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Man gave daughter to net buddy pedophile
April 12, 2007 07:18pm
Article from: AAP
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A FATHER who let a pedophile he met on the internet sexually exploit his five-year-old daughter has been sentenced to seven years jail.
The 40-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was recently found guilty by a Brisbane District Court jury of indecently dealing with a child with a circumstance of aggravation and possessing child computer pornography.
He was aged in his early to mid-30s when the offences occurred.
Judge Hugh Botting today sentenced the man to a total of seven years jail but ordered he be eligible for parole after serving half the sentence.
"You provided your daughter for his use – someone who was your own lineal descendent," Judge Botting said during his sentencing remarks.
"The enormity of betrayal of trust as a father is ... a very significant factor."
He said the other man, whom the father met in an online chatroom, was connected with a network of pedophiles through the internet.
"He was a proactive person seeking contacts and people to engage in child abuse," Judge Botting said.
He said the man and the young girl had been photographed in various indecent positions.
Indecent photos were also taken of the daughter alone.
The trial heard allegations that the father had taken the pictures but the jury didn't accept that.
The court also heard the father set down some conditions when he handed over his daughter, one being no penetration.
The other man pleaded guilty in 2004 to similar child sex charges and testified against the father at his trial.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...6-1702,00.html
Let Slow Death be the Penalty...
Censoring when will it stop?? Will it ever stop?? Will it get worse??
Citing his concern for "the morals of our society," Burlingame schools Superintendent Sonny Da Marto has stopped four eighth-grade classes from reading "Kaffir Boy," an award-winning memoir of growing up in a South African ghetto during apartheid.
Da Marto had banned the book from the Burlingame Intermediate School late last month when the 13- and 14-year-old students were nearly halfway through it, said their English teacher, Amelia Ramos, who was required to take the books back from 116 students.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...NGKFP7A9K1.DTL
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. - Police looking for a purse snatcher were able to flush the suspect out from the portable toilet where he was hiding.
http://tr.adinterax.com/re/ogilvy,SM...ec_bubbles.swf
"A Port-A-Potty is not a good place to hide," police Chief James Kudlak said Wednesday. "There's only one way out."
Johnny Snodgrass, 21, apparently matched the description of a man caught on videotape at a store where an 89-year-old woman's purse was stolen in March and from a nearby video poker establishment where her wallet was found, police said.
The thief got away with about $45.
Acting on a tip, police went to a construction site where Snodgrass was working on Monday to question him, but he ran into the portable restroom. Officers yelled for him to come out and he soon complied, police said.
Snodgrass was being in jail on $5,000 bond on Wednesday. He's scheduled to appear before a magistrate on April 25.
Kudlak said Snodgrass claims he is innocent.
Court officials said Snodgrass did not yet have an attorney.
RECOMMEND THIS STORY
U.S. Navy shows off terror-fighting dolphins
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/12/dol...rss_topstories
SAN DIEGO, California (AP) -- Koa, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, will do anything for a fresh fish -- including alerting her U.S. Navy handlers to potential terrorists.
Koa is one of about 100 marine mammals housed at Naval Base Point Loma, located on a scenic peninsula jutting into San Diego Harbor.
Officials at the base briefly opened their doors to the media Thursday for the first time since the start of the war in Iraq. The demonstration came a few weeks after the Navy announced plans to ship up to 30 dolphins and sea lions to patrol the waters of Washington state's Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, home to nuclear submarines, ships and laboratories.
Even in today's high-tech world of underwater robotics and unmanned vehicles, the Navy says animals like Koa are its best line of defense against attacks from the sea.
"Biologically, they are better than anything we have ever made," said Mike Rothe, head of science for the Navy's marine mammal program.
About 75 dolphins and 25 sea lions are in the program. Both species can find mines and swimmers in murky waters. Working in unison, the dolphins are trained to drop a flashing light by the target, while sea lions can attach a tether to it.
The dolphins live in a series of interconnected pens by several jetties in the harbor. Most enclosures are about 30 feet (9 meters) wide by about 30 feet (9 meters) long, with net floors about 10 feet (3 meters) down. By opening gates between the pens, handlers let the dolphins interact for much of the day, Rothe said.
About 200 technicians, trainers and other staff care for the animals. Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Dallaglio said all the dolphins had different personalities and seemed to enjoy their work. He helps look after Ten, a 24-year-old Atlantic bottlenose.
"When she was born, she was perfect, and she's perfect still," he said. "She's a real sweetheart."
The Navy's sea mammal program started in the late 1950s and grew to comprise 140 animals during the Cold War. Dolphins helped protect a pier in the Vietnam War. A veteran from that conflict, a dolphin nearing 50 years of age, still lives in San Diego at the naval base.
The last time the marine mammals were deployed overseas was in the Iraqi harbor of Umm Qasr in 2003, where they located underwater mines and cleared a path for Marines to land. They also were used in San Diego in 1996 when they patrolled the bay during the Republican Party's national convention.
Rogue swimmers planting bombs pose a real threat, said Cmdr. Jon Wood, who deployed to Iraq with the mammals. He said there were several cases of insurgent forces laying charges on floating objects in Vietnam.
