lunes, 30 de septiembre de 2013

Killer hornets kill 28 people in wave of attacks - Mirror.co.uk

Killer hornets have claimed the lives of 28 people in China following a wave of attacks that have injured hundreds.

A number of tragedies have been reported, including a mother and son who died after being surrounded by a swarm.

A man who tried to help them suffered kidney failure after the giant hornets chased him for 200 metres and stung him repeatedly on the head and legs.

The attacks are mostly happening to poor villagers working outdoors in rice fields and rural sites.

A 68-year-old was killed after wind blew a hornets nest over, prompting a furious attack.

A construction worker was injured when he accidentally poured soil from his excavator onto a nest.

He escaped by hiding in the home of nearby farmers, having sprinted to safety.

A 55-year old woman victim reported she was stung more than 200 times during a three-minute-long attack, leaving her incontinent and stuck in hospital for over a month.

Local authorities have promised to help patients pay for the treatment because of the heavy cost for the rural poor.

More than 230 people have been stung in the city of Ankang alone, which is the hardest hit with 18 of the total deaths in the past three months.

The spate of attacks has prompted the city's hospital to set up a panel specialising in the treatment of hornet stings.

People in the cities of Hanzhong and Shangluo have also been killed and injured.

Ankang's fire department has removed over 300 hornet nests from crowded residential areas since July in an attempt to address the problem.

Experts believe the culprits to be the Asian giant hornet, which grows up to 5cm long with a 6mm sting.

The giant hornets' highly toxic stings can lead to anaphylactic shock and renal failure.

The attacks are an annual problem but have worsened this year, possibly due to warmer weather boosting breeding.

Between 2002 and 2005 there were 36 deaths and 715 people injured, according to Ankang police.

Li Jiuzhou, deputy director of the Shaanxi Bee and Wasp Industry Association, said that hundreds or even thousands of hornets could live in a single nest.

They attack humans only if disturbed, he added. But they are carnivorous and can quickly destroy bee colonies.

Earlier this month, it was revealed a deadly breed of hornet was threatening Britain's bees.           

 

Clemson football: Tigers WR Bryant faces discipline following obscene gesture - FanIQ (blog)

Yesterday in NCAAF   |   Tyler_Waddell   |   335 respect

Clemson junior wide receiver Martavis Bryant has been a pleasant surprise stepping in for the injured Charone Peake (who is out for the season), catching 10 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in two appearances. Blog Photo - Clemson football: Tigers WR Bryant faces discipline following obscene gesture

Unfortunately, the Tigers will be without Bryant for at least some of the upcoming game against Wake Forest. Coach Dabo Swinney has disciplined the 6-foot-5, 200-pound South Carolina native for making a throat-slash gesture after his second touchdown in last week's win over NC State.

"Martavis will play this weekend, but it will affect his playing time," Swinney told Kerry Capps of orangeandwhite.com. "He made an unacceptable gesture after scoring a touchdown, and nobody even knew about it until after the game. It's one of those things that's not representative of what we want, so there will be some team discipline involved."

While the amount of time Bryant will miss is undisclosed, I'm sure it won't be a factor in terms of Clemson's chances to beat Wake Forest. The Tigers are 28.5-point favorites over the Demon Deacons, who are coming off an unimpressive 25-11 victory over Army.

Bryant isn't the only player to miss time for a throat-slash gesture this year. Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon missed the first quarter of the Colorado State game for doing the same thing against Texas A&M.


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Authorities: 8 arrested in drug, violent crime operation - Shelby Star

Eight men were arrested Monday on drug and gun charges as part of a joint law enforcement operation targeting drug trafficking and violent crime.

Federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local law enforcement agencies made the arrests, according to a news release from Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

It's the second time in a week that the U.S. Attorney's office has announced federal drug and related charges for local residents. Last week, nine men were arrested as part of an investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

"Reducing violent crime across our district is a top priority for my office," Tompkins said. "Federal, state and local law enforcement partners are coordinating their efforts to identify communities plagued by rampant drug trafficking and to prosecute offenders who spread crime in our neighborhoods. Our mission is to make our streets safer and to protect our communities from drugs and violence."

Monday's arrests were the result of an ongoing operation that began in April 2012 to target drugs and crime, according to the release.

During the operation, law enforcement officers seized five handguns, two SKS rifles including one with ammunition and scope attached, money, a vehicle, drugs and drug paraphernalia, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Those arrested Monday include:

* Bryan Anthony Sanders, 35, Kings Mountain

* Robert Chavius Floyd, 23, Bessemer City

* Rashon Donte Hunter, 18, Bessemer City

* Darral Javarius Anderson, 25, Bessemer City

* Michael Travis Floyd, 34, Bessemer City

* Joshua Rodregus Glenn, 28, Bessemer City/Gastonia

* Patrick Gerard Chambers, 30, Gastonia

* Omaris Dushawn McMiller, 32, Gastonia

They appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday in Charlotte. Detention hearings are set for Thursday.
Other defendants charged in a related indictment are considered fugitives, according to the U.S. Attorney's office, and their names will remain under seal until they have been detained by law enforcement.

