Oscar Grant Film 'Highlights Racial Tensions'

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

The mother of a young black man, whose high-profile death sparked protests similar to those over the killing of Trayvon Martin, has told Sky News that America is failing to tackle the problem of racial profiling.

Oscar Grant was shot and killed by a transport police officer in Oakland, California, on New Year's Eve in 2008 as he lay restrained on the ground.

His killing was filmed by passengers on a waiting metro train and it led to days of riots in the city east of San Francisco.

The officer, who claimed he was reaching for his Taser and grabbed his gun by mistake, was later cleared of murder, prompting more protests.

Now, with America again debating the role of race in the justice system, a movie about Oscar Grant's killing is about to be released nationwide.

Fruitvale Station, named after the metro stop where he died, stars Michael B Jordan and Octavia Spencer, and was lauded at the Sundance Film Festival.

Octavia Spencer (L) and Michael B Jordan (second L) star in the film

Oscar's mother Wanda Johnson says the film was painful to watch but contains an important message.

She told Sky News: "An African-American or a brown life doesn't matter to the judicial system so we want people to know that their lives, our lives, matter and that they are loved."

She said Oscar's family wanted the movie to be made, adding: "They say time heals wounds but it was still very fresh. I almost cried through the whole movie."

The officer who killed Oscar was released after serving 10 months in a county jail for involuntary manslaughter.

Oscar's family was represented by celebrated civil rights lawyer John Burris, who also appeared for police beating victim Rodney King and rapper Tupac.

He said: "Trayvon Martin's case has created this real fear among vast majority of the African-American community, particularly mothers, that their son could be accosted by some gun-toting vigilante and shot and killed and there'd be no justification and no vindication for it.

Trayvon Martin's death sparked protests across the US

"I'd like to think that's not true. I don't want that to be true but when you have evidence time and time again, you know it can be true."

Oakland is a city with a history of tension between the black community and police and it was the place that gave birth to the Black Panther movement.

A church stands where the Panthers first met and Reverend Daniel Buford, a friend of the Grant family, says little is changing in America.

He said: "Consistent with the framers' intent of the US Constitution, black people, at the time they wrote that document, were only considered to be three-fifths of a human being.

"I don't see where that has changed at all in the way the institutions deal with us, particularly regarding justice.

"White people have five-fifths of justice, we have three-fifths of it and that is what you get in the Trayvon Martin case and the Oscar Grant case."

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Obama: Trayvon 'Could Have Been Me' Years Ago

Barack Obama has said Trayvon Martin "could have been me 35 years ago" and urged Americans to do some "soul-searching" about the country's racial history.

The president took the rare step of speaking about his own personal experiences of racism, as he talked openly for the first time since a man was cleared of killing a black teenager in Florida last week.

In the aftermath of the acquittal of George Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer, Mr Obama had issued only a statement urging calm.

But on live TV, he said: "When Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago."

The case, rife with racial overtones, have prompted protests across the US

The president said black Americans feel pain after the verdict because they view the case through "a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away".

Mr Obama, the country's first African-American president, spoke emotionally about the kind of subconscious racial profiling that blacks, especially young black men, continue to suffer in the country.

"There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they are shopping at a department store - and that includes me.

"There are very few African-American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars - that happened to me, at least before I was a senator."

George Zimmerman was acquitted by a Florida jury

Mr Obama said that violence would "dishonour" Trayvon's death.

Trayvon, 17, was shot to death by Mr Zimmerman, who describes himself as Hispanic, during a confrontation in a gated community in Florida in 2012.

Trayvon, who was unarmed and had been visiting his father, was followed by Mr Zimmerman. 

Mr Zimmerman said Trayvon assaulted him and he fired his gun in self-defence.

A jury last week agreed with his version of events and cleared him of second-degree murder charges.

The president declined to wade into the detail of legal questions about the case, saying: "Once the jury's spoken, that's how our system works."

But he said state and local laws, such as Florida's "stand your ground" statute, need a close look.

Mr Obama said it would be useful "to examine some state and local laws to see if they are designed in such a way that they may encourage the kinds of confrontation" that led to Trayvon's death.

He questioned whether a law that sends the message that someone who is armed "has the right to use those firearms even if there is a way for them to exit from a situation" really promotes the peace and security that people want.

Trayvon's parents have said they were shocked at the verdict

Trayvon's parents said in a statement they were honoured by Mr Obama's "beautiful tribute" to their son.

"What touches people is that our son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, could have been their son," they said. "President Obama sees himself in Trayvon and identifies with him. This is a beautiful tribute to our boy."

