Latest news with #Azevedo
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Two eye-witnesses of Diogo Jota crash refute Spanish police claims about tragedy
Diogo Jota, 28, died alongside his 26-year-old brother, Andre Silva, in a car crash in northern Spain last Thursday and police have suggested that the Liverpool star was speeding A second witness has come forward to refute Spanish police claims Liverpool star Diogo Jota appeared to be speeding when he crashed his Lamborghini supercar. Traffic cops in Zamora near Spain's north-west border with Portugal said on Tuesday everything was pointing to the dad-of-three driving and possibly doing well above the 120kph (74mph) speed limit after revealing they believed the acid green £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan had suffered a tyre blowout. On Wednesday, a Portuguese lorry driver claiming to be the trucker who filmed Jota's car in flames on the A-52 in Cernadilla near Zamora insisted the vehicle passed him 'super calmly' and 'without speeding.' Jose Azevedo also said in a selfie video he grabbed a fire extinguisher and tried to help but there was 'nothing' he could do to save the Liverpool winger and his footballer brother Andre Silva who also died in last Thursday's crash. Today a trucker named locally as Jose Aleixo Duarte told Portuguese tabloid Correio da Manha he was overtaken by Jota's car five minutes before the accident and it was going at a 'moderate speed.' He also slammed the road conditions where the fatal crash occurred, saying it was in a 'bad state.' Mr Azevedo became the first person to come forward as an eye-witness yesterday and identify himself as the author of footage that went viral last week showing Diogo Jota's car in flames. He said in a daytime selfie video shot from his lorry cab justifying his decision to speak out. 'There's a video on the Internet, on TV, of Diogo Jota's car on fire at night,' Mr Azevedo said. 'Supposedly it was a lorry driver who filmed it and didn't provide first aid. Well, that lorry driver was me. I filmed it and I have proof of it.' During the four-minute video he turned his mobile phone towards his name on his lorry tachograph, which matched the name on the HGV dashboard tachograph in the night-time footage of Jota's burning supercar. Both sets of footage also show a slightly cracked windscreen which Mr Azevedo offered up as more proof he was telling the truth about seeing the crash. He said: 'I stopped, grabbed the fire extinguisher and tried to help. Because of the impact of the accident - forget it - there was nothing I could do. Nothing, absolutely nothing! 'As for the family, my condolences, my sincere feelings. I have a clear conscience, I know what I saw. They passed me super calmly, without speeding, without speeding.' Making no mention of going to the police after witnessing the crash, Mr Azevedo said: 'I didn't even know who was in the Lamborghini that day. I only found out the next day because, when I arrived at my destination, I shared the video with my wife, and in the morning I learnt that it was the brothers in the car. 'You have my word that they weren't speeding. They were going super-calmly. I drive this road every day, from Monday to Saturday, and I know what it's like: it's not worth s***. 'It's a dark road and I could see the make of the car, the colour of the car, everything. I filmed it, I stopped, I tried to help, but unfortunately there was nothing I could do. My conscience is clear.' He admitted he had 'thought twice' about going public but said he had been spurred into doing so by 'internet haters' who were claiming he had done nothing to assist Diogo or his brother and had only posted footage of their burning Lamborghini for "likes." He spoke out just hours after Spanish newspaper El Mundo claimed Spanish police were still trying to identify or locate crash eye-witnesses including the person behind the viral video of the footballers' Lamborghini in flames. In only their second official statement since last week's horror crash, the Civil Guard said on Tuesday: 'The expert report is still being worked on and finalised. 'Among other things traffic police from the Zamora branch of the Civil Guard are studying the tread marked by one of the wheels of the vehicle. Everything is also pointing to a possible high excess of speed over the permitted speed on that stretch of the motorway. 'All the tests carried out for the moment point to the driver of the crash vehicle being Diogo Jota. The expert police report when it is finalised will be handed over to a court in Puebla de Sanabria.' The force said the same day of the 12.30am crash 'Everything is pointing to a tyre blowout as the car was overtaking. As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both occupants died.' Spanish road safety expert Javier Lopez Delgado has pointed the finger at 'multiple factors' including the driving speed, saying: 'If they had been going at 55mph they probably wouldn't have been killed. It seems very clear they were going very fast because of the skid marks.' Mr Lopez Delgado, president of the Spanish Association of Road Safety Auditors (ASEVI), also said he believed the road surface had been a contributing factor to the men's deaths, insisting: 'You can clearly see it had many faults.' In comments to local paper La Opinion de Zamora earlier this week, the expert engineer said a tyre blowout he linked to the tyre not being in the 'right conditions or having the correct pressure', wouldn't be the only factor in the crash. He told La Opinion de Zamora the central reservation barrier the siblings crashed into acted as an 'obstacle' because 'the length and angle of incidence were not correct.' Referencing another accident in the same spot eight days earlier in which a 60-year-old woman was severely injured and had to be cut free from the wreckage of her vehicle by firefighters, Mr Lopez Delgado said: 'It could be a coincidence but I'm not a big believer in coincidences. When two different cars come off the road at the same kilometre point something's up.' Diogo Jota was heading to the northern Spanish port city of Santander with his brother to catch a ferry to the UK and carry on to Liverpool by car after being advised not to travel by plane following lung surgery. He had married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso, mum to their three young children, on June 22. The siblings' funerals took place on Saturday at a church in their hometown of Gondomar near Porto. Several Liverpool players and Diogo's Portugal teammates were among those who attended after paying their last respects at a wake the previous day.
