handbags b Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy said yesterday he is to consider the positions of two more board members after he sacked four last week.

Ronan Larkin, the finance director, and George Butler, the director of asset management are now under the microscope after an investigation found work worth pounds 8.4million was handed out without competitive tendering.

Mr Murphy said: "The continuing probe is to determine "which executives within the company should be held responsible for the failures in procurement governance and control."

The Sinn Fein Minister told the Assembly he has asked for the further investigation to be completed "as quickly as possible".

ABU DHABI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- At least one additional fake passport was used in the assassination of a top Hamas official who was found dead in a Dubai hotel room in January, a local newspaper reported Friday citing a senior diplomatic source. The Abu Dhabi- based English daily The National also cited an earlier U.S. media report saying that up to five more people had been identified by Dubai police, bringing the total suspects involved in the killing of Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, a Hamas commander, to 32.

The suspects were holding Australian, British and French passports when traveling, the newspaper said, adding it is unclear whether the additional suspects had participated in the surveillance only or were involved in the operational stage of the assassination.

Chief of Dubai police Dahi Khalfan Tamim declined to comment on the U.S. media report, the daily said.

Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, a senior commander of Hamas military wing, the Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades, was found dead in his hotel room on Jan. 20, a day after he arrived in Dubai. He was wanted by the Israeli government in connection with the kidnappings of two Israeli soldiers in 1989.

Dubai police Pittsburgh-Steelers said they are virtually certain that Israel's secret intelligence agency Mossad was behind the assassination in a complex operation that involved false Western passports, but Israel has said there was no hard proof that it carried out the killing.

Dubai has so far named 27 suspects in the murder and issued international arrest warrants for them.

AKRON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2004

More Than Gourmet has become a top level Gold Sponsor for the prestigious Bocuse d'Or gourmet competition. Chefs participating in the American phase of the event will use More Than Gourmet products as part of their recipe development and food preparation.

The Bocuse d'Or World Cuisine Contest was born in 1987, the creation of French Chef Paul Bocuse, one of the founders of nouvelle cuisine, and Albert Romain, the organizer of the International Food Trade Exhibition. Their goal was to create a gastronomic contest that would bring the world's greatest chefs into the spotlight and give an international audience an up-close view of the masters at work.

The United States has competed in this culinary contest since its inception. American chefs compete for the right to represent the United States in the worldwide competition to be held in Lyon, France, January 25, 2005. In Lyon, the American representative will again compete against chefs representing 24 countries.

More Than Gourmet is sponsoring the American portion of the replica breitling watches competition. Chefs will use the company's Classic French Stocks and Sauces as part of their recipe development. They will re-create their recipes at the 85th Annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago's McCormick Place, May 22-25, 2004.

"We are proud to have our products associated with the best chefs in the world as part of the Bocuse d'Or competition," said company CEO Brad Sacks. "More Than Gourmet has always stood for culinary excellence in everything we do, whether we're creating products for the professional chef or the home gourmet. Bocuse d'Or represents the same high standards and ideals for creating the very best in Classical French Cooking."

More Than Gourmet is the first and only company to produce a full line of Chanel Bags Classic French Stocks and Sauces without chemicals, preservatives, fillers or other ingredients not found in Chef Master Auguste Escoffier's traditional recipes. For more information on its sponsorship of the Bocuse d'Or or any of its products, contact them online at or 1-800-860-9385.

Meanwhile, in a latest seizure made by officials of the state food and drug administration (FDA), 30 quintals of adulterated Khoya enough to make at least 60 quintals of sweetmeats was seized in Ballia district on Friday.

In a drive to crackdown on sub-standard and adulterated food products, the department also downed the shutters of a factory selling fake ghee in Shajahanpur. A spokesperson of FDA said: "In this seizure, refined oil, tempered with essence was being passed off as ghee.''

Significantly, in the last two months, the UP government has come down hard on adulterators spread across the state and has taken stringent punitive action against offenders found indulging in such illegal activities. Spokesperson of FDA added: "Our drive is not just an enforcement drive. We are sending out a strong message to offenders that action would be taken against them.''

Interestingly, in most of the adulteration cases where offenders were arrested and sent into custody, concerned persons have been unable to escape punitive action.

For Reprint Rights: timescontent.com

Leon Hippolyte, 23, of Torquay Replica Tag Heuer Monaco/Monza Watches Road, was led from court in tears yesterday after being convicted of two counts of burglary at Exeter Crown Court.

On the first day of the trial Hippolyte was removed from the dock on the orders of the judge after interrupting proceedings. He was allowed to return later and was present to hear the verdict.

After appearing to break down, slumping on his chair in the dock, he was led away to custody and Judge Philip Wassall ordered the case adjourned for pre-sentence reports.