"The use of firearms to commit violent criminal acts involved in the drug trade that terrorizes our communities simply cannot be tolerated," said Charlotte ATF Special Agent in Charge Wayne Dixie. "Along with our law enforcement partners, ATF will continue to identify those violent felons that just don't get that message. We will use all of our joint resources to hold the violent drug dealers accountable and make the streets of our neighborhoods a safer place to live."

The charges contained in the federal indictments are allegations, according to Tompkins' office, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Nigeria College Attacked: At Least 40 Killed - Sky News

At least 40 people have been killed after suspected Islamist gunmen fired on students as they slept at a college in northeast Nigeria.

The attackers reportedly stormed a dormitory and set fire to classrooms in the assault which happened about 1am local time on Sunday in the town of Gujba in Yobe state.

Nigeria's military is blaming militants from the Boko Haram insurgent group for the atrocity at the College of Agriculture.

A source told the AFP news agency that 40 bodies had been brought to hospital.

College provost Molima Idi Mato said security forces were still recovering bodies so he could not give an exact number of dead but said up to 50 had been killed.

He also said about 1,000 students had fled the scene.

The college is about 25 miles from the scene of similar school attacks around Damaturu town.

There were no security forces stationed at the college despite government assurances, said Mr Mato.

Members of Boko Haram splinter group attend a media conference in Maiduguri
Members of Boko Haram pictured in February

Two weeks ago, state commission for education Mohammmed Lamin urged all schools to reopen and promising protection by soldiers and police.

Most schools in the area closed after militants killed 29 pupils and a teacher, burning some alive in their hostels at Mamudo outside Damaturu on July 6.

Northeast Nigeria is in a military state of emergency following an Islamic uprising by Boko Haram militants who have killed more than 1,700 people since 2010 in their quest for an Islamic state.

Yobe has seen a series of brutal attacks targeting students in recent months, all blamed on the group.

The name Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" and the group has repeatedly attacked schools, universities and colleges during its four-year insurgency.

The military has described the spate of recent attacks as a sign of desperation by the Islamists, claiming they only have the capacity to hit soft targets.

An offensive launched against Boko Haram in mid-May has decimated the group and scattered their fighters across remote parts of the northeast, the defence ministry has said. 

Boko Haram has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, but the group is believed to be made up of different factions with varying aims. 

Peru drug arrest: Prosecutor offers Melissa Reid chance to be home by ... - Scottish Daily Record

DRUG mule Melissa Reid could be free by Christmas – if she helps bring down the Mr Bigs who hired her.

Peruvian chief prosecutor Juan Mendoza Abarca has offered a deal to the Scot and her fellow smuggler Michaella McCollum.

It could see Reid return to her family in Lenzie, near Glasgow, within weeks.

But she and McCollum, from Northern Ireland, would have to provide every detail about the gangsters behind the £1.5million cocaine haul they were found with.

Dr Abarca said: "There is a possibility these two women can be out of prison in around two months and never have to go back to jail.

"But they have to give us all the information they have – names, addresses, contact details and so on – so we can bring the drugs gang here in Peru and abroad to justice.

"The women's story about being kidnapped and forced to Peru at gunpoint is illogical.

"Our experience is that drug mules come to Peru from Europe of their own free will to make money.

"We believe Melissa and Michaella have the information we need to identify and capture the criminals behind them.

"There will be people in Peru, Spain and possibly the UK they were involved with who are still operating and sending drugs mules like Melissa and Michaella here.

"The women hold their own future in their hands. They have the option of collaborating with the state prosecution, helping us bring down this criminal organisation and tasting freedom again very quickly. Or they can say nothing and go to jail for a very long time."

Reid and McCollum, both 20, admitted smuggling in the hope of getting a jail sentence of less than seven years. But prosecutors last week rejected their plea.

The pair were due back in court for sentencing this week but that has been cancelled. Instead, they will be asked to expand on statements they made when they pled guilty.

The private hearing is to take place in a makeshift courtroom inside a men's prison in Lima, the Peruvian capital.

It is a short drive from the Virgen de Fatima women's jail where they are being held.

A source said: "Snitching on an international drugs gang obviously carries its risks but spending some of the most important years of your life in a hellhole jail thousands of miles from home can't be very pleasant either."

Dr Abarca added: "Any decision to collaborate would be shrouded in secrecy. They'd be given a code name which they'd testify under if the drugs gang were brought to trial with information they'd provided us."

Reid and McCollum were arrested on August 22 when they tried to fly out of Lima to Spain with more than 11kg of cocaine.

Reid's parents, energy company manager Billy, 54, and National Grid administrator Debra, 53, urged their daughter to plead guilty but say they believe she was coerced.