GMA Network
04-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
FIVB chief expects PH hosting of Men's World Championship a 'remarkable success'
FIVB president Fabio Azevedo said he is expecting that the Philippines' hosting of the FIVB Men's World Championship will be a "remarkable success." Azevedo and the FIVB recently visited the Philippines to check on the preparations done by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) for the upcoming global event scheduled on September 12 to 28. 'We have no doubt that the world championships here will be a remarkable success,' Azevedo said in a press conference on Thursday. Azevedo: We have no doubt that the World Championship will be a remarkable success @gmasportsph — JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) July 3, 2025 According to Azevedo, he has seen how the Philippines has hosted multiple editions of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and the sports organization has set the bar high coming into the Men's Championship. 'Our expectations of the Philippines are very high. We set the bar very high because it's not the first time they're hosting a big event like this,' Azevedo said. In terms of logistics, infrastructure, and accommodations, the FIVB chief said the Philippines is prepared for the said event. FIVB President Fabio Azevedo on the Philippines' preparations for the hosting of the FIVB Men's Championship this year @gmasportsph — JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) July 3, 2025 'We are confident that the PNVF will deliver. They have proven their capacity in delivering big events. They raised the bar that 72 days from now, you'll be be seeing the Philippines at the center of the volleyball world.' A total of 32 teams will compete in the Men's World Championship with two venues hosting the event: the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena. —GMA Integrated News
CBS News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Sacramento neighbors worry about planned tiny home village for homeless seniors and veterans
SACRAMENTO — There is a plan to build 100 tiny homes in a Sacramento neighborhood to help house seniors and veterans who are living homeless. As Sacramento's homeless crisis continues, the tiny village proposal has some neighbors worried about what it will mean for their safety and security. John Vignocchi is the developer behind the proposed transformation of a blighted and barren lot on Rio Linda Boulevard in North Sacramento. "And what we're looking to do is transform it into 100 tiny home units for seniors," Vignocchi said. Renderings of the project show the manicured development projected to cost a third of the price of traditional housing. "And that means that you're able to get three times the number of people off the street, that means you're able to solve this problem three times faster," Vignocchi said. renderings Urban Central Vignocci is asking the city council to approve the plans and apply for state funding through California's Project Homekey Plus program, aimed at reducing homelessness. There are already hurdles. Nancy Azevedo lives across the street from the proposed tiny home village. "I don't think it's the right place for it," Azevedo said. "It feels like we're constantly getting dumped on." Azevedo is already campaigning against the plan, citing other homeless housing programs already in place in north Sacramento. "I'm letting them know that, 'hey, this is what's being proposed,' and call your councilperson and tell them that this is not what you want in your neighborhood," Azevedo said. Councilmember Roger Dickinson has not decided on his position yet. "I think the concern is about whether or not north Sacramento is being asked to shoulder more than its fair share of burden," Dickinson said. "When you're accused of being a NIMBY, in this situation, what's your response to that?" I asked Azevedo. "In this situation, I'm okay with that," Azevedo said. "If we're going to solve this problem, we can't just say, 'Oh, not in my backyard.' We need to lean in and say, 'How do we make this work in my backyard?' " Vignocchi said. The city council was expected to take this up Tuesday. In a last-minute move, they are delaying their vote until mid-May.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
There's lots of buzz about this annual Modesto celebration. See why, when
Uniquely is a Modesto Bee series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Central Valley so special. Get ready for a Modesto celebration that will hum with family attractions. It's the La Loma Native Plant Garden Pollinator Festival, our April highlight in a monthly feature that offers fresh ideas to parents for getting out and about with their children in the Modesto region. The fifth annual Pollinator Festival is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at 2000 Encina Ave. in Modesto, adjacent to the La Loma Native Plant Garden. All can flutter about the admission-free event. Among the day's highlights will be a musician-led Children's Pollinator Costume Parade through the garden, featuring little ones dressed as bees, butterflies, ladybugs, moths, bats and other garden helpers. How cute does that sound? 