The N.Y. Times has hired RORY SMITH from the London Times to be its chief soccer correspondent. In addition, ANDREW KEH will replace SAM BORDEN as the N.Y. Times' European sports correspondent (N.Y. Times).
SPILLING THE BEANS: Mercedes non-Exec Chair NIKI LAUDA said that LEWIS HAMILTON "destroyed" one of the Mercedes hospitality suites "in anger after crashing out of qualifying for the European Grand Prix." Lauda, "never averse to spilling the beans on the tensions at the heart of this world championship fight," said that Hamilton "lost his temper after clipping the barrier in Baku," allowing teammate NICO ROSBERG an easy pole position. The three-time champion also claimed that Hamilton “lied” when he suggested the relationship between him and Rosberg "was better than ever." Mercedes later "downplayed claims" that Hamilton had “destroyed” a hospitality suite, releasing a statement in which Lauda "embarrassingly backtracks on his original comments." The statement did not "explicitly deny Lauda made the original remarks," but instead said he wanted to “set the record straight” after the “misunderstanding” (London TELEGRAPH, 7/6).
JAIL TIME: South African Paralympic Gold Medalist OSCAR PISTORIUS "was sent back to jail for six years" on Wednesday for murdering REEVA STEENKAMP, "less than half the 15 year minimum term sought by prosecutors." Pistorius, who "fatally shot his girlfriend four times through a toilet door, has already served 12 months in prison for her death." But the "original manslaughter conviction was increased to murder by the Supreme Court of Appeal in December." Judge THOKOZILE MASIPA, whose sentence at the initial manslaughter trial "was criticized by women's groups as too lenient, said she had accepted the defense argument that a lesser punishment was appropriate." It "was unclear whether the state, which has two weeks to appeal, would accept Wednesday's sentence" (REUTERS, 7/6).
