(CNN)The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging an Alabama law that will force those under 18 seeking an abortion to go through an adversarial process that's akin to a trial. Generally, laws in the United States require parental consent for a minor to obtain an abortion. But for some children, parental consent is impossible or even dangerous. This class of minors must seek a judicial bypass. While the bypass is a common feature of abortion laws in other states, this Alabama law may have gone too far. Here are the suspect provisions of this "bypass by trial": . • Alabama has turned what is supposed to be an informal, child-centered hearing into more of a trial. • The court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem -- normally an appointed lawyer for a child in, say, a divorce proceeding or a hearing involving unfit parents -- for the fetus. • The minor may be cross-examined by the district attorney and possibly the minor's parents. • Information about the minor's pregnancy may be disclosed to her family, friends and employers, and they might even be brought to court to testify -- against the minor. When it comes to abortion, minors are supposed to enjoy the same constitutional right of privacy as adults, free from undue state interference. However, the Supreme Court has also specifically articulated reasons why the constitutional rights of children are not identical to the rights of adults. Children are vulnerable and unable to make critical decisions and, of course, parents have a right to participate in raising their child. States may pass laws that subject minors seeking an abortion to an additional requirement: parental involvement. However, if the state chooses to require parental consent for a pregnant minor to get an abortion, the state also must provide an alternative procedure for obtaining that authorization -- one that "bypasses" having to get Mom and Dad's permission. The Supreme Court has required that these hearings "must assure that resolution ... be completed with anonymity and sufficient expedition to provide an effective opportunity for an abortion to be obtained." Plus, and perhaps most importantly, the procedure bypassing parental consent cannot be a thinly veiled mechanism for an "absolute, and possibly arbitrary, veto." In plain language, hearings must be quick and quiet, and they cannot be held in kangaroo court. The problem is, this does not give a lot of detailed direction to courts about how exactly to conduct these hearings. It's not surprising that court procedures vary wildly, and that sooner or later, a state like Alabama would experiment with state abortion law. Our system was specifically designed to allow states to experiment with social and economic legislation. Of course, that state prerogative is also tempered by a federal court's power to strike these laws down if they are unconstitutional. In this case, the ACLU's position is that creating an adversarial hearing goes too far. A hearing is fine, it seems, but something approaching a trial rises to the level of an impermissible "undue burden" on the right to have an abortion. This has been defined by the courts as placing a substantial obstacle in the path of the adult, or minor child seeking the abortion. The federal court that reviews these state statutes will be charged with determining whether Alabama's law violates established Supreme Court bypass requirements. But what about the actual bypass requirements themselves? They are a creation of the Supreme Court. Striking down an act of a state legislature is one thing -- challenging settled Supreme Court precedent is entirely another. What if the constitutional standards for bypass procedures contain something of an intrinsic paradox? Consider how it applies in this case. In Alabama, a judge at one of these hearings is required to waive the parental consent requirement if the judge finds either: . (1) that the minor is mature and well-informed enough to make the abortion decision on her own; or . (2) that performance of the abortion would be in the best interest of the minor. Abstract concepts like "mature" and "best interest" are rather amorphous at best. (True story: A respected law professor advised many classes of students that when confronted on the bar exam with a question about a child, do the following: Write "best interest of the child" somewhere in the first sentence; then write "whatever the heck you want" for the rest of the answer.) So then, the court must determine whether the minor is mature -- mature enough that she may have the court's permission to have an abortion. This means the court can then arrive at this Kafkaesque, perplexing alternative: A particular minor is too immature to have an abortion -- with the result being that this immature minor ... should therefore be ... a parent of an infant?  It gets stranger: What about a finding that it is in the best interest of the young mother to have the baby, even though she is deemed too immature to have an abortion? How would it be in the best interest of the immature mother to have a child? State courts and legislatures are not completely to blame; after all, the law of minors and juveniles is always going to be about some difficult but arbitrary line-drawing.  Whether we're considering the drinking age, the driving age or the voting age, we've learned over the centuries that kids mature at different ages. Plus there is no easy legal formula to address the myriad situations of messed-up families. Unfortunately, legislatures must draw some lines -- lines that will not always be workable in every situation. And there are surely situations where the bypass might actually be effective: for example, a very young pregnant minor with completely absent parents, who needs court intervention. The problem is, if it creates an undue burden in one situation, then it's constitutionally suspect. But ultimately, building up the procedural hurdles for a pregnant minor almost by definition encroaches upon the limits set some time ago by the Supreme Court.  It's a procedure that needs to be defined; teen pregnancy certainly isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Neither are lousy families, unfortunately. Whether the boundary lines of judicial bypass ebb toward the autonomy of minors, or back toward the state interest in the fetus, the broader social "findings" of judicial bypass proceedings will always remain the same: It's all very sad.

Cevallos: Alabama may go too far in the process used to decide if a teenager can have an abortion without parental consent . He says a court hearing makes sense, but an adversarial process, like a trial, is questionable .

 minors seeking an abortion. But if the minor is under 16, and has a judicial bypass, they are able to get a judicial waiver -- and that's not the case in Alabama.
The law also adds a new penalty: a 10-year prison sentence.
The ACLU filed suit Tuesday challenging the law on the 16-year-olds, and on behalf of the mother of an 11-year-old girl, who doesn't want her minor child to be able to get an abortion without her involvement.
"The law is a drastic intrusion into the confidential and sensitive decisions of a minor child, forcing her to confront her parents in a formal adversary proceeding and threatening punishment against her if she refuses to do so," the ACLU said in a statement.
The group will represent a 16-year-old named "T.O.," the mother of a 12-year-old girl and a minor child who was raped and is in foster care. They will also work with the ACLU of Alabama and the Montgomery, Alabama law firm of Lightfoot, Kilpatrick, and Hayes.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall argued that parental involvement requirements are in the interest of minors. But he also acknowledged there might be "rare" situations in which the child could not get parental permission in time.
The law, Marshall argued in a brief, requires minors seeking an abortion to notify one or more parents or legal guardians, with certain exceptions, and provide notification that the minor intends to seek an abortion and the location and date of the planned abortion. "Alabama's interest in protecting minors' health and welfare requires that minor girls seeking to terminate a pregnancy receive the consent of a parent or legal guardian before receiving an abortion," Marshall wrote.
In the 1969 case, Roe v. Wade, the US Supreme Court deemed that a person seeking an abortion was of sufficient age to consent to the abortion. In Alabama, the law requires minors to get a judicial bypass from a judge -- but that is not true in most states and requires a judge, who can also be a therapist, to decide whether or not the minor child should be allowed to have an abortion without the parent's consent. In Alabama, the minor can only be released from the judicial bypass if they can show that it was detrimental for them to stay home with their parents.
"It's a new twist on an old problem," says Martha McCluskey, executive director of the Alabama Civil Rights