Meanwhile, Mr Zimmerman's brother, Robert, said he was "glad" Mr Obama had spoken out.

"No matter what you think of the verdict, there have to be things that bring us together," he told Fox News.

Sky News US Correspondent Amanda Walker said some Americans will feel Mr Obama has "gone too far" but added: "For many African-Americans there will be a sense of relief - relief that could calm the mood of a series of protests planned for the weekend."

Trayvon's parents have spoken of their shock at the verdict, and several protests have been staged across the US.

The Justice Department has said it plans to review the case to determine whether federal prosecutors should file criminal civil rights charges now that Mr Zimmerman has been acquitted.

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Policeman Leaks Photos Of Boston Bomb Suspect

Photos showing the moment the Boston Marathon bomb suspect was captured have been released by a police photographer angry at a magazine for "glamorising" the alleged attacker.

Massachusetts State Police tactical photographer Sergeant Sean Murphy took the pictures of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as the 19-year-old crawled out from beneath the cover of a boat four days after the blasts.

One of the photos shows him with a bloodied face and hand, with the red dot of a police sniper's rifle laser sight on his forehead.

Sgt Murphy released the image after a portrait of Tsarnaev appeared on the front cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

The photographer claims his pictures, which were published in Boston Magazine, show the "real Boston bomber, not someone fluffed and buffed".

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev took the photo which appeared on the magazine himself

"The truth is that glamorising the face of terror is not just insulting to the family members of those killed in the line of duty, it also could be an incentive to those who may be unstable to do something to get their face on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine," he told the publication.

A state police spokesman said Sgt Murphy had not been authorised to release the photographs he took of Tsarnaev.

He said the images would not be handed out to other media organisations.

Three people died and hundreds more were injured when two pressure cooker bombs exploded close to the finish line of the Boston Marathon in April.

Earlier this month, Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty to 30 charges, including the use of weapons of mass destruction.

The explosions killed three people, including a young boy

His brother Tamerlan, who allegedly helped commit the attack, died during the manhunt for the pair.

Meanwhile, the editors of Rolling Stone added a statement to the online version of their article about Tsarnaev in which they said: "Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings and our thoughts are always with them and their families.

"The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone's long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day.

"The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens."

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Dreamliner Turns Back After Fuel Pump Warning

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been forced to return to an airport in America because of a possible fuel pump issue.

The Japan Airlines flight from Boston to Tokyo turned back as a "standard precautionary measure" around five hours after taking off, according to a company spokeswoman.

Pilots landed the plane safely after a maintenance warning indicated a possible fault.

Japan Airlines only resumed its 787 operations in June, five months after a battery fire on board one of the planes in its fleet.

At the time, Yoshiharu Ueki, the company's president, said it would "ensure safety, security and reliability in operations of every aircraft in the group's fleet".

The Dreamliner has been beset by glitches since its first commercial flight in October 2011.

The aircraft was grounded worldwide in January after batteries overheated on two Japanese jets.

Damage caused to an Ethiopian Airlines 787 following a fire at Heathrow

It resumed commercial service in May after Boeing installed a redesigned battery system.

However in June, a 787 operated by United Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing because of an issue with its brake system.

Days later, another of the company's fleet landed safely when pilots became aware of a potential oil filter problem.

Meanwhile, a fire on an Ethiopian Airlines 787 that caused major disruption at Heathrow Airport earlier this month is believed to have started in the battery of an emergency locator transmitter.

A report from the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch said that if a similar fault occurred mid-flight, "it could pose a significant safety concern and raise challenges for the cabin crew in tackling the resulting fire".

British Airways and TUI Travel have both taken delivery of Dreamliners this year, while Virgin Atlantic is awaiting the arrival of 16 of the planes.

More than 900 787s have been ordered worldwide since 2004.

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Mandela: 'Remarkable Progress' In Hospital

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Nelson Mandela's daughter has told Sky News he is making "remarkable progress" in hospital on the eve of his 95th birthday.

In an exclusive interview conducted in the home of the former South African president's second wife Winnie, Zindzi Mandela says he is communicating with his eyes and hand.

She revealed he is also watching television and using headphones to hear the sound.

"You can see he is there in his eyes, the same energy and strength," she said, and hopes he will be released "soon".

Mr Mandela was admitted to the MediClinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria five week ago, with a recurring lung infection.

Well-wishers look at messages of support for Mr Mandela at his hospital

The government has maintained the Nobel Peace Prize winner remains in a "critical but stable" condition, despite claims in court documents from a legal team representing some of his family that his health was "perilous".