The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was sunk in 1985 in Auckland Harbor, New Zealand, after saboteurs planted limpet mines on its hull shortly before it was to sail to protest France's nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Two French spies were convicted in the bombing which killed one person.
By the late 1990s, U.S. Navy officials began phasing out the program, expecting technology to take over. But that still has not happened and the dolphins and sea lions will be used until at least 2012.
In response to questions about whether the animals have been trained to attack, officials said no.
"We have never trained any Navy marine mammals to do any harming, attacking or stabbing," Navy spokesman Tom LaPuzza said. "We have never done anything like that, and we never will."
Resistance to Navy plans
Animal rights activists are resisting Navy plans to ship the dolphins and sea lions to Washington state. They worry that waters in the region, which are about 10 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) cooler than in San Diego Harbor, could put stress on the animals. They also are concerned diseases could be transmitted to the area's native orca population.
"There are no bottlenose dolphins in these waters for a reason and I would say it's because it's too darn cold," said Seattle-area marine biologist Toni Frohoff.
Protesters showed up at public meetings held by the Navy in the Seattle area to discuss the Navy's plan. Several of them knitted woolly hats and sailor uniforms for the animals as a way of drawing attention to the issue -- costumes that could never actually be worn.
"People contributed some handsome hats, and there's talk of mittens," said Knitting for Dolphins member Janet Bailey.
Dr. Stephanie Wong, a military veterinarian, said the dolphins are closely monitored for any signs of disease.
The Navy's plan to ship marine mammals to Washington state is still in its early stages. Officials aim to complete an environmental impact report by the fall.
Beijing bans smelly taxi drivers
From correspondents in Beijing
April 18, 2007
BEIJING taxi drivers face a lifestyle makeover before the Olympics that will mean the end of spitting, smoking, weird hairstyles and dangly earrings - and the beginning of regular baths.
Under the new regulations, which came into effect today, drivers whose cabs are smelly will be suspended for two days while they undergo "rectification and reform" guidance, the Beijing News,/i> said.
Cabbies who spit or smoke, and female taxi drivers who sport big earrings or radical hairstyles, will also be banned under rules aimed at improving the city's image ahead of next year's Olympics.
Beijing's taxi drivers often sleep, eat and smoke in their vehicles.
"Many drivers pay no attention to appearances," Yao Kuo, the head of the transportation management office, was quoted as saying.
"Their mouths stink of garlic and their bodies smell, making the whole cab foul. It creates a bad impression for the taxi industry."
Yao said that outrageous dress styles were also now off limits for drivers of the 70,000 cabs on the streets of the Chinese capital.
"As a service industry, taxis have to think about appearances," Yao said.
"So from now on dying hair a bright red or yellow and making weird hairdos is banned."
Shi Xiangpeng, a top political advisor visiting from Hong Kong last month, complained bitterly about the odour of Beijing's taxis.
"Sometimes I could smell an unbearable stink once I got into the cab, but was afraid of being too rude to get out immediately," he was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.
"A smelly cab, though a trivial thing, may impair the country's international image when Beijing hosts the Olympic Games next year, as it's not polite to the guests," he said.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23218,00.html
From Michael Padera in NAIROBI, Kenya
ZIMBABWEAN delegates attending the 21st Session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (commonly known by the acronym UN-Habitat) here, have shot down a proposal to send a mission to Zimbabwe to talk to social groups involved in housing.
The delegation said money earmarked for such trips should instead be invested in proper housing delivery.
UN-Habitat is mandated to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing shelter for all
Reacting to a presentation on the proposed visit to Harare by Mr Cesare Otolini, the co-ordinator of the International Alliance of Inhabitants, Bindura mayor Advocate Martin Dinha said it would be in the best interest of Zimbabweans if the group sent a mission to build houses.
Mr Otolini had indicated that the group would come to Zimbabwe to try and bring the Government, local authorities and social groups together with a view to agreeing on the modalities of availing accommodation to people displaced by Operation Murambatsvina.
But Advocate Dinha instead accused UN-Habitat and Mr Otolini of "celebrating poverty", saying this was evident in the existence of slum settlements like Kibera in Kenya, which, if removed, would leave the agency without work. "Why another mission to Zimbabwe to support social movements? Why not send a mission to build houses? You people celebrate poverty," said Advocate Dinha.
Zimbabwe Local Government Association president Cde Jerry Gotora echoed Advocate Dinha’s sentiments but urged the proposed mission to consult the right people if it succeeds to visit Zimbabwe.
UN-Habitat under secretary general Mrs Anna Tibaijuka said Zimbabwe was far ahead of even some developed countries in terms of the management of slum settlements.
She said only 3,4 percent of the country’s population was living in slums while the figure in some developed countries was 5 percent.
Mrs Tibaijuka said some people affected under Operation Murambatsvina were, in fact, victims of a skewed colonial system that outlawed blacks from urban centres.
With independence people began to settle in urban centres leading to an unplanned boom.
