' 'I promise you for the rest of my life, until my dying breath, I'm going to make sure no child goes through what my Deyab-Houssein had to go through,' he told the Miami Herald. Wardani said he has reached out to the FBI. District administrators said the degree of punishment that could be leveled against Valdes was limited because of an agreement with the Teachers Union. As for Deyab-Houssein, he said he is 'very proud' of his father and is getting support from his peers, but that he now feels a 'strange vibe' from his French teacher, 'like she doesn't want me to be there.' 'This is motivating me to work harder,' he said. 'To prove that I am not a random guy who you can call a Taliban.'

Florida French teacher Maria Valdes would allegedly say 'Ah no! The Taliban is here' when Deyab-Houssein Wardani walked into class . Administrative complaint claimed she also called on him in class by asking 'Okay Taliban, what is the answer?' Valdes received a five-day suspension and must undergo diversity training . Wardani's father Youssef believes the teacher should have been suspended for at least a year - if not fired . District administrators said the degree of punishment that could be leveled against Valdes was limited because of a teachers union agreement .

 Khoury says she repeatedly used the word 'raghead' to refer to the student.
The complaint also says Khoury called him a 'Taliban.' The school district, which is located in the city of Melbourne near Orlando in Florida, said Khoury was suspended because the comments were made 'in the classroom' in front of other students. But Khoury argued that the student had walked into the class wearing a hoodie, which she argued is a religious symbol in some places of the world. According to CNN, the teacher said she called the hoodie a 'raghead' to make light of the student's religion.
"To me, it's not an ethnic slur," she said. "It's a colloquialism that I used to get my point across - it doesn't mean anything bad. I use it to describe a fashion trend, not ethnic or religious groups."
When a student who was not wearing a hoodie entered the room, Khoury said she called him "an Amish person," although there is no evidence a student in the class, or in the building, was Amish. Khoury explained that she used the term to make a "fashion statement" about clothing. Khoury said the school's principal called her into her office Monday and asked her why she used the term 'raghead,' which they said was inappropriate, to which she explained the term.
"I know it's disrespectful, but we have this joke around the office because of the fashion trends," she said. "I don't know. I had my reasons." Khoury explained her actions to the principal as "insubordination," and said that she would not do it again. She said the student was called into the principal's office after he walked into class wearing a hoodie. She said that when he walked into class, he sat down in an "aggresive" manner, which led her to make the statement in front of other students.
In her complaint, Khoury says that she is a devout Christian and that the students never asked her to stop using the term 'raghead.' The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is currently investigating the incident and has not yet issued a statement. Khoury is being represented by a civil rights attorney in the matter and plans to file a civil suit against the school district if she is fired as she has been suspended without pay.
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A single mother-of-three who is on benefits says she would love to work but employers won't give her a chance as she's overweight. Vicky Benson, 33, from Gateshead, tipped the scales at 28st and said she has struggled to lose weight despite her efforts to diet. 'I am well and truly overweight. This big tummy doesn't seem to budge,' she said on the latest edition of Channel 5 documentary Benefits Britain: Life On The Dole. Vicky, pictured on Channel 5 documentary Benefits Britain, says she would like to work but employers won't give a chance because she's 'well and truly overweight' 'I have tried to lose weight, I have tried everything. It's hard to diet, what's right for you, what not to eat, what to have in place of the rubbish. The temptation of just saying, "I'm just going for a kebab".' She said she has tried to find work but hasn't been successful and is angry that, as a result, her handouts have been sanctioned. She used to get £270 a week benefits but this was cut to £200 a week when she failed to apply for enough jobs. 'It's terrible living on benefits, it's not what I want. I have looked at a lot of cleaning jobs, coffee shops, shoe shops, everything but I never hear anything back,' she said. 'If there are two people standing for the same job and one is big and one is slim, they will take the slim one.' As a single mother to twins Lexi and Levi, five, and daughter Chloe, 13, as well as looking after a dog, Vicky says she's no stranger to hard work. The single mother has been on the dole for eight years and is angry her benefits have been cut recently because she hasn't applied for enough jobs . 'It's a full-time job looking after three kids, in fact it's probably harder,' she pointed out. She has been living off handouts for eight years after quitting a job she had as a cleaner. She said: 'I last worked in 2007. I had a job cleaning in sheltered accommodation. I did it for eight weeks. It didn't work out so I just gave it in. Maybe I should have stuck at it and tried harder.' After her twins started at school, Vicky was warned her benefits would be sanctioned if she didn't demonstrate she was actively seeking work. But she said she struggled to find a job because of her size, lack of qualifications and the fact she would have to fit it in around childcare. Vicky, pictured applying for jobs with her daughter, said she is trying to find work . She said it's not fair her benefits have been cut as a result of her not applying for enough jobs. 'I applied for four jobs as they were the only ones suitable for me to do. As a result, my benefits have been sanctioned as they said it wasn't enough,' she explained. 'I'm really angry at the fact they can put the sanction on me when I have kids. There are others who don't have kids and lie through their teeth and still get their money,' she said. Vicky's sister, Paula, said she didn't believe the job centre have done enough to help dyslexic Vicky find work. She said: 'It's wrong she was sanctioned for something she had done, but not done enough of. It's not like she hadn't done anything. Vicky's three children and her dog, pictured, keep her busy and she hated having to visit a food bank recently in order to feed them thanks to her benefits being sanctioned . 'She's a nice person, she's honest. she's reliable. I definitely think she could work given the chance.' Vicky added that she attended a course in order to keep her benefits but it wasn't helpful. 'The course was rubbish, it was on how to set up your own business - that's never going to happen to me. I couldn't wait to get home, it was a waste of time,' she said. As a result of her benefits cut, the single mother had to go to a food bank in order to feed her children, something she said made her feel like a 'scrounger' and that she doesn't want to do again. She said she intends to join a local slimming group so she can get the support she needs to lose weight and she hopes once she's slimmer, she will get be given the opportunity to work. Benefits Britain: Life On The Dole is on C5 Mondays at 9pm or catch up On Demand 5 .