Ms Mandela, who is 52, was just three when her father was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Together with her older sister Zenani, she spent her young life being moved from school to school, as her mother Winnie was frequently arrested by the apartheid regime.

In her late teens she sought psychological help.

Asked if she was ever angry with her father, she said: "Yes, of course I was.

"This anger I'm talking about was directed towards him ... So many things that happened to us, all the trauma, the harassment, the brutality of the apartheid regime.

Padlocks honouring Mr Mandela have been placed on a fence in Durban

"I felt very vulnerable. But as I say, in speaking about those moments with him and sharing, that has helped me to heal."

Mr Mandela is 95 on Thursday. His family will hold a birthday party at the Pretoria hospital ward and bring some of his favourite foods, including cuisine from Mozambique and biryani curries.

The family is also planning a special present for the former president on his birthday, which many relatives feared he might not see.

Zindzi Mandela said: "Naturally it's very difficult to come up with an ideal gift ... so normally we just do huge, huge picture frames of all the family events and members of the family.

"We've got another huge collage to give him tomorrow."

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Nelson Mandela: 95th Birthday Marked Worldwide

Mandela's Love Affair With Winnie

Updated: 8:33pm UK, Wednesday 17 July 2013

By Claude Colart, Mandela family friend, in South Africa

"My love for her remains undiminished." These were the words Nelson Mandela told the world on 13 April 1992 when he announced his separation from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

A few years later the couple legally divorced.

But it wasn't the end of a long-lasting love story. When he saw her at a bus stop in 1957, it was love at first sight. Nelson Mandela (aka Madiba, as per his clan name) has always admitted that. And Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has remained a presence in his life, even after his marriage to Graca Machel in 1998 - on his 80th birthday. In private Mrs Machel sometimes refers to herself and Winnie as "Madiba's two wifes".

To many in the outside world Winnie remains labelled as the anti-apartheid fighter who in 1986 said "with our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country." Necklacing was a brutal practice of "punishing" suspected traitors and apartheid-collaborators by burning them alive using tyres and petrol.

But even more, Winnie's image remains tarnished when she was found guilty of kidnap and assault of 14-year old Stompie Moeketsi, whom she and her supporters suspected of being an apartheid informer. Stompie was found dead in a field in Soweto. Winnie's six-year jail sentence was reduced to a fine in appeal. And in 2003 Winnie was found guilty of fraud related to a funeral fund. Her five-year sentence was changed to a suspended one of three years and six months.

But these dark pages in Winnie's life are probably sadly hiding a truly, deep story of love, affection and commitment. And thus the more accurate, full story of Nomzano Winnie Madikizela is much lesser known. A love story amidst the darkest days of South Africa's apartheid past and into Nelson Mandela's long walk to freedom and pension.

Winnie was born on 26 September 1936 in Pondoland, in South Africa's Eastern Cape. A social worker by training, she married Nelson in 1958, three months after Nelson divorced his first wife Evelyn Mase. Nelson had to ask the apartheid government a six-day reprieve of his banning order to attend his own wedding.

The social worker was thrown into the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle.

The love story grew even stronger as Nelson was sentenced to life and sent to Robben Island. His prison letters are the proof of how he missed his wife and family - Winnie and Nelson had two daughters.

Winnie took over the megaphone of activism and the apartheid government punished her severely for it. She was detained in solitary confinement between 12 May 1969 and 14 September 1970. And tortured too. In one instance, although suffering from a heart condition, she was interrogated by the apartheid security police continuously and without a break for five days and five nights.

Winnie faced banning orders, detentions, about a dozen political trials, house arrest, and was banished to a rural town where she did not speak the same language as the local population. Nelson himself, and family friend and co-Robben Island prisoner Ahmed Kathrada said on many occasions how the hardship from prison can never be compared with the brutal suffering of those on the outside. And it hurt Nelson very deeply, as expressed in his prison letters, that he wasn't there to help, protect, assist Winnie. And hold her, and comfort her. That might well be his deepest regret. How his political activism pushed his family life to the brink of the impossible.

Winnie, still respected in her Soweto community (and beyond) as the Mother of the Nation, is also a solid mother of a big family. A shoulder to cry on for daughters and grandkids. A source of guidance.  A pillar of strength.

She had to be treated for shock when her grandchild Zenani (Jr) was killed in a car accident in 2010. She was present all the time when her granddaughter Zoleka went for weekly chemotherapy in 2013. She accompanied her eldest daughter Zenani to the Johannesburg international airport when she left earlier this year to become South Africa's ambassador to Argentina. And she was at that same airport LAST week collecting her grandson returning from the USA.