Is there any sport better at self-criticism than Formula One? Here we are barely 24 hours after watching one of the greatest drivers ever to turn a wheel, Lewis Hamilton, winning the Australian Grand Prix in the most advanced car ever devised, yet some people have already applied the match to the paraffin. Nobody sane would suggest that Sunday's race was the most thrilling ever staged, but to call for rule changes to condense the field is ludicrously premature. Lewis Hamilton celebrates his Australian GP win in front of second-placed Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel . Hamilton stormed to victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix following a dominant performance . Nico Rosberg followed Hamilton home as Mercedes picked up where they left off with total domination . I remember when, in 2010, refuelling was done away with and the season started with a horrific bore in Bahrain. Calls for the immediate rewriting of the regulations followed then, too. That urge was resisted and a fine season unfolded: four drivers contested the final round. Even last year, with Mercedes dominant, there were some memorable races – the best of them, this time, in Bahrain, with heart-in-your-mouth, wheel-to-wheel scrapping throughout the field. We should also provide some perspective. For most of the sport’s history, the field was far more spread out than now. Laps upon lap, minute upon minute, were not uncommon gaps in the oily-rag days of yore. Sir Stirling Moss, for example, beat his nearest challenger, Mike Hawthorn, by 5min 12.75sec to win the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix. You cannot legislate to make every grand prix interesting any more than you can make every football match interesting. Or every boxing match, or every athletics race. Thank goodness, too, because the thrill of sport would be diminished if we arrived knowing what to expect. Yet, unlike in football, Formula One feels an insatiable need to reinvent itself to ‘improve the show’. The navel-gazing is totally boring and counterproductive. Hamilton and Rosberg (right) shake hands  after Mercedes pair finished more than 30 seconds ahead of third . Hamilton sprays champagne from the rostrum as he celebrates the 34th grand prix victory of his career . VIDEO Hamilton cruises to victory in Australian GP . It is also mostly self-serving. Teams cry for changes when they are failing to match their opponents, as Red Bull’s Christian Horner did in calling for Mercedes to have their grunt reined in. Toto Wolff responded by telling Horner and the rest to get their ‘f****** heads down and work hard’. Yes, is Formula One not about striving for the best, winning the arms’ race and getting your super-rich rewards? In passing, it is worth pointing out that the teams are far too powerful. The FIA, now presided over by Jean Todt, should surely be leading Formula One rather than following the consensus. If the sport does need an injection of competitiveness, we look to Nico Rosberg to play his part by challenging Hamilton in a way he did not manage in Melbourne. Last year see-sawed until Hamilton took near total command towards the end, and there is no reason to believe that Rosberg may not get the better of Hamilton at some stages this year. But for now we should celebrate the brilliance of Hamilton and his Mercedes machine, and stop moaning. Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger interviews Hamilton after his winning start to the season . Red Bull chief Christian Horner is concerned that Mercedes dominance will be unhealthy for the sport . Red Bull’s motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has warned, not for the first time, that the drinks company is considering leaving Formula One because the rules are not to their liking. This threat should be wafted away. It probably is not genuine, but, even if it is, so what? Global companies such as Mercedes, Toyota and Honda use the platform of Formula One to promote themselves so long as their boardrooms see an advantage in doing so. Then, when it no suits them, they suddenly stop. It is nothing to do with the regulations or the state of the sport. Understanding that is crucial to knowing there is no point bending over backwards to pacify transient visitors. Horner's Red Bull team won consecutive titles between 2010-2013 with Sebastian Vettel behind the wheel . Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has told critics of his team to work to find a solution . Some wagging paddock tongues suggest that Manor never intended to race here in Australia. The suggestion is that they simply flew over the team and cars and parts to make it seem as if they would. Why? They stand to get £28million in prize money by fulfilling their obligations to be in attendance, at least. (They have missed three races – at the end of last season – and cannot miss another under the terms of their contract.) Manor deny the accusation. They say a software problem caused their unavoidable 11th hour withdrawal, adding that they have not saved a penny by not taking part, having bought the fares and paid their staff in any case. Manor’s revival, after the team previously known as Marussia went into administration last autumn, has been widely seen as a tonic for Formula One, beset by the overspending of the less successful teams (my interpretation), or by the iniquitous way it the sport is run (the popular narrative). However, it is unsettling that Manor, backed by OVO Energy entrepreneur Stephen Fitzpatrick, are paying just 1.3p in the pound to creditors. Manor driver Roberto Merhi walks along the grid during the drivers' parade but did not take part in the race . Spaniard Merhi waves to supporters before the first race of the season in Australia . It is no doubt reassuring for Manor’s staff to know that the self-made Graeme Lowdon, sporting director of the old Marussia team and the new Manor team, is an experienced businessman. He made about £3.5million when a previous business of which he was a director, the internet group J2C, closed amid the global technology crash in the early 2000s. Also among the lucky few was Alan Donnelly – Labour’s one-time leader in the European Parliament and a close adviser to former FIA president Max Mosley – who collected £400,000 for his £1,250 stake. Investors who bought shares when the company floated, shortly before its shares peaked, did considerably less well. One shareholder said at the time of J2C’s closure: ‘It seems unfair that the directors should be rewarded quite so well for failure.’ Graeme Lowdon, CEO of Manor arrives in the paddock but the team did not start the race in Melbourne . Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, it was gratifying to note Lewis Hamilton’s contribution to Mercedes’ post-qualifying press conference. He stood at the back, put his hand up and said to his team boss Toto Wolff: ‘From the Daily Mail, is there any news on the contract?’ Wolff: ‘No news on the contract, to the Daily Mail journalist.’ I am happy to swap salaries with Lewis. Yet while I don’t know if he could do my job, I know I could not do his. 1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:31:54.067 . 2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes +00:01.360 . 3. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 00:34.523 . 4. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 00:38.196 . 5. Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber - Ferrari 01:35.149 . 6. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - Renault 1 lap . 7. Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1 lap . 8. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - Ferrari 1 lap . 9. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - Renault 1 lap . 10. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 1 lap . 11. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 2 laps . r. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 18 laps . r. Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso - Renault 25 laps . r. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Mercedes 58 laps . r. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Mercedes 58 laps . r. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Red Bull - Renault 58 laps . r. Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 58 laps . ns. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes . (rank: r = retired, nc = not classified, ns = not started) Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton,01:30.945, lap 50.

Lewis Hamilton won the first Grand Prix of the 2015 season on Sunday . Nico Rosberg finished second as Mercedes dominated from start to finish . Mercedes pair qualified on the front row and were never challenged . Sebastian Vettel finished more than 30 seconds behind Rosberg . Red Bull boss Christian Horner said Mercedes dominance will turn off fans . CLICK HERE for all the latest Formula One news .

 and the F1 media is already tearing him down.
I’m no expert on the technical aspects of F1 (and even as a veteran of the sport I still struggle with the basic terminology), but I’m smart enough to realize that even when you win in F1, it’s not necessarily a good thing.
First, in the past 30-ish years, only six drivers have been able to dominate one season – three have won the past four consecutive F1 titles, with the other three winning back-to-back championships a total of four times.
In fact, 10 of the 23 winners of the past 30 years have won two years in a row or three in a row, and that doesn’t include a guy like Hamilton who has already won four championships, with several races left on his contract.
The reason I bring this up is not to brag (not that Hamilton doesn’t have reason to brag, at least in this case) but because it’s a good indication of how tough it is to dominate this sport.
After a couple of years and five seasons in a row that were won by six drivers, we had seven different champions in 2010-11 and just 10 different winners in the 10 years before that.
In other words, it’s not really all that shocking to see Lewis be one of 10 different winners the past 10 years, given the fact that there’s a new champ every year or two.
And that goes hand-in-hand with my next observation, which is that it’s tough to win with a team that’s dominant the way Mercedes AMG F1 (formerly known as Mercedes Benz Motorsport) is.
Since Nico Rosberg joined Lewis in 2013, the German team has won 35 races and 59 poles, and has lost just 12 grand prix, while winning four straight titles. That’s an average of 43.5 points per win (and nearly 40 points per pole) over that four-year span.
It’s been the same sort of dominance that Mercedes has achieved on a global scale – with all of its F1-powered cars winning 16 races, and taking 24 pole positions since 2014.
And while everyone likes to say that Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports, in reality the real pinnacle is to have a Mercedes-powered car win one of the nine crowns


The saying 'Rome wasn't built in a day' couldn't be more apt for super slimmer Kirste Crompton who has recently lost ten stone. It has taken one year, and lots of hard work, but the mother-of-five has transformed her body after running 1,820 miles on a treadmill at home – the exact distance from Scotland to the Italian capital. The 42-year-old has also lost seven dress sizes in the process, taking her from a dangerous 21st and dress size 24 to a healthy and happy 11st and size 10. Scroll down for video . Kirste Crompton, 42, from Bootle, Liverpool has lost an incredible 10 stone in her own living room . At her heaviest, Kirste, 5.8", was too 'embarrassed' to work out in public and instead paid £65 a month to rent a treadmill from the comfort of her home. Today, the housewife and mother runs an amazing 35 miles a week, has recently completed her first marathon and is now hoping to compete in a triathlon. She has also raised over £600 for The April Jones Trust, after befriending April's mother, Coral, on Facebook. Speaking at her home in Bootle, Liverpool she says: 'I can't believe how far I've come. 'Less than a year ago I could barely walk, now I'm running marathons and am as fit as a fiddle. 'What's more, I'm an active mum and can actually play with my kids and take them swimming without my huge tummy getting in the way. I'm a new person.' In April 2010, Kirste, then 38, was diagnosed with postnatal depression after giving birth to her youngest daughter, Honey, now four. The mother-of-five rented a treadmill for £65 a month and turned her dining room into a home-gym . She recalls: 'Up until then I'd been around 13st and a size 12 to 14. But following Honey's birth I fell into deep depression and struggled to get out of bed in the morning. 'I turned to food for comfort and would lock myself in my room for hours eating.' Kirste's devoted husband David Crompton, 36, a former soldier, looked after Honey and Kirste's other four children from a previous relationship: Stockard, 9, Pacey, 11, Hermione, 13 and Darcy, 16. At her lowest ebb, the mother-of-five was eating family-sized bags of crisps, drinking three bottles of white wine and eating saucepans full of pasta for dinner. 'Food was becoming an addiction,' she continues, 'It was all I thought about.' Within the space of four years, Kirste had ballooned from a size 12 to a 24 and was tipping the scales at 21 stone. She says: 'I was morbidly obese and was so ashamed of my wide girth I couldn't face looking in the mirror or getting dressed in the mornings. Kirste, pictured on her wedding day, says she was once 'an embarrassment to my kids,' 'More importantly, it was preventing me from being a good mother. I was so overweight I couldn't pick Honey up or play with my kids because my gigantic tummy was in the way.' Kirste explains that she was caught in a vicious circle: she felt guilty about her size which made her feel depressed and then turned to comfort food to make herself feel better. She says: 'I hated dropping the kids off at school because the other parents would stare at me and exchange looks. 'I was obese and it was an embarrassment for my kids.' Kirste's wake-up call came in February 2014, nearly four years after giving birth to Honey. She says: 'I was at home preparing dinner when another parent knocked on my front door. 'There had been an altercation between our kids and we were trying to resolve it. But during her rant she called me a 'fat cow'. 'I went bright red and felt like I was going to burst into tears, it was horrible.' In that moment, Kirste realised it was time to ditch the greasy snacks and calorific booze. Too ashamed to be seen outside or exercise in a gym, she rented a £65 treadmill and turned her dining room into a home-gym. She says: 'It suited me perfectly because no one could watch me working out. 'I downloaded a running training pack from online and started to do interval training. 'Walking for five minutes and then running for two. But it was very hard as I was so unfit. Tosay the size 10 mother says that eating wholesome food also helped her to tackle her depression . In just five months Kirste lost an incredible four stone and dropped from a size 24 to a size 16, gaining the confidence to start running outside . 'I tried to use it whenever I could, and when my fitness improved I started running for half an hour a day – covering 5km each time.' On top of her new exercise regime, Kirste totally changed her diet. She traded family-sized portions of spaghetti bolognese, cheese on toast, crisps and chocolate for fruit, yoghurt and low-calorie meals, and saw the weight start to drop off. On top of this, she stopped drinking white wine altogether, instead drinking water and fresh juice. She says: 'The exercise lifted my mood and I felt like a new person. 'I was no longer suffering from sugar crashes and eating wholesome food evened out my moods and helped with my depression.' In just five months she lost an incredible four stone, dropping from a size 24 to a size 16 and developing a new hobby in the process. 'I loved running,' she says, 'I'd developed a hobby and was becoming a good runner.' In July 2014, weighing 17st, Kirste ran her first 10km race for Bupa in 85 minutes. She said: 'It was a really hot day but I felt incredible afterwards.' Today Kirste, now 11st, runs up to 35 miles a week and says that some people barely recognise her . In the space of one year, Kirste has run 1,820 miles on her home treadmill, the equivalent of the distance from Scotland to Rome. She said: 'It's incredible when I look at it like that. 'This weekend I ran the Wrexham marathon in six hours and 15 minutes. 'Before I would only run in the privacy of my home but now I run outside and feel great. 'People barely recognise me, I've changed beyond belief. 'More importantly, I'm healthy and happy and am an active mum to my kids.'