Chaotic, drug-fueled house party results in 3 teens arrested - KTVU San Francisco

A drug-fueled house party in Mill Valley reeled out of control early Sunday after one person suffered a seizure possibly brought on by LSD, which resulted three partygoers being arrested on several charges including spitting blood on firefighters and deputies.

According the Marin County Sheriff's Department, the agency received a call around 7:30 a.m. from paramedics who were being prevented from entering a residence located in the 100 Block of Reed Boulevard.

Emergency crews on scene said they had received 911 calls from the vacant home reporting that a person was suffering from seizures. The 911 caller reported the boy had taken "acid" or LSD during a party at the residence overnight, according to Lt. Doug Pittman.

However, upon arrival they were met by a 16-year-old male, covered in blood, who refused to let them in, resisting their efforts to open the gate with "superhuman strength" and later becoming combative, according to authorities.

Investigators said later that the teen's 18-year-old girlfriend was also combative with emergency responders, and both of them spit blood into the faces of the firefighters, according to deputies.

"We had to provide medical care, but at the same time we had to protect ourselves," said Batt. Chief Peter Davis of the Southern Marin Fire District. "It became into a physical altercation where we had to get the help of Marin County Sheriff's department, Mill Valley Police, Tiburon Police to take care of the subjects at hand."

A call for additional help went out and law enforcement officers from five neighboring cities responded, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Department.

The officers gained control of the scene and emergency workers were able to begin assisting the teen suffering from a seizure, possibly brought on by a bad LSD episode.

Inside, the deputies discovered eight partygoers, many covered in blood.

The deputies located other additional suspected illegal drugs and narcotics inside of the residence including suspected marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy.

The blood on the partygoers was later determined to have come from the 16-year-old male, who injured himself while under the influence of what appeared to be LSD.

The 16-year-old male, his girlfriend and another 18-year-old male were taken into custody on numerous charges including resisting arrest, being under the influence and for assaulting emergency responders.

Deputies told KTVU Sunday that another 16-year-old girl was also cited for a misdemeanor violation under Marin County's Social Host Ordinance after learning that her family owned the vacant property where the out-of-control party was held.

All three that were arrested were first transported to a local hospital where they received medical treatment. Once cleared by hospital staff, they were expected to be booked into the Marin County Juvenile Hall or jail.

Additional charges may be added pending the outcome of a complete investigation.

Authorities said they were contacting the parents of the other partygoers.

Anyone with information was encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Investigations Unit at (415) 473-7265 or Bay Area Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

Gunmen kill students as they sleep in Nigerian college - Reuters

DAMATURU, Nigeria | Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:49pm EDT

DAMATURU, Nigeria (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist militants stormed a college in northeastern Nigeria and shot dead around 40 male students, some of them while they slept early on Sunday, witnesses said.

The gunmen, thought to be members of rebel sect Boko Haram, attacked one hostel, took some students outside before killing them and shot others trying to flee, people at the scene told Reuters.

"They started gathering students into groups outside, then they opened fire and killed one group and then moved onto the next group and killed them. It was so terrible," said one surviving student Idris, who would only give his first name.

"They came with guns around 1 a.m. (2400 GMT) and went directly to the male hostel and opened fire on them ... The college is in the bush so the other students were running around helplessly as guns went off and some of them were shot down," said Ahmed Gujunba, a taxi driver who lives by the college.

Boko Haram, which wants to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has intensified attacks on civilians in recent weeks in revenge for a military offensive against its insurgency.

Several schools, seen as the focus of Western-style education and culture, have been targeted.

Boko Haram and spin-off Islamist groups like the al Qaeda-linked Ansaru have become the biggest security threat in Africa's second largest economy and top oil exporter.

Western governments are increasingly worried about the threat posed by Islamist groups across Africa, from Mali and Algeria in the Sahara, to Kenya in the east, where Somalia's al-Shabaab fighters killed at least 67 people in an attack on a Nairobi shopping mall a week ago.

Bodies were recovered from dormitories, classrooms and outside in the undergrowth on Sunday, a member of staff at the college told Reuters, asking not to be named.

A Reuters witness counted 40 bloody corpses piled on the floor at the main hospital in Yobe state capital Damaturu on Sunday, mostly of young men believed to be students.

The bodies were brought from the college, which is in Gujba, a rural area 30 miles (50km) south of Damaturu and around 130 miles from Nigerian borders with Cameroon and Niger.

State police commissioner Sanusi Rufai said he suspected Boko Haram was behind the attack but gave no details.

REVENGE ATTACKS

Thousands have been killed since Boko Haram launched its uprising in 2009, turning itself from a clerical movement opposed to Western culture into an armed militia with growing links to al Qaeda's West African wing.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three northeastern state in May, including Yobe, and ordered a military offensive to crush Boko Haram's insurgency.

There was an initial lull in the violence as Islamists fled bases in cities, forests and mountains. Then the militants began revenge attacks on schools, security forces and civilians believed to be helping them.

In July, suspected Boko Haram militants killed 27 students and a teacher at a school in Potiskum, a town about 30 miles from the site of Sunday's attack.