That's her. The mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.

In August 2010, the family gathered at Winnie's Soweto house to remember little Zenani, who died a month earlier. The end of a traditional mourning period. It was an intimate family lunch gathering ... and Nelson was there too. It was an amazing moment that had all the signs of any family anywhere in the world coming together to think of loss but also salute the family bond.

Winnie has always attended family events and especially Madiba's birthday, cake-cutting, family gathering on July 18. Be it in his Qunu homestead, be it in his Houghton residence. Graca Machel and Winnie have a good relationship and accept each other's position in Nelson life and in his heart.

When Nelson's health started to deteriorate in 2011 and he ended up being admitted to hospital, Winnie was there at his bedside, every day. She felt it her duty to their kids, and certainly to the man she loved and still loves so much.

Since their eyes met at that bus stop in 1957, their souls have been interconnected … until eternity.

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Five Jamaican Athletes Fail Drug Tests

Five Jamaican athletes, including Asafa Powell, have tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs, according to the country's anti-doping authority.

Herb Elliott, chairman of the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), confirmed the body had received "reports of adverse analytical findings from 'A' samples."

He said: "The process of the result management has commenced in accordance with the JADCO anti-doping rules.

"We cannot disclose any further information until the athletes have responded to notification of the 'A' sample."

Sherone Simpson won a silver medal at London 2012

Sprinter Asafa Powell was revealed to be one of the athletes after his management company confirmed he had failed a drugs test.

And Olympic relay silver medallist Sherone Simpson also admitted she had tested positive for a stimulant after last month's national championship.

Powell's agent Paul Doyle confirmed the former 100m world record holder had tested positive for a banned substance.

The 30-year-old has won gold medals in the 4x100m relay at the Olympics and World Championships and is a former world record holder.

In a statement, Powell said: "I can confirm that a sample I gave at the national trials in June last year this year has returned 'adverse findings'.

"The substance oxilofrine (methylsynephrine) was found, which is considered by the authorities to be a banned stimulant.

"I want to be clear in saying to my family, friends, and most of all my fans worldwide that I have never knowingly or willfully taken any supplements or substances that break any rules.

Tyson Gay revealed he had tested positive for an unknown substance

"I am not now - nor have I ever been - a cheat."

Simpson, 28, was a member of the Jamaica team that finished second in the 4x100m relay at London 2012.

In a statement, she said: "This is a very difficult time for me.

"I was notified on July 14, 2013, that my urine sample taken at the National Senior Championship, June 21, 2013, after the 100m finals returned a positive analytical finding for a stimulant, oxilofrine (methylsynephrine).

"As an athlete, I know I am responsible for whatever goes into my body. I would not intentionally take an illegal substance of any form into my system."

Last month, Jamaica's most successful female athlete Veronica Campbell-Brown tested positive for a diuretic, which can be used to mask the use of performancing-enhancing drugs.

The twice Olympic 200 metres champion has been suspended by the Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel hearing.

It comes after former double sprint world champion Tyson Gay announced on Sunday that he had tested positive for a substance he could not identify and was withdrawing from next month's world championships in Moscow.

The American, who had the year's fastest 100 metre time of 9.75 seconds, said he was notified by the US Anti-Doping Agency on Friday that his A sample from an out-of-competition test on May 16 had returned a positive.

He said: "I don't have a sabotage story. I don't have lies ... I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down.

"I made a mistake."

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Zimmerman Verdict: Violent Clashes In LA

By Tom Parmenter in Washington DC

Violent clashes have broken out between police and protesters in Los Angeles in the wake of George Zimmerman's acquittal.

The LAPD said officers fired non-lethal bean bag rounds to disperse the crowd after protesters threw batteries and rocks at police.

Protesters have been marching on I-10 highway in the Crenshaw neighbourhood in southwestern LA.

Protesters have been demonstrating on the I-10 highway

In New York, Times Square has been closed to traffic to prevent a similar protests from getting out of control.  

Mr Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer, was cleared on Saturday of the second-degree murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.

A police officer pushes back a protester on the highway in LA

The verdict has sparked protests in towns and cities all over the US.

While many people believe the jury got it right in deciding that Mr Zimmerman acted in self-defence when he shot Trayvon, many others believe it has again exposed deep racial divisions.

The protests in LA caused traffic chaos

Some of the biggest demonstrations were staged in NY where thousands of people gathered in Union Square and then later in Times Square.

New Yorker Stacey Ann Chin said: "I have a black child growing up in New York City.