Kirste Crompton of Bootle, Liverpool slimmed from a  size 24 to  size 10 . The mother of five, 42, put on weight after suffering post-natal depression . Has now run 1,820 miles, the equivalent of getting to Rome from Scotland . Today runs an average of 35 miles a week and competes in marathons .

of-two from Blackpool has seen her life and health transform and now she's looking forward to sharing it with you.
The 42-year-old, who was a size 26 and 16 stones 7lbs, said: "I got to that point where I knew I didn't want to be that anymore. I used to feel very tired all the time and always had headaches.
"I knew I had to do something. If I didn't do something my health was going to go downhill. I know so many people who have died young because of complications with their weight. That was a huge trigger."
Kirste – who has lost a staggering 10st and from a size 26 to a size 14 – said it was the constant snacking and binge-eating that was the cause of her weight gain. She would eat anything in sight - even if it was bad for her - and would eat a lot even if she was full, because it made her feel better.
"All I could think about was food," she said. "I would look forward to my next meal all day long and it would never satisfy me. I would eat until my stomach physically ached, to the point where I knew my body couldn’t take anymore."
Kirste decided to go on the popular Slimming World plan to kickstart her weight loss journey, and has seen her body change beyond all recognition. She is now a size 14-16 and has completely changed her relationship with food. Kirste has been enjoying some of the things she had given up eating including pizza and cake.
She said: "I love going out for meals and I'm not afraid to try things I would never have even thought about a year ago. It's really nice going shopping and picking up clothes.
"I really want to inspire people like me to realise that even if it is slow it will happen. I don’t look at anyone and say ‘wow I can't believe they look like that at my weight’. You can look the same but lose a lot of weight."
In addition to her weight loss Kirste also manages to run three businesses; a cafe, an events and corporate business and her first love, a florist.
She added: "I still look after my business, but I have more time to run the business and be the best that I can be and that is down to my


Prosecutors want panels of the boat in which Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found hiding to be brought to court to show jurors what they say is his written confession. His lawyers want them to see the entire bullet-ridden boat. Prosecutors have said Tsarnaev scrawled the motive for the attack inside the boat. They say he referred to U.S. wars in Muslim countries and wrote, among other things, 'Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop.' Scroll down for video . Prosecutors say alleged Boston Bomber Dzokhar Tsarnaev (right) confessed to the attack in a scrawled message inside the boat where he was taken into custody. A view of the bloodied and bullet-ridden message seen on the left in an image obtained by ABC . Above, another view of the boat message which reads in part: 'We Muslims are one body. You kill one of us you hurt us all.' Tsarnaev's older brother, Tamerlan, had been killed hours earlier during a shootout with police, but Tsarnaev escaped and was captured — bloodied and wounded — inside a boat parked in a backyard in Watertown. During a final pretrial hearing Monday, Tsarnaev attorney William Fick objected to the plan to bring pieces of the boat to court and suggested instead that the boat be brought to the courthouse so the jury can see the entire boat. He argued that the jury would be seeing the writing out of context if the panels were brought into the courtroom. To see the whole boat would allow the jury to imagine Tsarnaev lying inside 'much like someone lying in a crypt making those writings,' Fick said. Attorneys for Tsarnaev want the entire boat where their client was arrested brought to court to the jury can see how torn up it was in the firefight with police . Above, a picture of the moment Tsarnaev was taken into custody outside of the boat in Watertown . Assistant U.S. Attorney William Weinreb argued that it would be impractical to bring the entire boat to the courthouse and that there are photographs of it that can be shown to the jury. He suggested that the defense wants the jury to see the boat —which contains bullet holes, blood stains and broken glass — to gain sympathy for Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev's lawyers also asked Judge George O'Toole Jr. to exclude autopsy photos of the three people killed in the bombings. More than 260 people were hurt. 'These are highly sensitive, highly disturbing images,' said attorney Miriam Conrad. She said the defense will not dispute how the victims died. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini said prosecutors have to prove that the victims died from the use of a weapon of mass destruction, which is among the charges against Tsarnaev.  She said the full-body autopsy photos are necessary because they show all the wounds. The judge did not immediately rule on the motions. Tsarnaev's lawyers made it clear during the hearing that they will portray Tsarnaev as an adoring younger brother who was coerced by his older brother into participating in the deadly 2013 attack. Although his lawyers had indicated they planned to argue that Dzhokhar, then 19, was influenced by Tamerlan, then 26, they used their strongest language to date to describe how they will depict the brothers' relationship and each of their roles in the attack. Tsarnaev's trial is set to start Wednesday and is expected to last about three to four months. Tsarnaev pictured above in court on January 15, 2015 . Tsarnaev attorney David Bruck said prosecutors are trying to show a 'completely distorted' picture of his client by asking the judge to limit the kind of evidence they can present during the initial phase of the trial, when the jury will be asked to decide whether Tsarnaev is guilty of 30 charges. Bruck, arguing that the defense should be entitled to present evidence of Tamerlan's role in the attack, called him the 'lead conspirator ... but for whom the Boston Marathon bombing would never have occurred.' Bruck said the defense should be allowed to present evidence that the motive 'may well have been the defendant's domination by, love for, adoration of, submissiveness to ... his older brother.' 'That is fair game,' Bruck said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aloke Chakravarty argued that the defense plans to try to include mitigating evidence during the guilt phase of the trial, when that should be reserved for the second phase of the trial — known as the penalty phase — when the jury will be asked to decide Tsarnaev's punishment: life in prison or the death penalty. Opening statements in Tsarnaev's trial are scheduled for Wednesday. The trial is expected to last three to four months.

Defense attorneys for Tsarnaev petitioned to bring the entire boat where he was captured to court so jury could see damage from firefight . Prosecutors said it wasn't realistic to bring the entire vessel to court, and that pictures of the boat would suffice . However, they do want panels from inside the boat brought to court which they say contain's Tsarnaev's confession note . It reads: 'We Muslims are one body. You kill one of us, you hurt us all' The judge did not rule on either motions on Monday - two days before the start of the trial . The trial is expected to last three to four months .

ridden vessel that authorities say Tsarnaev scuttled near Watertown, not the pieces that were hauled out of the river.
Prosecutors say they’ll need the whole boat to demonstrate that Tsarnaev put it there to hide his own blood and DNA. They say Tsarnaev wrote on the vessel, in English, “the government is fooling you.”
Tsarnaev’s lawyers say that will take too long. They want to start the trial next month with his guilty plea to terrorism charges, then put on the evidence that will show he’s been treated roughly by the government.
“What’s the purpose?” defense lawyer Miriam Conrad asked in arguing that the boat’s 10 parts be excluded. “We’ve never really had an explanation of why the boat is critical.”
Superior Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. ruled that prosecutors can introduce the parts. O’Toole said in his ruling that they should be used to demonstrate the “complete destruction” of the boat.
“All the boats were basically the same,” O’Toole said at a hearing Friday. “If the boat is not complete, then I think the jury may be confused.”
The bombing attack by Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan, killed three people and injured more than 260. Tsarnaev, now 20, was arrested in the wake of the bombing. Tamerlan died after a gun battle with police.
Tamerlan died at a Boston hospital after being shot in a confrontation with police. A medical examiner said Friday that he died from gunshot wounds to the torso, head and neck.
Tsarnaev was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
He has been kept hospitalized under guard for more than a month at a prison medical facility. At one point his family argued for him to be taken off a ventilator to allow him to die. The hospital has never publicly revealed the condition of his physical injuries, saying only that he had severe head injuries.
Tsarnaev was charged June 23 with using a weapon of mass destruction and could face the death penalty. The charges carry a possible life sentence if he is convicted.
In a pre-trial motion, Tsarnaev’s lawyers argued that his brain injury and “preexisting medical conditions” would make it difficult for him to understand and remember the incident.
Assistant District Attorney William Weinreb argued that Tsarnaev


