Lufthansa questions 60th anniversary jubilee

“We're considering whether the celebration will take place and what form it will take,” a spokesman said on Monday in Frankfurt.

Last week CEO Carsten Spohr called the crash of Germanwings flight 4U9525 with 150 people on board “the blackest day in the 60-year history of our company”.

French investigators currently believe that the Airbus A320 was deliberately crashed into the mountainside by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who appears to have locked his captain out of the cockpit after he left to use the toilet.

Meanwhile in Germany, police and prosecutors are scrambling to piece together details of Lubitz's life and identify a motive for the crime.

It emerged on Monday that he had been treated for suicidal thoughts before acquiring his pilot's license.

A storied past

The airline was founded in 1955, ten years after the end of the Second World War and the dissolution of the original Lufthansa, founded in 1926.

It began with a regular air transport service within Germany in its first month before extending flights to London, Paris, Madrid and New York.

The company has grown from 2,000 workers at its founding to a 118,000-strong behemoth, with 70,000 of those employees at home in Germany.

SEE ALSO: Prosecutor: No evidence Lubitz had eye problem

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Said & Done: Michel Platini; mixed birds; and Vampeta’s regrets

Michel Platini – telling governments to back Uefa’s clear lead on far-right stadium violence; and signing off this month’s fines: €40,000 for Trabzonspor’s fan disorder; €60,000 for Napoli fans starting fires; €70,000 for Dynamo Kyiv’s “rabid dog” fan violence; and €100,000 for Malmo for “the poor condition of the playing surface at their three group stage matches”.

• Platini’s other key themes driving last week’s unopposed re-election for a third Uefa term: a) inertia is bad - “Fifa needs new ideas, a new programme … change is important”; and b) transparency is good. “I always said I voted Qatar. I’m totally coherent with what I said four years ago, totally. I work for what I’m convinced is good for football.”

Also weighing up the merits of change – Sepp, with a speech to Fifa’s voters. “Unity and solidarity, this is the theme on which we insist today, yesterday and tomorrow. Unity and solidarity everywhere … The unity and solidarity which exists at the roots of football will allow us to create unity and solidarity across the world of football – a world of extraordinary emotional force.”

Cameroon’s FA – placed under the control of a Fifa Normalisation Committee for a further six months while president Iya Mohammed stands trial on embezzlement charges. Mohammed, re-elected in 2013 with 99% of the vote despite being in prison, denies wrongdoing.

The FA – charging Blackpool owner Karl Oyston for sending a text calling a fan a “massive retard”, a year after they ruled out action over Richard Scudamore’s “big-titted broad” emails. 2014’s FA statement ruled: “The FA does not as a matter of policy consider private communications sent with a legitimate expectation of privacy to amount to professional misconduct.”

£65.3m: Offshore-owned Spurs’ latest profit from record £180.5m revenue. £27m: Total public funds committed to make their new stadium project “viable”. Spurs warned in 2011: “The correct level of public support is critical ... We cannot be expected to do this single-handed.”

Last week’s movers:

• Brazil, 17 Mar: Fluminense president Peter Siemsen on coach Cristóvão Borges: “When we were winning games the fans got over-euphoric and I didn’t like it. Now we’re losing they’re negative and I don’t like that. Let me say it again: we’re about the long-term here.” 24 Mar: Sacks him.

• France, 5 Mar: Toulouse club statement: “Following recent reports in the press, chairman Olivier Sadran would like to strongly deny false rumours of the arrival of a new coach at the helm of the team. The chairman repeats, he maintains confidence in Alain Casanova.” 16 Mar: Sadran sacks Casanova “with great conviction and serenity. Such hiccups forge the future of our club.”

Romanian club Otelul, confirming legal action against referee Marian Balaci for “sick” decisions against them. Executive Vlad Rapisca: “It was vicious, you can’t mock us like that when we’re paying your fee.” Media manager Lucian Ionescu: “This sorrowful so-called knight of the whistle judged everything against us.”

Argentina: River Plate president Rodolfo d’Onofrio, denying he meant offence by criticising coach Marcelo Gallardo’s touchline ban as “a farce … they won’t even let him enter the dressing room, as if he has Aids or something.” D’Onofrio: “I merely pointed out that my coach is being discriminated against, just like the sufferers of this disease.”

59: combined match ban for Vittoria and Paternò players caught on CCTV in a “gross tunnel brawl” after their fifth-tier Sicilian derby. Both clubs plan to appeal; Paternò executive Stefania Amato: “I’m outraged by the league’s conduct. We’re the victim here.”