She said some of the victims had come to Zimbabwe as migrant labourers to work on white commercial farms who flocked to cities following the land reform programme and were then caught up under Operation Murambatsvina.
Making references to Kibera, she said Africa should be ashamed to have people living in slums.
Mrs Tibaijuka said for the first time in the history of Kibera, the Kenyan government had put a budget for slum upgrading.
Responding to concerns by the Zimbabwean delegation, she claimed her recommendations after her mission to Zimbabwe following Operation Murambatsvina had stood the test of time. She said the recommendations were also meant to garner international solidarity on the situation in the country.
http://www.livescience.com/technolog...mit_robot.html
A new breed of robots could soon break free of assembly line duties to assist human living in myriad ways.
MIT researchers recently demonstrated the capabilities of such a robot, named Domo, which, like the robot in a recent General Motors ad, can transcend mass-production's repetition. It is designed to interact with humans and adapt to its environment in ways previously only imagined in science fiction.
Presently, Domo can identify objects, reach for them and place them on shelves. Unlike an assembly-line robot, Domo can sense its surroundings using a pair of video cameras for eyes; they are connected to 12 computers. The cameras are built into remarkably human-looking "eyeballs," for a reason, said Domo's developer, Aaron Edsinger.
"I found that, by making them immediately understandable as eyes, it was very easy to read [Domo's] eye-gaze direction, which is important when working with it," Edsinger said. "They also greatly increase people's comfort level with the robot."
Domo has been designed to tune into unexpected motion, allowing it to function within human environments. It is especially sensitive to human faces, which is necessary for social interaction. When Domo spots motion resembling a human face, the robot locks on it.
By your command
A recent demonstration showed off Domo's voice recognition capabilities. "Hey, Domo," Edsinger said, and Domo responded in kind. "Shelf, Domo," Edsinger said. Domo gingerly reached for a nearby shelf with an arm-like appendage of metal and wires, and touched the shelf to verify its existence.
Next, Edsinger placed a bag of coffee beans in Domo's other hand. By wiggling it and making optical measurements, Domo deduced the size of the object. Then Domo figured out how to transfer the bag from one hand to the other, and then placed the bag on the shelf.
A robot capable of such tasks may serve many useful purposes for the elderly or mobility-impaired, especially in light of aging Baby Boomers.
Edsinger, who has worked on Domo for the past three years, describes it as the "next generation" of MIT robots. Domo follows in the robotic footsteps of Kismet, designed for human interaction, and Cog, which had the capability of manipulating unfamiliar objects.
Don't touch me there
Unlike its predecessors, Domo also has the ability to sense touch, necessary for safe interaction with humans. Springs in its arms, hands and neck can sense force, allowing it to respond appropriately. Pushing its hand will make it move in the direction of the push.
"By placing that spring in there, you get physical compliance that makes the whole body sort of springy, which makes it safer for human interaction," Edsinger said. But too much force or moving Domo's arms in the wrong direction will produce a vocal response of "ouch."
Original funding for Domo came from NASA, and the project is now supported by Toyota, which could apply such a robot for assembly line production. Intelligent robots could work together with people to make workers more productive and save manufacturing jobs from being sent overseas, Edsinger said.
The name "Domo" was inspired by the Japanese phrase, domo arigato [thank you very much], Edsinger told LiveScience, and also by the Styx song, "Mr. Roboto." Also, the two strong syllables are easy for the speech recognition system to understand.
Clamping down on rapists in South Africa
Wed, 04/11/2007 - 2:12pm.
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/s...ages/rapex.JPG
Later this month, South African women will be able to purchase the Rapex device, marketed as the "anti-rape condom." The rapex, shaped like a female condom, is worn internally and equipped with 25 teeth in its lining. The razor-sharp teeth fasten on the attacker's penis if he attempts penetration. Since the device does no lasting damage to the attacker, it is completely legal and will sell for 1 Rand (around 14 cents) when it hits stores. The majority of women surveyed about the device said they would be willing to use it.
The inventor of Rapex, South African Sonette Ehler, a former medical technician, got the idea when a traumatized rape victim lamented to her, "If only I had teeth down there."
Of course, the product is not without controversy or critics. Some argue that the device may encourage rapists to attack their victims further, placing women in even greater danger. Ehler's response is that women are already faced with that danger, and at least this way the man is disabled momentarily, allowing the victim to get away. Others criticize the method as "vengeful," to which Ehler responds: "[It's] a medieval device for a medieval deed." More philosophically, some argue that the idea places the burden of stopping rape on the victims rather than the perpetrators. But the reality, according to Ehler, is that "[n]obody can make you safe except you." Given that South Africa has the highest per capita rate of rape of any country in the world, at a reported 119 per 100,000 people (which translates to around 1.7 million women raped each year), she may have a compelling argument.
who ever thoght of this should get the noble peace prize
I'm sure this will affect jasper if he ever visits south africa
Hey Dane! You can wear one in your asshole so that you dont get ass-fucked again at the local swap meet.
they must be raping like crazy in South africa...yo, that ass fucked at the local swap meet line...yo, I been stressed all day and that sht just made me laugh like crazy....
yea ive lived in south africa for a little before,its crazy out there
Quote:
Originally Posted by THE GREAT DANE
'since it does no lasting damage, it is completely legal'?
so therefore one that DID do lasting damage would be illegal? so a rapist tries to rape a woman and she has a device that 'DOES do lasting damage ' fitted which shreds the guy's cock... what does the law do? send them both to court, one for attempted rape, one for wounding?
