Lewis Hamilton top in second Chinese Grand Prix practice

Venue: Shanghai International Circuit. Date: 10-12 April


Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was in a league of his own throughout Friday practice at the Chinese Grand Prix.

He was half a second clear of his closest rival, which was team-mate Nico Rosberg in the first session and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in the second.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was third, from Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Rosberg.

Williams's Felipe Massa had a scare when he spun at the end of the long back straight, causing minimal damage.

The Brazilian's car snapped sideways as Massa braked down from more than 200mph into the Turn 14 hairpin.

The car half-spun but suffered only a broken front wing and ruined tyres. The incident brought out the red flag while marshals recovered the car.

Apart from failing to record a time on his first run in the first session, as a result of locking a wheel and running wide at the hairpin, Hamilton looked imperious throughout the day .

After setting the pace in first practice, Hamilton was quickest on the first runs in the second - by only 0.068secs from Rosberg - and then again on the qualifying simulation runs in the middle of the session, this time by 0.443secs from Raikkonen.

"There are things we can improve on but generally the car was feeling good," said Hamilton. "It was just nice to get the preparation in, which puts me in a good position for the weekend.

"The Ferraris look like they are just as quick as in the last race but hopefully we're quicker."

Rosberg's true pace was disguised because he made a mistake at the final corner of his run on the 'soft' tyre and lost what appeared to be about three quarters of a second. He had been about on a par with Raikkonen's time before making that error.

But on race pace it looked a little closer between Mercedes and Ferrari.
Andrew Benson's Chinese GP view

It may have the longest straight and, in Turn One, probably the longest corner on the F1 calendar, but the Shanghai International Circuit is more memorable for the smog that perpetually envelopes it than any of its physical characteristics.

It ticks the box of giving F1 a race in China - a requirement that in the modern world no self-respecting 'world' championship could do without - but inspirational it is not.

The track's standout feature is probably the back end of the paddock, where the vast concrete expanse behind the garages gives way to a series of pavilions dotted around a small lake, which the teams use as their offices for the grand prix weekend.

It's a lovely idea, and really quite attractive, but it can turn finding anyone to talk to into something of an odyssey.

Still, the place has thrown up some decent races in the past, and there is an element of exoticism about any trip to Shanghai.

The two teams split their tyre strategies on their race runs in the second part of the session, Hamilton and Vettel initially running the soft tyre and Rosberg and Raikkonen the medium.

And while Hamilton was able to run half a second a lap or so faster than Vettel on the faster tyre, Raikkonen and Rosberg were very closely matched on the harder one.

Ricciardo's pace in third was encouraging for Red Bull after a disappointing showing in Malaysia last time out, when they were beaten by their own junior team, Toro Rosso.

The Australian also looked pretty competitive on race pace, suggesting Red Bull might have a chance of competing for a podium position .

Ricciardo's team-mate, Daniil Kvyat, was sixth fastest but his session ended early with brake failure.

The left rear wheel was smoking as he left the pits and although the Russian tried to coax the car back around the lap, he lost all braking at the hairpin and crunched into the barriers, breaking the front wing.

Williams's Valtteri Bottas was seventh fastest, ahead of Sauber's Felipe Nasr, Lotus's Romain Grosjean and McLaren's Jenson Button, whose pace suggested a further step forward from his struggling team.

McLaren were able to mix it with the lower midfield runners throughout the day and may be in the running for a point or two, which would mark massive progress in the two races since the start of the season, when they were 1.5secs slower than the next slowest car.

Button's team-mate Fernando Alonso was 12th fastest, after not finding as much time on the 'soft' tyre as the Englishman.

Briton Will Stevens had a tough time in the Manor - he managed only seven laps before the team discovered a problem with the power unit and he was forced to stop running.

IMPEACHMENT: Ekiti House asks CJ to constitute probe panel

Ado Ekiti—The face-off between members of the 19 All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State House of Assembly and the state governor, Mr Ayo Fayose yesterday took a new dimension as the lawmakers have formally written the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, to set up a seven man panel that would investigate the allegation of gross misconduct raised against Fayose and his deputy, Dr Olubunmi Eleka in the impeachment notice.