Anti-police: Lawyer Tasnime Akunjee with a woman believed to be his wife . Great orator, reads a glowing reference from one of lawyer Tasnime Akunjee’s appreciative former clients. The testimonial is included on Mr Akunjee’s CV on a professional networking site; the person who wrote it is named, so it’s not made up. But the identity of the individual in question is something we shall come back to because it tells us rather a lot about this silver-tongued solicitor. In any event, Mr Akunjee’s skills as an ‘orator’, for want of a better word, have been much in evidence on the national stage recently. You might have heard Mr Akunjee in full flow on the radio or caught a glimpse of him on the evening news earlier this month in his (very lawyerly) charcoal-grey, three-piece suit and swish purple silk tie. What he had to say was certainly splashed across the papers. Mr Akunjee, 37, was giving evidence to MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee with his latest clients: the families of the three girls from Tower Hamlets, East London, who fled the UK to join Islamic State. Mr Akunjee denounced the authorities for allowing Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15‑year-olds Shamima Begum and Amira Abase to leave Britain and reach Syria after going missing in December. He castigated the police for failing to inform their parents that a school friend had vanished in similar circumstances a few weeks earlier. And he demanded — and got — a grovelling apology from the country’s top police officer for the ‘mistake’ that, in the eyes of most neutral observers, probably had little or no bearing on what happened to the youngsters. ‘Relations can be built after they have broken down only after an apology,’ Mr Akunjee insisted loftily. The audacity takes your breath away. For we now know that the father of Amira Abase, one of the missing schoolgirl ‘jihadi brides’, is himself a supporter of militant Islam. Images posted online show Abase Hussen taking part in a notorious Islamist rally back in September 2012 in London, when flags of Israel and the U.S. were burned. Also in attendance that day was hate preacher Anjem Choudary, as well as Michael Adebowale, one of the two Muslim converts who went on to murder soldier Lee Rigby. Abase Hussen could not have found a more suitable lawyer to front the families’ anti-police campaign. Abase Hussen (circled right), whose daughter fled the UK last month to join ISIS, was pictured at an Islamic protest alongside Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebowale (circled left) Vicious: In 2012, Abase Hussen (left) marched at the head of a violent rally held by Muslim extremists in London, taking part in the burning of an American flag . Tasnime Akunjee has gone on record in the past to declare that no Muslim should co-operate with the British police force because the Government’s Prevent counter-terror policy is ‘straightforward, paid-for spying on the community’. He once asked in an internet rant: ‘Does she [Home Secretary Theresa May] have Nazi blood in her veins?’ Imagine the furore if someone had insulted a Muslim leader in the same vein. The wider public might not have heard of Mr Akunjee until now but behind his self-righteous performance in the Commons, behind his fancy legal credentials, behind his respectable upbringing (his father and two younger brothers are all doctors), is an individual with links to what some might describe as the ‘who’s who’ of Islamic extremists in Britain. Consider, to begin with, a cartoon posted on his Facebook page on January 12, less than a week after the Charlie Hebdo atrocity in Paris. It depicted murdered editor Stephane Charbonnier blowing himself up by detonating a suicide vest comprising of rolled-up copies of the magazine which resembled sticks of dynamite, the clear implication being that the journalist was to blame for his own death and those of nine colleagues for frequently publishing satires about the prophet Mohammed. That message reinforced a previous Facebook entry on the day of the Paris attack itself. ‘Please don’t REPEATEDLY poke a sleeping bear,’ wrote Mr Akunjee, ‘then cry when it bites “your head off,” parce que ce est vraiment tres stupide [French for ‘because that is really very stupid].’ Could there be a more inappropriate way of behaving, given his profession? Mr Akunjee (right), 37, gave evidence to MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee alongside Mr Hussen and his family . Mr Akunjee’s father arrived in this country from Bangladesh in the Seventies. He runs a GP surgery with his two other sons in Haringey, North London. Mr Akunjee’s nauseating performance before MPs closely echoed preposterous claims made by ‘human rights group’ Cage last week that MI5 was responsible for radicalising Mohammed Emwazi, the IS butcher known to the world as Jihadi John. Just a coincidence? Unlikely. In only January, Mr Akunjee — surprise, surprise — shared a platform with Cage when he argued that the UK had a ‘Jekyll and Hyde, two-tier legal system’ which was ‘a breeding ground for fascism’. Mr Akunjee said Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebolajo was 'created' by the security services . In an article carried on the Cage website, he also claimed that the security services ‘created’ Michael Adebolajo — who with Michael Adebowale killed Woolwich Fusilier Lee Rigby — by ‘making his life so difficult’. Mr Akunjee represented a close friend of Adebolajo, who was sentenced to three years for terrorist offences in 2013. And who do you think the glowing testimonial mentioned in the opening paragraph of this article was from? It was penned by someone called Abbas Iqbal, a former member of the so-called ‘Blackburn Resistance’. He served two years back in 2010 following the discovery in his home of gruesome beheading videos and an arsenal of weapons, including knives, machetes, a sword and ammunition. ‘I recommend Mr T. Akunjee for all Muslim brothers and sisters arrested under the Terrorism Act,’ he wrote. ‘He is a true and genuine friend and brother to all who meet him.’ The reference is included on Mr Akunjee’s biography on professional networking site LinkedIn. They say you can judge a person by the company he keeps. Might the same yardstick be extended to the company a person keeps online? Among his other Facebook friends are a notorious hate preacher, a former member of banned terror group Al-Muhajiroun, a one-time Guantanamo detainee, and, almost inevitably, Asim Qureshi, the leading figure in Cage, the man who for years was in regular contact with Jihadi John, to name but a few of Mr Akunjee’s unsavoury contacts. This was the man, remember, who was given a public platform in the Commons. Mr Akunjee — as the Mail has revealed in previous articles — is part of a network of extremists spreading poisonous propaganda that is turning the heads of so many young Muslims. But Mr Akunjee, like Asim Qureshi, has much for which to thank the country he despises. The solicitor is also friends on Facebook with Asim Qureshi - the leading figure in Cage who was in regular contact with Jihadi John . We now know that the father of Amira Abase, one of the missing schoolgirl ‘jihadi brides’ (pictured), is himself a supporter of militant Islam . He studied law at two of its universities: he was an undergraduate at Sussex and a postgraduate at Westminster. He was at Westminster, a college with an appalling reputation for campus radicalism, in 2007/08. Mohammed Emwazi/Jihadi John was enrolled at Westminster at that time on a computer programming course, but there is nothing to suggest they knew each other. Mr Akunjee, also known as Mohammed Tasnime Akunjee, now works for Waterfords Solicitors in Brentford, West London. Radical: Amira Abase, 15, daughter of Abase Hussen, travelled to Syria with two other girls . Home is a Victorian terrace in North London, where the curtains and blinds were drawn yesterday. But he was also recently living in a flat in a block near Marble Arch, where flats typically sell for more than £1 million. Mr Akunjee is pictured in the vicinity on Facebook in the company of an attractive blonde. Asked by one friend: ‘Who is she brother?’, he replies: ‘New wife.’ When another friend commented that she was ‘without hijab’ — a veil that covers the head and chest — Mr Akunjee informs him: ‘Working on it.’ Mr Akunjee’s first marriage to a law student he met at Sussex Uni lasted less than a year. ‘In Bangladeshi culture,’ said someone who knows the family, ‘it is usually the groom’s mother who finds the wife. She [Tasnime’s mother] was not happy that he married so quickly and divorced so quickly.’ But his career has gone from strength to strength. His latest case was given star billing at his law practice. The firm’s rolling Twitter feed repeated three tweets; all refer to the missing schoolgirls from Tower Hamlets in Syria and mentioning Mr Akunjee as having ‘conduct of the case of the three girls’. How Mr Akunjee, who is based on the other side of London, came to be representing the families or why they should need a lawyer in the first place is not clear. However, the families’ decision to effectively absolve themselves of any responsibility for the disappearance of their daughters, and scapegoat the police instead, has left them facing a backlash of criticism. Senior figures, led by David Cameron, insisted parents must take responsibility to help stop the spreading of militant beliefs. Not in the eyes of Tasnime Akunjee, who once claimed that even a shop assistant who ‘sold a terrorist a toothbrush in Boots’ would be guilty of aiding and abetting terrorism under terror laws. In a recent video on an extremist YouTube channel, he also denied that those who call for the death of British soldiers should be defined as extremist because ‘I think it is actually a soldier’s job to die’. Mr Akunjee’s views are shared by others in his online community. Aren’t they, and not the police, the ones who are really driving so many young British Muslims into the hands of IS?

Tasnime Akunjee blamed authorities for allowing jihadi schoolgirl to flee . Father of 'jihadi bride' attended rally with Lee Rigby killer, pictures show . Akunjee has previously said Muslims should not co-operate with the police . He posted a sickening cartoon on Facebook after the Charlie Hebdo attack . Lawyer also said security services 'created' Lee Rigby killer Adebolajo .

 in a “letter of representation” by “A. Akunjee and Associates” which is also submitted to High Court as a bail document – underlining the extent to which he is viewed by supporters as the man with a “master plan.” (Photo by KARIM SAHIB / AFP)
The anti-police rhetoric, which at times seems to take over the entire discourse, has taken over the media in Singapore, particularly during the trial of a Malaysian man accused of killing an off duty police officer. The 32-year-old suspect allegedly broke into the house of the officer, who was on leave, to rob it. He ended up being shot by the officer, who was at home at the time. The suspect, in the end, was sentenced to death.
But all is not as bad as the public makes it out to be, according to one law professor.
Professor Sun Xuening of Singapore Management University (SMU) said that the public discourse around the incident, and more recent cases involving the police, was overly sensationalistic, a trend he attributes to the rise of tabloid journalism over the past decade.
“The (Singapore) public media have been in the grip of a tabloid journalism, with its penchant for titillation and tit-for-tat,” he said in an e-mail interview on Tuesday (July 30).
“I believe this has led to many sensational claims that are unverified and unbacked by any independent investigation. The sensationalistic headlines grab attention but they do not help the reader to gain an understanding of what really happens,” added the professor, who had just returned from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) Summit, where she had given a talk.
She noted that cases like those of the Malaysian suspect and his accomplice, who were caught hiding in the apartment of a Singaporean man, had stirred up concerns about the level of danger the police face on the beat.
The cases came to prominence following a July 12 protest over the death, on April 10, of a 32-year-old woman who was in the throes of a psychotic episode after having taken a drug suspected to be Seroquel.
The protest, organised by civil society group Society for Action on Mental Health (Sammh), coincided with the trial of the Malaysian suspect who admitted to murdering Singapore officer Muhammad Anwar Bin Ismail, 38.