In my opinion they should be fitted with razor blades that cut they guy's cock to ribbons. That would deter a lot of rapists..
But then again, wouldn't word get around with wanna be rapists and they'd all start putting a finger up there to check first?
The people who criticised the method are some fucktard liberals who need to have their mothers raped and see how they feel about it then
oh, and another creepy thought... how exactly did they conduct trials for this!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain_Cumstain
ChurcHhttp://m-w.com/images/audio.gif
Herald Reporter
CHINA is now the largest single investor in Zimbabwe with its investment portfolio now standing at more than US$600 million, Speaker of the House of Assembly Cde John Nkomo has said.
"It is heartening to know that China is now the largest investor in Zimbabwe and her investment now stands at over US$600 million.
"Currently more than 35 Chinese companies grace our economic landscape and there have been more exploratory visits to Zimbabwe by Chinese companies seeking investment opportunities," he said.
Cde Nkomo was speaking on Friday night at a dinner hosted for the visiting chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mr Jia Qinglin, at the Rainbow Towers.
Zimbabwe, Cde Nkomo said, was happy to be associated with China which had the fastest growing economy in the world and guarded jealously the mutual co-existence that cascades in all spheres of life.
"Indeed, Zimbabweans deeply cherish these mutually beneficial friendships between our sister countries and are grateful for the support received to date and the political goodwill we continue to enjoy in the context of our bilateral and multilateral links," he said.
Cde Nkomo commended China’s policy on the international arena, which he said was built on noble principles of non-interference, equality and mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty.
He expressed gratitude for the support given by China to Zimbabwe at various international fora.
"It is my sincere hope that this solidarity based on principle will continue between our sister countries. The strong political ties that exist between the Communist Party of China and Zanu-PF must be expanded and consolidated," he said.
Cde Nkomo paid tribute to Mr Jia and his delegation for donating a computer and office equipment to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, saying the equipment would go a long way in contributing to modernisation of support services at the institution.
In response, Mr Jia said China cherished the strong relations with Zimbabwe dating back to the liberation struggle.
"China will continue to work with Zimbabwe to promote bilateral relations from one generation to the other," he said through an interpreter.
Mr Jia said one of the main purposes of his visit was to discuss with the Government how to implement the resolutions of the Beijing Summit on Forum on China-Africa Co-operation held in November last year as a way of furthering relations between Zimbabwe and China.
Zimbabwe, he said, had the potential to overcome the current economic difficulties.
Mr Jia also hailed Zimbabwe for promoting peace and stability in the region, saying since independence the Southern African nation had stood firm in defence of its sovereignty.
Among those who attended the occasion were the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, President of the Senate Cde Edna Madzongwe and Cabinet ministers.
Also in attendance were legislators from both Zanu-PF and MDC and senior Government officials.
Meanwhile, Mr Jia and his delegation yesterday toured the Victoria Falls.
According to our Bulawayo Bureau, Mr Jia arrived at the Victoria Falls International Airport just before midday accompanied by Cde Nkomo, Cde Madzongwe, Foreign Affairs Minister Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development, Cde Walter Mzembi and a high-powered Chinese delegation which comprised senior government ministers and the media.
He was met at the airport by the Governor for Matabeleland North Province, Cde Sithokozile Mathuthu, Politburo member Cde Dumiso Dabengwa, the Senator for Hwange East Cde Grace Dube, the Mayor of Victoria Falls Mr Tose Sansole, Zanu-PF supporters and senior Government officials in the town.
Mr Jia was given a warm Zimbabwean welcome, spiced up by traditional dancers.
Soon after his arrival, Mr Jia and his entourage went to the majestic Victoria Falls, passing through the statue of explorer David Livingstone in the famed Rain forest before taking a view of the Main Falls.
His visit created a lot of interest in the resort town as people were glued to the road as his motorcade passed-by.
During the tour, he was briefed on the historical background of the people who lived along the Zambezi River through to modern Zimbabwe. His visit to the Victoria Falls is expected to give a boost to the country’s efforts to market its tourism destinations to more than a billion people in China.
After the tour, Mr Jia had lunch at the Elephant Hills Hotel before holding closed-door talks with Cde Nkomo and Cde Madzongwe.
Journalists accompanying Mr Jia are expected to tell the true Zimbabwean story on their return home. The delegation returned to Harare in late afternoon.
Bulawayo Bureau
A SOUTH AFRICAN man allegedly kidnapped 14 Zimbabweans — 12 women and two children — and demanded ransom from their relatives amounting to R1 000 a person, media reports from South Africa said.