"And I felt like I had to get out of my house today, and motivate the household and get everyone out to come and show a presence, some evidence of resistance, some evidence of our displeasure or our aghast, unbelief about what has happened. "

Times Square has been closed to traffic due to the protests

Carmella Alston, also from New York, said : "I just know that my ancestors, my great-grandmothers, my grandmothers all marched before with Malcolm, Martin, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and even marched with Al Sharpton.

"And I didn't think at this age I will have to be going through this as well."

US President Barack Obama has called for "calm reflection" in the wake of Mr Zimmerman's acquittal.

Mr Zimmerman (R) was acquitted of Trayvon's murder

"The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America," Mr Obama said in a statement.

"I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict I know those passions are running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken."

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Moscow Bus Crash: 18 Killed And 25 Injured

Eighteen people have been killed and another 25 injured in a road crash outside Moscow, Russian officials said.

A truck, a bus and several other vehicles were involved and the dead includes a young girl, said the interior ministry.

The accident took place when a truck carrying gravel turned onto a main road and ploughed into the bus, which was broken in two by the force of the collision.

Helicopter teams and 30 ambulance crews were sent to the scene. The number of dead was revised upwards after several of the injured died in hospital.

The crash occurred near Oznobishino, about 25 miles south of Moscow city centre.

Officials said some injuries were serious as bus passengers were also hit with gravel being carried on the truck.

Moscow deputy mayor Pyotr Birukov said that the truck's driver, a 46-year-old Armenian who survived the crash, had been fined for traffic offences six times over the last year.

 Moscow authorities said the city would observe a day of mourning on Monday in memory of the victims.

Russia has one of the world's worst road safety records with some 25,000 people losing their lives in traffic accidents every year, although the government is trying to improve the situation with measures including a zero-tolerance ban on drink driving.

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Trayvon Martin: George Zimmerman Acquitted

George Zimmerman has been acquitted of all charges over the fatal shooting of black teenager Travyon Martin in Florida.

Mr Zimmerman was freed after the jury deliberated for more than 15 hours over two days in the second-degree murder trial.

The jurors notified the judge on Saturday night, shortly before 10pm local time, that they had reached a decision.

Minutes later the verdict was announced. Mr Zimmerman stood impassively as the verdict was read out.

Supporters of Trayvon Martin outside court after the verdict was reached

The parents of the teenager were not in court for the verdict.

But outside the court supporters of Trayvon reacted with disappointment and anger.

Some chanted and held up a large banner saying "End racial oppression", while others yelled "No" in disbelief at the acquittal.

The six-member, all-woman jury began deliberating at 2.30pm on Friday after spending part of the day listening to the defence team's closing arguments and a rebuttal from the prosecution.

George Zimmerman is congratulated by his defence team

The jurors considered nearly three weeks of often wildly conflicting testimony over who was the aggressor on the rainy night the 17-year-old was shot while walking through the gated townhouse community where he was staying.

Mr Zimmerman's lawyers said the case was classic self-defence, claiming Trayvon knocked Mr Zimmerman down and was slamming the older man's head against the concrete footpath when Mr Zimmerman fired his pistol.

Trayvon Martin was shot dead in a gated community

"We're ecstatic with the results," defence lawyer Mark O'Mara said after the verdict.

"George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except protecting himself in self-defence."

Another member of his defence team, Don West, said: "I'm glad this jury kept this tragedy from becoming a travesty."

Prosecutors called Mr Zimmerman a liar and portrayed him as a wannabe police officer and vigilante who had grown frustrated by break-ins in his neighbourhood committed primarily by young black men.

The teen's death drew protests in cities across America

They said Mr Zimmerman assumed the teen was up to no good and took the law into his own hands.

The case divided public opinion in the United States, with even President Barack Obama commenting on the shooting. Congressman Bobby Rush wore a "hoodie" in the House of Representatives in support of Trayvon.

Further criticism came from the 44-day delay before Mr Zimmerman was arrested.

Trayvon's father was not in court for the verdict

After hearing the verdict, judge Debra Nelson told the defendant he was free to go and the GPS tracking tag unit would be removed.

"You have no further business with this court," she said.

Mr Zimmerman later hugged his family, and his wife Shellie smiled and cried.

Fearing further social unrest over the controversial shooting, the police chief in Sanford, where Trayvon Martin was shot and where the trial was held, urged peace.

State Attorney Angela Corey said she believed second-degree murder was the appropriate charge because Mr Zimmerman's mindset "fit the bill of second-degree murder."

"We charged what we believed we could prove," Ms Corey said.

Second-degree murder is classed as a death that does not include specific intent to kill, and the trial centred on the state's controversial self-defence rule of "Stand Your Ground".

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