How extraordinary that so much effort, by so many royal advisors and politicians, should have been expended in keeping secret what a future head of state has written to government ministers. All those who deplore the Supreme Court’s decision, however, are wrong. For I believe this is a great day not only for the freedom of information which the law demands and allows. It should also be seen as a great day for the monarchy. The Supreme Court ruling that Prince Charles' 27 'black spider' memos should be released marks not only a great day for the freedom of information, but also one for the monarchy . One Tory bigwig recently told me that the Prince’s letters would reveal him to be ‘barking mad’, but when I questioned him, he admitted he had not read a word of them. I thought this was a good example of how much damage the secrecy over his letters has done the Prince of Wales. When we are told that his correspondence is so hush-hush that it must be suppressed, we naturally imagine his letters will be inflammatory, or embarrassingly eccentric. We remember some of the Prince’s strong turns of phrase, as when, in his leaked diaries, he described senior members of the Communist Chinese government as ‘appalling old waxworks’. We remember, too, his tendency to self-pity and self-absorption, and the round-robin letter to friends in which he complained about being seated in club-class on a plane to China for the Hong Kong hand-over to the Beijing government in 1997, saying tetchily his seat was ‘uncomfortable’. But despite this, many of his views are eminently sensible. He is bursting with ideas on subjects as varied as the environment, architecture, town planning, Shakespeare, agriculture, the King James Bible and much else besides. What’s more, his opinions on architectural carbuncles or on the need for caution over genetically modified food are shared by countless numbers of Britons. Contrary to popular belief, the Queen has not always been completely above the political fray . For decades, he has been a sort of one-man Opposition to many of the idiotic or ugly things going on in our country. Many commentators have said that they deplore the Prince sounding off and getting involved in the day-to-day running of this country’s affairs. They fear that if he expresses views, he will be seen as having a political bias. This, they claim, could not be more different from the approach which has been so successfully pursued by the Queen – who is believed not to express opinions to individual ministers. The monarchy is deemed to be strengthened by Her Majesty’s silence. But the Queen has not always been completely above the political fray – and for all we know, she might have made any number of interventions and recommendations to ministers of which we know nothing. How else, for instance, did we all come to be told the story that she deeply disagreed with Mrs Thatcher about the PM’s refusal to impose trade sanctions on South Africa during the apartheid years? The Queen certainly had a vested interest – as she feared for the future of her Commonwealth and even lined up with her Commonwealth leaders against the British prime minister. The story was impeccably sourced – to the Queen’s Press Secretary of the day, Michael Shea – yet it was denied by No. 10. The row over South Africa was undoubtedly an example of the monarch so-called ‘interfering’. Anyway, the truth is that we no longer live in an age of deference. Nor do we live in an age of secrecy. Yesterday’s judgment makes plain that Charles cannot hide the contents of the 27 letters to Labour ministers. It is entirely right that letters which he writes to publicly elected representatives about matters of government policy should be made available to the public. But ever since an amendment to the Freedom of Information Act in 2011, any such correspondence is legally deemed to be private. Ever since an amendment to the Freedom of Information Act in 2011, any correspondence by the Royal Family is legally deemed to be private . Regardless, I would support to the utmost not only his right, but his duty to get involved in political issues – as long as he does not undermine his position or that of the monarchy. But answer this question: would you rather have a king who spoke up for the silent majority against self-appointed experts on agriculture, architecture, defence, youth employment, education, Islam – or would you rather have an ignoramus? What is the point of his having established so much expertise in certain fields if he cannot share it with ministers? The corollary of his ‘interference’ is that when he does speak up, he should be prepared to argue his position in public, rather than in spidery secret memos. For my money, I’d far rather have a head of state who ‘interferes’ occasionally – as Charles is likely to do – than one who sits back and leaves everything to politicians who think only of their own interests rather than the country’s.

The Supreme Court ruled that Prince Charles' memos should be released . Known as 'black spider' memos because of royal's scrawled handwriting . But many of his views on the environment and agriculture are sensible . And contrary to popular belief, the Queen isn't completely above politics .

 obliged to concede that Prince Charles cannot be said to have exercised unwarranted influence on Government, in the sense of attempting to ‘bully’ the Attorney General into a decision that he would not have reached in any event.
So I can’t share the view expressed by the former civil servant Lord Owen that Charles’s conduct represented “an alarming breach of the conventions of good royal behaviour” and is “a disgraceful abuse of the public trust”, as well as “a clear abuse of his royal position”.
I do, however, share his contempt for those royal “advisers” who so clearly regarded him as a ‘useful idiot’ (to use a phrase coined by the Kremlinologist Robert Service), as a means of gaining political influence with the government of the day.
For this, they deserve to be hanged drawn and quartered.
3 comments:
It might have escaped notice, but, I thought that Lord Owen got a good deal of the story wrong?
The Mail on Sunday made the point that, when Prince Charles was younger, he took an interest in agriculture and farming, but it was not his intention to become a farmer; as the Telegraph made clear, the Prince’s real interest was, and is, in ‘agricultural land’, which has a value, and one which he does not want to lose to urbanisation; and his objection to this was raised not as the head of the royal family but, as he made clear, as the heir to the throne.
The Queen would have been made fully aware of this point, and, given her own interest in agricultural matters – she was the first person to receive a degree in agriculture – would have taken that into consideration, as well as the fact that the Prince, if he took over the throne, would face his share of unpopular decisions, including on matters relating to the environment.
This is not a matter of the Prince ‘exercising unwarranted influence’ on the Government. It is, rather, a matter of the Prince protecting his property.
As a member of the Royal Family he has a right to expect protection of his interests. I’m sure Lord Owen would not object if other members of the Royal Family were able to protect their interests in a similar manner.
As for the ‘useful idiot’ reference; that is what he has been all his life and he will die a useful idiot.
Lord Owen, not to be confused


Nemanaja Matic has endured a difficult fortnight. He is, of course, pleased that Chelsea won their first trophy in his time at the club, though his joy is tempered by missing the Capital One Cup final through suspension. And though he is now back from that two-match ban, he was part of the Chelsea team which went out against 10-man Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday. He earned his two-match ban for pushing over Ashley Barnes in fury after the Burnley player executed an excessive shin-high challenge on him. Matic received a red card and didn’t even get the free-kick, Barnes went unpunished. Ashley Barnes commits a foul on Nemanja Matic but referee Martin Atkinson fails to blow for the foul . Matic was handed a two-match suspension for pushing Burnley's Barnes at Stamford Bridge . The 28-year-old has missed Chelsea's last two games against Tottenham and West Ham due to suspension . But Matic maintains a degree of perspective. He is aware he is fortunate not to be have been injured far more seriously. ‘I was happy, to be honest, when I saw the video after the game as it was bad. And I am happy that I played against Paris Saint-Germain. My reaction was not good but this reaction was because I thought I broke a leg. I am a happy man because I can walk,’ he said. ‘I don’t like to say that I was right in my reaction. I was not right. But this was a moment when you cannot control your emotions. I saw it one time only (on TV). That was enough. But these things happen in football. I hope that is the last time.’ Matic has been a revelation since returning to Chelsea from Portuguese side Benfica last January . Matic will not discuss the fact that referee Martin Atkinson did not award a foul, let alone punish Barnes for the tackle. ‘I think that the referee saw because he was close but I think it’s not my job to comment on that,’ he said. ‘People have been speaking about that, writing in newspapers. That’s it.’ Asked whether Barnes had apologised, he said: ‘No.’ Before the visit of Southampton on Sunday, Matic reflected on his ban and keeping focused. ‘It has been very hard, it is very difficult when you are not on the pitch,’ he said. Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Matic  with the trophy after the Capital One Cup Final at Wembley Stadium . ‘When you are on the pitch you can do something. When you are out, you are just watching and it is very difficult for me, I am not used to it. I hope this is the last time I am out. ‘It has been difficult. But I was happy. I was out but I was happy because we won two games.’ Matic is a candidate for player of the year, so impressive have his performances been since he came back to Chelsea last January in a £22million deal, having initially been allowed to leave and join Benfica in 2011. Chelsea re-signed Nemanja Matic last January for £22million having previously been sold by the club in 2011 . Matic admitted it was hard to miss the Capital One Cup Final win against Tottenham Hotspur . Matic does not attempt to gild the failure against PSG, and is aware of what is now required. ‘To be honest we didn’t play well against Paris Saint-Germain,’ he admitted. ‘We played against one very good team with very good individuals but after the Ibrahimovic red card maybe we thought it would be more — not easy — but easier for us as we had one player more. If you watched the whole game they deserved to go through. ‘Now, we must win the Premier League. We have to if we want to finish this as a good season. If we win the league we will have that and the Capital One Cup and it will be a good season. Otherwise it is going to be bad. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is sent off for his part in a tackle with Chelsea's Brazilian ace Oscar . Chelsea's players surround the referee as he sends off  Ibrahimovic (second right) in the first half . ‘I know it is going to be difficult until the end. But Manchester City also play difficult games. ‘If we win the Premier League it’s going to be like a dream for us, because we know what we speak about every day and we know the Premier League is something we have to win. We are not tired and we will be ready for the next 12 games.’ None more so than Matic. He knows how close he has come to missing out.