The reports said the kidnapper has since been arrested and the victims, who were found locked in a house north of Johannesburg, were being kept by South African authorities at a safe place until investigations were complete.
A South Africa Police spokesperson, Lungelo Dlamini, told the media that the man was caught trying to collect ransom for a 17-year-old girl he kidnapped last week.
Dlamini said the kidnapper had offered the girl a ride to Beitbridge border post but instead called her mother and demanded a ransom of R300 ($810 000), which he later raised ten-fold.
On Saturday, said the police, the victim’s mother went to a service station in the Ivory Park area in Johannesburg where she said she would pay him.
She was accompanied by police who arrested the suspect.
The suspect led police to the house where the 14 hostages were packed in a single room.
"They were all hungry," Dlamini said.
Police believe other people have been kidnapped from the Zimbabwean border by the suspect, who they say demanded at least R1 000 from the victims’ relatives in South Africa for their release.
He is expected to appear in court today to face charges of kidnapping and violating immigration laws.
Many Zimbabweans who are flocking to South Africa for "greener pastures" have been ill-treated with some even killed by robbers while others are forced into commercial sex work.
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the rape condoms was an enjoyable article, and the comments...
Peace
By Roselyne Sachiti
POLICE in Mashonaland Central recently rescued and took for psychiatric examinations, a 28-year-old Chiweshe man who has been staying indoors for the past five years.
Onward Mavhunga Kamudyariwa, of Nyakudya Village, in the Chief Negomo area, has been living in since 2002.
He alleged goblins haunted him if he went outside and locked himself in a room where he believed he was safe.
Inside his "prison" of five years is a bed, chair, an assortment of books, reed mat and lamp, Kamudyariwa spends his time reading and singing church hymns to occupy himself. He has no friends and does not do any household chores.
Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Andrew Phiri last week said they took Kamudyariwa to Bindura Hospital where a psychiatrist examined him.
Chief Inspector Phiri said psychiatrists confirmed that Kamudyariwa’s mind was in a sound state.
"He was very co-operative and police officers who went to collect him did not have any problems convincing him to go to the hospital," he said.
Chief Inspector Phiri added that doctors also treated him for wounds that had developed on his private parts.
"Some wounds had developed on his private parts as a result of a plastic he tied around them all the time," said Chief Inspector Phiri.
He added that they placed Kamudyariwa under his parents’ custody and are yet to ascertain whether he is continuing to lock himself up.
Kamudyariwa’s mother Fenia Muringai said her son’s behavior had traumatised her.
"He only leaves the room for a few seconds before sunrise to relieve himself.
"He bathes inside his room whose windows are tightly closed and sealed with plastics and refuses to come out," she said.
Mrs Muringai said she serves her son all meals through a window and sometimes leaves it on the door.
"What worries me most is that some people now call my son different names that include murungu, (white man) because his skin has become very light because of lack of sunlight.
"Others also allege that we use him for juju purposes to revive our businesses which are not doing well.
"We have five shops, but we are renting them out because of some difficulties we are facing," she said.
Mrs Muringai is appealing to anyone who can assist her son.
"I am appealing to prophets, traditional healers and psychiatrists who can help my child to please do so.
"We have lost a lot of wealth to dubious traditional healers and prophets who claimed to have healing powers but failed," she said.
Reverend Dr Murombedzi Chikangama-bhunu Kuchera, of the United Church of Christ, said there was need to change the environment in which Kamudyariwa was staying.
He said his behaviour could have been caused by evil spirits. He also attributed the behaviour to the way Kamudyariwa was raised.
"During his childhood, elders could have spoken of goblins, the difficulties they caused and this assimilated his mind," he said.
He added that with a little bit of detail, Christians could speak with him so that he accepts God as a way to recovery.
"He needs faith. He also needs help to a point where he can use his own mental capacity to believe there is God who can heal him.
However, cases of self-imposed solitary confinement have been reported in other parts of the world.
Sixty-five-year-old Arthur Jones of the United States, served a self-imposed life sentence in his own home until his death, supposedly to protect himself from high criminal activities in his town.
"Jones lived in a high crime neighbourhood and he resorted to staying indoors to protect himself.
He built iron bars on the outside doors and installed bars on all windows.
"He would get food through a slightly opened door," reported an experimental psychologist, Dr Phyllis Staff.
Jones was suffering from what is known as transitory depression and paranoia. The condition is said to be more common in elderly people.
By Roselyne Sachiti
A HOUSE at Glen Norah Police Camp was petrol bombed early yesterday morning by suspected MDC supporters in yet another round of unprovoked attacks on the law enforcement agents.
Although no one was injured in the incident, in which three petrol bombs and a teargas canister were thrown at house number 2962, occupants said they were terrified.
Police have since picked up one person for questioning in connection with the bombing.
The house is situated on one of the two blocks of houses belonging to the Zimbabwe Republic Police built opposite the main camp at Glen Norah Police Station.
An armed policeman was guarding the house when The Sunday Mail visited the area yesterday.
One window was shattered while a curtain and other items were burnt. Soot could be seen on the walls.
