Friday, April 30, 2010
Walpurgisnacht
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaWalpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht) is a traditional religious holiday of pre-Christian origin, celebrated today by Christian as well as non-Christian communities, on April 30 or May 1 in large parts of Central and Northern Europe.
The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after Saint Walpurga, born in Devon about 710. Due to the coincidence of her holy day falling on the same day as the pagan holiday on which it was based, her name became associated with the celebrations. Walpurga was honoured in the same way that Vikings had celebrated spring and as they spread throughout Europe, the two dates became mixed together and created the Walpurgis Night celebration. Early Christianity had a policy of 'Christianising' pagan festivals so it is perhaps no accident that St. Walpurga's day was set to May 1.
Origins
Historically Walpurgisnacht is derived from various pagan spring customs. Bonfires were built to keep away the dead and chaotic spirits that were then widely believed to walk among the living. This is followed by the return of light and the sun as celebrated during May Day, although bonfires and witches are more closely associated with Easter (especially in Ostrobothnia, Finland) and bonfires alone with midsummer in the rest of Finland.
Saint Walpurga was a niece of Saint Boniface and, according to legend, daughter of St. Richard, a Saxon prince. She travelled with her brothers to Franconia, Germany, and became a nun in the convent of Heidenheim, Bavaria, which was founded by her brother Willibald. Shortly after moving the mortal remains of her brother,[4] Saint Winibald, Walpurga died of an illness on 25 February 779. She is therefore listed in the Roman Martyrology under 25 February. So that she might be buried beside Willibald, her relics were transferred on 1 May, and this date remains associated with her in the Finnish and Swedish calendars.
Czech Republic
April 30 is "pálení čarodějnic" ("burning of the witches") or "čarodějnice" in the Czech Republic, the day that winter is ceremonially brought to an end, by the burning of rag and straw witches or just broomsticks on bonfires around the country. The festival offers Czechs the chance to eat, drink and be merry around a roaring fire.
Estonia
In Estonia, Volbriöö is celebrated throughout the night of April 30 and into the early hours of May 1, where May 1 is a public holiday called "Spring Day" (Kevadpüha). Volbriöö is an important and widespread celebration of the arrival of Spring in the country. Influenced by German culture, the night originally stood for the gathering and meeting of witches. Modern people still dress up as witches to wander the streets in a carnival-like mood.
The Volbriöö celebrations are especially vigorous in Tartu, the university town in southern Estonia. For Estonian students in student corporations (fraternities and sororities), the night starts with a traditional march through the streets of Tartu, followed by visiting of each others' corporation houses throughout the night. The following day (May 1) is known as Kaatripäev (Hangover Day, derived from the German word 'Kater' meaning 'Hangover').
Finland
In Finland, Walpurgis day (Vappu) is, along with New Year's Eve and Juhannus, the biggest carnival-style festival held in the streets of Finland's towns and cities. The celebration, which begins on the evening of April 30 and continues to May 1, typically centres on copious consumption of sparkling wine and other alcoholic beverages. Student traditions, particularly those of the engineering students, are one of the main characteristics of "Vappu". Since the end of the 19th century, this traditional upper-class feast has been appropriated by university students. Many graduates from lukio, and thus traditionally assumed as university students or alumni, wear a cap. The cap of the engineering students is distinguished by a pom-pom hanging from it. One tradition is to drink sima, a home-made mead, along with freshly cooked doughnuts.
In the capital Helsinki and its surrounding region, fixtures include the capping (on April 30, 6 pm) of the Havis Amanda, a nude female statue in Helsinki, and the biannually-alternating publications of ribald matter called Äpy and Julkku, by engineering students of the Helsinki University of Technology. Both are sophomoric; but while Julkku is a standard magazine, Äpy is always a gimmick. Classic forms have included an Äpy printed on toilet paper and a bedsheet. Often the magazine has been stuffed inside standard industrial packages such as sardine cans and milk cartons. For most university students Vappu starts a week before the day of celebration. The festivities also include a picnic on May 1, which is sometimes prepared in a lavish manner, particularly in Ullanlinnanmäki—and Kaisaniemi for the Swedish-speaking population—in Helsinki city.
The Finnish tradition is also a shadowing of the Socialist May Day parade. Expanding from the parties of the left, the whole of the Finnish political scene has adopted Vappu as the day to go out on stumps and agitate. This does not only include political activists: other institutions like the church have followed suit, marching and making speeches. In Sweden it is only the left-wing parties which use May 1 for political activities, while others observe the traditional festivities. Left-wing activists who were active in the 1970s still party on May Day. They arrange carnivals and radio stations play leftist songs from the 1970s.
Traditionally May 1 is celebrated by a picnic in a park (Kaivopuisto or Kaisaniemi in the case of Helsinki). For most, the picnic is enjoyed with friends on a blanket with good food and sparkling wine. Some people, however, arrange extremely lavish picnics with pavilions, white table cloths, silver candelabras, classical music and extravagant food. The picnic usually starts early in the morning, where some of the previous night's party goers continue their celebrations undaunted by lack of sleep.
Some student organisations reserve areas where they traditionally camp every year. Student caps, mead, streamers and balloons have their role in the picnic, as well as in the celebration as a whole.
Vappu/Valborg and Midsummer are Finland's two main holidays in the summer-half of the year, on a par with Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in the winter-half.
Germany
In Germany, Walpurgisnacht, the night from April 30 to May 1, is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Blocksberg and await the arrival of Spring.
Walpurgis Night (in German folklore) the night of April 30 (May Day's eve), when witches meet on the Brocken mountain and hold revels with their gods..."
Brocken is the highest of the Harz Mountains of north central Germany. It is noted for the phenomenon of the Brocken spectre and for witches' revels which reputedly took place there on Walpurgis night.
The Brocken Spectre is a magnified shadow of an observer, typically surrounded by rainbow-like bands, thrown onto a bank of cloud in high mountain areas when the sun is low. The phenomenon was first reported on the Brocken.
—Oxford Phrase & Fable.
A scene in Goethe's Faust Part One is called "Walpurgisnacht", and one in Faust Part Two is called "Classical Walpurgisnacht". The last chapter of book five in Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain is also called "Walpurgisnacht".
In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires is still kept alive to celebrate the coming of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called "Easter fires".
In rural parts of southern Germany it is part of popular youth culture to play pranks such as tampering with neighbours' gardens, hiding possessions, or spraying graffiti on private property. These pranks occasionally result in serious damage to property or bodily injury.
In Berlin, traditional leftist May Day riots usually start at Walpurgis Night in the Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg. There is a similar tradition in the Schanzenviertel district of Hamburg, though in both cases the situation has significantly calmed down in the past few years.
Adolf Hitler, with several members of his staff (including Joseph Goebbels), committed suicide on Walpurgisnacht, April 30 – May 1, 1945. At the time of his suicide, the Russians had already closed in about several hundred meters on his bunker and Hitler most likely did not want to be captured alive. However, the coincidence of the day has been used to argue for an occult initiation of Hitler.
Sweden
In Sweden, Walpurgis Night (Swedish: Valborgsmässoafton or simply Valborg) has more or less become a de facto half holiday. The forms of celebration in Sweden vary in different parts of the country and between different cities. Sir James George Frazer in The Golden Bough writes that "The first of May is a great popular festival in the more midland and southern parts of Sweden. On the eve of the festival, huge bonfires, which should be lighted by striking two flints together, blaze on all the hills and knolls". One of the main traditions in Sweden is to light large bonfires, a custom which is most firmly established in Svealand, and which may have begun in Uppland during the 18th century: "At Walpurgis (Valborg), farm animals were let out to graze, and ever since the early 18th century bonfires (majbrasor, kasar) have been lit to scare away predators". In Southern Sweden, an older tradition, no longer practised, was for the younger people to collect greenery and branches from the woods at twilight: these were used to adorn the houses of the village. The expected reward for this task was to be paid in eggs.
Singing traditional songs of Spring is widespread throughout the country. The songs are mostly from the 19th century and were spread by students' Spring festivities. The strongest and most traditional Spring festivities are also found in the old university cities, like Uppsala and Lund where both undergraduates, graduates and alumni gather at events that last most of the day from early morning to late night on April 30, or "sista april" ("The last day of April") as it is called in Uppsala. Modern Valborg celebrations, particularly in Uppsala, consist of having a light breakfast including champagne and strawberries. During the day people gather in parks, drink alcoholic beverages, barbeque and generally enjoy the weather, if it happens to be favourable.
In Uppsala students also go rafting in Fyrisån on home-made and often humorously decorated rafts. Several nations also hold "Champagne Races" where students go to drink and spray champagne or sparkling wine on each other. The walls and floors of the old nation buildings are covered in plastic for this occasion as the champagne is poured around recklessly and sometimes spilled enough to wade in. Spraying champagne is, however, a fairly recent addition to the "Champagne Race". The name derives from the students running down the downhill slope from the Carolina Rediviva library, toward the Student Nations, to drink champagne.
In Linköping the students and public gather at the court yard of Linköping Castle. Spring songs are sung by Linköping University Male Voice Choir and speeches made by representatives of the students and the University teachers.
In Gothenburg, the carnival parade, The Cortège, which has been held since 1909 by the students at Chalmers University of Technology is an important part of the celebration. It is seen by around 250,000 people each year.
In Landskrona people gather at the Citadel to play beer-baseball. A game in which you drink beer and play baseball at the same time.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night
Boy killed in 'choking game' prompts warnings about dangerous practice
April 29, 2010 | 7:45 am
The death of a 12-year-old Santa Monica boy who was playing a choking game has experts warning about the dangerous practice.
The goal of the game -- also known as "space monkey," "sleeper hold" and "funky chicken" -- is to restrict the blood flow to the brain and cause a quick euphoric sensation.
To accomplish it alone, a necktie, belt or other type of binding are used to put pressure on the carotid artery in the neck. The other method involves using a partner, who can apply pressure to the neck or chest until the subject passes out.
Officers found the boy in full cardiac arrest April 20 at his home in the 800 block of 18th Street after receiving an emergency call. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was taken off life support two days later and pronounced dead, the Santa Monica Police Department said.
The boy, who was playing the game by himself, tied a rope to his neck and attached it to a device in the home, police said.
"It didn't break free and he ended up cutting off the blood flow and oxygen to his brain," said Sgt. Jay Trisler, adding that the case was being investigated as an accidental death.
Det. Maury Sumlin, of the Santa Monica Police Department, told KTLA News an autopsy and interviews with friends led to that conclusion. Police say the case is being investigated as an accidental death.
Officials at the boy's school said they planned to talk to parents about the issue soon. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District notified students and parents at the school about the boy's death April 21 but called it only a "tragic accident." District Superintendent Tim Cuneo told KTLA there was no indication the game had become a trend among students.
From: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/boy-killed-in-choking-game-prompts-warnings-about-dangerous-practice.html
The death of a 12-year-old Santa Monica boy who was playing a choking game has experts warning about the dangerous practice.
The goal of the game -- also known as "space monkey," "sleeper hold" and "funky chicken" -- is to restrict the blood flow to the brain and cause a quick euphoric sensation.
To accomplish it alone, a necktie, belt or other type of binding are used to put pressure on the carotid artery in the neck. The other method involves using a partner, who can apply pressure to the neck or chest until the subject passes out.
Officers found the boy in full cardiac arrest April 20 at his home in the 800 block of 18th Street after receiving an emergency call. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was taken off life support two days later and pronounced dead, the Santa Monica Police Department said.
The boy, who was playing the game by himself, tied a rope to his neck and attached it to a device in the home, police said.
"It didn't break free and he ended up cutting off the blood flow and oxygen to his brain," said Sgt. Jay Trisler, adding that the case was being investigated as an accidental death.
Det. Maury Sumlin, of the Santa Monica Police Department, told KTLA News an autopsy and interviews with friends led to that conclusion. Police say the case is being investigated as an accidental death.
Officials at the boy's school said they planned to talk to parents about the issue soon. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District notified students and parents at the school about the boy's death April 21 but called it only a "tragic accident." District Superintendent Tim Cuneo told KTLA there was no indication the game had become a trend among students.
From: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/boy-killed-in-choking-game-prompts-warnings-about-dangerous-practice.html
Hunt on for serial sex killing elephant
Latest Update: Wednesday28/4/2010April, 2010, 11:26 PM Doha Time
Wildlife experts in Kerala are hunting a rogue bull elephant who is thought to have gored 12 female tuskers to death because they spurned his sexual advances.
The Times of India said yesterday that a 15-member taskforce has been set up to catch the aggressive male, called Alpha, who has been on the run in the jungles of Kerala for the last three years.
Kerala’s chief wildlife warden, K K Srivastava, said eight female elephants were found dead in the vast Periyar reserve between February and June last year.
“Postmortem reports and other evidence suggested that these were caused by the same tusker. Two more females were found dead on March 12 and 21 this year. The nature of injuries point to the same culprit,” he told the daily.
Two other deaths have been blamed on 25-year-old Alpha, he added, without specifying when the females were found.
Alpha’s behaviour has been blamed on “musth,” a surge in the male reproductive hormone testosterone in bull elephants that leads to aggressive behaviour.
Forensic tests have shown that all the victims had puncture marks, indicating that they resisted a male who tried to force himself on them. The wounds matched the dimensions of Alpha’s tusks, the newspaper said.
The former deputy director of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, P P Pramod, said Alpha needs to have his tusks trimmed but they had to catch and tranquilise him first, which was risky.
“If it fell flat on its chest it will die instantly. So we need to follow it and lift it as soon as he collapses,” he was quoted as saying.
From: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=358114&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22
Wildlife experts in Kerala are hunting a rogue bull elephant who is thought to have gored 12 female tuskers to death because they spurned his sexual advances.
The Times of India said yesterday that a 15-member taskforce has been set up to catch the aggressive male, called Alpha, who has been on the run in the jungles of Kerala for the last three years.
Kerala’s chief wildlife warden, K K Srivastava, said eight female elephants were found dead in the vast Periyar reserve between February and June last year.
“Postmortem reports and other evidence suggested that these were caused by the same tusker. Two more females were found dead on March 12 and 21 this year. The nature of injuries point to the same culprit,” he told the daily.
Two other deaths have been blamed on 25-year-old Alpha, he added, without specifying when the females were found.
Alpha’s behaviour has been blamed on “musth,” a surge in the male reproductive hormone testosterone in bull elephants that leads to aggressive behaviour.
Forensic tests have shown that all the victims had puncture marks, indicating that they resisted a male who tried to force himself on them. The wounds matched the dimensions of Alpha’s tusks, the newspaper said.
