Jim Zorn

Jim Zorn Fired by Redskins

The Jim Zorn has, finally and/or officially, been fired by the Redskins. In a move that surprises no one, GM Bruce Allen announced that the team would be going in a different direction next season. Zorn was given the news at a 4 AM meeting upon the team's return from San Diego.

"The status quo is not acceptable," Allen said in a statement. "I felt it was necessary to not waste a moment of time to begin building this team into a winner."

Zorn has been on the hot seat for several months -- and more or less considered all but fired for the last few weeks -- and the Redskins are now free to pursue the available candidates out there.

It's widely rumored -- and believed by plenty of people -- that they have a deal already in place with Mike Shanahan and have circumvented the Rooney Rule by interviewing Zorn assistant Jerry Grey a month ago.

Allen has scheduled a 12:30 press conference to discuss his decision.

In his two years as Redskins head coach, Zorn produced a 12-20 record and was 6-18 in his last 24 games. Washington finished the 2009 season with a 4-12 record.

Jim Zorn

Jim Zorn Fired by Redskins

The Jim Zorn has, finally and/or officially, been fired by the Redskins. In a move that surprises no one, GM Bruce Allen announced that the team would be going in a different direction next season. Zorn was given the news at a 4 AM meeting upon the team's return from San Diego.

"The status quo is not acceptable," Allen said in a statement. "I felt it was necessary to not waste a moment of time to begin building this team into a winner."

Zorn has been on the hot seat for several months -- and more or less considered all but fired for the last few weeks -- and the Redskins are now free to pursue the available candidates out there.

It's widely rumored -- and believed by plenty of people -- that they have a deal already in place with Mike Shanahan and have circumvented the Rooney Rule by interviewing Zorn assistant Jerry Grey a month ago.

Allen has scheduled a 12:30 press conference to discuss his decision.

In his two years as Redskins head coach, Zorn produced a 12-20 record and was 6-18 in his last 24 games. Washington finished the 2009 season with a 4-12 record.

Jim Zorn

Jim Zorn Fired by Redskins

The Jim Zorn has, finally and/or officially, been fired by the Redskins. In a move that surprises no one, GM Bruce Allen announced that the team would be going in a different direction next season. Zorn was given the news at a 4 AM meeting upon the team's return from San Diego.

"The status quo is not acceptable," Allen said in a statement. "I felt it was necessary to not waste a moment of time to begin building this team into a winner."

Zorn has been on the hot seat for several months -- and more or less considered all but fired for the last few weeks -- and the Redskins are now free to pursue the available candidates out there.

It's widely rumored -- and believed by plenty of people -- that they have a deal already in place with Mike Shanahan and have circumvented the Rooney Rule by interviewing Zorn assistant Jerry Grey a month ago.

Allen has scheduled a 12:30 press conference to discuss his decision.

In his two years as Redskins head coach, Zorn produced a 12-20 record and was 6-18 in his last 24 games. Washington finished the 2009 season with a 4-12 record.

Australia flooding

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from an outback town in Australian state of New South Wales, after days of flooding.

Two areas of the state have been declared natural disaster areas after days of the heavy rains swelled rivers and left farms cut off.

As water levels threatened to reach 5.5m (18ft), up to 1,200 people were moved from the town of Coonamble.

It comes after summer wildfires wreaked havoc on the other side of the country.

Sunday's evacuation order for Coonamble was issued because of concern about the state of levees holding back the nearby Castlereagh river.

"We are looking at a flood peak in the early hours of Monday morning at around 5.5m (18ft)," Phil Campbell, from the State Emergency Service, told state radio.

"That particular flood height does give us some concern regarding the levee that does protect 224 properties within Coonamble and, as such, an evacuation order has been issued."

Coonamble resident Ken Baker told AP television the river was the highest he had seen it in 60 years of living in the town.

Despite the damage, a number of farmers welcomed the rains, which follow a long drought.

Last week, wildfires threatened the city of Perth in Western Australia after razing dozens of homes and consuming thousands of acres of land.

Australia flooding

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from an outback town in Australian state of New South Wales, after days of flooding.

Two areas of the state have been declared natural disaster areas after days of the heavy rains swelled rivers and left farms cut off.

As water levels threatened to reach 5.5m (18ft), up to 1,200 people were moved from the town of Coonamble.

It comes after summer wildfires wreaked havoc on the other side of the country.

Sunday's evacuation order for Coonamble was issued because of concern about the state of levees holding back the nearby Castlereagh river.