Several hundred people have died in assaults over the past few weeks. Some observers say the army offensive has only succeeded in pushing attacks away from well-guarded large towns and cities into vulnerable rural areas.

Boko Haram's insurgency is also putting pressure on the economy of Africa's most populous nation. Nigeria's security spending has risen to more than 1 trillion naira ($6.26 billion) per year, or around 20 percent of the federal budget. ($1 = 159.8 Nigerian naira)

(Additional reporting by Isaac Abrak in Kaduna; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Miley Cyrus – Twerking Queen or Just Obscene? - Platform Online

I remember being 12 years old, and absolutely loving Hannah Montana. To be quite honest, if I hear 'Best of Both Worlds' now I still can't help but mouth the words along. Miley Cyrus is my age, so I truly feel like I have grown up beside her. When I was drinking underage with my friends at GCSE parties, we would be screaming along to 'Party in the USA', I wept at sleepovers whilst watching 'The Last Song', and I brushed off her shaving her head as 'she just being Miley'. But recently, everywhere Miley goes, there's controversy – so, is her new style a cry for help, or an intelligent marketing scheme to catapult her to Britney Spears status?

Now, when discussing her current style, we have to revisit the recent VMAS. I KNOW – we're all trying to forget it as well, but we must return to it. Miley wore a latex nude bra and short combination, whilst her short locks were tied in two buns on the top of her head. Interesting, to say  the least, however it wasn't particularly flattering, as her behind wasn't as toned as you'd believed from all her twerking (NOTE: i would die for her figure, that wasn't a slate!) Additionally,  she was also seen performing recently in a fishnet vest with nipple covers. It seems as if her public persona is under a strict schedule from her stylist, who has been given a brief by Miley's 'people' in order to direct her career in a new post-Disney direction. When seen out in public, or on chat shows, she seems to be rocking a distinctive 'high class hooker' look, with thigh high boots, tiny shorts and huge fur coats. However, the boots will be Gucci, and the coat will be Versace – paying homage to the face that Cyrus can afford to look this cheap. It seems like she is desperately forcing her sexuality onto the world, and de-prettifying herself in a bid to show the world that she is no longer the cookie cutter Disney girl of the past. In a sense, if feels like her stylists are trying too hard…

 

But, on the other hand, if you try and blur away the trauma of that latex outfit, you can almost see the Miley behind the stylist. When papped out and about in LA, Cyrus is wearing a simple pair of shorts, a vest and shirt with Dr Martens – a casual but effortlessly cool look, showcasing the fact she is actually quite a cool girl. It's outfits like these that show us that Miley, on her own, is still a Southern girl with a casual vibe – and in her daisy duke shorts, that she has a fantastic set of pins. In the recent 'Wrecking Ball' video (aside from the fact she's naked and licking a sledgehammer) she kept it simple in white pants and a white vest, which in essence makes you listen to the song and realise what an absolute tune it is. And hey, sometimes she does get it right – remember the white and black harlequin jumpsuit she wore on the red carpet? You can't get much more chic. I must also admit that I absolutely love her new hair. It's completely different to anything you could have pictured her doing, and she completely works it. And if you can afford to change your whole wardrobe based on a haircut, let's face it, you would too.

So, personally, aside from the slightly cringe VMA performance, the over sharing about how much she LOVES weed, and the latex outfit (sorry I can't forget it), I love Miley. Always have always will. I love her casual style, and to be honest, if I could afford/get away with thigh high boots – I would probably wear them. I can't wait for her new album, and to see what she'll do next. What do you think?

Louisa Davies – Deputy Fashion Editor

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Witness to Pakistan blast: 'Women and children were burning' - CNN

Peshawar, Pakistan (CNN) -- At least 40 people were killed and about 100 were wounded after a bomb exploded at a bazaar in Peshawar on Sunday, officials at a Pakistani hospital said.

A car carrying 220 kilograms (485 pounds) of explosives detonated in the city's historic Qissa Khawani bazaar, destroying at least 10 shops and several vehicles and leaving a huge crater, said Shafqat Malik, chief of the bomb disposal unit.

The Pakistani Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban, condemned the attack and denied any involvement.

Alamzeb Khan was working at a nearby tea stall Sunday when he felt the earth shake. The impact of the blast knocked him to the ground.

"When I got up, everything was on fire. Women and children were burning in (a) Suzuki pickup, and a number of vehicles were destroyed, besides the shops (that) were also on fire," Khan said.

The death toll is expected to rise, as most of the wounded are critically injured, said Dr. Arshad Javed, chief executive of Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar.

Already, people are sharing stories of incredible loss. One family traveled to Peshawar to attend a wedding. Now they're planning a mass funeral. In all, the family lost 18 members in the attack, including children.

Bus blast in Pakistan kills at least 17

A gruesome week

Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has endured a violent week.

On Monday, 81 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Protestant church in one of the deadliest attacks ever on the Christian community in Pakistan.