Broken pieces of alcohol bottles that included Breakers, Vodka and Mainstay, were strewn near the window while a piece of the teargas canister was picked up in a flower garden on the adjacent house.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Andrew Phiri yesterday confirmed the incident and said the house, which is shared by two policemen and their families, was bombed at around 12.45 in the morning.
He said three family members were sleeping in the room that was attacked, but they were all evacuated to safety.
The police spokesperson said: "We have picked up one person for questioning and he is assisting us with investigations.
"Such bombings show that thugs and people bent on causing mayhem in the country are at work. As police, we will not let people engage in acts of terrorism."
Superintendent Phiri said police would do all they could to make sure that people involved in the bombing were brought to book.
He said the continued bail refusal for the ringleaders arrested in connection with earlier petrol bombings has resulted in the cases of petrol bombing becoming few and far between. He said the incident becomes the 11th terror bomb in a month.
Over the past month, the nation witnessed organised and sporadic petrol bombings targeting State institutions, public transport, supermarkets, houses, police officers and security forces.
In the weeks between March 12 and 25, three police stations in Marimba, Sakubva and Gweru have been petrol bombed resulting in serious injury to two female constables and damage to property.
Unit "N" Police Camp in Chitungwiza was petrol bombed on March 12 while a house belonging to the Zanu-PF councillor for Ward 18, Seke, was also petrol bombed.
Nehanda Police Station in Gweru was petrol bombed on March 13 while Marimba Police Station was attacked on March 14.
On March 23 Sakubva Police Station in Mutare was petrol bombed while Muchada Supermarket, trading as Lucky 7, at Pfukwa Shopping Centre in Warren Park D, was also petrol bombed on March 24, leaving a trail of destruction.
Several windows were shattered while shelving material was reduced to ashes.
A Bulawayo-bound National Railways of Zimbabwe train was petrol bombed in Mufakose injuring five people while 750 others escaped unhurt on March 24. Zanu-PF Mbare district offices were petrol bombed on March 27.
Gumba’s Wholesalers in downtown Harare, belonging to Chitungwiza businessman and Zanu-PF MP for Zengeza, Cde Christopher Chigumba, was attacked early this month and goods worth millions of dollars were destroyed.
Defence Minister Cde Sydney Sekeramayi recently said security forces would not fold their arms while elements of negation eroded the gains of independence and threatened the country’s sovereignty through complicity with Western countries. He warned those indulging in terrorist acts that the police and other security arms had the constitutional mandate and capability to maintain peace and order in the country.
Gates meets Putin on missile sites
MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew into Russia on Monday to try to reassure President Vladimir Putin over U.S. plans to put missile defenses in Europe, a dispute that has helped drive relations to a new low.
The United States is offering to share some benefits of the missile shield with the Russians, saying it is meant to address a possible threat from so-called rogue states such as Iran.
But Russia sees plans to site missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic as a threat, in a row that has drawn comparisons with the Cold War.
Gates, who landed in Moscow on Monday morning, first met Russia's defense minister, Anatoly Serdyukov.
The Russian minister said military ties were positive overall but, in an apparent reference to the missile shield, he said "there remain a number of issues that are causing excessive tension," RIA news agency reported.
A senior administration official traveling with Gates said the defense secretary would press Putin on a deal offered to the Russians last week to share benefits of the system such as data and possibly technology.
But the Pentagon intends to move forward whatever the response, the official said.
"We're going to continue to make this effort with Russia but we're also very clear, whether Russia cooperates with us or not is really up to Russia," the official said on Sunday.
Washington wants to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic, at a cost of $3.5 billion.
U.S. officials cast the issue in technical, not political, terms and argue the science is simple. The systems Washington wants to put in Poland and the Czech Republic cannot be used to defeat a Russian missile, they say.
Russian concerns
But Russians voice both technical and strategic problems with U.S. plans.
Some Russian officials have argued the sites are so close to Russia's borders that they could harm its security. Some also say the United States could eventually equip the sites with offensive weapons aimed at Russia.
Russian officials say they support exploring a collective missile system that would protect against rogue states, but are annoyed that Washington has gone ahead unilaterally.
Missile defense is only one sign of deteriorating relations between Washington and Moscow.
While the United States has made accusations that Russia is rolling back democracy and trying to revive past imperialism, Moscow charges Washington with acting unilaterally and meddling in its domestic affairs.
Russia and the United States have different approaches to Iran's nuclear program, which the West suspects is to develop atomic weapons and Tehran says is to generate power. A Russian contractor is building Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Washington also criticizes Russia for selling anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran, saying it undermines regional security.
The U.S. defense secretary will travel to Poland and Germany to discuss missile defense after his talks in Moscow.
Missing child found in shot croc
BEIJING, China (AP) -- A crocodile shot to death in south China during a search for a missing 9-year-old student was found to contain the child's remains, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
The crocodile was shot Saturday in a park in Beihai, a city in the Guangxi region, by investigators looking for the missing child. Investigators confirmed that human remains found in the reptile were that of the student, the report said.