Dr. Adewale Omirin, the Speaker, confirmed the telephone yesterday. He was apparently travelling back to Osogbo from Ekiti.

The lawmakers who reappeared in Ado Ekiti, the state capital yesterday, after similar efforts were frustrated by security officials on Tuesday sat at Mary Hills Boys High School, Ado-Ekiti, in line with Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution as amended which empowers the Assembly to regulate their sittings, including sitting in a public building within the state capital if conditions in the hallowed chamber endanger members’ lives.

According to the statement by Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Mr Wole Olujobi, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Churchill Adedipe, Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency, relying on Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) moved the motion empowering the chief judge to set up the panel

Adedipe further explained that the sitting ought to have taken place in the hallowed chamber on April 7, 2015 but members were prevented from coming to the state by hoodlums who in collaboration with some security operatives mounted roadblock and threatened their lives with dangerous weapons, thereby making them to abandon going to the Assembly.

His motion was, however, seconded by the deputy speaker, Adetunji Orisalade, representing Ido/Osi Constituency II.

According to Olujobi; “After debates, the lawmakers in a unanimous vote supported the motion directing the chief judge to set up the panel

“The lawmakers, according to the statement gave the chief judge maximum of seven days to set up the panel and adjourned till the next sitting day.

But the Chief Registrar of the state High Court,Mr David Fasanmi in a telephone interview said no such directive from the lawmakers have been received by the chief judge.

According to him, if such a letter comes to the state’s judiciary, it would first be received and registered in his office before going to the appropriate quarters.

However, the governor has urged members of the public to disregard the information, insisting that the House is on recess.

In a statement by the Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka; ‘’No such meeting took place in any part of the state.’’

He said: ‘’Adewale Omirin who claimed to be Speaker had been impeached since last year November and that Omirin is in court challenging his impeachment

“Kindly disregard information being circulated by the APC that their lawmakers are sitting somewhere in Ado Ekiti.,

“Of course, members of the House of Assembly can gather anywhere in the world to have social or political meetings.

“Parliamentary business is done in the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly.

“Besides, Dr Adewale Omirin, who claimed to be the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly was impeached on November 20, 2014 and he is in court, challenging his impeachment.”

Lawmakers withdraw suit

But in Lagos, some three and a half hours drive from the Ekiti State capital, the 19 members of Ekiti State House of Assembly under the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, filed a notice of discontinuance to the suit they instituted before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The lawmakers in suit against the state governor, Mr Ayo Fayose and others had to challenge the purported impeachment of Adewale Omirin as Speaker, and the running of the House by only the seven members of the House who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The notice, reads: “Take notice that the plaintiffs doth hereby wholly discontinue the suit against all the defendants.”

The surprise move to discontinue the suit was said to be connected with the fresh impeachment moves against Governor Fayose.

The APC lawmakers had earlier fled the state after Omirin’s impeachment and left the legislative duties to the PDP lawmakers.

But when the APC lawmakers returned to Ekiti State, Fayose had told them to await the determination of a suit which they filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos, before taking “laws into their hands.”

The development was said to have informed the decision of the APC lawmakers to move to discontinue the suit.

According to the suit, the plaintiffs (APC lawmakers) had specifically argued that by the provision of the constitution, the seven PDP lawmakers lacked the legal right to take decision on behalf of the House.

Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, the Department of State Security Services, DSS and the new “Speaker,” Dele Olugbemi, Samuel Ajibola, Adeojo Alexander, Adeloye Adeyinka, Isreal Ajiboye, Fatunbi Olajide, Olayinka Abeni and the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, including the three commissioners cleared by the House under Olugbemi-Owoseni Ajayi (Attorney-General), Kayode Eso (Commissioner for Works) and Toyin Ojo (Commissioner for Finance).

The plaintiffs, in their originating summons, had prayed the court to declare that Omirin and his deputy were entitled to occupy their offices except removed by the assembly’s two-third majority votes.

They also want the court to declare that Fayose’s alleged attempt to force them to join the PDP and denounce the APC was against their constitutional rights to freedom of association.

But Fayose, in a preliminary objection by the three “commissioners” (12th to 14th respondents), prayed for an order striking out or dismissing the suit in its entirety for lack of jurisdiction.