Nemanja Matic is glad to be back playing football following suspension . Matic missed the Capital One Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur . Midfield pushed Ashley Barnes who almost broke Matic's leg in a tackle . Matic admits title win is important following Champions League exit .

 disappointed at being dropped at the same time as Frank Lampard, Matic is also proud of being a part of the first Premier League team to keep clean sheets in four successive games.
Still, there is a feeling among some that Matic has not been sufficiently valued. He might feel that way, too, because his first season in England has been one of frustration. It is not Matic's style. "He has been a lot better than he thinks," says José Mourinho, the Chelsea manager. "I thought his season, with the injuries, has been fantastic."
Matic has made 29 league appearances this season, the second most among midfielders. Chelsea also lead the Premier League with 53 points from 22 matches. Matic, however, started 21 of those matches, five fewer than Cesc Fàbregas (26) and Juan Mata (25). "I am playing like a top-class midfielder but not being recognised as that," says Matic. "I would say I play like a holding midfielder. I don't see myself as a defensive midfielder. I am more of an all-round player."
"I am not a defensive midfield player but a holding midfielder," Matic says.
Mourinho was also less than impressed with Fàbregas against Southampton. Fàbregas was the second most fouled player on the field, but the referee, Lee Mason, was not interested. "I spoke to the officials and they admitted they are not sure if they would have given [fouls] for some players," Mourinho says. "What we can't accept is [Fàbregas] never having a free kick." Matic, who came on at half-time, was fouled three times. "The way they marked him, I think it was a foul for most players, including Diego Costa," says Mourinho. "They were very clever. They didn't let him be the centre of everything and they were happy with that."
When he is in top form Matic looks like a world class player but the truth is there are still questions to be asked of him. He has had three years to improve but he has not.
Matic first appeared as a Chelsea player on 14 August, 2014. The 23-year-old arrived as part of the deal that brought Radamel Falcao to the club. But it has


Champions League holders Real Madrid will face local rivals Atletico Madrid - the team they beat in last season's final - in the quarter-finals of this season's competition. Los Blancos needed extra-time to beat Diego Simeone's men in Lisbon May but the two Madrid sides will face each other again next month as they look to make it all the way to Berlin. Carlo Ancelotti's side scraped past Schalke to reach the last eight, while Atletico required a penalty shootout to see off Bayer Leverkusen at the Vicente Calderon on Tuesday. Real Madrid trio Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema (L-R) are looking to retain the trophy . Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak is mobbed by his team-mates after their win over Bayer Leverkusen . A large screen shows the Champions League quarter-final draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland . Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona . Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid . Porto vs Bayern Munich . Juventus vs Monaco . Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain - winners against  Manchester City and Chelsea in the last 16 - will also meet at the quarter-final stage. Luis Enrique's side beat the Premier League champions 1-0 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night to confirm a 3-1 aggregate triumph, sealing their place in a record eighth consecutive Champions League quarter-final. There they will meet Laurent Blanc's men, who bravely battled past John Terry and Co with 10 men at Stamford Bridge to gain revenge for last season's defeat by the Blues. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss the first leg against his former side after seeing red in west London but he will return for the trip to the Nou Camp looking to dump out the side he left permanently in 2011. Ivan Rakitic (centre) celebrates with his Barcelona team-mates after scoring against Manchester City . Karl-Heinz Riedle (right) makes the draw for the last eight with secretary general Gianni Infantino . Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani and his team-mates celebrate a dramatic victory against Chelsea . April 14 - Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid, Juventus vs Monaco . April 15 - PSG vs Barcelona, Porto vs Bayern Munich . April 21 - Barcelona vs PSG, Bayern Munich vs Porto . April 22 - Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid, Monaco vs Juventus . Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich face a trip to Porto in the first leg of their quarter-final before welcoming the Portuguese giants to the Allianz the following week. Pep Guardiola's side thrashed Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0 in their last 16 tie, while Porto comfortably knocked out Swiss champions Basle. Monaco, who survived a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal on Tuesday to progress on away goals, face a tough task against Juventus, who overcame Borussia Dortmund in style earlier this week. Quarter-final ties to take place on April 14, 15, 21 and 22. Bayern Munich thrashed Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0 in the second leg of their last 16 tie . Porto midfielder Yacine Brahimi (centre) celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal against Basle . Juventus' Carlos Tevez (second from left) and his team-mates got past Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday . Monaco reached the last eight after surviving a spirited effort from Arsenal in their last 16 second leg . Head-to-head . Who did they beat to get this far? PSG finished second in Group F behind Barcelona, winning four of their games, drawing one with Ajax and losing another against Barca. They played Chelsea in the last 16, drawing 1-1 in Paris before playing out an admirable 2-2 with 10 men in London. Manager . Laurent Blanc . Top goalscorer . Edinson Cavani - 6 . Have they ever won it? No . Who did they beat to get this far? Barcelona finished top of Group F, winning five of their games and losing the other 3-2 against PSG. They played Manchester City in the last 16, winning 2-1 at the Etihad and 1-0 at the Nou Camp. They progressed to the quarter-finals 3-1 on aggregate. Manager . Luis Enrique . Top goalscorer . Lionel Messi - 8 . Have they ever won it? Yes. Four times (runner-up three times) Thiago Silva's looping header in extra time sent Paris Saint-Gemain through at the expense of Chelsea . Key stats . Lionel Messi did everything but score as he delivered a masterclass against Manchester City at the Nou Camp . Who did they beat to get this far? Atletico finished top of Group A, winning four of their games, drawing one with Juventus and losing the other 3-2 against Olympiacos. They played Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, losing 1-0 away but winning by the same scoreline at home. It went to extra-time then penalties. Manager . Diego Simeone . Top goalscorer . Mario Mandzukic - 5 . Have they ever won it? Never (runner-up twice) Who did they beat to get this far? Real finished top of Group B, winning all six matches against Basle, Liverpool and Ludogorets. They played Schalke in the last 16, beating them 2-0 in Germany but losing 4-3 in Madrid. They advanced to the quarter-finals with a 5-4 win on aggregate. Manager . Carlo Ancelotti . Top goalscorer . Cristiano Ronaldo - 8 . Have they ever won it? Yes. Ten times (runner-up three times) Fernando Torres scores from the spot during Atletico Madrid's penalty shootout victory over Leverkusen . Key stats . Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid squeeze past Schalke to reach the Champions League last eight . Who did they beat to get this far? Porto finished top of Group H, winning four of their matches and drawing twice. Their most memorable win was beating BATE 6-0 in their opening group game. They also beat them 3-0 away. They played Basle in the last 16, drawing 1-1 away before winning 4-0 at home for a 5-1 aggregate. Manager . Julen Lopetegui . Top goalscorer . Jackson Martinez and Yacine Brahimi - both 5 . Have they ever won it? Yes. Twice . Who did they beat to get this far? Bayern finished top of Group E, winning five of their matches and losing one against Manchester City. Their most notable group win was against Roma, hammering them 7-1 in Italy. They played Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 16, drawing 0-0 away but winning 7-0 at home. Manager . Pep Guardiola . Top goalscorer . Thomas Muller - 5 . Have they ever won it? Yes. Five times (runner-up five times) Key stats . Midfielder Yacine Brahimi (left) has been the leading light in Porto's march to the quarter-finals . After a goalless draw in Donetsk, Bayern Munich fired seven past Shakhtar to progress . Who did they beat to get this far? Juventus finished second in Group A, winning three of their games, drawing one with Atletico and losing the other against Olympiacos. They played Borussia Dortmund in the last 16, winning 2-1 at home before hammering the Germans 3-0 away for a 5-1 aggregate. Manager . Massimiliano Allegri . Top goalscorer . Carlos Tevez - 6 . Have they ever won it? Yes. Twice (runner-up five times) Who did they beat to get this far? Monaco finished top of Group C, winning three of their games, drawing two and losing the other against Benfica. They played Arsenal in the last 16, winning 3-1 away before losing 2-0 at home and progressing on away goals. Manager . Leonardo Jardim . Top goalscorer . Lucas Ocampos, Aymen Abdennour, Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco, Dimitar Berbatov, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Fabinho, Joao Moutinho - all one . Have they ever won it? Never (runner-up once) Key stats . Carlos Tevez was Juventus' two-goal hero against Dortmund as the Serie A leaders made it through .

Real Madrid draw Atletico Madrid in UEFA Champions League last eight . The two sides met in last season's final, with Real coming out on top . Barcelona face Paris Saint-Germain, while Bayern Munich take on Porto . Arsenal's conquerors, Monaco, will meet Serie A champions Juventus . Quarter-final ties to take place on April 14, 15, 21 and 22 . CLICK HERE to see how it all unfolded . These sides have met twice before in the Champions League quarter-final stage. The French side progressed 3-2 on aggregate in 1995, while Barcelona went through on away goals in 2013 (3-3 on agg). Barcelona have never won in three away trips to face PSG (L2 D1), including a 3-2 defeat in this year’ group stage. PSG have lost one and drawn two of their three visits to the Nou Camp to face Barca, including a 3-1 defeat in this year’s group stage. Both teams have scored in six of the seven previous meetings between the sides in European competition. The only game where one team failed to score was in the 1997 Cup Winner’s Cup final, with Barcelona winning 1-0. Lionel Messi has scored three goals in four Champions League games against the French side, while Neymar also scored in both group stage games against them this season. Barca have lost just one of their last 11 games against French opposition, though this was against PSG this season (W6 D4). Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have already met six times this season with Atleti remaining unbeaten, winning four (including both league clashes) and drawing two. Atletico Madrid have scored exactly once in all four previous European meetings with city rivals Real, winning just once and losing three. Including this season, there has been at least one Spanish team in the Champions League quarter-final for the last 10 campaigns. For only the third time in European Cup history, a quarter-final tie will feature two Spanish sides; however it is the second season in a row that this has happened (Real Madrid v Sevilla in 1958 and Atletico v Barcelona in 2014). Bayern only lost 1 of 22 competitive matches versus Portuguese teams (13 W, 8 D): the European Cup final 1987: 1-2 versus Porto. Bayern won the last knockout tie against a Portuguese team 12-1: 5-0 A and 7-1 H against Sporting in the Last 16 of the CL 2008/09. Porto's one previous knockout European Cup victory over a German side came in the 1987 final; they have been eliminated from three knockout ties since, two against Bayern and one against Schalke. Bayern Munich have kept seven clean sheets in their last nine against Portuguese sides, conceding just twice in total. These two sides have only ever met before in the 97/98 Champions League, when Juventus won 4-1 at home and lost 2-3 in Monte Carlo on their way to the final where they lost 1-0 to Real Madrid. In their 24 European meetings with French teams (including Intertoto), the Old Lady have lost just five times, winning 14 and drawing five. However in the Champions League only, Juve has won just two of their six games against French sides (one win v Monaco in 1998 and a victory against Nantes in 1996). In their 11 European meetings with Italian sides, Monaco have won just three times (D2 L6), although two of those victories have come in their last three clashes with Serie A sides.