The former deputy director of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, P P Pramod, said Alpha needs to have his tusks trimmed but they had to catch and tranquilise him first, which was risky.
“If it fell flat on its chest it will die instantly. So we need to follow it and lift it as soon as he collapses,” he was quoted as saying.
From: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=358114&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22
Prosecutor: Bloody Ax Found At Scene
Man Accused Of Killing His Daughter's Fiance
POSTED: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
UPDATED: 9:39 am EDT April 29, 2010
FLINT, Mich. -- Flint authorities said a man accused of killing his daughter's fiance has been charged with first-degree murder.
Fifty-nine-year-old Jimmie Williams was arraigned Tuesday and sent back to jail without bond. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the victim, Daryl Barfield, was attacked at the suspect's home in Flint on Saturday morning.
Leyton said Barfield had been dating Williams' daughter for a number of years and has two children with her.
Leyton said Williams approached the 30-year-old as he was working on a car in the driveway and struck him with a metal rod on the forehead and also with a double-bladed ax.
"I was awakened by the sounds of the girl screaming, crying at the top of her lungs," a neighbor told Local 4. "I went up to my window and saw two guys and a man lying on the ground. They held him there until the police came."
Flint Police Sgt. Leigh Golden said Williams told police that Barfield had disrespected him.
Williams is being held without bond until his next court hearing, which is scheduled for Friday.
Police said he has a criminal record but that there have not been any known incidents of violence between the men in the past.
From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/23292426/detail.html
POSTED: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
UPDATED: 9:39 am EDT April 29, 2010
FLINT, Mich. -- Flint authorities said a man accused of killing his daughter's fiance has been charged with first-degree murder.
Fifty-nine-year-old Jimmie Williams was arraigned Tuesday and sent back to jail without bond. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the victim, Daryl Barfield, was attacked at the suspect's home in Flint on Saturday morning.
Leyton said Barfield had been dating Williams' daughter for a number of years and has two children with her.
Leyton said Williams approached the 30-year-old as he was working on a car in the driveway and struck him with a metal rod on the forehead and also with a double-bladed ax.
"I was awakened by the sounds of the girl screaming, crying at the top of her lungs," a neighbor told Local 4. "I went up to my window and saw two guys and a man lying on the ground. They held him there until the police came."
Flint Police Sgt. Leigh Golden said Williams told police that Barfield had disrespected him.
Williams is being held without bond until his next court hearing, which is scheduled for Friday.
Police said he has a criminal record but that there have not been any known incidents of violence between the men in the past.
From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/23292426/detail.html
Five children hurt in fresh attack on school in China
Last updated at 06:48 GMT, Friday, 30 April 2010 07:48 UK
Five young children have been hurt at a school in north-eastern China after a man attacked them with a hammer before killing himself.
It was the third such incident in China in as many days.
The man, said to be a local farmer, grabbed two children before setting himself on fire at the pre-school in Shandong province's Weifang city.
The children were pulled to safety, and all five - plus an injured teacher - were said to be stable in hospital.
China is reeling from a spate of apparent copy-cat attacks in schools.
On Thursday, 28 children - most of them aged around four - and three adults were attacked by an unemployed man wielding a knife at a nursery school in Jiangsu province, eastern China. Five of the children were taken to hospital in a critical condition.
And a day earlier, some 15 pupils and a teacher were wounded by a former teacher - who was on sick leave - at their primary school in Guangdong province.
Earlier on Wednesday, a doctor convicted of stabbing eight children to death in Fujian province in March was executed.
Increased security
Friday's attacker was a local farmer identified as Wang Yonglai, Xinhua news agency reports.
He used a motorcycle to break down the gates in to Shangzhuang primary school, striking a teacher who tried to stop him and then turning the hammer on the children.
He grabbed two of the children before dousing himself in petrol and setting himself alight. Teachers seized the two children from him in time.
The motive of the attack is not yet known.
The BBC's Chris Hogg in Shanghai says the attacks are unsettling in a country where such violent attacks are rare.
Since a spate of attacks in 2004, many schools in China have employed professional guards but the latest incidents have led to public calls for increased security in schools.
The education ministry ordered all schools to upgrade their security facilities earlier this month, as well as teach students about safety and ensure young children are escorted home, state media has reported.
But such measures are expensive, says our correspondent, and in reality there is little that can be done to prevent such acts of violence.
The incidents have also sparked a debate about the motives of the killers, with some suggesting that rapid social change and growing unemployment has led to an increase in psychiatric illnesses.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8653230.stm
Five young children have been hurt at a school in north-eastern China after a man attacked them with a hammer before killing himself.
It was the third such incident in China in as many days.
The man, said to be a local farmer, grabbed two children before setting himself on fire at the pre-school in Shandong province's Weifang city.
The children were pulled to safety, and all five - plus an injured teacher - were said to be stable in hospital.
China is reeling from a spate of apparent copy-cat attacks in schools.
On Thursday, 28 children - most of them aged around four - and three adults were attacked by an unemployed man wielding a knife at a nursery school in Jiangsu province, eastern China. Five of the children were taken to hospital in a critical condition.
And a day earlier, some 15 pupils and a teacher were wounded by a former teacher - who was on sick leave - at their primary school in Guangdong province.
Earlier on Wednesday, a doctor convicted of stabbing eight children to death in Fujian province in March was executed.
Increased security
Friday's attacker was a local farmer identified as Wang Yonglai, Xinhua news agency reports.
He used a motorcycle to break down the gates in to Shangzhuang primary school, striking a teacher who tried to stop him and then turning the hammer on the children.
He grabbed two of the children before dousing himself in petrol and setting himself alight. Teachers seized the two children from him in time.
The motive of the attack is not yet known.
The BBC's Chris Hogg in Shanghai says the attacks are unsettling in a country where such violent attacks are rare.
Since a spate of attacks in 2004, many schools in China have employed professional guards but the latest incidents have led to public calls for increased security in schools.
The education ministry ordered all schools to upgrade their security facilities earlier this month, as well as teach students about safety and ensure young children are escorted home, state media has reported.
But such measures are expensive, says our correspondent, and in reality there is little that can be done to prevent such acts of violence.
The incidents have also sparked a debate about the motives of the killers, with some suggesting that rapid social change and growing unemployment has led to an increase in psychiatric illnesses.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8653230.stm
Belgian lawmakers pass burka ban
Last updated at 09:46 GMT, Friday, 30 April 2010 10:46 UK
Belgium's lower house of parliament has voted for a law that would ban women from wearing the full Islamic face veil in public.
The law would ban any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in places like parks and on the street. No-one voted against it.
The law now goes to the Senate, where it may face challenges over its wording, which may delay it.
If passed, the ban would be the first move of its kind in Europe.
Only around 30 women wear this kind of veil in Belgium, out of a Muslim population of around half a million.
The BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels says MPs backed the legislation on the grounds of security, to allow police to identify people.
Other MPs said that the full face veil was a symbol of the oppression of women, our correspondent says.
Senate approval
Thursday's vote was almost unanimous with 134 MPs in support of the law and two abstentions.
It is expected to pass through the Senate without being blocked, with initial reports saying it could come into law as early as June or July.
But the Liberals and Christian Democrats - both represented in the Senate - say they will question the phrasing of the law, which could cause delays.
It will also take longer to become law if elections are called, as parliament would have to be dissolved. The Belgium government collapsed last week.
The Muslim Executive of Belgium has criticised the move, saying it would lead to women who do wear the full veil to be trapped in their homes.
Amnesty International said a ban would set a "dangerous precedent".
In a statement, the human rights group said it would "violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or niqab as an expression of their identity and beliefs".
The ban would be imposed in all buildings or grounds that are "meant for public use or to provide services", including streets, parks and sports grounds.
Exceptions could be made for certain festivals.
Those who break the law could face a fine of 15-25 euros (£13-£27) or a seven-day jail sentence.
From; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8652861.stm
Belgium's lower house of parliament has voted for a law that would ban women from wearing the full Islamic face veil in public.
The law would ban any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in places like parks and on the street. No-one voted against it.
The law now goes to the Senate, where it may face challenges over its wording, which may delay it.
If passed, the ban would be the first move of its kind in Europe.
Only around 30 women wear this kind of veil in Belgium, out of a Muslim population of around half a million.
The BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels says MPs backed the legislation on the grounds of security, to allow police to identify people.
Other MPs said that the full face veil was a symbol of the oppression of women, our correspondent says.
Senate approval
Thursday's vote was almost unanimous with 134 MPs in support of the law and two abstentions.
It is expected to pass through the Senate without being blocked, with initial reports saying it could come into law as early as June or July.
But the Liberals and Christian Democrats - both represented in the Senate - say they will question the phrasing of the law, which could cause delays.
It will also take longer to become law if elections are called, as parliament would have to be dissolved. The Belgium government collapsed last week.
The Muslim Executive of Belgium has criticised the move, saying it would lead to women who do wear the full veil to be trapped in their homes.
Amnesty International said a ban would set a "dangerous precedent".
In a statement, the human rights group said it would "violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or niqab as an expression of their identity and beliefs".
The ban would be imposed in all buildings or grounds that are "meant for public use or to provide services", including streets, parks and sports grounds.
Exceptions could be made for certain festivals.
Those who break the law could face a fine of 15-25 euros (£13-£27) or a seven-day jail sentence.
From; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8652861.stm
Kent man guilty of drowning 3-year-old stepdaughter
By Associated PressKING5.com
Posted on April 29, 2010 at 10:06 AM
Updated yesterday at 10:34 AM
SEATTLE - A Kent man was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder in the drowning of his 3-year-old stepdaughter. Prosecutors said 40-year-old Joel Zellmer drowned little Ashley McLellan so he could collect on a $200,000 life insurance policy taken out three months before her death.
The girl was pulled unconscious from the family swimming pool in December 2003 and died two days later. Zellmer said he was asleep when his stepdaughter wandered into the back yard and into the pool while her mother was at work.
At trial, a prosecutor said Zellmer preyed on single mothers he dated so he could target their children for potential insurance payoffs. Jurors were told about other children suffering broken legs, burned hands and a near-drowning.
From: http://www.king5.com/news/local/Kent-man-drowned-stepdaughter-to-collect-insurance-jury-finds-92427984.html
Customer Shoots, Kills Would-Be Armed Robber
Harry J. McCullough Cited For Possessing Weapon Without Proper Permit
POSTED: 5:59 am CDT April 27, 2010
UPDATED: 10:27 am CDT April 28, 2010
OMAHA, Neb. -- An armed robber was shot and killed in an Omaha business Monday night, police said. Investigators said a customer intervened and fired on the gunman.
The robbery took place at the Walgreen’s store at 61st Street and Northwest Radial Highway at 8:50 p.m.
Police said two masked individuals walked into the store. One of them was armed with a short shotgun. The gunman pointed the weapon at customers and at the clerk behind the counter.
A man who had a permit to carry a gun saw the robber point the weapon at the clerk and pulled out his handgun and shot the suspect multiple times, police said. The robber, identified by police as 18-year-old Marquail Thomas, stumbled out of the store and collapsed.
Video: Attorney Gives Account Of Walgreen's Shooting
He was taken to Creighton University Medical Center, where he later died.
The man, Harry J. McCullough, 32, was cited because he didn't have a permit that allowed him to carry the gun concealed.
The second robbery suspect was detained until police arrived. Angelo Douglas, 17, has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony.
Investigators said McCullough was questioned and released after conferring with the Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine.
County Attorney: Shooter Justified
McCullough was in the store picking up prescriptions and buying ice cream when he decided to open fire on the suspected robber, his attorney said.
"My client acted quickly, responsibly, and certainly accurately," said attorney James Martin Davis.
The county attorney said McCullough acted quickly.
"He didn't let them get more than past the metal detectors," Kleine said. He decided he wouldn't file any charges, even adding that McCullough did the right thing.
"People shouldn't enter stores with short shotguns and try and rob people. And it's as simple as that. Fortunately, it turned out that the perpetrator was taken out, and the other perpetrator was arrested," Kleine said.
Davis said McCullough was crying in his office on Tuesday. He said McCullough was shaken up by what happened and will seek counseling.
The city prosecutor is still reviewing the citation against McCullough.
From: http://www.ketv.com/news/23275007/detail.html
POSTED: 5:59 am CDT April 27, 2010
UPDATED: 10:27 am CDT April 28, 2010
OMAHA, Neb. -- An armed robber was shot and killed in an Omaha business Monday night, police said. Investigators said a customer intervened and fired on the gunman.
The robbery took place at the Walgreen’s store at 61st Street and Northwest Radial Highway at 8:50 p.m.
Police said two masked individuals walked into the store. One of them was armed with a short shotgun. The gunman pointed the weapon at customers and at the clerk behind the counter.
A man who had a permit to carry a gun saw the robber point the weapon at the clerk and pulled out his handgun and shot the suspect multiple times, police said. The robber, identified by police as 18-year-old Marquail Thomas, stumbled out of the store and collapsed.
Video: Attorney Gives Account Of Walgreen's Shooting
He was taken to Creighton University Medical Center, where he later died.
The man, Harry J. McCullough, 32, was cited because he didn't have a permit that allowed him to carry the gun concealed.
The second robbery suspect was detained until police arrived. Angelo Douglas, 17, has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony.
Investigators said McCullough was questioned and released after conferring with the Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine.
County Attorney: Shooter Justified
McCullough was in the store picking up prescriptions and buying ice cream when he decided to open fire on the suspected robber, his attorney said.
"My client acted quickly, responsibly, and certainly accurately," said attorney James Martin Davis.
The county attorney said McCullough acted quickly.
"He didn't let them get more than past the metal detectors," Kleine said. He decided he wouldn't file any charges, even adding that McCullough did the right thing.
"People shouldn't enter stores with short shotguns and try and rob people. And it's as simple as that. Fortunately, it turned out that the perpetrator was taken out, and the other perpetrator was arrested," Kleine said.
Davis said McCullough was crying in his office on Tuesday. He said McCullough was shaken up by what happened and will seek counseling.
The city prosecutor is still reviewing the citation against McCullough.
From: http://www.ketv.com/news/23275007/detail.html
Woman Takes Bite Out Of Man After 'Fat' Comment
Anna Godfrey Faces Felony Assault ChargePOSTED: 12:35 pm CDT April 28, 2010
UPDATED: 1:17 pm CDT April 28, 2010
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Police said a 24-year-old Lincoln man is missing a chunk of his right ear that was bitten off by a woman who didn't like being called "fat."