Vicky Benson, 33, from Gateshead, tipped the scales at 28st . She has struggled to lose weight despite her efforts to diet . Been on the dole for eight years . She said employers won't give her a chance because of her size . Had her handouts sanctioned when she failed she apply for enough jobs . Believes this isn't fair as she had three children to feed .

 lost a total of 16st. She says she hasn't been offered any job interviews.
"I've had a full body transformation and I'm so much happier than I was before. Now I'm just looking for a job - but employers tell me the same thing all the time, they look at me and won't employ me because of my weight."
Vicky was born in South Africa to a mother of British descent and a father who had been conscripted into the South African army. The family emigrated to England in the late 1970s, living in London, Liverpool and later Gateshead.
"My mum's family owned a very successful bakery and pastry shop. So I grew up surrounded by all different kinds of delicious food. We had a big garden with apple and pear trees as well as a vegetable patch. My parents also grew their own fresh herbs. I used to help my mum in the bakery when I was older. The job of making the pies used to be my favourite part - I loved to do the crimping."
Vicky was educated in South Africa and in the UK. She went to university to study history, but after leaving the first year of a three-year course, decided that wasn't what she really wanted to do.
"I was going to go to university but I didn't really want to do it. I'd always wanted to be a beautician. I was a little bit worried that I wouldn't have the skills to get the job, so I decided I didn't want to spend the money and I would just work and go back to university later.
Vicky worked at McDonald's in the UK and was promoted quickly, but when a new business took over the shop, her boss gave her a very poor reference. Vicky found it very difficult to find work after leaving university and ended up being employed in a clothes shop, although she was bullied by one of the senior staff.
"I did well in the shop and was well liked but then the senior manager joined and she didn't really like me. I was made to feel very uncomfortable and she also started to bully me. I thought I would just do a good job and ignore her. But the bullying got so bad I felt I had no choice but to ask for a transfer. They said they couldn't give me one, so I went to my manager and she said she couldn't help me and so that