A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the attack was in response to U.S. drone strikes in tribal areas.

And on Friday, at least 17 people were killed and more than 30 others wounded in an explosion that ripped through a bus carrying government employees.

Tackling religious intolerance and violence in Pakistan

Sikander Khan Sherpao, senior minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, suggested the attack had been carried out by forces wanting to sabotage recent efforts by the national government to pursue peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban.

The recent bombings have raised concerns about the government's ability to provide security. Sunday evening, after a meeting of provincial officials, the creation of task forces to help maintain peace in Peshawar was announced.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack at the bazaar. The Pakistani Taliban decried the loss of innocent life but at the same time struck a defiant note. "We are targeting the government machinery and the law enforcement agencies but not general public," said spokesman Shaidullah Shaid.

Qissa Khawani bazaar, or the "storytellers' market," was the site of a bloody massacre in April 1930 when British soldiers fired on peaceful demonstrators, killing hundreds. At the time, Pakistan was part of India, and India was under British rule.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is rife with Islamic extremists and has been the site of clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants.

Earlier this month, Pakistani officials announced plans to pursue peace talks with Taliban militants and withdraw troops from parts of the volatile northwestern region, which borders Afghanistan.

New earthquake strikes hard-hit Pakistan

CNN's Holly Yan and Emma Lacey-Bordeaux reported and wrote from Atlanta; journalist Zahir Shah Sherazi reported from Peshawar.

At least 33 killed in blast at Peshawar's historic bazaar - CNN

Peshawar, Pakistan (CNN) -- At least 40 people were killed and about 100 were wounded after a bomb exploded at a bazaar in Peshawar on Sunday, officials at a Pakistani hospital said.

A car carrying 220 kilograms (485 pounds) of explosives detonated in the city's historic Qissa Khawani bazaar, destroying at least 10 shops and several vehicles and leaving a huge crater, said Shafqat Malik, chief of the bomb disposal unit.

The Pakistani Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban, condemned the attack and denied any involvement.

Alamzeb Khan was working at a nearby tea stall Sunday when he felt the earth shake. The impact of the blast knocked him to the ground.

"When I got up, everything was on fire. Women and children were burning in (a) Suzuki pickup, and a number of vehicles were destroyed, besides the shops (that) were also on fire," Khan said.

The death toll is expected to rise, as most of the wounded are critically injured, said Dr. Arshad Javed, chief executive of Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar.

Already, people are sharing stories of incredible loss. One family traveled to Peshawar to attend a wedding. Now they're planning a mass funeral. In all, the family lost 18 members in the attack, including children.

Bus blast in Pakistan kills at least 17

A gruesome week

Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has endured a violent week.

On Monday, 81 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Protestant church in one of the deadliest attacks ever on the Christian community in Pakistan.

A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the attack was in response to U.S. drone strikes in tribal areas.

And on Friday, at least 17 people were killed and more than 30 others wounded in an explosion that ripped through a bus carrying government employees.

Tackling religious intolerance and violence in Pakistan

Sikander Khan Sherpao, senior minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, suggested the attack had been carried out by forces wanting to sabotage recent efforts by the national government to pursue peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban.

The recent bombings have raised concerns about the government's ability to provide security. Sunday evening, after a meeting of provincial officials, the creation of task forces to help maintain peace in Peshawar was announced.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack at the bazaar. The Pakistani Taliban decried the loss of innocent life but at the same time struck a defiant note. "We are targeting the government machinery and the law enforcement agencies but not general public," said spokesman Shaidullah Shaid.

Qissa Khawani bazaar, or the "storytellers' market," was the site of a bloody massacre in April 1930 when British soldiers fired on peaceful demonstrators, killing hundreds. At the time, Pakistan was part of India, and India was under British rule.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is rife with Islamic extremists and has been the site of clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants.

Earlier this month, Pakistani officials announced plans to pursue peace talks with Taliban militants and withdraw troops from parts of the volatile northwestern region, which borders Afghanistan.

New earthquake strikes hard-hit Pakistan

CNN's Holly Yan and Emma Lacey-Bordeaux reported and wrote from Atlanta; journalist Zahir Shah Sherazi reported from Peshawar.

domingo, 29 de septiembre de 2013

One killed, one burned as small plane crashes into bank parking lot near Chicago - NBCNews.com

A small plane carrying two people crashed into the parking lot of a bank Wednesday near Chicago, killing one and severely burning the other, police said.

The crash occurred about 5:15 p.m. (6:15 p.m. ET) at a branch of Chase Bank near Clow International Airport in Bolingbrook, southwest of Chicago, NBC Chicago reported. Bolingbrook police said the passenger, a woman, was killed.

A hospital spokeswoman told NBC News that a male patient, believed to be the pilot, was transferred by helicopter from Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital to Loyola Medical Center in Chicago with critical burns.


