'Innocent' student sorry for Sandwichgate

Kyle Thomson, 16, and his mother speak to Channel 9 tonight. The teen has been suspended for throwing a sandwich at the Prime Minister during a school visit but he denies being the culprit. Source: Supplied

PRIME Minister JULIA Gillard says she's treating a sandwich attack at a Queensland school as a laughing matter - but won't be offering a Prime Ministerial pardon.

Kyle Thomson, 16, has been suspended for 15 days after being blamed for throwing the sandwich as an otherwise friendly group of students mobbed the PM.

Kyle says he wasn't the sandwich thrower, and -  in a move apparently straight out of the Secret Service textbook - says he was trying to knock it out of another student's hand.

"I would like to say that I am sorry that it happened to her," Mr Thomson told Ms Gillard during a radio interview on B105.

"But I'm innocent and I did not throw it."

Ms Gillard, who was surprised with the call from the schoolboy during a live interview, laughed it off.

Asked if she would lobby for Kyle - who has been suspended for his alleged actions - to get a pardon, Ms Gillard declined.

"Well I do sort of sympathise because it was just a little act of hijinx, whoever it was carried out by, but I think as Prime Minister what I've got to say is school principals are wonderful people and it is really for the school principal to deal with," she said.

PROTEST?: A student throws a sandwich at Prime Minister Julia Gillard as she visits a school in Queensland. Picture: Nine News Brisbane

Ms Gillard later told ABC radio she won't be giving the teen a "prime ministerial pardon" out of respect for the principal's decision.

"I would not want to undermine the authority of principal Alan Jones."

She said she was treating the sandwich incident as a laughing matter.

"I didn't see a sandwich in the air," she said.

"I did see half a sandwich on the ground.

"What I actually saw was screaming, over-excited and enthusiastic kids being very warm and very friendly."

Kyle was one of many teens who mobbed Julia Gillard during a visit to Marsden State High School, south of Brisbane,  yesterday morning.

iPhone vision of the scene at Marsden High School in Queenland, where students yelled abuse at the PM and hurled a sandwich as she passed by. Vision: Andre Grimaux

While speaking to students a sandwich was hurled in the direction of Ms Gillard, flying past her and hitting another student.

A teacher declared Kyle was the one who threw it and he was subsequently suspended for 15 days.

But Kyle has denied the allegations, instead claiming he tried to stop another student from throwing the sandwich.

"I hit the sandwich out of the kid's hand because he threw it," he told Channel 9.

"There was another one, so I hit it out of his hand."

Kyle's mother believes her son is being unfairly blamed for the incident and has demanded all footage from the visit be reviewed to find the real culprit.

"Kyle's no angel, don't get me wrong, but I think there is a lot more to the circumstances," she told Channel 9.

"I honestly wonder if he would have been suspended on the first day without all the investigations being done if it wasn't the Prime Minister."

She went on to say the incident had been blown out of proportion.

"I'm sure she's had more than a sandwich thrown at her throughout her life,"

Ms Gillard laughed off the incident as 'high-jinx.'

"One kid thought they might just be a little bit naughty," she said.

Earlier, it was reported that a student threw a sandwich but others cheered support for the Prime Minister as she arrived for a morning tea at Marsden High this morning.

Some students lining the footpath to the school hall yelled "loser" at Julia Gillard, but the reception was largely positive and drew comparisons to the adulation afforded Kevin Rudd on his way to an election victory in 2007.

A sandwich was thrown at the Prime Minister but it missed the mark as she made her way through the school grounds.

The PM's security struggled to keep up with the PM as students "went crazy" according to one bystander.

Ms Gillard used the function to announce $2.4 million for data collection on cancer over four years. The Prime Minister said cancer touched literally every Australian family in some way.

But Australia also leads the country in cancer treatment and prevention. "That is a key priority for me and my government,'' she said. Hundreds swarmed towards the PM after the speech asking for photographs.

The Prime Minister was at the school to attend a Biggest Morning Tea and meet community leaders from Logan.

An onlooker said some teachers tried to calm students while others looked disgusted at some students who were yelling abuse.

"It was complete chaos," she said.

Marsden High P & C president Michelle Campbell witnessed the incident, and said it was “disappointing”.