Sol Campbell – telling Shooting Gazette about politics: “I’m helping the Conservatives on various issues”; and shooting. “I do like the attire, style is important to me … This year I shot about 30 birds … a mixture of birds. The banter was just lovely.”

Brazil: Audax president and former midfielder Vampeta, asked about his “defining career incidents” including posing nude in 1999 and forward-rolling off the stage at Brazil’s presidential palace during the 2002 World Cup winners’ reception. “I regret nothing. Posing nude paid enough to refit my cinema, and the roll – we’d been drinking since Japan. I just got to the palace in a state.”

Brazil: Adult film actress Nicolle Bittencourt, upset after critics said her taking part in the 2015 Brasileirão football beauty pageant “lowered the tone”. “I see my work as no more nor less respectful than that of a lawyer, for example. I face prejudice everywhere, and only those who face such prejudice can ever understand. But I am passionate about football. I’m doing this, to the end.”

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Spectator killed after Jann Mardenborough crashes at Nürburgring

A spectator has been killed after an incident in which the Nissan GT3 sportscar driven by Britain’s Jann Mardenborough left the track during a race at the Nürburgring on Saturday. Several other spectators were injured and have been hospitalised.

Mardenborough was competing in the VLN endurance race on the classic Nordschleife circuit at the Nürburgring in a Nissan GT3 Nismo, which came off the track and landed in the crowd. The race was stopped and not restarted, and there is no indication as yet as to what caused the accident.

Nissan issued a statement, saying: “The car is reported to have left the track at the ‘Flugplatz’ section and vaulted the catch fencing, landing on its roof in a spectator area. Several spectators were injured in the incident and despite immediate efforts one of them succumbed to their injuries. The others have been taken immediately to hospital for care.”

The organisers of the VLN stated: “The opening round of the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring was marred by an accident on Saturday which injured several spectators. One of the spectators died, despite the immediate actions of the rescue crew in the medical centre at the circuit. The other injured spectators have been taken to hospital for ongoing medical care.

“The VLN and the organisers are deeply saddened by the accident, and their thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims.”

Mardenborough, who got out of the car and was seen standing next to it after the incident, was taken to hospital for routine checks after being assessed at the circuit’s medical facility.

The 23-year-old rose to prominence after winning the Nissan PlayStation academy videogame competition and has since gone from strength to strength, securing a podium at the Le Mans 24 Hours, a win for Arden International in GP3 last year and this year was selected by Nissan to drive their new prototype in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Le Mans 24.

Nissan’s statement continued: “Today’s events have been a tragedy. We are all deeply shocked and saddened and our immediate thoughts go to the deceased, those injured and their families and friends. The team is fully co-operating with the race organisers to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident.”

The 14-mile Nordschleife circuit at the Nürburgring in the Eifel mountains, dubbed “The Green Hell” by Jackie Stewart after his win in the German Grand Prix there in 1968, ceased to be used for Formula One in 1976 after Niki Lauda’s terrible accident that year and after drivers had expressed concerns over safety for some time at the circuit, including cars going airborne.

It has been used since, however, for sportscar racing and can be driven on track days by members of the public. The Nordschleife is notable for its striking twists and turns and elevation changes and has several viewing areas in close proximity to the track, one of the factors that made it so popular with German racing fans.

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London Irish 22-21 Newcastle | Premiership match report

Ian Malin at the Madejski Stadium

Saturday 28 March 2015 17.41 GMT Last modified on Saturday 28 March 2015 20.12 GMT

The match was billed as a St Patrick’s Party and after a difficult winter both sides let their hair down. Three tries in the first half secured victory for London Irish and Newcastle’s failure to travel home with at least two points means that London Welsh survive in the Premiership, if only for 24 hours and only thanks to a slide-rule calculation.

Welsh, though, could have been condemned to the drop with the game ending in frantic fashion. Five minutes from time two replacements, Irish’s Canadian flanker Jebb Sinclair and Newcastle’s Italian international lock Josh Furno were sent to the sin-bin after a clash on the home 22. Dean Richards, the Newcastle director of rugby, claimed Furno’s dismissal was a “disgrace” as Sinclair had punched him. The citing commissioner is sure to take an interest in this one.

Richards said: “It was a ridiculous decision, Furno did nothing and was punched by their player. This cost us the game as their player should have had a red card.”

After the pair had gone to the bin Chris Noakes converted a penalty that took his side beyond Newcastle’s reach, but there was still time for Adam Powell to score a fine breakaway try converted from the touchline by Tom Catterick to give the home crowd a nervous last minute.