The plane struck a tree, a light pole and several vehicles before coming to rest in the parking lot, investigators and witnesses said. Fire crews used retardant foam to extinguish cars that were in flames; the plane was described as completely charred.

No other injuries were reported. Three cars in the parking lot were damaged, Bolingbrook Deputy Police Chief Tom Ross said.

A pilot at Clow Airport who witnessed the crash told WLS news radio of Chicago that the pilot was trying to land but ran out of runway.

The witness, who the station said asked not to be named, said the pilot pulled up, made a left turn and stalled. 

"The loss of lift that low with full power is nearly impossible to recover from," the witness said.

Mike Grohar, manager of Andy's Frozen Custard next door to the bank, said he ran outside when he heard the crash.

The pilot "was on fire and went down to the ground, and two gentlemen came over and put him out with their jackets," Grohar told NBC Chicago. "We got him to roll away from the plane, and as he was rolling away, [he] asked us if we could find his wife, that his wife was still in there. 

"He was pretty bad, but he was talking before the paramedics got there," Grohar said. "We kept talking to him and tried to keep him coherent."

Another witness, Arby Rivera, told NBC Chicago he heard "an explosion, a huge explosion, a loud one."

"I heard a loud boom, and I saw this guy burning," he said. "... The people from the bank grabbed some fire extinguishers and extinguished this guy."

Ziad Jaber of NBC News contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on

Bombings and other attacks kill 25 across Iraq - USA TODAY

BAGHDAD (AP) — Militants assaulted a government building in northern Iraq and launched other attacks that killed 25 people Wednesday, the latest episode of deadly violence to hit the country, officials said.

The bloodiest incident was a brazen assault on the local council building in the northern town of Hawija. The attackers detonated three car bombs before engaging security forces in an hour-long firefight, the commander of the army's 12th Division, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Khalaf told The Associated Press by telephone.

Khalaf said at least one of the car bombs was driven by a suicide attacker. He put the death toll at seven civilians and two soldiers in addition to 21 others wounded. Four militants were killed while the rest fled, he added.

Hawija, a former insurgent stronghold, is about 150 miles north of Baghdad. It was the site of a bloody April crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest camp that set off the current surge of violence, in which over 4,000 people have died.

The attack came a day after security forces foiled an attempt by insurgents to take over a Sunni town near the Syrian border. Eleven people were killed there, including six attackers.

Earlier in the day in Baghdad's northern Shaab neighborhood, gunmen armed with weapons fitted with silencers broke into the house of an Interior Ministry employee, killing him, his wife, mother-in-law and three children, a police officer said. The children were aged three, six and eight years old, he added.

Police said they did not know the motive behind the killings, but insurgents often target government officials and their families in a bid to undermine confidence in the government.

In another attack, gunmen ambushed off-duty soldiers traveling through the town of Taji, about 12 miles north of the Iraqi capital, opening fire on their car and killing two, another police officer said. Three others were wounded, he added.

At night, a bomb exploded near a market in the northern city of Mosul, killing three people and wounding 23 others, said police.

And in Baghdad, a car bomb blast on a commercial street in a western district killed five and wounded others, police said.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures for all attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but they bear the hallmarks of al-Qaeda's local branch in Iraq, known as the Islamic State of Iraq.

Al-Qaeda is believed to be trying to build on Sunni discontent toward what they consider to be second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Four people in court over house fire that killed a mother and her three children - Daily Mail

  • A 24-year-old man, two 19-year-old men and a 16-year-old appear in court
  • Each face four charges of murder in connection to deadly house fire
  • Shehnila Taufiq and her children Jamal, Bilal, and Zainab were killed in fire

By James Rush

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Three men and a youth have appeared in court charged with murder over a house fire which killed four members of the same family.

Shaun Carter, 24, Jackson Powell, 19, and Nathaniel Mullings, also 19, all appeared alongside a 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at Leicester Magistrates' Court.

They each face four charges of murder in relation to a deadly house fire in the Wood Hill area of Leicester in the early hours of Friday, September 13.

Bilal Taufiq Sattar (left) and his brother Jamal (right) died with their sister Zainab and their mother Shehnila Taufiq in the house fire. Four people have now appeared in court charged with murder

The deadly house fire took place in the Wood Hill area of Leicester in the early hours of Friday, September 13

The deadly house fire took place in the Wood Hill area of Leicester in the early hours of Friday, September 13

Shehnila Taufiq, 47, her daughter Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamil, 15, were all killed in the blaze.

The four defendants were remanded in custody for a bail hearing on Tuesday, with a plea and case management hearing due to take place at the city's crown court on October 12.

Two men, aged 20 and 19, remain in police custody after being arrested in connection with the fire.

Separately, Kemo Porter, 18, has already been charged with four counts of murder in relation to the blaze and is due to appear back at the crown court next week.