“Kids will be kids though,” she said.
 

-- by Heidi Braithwaite, Michael Madigan, Stephanie Bennett, Lanai Scarr and AAP

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Sorry, Playboy India is not a Goa

Playboy bunnies show off the Indian uniform. The holiday state of Goa has decided to reject a proposal for India's first Playboy club on one of its beaches following complaints that it would promote prostitution. Picture: AFP

• Playboy wants to expand into India
• Bunny uniforms changed to suit Indian "values"
• Indian politician says it will promote "vulgarity"

PLAYBOY'S business plan says it wants to open 120 clubs and bars in India by 2022. There's one problem. The Indians don't want them.

Playboy's potential expansion into India faces serious opposition. Politician Michael Lobo alleges the clubs will promote "vulgarity". He has threatened to go on a hunger strike if even one club is allowed to operate. 

In a country where kissing in public is considered taboo, trying to open a Playboy bar was always going to be tough. 

In preparation for the first club application, Playboy  founder Hugh Hefner approved changes to the iconic bunny uniform. Bunny bottoms have been replaced with long drapes of black chiffon. 

"We are clear about one thing - there will absolutely be no nudity. The bunnies will be suited to Indian sensibilities and moral values," Sanjay Gupta, CEO of Playboy Lifestyle, said in an India Times article. 

Indian newspapers reported that Playboy had hired six bunnies who had arrived in India to undergo a four-week service training program. 

But while Playboy has toned down its image, it wasn't enough. 

They applied last week to run a beach shack in Goa. That application was a little bit cheeky. 

Beach shacks can only be operated by an individual not a business. 

Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said the application had cause heated debate in parliament. 

"As per the state government's shack policy, one can not approve applications in the brand name; one has to apply in his name", Mr Parulekar said. "The department found that the application by the club does not fall under the legal purview."

So the Playboy shack was rejected. Whether that has killed Playboy's Indian dream remains to be seen.

View the original article here

Sorry, Playboy India is not a Goa

Playboy bunnies show off the Indian uniform. The holiday state of Goa has decided to reject a proposal for India's first Playboy club on one of its beaches following complaints that it would promote prostitution. Picture: AFP

• Playboy wants to expand into India
• Bunny uniforms changed to suit Indian "values"
• Indian politician says it will promote "vulgarity"

PLAYBOY'S business plan says it wants to open 120 clubs and bars in India by 2022. There's one problem. The Indians don't want them.

Playboy's potential expansion into India faces serious opposition. Politician Michael Lobo alleges the clubs will promote "vulgarity". He has threatened to go on a hunger strike if even one club is allowed to operate. 

In a country where kissing in public is considered taboo, trying to open a Playboy bar was always going to be tough. 

In preparation for the first club application, Playboy  founder Hugh Hefner approved changes to the iconic bunny uniform. Bunny bottoms have been replaced with long drapes of black chiffon. 

"We are clear about one thing - there will absolutely be no nudity. The bunnies will be suited to Indian sensibilities and moral values," Sanjay Gupta, CEO of Playboy Lifestyle, said in an India Times article. 

Indian newspapers reported that Playboy had hired six bunnies who had arrived in India to undergo a four-week service training program. 

But while Playboy has toned down its image, it wasn't enough. 

They applied last week to run a beach shack in Goa. That application was a little bit cheeky. 

Beach shacks can only be operated by an individual not a business. 

Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said the application had cause heated debate in parliament. 

"As per the state government's shack policy, one can not approve applications in the brand name; one has to apply in his name", Mr Parulekar said. "The department found that the application by the club does not fall under the legal purview."

So the Playboy shack was rejected. Whether that has killed Playboy's Indian dream remains to be seen.

View the original article here

Thump! Sorry, that's the tail smashing

Ryanair's engineers are inspecting a plane the hit the runway with its tail on takeoff. Picutre: Ryanair  

A RYANAIR flightwas delayed for eight hours overnight after it was forced to turn around because the tail hit the runway on takeoff.

According to reports in the Aviation Herald, Ryanair flight FR-3883 from Malta (Malta) to London Luton,EN (UK), departed Luqa Airport's runway 13 when the crew received indication the tail of the aircraft had contacted the runway surface. 