They argued that Fayose, being the governor of Ekiti State, cannot be sued outside the state where the “cause of action” took place.

They further contended that the Federal High Court in Lagos lacked the “territorial jurisdiction” to decide the case.

Ekiti monarchs wade in

In a related development , the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers have advised Governor Ayodele Fayose and members of the APC caucus in the Assembly to sheathe their swords for peace to be restored in the State.

In a communique read by the Council’s Chairman and the Onitaji of Itaji Ekitoi, Oba Adamo Babalola, after their meeting in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the council noted that the face-off between the executive and the legislative arms of government has been on since Fayose was sworn in on October 16, 2014.

Oba Babalola pointed out that efforts made by the council to broker truce between the feuding political gladiators had consistently been stalled by claims by the two sides that the case challenging the removal of Omirin from office is pending in court and that it will be subjudiced to discuss it.

“The position stalled all further deliberations and efforts to find an amicable settlement of the matter.

“The recent development in our dear State is a source of concern and embarrassment to all well-meaning people of Ekiti State.

“It is sad that the unfortunate incident which resulted in the death of one Mr Modupe Olaya of Efon Alaaye could have been avoided.

“Council appreciates the representations from various individual groups, and associations such as, the Ekiti State Council of Elders, the labour Unions , both serving and retired, religious leaders, business and professional bodies for their concerns and suggestions.

“Council hereby appeals to all political gladiators to sheathe their swords , eschew violence and give peace a chance, as we believe that violence cannot solve the problems at hand,” the council stated.

The monarchs called on the law enforcement agencies , to ensure the security and safety of lives and property during and after the April 11 House of Assembly election.

The traditional rulers equally charged the Independent National Electoral Commission to be impartial during the Saturday’s poll, urging the politicians and the electorate to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act for the poll to be peaceful.

Ekiti CP moved

The police high command in Abuja gave notice of the redeployment of the Ekiti Commissioner of Police, Mr Taiwo Lakanu, to the federal capital.

While some said the movement had to do with tomorrow’s elections, unconfirmed reports said he was redeployed after he could not ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order in the state.

An AIG, M. J. Gana, has been posted to Ekiti State to oversee affairs and he is also expected to supervise the election into the state House of Assembly on Saturday.

Lakanu was said to have been implicated for allegedly colluding with thugs associated with Governor Ayodele Fayose to attack the 19 APC legislators who were on their way to the legislative Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against the governor.

It was gathered that the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, on Tuesday, ordered that Lakanu be relieved of his job after investigating a petition detailing the connivance of the state commissioner of police with Governor Fayose.

Supporters of the embattled Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, on Tuesday, as early as 4a. m blocked all the gateways and entry points to the state with luxurious buses and set bonfires on the roads.

In the same vein, the Deputy governor, Mr Olusola Eleka, on Monday, led supporters of the PDP and some hoodlums to block the two major roads leading to the state House of Assembly following indications that the 19 lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress, APC, were planning to impeach Fayose.

Italy court shooting: 'Four dead, man arrested' in Milan

A gunman has been arrested after he shot dead three people at the Palace of Justice in the Italian city of Milan.

A fourth person was found dead at the court, from an apparent heart attack.

The suspect, Claudio Giardiello, was reportedly a defendant in a bankruptcy case. He was arrested in a Milan suburb after fleeing the scene on a motorbike.

The dead are said to include his former lawyer and a bankruptcy court judge. The shooting has prompted scrutiny of security procedures at the courthouse.

Questions are being asked about how Mr Giardiello managed to smuggle a weapon into a well-guarded building, use it several times and escape.

The suspect was arrested by carabinieri officers in Vimercate, about 25km (15 miles) north-east of central Milan, near the town of Monza.
Mr Giardiello, seen here in a picture released by police, was arrested on the outskirts of Milan

Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the "presumed assassin" was now being held at a military police barracks in the Milan area.
'Shut in'

The sound of gunfire had sparked panic inside the Palace of Justice on Wednesday morning.

Hundreds of people poured down stairways towards the exits while police and military police officers searched for the gunman.