Monty Python member Eric Idle attended the Royal School Wolverhampton . A £29,000-a-year boarding school will scrap all its fees this September to become one of David Cameron's latest free schools. The Royal School Wolverhampton, whose former pupils include the Monty Python member Eric Idle, will become a state school – with no fees to attend. The boarding school was one of 49 new free schools announced by the Prime Minister yesterday as part of a major expansion of the policy which allows schools to be set up by community groups including parents, charities or teachers. An extra 500 free schools will be opened by 2020 under a Conservative government, Mr Cameron said. The Royal School Wolverhampton is the latest of several private schools to scrap fees and take state funding via the free schools programme. The most prestigious was Liverpool College, while others included William Hulme Grammar School in Manchester, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn, and Chetwynde School in Barrow in Furness. Pupils at the school who don’t board currently pay fees of £13,230 – but this will fall to nothing from September. Families of children who board will see their fees drop to a boarding charge of between £10,000 and £14,000 a year. The school, in grounds of 25 acres, currently has 538 pupils, of whom 139 are boarders. As a state school it will expand to 1,200 children, with boarders dropping slightly to around 110. Free schools were introduced in 2010 to allow parents and community groups to set up their own schools. They are independent from local authorities but must still undergo Ofsted inspections. Supporters say they help to drive up standards by creating competition with existing schools, but Labour has opposed their creation in areas with a surplus of places where they are not needed. The new plan to open at least 500 of the schools by 2020 mean an extra 270,000 places. In a speech in London, Mr Cameron said: 'If you vote Conservative, you will see the continuation of the free schools programme at the rate you've seen in the last three years. 'That means, over the next parliament, we hope to open at least 500 new free schools resulting in 270,000 new school places. 'Remember - we're the only party that is committed to this. The only party that's opening up the education system so we can get more good places for your children. The Royal School Wolverhampton was one of 49 new free schools announced by the Prime Minister yesterday . 'And isn't that what every parent wants - a great education for their child? You deserve the security of knowing your child is getting just that. And with the Conservatives you should expect nothing less.' He also backed the idea of existing grammar schools. Taking questions from the audience, Mr Cameron was asked about comments he made in 2007 that a 'pledge to build more grammar schools would be an electoral albatross'. He insisted: 'I have never said that grammar schools are an albatross, grammar schools are good schools and I like good schools. I want there to be good schools for people to send their children to. 'What I've said about grammar schools is, like other schools that are good, if they want to expand they should be able to expand. I have been very consistent about that.' Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said she would not allow free schools to make a profit, despite the move being supported by her predecessor Michael Gove. She said she wanted each school to 'make the right choice for them' about whether to become a free school or academy. David Cameron talks with school children during a visit to The Green School for girls in west London today . Asked if she could rule out a Tory government allowing free schools to make a profit, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Yes I can rule it out, I think having for profit education is something that would make me feel very uncomfortable and it is not something that is needed. 'We have excellent sponsors like charities and others or parent groups wanting to run schools and they are doing an excellent job up and down the country.' Mrs Morgan's insistence that there would be no profit-making schools for the whole of the next parliament suggests a shift in policy from her predecessor. Mr Gove, who lost his job as Education Secretary in July, had advocated allowing profit-making to encourage companies to set up successful free schools. In May 2012 he said: 'It's my belief that we could move to that situation but at the moment it's important to recognise that the free schools movement is succeeding without that element and I think we should cross that bridge when we come to it.' Labour has criticised the free schools policy, claiming it can lead to money being channelled to areas where there is a surplus of school places instead of being targeted at areas where classes are overcrowded.