The four defendants were remanded in custody for a bail hearing on Tuesday

The four defendants were remanded in custody for a bail hearing on Tuesday

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Deputies: 6 Southern students arrested for selling drugs on campus - WBXH

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Six Southern University students accused of selling drugs on campus were arrested Friday morning.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office reported the following arrests:

Brandon Wells, 19

Keith Jupiter, 22

Edward Rideaux, 20

Joshua Watkins, 21

Trenton Nzekwesi, 22

Devin Stampley, 20

All of the suspects face marijuana distribution and other charges. A seventh suspect named Michael Richard, known as "Puppy," 28, is wanted. He is not a student at the university.

Detectives with the sheriff's office said they conducted a month-long undercover operation on Southern's campus at the request of school administrators. They added they bought drugs from suspects while on campus. A search warrant reportedly yielded 55.4 grams of pre-packaged marijuana and two digital scales in the on-campus dorm room where Watkins, Nzekwesi and Stampley live after detectives said they learned the three were working together to sell drugs on campus. Deputies said they found a pistol in Watkins's vehicle on campus.

Detectives said Jupiter also lives on campus, while Wells and Rideaux live off-campus separately. It is believed Jupiter, Wells and Rideaux each operated alone.

Wells is charged with distribution of marijuana and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a drug free zone. Jupiter was booked on charges of distribution of marijuana, distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a drug free zone and possession of drug paraphernalia. Rideaux was charged with distribution of marijuana and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a drug free zone.

Watkins faces the following charges:

Distribution of marijuana

Distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a drug free zone

Distribution of Xanax

Possession of a firearm in a firearm free zone

Possession with intent to distribute marijuana

Nzekwesi was booked on the following charges:

Distribution of marijuana

Distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a drug free zone

Possession with intent to distribute marijuana

Distribution of Xanax

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Stampley is charged with:

Distribution of marijuana

Distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a drug free zone

Possession with intent to distribute marijuana

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Possession of marijuana - 1st offense (outstanding bench warrant)

Traffic violation (bench warrant)

Richard is wanted for distribution of marijuana and violation of a drug free zone. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call EBRSO at 389-5000.

Sheriff's deputies said the Southern University Police Department assisted with the arrests. SUPD, Delta Drug Task Force, Baton Rouge Constable's Office, along with: SCAT, ESU, K-9 and Warrants within EBRSO, assisted with the investigation.

Copyright 2013 WAFB. All rights reserved.

'At least 208 people killed' in Pakistan earthquake - ITV News

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in southwestern Pakistan has risen to at least 208 people after hundreds of houses collapsed in a remote mountainous area, a local official said.

Survivors of an earthquake walk on rubble of a mud house after it collapsed following the quake.
Survivors of an earthquake walk on rubble of a mud house after it collapsed following the quake. Credit: Reuters

"We have started to bury the dead," said Abdul Rasheed Gogazai, the deputy commissioner of Awaran, the most affected district in Baluchistan province. He said at least 373 people were wounded.

Mumbai Building Collapse: Number Of Dead Rises - Sky News

The number of people killed after a five-storey apartment block collapsed in Mumbai has risen to 45 amid fears the figure could increase further.

Rescue teams have pulled out at least 33 people alive following the collapse on Friday but have struggled to find more survivors in the rubble. More than 12 are still missing.

Just one person was found alive on Saturday from under the twisted iron bars and chunks of fallen concrete.

Emergency workers worked for six hours to free the 50-year-old man who was trapped for more than 30 hours beneath the wreckage with his leg crushed by part of a wall.

Relatives wait near the site of a Mumbai building collapse
Relatives wait near the site of the tragedy

Rescuers lifted up a slab of cement using a compressed air-pressure bag, and he was taken to hospital.

"We were able to save him, but he may lose his leg," rescue chief Alok Awasthi said.

Alok Avasthy, a senior official at the National Disaster Management Authority, said: "We've got 45 bodies now and that number is likely to rise though we still hope for survivors."

The cause of the collapse in the Indian city is not known, but residents in the area complained of builders using sub-standard materials.

INDIA-ACCIDENT-BUILDING-COLLAPSE
Very little remains of the building

"There should not be corruption in the building process. They should use best of the materials - then only the buildings will last," said Sanjay Mayekar, who lives in another apartment building next to the one that fell.

It was the third deadly building collapse in the city in six months and some have expressed fears that their own buildings might also fall down.

Between 83 and 89 people were in the block, which housed workers for the city's government, when it caved in, residents said as frantic relatives held a vigil at the site.

Rudiben Parmar sat with several weeping relatives near the rubble, waiting for news of the last of five family members who were in the building.

Toddler found after building collapsed in Mumbai, India
A young child is saved from the rubble

Three of them - a nephew and two of his children - had already been found dead.

The nephew's wife was rescued, but the couple's young daughter was still unaccounted for.

Ms Parmar said she did not know who was to blame for the disaster, adding: "We will be OK once all members of our family are recovered."

At least 72 people died in April when an illegally-constructed building fell down in Mumbai.

In June, over 10 people including five children died when a three-storey structure collapsed in the city.