The child, surnamed Liu, disappeared Friday after Liu and three other children climbed over the fence around a pool in the park that had been used to stage crocodile shows, Xinhua said.
"The children shot the animals with catapults and beat them with wooden sticks," the agency said. "One of the irritated crocodiles bit Liu's clothes and dragged him into water, where he was eaten by a swarm of crocodiles."
Snipers used pork to lure the reptiles from the pool on Saturday and shot the first one that crawled ashore, the report said.
No other details were given, and it wasn't immediately clear what would happen to the other crocodiles.
Local residents said the park's owner had hired a keeper for the crocodiles, but it was not clear why the man was not at the site when the students broke in, the report said.
The manager and the keeper were being held by police.
Yet another unintelligent hunter...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Hunters in Russia's Far East have shot and killed one of the last seven surviving female Amur leopards living in the wild, WWF said on Monday, driving the species even closer to extinction.
Last week environmentalists said there were only between 25 and 34 Amur leopards -- described as one of the most graceful cats in the world -- still living in the wild.
At least 100 are needed to guarantee the species' survival which depends upon female leopards breeding. There are more male leopards in the wild than female because cats tend to breed males when under stress, WWF said.
"Leopard murder can only be provoked by cowardice or stupidity, in this case most likely by both," Pavel Fomenko, WWF's biodiversity coordinator in Russia's Far East said in a statement.
A hunter shot the leopard through the tail bone. It tumbled over and was then beaten over the head with a heavy object, WWF said. Amur leopards have not been know to attack humans.
Environmentalists have urged the Russian government to introduce tighter controls on its national parks in the Far East to crack down on leopard hunting.
They also want more done to protect the animal's natural environment and food supply, which they say is being destroyed by human development.
A local wildlife watchdog received an anonymous tip-off that a leopard had been killed. State wildlife officers found the dead animal after a day of searching. The leopard died on either April 15 or April 16, WWF said.
http://news.yahoo.com
That sucks.
I watched a tv special on poachers last night. Poachers are scum bags and should be shot on the spot.
Sons of vbitches
if i wasn a tiger i woudl kill those fucking commie bastards wih my claws and shit like graaaaor swoosh chook chook
fuck being a tiger must be awsomee
when are they gonna smoke check two, wont make a difference, wucorp nerdz arent on the endangered speciez list but it would still make a better thread then what he'z floodin the shit with now
Thanks for the pointless post. Let me know when you have something important to actually say for once.Quote:
Originally Posted by "SiCkARoCkS"
Probably a Siberian eskimo who has no clue whats going on killed that leopard to protect his herd, while we slowly introduce pollution into the atmosphere, decimate rain forests, and out right don't give a fuck.
If your are calling that hunter dude an idiot, your right, he probably has lived besides ice all his life. What do you have to say about yourself????
Merging all these threads together?
source- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070425/...bitable_planet
WASHINGTON - For the first time astronomers have discovered a planet outside our solar system that is potentially habitable, with Earth-like temperatures, a find researchers described Tuesday as a big step in the search for "life in the universe."
The planet is just the right size, might have water in liquid form, and in galactic terms is relatively nearby at 120 trillion miles away. But the star it closely orbits, known as a "red dwarf," is much smaller, dimmer and cooler than our sun.
There's still a lot that is unknown about the new planet, which could be deemed inhospitable to life once more is known about it. And it's worth noting that scientists' requirements for habitability count Mars in that category: a size relatively similar to Earth's with temperatures that would permit liquid water. However, this is the first outside our solar system that meets those standards.
"It's a significant step on the way to finding possible life in the universe," said University of Geneva astronomer Michel Mayor, one of 11 European scientists on the team that found the planet. "It's a nice discovery. We still have a lot of questions."
The results of the discovery have not been published but have been submitted to the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Alan Boss, who works at the Carnegie Institution of Washington where a U.S. team of astronomers competed in the hunt for an Earth-like planet, called it "a major milestone in this business."
The planet was discovered by the European Southern Observatory's telescope in La Silla, Chile, which has a special instrument that splits light to find wobbles in different wave lengths. Those wobbles can reveal the existence of other worlds.
What they revealed is a planet circling the red dwarf star, Gliese 581. Red dwarfs are low-energy, tiny stars that give off dim red light and last longer than stars like our sun. Until a few years ago, astronomers didn't consider these stars as possible hosts of planets that might sustain life.
The discovery of the new planet, named 581 c, is sure to fuel studies of planets circling similar dim stars. About 80 percent of the stars near Earth are red dwarfs.
The new planet is about five times heavier than Earth. Its discoverers aren't certain if it is rocky like Earth or if its a frozen ice ball with liquid water on the surface. If it is rocky like Earth, which is what the prevailing theory proposes, it has a diameter about 1 1/2 times bigger than our planet. If it is an iceball, as Mayor suggests, it would be even bigger.
Based on theory, 581 c should have an atmosphere, but what's in that atmosphere is still a mystery and if it's too thick that could make the planet's surface temperature too hot, Mayor said.
However, the research team believes the average temperature to be somewhere between 32 and 104 degrees and that set off celebrations among astronomers.