Royal School Wolverhampton will become a state school this year . Boarding school one of 49 free schools announced by the PM yesterday . Cameron said there would be 500 more free schools by the end of 2020 . Comes on top of more than 400 opened under the coalition government . Free schools can be opened by parents, charities and teaching groups .

hampton has taken the drastic action after losing the majority of its pupils to the state sector after the creation of the neighbouring Dormston Sixth Form College.
The school was last night praised by Prime Minister David Cameron.
The PM said the move was "groundbreaking" and promised that successful free schools would be "fast-tracked" if they were "good" schools.
In the wake of last week’s historic defeat in the European elections in which it lost nearly four-fifths of its number, Labour has gone into some sort of free school mode and the Department for Education has announced a £20m fund to help existing schools take on the role of academies in the state sector.
“We are determined that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are given the opportunity to gain the qualifications and skills they need to fulfil their potential and succeed in life. If there are any schools that want to convert we will fast-track this process.”
Meanwhile a new survey published today suggests that free schools are not yet ‘firing on all cylinders’.
The research from the think-tank Reform shows that half of all free schools have no pupils on roll yet, many have had difficulty getting them into their school, and almost half (45 per cent) are losing some of their students to the state sector.
It shows that of the 90 free schools that opened since January 2011, only two have been designated outstanding by Ofsted, compared with 19 under Labour’s academies programme.
The report also looks at the reasons behind these low grades and reveals that there are “major barriers” for the school and governing bodies in obtaining premises, funding and teachers.
Reform says these barriers were partly caused by the Government’s introduction of a new admissions regime for free schools, a lack of resources for new schools, and the Department for Education’s refusal to offer new free schools free premises as in the past.
At The Royal School Wolverhampton the decision was made to close the school and re-open as a free school. They have been rebranded the Wolverhampton Academy and have taken over the Dormston building. Ofsted's last Ofsted visit was in 2005, and was in the bottom 25 per cent in the country. So a new free school was formed and taken over, with all the difficulties that free schools have. You can see their Ofsted report here.
One would have hoped that they were better prepared for this, but


Seydou Keita scored a late equaliser to give Roma the advantage in this all-Italian Europa League last-16 tie - and saved team-mate Adem Ljalic's blushes at the same time. Ljalic had the chance to cancel out Josip Ilicic's first-half opener with a penalty on the hour mark but saw his effort saved by Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto. The away goal for Roma could be vital as the second-place Serie A side look to take the initiative in the return leg at the Stadio Olimpico next week. Seydou Keita runs over to team-mate Gervinho to celebrate his equalising goal for Roma against Fiorentina . Josip Ilicic celebrates scoring the opening goal for Fiorentina but it was Roma who would later be laughing . Fiorentina (4-3-3): Neto; Tomovic, Rodriguez, Basanta, Alonso; Badelj, Pizarro (Fernandez 46 minutes), Valero (Aquilani 72); Joaquin, Ilicic (Babacar 81), Salah. Unused subs: Lezzerini, Pasqual, Richards, Vargas. Goal: Ilicic 17. Booked: Pizarro, Alonso, Ilicic, Neto, Badelj. Manager: Vincenzo Montella . Roma (4-3-3): Skorupski; Torosidis, Manolas (Astori 26), Yanga-Mbiwa, Holebas; Nainggolan, De Rossi (Pjanic 22), Keita; Florenzi, Ljajic (Gervinho 75), Iturbe. Unused subs: Cole, De Sanctis, Doumbia, Verde. Goal: Keita 77. Penalty missed: Ljajic 60. Booked: Nainggolan. Manager: Rudi Garcia. Referee: Antonio Mateh Lahoz. The hosts started stronger, and it was no surprise when Mohamed Salah fashioned the chance for the opening goal after 17 minutes. Salah has been a revelation since arriving in Serie A on loan from Chelsea, with six goals in seven appearances, and he continued his good run of form by playing Ilicic in for the opener. With Fiorentina on the counter-attack, Salah picked up the ball on the left flank - slightly unfamiliar for him - and drove forward at pace. No challenges came in and the Egyptian had the simple task of slipping the ball between two defenders to the feet of Ilicic, who took a touch to compose himself before smashing a left-footed drive past Lukasz Skorupski at his near post. Roma came more into it as the half went on and missed good opportunities through Juan Manuel Iturbe and Alessandro Florenzi but they did also lose both captain Daniel de Rossi and Kostas Manolas to injury. Radja Nainggolan also picked up a booking meaning he will miss the second leg in the Italian capital. After the break the two sides edged back into their shells a little in fear of giving away more of an advantage, but the game burst back into life on the hour mark. Fiorentina fans hold up an impressive tifo mosaic at the Artemio Franchi stadium ahead of the last-16 tie . Ilicic's shot flies into the net at Lukasz Skorupski's near post after he latched on to Mohamed Salah's pass . Ilicic (hidden) is mobbed by his team-mates after opening the scoring at the Artemio Franchi stadium . Iturbe broke clear down the right and, one-on-one with Neto, tried to dodge past the Fiorentina keeper but was brought down. The protests were fierce as the Brazilian clearly got a hand to the ball but referee Antonio Mateh Lahoz refused to waver. Ljalic stepped up and hit the penalty hard and low but Neto dived low to his right to palm it away. Brazilian goalkeeper Neto brought down Juan Manuel Iturbe to give away a penalty on the hour mark . But Neto swept himself down, got back between the sticks and brilliantly saved Adem Ljalic's penalty . But Roma were not to be denied for too long. Just 17 minutes later Keita found space to nod in Florenzi's corner and grab the crucial away goal. Fiorentina could have restored a lead moments later but Milan Badelj was brilliantly stopped by Skorupski. But it was not enough, Roma take a slender lead back to the Stadio Olimpico next Thursday. Keita crashed in an equaliser with his head to give Roma the first-leg advantage on Thursday . Keita found himself in acres of space to level the scores and put Roma in the driving seat of the tie . Mohamed Salah set up Fiorentina's opening goal with a bursting run but it was not enough to secure the win .