"All of a sudden we heard at least three or four shots," lawyer Marcello Ilia told the AFP news agency outside the building.
Women were first to be evacuated by police from the Palace of Justice

"We tried to find out what was going on. There were suddenly lots of police officers who told us not to leave the room, they shut us in," he said.

"After a few minutes we came out. They told us someone in a suit and tie was armed and at large in the court."

Citing officials and witnesses, the newspaper La Repubblica reported that the gunman had been attending a bankruptcy hearing when a fight broke out inside the third floor courtroom.

He pulled out a weapon and shot the lawyer, named as Lorenzo Alberto Claris Appiani, as well as another man, who is said to have been a co-defendant in the case.

According to La Repubblica, Mr Appiani was a former lawyer for Mr Giardiello who was acting as a witness in the case.
Police searched the building for the gunman but he managed to escape

The gunman then left the courtroom and headed to the office of appeals court judge, Fernando Ciampi, shooting him dead.

It is not known if the gunman had any links to the judge.

A fourth person was found dead inside the building after apparently suffering a heart attack.

Another two people were wounded and are being treated at a hospital.

After hiding inside the Palace of Justice for more than an hour, the gunman fled on a motorbike, according to La Repubblica.

Mr Giardiello was described as "aggressive" and "a little paranoid" by his former lawyer, Valerio Maraniello, in comments quoted by AFP news agency.
The court building is in the centre of Milan, only a few streets away from the city's cathedral




 
'Great pain'

Visitors to the Palace of Justice have to pass through metal detectors.

Lawyers and courthouse employees with official identification are, however, regularly waved through, according to the Associated Press.

Ansa reported that one of the metal detectors was broken on Wednesday morning.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi described the attack as "a moment of great pain, of sadness".

He praised the police who arrested the man but said it was "unthinkable" that someone could enter a court with a weapon, and promised an inquiry into the incident.

The Palace of Justice is in the centre of Milan, only a few streets away from the city's cathedral and main shopping district.

Thousands protest in Rivers over alleged plot to manipulate April 11 polls

Thousands of Rivers State residents from the 23 local government areas of the state, yesterday, took to the streets to protest alleged plots by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to use the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to manipulate the forthcoming governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state.

The protesters who marched through several streets in Port Harcourt City terminated their march on Aba Road office of INEC.

They displayed placards which read: “Rivers State is not for sale, ‘Rivers is for PDP,’ ‘Amaechi is a traitor,’ ‘We will vote Wike on Saturday no matter what Amaechi and APC do,’ ‘ Jega don’t be deceived by Amaechi’s money and tricks,  we need free and fair elections, ‘Jega don’t send Amaechi’s stooge to conduct elections in Rivers State,’ among others.

Among the protesters were senators elect, members of the House of Representatives, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly,  youth groups,  market women,  student bodies, non-indigenes and leaders of PDP in the state.

Mrs. Betty Apiaji who spoke during the protest, said the APC only accepts an election to be free and fair when it wins, dismissing allegations of bias levelled against the Resident Electoral Commissioner and security agencies in the state as unfounded.

She said that Rivers State was a PDP state as exemplified by the last presidential and National Assembly elections,  pointing out that the violence being sponsored by the gogernor and the APC will not deter the party from winning the governorship and state Assembly elections.

According to her, the people have since turned their backs on the state governor and the APC because the resources of the state have been used to corruptly enrich APC leaders across the country, while development suffers in the state.

She advised the INEC leadership in Abuja not to fall prey to the cheap blackmail of the APC,  as the people of Rivers State are ready to defend their votes.

She said: “Rivers State is ready for the governorship and state assembly elections.  We are here to declare that we are ready for free and fair elections on Saturday.  The governor is afraid of elections because he is not popular in the state, that is why he has re – located to Abuja to manipulate INEC.”

Rivers State PDP Publicity Secretary,  Mr Nwanosike Samuel added that the party has received information that the state governor is bribing top INEC leadership to redeploy the current Resident Electoral Commissioner,  REC and allow him nominate his crony, so that he can rig the governorship election in Government House,  Port Harcourt.

He said: “This information is available to the PDP and we shall not allow Amaechi and the enemies of Rivers State take us for a ride. In Rivers State, the will of the people must prevail. Amaechi has never won an election in this state and he will lose next Saturday’s elections because the people know him as the traitor of the Niger Delta.”