The crew of the Boeing 737-800 stopped the climb at 5000 feet and returned to Malta for a safe landing about 35 minutes after departure.

A replacement aircraft was sent to get the passengers to London. 

Sarah Wilson was on board the plane. She told the Malta Herald she knew there was a problem as soon as the flight took off. 

"We felt the tail hit the runway and knew there was a problem as we kept low and repeatedly circled Gozo," Ms Wilson said. "No fuel dump took place, the pilot burnt fuel until it was safe to land. We didn't fly back to UK on the same aircraft as that is still being inspected in Malta. Whatever went wrong i am very grateful to the crew for getting us down safe."

Air craft engineers are inspecting the damage to the plane.  

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Airline sorry for James Dean's death

A photo of pet cat James Dean, who was killed after being run over by a vehicle when he escaped his pet carrier cage ahead of a Jet Airways flight in New Delhi. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

INDIA'S Jet Airways has voiced "sincere regret" and offered a lengthy public apology to the owner of a pet cat that was run over before boarding a flight from New Delhi to Singapore.

The airline posted a contrite statement of more than 1000 words on Facebook, explaining the circumstances around the "sad and tragic demise" of the cat called James Dean and promising a review of the airline's handling of animals.

The cat and its owner were to take a flight on Saturday, but James Dean leapt onto the tarmac and was run over by a vehicle before being loaded on to the plane.

The airline "minutely scrutinised and retraced the entire sequence of events" to ascertain the cause of the incident, according to the statement posted on Wednesday.

After going though closed-circuit camera footage, the airline "inferred that the pet forced itself out of the container by pushing the wire mesh and thereby creating a gap for it to come free".

"By the time our teams arrived at the accident site, the pet had passed away," said the airline, which added that it is trying to contact the owner personally to express its sorrow.

The distraught owner, who cancelled her flight, wanted to be taken to the accident site but security restrictions meant she had to make do with CCTV footage of the entire incident, the statement said.

"We wish to assure all our guests and animal lovers, that we have always benchmarked processes with international best practices and follow global handling procedures," said the airline.

"The demise of James Dean is indeed sad and tragic."
 

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Airline sorry for James Dean's death

A photo of pet cat James Dean, who was killed after being run over by a vehicle when he escaped his pet carrier cage ahead of a Jet Airways flight in New Delhi. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

INDIA'S Jet Airways has voiced "sincere regret" and offered a lengthy public apology to the owner of a pet cat that was run over before boarding a flight from New Delhi to Singapore.

The airline posted a contrite statement of more than 1000 words on Facebook, explaining the circumstances around the "sad and tragic demise" of the cat called James Dean and promising a review of the airline's handling of animals.

The cat and its owner were to take a flight on Saturday, but James Dean leapt onto the tarmac and was run over by a vehicle before being loaded on to the plane.

The airline "minutely scrutinised and retraced the entire sequence of events" to ascertain the cause of the incident, according to the statement posted on Wednesday.

After going though closed-circuit camera footage, the airline "inferred that the pet forced itself out of the container by pushing the wire mesh and thereby creating a gap for it to come free".

"By the time our teams arrived at the accident site, the pet had passed away," said the airline, which added that it is trying to contact the owner personally to express its sorrow.

The distraught owner, who cancelled her flight, wanted to be taken to the accident site but security restrictions meant she had to make do with CCTV footage of the entire incident, the statement said.

"We wish to assure all our guests and animal lovers, that we have always benchmarked processes with international best practices and follow global handling procedures," said the airline.

"The demise of James Dean is indeed sad and tragic."
 

View the original article here

Branson sorry for Virgin uniform removal

Sir Richard Branson stands outside a hotel in Sydney, Australia, holding a model Virgin Atlantic plane. Picture: Photo/Rob Griffith

RICHARD Branson has apologised to a British Royal Navy helicopter technician who was told she could not board a flight from London Heathrow to Los Angeles unless she removed her uniform and changed into a sleep suit instead.

Virgin Atlantic staff and a security official allegedly told Petty Officer Nicky Howse her uniform may offend other passengers.

Mr Branson tweeted: "An airport security guard made a dreadful mistake in telling our staff a service woman could not wear her uniform on our flight.