Until now, all 220 planets astronomers have found outside our solar system have had the "Goldilocks problem." They've been too hot, too cold or just plain too big and gaseous, like uninhabitable Jupiter.
The new planet seems just right — or at least that's what scientists think.
"This could be very important," said NASA astrobiology expert Chris McKay, who was not part of the discovery team. "It doesn't mean there is life, but it means it's an Earth-like planet in terms of potential habitability."
Eventually astronomers will rack up discoveries of dozens, maybe even hundreds of planets considered habitable, the astronomers said. But this one — simply called "c" by its discoverers when they talk among themselves — will go down in cosmic history as No. 1.
Besides having the right temperature, the new planet is probably full of liquid water, hypothesizes Stephane Udry, the discovery team's lead author and another Geneva astronomer. But that is based on theory about how planets form, not on any evidence, he said.
"Liquid water is critical to life as we know it," co-author Xavier Delfosse of Grenoble University in France, said in a statement. "Because of its temperature and relative proximity, this planet will most probably be a very important target of the future space missions dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life. On the treasure map of the Universe, one would be tempted to mark this planet with an X."
Other astronomers cautioned it's too early to tell whether there is water.
"You need more work to say it's got water or it doesn't have water," said retired NASA astronomer Steve Maran, press officer for the American Astronomical Society. "You wouldn't send a crew there assuming that when you get there, they'll have enough water to get back."
The new planet's star system is a mere 20.5 light years away, making Gliese 581 one of the 100 closest stars to Earth. It's so dim, you can't see it without a telescope, but it's somewhere in the constellation Libra, which is low in the southeastern sky during the midevening in the Northern Hemisphere.
"I expect there will be planets like Earth, but whether they have life is another question," said renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in an interview with The Associated Press in Orlando. "We haven't been visited by little green men yet."
Before you book your extrastellar flight to 581 c, a few caveats about how alien that world probably is: Anyone sitting on the planet would get heavier quickly, and birthdays would add up fast since it orbits its star every 13 days.
Gravity is 1.6 times as strong as Earth's so a 150-pound person would feel like 240 pounds.
But oh, the view. The planet is 14 times closer to the star it orbits. Udry figures the red dwarf star would hang in the sky at a size 20 times larger than our moon. And it's likely, but still not known, that the planet doesn't rotate, so one side would always be sunlit and the other dark.
Distance is another problem. "We don't know how to get to those places in a human lifetime," Maran said.
Two teams of astronomers, one in Europe and one in the United States, have been racing to be the first to find a planet like 581 c outside the solar system.
The European team looked at 100 different stars using a tool called HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity for Planetary Searcher) to find this one planet, said Xavier Bonfils of the Lisbon Observatory, one of the co-discoverers.
Much of the effort to find Earth-like planets has focused on stars like our sun with the challenge being to find a planet the right distance from the star it orbits. About 90 percent of the time, the European telescope focused its search more on sun-like stars, Udry said.
A few weeks before the European discovery earlier this month, a scientific paper in the journal Astrobiology theorized a few days that red dwarf stars were good candidates.
"Now we have the possibility to find many more," Bonfils said.
It would take the Starship Enterprise-D 36 days to get there traveling at 9.999 Warp Speed..
....And we just found out solution to the illegal immigration epidemic.
^ LOL, No, wherever there's jobs my people will go..
fuck it Im gonna pay that place a visit if JetBlue has a $99 special or some shit. Spread my seed all in the water reservoir........
And I know ya'll aint ever seen a retarded robby digital bat fish but you will, and you will love it
i wonder if theres already living things on the planet.....fuckable things....be weird if they were normal human beins like us.....but maybe they could be blue hmmmmm
And to the Middle East |)Quote:
Originally Posted by *Robbydigital*
Interesting.
Yeah, maybe there are 'normal' human beings on that planet, unlike us.
Merging all these threads?
Man cuts off own penis in restaurant
Tuesday April 24, 2007
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/img/world/2404_zizzi_sp.jpg
By ninemsn staff and wires
A man has undergone groundbreaking microsurgery after cutting off his penis in a crowded London restaurant.
The 35-year-old Polish national burst into the 200-seat Zizzi eaterie on The Strand and grabbed a large knife from the kitchen before jumping onto a table and dropping his trousers.
As panicking diners fled, the man sliced his penis off.
http://ninemsn.com.au/9msnshared/images/space.gif"This guy came running in then charged into the kitchen, got a massive knife and started waving it about," sales rep Stuart McMahon told The Sun newspaper.
"Everyone was screaming and running out as he jumped on a table, dropped his trousers and popped his penis out. Then he cut it off. I couldn't believe it.
"The staff were really upset and there was blood everywhere."
The man was subdued by police wielding tear gas, who packed the severed organ in ice then took it and the man to St Thomas's Hospital in south London.
A spokeswoman for the Royal College of Surgeons confirmed this was the first attempt in British history to reattach a severed penis, but there is no indication at this stage that it was a success.
Zizzi was set to re-open for business last night
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.a...60&_cobr=optus
ahaha ... polish