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| 'Blade runner' Pistorius charged with murder of model girlfriend - CNN Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:57 AM PST STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- A beloved model is dead, those who knew her are in mourning, and one of the world's most admired Olympians is charged with her murder after a Valentine's Day shooting in South Africa. Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympic runner who blazed new terrain by competing in last summer's Olympics, is accused of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. A shooting took place inside his upscale home in Pretoria, South Africa, early Thursday, and only the two of them were there at the time, police said. Shockwaves from the incident quickly reverberated across the world, casting a shadow over the man known as the "Blade Runner" for his achievements on prosthetic limbs. Pistorius will be named officially as the suspect when he appears in court Friday, in keeping with South African law. Authorities have already announced that the suspect is Pistorius' age. Investigators gave no motive for the alleged killing. Read more: 'Blade runner' Pistorius: Track hero at center of shooting probe "Previous incidents" at the home, police say A police spokeswoman said there had been "previous incidents" at the home, including "allegations of a domestic nature." Police were alerted to the shooting by neighbors, and residents had "heard things earlier," spokeswoman Denise Beukes said. Some South African media outlets said the woman was mistaken for an intruder. South Africa has a high crime rate, and many homeowners keep weapons to ward off intruders. Beukes said those reports did not come from police. There did not appear to be signs of forced entry at the home, she added. "This is a very quiet area and this is a secure estate," Beukes said. A pistol was recovered at the scene, police said. Read more: Who was Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend? Pistorius cooperating with police Pistorius made no public statement. His spokeswoman Kate Silvers said the athlete is "assisting the police with their investigation but there will be no further comment until matters become clearer later today." Police also said Pistorius is cooperating. He arrived Thursday at a police station in Pretoria. Beukes said the state will oppose bail. So the 26-year-old, who was among the men featured in People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, could be behind bars, at least temporarily. Pistorius is not being brought to court Thursday because the public prosecutor needs more time to prepare the case, police spokeswoman Katlego Mogale told CNN. A model's life violently cut short Steenkamp, 29, had been looking forward to Valentine's Day, encouraging her Twitter followers to "get excited" for the holiday. "She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth and will be sorely missed," Capacity Relations, the agency that represented her, wrote on Twitter. She was "just a great, fun presence of a person," said Hagen Engler, former editor of the magazine FHM. He described her as "a bikini model, beautiful, gorgeous girl" with a "wicked" sense of humor. She understood the industry and was intelligent and fun to work with, he said. Pistorius' father, Henke, told the South African Broadcasting Corp. his son was "sad at the moment." "I don't know nothing. It will be extremely obnoxious and rude to speculate," the father said. "I don't know the facts." As Olympian, Pistorius faced controversy Pistorius, a double amputee, competed against able-bodied runners during the London Olympics, triggering controversy as some said the prosthetic limbs gave him an advantage. His legs were amputated below the knee when he was a toddler because of a bone defect. He runs on special carbon fiber blades. Pistorius was initially refused permission to enter the Olympics, but he hired a legal team to prove that his artificial limbs did not give him an unfair advantage -- and was allowed to compete. While he did not win a medal, his presence on the track was lauded by many people around the world as an example of victory over adversity and dedication toward a goal. He smashed a Paralympic record to win the men's 400m T44 in the final athletics event of the 2012 Games. In December: Pistorius speaks to Piers Morgan about being a role model CNN's Nkepile Mabuse reported from Pretoria; CNN's Josh Levs reported from Atlanta. CNN's Faith Karimi, Richard Allen Greene and Marilia Brocchetto contributed to this report. |
| Buffett pulls off fresh blockbuster with $23 billion Heinz deal - Reuters Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:08 AM PST 
(Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and private equity firm 3G Capital will buy ketchup and baby food maker H.J. Heinz Co for $23.2 billion in cash, a deal that combines 3G's ambitions in the food industry with Buffett's hunt for growth. Including debt assumption, Heinz valued the transaction, which it called the largest in its industry's history, at $28 billion. Berkshire and 3G will pay $72.50 per share, a 19 percent premium to the stock's previous all-time high. Heinz shares actually rose slightly above the offer price in early trading, although Buffett cautioned he had no intention of raising his bid. The surprise purchase satisfies, at least in part, his hunt for growth through acquisition. He was frustrated in 2012 by the collapse of at least two deals in excess of $20 billion and said he might have to do a $30 billion deal this year to help fuel Berkshire's growth engine. In this case, Berkshire is putting up about $12 billion to $13 billion cash, Buffett told CNBC, leaving it ample room for another major transaction. Berkshire Hathaway already has a variety of food assets, including the Dairy Queen ice cream chain, chocolatier See's Candies and the food distributor McLane. Buffett, famed for a love of cheeseburgers, joked he was well acquainted with Heinz's products already and that this was "my kind of deal." It does represent an unusual teaming of Berkshire with private equity, though; historically, Buffet's purchases have been outright his own. He and 3G founder Jorge Paulo Lemann have known each other for years, and Buffett said Lemann approached him with the Heinz idea in December. For 3G, a little-known firm with Brazilian roots, the purchase is something of a natural complement to its investment in fast-food chain Burger King, which it acquired in late 2010 and in which it still holds a major stake. Lemann, a globe-trotting financier with Swiss roots, made his money in banking and gained notoriety for helping to pull together the deals that ultimately formed the beer brewing giant AB InBev. PITTSBURGH ROOTS 3G will be Heinz's operator after the deal closes, and the company will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh. Berkshire and 3G promised they would maintain the company's philanthropic commitments in the city. But it was not immediately clear if CEO Bill Johnson would stay on. Only the fifth chairman in the company's history, Johnson is widely credited with Heinz's recent strong growth. The company, known for its iconic ketchup bottles, Heinz 57 sauces as well as other brands including Ore-Ida frozen potatoes, has increased net sales for the last eight fiscal years in a row. Heinz said the transaction would be financed with cash from Berkshire and 3G, debt rollover and debt financing from J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo. Buffett told CNBC that Berkshire and 3G would be equal equity partners. Heinz shares soared 20 percent, or $12.09, to $72.59 on the New York Stock Exchange. The deal is also a potential boon for new U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, whose wife Teresa is the widow of H.J. Heinz Co heir John Heinz. Kerry's most recent financial disclosures from his time in the U.S. Senate show a position in Heinz shares of more than $1 million, although the precise size is unclear. (Editing by Maureen Bavdek) |
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