"Our team made a mistake in following that advice. The @VirginAtlantic people involved are mortified and have apologised profusely."

Officer Howse, 32, was returning home to America after attending her grandfather's funeral in Ipswich.

In an email sent to a civilian friend, revealed by the Daily Mail, Petty Office Howse wrote: "It was horrific. I was made to feel uncomfortable in my own country for wearing the uniform I wear to defend the place. It made me ashamed of my country that a British serviceman can't travel in uniform. I was so distressed."

"I was basically told it was because 'We don't only fly British passengers' and told it was seen as a threat. They then said it was for my own safety to stop abuse."

View the original article here

Branson sorry for Virgin uniform removal

Sir Richard Branson stands outside a hotel in Sydney, Australia, holding a model Virgin Atlantic plane. Picture: Photo/Rob Griffith

RICHARD Branson has apologised to a British Royal Navy helicopter technician who was told she could not board a flight from London Heathrow to Los Angeles unless she removed her uniform and changed into a sleep suit instead.

Virgin Atlantic staff and a security official allegedly told Petty Officer Nicky Howse her uniform may offend other passengers.

Mr Branson tweeted: "An airport security guard made a dreadful mistake in telling our staff a service woman could not wear her uniform on our flight.

"Our team made a mistake in following that advice. The @VirginAtlantic people involved are mortified and have apologised profusely."

Officer Howse, 32, was returning home to America after attending her grandfather's funeral in Ipswich.

In an email sent to a civilian friend, revealed by the Daily Mail, Petty Office Howse wrote: "It was horrific. I was made to feel uncomfortable in my own country for wearing the uniform I wear to defend the place. It made me ashamed of my country that a British serviceman can't travel in uniform. I was so distressed."

"I was basically told it was because 'We don't only fly British passengers' and told it was seen as a threat. They then said it was for my own safety to stop abuse."

View the original article here

Kiwi MP kind of sorry about Muslim rant

New Zealand First politician Richard Prosser has said all Muslim men are a terrorist threat who should be banned from Western airlines.  Source: AFP

A New Zealand politician offered a qualified apology for saying young Muslim men were a terrorist threat who should be banned from flying on Western airlines.

After his remarks were condemned across the political spectrum, Richard Prosser of the New Zealand First party said he had failed to acknowledge the vast majority of Muslims were law-abiding and did not support extremism.

Prosser said his call for all males aged 19 to 35 who were Muslim, looked Muslim, or came from Muslim countries, to be banned from flights was too broad, but said he still supported "targeted profiling" of airline passengers.

"I shouldn't have called for a blanket ban, I should have called for an investigation into the merits of targeted profiling," he told Radio New Zealand, without elaborating. "That was something I shouldn't have done and I'm apologising for that."

Earlier he said: "If you are a young male, aged between say about 19 and about 35, and you're a Muslim, or you look like a Muslim, or you come from a Muslim country, then you are not welcome to travel on any of the West's airlines," he wrote.

He added: "I will not stand by while my daughters' rights and freedoms, and those of other New Zealanders and Westerners, are denigrated by a sorry pack of misogynist troglodytes from 'Wogistan'."

However, he said he had no regrets about calling Islam a "stone age religion" in a column published in the conservative current affairs magazine "Investigate".

"I was talking about Islam and I make no apology for the fact that I don't have any time for people who denigrate women and I don't have any time for institutions, whatever they might be, that suppress people's human rights," he said.

Prosser also denied that a reference to people's rights being "denigrated by a sorry pack of misogynist troglodytes from 'Wogistan'" was racist, saying "there are probably some people who get upset too easily".

Prime Minister John Key has described Prosser's remarks as appalling, while Islamic community groups have called for him to stand down from parliament, something he says he will not do.

Mr Key said Mr Prosser, who has previously called for the burqa to be banned, had deliberately set out to offend in the column.

"It's stupid and it was premeditated because he wrote it in an opinion piece. It's clearly what New Zealand First think of other New Zealanders," he told reporters.

Former Labour Party politician Kelvin Davis responded to Mr Prosser's remarks with a tweet paraphrasing Mark Twain: "Better to stay silent and have everyone think you're an idiot, than to open your mouth and confirm it."
 

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