Police spokeswoman Katie Flood said officers were called to a Lincoln hospital around 3:25 a.m. Wednesday to talk to the injured man. He told them that he'd been bitten at a party.
Flood said officers later learned that the injured man and two others had been arguing with other people at the birthday party.
Flood said the man told 21-year-old Anna Godfrey that she was fat. Officers said Godfrey then tackled the man and took a bite. Flood said the ear chunk was not found.
Godfrey was arrested on suspicion of felony assault and remained in custody Wednesday. Case records don't yet list her attorney's name.
From: http://www.ketv.com/news/23291798/detail.html#
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Man claims to have had no food or drink for 70 years
Indian military scientists are studying an 82-year-old who claims he has not had any food or drink for 70 years.By Dean Nelson in New Delhi
Published: 11:02PM BST 28 Apr 2010
Prahlad Jani is being held in isolation in a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gurjarat, where he is being closely monitored by India's defence research organization, who believe he may have a genuine quality which could help save lives.
He has now spent six days without food or water under strict observation and doctors say his body has not yet shown any adverse effects from hunger or dehydration.
Mr Jani, who claims to have left home aged seven and lived as a wandering sadhu or holy man in Rajasthan, is regarded as a 'breatharian' who can live on a 'spiritual life-force' alone. He believes he is sustained by a goddess who pours an 'elixir' through a hole in his palate. His claims have been supported by an Indian doctor who specializes in studies of people who claim supernatural abilities, but he has also been dismissed by others as a "village fraud."
India's Defence Research Development Organisation, whose scientists develop drone aircraft, intercontinental ballistic missiles and new types of bombs. They believe Mr Prahlad could teach them to help soldiers survive longer without food, or disaster victims to hang on until help arrives.
"If his claims are verified, it will be a breakthrough in medical science," said Dr G Ilavazhagan, director of the Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences.
"We will be able to help save human lives during natural disasters, high altitude, sea journeys and other natural and human extremities. We can educate people about the survival techniques in adverse conditions with little food and water or nothing at all."
So far, Mr Prahlad appears to be standing up to scrutiny. He has not eaten or drunk any fluids in six days, and similarly has not passed urine or a stool in that time. He remains fit and healthy and shows no sign of lethargy. Doctors will continue observing him for 15 days in which time they would expect to see some muscle wastage, serious dehydration, weight loss,and fatigue followed by organ failure.
It is common in India for Jains and Hindus to fast, sometimes for up to eight days, without any adverse affects, as part of their religious worship. Most humans cannot survive without food for 50 days. The longest hunger strike recorded is 74 days.
According to Dr Sudhir Shah, who examined him in 2003, he went without food or water for ten days in which urine appeared to be reabsorbed by his body after forming in his bladder. Doubts were expressed about his claim after his weight fell slightly at the end of the trial.
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7645857/Man-claims-to-have-had-no-food-or-drink-for-70-years.html
Lewisville woman found decapitated; husband sought
12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, April 28, 2010
By WENDY HUNDLEY / The Dallas Morning News
A chainsaw was still running when police arrived on the scene of a grisly slaying on Monday in Lewisville.
The decapitated body of Maria Corona, a 44-year-old mother of six, was found in the street near her home in the 1000 block of Shadow Wood Lane. A trail of blood led from the body to her home, where a white pickup truck was parked in the driveway.
"On the tailgate were two chainsaws, both of which had blood and tissue matter on them," according to a police search warrant affidavit released Tuesday. "One of the chainsaws was still running upon patrol officer arrival."
Lewisville police have asked for assistance from state and federal authorities in locating Jose Fernando Corona, the 49-year old husband of the victim. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Corona, charging him with murder.
Police are waiting for the autopsy results from the Tarrant County medical examiner to determine the cause of death.
While officers were still at the scene on Monday, the couple's oldest daughter, Carla Corona, arrived home to discover the gruesome crime and identified the victim as her mother.
Carla Corona's husband, Freddie Arellano, told authorities that Jose Corona had called a few minutes earlier to say that he "had done it, he had killed her and was going to drag her body next door," according to the affidavit.
Jose Corona has no prior criminal history, but the couple had been having marital problems, Lewisville police Capt. Kevin Deaver said
Investigators originally thought that Corona might have fled in his 2005 Toyota Sequoia. But they later learned that he had stopped at a Dallas car dealership Monday afternoon and took a gold pickup truck for a test drive. He never returned.
Lewisville police are now looking for a two-door 1991 Ford Ranger with Texas license plate AA24004.
Police believe Maria Corona was killed between 11 and 11:10 a.m. Monday. They were called to the scene about 11:15 a.m. after the body was discovered by a postal carrier.
Officers noticed that a security camera is mounted on the corner of the couple's home and thought it might have captured the crime. But Deaver said Tuesday that the device was not working.
The violence of the crime shocked the police veteran.
"Over 20 years in law enforcement and I've never seen anything like this," he said.
From: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/crime/stories/DN-lewbody_28met.ART.State.Edition1.4c5f3bd.html
By WENDY HUNDLEY / The Dallas Morning News
A chainsaw was still running when police arrived on the scene of a grisly slaying on Monday in Lewisville.
The decapitated body of Maria Corona, a 44-year-old mother of six, was found in the street near her home in the 1000 block of Shadow Wood Lane. A trail of blood led from the body to her home, where a white pickup truck was parked in the driveway.
"On the tailgate were two chainsaws, both of which had blood and tissue matter on them," according to a police search warrant affidavit released Tuesday. "One of the chainsaws was still running upon patrol officer arrival."
Lewisville police have asked for assistance from state and federal authorities in locating Jose Fernando Corona, the 49-year old husband of the victim. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Corona, charging him with murder.
Police are waiting for the autopsy results from the Tarrant County medical examiner to determine the cause of death.
While officers were still at the scene on Monday, the couple's oldest daughter, Carla Corona, arrived home to discover the gruesome crime and identified the victim as her mother.
Carla Corona's husband, Freddie Arellano, told authorities that Jose Corona had called a few minutes earlier to say that he "had done it, he had killed her and was going to drag her body next door," according to the affidavit.
Jose Corona has no prior criminal history, but the couple had been having marital problems, Lewisville police Capt. Kevin Deaver said
Investigators originally thought that Corona might have fled in his 2005 Toyota Sequoia. But they later learned that he had stopped at a Dallas car dealership Monday afternoon and took a gold pickup truck for a test drive. He never returned.
Lewisville police are now looking for a two-door 1991 Ford Ranger with Texas license plate AA24004.
Police believe Maria Corona was killed between 11 and 11:10 a.m. Monday. They were called to the scene about 11:15 a.m. after the body was discovered by a postal carrier.
Officers noticed that a security camera is mounted on the corner of the couple's home and thought it might have captured the crime. But Deaver said Tuesday that the device was not working.
The violence of the crime shocked the police veteran.
"Over 20 years in law enforcement and I've never seen anything like this," he said.
From: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/crime/stories/DN-lewbody_28met.ART.State.Edition1.4c5f3bd.html
Man Shot Wife, Daughter Before Pursuit
Coroner: Dawn Mims Died Of Gunshot To Head
POSTED: 4:38 am EDT April 27, 2010
UPDATED: 9:18 am EDT April 28, 2010
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. -- The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office says a 45-year-old man who killed his wife, wounded his stepdaughter, set his house on fire and led officers on a pursuit that shutdown a North Carolina interstate was being guarded in a North Carolina hospital Wednesday.
Authorities said Arthur Duval Mims, from Duncan, drank almost a gallon of bleach before his arrest Tuesday morning. Just hours before, Mims shot his wife, 36-year-old Dawn Mims, and his 16-year-old stepdaughter, deputies said.
Arthur Mims was taken to a Lexington, N.C. hospital, then transferred to the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, Davidson County, N.C., deputies confirmed. Before he was transferred, Mims saw a magistrate in the hospital and was denied bond, they said.
Wednesday morning, Davidson County Sheriff's Deputies confirmed Mims was still hospitalized and under the guard of two deputies. He was in stable condition and alert and talking, according to Maj. Christopher Coble.
Late Tuesday night, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger released the preliminary cause of Mrs. Mims' death. In a statement, Clevenger said Mrs. Mims died of a gun shot to the head. She was shot more than once and fire did not contribute to her death, Clevenger said.
The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said that the stepdaughter -- along with her sister who was in the house but was not injured -- ran to a neighbor’s house for help. A 911 call was made at about 3:30 a.m. Originally, N.C. troopers said two daughters were shot, but it was later corrected.
Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright later said at an afternoon news conference that the wounded girl had a facial injury that appears to be non-life-threatening. The police report said she was wounded in her cheek or ear area.
The neighbor, who lives two houses away, happens to be an off-duty Greenville County Sheriff’s deputy.
"About 3:15 in the morning, we hear our doorbell ringing rapidly. My wife and I look at each other and say, 'what is that? Who's ringing our doorbell?' So I run downstairs. I'm thinking it's probably some kids playing a prank or whatever," Deputy Jason Cassel told WYFF News4's Mike McCormick. "Open the door, there's a young girl standing there and she's telling me, 'Help help, my dad just shot my mom, she's dead up stairs and he's burning the house down.'"
After the teens told him what happened, Cassel, 35, armed himself and ran to the Mims’ home.
Cassel saw Arthur Mims driving away in a white Ford F-150 pickup truck, and he relayed the vehicle description to Spartanburg County dispatchers.
Cassel was joined by a Spartanburg deputy, and together they went into the home on Terrace Creek Drive in Duncan.
Once inside, the deputies saw smoke and realized the house was on fire. They got extinguishers from their vehicles and tried to put the fire out, but were unable to.
The Reidville Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire.
Deputies then found Dawn Mims dead in a bedroom.
A short time later, Arthur Mims was spotted by Cherokee County deputies who pursued him in a high-speed chase. Several law enforcement agencies chased Mims into Davidson County, N.C.
A truck driver at the scene told WYFF News 4 sister station WXII that the suspect passed him and was driving on three tires and a rim for about 15 miles before coming to a stop. Sheriff Chuck Wright confirmed that Mims has a blown tire, but he was not sure if it had been flattened by a stop stick or if it had been shot.
At 8 a.m., the chase ended in a standoff near Lexington, N.C. The truck stopped on the side of the interstate between mile markers 89 and 91. Traffic was stopped in both directions and the backup stretched for miles.
Sky 4 video from over the scene in Lexington showed at least 22 law enforcement vehicles spread out across I-85 near the parked truck. One of the vehicles appeared to be an armored carrier, which was reportedly sent in from High Point police. At least a dozen squad cars had their doors opened, using them as shields.
At about 8:30 a.m., troopers used an armored vehicle to move close to the truck. Mims was believed to have a rifle in the vehicle, troopers said.
Wright said that Mims shot at officers during the standoff. Wright said officers had “the perfect opportunity to kill him” but exercised great restraint.
Davidson County Sheriff David Grice said Mims drank almost a gallon of bleach and was vomiting blood. Grice said a SWAT officer formed a rapport with Mims and helped talk him into surrendering. When Mims got out of the car he asked for water, Grice said.
Mims was taken to Lexington Memorial Hospital. He was described as "stable and alert." A magistrate saw Mims in the hospital. He was denied bond and was transferred to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He was listed as stable.
Wright said it “looks like he might survive.” He also said drinking bleach is a “bad way to go.”
Wright said that the family had no known history of domestic abuse and they don’t yet know the motive for the shooting.
Mims is charged with murder, assault and battery with intent to kill and arson. He'll also face charges in connection with the pursuit.
South Carolina officers are in Davidson County waiting to transport Mims back to Spartanburg County. If he refuses, he will be taken to Davidson County jail and will appear before a North Carolina judge.
Wright said that the name of the injured teen will not be released.
From: http://www.wyff4.com/news/23274540/detail.html
POSTED: 4:38 am EDT April 27, 2010
UPDATED: 9:18 am EDT April 28, 2010
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. -- The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office says a 45-year-old man who killed his wife, wounded his stepdaughter, set his house on fire and led officers on a pursuit that shutdown a North Carolina interstate was being guarded in a North Carolina hospital Wednesday.
Authorities said Arthur Duval Mims, from Duncan, drank almost a gallon of bleach before his arrest Tuesday morning. Just hours before, Mims shot his wife, 36-year-old Dawn Mims, and his 16-year-old stepdaughter, deputies said.
Arthur Mims was taken to a Lexington, N.C. hospital, then transferred to the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, Davidson County, N.C., deputies confirmed. Before he was transferred, Mims saw a magistrate in the hospital and was denied bond, they said.
Wednesday morning, Davidson County Sheriff's Deputies confirmed Mims was still hospitalized and under the guard of two deputies. He was in stable condition and alert and talking, according to Maj. Christopher Coble.
Late Tuesday night, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger released the preliminary cause of Mrs. Mims' death. In a statement, Clevenger said Mrs. Mims died of a gun shot to the head. She was shot more than once and fire did not contribute to her death, Clevenger said.
The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said that the stepdaughter -- along with her sister who was in the house but was not injured -- ran to a neighbor’s house for help. A 911 call was made at about 3:30 a.m. Originally, N.C. troopers said two daughters were shot, but it was later corrected.
Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright later said at an afternoon news conference that the wounded girl had a facial injury that appears to be non-life-threatening. The police report said she was wounded in her cheek or ear area.
The neighbor, who lives two houses away, happens to be an off-duty Greenville County Sheriff’s deputy.
"About 3:15 in the morning, we hear our doorbell ringing rapidly. My wife and I look at each other and say, 'what is that? Who's ringing our doorbell?' So I run downstairs. I'm thinking it's probably some kids playing a prank or whatever," Deputy Jason Cassel told WYFF News4's Mike McCormick. "Open the door, there's a young girl standing there and she's telling me, 'Help help, my dad just shot my mom, she's dead up stairs and he's burning the house down.'"
After the teens told him what happened, Cassel, 35, armed himself and ran to the Mims’ home.
Cassel saw Arthur Mims driving away in a white Ford F-150 pickup truck, and he relayed the vehicle description to Spartanburg County dispatchers.
Cassel was joined by a Spartanburg deputy, and together they went into the home on Terrace Creek Drive in Duncan.
Once inside, the deputies saw smoke and realized the house was on fire. They got extinguishers from their vehicles and tried to put the fire out, but were unable to.
The Reidville Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire.
Deputies then found Dawn Mims dead in a bedroom.
A short time later, Arthur Mims was spotted by Cherokee County deputies who pursued him in a high-speed chase. Several law enforcement agencies chased Mims into Davidson County, N.C.