Glenn Delaney, the London Irish head coach, said: “We just couldn’t get the ball in the second half and they could have won it three times over. We had to defend for our lives. We got off to an absolute flyer but after that got no ball.

“We treated this as a cup final so we’ll take the win as it was one game in the calendar that we just had to get a result.”

The Madejski’s football team Reading are off to Wembley in search of FA Cup glory next month but there has been little to cheer here for the followers of the rugby tenants. The director of rugby, Brian Smith, departed abruptly at the start of the year and until Saturday Irish had won two home games in the Premiership.

They started the game, though, with the brakes well and truly off. Newcastle were unable to get out of their half before the prop Halani Aulika found an open door in the visitors’ defensive wall to score the first try.

It soon got worse for the Falcons. The Irish pack drove towards the line from a lineout and the scrum-half, Scott Steele, eluded a despairing tackle from Kane Thompson to score a second try.

Shane Geraghty was shown a yellow card by Greg Gardner for deliberate offside when Falcons made a foray into the home 22 but Catterick, who had just landed their first points with a penalty, opted to kick to the corner and 14-man Irish snuffed out the danger. By the time the fly-half returned to the field Newcastle had been unable to inflict any more damage.

Irish, though, were soon reduced to 14 men again when their hooker, David Paice, was shown a yellow card and this time Catterick kicked the penalty. The Newcastle lock Thompson was then relieved to see Geraghty’s long-distance penalty just drift wide after he had been penalised for a high tackle on Andrew Fenby.

Fenby took no time to recover, however, and Geraghty and Eoin Griffin combined to help the full-back dive over in the corner for Irish’s third try with the last move of the first half.

Things got no better for Newcastle after the break when their wing Sinoti Sinoti, who had looked a handful in the first half, squeezed over in the corner only for the TMO, Stuart Terheege, to rule that Powell’s pass to Sinoti had gone forward.

Catterick helped chip away at the lead with another penalty and the Exiles found it difficult to get into the Newcastle half but Irish’s defence remained solid.

It was 15 minutes before time when Newcastle at last escaped those defensive shackles with the replacement Chris Harris forcing his way over in the corner. It set up the tensest of finishes.

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Catalans Dragons 22-38 Leeds Rhinos | Super League match report

Brian McDermott was a relieved man after watching his Leeds side score 28 points on the bounce to beat Catalans Dragons in Perpignan. The Rhinos slugged it out with their hosts and were coming off worse at 22-10 down, but fired up midway through the second half and got the job done 38-22 to hit the front in Super League.

“It was a see-saw game, we took the lead, then Catalans took the lead, then we retook it again before they could have won it at the end,” McDermott said before heading back to England.

“I didn’t feel confident that we would get back into the game when we did. Sometimes when Catalans are in that frame of mind and they play the way they do they are hard to stop and you get some of their halves and the young full-back on the end of some of their moves.”

McDermott’s men were off the pace for a large chunk of the game but eventually fired up and were able to run in seven tries. The first of them opened the scoring for the match as Carl Ablett stepped through a gap to dot down, with Liam Sutcliffe adding the extras.

The Dragons, back home after a horror road trip to Hull, then responded as Elliott Whitehead took in a pass from Scott Dureau to force his way over, with the creator adding the extras.

Leeds made sure they led at the break, though, with Stevie Ward going through Benjamin Garcia to open his account for the season. Catalans ran hot at the start of the second half, scoring twice in quick succession to leave Leeds reeling. Former Bradford man Whitehead got the first and then Eloi Péllissier skipped in from dummy half.

The game looked to be getting away from the Rhinos, especially when a fourth Catalans try arrived as Damien Cardace went in at the corner, leaving the score at 22-10. That was Leeds’ cue to fire up, though. The forward Brad Singleton, proving a handy try-scorer in 2015, crashed on to a Rob Burrow pass to touch down and then Danny McGuire, captain for the day, went in after fine link-up play between Joel Moon and Ryan Hall.

Two conversions by Sutcliffe left it at 22-22 and Catalans had no answer to the flow of points. They fell behind in unfortunate circumstances as Sutcliffe’s grubber kick reared up off the turf and left Willie Tonga slapping the air, with Sutcliffe following up to score.

That broke the home side’s resolve and things were finished off soon after as Kallum Watkins took in a Burrow break to score and then Zak Hardaker scored after a short drop-out went wrong.