The judge told him he faced an 'inevitable prison sentence' due to his past criminal record.

It was a case which the judge said hinged on whether witnesses had correctly identified Hippolyte as the man responsible for two thefts.

The father of three denied stealing an MP3 player, a mobile phone and cash from staff lockers at the Grand Hotel on July 27, 2007.

The jury was shown CCTV security footage of a man in the Grand Hotel on the date of the theft. Hippolyte admitted he had been to the hotel that day to apply for a job but the manager said they had no record of him.

Hippolyte also denied stealing a purse and cash from the flat of an elderly woman living in Torquay Road on September 15, 2007.

The victim's daughter and granddaughters saw a man of mixed race wearing a T-shirt with the numerals 'O5' printed on it leaving the unoccupied flat.

The three witnesses saw the thief around town on four occasions and later identified him as Hippolyte.

An 'O5' T-shirt was found outside Hippolyte's flat.

In cross examination, the defendant said he had been wrongly identified and the T-shirt had been put there by the culprit to incriminate him.

Prosecutor Nigel Wraith said: "I suggest it is either you that committed this burglary or there's quite a significant conspiracy to lock you up.

"If you think it's me, throw away the key," Hippolyte said, before adding he felt 'intimidated' by the line of questioning.

"Can you stop accusing me?" he asked Mr Wraith.

Judge Wassall intervened: "It's his job, he's the prosecutor."

Defence counsel Sean Brunton told the jury that Hippolyte's state of mind during the trial had been affected by the time delay between the date of the offences and the trial.

He said: "Why on earth has it taken three years to get this case to trial? "Having anything hanging over you from three years is something inclined to make you feel angry, bitter and desperate."

The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on the Grand Hotel charge and a majority verdict on the flat burglary.

Judge Wassall adjourned the case to a date to be fixed.

Staff Writer

MILLERSBURG -- A Toledo man was sentenced in Holmes County watches t Common Pleas Court on one count of theft by deception.

Carlos Graves, 39, of 833 Plum St., was sentenced by Judge Robert D. Rinfret to 120 days in jail on a charge that stems from 2008 when Graves and five other men cashed phony payroll checks at a Millersburg retail store.

The case is part of a larger scheme perpetrated by Gary D. Walker, 26, Mansfield, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence.

According to Richland County court records, Walker approached homeless shelters seeking individuals with IDs and offering them work. Walker used the IDs to forge phony payroll checks ranging from $1,490-$1,498, then drove the individuals to various locations to cash the checks. Walker kept the money and paid the individuals $50 each time they cashed a check.

Walker was charged in Richland County with 51 count indictment under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Activity Act.

Graves said Walker approached him with a legitimate offer of work.

"He approached us and offered jobs," Graves said at his sentencing hearing Monday. "In the course of that, he asked us to do something illegal."

Defense attorney Jeff Kellogg said Graves assisted Richland County prosecutors in the investigation and asked for probation.

Rinfret said he handed down the jail sentence because Graves has an "extensive" criminal record.

Rinfret ordered Graves to pay restitution of $1,497.

Reporter Nick Sabo can be reached at 330-674-1811 or e-mail .

The 50-year-old, of Midwinter Close, Cheltenham, was found by police throwing a briefcase into a neighbour's garden.

When officers retrieved the case they found the fake money, along with real money, a passport and a driving licence.

He was handed a 12-month sentence suspended for two years by Recorder Michael de Navarro QC.

Gloucester Crown Court heard that in cases of possession of counterfeit money, it was normal for defendants to be sent straight to prison.

But in Smith's case, the recorder said, he had decided he could suspend the sentence because the defendant had kept out of trouble since Minnesota-Timberwolves 2003.

Paul Grumbar, prosecuting, told the court police went to Smith's house on March 10.

When he was arrested, Smith denied knowledge of the counterfeit notes and said he had been given them in payment for a van and did not realise that they were forged.

But he pleaded guilty when he first appeared in court.

The court was told confiscation proceedings had been started.

Martin Steen, defending, said: "The sale of the van can be proved and Mr Smith now knows that as soon as he realised the money was counterfeit, he should have taken it straight to the police.

"He is prone to setting off fireworks and has had them confiscated in the past, so the police keep a pretty close eye on him. It was a big mistake not to go to police when he should have."

Town manager Richard Gates said things had "moved on significantly".

With meetings taking place every month, the programme for the four late-night shopping evenings is starting to take shape.

Mr Gates said: "It is clearly going to take a few years to get Christmas at a level I want it to be. We need to get the impact and change the mindset of the town. That is crucial to its success.