A truck driver at the scene told WYFF News 4 sister station WXII that the suspect passed him and was driving on three tires and a rim for about 15 miles before coming to a stop. Sheriff Chuck Wright confirmed that Mims has a blown tire, but he was not sure if it had been flattened by a stop stick or if it had been shot.
At 8 a.m., the chase ended in a standoff near Lexington, N.C. The truck stopped on the side of the interstate between mile markers 89 and 91. Traffic was stopped in both directions and the backup stretched for miles.
Sky 4 video from over the scene in Lexington showed at least 22 law enforcement vehicles spread out across I-85 near the parked truck. One of the vehicles appeared to be an armored carrier, which was reportedly sent in from High Point police. At least a dozen squad cars had their doors opened, using them as shields.
At about 8:30 a.m., troopers used an armored vehicle to move close to the truck. Mims was believed to have a rifle in the vehicle, troopers said.
Wright said that Mims shot at officers during the standoff. Wright said officers had “the perfect opportunity to kill him” but exercised great restraint.
Davidson County Sheriff David Grice said Mims drank almost a gallon of bleach and was vomiting blood. Grice said a SWAT officer formed a rapport with Mims and helped talk him into surrendering. When Mims got out of the car he asked for water, Grice said.
Mims was taken to Lexington Memorial Hospital. He was described as "stable and alert." A magistrate saw Mims in the hospital. He was denied bond and was transferred to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He was listed as stable.
Wright said it “looks like he might survive.” He also said drinking bleach is a “bad way to go.”
Wright said that the family had no known history of domestic abuse and they don’t yet know the motive for the shooting.
Mims is charged with murder, assault and battery with intent to kill and arson. He'll also face charges in connection with the pursuit.
South Carolina officers are in Davidson County waiting to transport Mims back to Spartanburg County. If he refuses, he will be taken to Davidson County jail and will appear before a North Carolina judge.
Wright said that the name of the injured teen will not be released.
From: http://www.wyff4.com/news/23274540/detail.html
Police accuse woman of having sex with horse
POSTED: April 28, 2010
CLYMER - An Indiana County woman has been charged with having sex with a horse, state police at Indiana said Tuesday.
Dovie Lee Kerner, 46, of Plumville also allegedly had sex with other animals including a dog and a pig, court documents state.
The investigation began in November 2008 when it was reported by two officials from the Humane Society of Indiana County, police said.
One of the officials said she received a phone call from a confidential informant who asked her if it was illegal to have sex with an animal. When told yes, the informant said he had a video on his cell phone of Kerner having sex with a horse, court documents state.
Because of Kerner's alleged sexual activities with other men and animals, the informant, who had dated the woman, and his Jack Russell terrier both contracted sexually transmitted diseases, court documents state.
Kerner is charged with two counts each of obscene and other sexual materials and performances and disorderly conduct and one count of sexual intercourse with an animal.
The charges were filed before Magisterial District Judge George Thachik. No preliminary hearing date has been set, according to online court records.
From: http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/529344.html?nav=742
CLYMER - An Indiana County woman has been charged with having sex with a horse, state police at Indiana said Tuesday.
Dovie Lee Kerner, 46, of Plumville also allegedly had sex with other animals including a dog and a pig, court documents state.
The investigation began in November 2008 when it was reported by two officials from the Humane Society of Indiana County, police said.
One of the officials said she received a phone call from a confidential informant who asked her if it was illegal to have sex with an animal. When told yes, the informant said he had a video on his cell phone of Kerner having sex with a horse, court documents state.
Because of Kerner's alleged sexual activities with other men and animals, the informant, who had dated the woman, and his Jack Russell terrier both contracted sexually transmitted diseases, court documents state.
Kerner is charged with two counts each of obscene and other sexual materials and performances and disorderly conduct and one count of sexual intercourse with an animal.
The charges were filed before Magisterial District Judge George Thachik. No preliminary hearing date has been set, according to online court records.
From: http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/529344.html?nav=742
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Martin Bryant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Martin John Bryant (born 7 May 1967) is an Australian convicted murderer serving 35 life sentences in a Tasmanian prison. He murdered 35 people and injured 21 others in the Port Arthur massacre, a shooting spree in Port Arthur, Tasmania in 1996. He is currently serving 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole in the psychiatric wing of Risdon Prison in Hobart. His rampage ranks among the deadliest of the 20th century.
Port Arthur massacre
Bryant has provided conflicting and confused accounts of what led him to kill 35 people at the Port Arthur site on 28 April 1996. It appears his desire for attention, as he allegedly told a next door neighbour "I'll do something that will make everyone remember me," as well as mounting frustration at his social isolation had made him unbearably angry.
His first victims, David and Sally Martin, owned the bed and breakfast guest house "Seascape". Bryant later described them as "very mean people" and as "the worst people in my life". The Martins had bought the B & B that Bryant's father had wanted to buy and he often complained to his son of the "double dealing" the Martins had done to secure the purchase. Bryant apparently believed the Martins had deliberately bought the property to hurt his family and blamed the Martins for the depression that led to his father's death. He shot them in that guest house before traveling to the Port Arthur ruins. Bryant entered The Broad Arrow Café on the historical site's grounds, carrying a large blue duffel bag. Upon sitting down to eat a meal in the front balcony area, he remarked "There's a lot of wasps about today" to no one in particular. Once he finished, Bryant moved towards the back of the café and set a video camera on a vacant table. He took out an AR15 semi-automatic rifle and began shooting patrons and staff. Within a matter of seconds, he had killed 20 people and wounded 15. He then fled, shooting at people in the parking lot and from his yellow Volvo sedan as he drove away. Bryant drove three hundred metres down the road, to where a woman and her two children were walking. He stopped and fired two shots killing the woman and the child she was carrying. The older child fled, but Bryant followed her and killed her with a single shot. He then stole a gold-coloured BMW by killing the occupants. A short distance down the road he stopped beside a couple in a white Toyota and, drawing his weapon, ordered the male occupant into the boot of the BMW. After shutting the boot he fired two shots into the windshield of the Toyota, killing the female driver. He returned to the guest house, set the stolen car alight and took his hostage inside with the Martins' corpses. The police soon arrived and tried to negotiate with Martin for many hours before the battery in the phone Bryant was using died, ending communication. Bryant's only demand was to be transported in an army helicopter to an airport. Sometime during the negotiations, Bryant killed his hostage.
The next morning, 18 hours later, Bryant set fire to the guest house and attempted to escape in the confusion. Suffering burns to his back and buttocks, he was captured and taken to Royal Hobart Hospital where he was treated and kept under heavy guard.
More Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bryant#Port_Arthur_massacre
Main article: Port Arthur massacre (Australia)
Martin John Bryant (born 7 May 1967) is an Australian convicted murderer serving 35 life sentences in a Tasmanian prison. He murdered 35 people and injured 21 others in the Port Arthur massacre, a shooting spree in Port Arthur, Tasmania in 1996. He is currently serving 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole in the psychiatric wing of Risdon Prison in Hobart. His rampage ranks among the deadliest of the 20th century.
Port Arthur massacre
Bryant has provided conflicting and confused accounts of what led him to kill 35 people at the Port Arthur site on 28 April 1996. It appears his desire for attention, as he allegedly told a next door neighbour "I'll do something that will make everyone remember me," as well as mounting frustration at his social isolation had made him unbearably angry.
His first victims, David and Sally Martin, owned the bed and breakfast guest house "Seascape". Bryant later described them as "very mean people" and as "the worst people in my life". The Martins had bought the B & B that Bryant's father had wanted to buy and he often complained to his son of the "double dealing" the Martins had done to secure the purchase. Bryant apparently believed the Martins had deliberately bought the property to hurt his family and blamed the Martins for the depression that led to his father's death. He shot them in that guest house before traveling to the Port Arthur ruins. Bryant entered The Broad Arrow Café on the historical site's grounds, carrying a large blue duffel bag. Upon sitting down to eat a meal in the front balcony area, he remarked "There's a lot of wasps about today" to no one in particular. Once he finished, Bryant moved towards the back of the café and set a video camera on a vacant table. He took out an AR15 semi-automatic rifle and began shooting patrons and staff. Within a matter of seconds, he had killed 20 people and wounded 15. He then fled, shooting at people in the parking lot and from his yellow Volvo sedan as he drove away. Bryant drove three hundred metres down the road, to where a woman and her two children were walking. He stopped and fired two shots killing the woman and the child she was carrying. The older child fled, but Bryant followed her and killed her with a single shot. He then stole a gold-coloured BMW by killing the occupants. A short distance down the road he stopped beside a couple in a white Toyota and, drawing his weapon, ordered the male occupant into the boot of the BMW. After shutting the boot he fired two shots into the windshield of the Toyota, killing the female driver. He returned to the guest house, set the stolen car alight and took his hostage inside with the Martins' corpses. The police soon arrived and tried to negotiate with Martin for many hours before the battery in the phone Bryant was using died, ending communication. Bryant's only demand was to be transported in an army helicopter to an airport. Sometime during the negotiations, Bryant killed his hostage.
The next morning, 18 hours later, Bryant set fire to the guest house and attempted to escape in the confusion. Suffering burns to his back and buttocks, he was captured and taken to Royal Hobart Hospital where he was treated and kept under heavy guard.
More Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bryant#Port_Arthur_massacre
Main article: Port Arthur massacre (Australia)
Israel jails man for 'holy semen' sex abuse
Last updated at 16:05 GMT, Monday, 26 April 2010 17:05 UK
An Israeli man has been imprisoned for 10 years for tricking women into sexual acts by claiming his semen was holy and had healing powers.
Nissim Aharon, a former employee at the Israeli defence ministry, was convicted of rape, sodomy, indecent acts and aggravated fraudulent acquisition.
Women paid him large sums of money, believing he was a holy rabbi who could heal body and soul, the court said.
Judges called his actions "monstrous", exploiting "women young and old".
The sentence was the result of a plea bargain, and was handed down at Petah Tikvah district court.
Under it, Aharon will also have to pay 100,000 Israeli shekels ($26,866) to each of five women who filed the complaint against him.
'Holy fluid'
Aharon, who was arrested last August, "over many years presented himself as a righteous man, as a saint with healing powers, who exploited the naivity of women and teenage girls, while carrying out appalling sexual acts and obtaining large sums of money by fraud," the Israeli Justice Ministry said in a statement.
He would claim to be a rabbi, and impersonate figures in authority who would then refer women and teenage girls to himself, the ministry said.
"He would give these people different explanations: among others, that a holy scent comes from him, and that his semen is a holy fluid, which by contact could heal body and soul," the statement said.
He would also claim that his "holiness" could be passed to those who touched him physically, cleansing their bodies, it said.
Aharon also pretended that he worked in posts in the security establishment, including for the Israeli intelligence services Mossad and Shin Bet, the ministry said.
"His behaviour is despicable and even monstrous," the judges said. "There are no words to describe the ugliness of his actions... The sexual offences are severe and numerous.
"His sexual appetite could not be satisfied. There were no means that he would not use in order to exploit women young and old," the judges said.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8644637.stm
An Israeli man has been imprisoned for 10 years for tricking women into sexual acts by claiming his semen was holy and had healing powers.
Nissim Aharon, a former employee at the Israeli defence ministry, was convicted of rape, sodomy, indecent acts and aggravated fraudulent acquisition.
Women paid him large sums of money, believing he was a holy rabbi who could heal body and soul, the court said.
Judges called his actions "monstrous", exploiting "women young and old".
The sentence was the result of a plea bargain, and was handed down at Petah Tikvah district court.
Under it, Aharon will also have to pay 100,000 Israeli shekels ($26,866) to each of five women who filed the complaint against him.
'Holy fluid'
Aharon, who was arrested last August, "over many years presented himself as a righteous man, as a saint with healing powers, who exploited the naivity of women and teenage girls, while carrying out appalling sexual acts and obtaining large sums of money by fraud," the Israeli Justice Ministry said in a statement.
He would claim to be a rabbi, and impersonate figures in authority who would then refer women and teenage girls to himself, the ministry said.
"He would give these people different explanations: among others, that a holy scent comes from him, and that his semen is a holy fluid, which by contact could heal body and soul," the statement said.
He would also claim that his "holiness" could be passed to those who touched him physically, cleansing their bodies, it said.
Aharon also pretended that he worked in posts in the security establishment, including for the Israeli intelligence services Mossad and Shin Bet, the ministry said.
"His behaviour is despicable and even monstrous," the judges said. "There are no words to describe the ugliness of his actions... The sexual offences are severe and numerous.
"His sexual appetite could not be satisfied. There were no means that he would not use in order to exploit women young and old," the judges said.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8644637.stm
Man stabs 18 students, teacher in China
By William Foreman, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
April 28, 2010
GUANGZHOU, China - A man wielding a knife broke into a primary school in southern China and stabbed 18 students and a teacher Wednesday, the same day another school attacker was executed for killing eight children last month, state media reported.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the wounded were taken to hospitals, but did not say how seriously they were hurt.
The man broke into Leicheng No. 1 Primary School in Leizhou city about 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) and hacked at the students and teacher, the report said. The man, described as in his 40s, is in police custody.
Parents rushed to the school, and school officials were asking the rest of the students to go home, Xinhua said.
A nurse at emergency clinic of Leizhou People's Hospital said the hospital treated eight of the students for knife wounds to the head. "None of them have life-threatening injuries," said the nurse, who would give only her surname Wu.
A man from surgical department of Leizhou Hospital of Chinese Medicine said seven students were treated there. He refused to give his name. Calls to the school rang unanswered.
It is not known where the other students or teacher were treated. Calls to the Leizhou police and Communist Party information office were not answered Wednesday.
There was no immediate word on a motive for the attack, which came the same day Zheng Minsheng, 42, was executed in neighbouring Fujian province for the March 23 murders of eight children outside their elementary school as they waited with their parents for classes to start.
During his trial earlier this month, Zheng admitted to killing the children because he had been upset after being jilted by a woman and treated badly by her wealthy family.
It was the second such attack in Leizhou in recent years. In February 2008, two students at the Leizhou No. 2 Middle School were stabbed to death by a former classmate who broke in, attacked a boy and a girl, then stabbed himself and jumped from the fifth floor of the building. The attacker, Chen Wenzhen, died.
He had dropped out half a year earlier because he suffered from headaches and could not concentrate on his studies, state media said at the time.
China has witnessed a series of school attacks in recent years, most blamed on people with personal grudges or suffering from mental illness, leading to calls for improved security.