 Simeone's side in the 2014 final to win the trophy for the tenth time.
The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals was conducted on Monday evening at the Citywest Convention Centre.
"Atletico Madrid are great rivals and it's a joy to face them. They are a team with a lot of personality," Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters.
"We are going to play against an opponent we respect, because they are strong and they are good in all areas. We can't think that we will be the strongest team."
Barcelona, who were knocked out of the competition in last season's quarter-finals by Atletico, will face Juventus in the other quarter-final tie. Barcelona reached the quarter-finals by knocking out Manchester City in the last 16 in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
"We are playing in one of the most difficult stadiums in the world, against a great team with great players that is also playing very well. So it is going to be very difficult," Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta told reporters.
"We are not going to take any team lightly, this is clear. Juventus have shown that they are a great team. We know what type of game they can play and we have a lot of respect for the team and their coach (Massimiliano) Allegri."
Barcelona and Real Madrid contested the first two European Cup finals, with the two teams facing each other in the 1956 final. Real Madrid won the first meeting between the sides in Madrid, 4-3 in extra time, before the Catalan giants won the rematch 1-0 in Lisbon four years later. Real Madrid have won the European Cup (now Champions League) three times in four seasons between 2002 and 2005, while Barcelona have won the trophy three times in the past nine seasons.
Both teams have won the title every year but one (2011) since the inception of the current format of the Champions League in 1992. However, Atletico Madrid were pipped to the title last year when they finished one point behind Barcelona.
This is the eighth time that the Spanish clubs have been drawn against each other in the competition since the Spanish giants are still among the favourites to retain the title they won a year ago, with many pundits tipping the Catalans for another triumph.


Elon Musk has revealed two key software updates for the Tesla model S sedan that he claims will end 'range anxiety'. The first is a 'range assurance' app that communicates with Tesla's Supercharger network, warning drivers if they are about to run out of power, and pointing them to the nearest Supercharger. The second is a trip planner, which will combine the Supercharger network with the network of Model S cars to improve long-distance journeys for drivers. Scroll down for video . Tesla's software will map out the best route to a driver's destination based on the location of charging stations. It will also warn drivers if battery power is low before they drive beyond an area where they can charge . Tesla's updated software will map out the best route to a driver's destination based on the location of charging stations. It will also warn drivers if battery power is low before they drive beyond an area where they can charge via a Trip Planner app. The update will also add several safety features, including automatic emergency braking and blind spot detection. In the future, the Tesla Model S fleet will also have auto-steering and the ability to summon a car to any location. 'This makes it effectively impossible for a driver to run out of range unintentionally', said Musk. 'You'll have to confirm you want to, actually. Twice.' The Model S is already able to estimate how much charge a driver has left in their battery. It can also tell the driver where they are from the nearest Supercharger. Superchargers are free connectors that charge Model S in minutes. There are currently 403 Supercharger stations with 2,219 Superchargers around the world. The latest update combines these two features, to provide more accurate warnings. Its built-in trip planner, meanwhile, will be more advanced, using real-time data such as wind speed and elevation. The announcement follows Musk's cryptic tweet over the weekend, in which he hinted at the 6.2 software update that will be available later this month. The separate Range Assurance feature should be available in the U.S., Europe, and most of China within the next 12 months. Other features that will be coming soon include the addition of autosteering for the Model S, which should be available in the next three months. 'We can basically go between San Francisco and Seattle without the driver doing anything,' Musk said. Other features that will be coming soon include the addition of autosteering for the Model S, which should be available in the next three months. The technology means drivers will not have to control the wheel, acceleration and braking when the car is on a the motorway. The car will be able to sense its surroundings . The technology means drivers will not have to control the wheel, acceleration and braking when the car is on a the motorway. In the future, the company will also give driver's the ability to summon their car to any location. The Model S will also get automatic emergency braking and side collision warnings with the new update. The updates today addresses one of the biggest concerns for owners of electric cars; that their battery could run out at any moment, leaving them stranded with no recharging station nearby. So-called 'range anxiety' is a fear that has apparently plagued some owners of Tesla's Model S vehicle. The Model S is already able to estimate how much charge a driver has left in their battery. It can also tell the driver where they are from the nearest supercharger. The latest update combines these two features, to provide more accurate warnings . Elon Musk (left) said that owners should expect such important software updates to be delivered to their Tesla Model S once every three or four months. On the right is a preview of what the Trip Planner will look like . In a survey for Consumer Reports in 2012, 77 per cent of respondents said limited range was their biggest concern with electric cars. The official range of the Model S at the moment is up to 310 miles (500km), which is apparently not enough to quell range anxiety for some drivers. Running low on fuel and making a desperate search for the nearest station could soon be a thing of the past. Earlier this month Ford unveiled its latest app that not only shows how far you can travel on the power you have remaining, it bases its predictions on your unique driving style. The MyFord Mobile also lets drivers remotely access their vehicles meaning they can set the cabin temperature on a cold morning before they leave their house. The app was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and currently works with a selection of Ford's electric and hybrid cars. CNN noted that, last year, Tesla upgraded its Tesla Roadster electric car, increasing its range from 245 to 400 miles (395 to 645km) on a single charge. This was via a lithium battery pack upgrade and, at the time, Musk tellingly tweeted: 'Should mention that a battery pack upgrade is not coming soon for the Model S, but it obviously *will* happen long-term.' Musk has since deleted that tweet - perhaps in anticipation of today's announcement. Tesla regularly updates drivers' software for free over the air. In January, for instance, an update increased the speed of the top-of-the-line P85D via use of 'insane mode' - enabling the car to go 0 to 60mph (97km/h) in 3.2 seconds, compared to the usual 5.9 seconds. 'We've designed the Model S to be basically a computer on a wheels,' Musk said. 'We view in the same way you view updating your phone and your laptop.' Musk added that owners should expect such important software updates to be delivered to their Tesla Model S once every three or four months. The announcement follows Musk's cryptic tweet over the weekend, in which he hinted at the 6.2 software update that will be available later this month .

Two updates will make Model S fleet 'impossible to run out of range' A range assurance app will communicate with Tesla's Superchargers . Trip planner feature will map out the best route for driver's destination . This will use data such as wind speed and location to nearest charger . Other features include autosteering which will be available in 3 months . Tesla will soon give drivers ability to summon their car to any location .

 approaching a Supercharger whose bays are full, or out of order. It can also tell drivers when they are able to charge up at a station as well as provide estimated time to destination and charging estimates. The second update adds the ability to remotely adjust climate control settings from your phone and Tesla's mobile app. The improvements will be available in the software update that is expected next week, Musk said. "The most important changes of the last software release were made to the range anxiety features," he wrote in a blog. "They will give you peace of mind in the moment as much as possible, and prevent range anxiety from happening in the first place."Tesla began rolling out the two software updates yesterday for the company's top-selling car, the Model S. The updates will begin automatically after a driver plugs the car in for charging.Tesla model S owners will get a new version of their in-car computer software next week, the company said on its blog yesterday. The updates come as Tesla - which recently became the most valuable car maker in the world - is grappling with a number of issues including its manufacturing plans, its business plans, the rollout of its new Model X SUV, and an alleged fraud by a senior executive. But the software update is likely to be the most important of all.Musk's promise of two key features has been echoed by the company's engineers who have long complained about the range anxiety of the car, which has been a popular complaint among early adopters. The two updates focus on remote control over various car features from a cell phone app or mobile application.Tesla model S has gained a lot of fame in last 4 years. It has 4.0/5 star rating by consumer reports and it is the only car company having this rating. So the company is doing something right to achieve this much success.
Tesla has been making some very impressive advances lately to keep a hold of their spot as the most valuable car maker in the world. They have been on a tear the last few months since the market opened on July 1st. Tesla is up roughly $6 per share over the last 6 months (+46%) - compared to a modest 20% for the Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500. Tesla is a great way to play the electric vehicle revolution with limited downside, a very strong balance sheet, a great stock chart and a strong group of investors. The stock has been in a bullish