Also speaking,  Mr Evans Bipi of the Rivers State House of Assembly said that the entire Rivers people are ready for credible and  transparent elections. He noted that the evil machinations of Amaechi and the APC will be resisted, urging the INEC headquarters not to be swayed by their propaganda and plot to impose a REC on the state who will do their bidding.

Rivers State INEC Administrative Secretary,  Mr R. Obiju who received the protesters assured that the elections will be free and fair.  He commended them for their peaceful conduct during the protest.
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Yemen crisis: Kerry warns Iran over Houthi rebel 'support'

 
US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Iran over its alleged support for Houthi rebels in Yemen.

He said the US would support any state in the Middle East that felt threatened by Iran, and would not "stand by" if Iran destabilised the region.

The US is backing a Saudi-led coalition seeking to drive back the rebels and restore President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who fled the country last month.

Iran has denied accusations it is providing military aid to the Houthis.

However, it despatched two navy vessels to the Gulf of Aden, off the southern coast of Yemen, on Wednesday.

Navy commander Rear Adm Habibollah Sayyari told state media the move was made with the aim of "safeguarding naval routes for vessels in the region".

Meanwhile, aid supplies have begun reaching Yemen after a series of delays, as the humanitarian situation deteriorates amid continued fighting.
'Wrong path'

Speaking to PBS Newshour on Wednesday, Mr Kerry said it was clear Iran was aiding the Houthis: "There are obviously supplies that have been coming from Iran. There are a number of flights every single week that have been flying in."

"Iran needs to recognise that the US is not going to stand by while the region is destabilised or while people engage in overt warfare across lines, international boundaries and other countries," he added.

Fighting has intensified in the city of Aden between the Houthis and militiamen loyal to President Hadi.

Meanwhile, warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition have continued to bomb rebel targets across the country.

On Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for a halt to the air campaign and said countries in the region should work together to resolve the crisis.

"A great nation like Yemen will not submit to bombing. Come, let us all think about ending war. Let us think about a ceasefire," he said in a speech. "Let us prepare to bring Yemenis to the negotiating table to make decisions about their future."

Mr Rouhani warned Saudi Arabia and its allies that their intervention was a mistake.

"Why have you started killing people?" he asked. "You do not know how this will end. This path is wrong."
The southern city of Aden has seen fierce fighting

There are fuel shortages in the Yemeni capital Sanaa

The coalition has so far failed to stop an assault on the southern port city of Aden by the Houthis and allied military units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The president took refuge there in February after fleeing the capital, Sanaa, where he had been held under house arrest by the rebels. When the Houthis seized an airbase outside Aden, he left for Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday, medics said at least 22 people were killed as the rebels fought Mr Hadi's forces for control of Aden's central Crater district and coalition warplanes targeted rebel positions in its northern suburbs.

Conditions for civilians in the city have been described as catastrophic by aid groups.
The Saudi-led coalition has been targeting Houthi positions since the end of March
Militiamen loyal to the president have been unable to halt the rebel advance on Aden

Two ships carrying humanitarian aid were able to reach Aden on Wednesday for the first time since the coalition air campaign began on 25 March.

One vessel brought 1.7 tonnes of medical aid for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), and the other medical supplies and a surgical team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Further aid from the ICRC is expected to be delivered by plane to Sanaa shortly.

The World Health Organisation says at least 643 people have been killed and 2,226 wounded in Yemen since 19 March. Another 10,000 people have been driven from their homes.

Who is fighting whom?

Houthis - The Zaidi Shia Muslim rebels from the north overran Sanaa last year and then expanded their control. They want to replace Mr Hadi, whose government they say is corrupt. The US alleges Iran is providing military assistance to the rebels.

Ali Abdullah Saleh - Military units loyal to the former president - forced to hand over power in 2011 after mass protests - are fighting alongside the Houthis.

Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi - The president fled abroad in March as the rebels advanced on Aden, where he had taken refuge in February. Loyal soldiers, Sunni Muslim tribesmen and Southern separatists have formed militia to fight the rebels.