'No one will be left behind. It is a costume parade, but adults, children, costumes, no costumes. ... everyone is free to join the parade as we walk through the garden,' Mike Azevedo, membership chair for the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society, said in an email. Youngsters will gather at 10:30 a.m. near the music stage, right before the parade begins. Folks can flit through the festival's various activities, which include a beehive demonstration by Crump's Bees. There will be live music, as well as a drum circle at the garden mural with Drum Love. Also planned are educational children's activities, face painting by Girl Scout troops, a coloring table, birdhouses for sale, and food trucks. Blossom Hill Native Plant Nursery from Oakdale will offer pointers to anyone interested in adding native plants to a garden. The community event includes interactive activities for children and adults to learn the importance of native plants and how they support pollinators, according to Azevedo's email. The North San Joaquin Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society helps put on the festival, along with the nonprofit La Loma Neighborhood Association. There will be booths featuring groups including the Modesto Garden Club, Stanislaus Master Gardeners, Turlock Community Gardens and more. Environmental organizations will be represented, among them the Stanislaus Audubon Society, Sierra Club Yokuts Group, the U.S. Forest Service and the California Native Plant Society. The La Loma Native Garden was created in 2017 by Rhonda Allen, who designed it and oversaw the planting of shrubs and trees and the spreading of seeds, with support from the La Loma neighborhood group, according to Azevedo. Allen, a UC Master Gardener, will be at the festival and will offer a tour of the garden. The La Loma Native Garden covers two acres with California and local native plants, Azevedo's email said, 'including flowers, shrubs and trees that draw in a wide range of pollinators, including hummingbirds, butterflies and moths, native bees and others.' For more on the festival, call La Loma Neighborhood Association President Katie Cosner at 209-996-9396.
Al Etihad
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Athletes gear up for Challenge Sir Bani Yas - the first long-distance triathlon in the Middle East
26 Mar 2025 02:51 KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI) Hundreds of triathletes from the UAE and around the world are set to descend on Sir Bani Yas Island, which will be the stunning backdrop for a new triathlon - the Challenge Sir Bani Yas on April under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, the event offers not only the first long-distance triathlon in the Middle East, but also hosts races for athletes wishing to take part in middle and Olympic distance races, as well as a variety of community races for all ages and middle and Olympic distance races are recognised qualification events for the World Triathlon Championships 2025 in athletes and couple Lottie Lucas and Felipe Azevedo, two triathletes who have called the UAE home for over a decade, the race is a chance to put the country on the triathlon map."Events like this are attracting top athletes (including former World Champions!) to visit the UAE and showcase the region as an excellent place to train and live," Lucas told Aletihad. "Hopefully, this inspires other members of the UAE community to come to spectate and get involved in one of the community events too." Lucas and Azevedo are currently both ranked first in the country and will represent Team UAE in the gruelling long-distance race that consists of a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle and a 42.2km marathon. The couple say they are looking forward to experiencing Sir Bani Yas Island, which boasts a wildlife sanctuary. "The island will create an exciting race atmosphere amongst athletes and spectators, as the majority of people will be staying there for three days. This creates an exciting atmosphere in the build-up and post-race. As this is the first time the race has happened, no one really knows exactly how the course and weather conditions will play out on race day," Azevedo said. "The terrain will add some additional challenge on the bike course, which may also create some interesting dynamics against the other competitors. We are hoping the wildlife won't interfere with the race but will add to the excitement and thrill."Lucas says she is excited that many of the athletes who they coach and train with will be competing in the race. She advised athletes who are competing to be wary of the temperatures."Staying hydrated and cool is the priority, as the weather conditions are expected to be very tough. It is a 10.30am race start, meaning that we will be racing at the hottest part of the day," she said."It takes many years of consistent training to be fully prepared for such a race. When you are physically prepared and showing good numbers in training sessions, it should translate to confidence and being mentally ready to race."Azevedo said the couple would be going all out for a podium finish."As it is a 'home' race for us, it gives us extra motivation to push more in the race and to hopefully fight for a good result to make the UAE proud," he said. In addition to the long distance, middle distance and Olympic distance races, the community are open to friends, family and island visitors of all ages and abilities.