Forget Groundhog Day. For suffering Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw, it is beginning to feel more like Groundhog Year. There has been an increasingly familiar pattern to his addresses in the aftermath of every one of his team’s four defeats in this Six Nations campaign so far. He has talked of the positives to take from each loss while trying his best to put the bravest of faces on matters. As he sat at BT Murrayfield on Tuesday following a tough training session with his international colleagues, his mask didn’t slip one bit as he went through the same old routine. Greig Laidlaw  in action during the Six Nations rugby match between France and Scotland at Stade de France . But behind the forced smile it was clear there is a new fear engulfing him which makes the final Six Nations match against Ireland on Saturday an increasingly nervous prospect. The scrum-half with 38 caps to his name doesn’t want to join Chris Paterson and Ross Ford in the record books as a captain who led Scotland to a Six Nations wooden spoon. Paterson did it twice, in 2004 and 2007, with Ford suffering a similar fate in 2012. Since Five Nations became Six, Italy have been bottom of the pile 10 times with Wales and France finishing last once each. England and Ireland have never picked up the wooden spoon. Laidlaw, who played stand-off rather than scrum-half in the side that was whitewashed under Ford, doesn’t want to experience that feeling again. He is hoping his team-mates feel as embarrassed as he is about the current plight and use the fear of failure as motivation to put things right against the Irish. ‘I don’t know if it hurts me as captain more than the other players, but losing all our games so far certainly hurts me a lot, that’s for sure,’ said the 29-year-old. ‘I like to think avoiding the wooden spoon is a big driving factor whether you are captain or not, as nobody wants to be in the team that’s failed to pick up any wins. ‘Remember, though, we haven’t finished bottom yet and we’ve got an opportunity this weekend to finish on a high. If we can win this one, it allows us to give a big sigh of relief going into the pre-World Cup games over the summer and then build towards the World Cup. Laidlaw leaves the field after the second half of the the RBS Six Nations match between against Italy . ‘The other side of the coin is that if we lose this one, it’s a long time before we play for Scotland again and that’s the worst situation to be in. At least we have a week to try to rectify some of the problems that were there against England and give everybody the boost they want by turning things around against Ireland.’ Laidlaw admitted he has been left totally frustrated at how his side had come up short in all their matches and fallen away badly in the second half of key games. Although he believes all is not lost, he is clearly growing tired of constantly being the one trying to explain away in public what is going wrong. ‘I’ve almost been saying the same things most weeks, unfortunately,’ he continued. ‘I still believe there are huge positives in there and I think everybody, including ourselves, can see some of the play is brilliant and the players get confidence from that. ‘I know the English boys and the Welsh boys, in particular, think that we’re now a threat and a much better team than we were in the past despite the defeats. We are getting close to winning but need to do that little bit extra to get over the line. ‘Of course there are things to look at and, for instance, we’re getting to half-time in good positions but maybe dropping off slightly, which is something we need to sort. VIDEO 02 Inside Line: England v Scotland match review . Ben Youngs hands off the tackle of Laidlaw  during the match between England and Scotland at Twickenham . ‘Looking back at the England game, that is what happened as there wasn’t enough urgency in the early part of the second half and we just let England come at us. There’s only so much you can soak up before cracking and we can’t let that happen again.’ Murrayfield will have a capacity attendance for the match against Ireland, with many visiting fans making up the 67,000 crowd. Irish supporters had bought their tickets within hours of them going on sale on the assumption their team would be challenging for the Grand Slam. A clean sweep is no longer a possibility after their defeat to Wales last weekend but, even with tens of thousands inside the stadium cheering on Joe Schmidt’s title contenders, Laidlaw still believes the Scotland players can be inspired by the atmosphere within Murrayfield. ‘We want to win for the jersey, win for ourselves, win for the fans, because they’ve been brilliant throughout a tough campaign,’ he said. ‘We can feed off them hugely and want to go out there and give them something back for their continued support. We really want to send them off on a good note, because it’s been a tough championship for the players and fans alike.’ Laidlaw stands dejected after the final whistle during the RBS 6 Nations match at Twickenham . A win over Ireland would indeed have the fans singing a happier tune. For that to happen, Ford insists there is nothing to be gained from dwelling too much on the results which have brought Scotland to this precarious position. ‘We need to be realistic, look at where we aren’t good enough and try to improve,’ said the Edinburgh hooker, capped 84 times. ‘We need to stay positive going into the games and it is a huge positive to know we have pushed good teams close and scored tries against them. ‘There is no point getting down as it doesn’t get you anywhere on the pitch. It’s about staying positive and getting right back out and going after Ireland. ‘It would be great to finish the campaign on a high, especially at home. It is a World Cup year, so it would be a very positive note to end the Six Nations on.’

Greig Laidlaw doesn’t want to join Chris Paterson and Ross Ford . The duo led Scotland to the wooden spoon in 2004, 2007 and 2012 . England and Ireland have never picked up the wooden spoon . Since five nations became six, Italy have been bottom of the pile 10 times .

 the Six Nations so far. He was at it again on Sunday night when Scotland’s 21-9 defeat by Ireland at Murrayfield brought an end to their slim championship hopes.
“The performance was better than the result,” he insisted, although Laidlaw was not sure he would be able to apply that analysis if the Irish had beaten England as well – which they did by 20-14. But you sense he will find it hard to remain so sanguine about these Scotland teams.
For one thing, even though he is now 32, it is beginning to feel that Laidlaw’s international career has been almost as much a Groundhog Year as his captaincy. His own performance was better than his side’s, and he said so himself. “As individuals we can be a lot more accurate,” he explained. “We have a lot of young players in the team who are going to be able to build on this performance and take some heart from it. A couple of tries were there to be taken and we missed them tonight.”
The captain’s man of the match award, though, was given to the opposite No9, Conor Murray.
“Murray did a great job,” Laidlaw agreed. “He looked pretty composed for someone playing in his first match for a long time [it was Murray’s first cap]. He probably took the pressure off himself by scoring one himself – although he did drop the ball under pressure – and the next play was very good, going into contact and coming out the other end.
“The guy is a natural leader and you would imagine he has done some good work. We need to stop them on the gain line, make sure we are in the right place defensively. When the ball gets into the midfield, we need to make sure the right guy is in the right place.”
The captain was not too hard on his team. “When we lost to England, the game went from 6-3 to 10-3. That made the game and the tie pretty much over,” he said. “We made a few errors and were probably a little soft in contact as well, and that’s all the more disappointing after we came out fighting like we did tonight.
“You get days like that in rugby. If you have got guys who keep working hard you build on that. That’s all we can do. We will go through all the details and be a


When James Corden was surprisingly chosen to host America’s top chat show, fans and critics alike wondered if the British star would flourish in such an unfamiliar role. Yet Corden’s first week in the hot-seat on CBS’s The Late Late Show has been so widely acclaimed that he is now being tipped as a front-runner to host the prestigious Golden Globes awards next year – the Hollywood party second only to the Oscars for star quality. ‘Out of nowhere, he’s suddenly a realistic contender for one of the most coveted awards-hosting jobs of the year,’ said a source close to the Globes. ‘He’s only been hosting The Late Late Show for a few days, but already Hollywood is sitting up and taking notice. Scroll down for video . Roaring success: James Corden's debut on The Late Late Show with Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks . ‘James has shown that he’s funny, can sing and dance, puts celebrities at their ease, and doesn’t dismiss stars with snark. ‘If he maintains this trajectory, he could find himself hosting the Globes – and that would really cement his position in Hollywood.’ Corden, 36, who made his name as co-writer and star of cult television sitcom Gavin and Stacey, has already proved his ability to host a major awards show by fronting the Brits for four years. If he took on the Globes, he would be following in the footsteps of fellow comedy actor Ricky Gervais, who hosted the ceremony from 2010 to 2012. Since Gervais stepped down, the awards have been co-hosted by American TV comedy stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Comfortable: ‘James has shown that he’s funny, can sing and dance, puts celebrities at their ease,' said a source. Pictured with Patricia Arqeutte and Chris Pine on his second night . A source within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which stages the Golden Globes, said: ‘Amy and Tina have finished their three-year contract and have stated that they won’t be back next year. ‘Right now, the field for a new Golden Globes host is wide open.’ Another insider said: ‘James Corden combines all the attributes of the ideal host. ‘He has enjoyed movie success this year, starring in Into The Woods with Meryl Streep, and of course he’s had TV success in Britain with his comedies. ‘He’s also won a Tony for his Broadway show One Man, Two Guvnors, and now he’s getting rave reviews in the States with The Late Late Show, giving him an international audience.’ While there are a string of chat show hosts who are better known in America, such as David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Ellen DeGeneres, none has Corden’s wide range of film, TV and stage success. Corden’s guests during his debut week included actors Tom Hanks, Mila Kunis, Will Ferrell, Chris Pine and Kevin Hart. Celebrities lined up for future shows include X Factor tycoon Simon Cowell, footballer David Beckham, chef Gordon Ramsay and actors Michael Douglas, Courteney Cox and Claire Danes. But not everyone might welcome Corden as the Globes host. He sparked controversy at the Brits in 2012 when he cut short Adele’s acceptance speech for winning the Best British Album after only 12 seconds, provoking a vulgar hand gesture from the angry singer. Theo Kingma, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, said: ‘We are exploring some very exciting possibilities regarding hosts.’ A spokesman for Corden declined to comment.

His first week on CBS’s The Late Late Show has been widely acclaimed . Already tipped as a front-runner to host awards next year, source says . He would be following in the footsteps of fellow comedian Ricky Gervais . One insider says he ‘combines all the attributes of the ideal host'

 Late Late Show has proven him worthy of the title ‘King of late night’ – just don’t call him ‘the new…’
The 37-year-old’s hosting gig began last week with a star-studded opening featuring the likes of Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep. This past week, we have seen performances from a wide variety of artists, such as Nick Jonas and One Republic.
This week, Corden has already set tongues wagging after announcing that One Direction would be his first music guests on the show – but for many, it’s his first guest that stole the show on Tuesday night.
Yes, that’s right – Oprah is his first ever guest on The Late Late Show, and with a lengthy resume that includes talk shows, books and media mogul status, the Queen of all talk shows made for the perfect first guest for the late-night host.
The interview was a long one, clocking in at 29 minutes and 59 seconds, but the lengthy back-and-forth did nothing but help establish Corden as a star-studded interviewer. The two-time Emmy winning host had a list of questions he was keen to get to, and didn’t hold back, asking a range of personal, career-oriented and controversial questions including:
- Will you marry me?
- When does the cheque arrive in the mail?
- I’m on Twitter too much, how do I stop?
Corden managed to get Oprah talking about a wide range of topics, from her career to her views on the media, without making the veteran seem out-of-it or awkward.
“She’s not a diva,” Corden said to Oprah later in the interview, when he said he had heard she was demanding during interviews.
“I think some people may have misrepresented her. I know her personally, and she’s very well liked,” he continued, describing the chat. “She’s kind of very down-to-earth, very easy to talk to. She’s just a really cool lady.”
However, the chat has been criticised by The Independent and the Daily Mail as being ‘awkward’, with Oprah and Corden seeming to struggle to get off the mark. “What we really liked about the Oprah interview is that it doesn’t look like it’s been overly rehearsed,” said the Daily Mail.
Perhaps that is why