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Wales wing George North to see specialist after being knocked out

Press Association

Saturday 28 March 2015 18.27 GMT Last modified on Saturday 28 March 2015 19.43 GMT

George North is to see a specialist next week after the Wales wing was knocked out in Northampton’s Premiership match with Wasps. North scored two tries in the Saints’ 52-30 win on Friday but after the second, he was caught on the head by the knee of the Wasps forward Nathan Hughes. North left the field unconscious and in a neck brace but the club tweeted just before half-time that he was “awake” and the player wrote on his own Twitter account on Saturday: “Thanks for all the messages. Feeling OK, up and about.”

A subsequent statement from Northampton read: “After the game North was conscious and in the Saints’ changing room with the rest of the team. He has been into the club today [Saturday] for treatment and will continue to be monitored by the Saints’ experienced medical team throughout the weekend. As with everyone in the squad, Northampton Saints places the highest importance on player welfare, and as such North will see a specialist early next week for an assessment.”

The injury was a worrying sight after North took two blows to the head in Wales’ Six Nations defeat against England last month. He controversially played on in that game before sitting out Wales’ next match against Scotland.

The Northampton director of rugby, Jim Mallinder, said after Friday’s game: “He is OK now; he is up and walking about in the dressing room. It is a knock to his head, which is not good. We will look after him and make sure he comes back when he is right.”

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Why baseball lovers should take a closer look at cricket

Cricket’s grand finale, the 2015 World Cup final, will take place on Sunday in Melbourne. Hosts Australia trounced reigning champions India to set up a clash with their neighbor and co-host New Zealand. The match is expected to be watched by hundreds of millions the world over, with the winner to gain bragging rights as the best cricketing team in the world for next four years. The World Cup is a pretty big affair when it comes to audience numbers. The 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai, India was viewed by 135m people in the host country and approximately 60m more were watching globally. Cricket developed as a national sport in England in the 18th century and is currently played in 105 countries including the US. Cricket continues to have its strongest fan following in South Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa.

Runs. Pitches. Wickets. Hundreds of runs are scored in a game, several home runs are hit, each pitch offers something new as the prepared surface and weather conditions determine the ball’s behavior, and wickets – batsmen getting out – can fall in many different ways. “Apart from athleticism, cricket is a very mental game. It requires focus and tremendous concentration,” said Robert Daguillard, of Bethesda, Maryland. Daguillard was first introduced to cricket while visiting London more than two decades ago and later joined a local league in Germany before moving back to the United States

Related: How Philadelphia became the unlikely epicenter of American cricket

“Cricket has a deep cultural meaning for people from former British colonies. It’s a common language, a common thread,” said Mark Demos, an entrepreneur and cricket coach from Dallas, Texas. When Demos moved to Seattle, he didn’t know anyone, but was easily able to find people to play cricket with and made several friends who shared a similar passion for the sport.

Cricket is a no-contact sport. During the early days of the game, players were expected to maintain a certain level of decorum that banned sledging, cheating, targeting the opponent’s body while bowling (pitching), etc. Aggressive sledging has become common in the modern era and new rules restrict ballers from bowling deliveries (pitches) directed at the batsman’s body.

New gear has also made it much safer and there is limited stress on the body, so players remain free of serious injuries – although there have been a few incidents where players lost their lives due to lack of proper gear. In 1998, Indian cricketer Raman Lamba died after slipping into a coma after being hit by a ball while fielding close to a batsman. Most recently, Australian player Philips Hughes lost his life due to a freak accident after being hit on his neck by an 80mph ball.

Cricket doesn’t require the players be of a certain body type, in fact some of the greats of cricket were not the conventional ‘athletic’ variety. “Cricket is one of most viral sports I have seen in my life: If 100 kids try it, 75 will end up playing it,” said Jamie Harrison, chief of the American Cricket Federation. Harrison feels that for most American sports it’s easy to determine who the best players would be based on their body type; the biggest, the strongest, and the fastest kids mostly do better. “Cricket rewards patience and technique, often times even smaller kids do well,” he said.

Jim Hill, a senior television producer from Tampa, is clueless about the Cricket World Cup. He is focused on the ongoing NCAA tournament and the Chicago Cubs preparing to climb out of the bottom of the National League. “I think it’s similar to baseball but scoring runs confuses me. Do you get a run every time you hit the ball and make it to the opposite wicket? Why is it called a wicket?” Hill feels that America’s participation and nominal understanding of the rules would take a minute for him to get into it. Demos feel that the shorter version (T-20) with only 120 pitches is much easier for baseball fans to enjoy. Witnessing some exhibition games with world’s best talent would also help. “Explaining rules while watching a game would certainly help. It’s a bat and ball or pitch and home runs, so should be pretty easy for a baseball lover,” he said. This Sunday’s final would be a good opportunity for cricket fans in America to educate their baseball loving friends about the game that is claims more than billion fans world over.

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