Two weeks ago a mentally ill man hacked to death a second grader and an elderly woman with a meat cleaver in southern Guangxi, and injured five other people.
From: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2010/04/28/13744211-ap.html
April 28, 2010
GUANGZHOU, China - A man wielding a knife broke into a primary school in southern China and stabbed 18 students and a teacher Wednesday, the same day another school attacker was executed for killing eight children last month, state media reported.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the wounded were taken to hospitals, but did not say how seriously they were hurt.
The man broke into Leicheng No. 1 Primary School in Leizhou city about 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) and hacked at the students and teacher, the report said. The man, described as in his 40s, is in police custody.
Parents rushed to the school, and school officials were asking the rest of the students to go home, Xinhua said.
A nurse at emergency clinic of Leizhou People's Hospital said the hospital treated eight of the students for knife wounds to the head. "None of them have life-threatening injuries," said the nurse, who would give only her surname Wu.
A man from surgical department of Leizhou Hospital of Chinese Medicine said seven students were treated there. He refused to give his name. Calls to the school rang unanswered.
It is not known where the other students or teacher were treated. Calls to the Leizhou police and Communist Party information office were not answered Wednesday.
There was no immediate word on a motive for the attack, which came the same day Zheng Minsheng, 42, was executed in neighbouring Fujian province for the March 23 murders of eight children outside their elementary school as they waited with their parents for classes to start.
During his trial earlier this month, Zheng admitted to killing the children because he had been upset after being jilted by a woman and treated badly by her wealthy family.
It was the second such attack in Leizhou in recent years. In February 2008, two students at the Leizhou No. 2 Middle School were stabbed to death by a former classmate who broke in, attacked a boy and a girl, then stabbed himself and jumped from the fifth floor of the building. The attacker, Chen Wenzhen, died.
He had dropped out half a year earlier because he suffered from headaches and could not concentrate on his studies, state media said at the time.
China has witnessed a series of school attacks in recent years, most blamed on people with personal grudges or suffering from mental illness, leading to calls for improved security.
Two weeks ago a mentally ill man hacked to death a second grader and an elderly woman with a meat cleaver in southern Guangxi, and injured five other people.
From: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2010/04/28/13744211-ap.html
Girl, 14, accused of murdering 'sex attacker' days after charges against him were dropped
By Tom Kelly and Stephen Wright
Last updated at 10:01 AM on 27th April 2010
A girl of 14 has been charged over the suspected 'vigilante' murder of a man she had accused of a sex assault.
Robert Daley, 45, was stabbed to death just days after the Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge him over an alleged attack on the teenager.
Neighbours found him sprawled in a pool of blood in the doorway of his flat in south London on Friday evening.
He was able to give his first name to police and paramedics, but died minutes later.
Police arrested an 18-year-old man over the murder on Saturday before detaining the 14-year-old girl late on Sunday. She was still being held last night.
Sources confirmed that the female suspect is the same girl who had previously accused Daley of raping her.
Her allegations prompted an investigation by a Metropolitan Police child protection team but the CPS, which examined an evidence file, concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge him over the alleged attack.
The decision is said to have infuriated the girl, who insisted she was telling the truth and wanted him to face court.
Last night a neighbour of the victim described the horrifying moment when he saw Daley close to death.
Barry Boreland, who lived next door in the block of flats in Brixton, South London, said: 'The door was open and I saw lying on his back in the landing, his head furthest from the door.
'His legs were flopped out and there was blood everywhere. He was still conscious and managed to tell the police his first name.
'His girlfriend was there and gave his surname. It was a shocking sight and very upsetting.
'He was a decent neighbour who had never caused us any problems.'
Other friends were astonished to discover that he had been accused of rape.
Mr Daley, who is believed to have a daughter from a previous relationship, had worked as builder and plasterer, but had not been employed for several years because he suffered from epilepsy.
Nicholas Walker, who had known him for ten years from the popular Duke of Edinburgh pub near his home, described him as a 'gentle giant.'
He said: 'Robert was a quiet, polite man. He is the last person I would ever thought that something like this would happen to.
'He never caused trouble. I saw him riding his mountain bike near his home a couple of hours before his death and he didn't look like he had a care in the world. It is all a terrible shock.'
Another friend, David Eden, 55, said: 'He was a bit of a ladies man. He and a friend would go to nightclubs together and fancied themselves a bit with women.
'But there was nothing malicious or nasty about him. He was very genuine and good natured. I can't believe there was anything in the allegations. It wasn't like him at all.'
The CPS confirmed that Mr Daley was investigated over rape allegations but a decision not to prosecute him because of insufficient evidence was made on April 13.
A post-mortem examination held on Saturday (24 April) gave cause of death as resulting from stab wounds to the chest.
Scotland Yard confirmed a teenage girl had been arrested in connection with the attack.
An 18-year-old man who was initially arrested in connection with the death has bailed to return in May.
From:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268988/Girl-14-arrested-murder-paedophile-Robert-Daley.html
Last updated at 10:01 AM on 27th April 2010
A girl of 14 has been charged over the suspected 'vigilante' murder of a man she had accused of a sex assault.
Robert Daley, 45, was stabbed to death just days after the Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge him over an alleged attack on the teenager.
Neighbours found him sprawled in a pool of blood in the doorway of his flat in south London on Friday evening.
He was able to give his first name to police and paramedics, but died minutes later.
Police arrested an 18-year-old man over the murder on Saturday before detaining the 14-year-old girl late on Sunday. She was still being held last night.
Sources confirmed that the female suspect is the same girl who had previously accused Daley of raping her.
Her allegations prompted an investigation by a Metropolitan Police child protection team but the CPS, which examined an evidence file, concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge him over the alleged attack.
The decision is said to have infuriated the girl, who insisted she was telling the truth and wanted him to face court.
Last night a neighbour of the victim described the horrifying moment when he saw Daley close to death.
Barry Boreland, who lived next door in the block of flats in Brixton, South London, said: 'The door was open and I saw lying on his back in the landing, his head furthest from the door.
'His legs were flopped out and there was blood everywhere. He was still conscious and managed to tell the police his first name.
'His girlfriend was there and gave his surname. It was a shocking sight and very upsetting.
'He was a decent neighbour who had never caused us any problems.'
Other friends were astonished to discover that he had been accused of rape.
Mr Daley, who is believed to have a daughter from a previous relationship, had worked as builder and plasterer, but had not been employed for several years because he suffered from epilepsy.
Nicholas Walker, who had known him for ten years from the popular Duke of Edinburgh pub near his home, described him as a 'gentle giant.'
He said: 'Robert was a quiet, polite man. He is the last person I would ever thought that something like this would happen to.
'He never caused trouble. I saw him riding his mountain bike near his home a couple of hours before his death and he didn't look like he had a care in the world. It is all a terrible shock.'
Another friend, David Eden, 55, said: 'He was a bit of a ladies man. He and a friend would go to nightclubs together and fancied themselves a bit with women.
'But there was nothing malicious or nasty about him. He was very genuine and good natured. I can't believe there was anything in the allegations. It wasn't like him at all.'
The CPS confirmed that Mr Daley was investigated over rape allegations but a decision not to prosecute him because of insufficient evidence was made on April 13.
A post-mortem examination held on Saturday (24 April) gave cause of death as resulting from stab wounds to the chest.
Scotland Yard confirmed a teenage girl had been arrested in connection with the attack.
An 18-year-old man who was initially arrested in connection with the death has bailed to return in May.
From:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268988/Girl-14-arrested-murder-paedophile-Robert-Daley.html
Toddler killed by flatscreen television
A toddler was killed when a flatscreen television came off the wall and crushed him at his home in Basildon, Essex.
Published: 2:17PM BST 07 Jul 2009
The two year old, who has not been named, was at home with his father when the television fell on top of him, knocking him unconscious.
An off-duty nurse is believed to have tried to resuscitate the little boy before paramedics arrived on the scene. The toddler was rushed to Basildon Hospital but he died of a cardiac arrest.
Joy Hale, a spokeswoman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: "We were called to an address following reports that a television had injured a boy. The impact caused him head injuries and he went into cardiac arrest.
"The boy was unconscious when we got there and he was given adrenaline and other treatment.
"A rapid response unit was sent and also an ambulance but sadly the little boy went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at Basildon Hospital.
"This was a really difficult job for those involved. They did what they could to help the boy both at the scene and on route to the hospital but sadly he died. Our thoughts are with his family."
Neighbours described how the father was sobbing as he lay his son on the grass outside his home and called for help.
Police were called to the home at 3pm on Saturday and are treating the incident as a "tragic accident."
Bill Stocks, a police spokesman, said: "We were contacted by the ambulance service with reports of the death of a two-year-old boy. He was injured at an address in Basildon at around 2pm.
"He was taken by ambulance to Basildon Hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. Officers carried out inquiries including an examination of the address and are, at this stage, treating the death as a tragic accident.
"A post mortem examination will be carried out in due course and a file submitted to the coroner."
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5768479/Toddler-killed-by-flatscreen-television.html
Published: 2:17PM BST 07 Jul 2009
The two year old, who has not been named, was at home with his father when the television fell on top of him, knocking him unconscious.
An off-duty nurse is believed to have tried to resuscitate the little boy before paramedics arrived on the scene. The toddler was rushed to Basildon Hospital but he died of a cardiac arrest.
Joy Hale, a spokeswoman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: "We were called to an address following reports that a television had injured a boy. The impact caused him head injuries and he went into cardiac arrest.
"The boy was unconscious when we got there and he was given adrenaline and other treatment.
"A rapid response unit was sent and also an ambulance but sadly the little boy went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at Basildon Hospital.
"This was a really difficult job for those involved. They did what they could to help the boy both at the scene and on route to the hospital but sadly he died. Our thoughts are with his family."
Neighbours described how the father was sobbing as he lay his son on the grass outside his home and called for help.
Police were called to the home at 3pm on Saturday and are treating the incident as a "tragic accident."
Bill Stocks, a police spokesman, said: "We were contacted by the ambulance service with reports of the death of a two-year-old boy. He was injured at an address in Basildon at around 2pm.
"He was taken by ambulance to Basildon Hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. Officers carried out inquiries including an examination of the address and are, at this stage, treating the death as a tragic accident.
"A post mortem examination will be carried out in due course and a file submitted to the coroner."
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5768479/Toddler-killed-by-flatscreen-television.html
Out for the count: Why levels of sperm in men are falling
Levels of 'viable' sperm in human males are falling – and scientists believe they now understand the cause. Infertility can begin in the womb, says Steve Connor
Monday, 26 April 2010
If scientists from Mars were to study the human male's reproductive system they would probably conclude that he is destined for rapid extinction. Compared to other mammals, humans produce relatively low numbers of viable sperm – sperm capable of making that long competitive swim to penetrate an unfertilised egg.
As many as one in five healthy young men between the ages of 18 and 25 produce abnormal sperm counts. Even the sperm they do produce is often of poor quality. In fact only between 5 and 15 per cent of their sperm is, on average, good enough to be classed as "normal" under strict World Health Organisation rules – and these are young, healthy men. By contrast, more than 90 per cent of the sperm of a domestic bull or ram, or even laboratory rat, are normal.
Human males also suffer a disproportionately high incidence of reproductive problems, from congenital defects and undescended testes to cancer and impotency. As these also affect fertility, it's a minor miracle men are able to sire any children at all. In fact, an increasing number of men are finding themselves childless. Among the one in seven couples now classed as infertile, the "male factor" has been found to be the most commonly identified cause.
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the WHO conference where a Danish scientist first alerted the world to the fact that Western men are suffering an infertility crisis. Professor Niels Skakkebaek of the University of Copenhagen presented data indicating sperm counts had fallen by about a half over the past 50 years. Sperm counts in the 1940s were typically well above 100m sperm cells per millilitre, but Professor Skakkebaek found they have dropped to an average of about 60m per ml. Other studies found that between 15 and 20 per cent of young men now find themselves with sperm counts of less than 20m per ml, which is technically defined as abnormal. In contrast, a dairy bull has a viable sperm count in the billions.
Experts in human reproductive biology were astonished by the Danish study. The declining trend seemed to indicate that men were on a path to becoming completely infertile within a few generations (although recent studies suggest the fall in sperm counts may have bottomed out). Professor Skakkebaek could offer no explanation for the trend other than to suggest that the fall may have something to do with the equally alarming rise in other reproductive disorders, such as cancer of the testes and cryptorchidism, the incomplete descent of the testes into the scrotum.
Experts began to talk of a new phenomenon affecting the human male, a collection of disorders known as testicular dysgenesis syndrome. They wanted to know what was causing it, because the changes were occurring too quickly to be a result of genetics. It must have something to with changing lifestyles or the environment of men, and almost everything was suggested, from exposure to chemical pollutants to the modern fashion for tight underpants. There is now an emerging consensus among some experts that whatever it is that is exacerbating the problems of male infertility, it probably starts in the womb. It is not the lifestyle of men that is problem, but that of their mothers.
The process of sperm production, called spermatogenesis, starts in adolescence, but the groundwork is laid down in the few months before and immediately after birth. An increasing number of studies point to a crucial "window" of testicular development that begins in the growing foetus and ends in the first six months of life. Interfere with this critical developmental period, and a baby boy will suffer the lifetime consequences of being a suboptimally fertile man.
So are we anywhere nearer to finding an explanation for why are so many more men today are suffering from reproductive problems?
"It's most likely a reflection of the fact that many environmental and lifestyle changes over the past 50 years are inherently detrimental to sperm production," says Professor Richard Sharpe, fertility research expert at the Medical Research Council. "It may be that different factors come together to have a combined effect." A number of studies point to a connection between early development in the womb and male reproductive problems in later life, especially low sperm counts. For example, men whose pregnant mothers were exposed to high levels of toxic dioxins as a result of the 1976 industrial accident in Seveso, Italy have been found to have lower-than-average sperm counts. But men exposed to dioxins in adulthood showed no such effect. Another study found women who ate large amounts of beef during pregnancy, a diet rich in potentially damaging chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), had sons with relatively low sperm counts. But eating beef as an adult man shows no similar impact.
Meanwhile, studies of migrants between Sweden and Finland, showed that a man's lifetime risk of testicular cancer tends to follow the country he was born in rather than the country where he was brought up. It was his mother's environment when she was pregnant with him, rather than his own as a boy or as an adolescent, that seems to have largely determined a man's risk of testicular cancer.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence in support of this idea comes from studies of people who smoke. A man who smokes typically reduces his sperm count by a modest 15 per cent or so, which is probably reversible if he quits. However, a man whose mother smoked during pregnancy has a fairly dramatic decrease in sperm counts of up to 40 per cent – which also tends to be irreversible.