Jugglers "We are working on activities and the atmosphere for the four nights - we have jugglers, stilt walking and Santas's grotto."

He is also in talks with Rick Stein's restaurant at Padstow, which organises Christmas activities there.

"We are looking to see if we can take things from them, to sharpen up and develop what we need in this town," he said.

"It needs a huge amount more work than Falmouth week."

New lights have already been bought for this year and the children's parade has moved back to the Thursday evening.

Meanwhile a local resident has offered a 40ft tree to stand on The Moor. Mr Gates said: "That is about as green as we can get. I know there were some complaints last year about the poor state of the tree and this is an offer we are considering."

Late night shopping nights will be on Thursdays, starting on December 2. Shops are being asked not to close before 8pm. Mr Gates said that last year some shut too early.

He added: "Christmas comes around very quickly but it needs focus and development. It's all very positive."

Any trader who wants to be involved in the meetings can call Mr Gates on 01326 313553.

JOEL STEIN, RICK BASS, NOVELLA CARPENTER, AND JOYCE MAYNARD RECOUNT HOW, WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENED AROUND THE HOLIDAYS, THEY MADE THE MOST OF IT

One of the great things about being a Jew is that while we get plenty of family holidays--Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Passover, breaking the fast at Yom Kippur, plus a couple we made up just to get out of work--we have no responsibilities for Christmas. But the winter after I graduated college, it didn't feel like an opportunity. It felt like an imposed weeklong vacation in a cold Manhattan apartment with no girlfriend and recently divorced parents nearby. Christmas might be sadder for Christians with nowhere to go, but it doesn't feel as alienating. So I sort of invited myself to Los Angeles, where some of my friends who didn't have a week off were sticking around.

Driving from the airport I saw Christmas lights draped around palm trees, Christmas-light reindeers leaping off sun-drenched grass. I was disgusted by the notion of joy without hardship. This was a culture that didn't have the courtesy to spray their Christmas signs with a bit of fake snow. If it's possible to be offended by the oversecularized celebration of the birth of a God you don't believe in, I was.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A few days before Christmas, my friend Patty drove me and a group of friends somewhere that, until I asked, I assumed was in Los Angeles. All I know is that I got in a car and I popped out to see the most un-Christmassy thing I have still ever seen: the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. An endless line of multimillion-dollar yachts, gaudily lit up the J way houses are supposed to be, floated down the harbor. I was caroled at from top decks, holiday-greeted by wasted rich kids on lower decks, and challenged to a fight by a giant, motorized, singing purple-lighted Barney. If a liberal, middle-class, New Jersey Jew wants to feel like he doesn't belong somewhere, I highly recommend Orange County on Christmas or Iran on Ashura.

But, strangely, I felt welcome. The bar for Christmas in Southern California was low enough for a Jew to duck under without getting hurt. I spent replica balenciaga handbags every Christmas week in Los Angeles from then until I met my gentile wife, who gave me a proper family holiday in upstate New York. But in those intervening years, I learned why people move out West. It's not so much to escape the cold, the divorced family, or the broken hearts. They come for the joy of the new. To create Christmas on a yacht-filled harbor near chocolate-covered frozen banana stands. To strip the calcification of responsibility off tradition to rediscover its original joy. If it weren't for those Christmases, we wouldn't live in L.A. now. I can't wait to see if my son feels the same way about his first Christmas back East. My guess is he'll hate the cold.

JOEL STEIN WRITES FOR TIME AND MANY OTHER PUBLICATIONS. HE LIVES IN LOS ANGELES.

Eric Cunningham recently resigned from the Sandy Police Department after an initial audit on Feb. 11 uncovered discrepancies with the number of traffic citations the former officer reported he wrote and ones that were actually issued, according to charges filed Wednesday in 3rd District Court.

Sandy police officials conducted a further investigation of Cunningham's activities between Sept. 1, 2007, and Feb. 18, 2010, by looking through his payroll sheets, dispatch logs, selective traffic enforcement logs, case reports and other records and tracking records for the automatic vehicle location device installed in his patrol car, charges state.

Cunningham had repeatedly worked an overtime shift for the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program, for which he was paid $34.06 per hour. Charges state that between August 2009 and February 2010, Cunningham fraudulently claimed to have worked 56 hours for the program and submitted 158 fake citations.

The automatic vehicle location device indicated that, during those months, Cunningham was not only away from his designated location, but at times was also outside of Sandy, according to court documents.

The investigation estimates Sandy lost about $1,907.36 in paying Cunningham for hours worked during the alleged fraudulent activity.

Cunningham has been charged with third-degree felony theft and communications fraud.

The former officer has been ordered to be booked into Salt Lake County Jail before being released for an initial court appearance at 9 a.m. June 28.

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