"We are looking at a flood peak in the early hours of Monday morning at around 5.5m (18ft)," Phil Campbell, from the State Emergency Service, told state radio.

"That particular flood height does give us some concern regarding the levee that does protect 224 properties within Coonamble and, as such, an evacuation order has been issued."

Coonamble resident Ken Baker told AP television the river was the highest he had seen it in 60 years of living in the town.

Despite the damage, a number of farmers welcomed the rains, which follow a long drought.

Last week, wildfires threatened the city of Perth in Western Australia after razing dozens of homes and consuming thousands of acres of land.

Australia flooding

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from an outback town in Australian state of New South Wales, after days of flooding.

Two areas of the state have been declared natural disaster areas after days of the heavy rains swelled rivers and left farms cut off.

As water levels threatened to reach 5.5m (18ft), up to 1,200 people were moved from the town of Coonamble.

It comes after summer wildfires wreaked havoc on the other side of the country.

Sunday's evacuation order for Coonamble was issued because of concern about the state of levees holding back the nearby Castlereagh river.

"We are looking at a flood peak in the early hours of Monday morning at around 5.5m (18ft)," Phil Campbell, from the State Emergency Service, told state radio.

"That particular flood height does give us some concern regarding the levee that does protect 224 properties within Coonamble and, as such, an evacuation order has been issued."

Coonamble resident Ken Baker told AP television the river was the highest he had seen it in 60 years of living in the town.

Despite the damage, a number of farmers welcomed the rains, which follow a long drought.

Last week, wildfires threatened the city of Perth in Western Australia after razing dozens of homes and consuming thousands of acres of land.

Danish artist

A Somali man has been charged with trying to kill a Danish artist whose drawing of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) sparked riots around the world.
The suspect, who was shot by police outside cartoonist Kurt Westergaard's home in city of Aarhus on Friday, was carried into court on a stretcher. Police say he broke into the house armed with an axe and a knife.

The suspect, who denies the charge, was remanded in custody. Police say he has links with Somali Islamist militants.

The radical al-Shabab group in Somalia hailed the attack.

Al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Muhamud Rage told AFP news agency: "We appreciate the incident in which a Muslim Somali boy attacked the devil who abused our prophet Mohammed and we call upon all Muslims around the world to target the people like" him.

The suspect, who cannot be named for Danish legal reasons, was charged with attempted manslaughter.

The BBC's Julian Isherwood in Copenhagen says he was wearing bandages on his arm and leg and a cloth over his head to conceal his identity as he was carried into court for a remand hearing in Aarhus.

Police say the 28-year-old suspect broke into Mr Westergaard's home and shouted in broken English that he wanted to kill him. He is also alleged to have attacked police with an axe when they arrived at the scene.

The 74-year-old cartoonist, who was in the house with his five-year-old granddaughter, raised the alarm from a specially designed panic room.

The accused denied the charges, but reportedly did admit to being at the scene.

The judge remanded him in custody for four weeks, two of which are to be spent in isolation.

Earlier, police said the suspect, who had a permit to stay in Denmark, had been shot in the knee and the shoulder.

And Jakob Scharf, who heads the Danish intelligence service PET, said the alleged attack was "terror related".

The assailant had close contacts with al-Shabab, Mr Scharf said, and had been under surveillance for activities unrelated to Mr Westergaard.

A prominent member of the Somali community in Denmark, Ahmed Daqane, told the BBC that Somalis there had to be more vigilant about extremism.

"They have to take care of themselves and talk to the young people who are doing wrong things and misusing Islam," he said.

The shaken cartoonist told Danish news agency Ritzau: "I locked myself in our safe room and alerted the police. He tried to smash the entrance door with an axe, but he didn't manage."

Mr Westergaard also told the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which originally published the cartoon in 2005 as part of a set of 12, that he had been taken to a safe location.

The cartoon depicted the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban.

In 2006 the newspaper apologised for the offence caused by the drawings, but other European media reprinted them.

Danish embassies were then attacked by Muslims around the world and dozens killed in riots.

Mr Westergaard went into hiding amid threats to his life, but emerged last year saying he wanted to live as normal a life as possible.

His house has been heavily fortified and is under close police protection.

Islamic militants have placed a $1m (£620,000) price on Mr Westergaard's head.

Although he is one of 12 cartoonists whose drawings of the Prophet Muhammad were published in Jyllands-Posten, he has had the highest profile.