Professor Sharpe said such findings can be explained by understanding how the first cells of the testes form. Sertoli cells, which in the adult act as guardians for the development of sperm cells, are the very first cells to form from a "genital ridge" of the human male foetus. The number of sperm that can be produced in an adult man is critically dependent on the number of Sertoli cells that develop in his foetus, so anything that interferes with the formation of Sertoli cells in a mother's womb will affect sperm production many years later. "Maternal-lifestyle factors in pregnancy can have quite substantial effects on sperm counts in sons in adulthood, and the most logical mechanism by which this could occur is via reducing the number of Sertoli cells," Professor Sharpe says.
But the key question now is to identify the relevant lifestyle and environmental factors.
This is proving tricky. Obesity, for instance, is a growing problem and it has been linked with reproductive problems in both men and women. One study has also indicated that overweight pregnant women tend to produce sons with poor semen quality. But is it being fat that is the cause, or the environmental chemicals stored in fat?
There has been a lot of interest in chemicals in the environment, especially those that can either mimic female sex hormones – oestrogenic chemicals – or block male sex hormones, specifically testosterone which plays a critical role in stimulating the development of Sertoli cells in the womb. So far, the Seveso study provides the clearest link between human foetal development, low sperm counts and prenatal exposure to an environmental chemical. But the dioxin concentrations from this industrial accident were exceptionally high.
It is more difficult trying to establish a similar, significant link between male reproductive problems and exposure to low concentrations of the many other environmental chemicals that may have weak oestrogenic or androgen-blocking properties, including substances as wide-ranging as pesticides, traffic fumes, plastics and even soya beans. Professor Sharpe says that much of the evidence to date is weak or non-existent.
"Public concern about the adverse effects of environmental chemicals on spermatogenesis in adult men are, in general, not supported by the available data for humans. Where adverse effects of environmental chemicals have been shown, they are usually in an occupational setting rather than applying to the general population," he says.
So although scientists are closing in on the critical window of foetal development in the womb that determines a man's fertility status in later life, they are still not sure about what it is that could be affecting this change in his reproductive status. But one thing is clear, it is his mother who almost certainly holds the key.
From: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/out-for-the-count-why-levels-of-sperm-in-men-are-falling-1954149.html
Monday, 26 April 2010
If scientists from Mars were to study the human male's reproductive system they would probably conclude that he is destined for rapid extinction. Compared to other mammals, humans produce relatively low numbers of viable sperm – sperm capable of making that long competitive swim to penetrate an unfertilised egg.
As many as one in five healthy young men between the ages of 18 and 25 produce abnormal sperm counts. Even the sperm they do produce is often of poor quality. In fact only between 5 and 15 per cent of their sperm is, on average, good enough to be classed as "normal" under strict World Health Organisation rules – and these are young, healthy men. By contrast, more than 90 per cent of the sperm of a domestic bull or ram, or even laboratory rat, are normal.
Human males also suffer a disproportionately high incidence of reproductive problems, from congenital defects and undescended testes to cancer and impotency. As these also affect fertility, it's a minor miracle men are able to sire any children at all. In fact, an increasing number of men are finding themselves childless. Among the one in seven couples now classed as infertile, the "male factor" has been found to be the most commonly identified cause.
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the WHO conference where a Danish scientist first alerted the world to the fact that Western men are suffering an infertility crisis. Professor Niels Skakkebaek of the University of Copenhagen presented data indicating sperm counts had fallen by about a half over the past 50 years. Sperm counts in the 1940s were typically well above 100m sperm cells per millilitre, but Professor Skakkebaek found they have dropped to an average of about 60m per ml. Other studies found that between 15 and 20 per cent of young men now find themselves with sperm counts of less than 20m per ml, which is technically defined as abnormal. In contrast, a dairy bull has a viable sperm count in the billions.
Experts in human reproductive biology were astonished by the Danish study. The declining trend seemed to indicate that men were on a path to becoming completely infertile within a few generations (although recent studies suggest the fall in sperm counts may have bottomed out). Professor Skakkebaek could offer no explanation for the trend other than to suggest that the fall may have something to do with the equally alarming rise in other reproductive disorders, such as cancer of the testes and cryptorchidism, the incomplete descent of the testes into the scrotum.
Experts began to talk of a new phenomenon affecting the human male, a collection of disorders known as testicular dysgenesis syndrome. They wanted to know what was causing it, because the changes were occurring too quickly to be a result of genetics. It must have something to with changing lifestyles or the environment of men, and almost everything was suggested, from exposure to chemical pollutants to the modern fashion for tight underpants. There is now an emerging consensus among some experts that whatever it is that is exacerbating the problems of male infertility, it probably starts in the womb. It is not the lifestyle of men that is problem, but that of their mothers.
The process of sperm production, called spermatogenesis, starts in adolescence, but the groundwork is laid down in the few months before and immediately after birth. An increasing number of studies point to a crucial "window" of testicular development that begins in the growing foetus and ends in the first six months of life. Interfere with this critical developmental period, and a baby boy will suffer the lifetime consequences of being a suboptimally fertile man.
So are we anywhere nearer to finding an explanation for why are so many more men today are suffering from reproductive problems?
"It's most likely a reflection of the fact that many environmental and lifestyle changes over the past 50 years are inherently detrimental to sperm production," says Professor Richard Sharpe, fertility research expert at the Medical Research Council. "It may be that different factors come together to have a combined effect." A number of studies point to a connection between early development in the womb and male reproductive problems in later life, especially low sperm counts. For example, men whose pregnant mothers were exposed to high levels of toxic dioxins as a result of the 1976 industrial accident in Seveso, Italy have been found to have lower-than-average sperm counts. But men exposed to dioxins in adulthood showed no such effect. Another study found women who ate large amounts of beef during pregnancy, a diet rich in potentially damaging chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), had sons with relatively low sperm counts. But eating beef as an adult man shows no similar impact.
Meanwhile, studies of migrants between Sweden and Finland, showed that a man's lifetime risk of testicular cancer tends to follow the country he was born in rather than the country where he was brought up. It was his mother's environment when she was pregnant with him, rather than his own as a boy or as an adolescent, that seems to have largely determined a man's risk of testicular cancer.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence in support of this idea comes from studies of people who smoke. A man who smokes typically reduces his sperm count by a modest 15 per cent or so, which is probably reversible if he quits. However, a man whose mother smoked during pregnancy has a fairly dramatic decrease in sperm counts of up to 40 per cent – which also tends to be irreversible.
Professor Sharpe said such findings can be explained by understanding how the first cells of the testes form. Sertoli cells, which in the adult act as guardians for the development of sperm cells, are the very first cells to form from a "genital ridge" of the human male foetus. The number of sperm that can be produced in an adult man is critically dependent on the number of Sertoli cells that develop in his foetus, so anything that interferes with the formation of Sertoli cells in a mother's womb will affect sperm production many years later. "Maternal-lifestyle factors in pregnancy can have quite substantial effects on sperm counts in sons in adulthood, and the most logical mechanism by which this could occur is via reducing the number of Sertoli cells," Professor Sharpe says.
But the key question now is to identify the relevant lifestyle and environmental factors.
This is proving tricky. Obesity, for instance, is a growing problem and it has been linked with reproductive problems in both men and women. One study has also indicated that overweight pregnant women tend to produce sons with poor semen quality. But is it being fat that is the cause, or the environmental chemicals stored in fat?
There has been a lot of interest in chemicals in the environment, especially those that can either mimic female sex hormones – oestrogenic chemicals – or block male sex hormones, specifically testosterone which plays a critical role in stimulating the development of Sertoli cells in the womb. So far, the Seveso study provides the clearest link between human foetal development, low sperm counts and prenatal exposure to an environmental chemical. But the dioxin concentrations from this industrial accident were exceptionally high.
It is more difficult trying to establish a similar, significant link between male reproductive problems and exposure to low concentrations of the many other environmental chemicals that may have weak oestrogenic or androgen-blocking properties, including substances as wide-ranging as pesticides, traffic fumes, plastics and even soya beans. Professor Sharpe says that much of the evidence to date is weak or non-existent.
"Public concern about the adverse effects of environmental chemicals on spermatogenesis in adult men are, in general, not supported by the available data for humans. Where adverse effects of environmental chemicals have been shown, they are usually in an occupational setting rather than applying to the general population," he says.
So although scientists are closing in on the critical window of foetal development in the womb that determines a man's fertility status in later life, they are still not sure about what it is that could be affecting this change in his reproductive status. But one thing is clear, it is his mother who almost certainly holds the key.
From: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/out-for-the-count-why-levels-of-sperm-in-men-are-falling-1954149.html
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Brazilian housewife Pamela de Souza Costa lynched after drunk hit and run
From correspondents in Rio De Janeiro From: AFP April 26, 2010 9:53AM
A BRAZILIAN housewife celebrating her 24th birthday was shot and lynched after running over a pregnant woman and her daughter while driving drunk.
Pamela de Souza Costa was shot five times after being caught by a group of residents in the town of Macae, 160km northeast of Rio de Janeiro, immediately after the accident on Friday.
The woman she ran into, Silmara Rodrigues, was badly hurt and lost her unborn baby. She may also have to have a leg amputated. Rodrigues' eight-year-old daughter Raissa was killed.
According to reports, Costa had been driving home after drinking at her birthday party when she lost control of her car and ran into Rodrigues and her daughter, who were slammed against a wall.
She tried to leave the scene of the accident but crashed into a post. A group of angry locals pulled her out of her car and one person shot her several times before running away.
Costa, who lived in the neighbourhood, had three children of her own. She was buried on Saturday.
From: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/brazil-housewife-lynched-after-drunk-hit-and-run/story-e6frf7jx-1225858255102
A BRAZILIAN housewife celebrating her 24th birthday was shot and lynched after running over a pregnant woman and her daughter while driving drunk.
Pamela de Souza Costa was shot five times after being caught by a group of residents in the town of Macae, 160km northeast of Rio de Janeiro, immediately after the accident on Friday.
The woman she ran into, Silmara Rodrigues, was badly hurt and lost her unborn baby. She may also have to have a leg amputated. Rodrigues' eight-year-old daughter Raissa was killed.
According to reports, Costa had been driving home after drinking at her birthday party when she lost control of her car and ran into Rodrigues and her daughter, who were slammed against a wall.
She tried to leave the scene of the accident but crashed into a post. A group of angry locals pulled her out of her car and one person shot her several times before running away.
Costa, who lived in the neighbourhood, had three children of her own. She was buried on Saturday.
From: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/brazil-housewife-lynched-after-drunk-hit-and-run/story-e6frf7jx-1225858255102
Missoula daycare provider arrested for rape of 4-year-old girl
By TRISTAN SCOTT | Posted: Wednesday, April 7, 2010 6:30 am
A 70-year-old Missoula child care provider was arrested Tuesday for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 4-year-old girl under his supervision.
Charged with a felony count of sexual intercourse without consent, Albert Elmer Gaub faces a maximum penalty of 100 years in the Montana State Prison for the alleged offense, and a minimum punishment of four years in prison. He also faces a fine of up to $50,000, and remains jailed at the Missoula County Detention Facility on $250,000 bail.
Chief Deputy Missoula County Attorney Kirsten Pabst asked for a high bail amount in Gaub's case "due to the egregious facts" alleged by law enforcement and detailed in charging documents. Pabst said Gaub constituted a risk to community safety.
According to court records, Gaub allegedly had sexual contact with the young victim on numerous occasions between Oct. 1, 2008, and April 2, 2010, and the contact included sexual intercourse.
Gaub voluntarily relinquished his child care license to the state Department of Health and Human Services' Quality Assurance Division. He and his wife operated the Cuddles and More child care business out of their Missoula home.
Gaub's wife also was a child care provider, records state, however she was not aware of the alleged abuse and has suffered a number of strokes. A public defender representing Gaub in court on Tuesday said the man is the primary caregiver for his spouse, and asked that bail be set at a smaller amount.
Records state that the victim told her parents about the abuse last week and the family went to law enforcement.
During an interview with Sgt. Tony Rio of the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, Gaub admitted that the sexual contact began about a year-and-a-half ago, records state, and told the officer that "although I knew better, I just didn't know when to stop."
During the interview, Gaub told the investigator that the alleged victim is a smart and honest child, and described her as "four going on forty," records state.
The investigation is ongoing.
From: http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_5c434d58-41cf-11df-b5fd-001cc4c03286.html
A 70-year-old Missoula child care provider was arrested Tuesday for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 4-year-old girl under his supervision.
Charged with a felony count of sexual intercourse without consent, Albert Elmer Gaub faces a maximum penalty of 100 years in the Montana State Prison for the alleged offense, and a minimum punishment of four years in prison. He also faces a fine of up to $50,000, and remains jailed at the Missoula County Detention Facility on $250,000 bail.
Chief Deputy Missoula County Attorney Kirsten Pabst asked for a high bail amount in Gaub's case "due to the egregious facts" alleged by law enforcement and detailed in charging documents. Pabst said Gaub constituted a risk to community safety.
According to court records, Gaub allegedly had sexual contact with the young victim on numerous occasions between Oct. 1, 2008, and April 2, 2010, and the contact included sexual intercourse.
Gaub voluntarily relinquished his child care license to the state Department of Health and Human Services' Quality Assurance Division. He and his wife operated the Cuddles and More child care business out of their Missoula home.
Gaub's wife also was a child care provider, records state, however she was not aware of the alleged abuse and has suffered a number of strokes. A public defender representing Gaub in court on Tuesday said the man is the primary caregiver for his spouse, and asked that bail be set at a smaller amount.
Records state that the victim told her parents about the abuse last week and the family went to law enforcement.
During an interview with Sgt. Tony Rio of the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, Gaub admitted that the sexual contact began about a year-and-a-half ago, records state, and told the officer that "although I knew better, I just didn't know when to stop."
During the interview, Gaub told the investigator that the alleged victim is a smart and honest child, and described her as "four going on forty," records state.
The investigation is ongoing.
From: http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_5c434d58-41cf-11df-b5fd-001cc4c03286.html
Missoula man pleads guilty to killing friend, dumping body off Triple Bridges
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Missoulian | Posted: Thursday, April 22, 2010 6:15 am
The 24-year-old Missoula man accused of fatally stabbing his friend and roommate pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of negligent homicide and evidence tampering.