Saudi-led coalition - A US-backed coalition of nine, mostly Sunni Arab states says it is seeking to "defend the legitimate government" of Mr Hadi.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi. A rival affiliate of Islamic State has also recently emerged.

Governorship Polls: FG orders closure of land borders

ABUJA — AHEAD of Saturday’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, ordered the closure of all land borders to allow for peaceful conduct of the polls.

Jonathan also asked the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, to ensure that non-Nigerians did not participate in any part of the process.

A statement signed, yesterday, by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mr Abubakar Magaji and entitled: “Closure of Nigeria’s borders” read: “The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has approved the closure of all Nigeria’s land borders from midnight of Wednesday, April 8, 2015 to noon of Sunday, April 12, 2015 to allow for peaceful conduct of the forthcoming gubernatorial/state Houses of Assembly elections.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service has also been directed to ensure that non-Nigerians do not participate in any part of the election process.”

IG warns trouble makers

Meanwhile, following intelligence reports that some politicians have recruited thugs with a bid to disrupt Saturday’s elections, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, has re-affirmed the commitment of the Police to ensure that the elections are hitch-free.

Consequently, he has warned all trouble makers that may attempt to foment trouble before, during and after the elections to desist from such or face unpleasant consequences.

According to a statement from the Force Headquarters, “stern measures have also been mapped out to stop trouble makers in their tracks, as acts of impunity will not be tolerated.

“The Police High Command has further identified flash points in some geopolitical zones and has devised strategies to address all issues of safety and security as concerns the election.

“Furthermore, the IGP states that the Force will continue to encourage a level playing ground to all. He advised Nigerians to vote and maintain tranquility for the smooth running of the elections.

“He equally advised party leaders to implore their supporters to shun any act of violence/thuggery, as the full weight of the law will rest on trouble makers.”

Also, the IGP “has tasked officers and men of the Police Force to exercise a high sense of professionalism in their conduct on election duties as laid down in the Police Regulations and the Standard Operational Guidelines.

“The officers and men are equally directed to adopt an attitude of complete neutrality, and impartiality in carrying out their duties in connection with the election.”

While directing that “all officers involved in election duties must be firm, fair and approachable to all parties,” the IGP enjoined them “to take charge of security at polling units and collation centres as the Police Force is the leading law enforcement agency.”

Sierra Leone sprinter, who lost entire family to Ebola, now homeless on streets of London

20 year old Jimmy Thoronka, a top sprinter from Sierra Leone who competed at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in August 2014 is now broke, homeless and living illegally on the streets of London. Jimmy vanished after the Games where he competed in the 100-meter relay race after he was told that his entire adoptive family had been wiped out by Ebola in the small village of Bombali district in Sierra Leone.

While trying to find his feet in London, his passport and all the money he had was stolen from him...


Jimmy's Visa expired in September and with no way to get back home, he started to sleep on the streets.

    “Mostly, I sleep at the park,” he told The Guardian. “Sleeping in the park, sleeping on the bus, moving around the bus up and down … So I’ll be doing that until daybreak.”

He said he still hopes to be a world athlete and has been keeping shape even though he was destitute
"I really want to be a star, a real athlete, a good athlete, one of the best stars in the world, or at least in my country. So I have that dream, that even in the situation I’m in, and the constraints that I face, I just keep saying to myself, ‘OK, I have to keep training, I have to keep training.’”

Shortly after Guardian ran his interview, he was tracked down and arrested by London police on a charge of overstaying his visa. But after a thorough investigation, the UK police decided not to deport after confirming that his hometown Gbendembu in Sierra Leone was badly hit by Ebola and remains under quarantine.

     “I am so happy that I am free again,” he told the Guardian on Sunday. “At first I was told that they were going to send me back to Sierra Leone and I cried and cried. I was very scared.”

After Guardian ran a second story on the athlete, someone touched by his plight opened a gofundme page for him to help him raise money. So far about $40,000 has been raised for Jimmy.

     “I am amazed that people all over the world have offered to help me after they read my story,” he told Guardian. “I don’t know how to thank everyone. If I can make a success of my life as a sprinter my plan is to go back to Sierra Leone and help homeless people. I know how much suffering there is when you are homeless. Last week I had no hope but now maybe I will make it.”