Mohamed Salah set up Josip Ilicic to open the scoring in the 17th minute . Adem Ljalic had the chance to equalise but his penalty was saved . Seydou Keita was allowed a free header with 13 minutes left to equalise .

 was dismissed for a bad foul on Lazio's Brazilian striker Libor Kozak on the hour, meaning Roma had to play out the final stages of their tie with 10 men.
But former Barcelona midfielder Keita struck deep into injury-time to prevent Roma losing their first leg 1-0.
The draw at the Olimpico was as good a result as Lazio could have hoped for as they head back to Rome with a good chance of winning next week's return fixture (Thursday).
Keita's strike was even more dramatic in the context of the match as Roma were looking to have gone through on away goals having led 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Feb. 21.
With only five minutes remaining, Keita cut in from the left and struck a low shot that took a slight deflection en route into the net, with goalkeeper Federico Marchetti wrong-footed.
As Roma defender Kostas Manolas had been red-carded by a linesman in the second half, Lazio had a numerical advantage for all of extra time and should have sealed victory as the final whistle approached.
But they found the pacey Kozak on the left of the area unmarked, with only Juan Jesus to beat.
Kozak had the ball in the net within seconds, only for a goal-line clearance from Federico Balzaretti to deny him before Lazio were furious with the referee for his refusal to award a corner.
A furious protest followed the decision and as the final whistle went there was more of the same from Lazio's players and management, with Ljajic in the centre of a group of furious Italians as Marchetti ran over to celebrate.
Earlier, Lazio's Brazilian midfielder Hernanes had fired them into the lead from the spot, although Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic had an even easier chance to equalise from the spot.
However, he failed to find the target and Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis blocked his shot as Marchetti saved his effort.
Lazio were indebted to an extraordinary performance from their goalkeeper, who ensured they took the lead into the second leg with his incredible saves in the first half.
De Sanctis made a brilliant low stop to deny Mattia Destro from the edge of the area, just before the home side took the lead with a brilliant solo effort.
Pjanic did not even make contact with the ball