Cyril Kenneth Richard II was initially charged with a count of deliberate homicide for killing Michael J. Meadows in the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 2008. Richard dumped the body off a bridge that spans the Clark Fork River west of Missoula, and tried to clean up the bloody crime scene at the Copper Run Apartments, off Mullan Road near Reserve Street.
A plea bargain in the case will reduce the charge from deliberate to negligent homicide, but it does not stipulate an agreed-upon sentence. Instead, the plea agreement gives the prosecution and defense leeway in recommending disparate sentences.
Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul has agreed to recommend a term of no more than 40 years in the Montana State Prison, while defense attorney Milt Datsopoulos will ask for a 40-year prison sentence, with the entire term suspended.
Datsopoulos said he intends to present testimony from character witnesses at a three-hour sentencing hearing on June 16, and Fourth Judicial District Judge Ed McLean will impose whatever punishment he deems appropriate.
Earlier this year, Datsopoulos notified the court of his intent to mount a self-defense case for his client, who was scheduled to go to trial on Friday. A notice of Richard's intent to plead guilty was filed Monday, and the trial was vacated.
********
During an initial interview with police, Richard said Meadows, 31, attacked him with a pocket knife in the throes of a drunken argument, according to charging documents. Richard wrested the knife away from Meadows and slashed him across the abdomen when Meadows lunged at him again, he told police, then fell backward, breaking his right arm. He told investigators that he only fought back in self-defense.
Richard said he wrapped his friend's body in a blanket, dragged it down two flights of stairs and loaded it into the hatchback of his green 2001 Subaru Outback, according to records. He then drove about 30 miles west of town and pushed the body off one of the Triple Bridges, near Fish Creek.
A resident of Copper Run called 9-1-1 after she noticed the bloody drag trail and saw Richard scrubbing the stairway outside his apartment.
Although Richard had a broken arm and cuts on his chest and hands to support the self-defense claims, he's remained jailed on a half-million-dollar bail ever since his arrest, mostly because of the extent of his efforts to conceal the crime and hide his friend's body.
Investigators also turned up evidence that contradicted Richard's version of events, including surveillance video recorded by a convenience store security camera after the fight is supposed to have occurred. The video showed Richard opening a door with his injured arm and leaning against a counter.
*******
Authorities recovered Meadows' body in April 2008 after a fisherman spotted the remains in the Clark Fork River several miles downstream from Tarkio in Mineral County.
According to Meadows' friends and family members, he and Richard met while living in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in the summer of 2007. When Richard moved to Missoula to enroll at the University of Montana, Meadows decided to go, too.
Meadows had been living in Richard's apartment for several weeks, turning in job applications at gas stations and fast food restaurants in the area, until the night of the stabbing.
The men were hanging out at Richard's apartment, drinking and watching basketball on television. They struck out for a bowling alley, then bought some beer at a store and headed back to the apartment, according to charging papers.
At some point, Richard apparently became angry because Meadows was unemployed and had not been pitching in for rent or other living expenses, and an argument ensued. Richard told detectives the argument grew heated, and Meadows lunged at him with a pocket knife. Richard was able to take the knife away from his friend, he told police, but Meadows again lunged at him, this time while unarmed, and Richard stabbed him in the abdomen in self-defense.
From: http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_4472a18e-4d7c-11df-88f8-001cc4c002e0.html
The 24-year-old Missoula man accused of fatally stabbing his friend and roommate pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of negligent homicide and evidence tampering.
Cyril Kenneth Richard II was initially charged with a count of deliberate homicide for killing Michael J. Meadows in the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 2008. Richard dumped the body off a bridge that spans the Clark Fork River west of Missoula, and tried to clean up the bloody crime scene at the Copper Run Apartments, off Mullan Road near Reserve Street.
A plea bargain in the case will reduce the charge from deliberate to negligent homicide, but it does not stipulate an agreed-upon sentence. Instead, the plea agreement gives the prosecution and defense leeway in recommending disparate sentences.
Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul has agreed to recommend a term of no more than 40 years in the Montana State Prison, while defense attorney Milt Datsopoulos will ask for a 40-year prison sentence, with the entire term suspended.
Datsopoulos said he intends to present testimony from character witnesses at a three-hour sentencing hearing on June 16, and Fourth Judicial District Judge Ed McLean will impose whatever punishment he deems appropriate.
Earlier this year, Datsopoulos notified the court of his intent to mount a self-defense case for his client, who was scheduled to go to trial on Friday. A notice of Richard's intent to plead guilty was filed Monday, and the trial was vacated.
********
During an initial interview with police, Richard said Meadows, 31, attacked him with a pocket knife in the throes of a drunken argument, according to charging documents. Richard wrested the knife away from Meadows and slashed him across the abdomen when Meadows lunged at him again, he told police, then fell backward, breaking his right arm. He told investigators that he only fought back in self-defense.
Richard said he wrapped his friend's body in a blanket, dragged it down two flights of stairs and loaded it into the hatchback of his green 2001 Subaru Outback, according to records. He then drove about 30 miles west of town and pushed the body off one of the Triple Bridges, near Fish Creek.
A resident of Copper Run called 9-1-1 after she noticed the bloody drag trail and saw Richard scrubbing the stairway outside his apartment.
Although Richard had a broken arm and cuts on his chest and hands to support the self-defense claims, he's remained jailed on a half-million-dollar bail ever since his arrest, mostly because of the extent of his efforts to conceal the crime and hide his friend's body.
Investigators also turned up evidence that contradicted Richard's version of events, including surveillance video recorded by a convenience store security camera after the fight is supposed to have occurred. The video showed Richard opening a door with his injured arm and leaning against a counter.
*******
Authorities recovered Meadows' body in April 2008 after a fisherman spotted the remains in the Clark Fork River several miles downstream from Tarkio in Mineral County.
According to Meadows' friends and family members, he and Richard met while living in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in the summer of 2007. When Richard moved to Missoula to enroll at the University of Montana, Meadows decided to go, too.
Meadows had been living in Richard's apartment for several weeks, turning in job applications at gas stations and fast food restaurants in the area, until the night of the stabbing.
The men were hanging out at Richard's apartment, drinking and watching basketball on television. They struck out for a bowling alley, then bought some beer at a store and headed back to the apartment, according to charging papers.
At some point, Richard apparently became angry because Meadows was unemployed and had not been pitching in for rent or other living expenses, and an argument ensued. Richard told detectives the argument grew heated, and Meadows lunged at him with a pocket knife. Richard was able to take the knife away from his friend, he told police, but Meadows again lunged at him, this time while unarmed, and Richard stabbed him in the abdomen in self-defense.
From: http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_4472a18e-4d7c-11df-88f8-001cc4c002e0.html
Jellyfish sting survivor 'shouldn't be alive'
By Kylie BartholomewUpdated Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:01am AEST
A 10-year-old girl's survival after an encounter with a box jellyfish in Queensland last year could be a one-of-a-kind story, experts say.
Rachael Shardlow was stung by the world's most venomous creature while swimming 23 kilometres upstream from the ocean mouth in the Calliope River, near Gladstone, in December.
Rachael's 13-year-old brother pulled her onto the riverbank. She told him she could not see or breathe, and fell unconscious with the jellyfish's tentacles strapped to her limbs.
Zoology and tropical ecology associate professor at James Cook University, Jamie Seymour, says the girl's survival after such an extensive sting is unheard of.
"I don't know of anybody in the entire literature where we've studied this where someone has had such an extensive sting that has survived," he said.
"When I first saw the pictures of the injuries I just went, 'you know to be honest, this kid should not be alive'. I mean they are horrific.
"Usually when you see people who have been stung by box jellyfish with that number of the tentacle contacts on their body, it's usually in a morgue."
Associate professor Seymour says the university is interested to see how long it takes for Rachael to recover, as well as whether there are any long-term effects.
"From our point of view it's really useful information that you very seldom, if ever, get your hands on," he said.
Rachael's father, Geoff Shardlow, says his daughter has scarring as well as some short-term memory loss.
"We've noticed a small amount of short-term memory loss, like riding a pushbike to school and forgetting she's taken a pushbike," he said.
"The greatest fear was actual brain damage [but] her cognitive skills and memory tests were all fine."
Mr Shardlow says it is vital there are more jellyfish warning signs erected throughout central Queensland.
From: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2883291.htm
Woman taking photos falls to her death
Posted 04/27/2010
A woman has fallen to her death in South Australia's south-east while trying to take a picture of the rocky shore at Cape Douglas, about 25 kilometres from Mount Gambier.
The 30-year-old Victorian tourist's husband pulled her from the water after she fell 50 metres down a cliff face and into the ocean about 11.30am (ACST).
Emergency services arrived to find the man attempting to resuscitate his wife who was later pronounced dead.
The woman and her husband were on holiday from Ouyen in western Victoria.
It is understood she was trying to take a photo of the shoreline at Cape Douglas, just north of the popular tourist spot Port MacDonnell, when she slipped and fell into the water.
Port MacDonnell CFS Captain Grant Sensom says he arrived as the ambulance crew were attempting to revive the woman.
"When we arrived on the scene we had the ambulance desperately working on the young lady, and from our understanding the partner had retrieved the lady from the water or swam out and retrieved her and already started his revival resuscitation," he said.
Captain Sensom says the fall sends a reminder to people to take extra care around rocky ledges.
"Take photos, but take them with care or even just looking around, rock climbing, whatever else - these accidents do happen whether you're a local or interstate traveller," he said.
Mount Gambier police will prepare a report for the coroner.
From: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2883847.htm
A woman has fallen to her death in South Australia's south-east while trying to take a picture of the rocky shore at Cape Douglas, about 25 kilometres from Mount Gambier.
The 30-year-old Victorian tourist's husband pulled her from the water after she fell 50 metres down a cliff face and into the ocean about 11.30am (ACST).
Emergency services arrived to find the man attempting to resuscitate his wife who was later pronounced dead.
The woman and her husband were on holiday from Ouyen in western Victoria.
It is understood she was trying to take a photo of the shoreline at Cape Douglas, just north of the popular tourist spot Port MacDonnell, when she slipped and fell into the water.
Port MacDonnell CFS Captain Grant Sensom says he arrived as the ambulance crew were attempting to revive the woman.
"When we arrived on the scene we had the ambulance desperately working on the young lady, and from our understanding the partner had retrieved the lady from the water or swam out and retrieved her and already started his revival resuscitation," he said.
Captain Sensom says the fall sends a reminder to people to take extra care around rocky ledges.
"Take photos, but take them with care or even just looking around, rock climbing, whatever else - these accidents do happen whether you're a local or interstate traveller," he said.
Mount Gambier police will prepare a report for the coroner.
From: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2883847.htm
Monday, April 26, 2010
'Dear Uncle Adolf': documentary details fan letters sent to Hitler
Fan letters written to Adolf Hitler during the Second World War were the subject of a new documentary in Germany last night.By Allan Hall in Berlin
Published: 7:30AM BST 26 Apr 2010
'Dear Uncle Adolf' was the first documentary detailing the tens of thousands of surviving fan letters Hitler received while in power which were seized by the Soviets when they conquered Berlin in 1945.
For years these love notes, advice letters, gifts and health-tips lay undiscovered in Russian archives. Discovered in 2007, they formed the basis of a German book called 'Letters to Hitler'. Last night the Svengali-like grip that the Austrian-born Hitler exerted over Germany was unveiled as actors read out the letters that would fill a truck.
They were letters that often accompanied gifts, in the case of Margarethe Wagner, a pair of socks sent in 1938 after Hitler occupied the Czech Sudetenland border region.
"I knitted these for you as you freed us," she wrote.
Frau Troeltzsch of Berlin sent Hitler three silk handkerchiefs with pictures of Hitler sewn into them which Hitler deputy Rudolf Hess sent back saying "you do not have permission to send handkerchiefs with pictures of Herr Hitler!"
Such women were later put under Gestapo monitoring as Hitler feared that his cult of personality could lead to a destabilisation of home life in the Reich. As he climbed further up the ladder of power, so the tempo of the letters increased.
A special department was created in the postal services in both Munich and Berlin to deal with the tsunami of paper wending its way to him every day. On April 25 1932, one day after elections made the party an unstoppable force in national politics, a Peter Beck from Silesia - now part of Poland - wrote: "We don't want to know about the government any more - we only want Adolf Hitler as leader, as dictator.
"We National Socialists want to see a ban on all newspapers that inject poison into our Fuehrer, to see Jews classified as what they are, a reckoning with all local government chiefs who have cheated their citizens. We will give our blood to Adolf Hitler! Take an iron hand and fulfill your programme with a dictatorial will. Do not negotiate but act!
"We trust our Fuehrer and donate to him our hearts with every pulse!"
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7632818/Dear-Uncle-Adolf-documentary-details-fan-letters-sent-to-Hitler.html
Police arrest woman suspected of urinating on clothes at Cape Coral Walmart
April 22, 20108:35 P.M. UPDATE — Police have found and arrested a woman suspected of urinating on clothes at a Walmart store in Cape Coral.
Christina Cifaldi, 22, of Cape Coral was charged with criminal mischief and property damage.
Employees at the store on Del Prado Boulevard told officers that they saw her take $163 in clothes off the racks and go into a fitting room.
The employees told police that the woman then urinated on the clothes and left the store.
Police found Cifaldi because she left her wallet, with her driver’s license, in the changing room along with the urine-soaked clothes.
She was released today from the Lee County Jail after paying $500 bail.
Her next court appearance on the criminal mischief charge is May 11.
From: http://www.news-press.com/article/20100422/CRIME/100422033/1075/Police-seek-woman-who-urinated-on-clothes-at-Cape-Coral-Walmart
Teacher Peter Harvey 'beat pupil while shouting die'
Last updated at 12:45 GMT, Monday, 26 April 2010 13:45 UKA science teacher beat a pupil around the head with a dumbbell while shouting "die, die, die", a court heard.
Peter Harvey, 50, hit the 14-year-old boy with a 3kg weight at All Saints' Roman Catholic School, Mansfield, a jury heard.
He denies attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, but has admitted a charge of GBH.
Nottingham Crown Court was told students were filmed calling Mr Harvey a "psycho" moments before the attack.
Another pupil was filming as Mr Harvey tried to restore discipline.
The injured schoolboy, who Mr Harvey confronted for misbehaving in class, suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.
Stuart Rafferty QC, prosecuting, said Mr Harvey was sent home from the school in December 2008 after telling an education advisor he might harm somebody.
He returned to the classroom in April 2009.
Mr Harvey was "happy" and "positive" on the morning of the attack, the court heard.
But, after a girl with behaviour difficulties started being disruptive it was alleged he kicked her, Mr Rafferty said.
He added: "She left the classroom in a state of tears and some of the class took exception to the way she had been treated and started calling him a psycho.
"He didn't seem to respond to that and told the class to get on with their work."
'Chased round classroom'
The schoolboy victim then started waving a wooden metre rule and a metal Bunsen burner about in "high jinks" before he was attacked, the court heard.
Mr Harvey chased him round the classroom and the boy swore at him, the jury was told.
Mr Rafferty said: "That seems to have lit the blue touch paper because Mr Harvey grabbed him by his collar and started dragging him out of the classroom.
"He threw him to the ground and armed himself with a 3kg dumbbell and began to hit the boy about the head with it.
"He struck at least two blows to the head which caused serious injury, really serious injury.
"At the time the blows were being struck Mr Harvey was only heard to say one thing.
"What he was saying was 'die, die, die'."
'Felt no emotion'
The court heard that one pupil tried to drag Mr Harvey off the boy, who was lying on his back looking "frightened and confused".
The teacher was kneeling above him, raising the dumbbell to shoulder height for each of the blows.
Mr Rafferty said: "No-one can say for one moment what happened to this boy was deserved or justified.
"What he (Mr Harvey) did was grossly disproportionate to the wrong inflicted on him by the boy or other members of the class."
The court heard that Mr Harvey later told police he felt like he was watching himself on television.
He said he was not feeling any emotion and "couldn't think at all".
The trial continues.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/8643553.stm
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Man charged with killing wife, torching house as coverup
Friday, April 23, 2010
By Sadie Gurman and Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A man struck his wife in the head with a hammer at least 10 times and stabbed her before starting a fire in his South Fayette home this morning in what police said was an attempt to conceal evidence of the killing.
Robert Abrams, 40, was charged with homicide, arson and abuse of a corpse in the death of his wife, Jeannette, 44.
The two quarreled, in part because Mr. Abrams had stayed up late to watch the Penguins' game, which went into three overtimes, before he killed her, Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said.
While the house on Locust Lane burned, firefighters found Mrs. Abrams in a second floor bedroom. She was pronouced dead at the scene at 3:30 a.m.
Mr. Abrams escaped the blaze from a second floor window and is still hospitalized for burns to his hands, among other injuries.
Medical Examiner Karl E. Williams said investigators knew almost immediately that his wife did not die as a result of the fire, nor were there signs that she was alive when it started.
From: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10113/1052756-100.stm
By Sadie Gurman and Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A man struck his wife in the head with a hammer at least 10 times and stabbed her before starting a fire in his South Fayette home this morning in what police said was an attempt to conceal evidence of the killing.
Robert Abrams, 40, was charged with homicide, arson and abuse of a corpse in the death of his wife, Jeannette, 44.
The two quarreled, in part because Mr. Abrams had stayed up late to watch the Penguins' game, which went into three overtimes, before he killed her, Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said.
While the house on Locust Lane burned, firefighters found Mrs. Abrams in a second floor bedroom. She was pronouced dead at the scene at 3:30 a.m.
Mr. Abrams escaped the blaze from a second floor window and is still hospitalized for burns to his hands, among other injuries.
Medical Examiner Karl E. Williams said investigators knew almost immediately that his wife did not die as a result of the fire, nor were there signs that she was alive when it started.
From: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10113/1052756-100.stm
Boy, 11, ages five times faster than normal
An 11-year-old boy is aging five times faster than his schoolmates because of a unique condition.Published: 10:37AM BST 23 Apr 2010
Harry Crowther is the only person in the world to suffer from a form of Atypical Progeria Syndrome which means his body is already wracked with arthritis despite him still being in Primary School.
His accellerating aging has meant his skin has begun to thin and the bones in his fingers and collarbone have begun to erode as the ageing process prematurely accelerates.
He takes painkillers four times a day and his parents Sharron and John know Harry's life will be cut short by the cruel condition, though doctors are unable to offer an accurate prognosis.
Mrs Crowther, deputy manager at a pre-school in the family's hometown of Mirfield, West Yorks., said: "Its just a sit and wait game. Because the change in Harry's gene is unique, they cannot say what's going to happen.
"We have had our tears and the "why us" moments like every family would have. But we have to remember he is walking, talking and is in mainstream school.
"It is just that his body is a bit different. But there is always someone who is worse off than you. He enjoys riding his bike, swimming and climbing trees just like any other boy his age."
Harry's skin began tightening when he was just a year old and his face began to alter, so his worried parents took him to see a geneticist.
But his unusual symptoms continued to baffle medics until his concerned parents saw a TV documentary about a girl with a similar syndrome called Hutchinson Guilford.
Harry was diagnosed with his illness, closely related to Hutchinson Guilford, at the specialised UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, USA, when he was aged seven after undergoing further tests. It is caused by a genetic mutation in the LMNA gene.
But because he is the only person in the world to suffer from this rare form of Atypical Progeria Syndrome, medics cannot predict how Harrys illness will develop. The oldest sufferer of a similar condition lived to the age of 26.
Sharon, 40, who lives with IT director dad John, 41, and other children Emma,
16, and 14-year-old Jack, added: "There isn't anyone we can talk to who has the condition. People stare and even go back and get their friends to stare. It really upsets him and I just think why?
Harry said: "I can do a lot of things other children can do, but sometimes it stops me doing what I like doing because I ache.
"It feels weird and hurts most when Im in bed. I get upset when people who don't know me stare and its annoying going to hospitals."
Cub Scout Harry is attending the St Georges Day parade at Windsor Castle after being presented with the Chief Scouts Award for his bravery.
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7623531/Boy-11-ages-five-times-faster-than-normal.html
The virginity industry
Last updated at 23:25 GMT, Saturday, 24 April 2010 00:25 UK
By Najlaa Abou Mehri and Linda Sills
BBC Radio 4, Crossing Continents
Young Arab women wait in an upmarket medical clinic for an operation that will not only change their lives, but quite possibly save it. Yet the operation is a matter of choice and not necessity. It costs about 2,000 euros (£1,700) and carries very little risk.
The clinic is not in Dubai or Cairo, but in Paris. And the surgery they are waiting for is to restore their virginity.
Whether in Asia or the Arab world, an unknown number of women face an agonising problem having broken a deep taboo. They've had sex outside marriage and if found out, risk being ostracised by their communities, or even murdered.
Now more and more of them are undergoing surgery to re-connect their hymens and hide the any sign of past sexual activity. They want to ensure that blood is spilled on their wedding night sheets.
The social pressure is so great that some women have even taken their own lives.
Sonia wants to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. She is a slender young brunette studying at art college in Paris.
Although born in France, Arab culture and traditions are central to Sonia's life. Life was strict growing up under the watchful eyes of a large traditional Arab family.
Virginity certificates
"I thought of suicide after my first sexual relationship," she says, "because I couldn't see any other solution." But Sonia did find a solution.
She eventually went to the Paris clinic of Dr Marc Abecassis to have surgery to restore her hymen. She says she will never reveal her secret to anyone, especially her husband to be.
"I consider this is my sex life and I don't have to tell anyone about it," she says. It's men that are obliging her to lie about it, she says.
Dr Abecassis performs a "hymenoplasty" as it's called, at least two to three times a week. Re-connecting the tissue of the hymen takes about 30 minutes under local anaesthetic.
He says the average age of the patient is about 25, and they come from all social backgrounds. Although the surgery is performed in clinics around the world, Dr Abecassis is one of the few Arab surgeons who talks openly about it. Some of the women come to him because they need virginity certificates in order to marry.
"She can be in danger because sometimes it's a matter of traditions and family," says Dr Abecassis. "I believe we as doctors have no right to decide for her or judge her."
With Chinese manufacturers leading the way, there are now non-surgical options on the market as well. One website sells artificial hymens for just £20 (23 euros). The Chinese hymen is made of elastic and filled with fake blood. Once inserted in the vagina, the woman can simulate virginity, the company claims.
'Caught out'
But this was not an option for Nada. As a young girl growing up in the Lebanese countryside she fell in love and lost her virginity. "I was scared my family would find out especially since they didn't approve of my relationship," she says. "I was terrified they might kill me."
After seven years in the relationship, her lover's family wanted him to marry someone else. Nada attempted suicide. "I got a bottle of Panadol and a bottle of household chemicals," she says. "I drank them and said, 'That's it'."
Nada is now 40, and found out about surgical hymen restoration just six years ago. She married and had two children. Her wedding night was a stressful ordeal. "I didn't sleep that night. I was crying," she says. "I was very scared but he didn't suspect anything."
It's a secret that Nada - which is not her real name - will carry to her grave. "I am ready to hide it until death," she says. "Only God will know about it."
But it's not only the older generation that subscribes to traditional views about sex before marriage, when it comes to choosing a wife.
Noor is a trendy professional who works in Damascus. He's fairly representative of young Syrian men in a secular society. But although Noor says he believes in equality for women, underneath the liberal facade lies a deep-rooted conservatism.
"I know girls who went through this restoration and they were caught out on their wedding night by their husbands," he says. "They realised they weren't virgins. Even if society accepts such a thing, I would still refuse to marry her."
Muslim clerics are quick to point out that the virginity issue is not about religion. "We should remember that when people wait for the virgin's blood to be spilled on the sheet, these are all cultural traditions," says Syrian cleric, Sheikh Mohamad Habash. "This is not related to Shariah law."
Christian communities in the Middle East are often just as firm in their belief that women should be virgins when they marry.
Arab writer and social commentator, Sana Al Khayat believes the whole issue has much to with the notion of "control".
"If she's a virgin, she doesn't have any way of comparing [her husband to other men]. If she's been with other men, then she has experience. Having experience makes women stronger."
It may be the 21st Century but the issue of virginity in Arab culture can still be a matter of life and death, especially for women like Sonia and Nada.
And while hymen repair may be a quick fix, it can't reconcile centuries of ingrained tradition with the attitudes of modern society.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8641099.stm
By Najlaa Abou Mehri and Linda Sills
BBC Radio 4, Crossing Continents
Young Arab women wait in an upmarket medical clinic for an operation that will not only change their lives, but quite possibly save it. Yet the operation is a matter of choice and not necessity. It costs about 2,000 euros (£1,700) and carries very little risk.
The clinic is not in Dubai or Cairo, but in Paris. And the surgery they are waiting for is to restore their virginity.
Whether in Asia or the Arab world, an unknown number of women face an agonising problem having broken a deep taboo. They've had sex outside marriage and if found out, risk being ostracised by their communities, or even murdered.
Now more and more of them are undergoing surgery to re-connect their hymens and hide the any sign of past sexual activity. They want to ensure that blood is spilled on their wedding night sheets.
The social pressure is so great that some women have even taken their own lives.
Sonia wants to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. She is a slender young brunette studying at art college in Paris.
Although born in France, Arab culture and traditions are central to Sonia's life. Life was strict growing up under the watchful eyes of a large traditional Arab family.
Virginity certificates
"I thought of suicide after my first sexual relationship," she says, "because I couldn't see any other solution." But Sonia did find a solution.
She eventually went to the Paris clinic of Dr Marc Abecassis to have surgery to restore her hymen. She says she will never reveal her secret to anyone, especially her husband to be.
"I consider this is my sex life and I don't have to tell anyone about it," she says. It's men that are obliging her to lie about it, she says.
Dr Abecassis performs a "hymenoplasty" as it's called, at least two to three times a week. Re-connecting the tissue of the hymen takes about 30 minutes under local anaesthetic.
He says the average age of the patient is about 25, and they come from all social backgrounds. Although the surgery is performed in clinics around the world, Dr Abecassis is one of the few Arab surgeons who talks openly about it. Some of the women come to him because they need virginity certificates in order to marry.
"She can be in danger because sometimes it's a matter of traditions and family," says Dr Abecassis. "I believe we as doctors have no right to decide for her or judge her."
With Chinese manufacturers leading the way, there are now non-surgical options on the market as well. One website sells artificial hymens for just £20 (23 euros). The Chinese hymen is made of elastic and filled with fake blood. Once inserted in the vagina, the woman can simulate virginity, the company claims.
'Caught out'
But this was not an option for Nada. As a young girl growing up in the Lebanese countryside she fell in love and lost her virginity. "I was scared my family would find out especially since they didn't approve of my relationship," she says. "I was terrified they might kill me."
After seven years in the relationship, her lover's family wanted him to marry someone else. Nada attempted suicide. "I got a bottle of Panadol and a bottle of household chemicals," she says. "I drank them and said, 'That's it'."
Nada is now 40, and found out about surgical hymen restoration just six years ago. She married and had two children. Her wedding night was a stressful ordeal. "I didn't sleep that night. I was crying," she says. "I was very scared but he didn't suspect anything."
It's a secret that Nada - which is not her real name - will carry to her grave. "I am ready to hide it until death," she says. "Only God will know about it."
But it's not only the older generation that subscribes to traditional views about sex before marriage, when it comes to choosing a wife.
Noor is a trendy professional who works in Damascus. He's fairly representative of young Syrian men in a secular society. But although Noor says he believes in equality for women, underneath the liberal facade lies a deep-rooted conservatism.
"I know girls who went through this restoration and they were caught out on their wedding night by their husbands," he says. "They realised they weren't virgins. Even if society accepts such a thing, I would still refuse to marry her."
Muslim clerics are quick to point out that the virginity issue is not about religion. "We should remember that when people wait for the virgin's blood to be spilled on the sheet, these are all cultural traditions," says Syrian cleric, Sheikh Mohamad Habash. "This is not related to Shariah law."
Christian communities in the Middle East are often just as firm in their belief that women should be virgins when they marry.
Arab writer and social commentator, Sana Al Khayat believes the whole issue has much to with the notion of "control".
"If she's a virgin, she doesn't have any way of comparing [her husband to other men]. If she's been with other men, then she has experience. Having experience makes women stronger."
It may be the 21st Century but the issue of virginity in Arab culture can still be a matter of life and death, especially for women like Sonia and Nada.
And while hymen repair may be a quick fix, it can't reconcile centuries of ingrained tradition with the attitudes of modern society.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8641099.stm
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"Being is substance and life; life manifests by movement; movement is perpetuated by equilibrium; equilibrium is therefore the law of immortality.
"The doctrine of equality!... But there exists no more poisonous poison: for it seems to be preached by justice itself, while it is the end of justice.... "Equality for equals, inequality for unequals" that would be the true voice of justice: and, what follows from it, "Never make equal what is unequal."