Philippines says rebel hostage standoff that killed more than 200 people is over - Washington Post

More than 200 people were killed in the clashes, including 183 rebels, 23 soldiers and police, and 12 civilians. It was in one of the bloodiest and longest-running attacks by a Muslim group in the southern Philippines, the scene of a decades-long Muslim rebellion for self-rule in the largely Roman Catholic country.

"I can say that the crisis is over. We have accomplished the mission," Gazmin said by telephone from Zamboanga, where he helped oversee a government offensive and hostage rescue mission by about 4,500 government troops and police backed by tanks, navy gunboats and rocket-firing helicopters.

Gazmin said 195 hostages had either been rescued, managed to escape or were freed. It was unclear whether any of the 12 civilians killed in the standoff were hostages.

The gunbattles, including exchanges of grenade and mortar fire, forced about 130,000 residents — more than 10 percent of the population of the bustling port city — to flee their homes to emergency shelters, including Zamboanga's main sports complex. About 10,000 houses were burned by the rebels or destroyed in the fighting, which raged in a 30-hectare (74-acre) area encompassing six coastal communities, according to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Cornered and outnumbered, the rebels sought help from their comrades from nearby provinces, but guerrilla reinforcements were repulsed, Gazmin said.

Police and troops still have to clear areas of the dangerous leftovers from the fighting, including unexploded bombs, guns, grenades and possible booby traps, Roxas said, adding that it may be up to two weeks before residents are allowed to return home.

Gazmin, Roxas and military chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista briefly toured the scene of the most intense gunbattles Saturday in Zamboanga's Santa Catalina community, which was turned into a wasteland after nearly 100 rebels died in clashes there. Army soldiers retrieving dead guerrillas wore gas masks because of the stench from the bodies.

All the houses in the vast community were either burned by the rebels in daily infernos or damaged by gunfire and mortar blasts. Atop a bullet-peppered building, troops raised a Philippine flag at half-staff.

"The rebel siege is over and Zamboanga is free again," Roxas told reporters.

Bautista paid tribute to his soldiers, including 18 who were killed and 169 wounded in the clashes. Bautista's father was an army general who was shot to death with more than 30 of his men in a 1977 massacre by the same Muslim rebel group on nearby Jolo island.

The siege in Zamboanga, about 860 kilometers (540 miles) south of Manila, began when heavily armed insurgents arrived by boat from outlying islands but were blocked by troops and policemen, who discovered what authorities said was a rebel plan to occupy and hoist their flag at Zamboanga's city hall. The rebels then stormed coastal communities and took residents hostage and were surrounded by troops.

President Benigno Aquino III ordered an offensive that began on Sept. 13 after the rebels refused to surrender and free their hostages.

The rebel faction involved in the fighting dropped its demand for a separate Muslim state and signed an autonomy deal with the government in 1996, but the guerrillas did not lay down their arms and later accused the government of reneging on a promise to develop long-neglected Muslim regions.

The faction's leader, Nur Misuari, has not surfaced since the siege began, but will be prosecuted along with 292 captured guerrillas for rebellion and violating international humanitarian laws that forbid the taking civilians hostage for use as human shields.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said the estimated 300 million pesos ($7 million) that was spent by the armed forces to contain the rebel threat proved that the government will do everything to protect the country's sovereignty.

"These rebels dared to challenge our very sovereignty by raising their flag," Zagala said. "We'll never allow that to happen at any cost."

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

sábado, 28 de septiembre de 2013

Drugs worth 'tens of millions' seized, 11 arrested - TVNZ

  • Part of drug haul from Operation Static (Source: ONE News)
  • Part of drug haul from Operation Static (Source: ONE News)
  • Part of drug haul from Operation Static (Source: ONE News)

Drugs worth tens of millions of dollars have been seized and 11 people arrested in a seven-month Customs operation targeting suspected psychoactive substances.

Operation Static, which began in February and ended this month, involved intelligence gathering, information sharing, targeting and intercepting packages, as well as conducting investigations and activity against importers.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson announced today that a total of 379 suspected psychoactive substances, totalling more than 500 kilograms were intercepted.

This included Class A, B and C drugs, controlled medicines and a range of synthetic cannabinoids and analogues.

There was a total of 80 kilograms of Class C analogues seized, including 18 kilograms of ecstasy mimic methylone. These drugs have a street value of $21 million, Mr Williamson said.

"The harm prevented from keeping these analogues away from communities has been calculated at $32 million," he said.

Drug harm is defined as the total social costs from harmful drug use. It includes crime, lost output, health service use and other diverted resources, such as Customs and Police time.

Eleven people have been arrested to date as a result of Operation Static.

"If people want to chance their arm on importing illegal drugs then they can expect to be caught. I hope this successful Customs operation sends a clear warning to any would-be importers," Mr Williamson said.

The Minister said drugs worth tens of millions of dollars have been kept off the streets as a result of 'the great work of Customs" on Operation Static.

Mumbai Building Collapse Kills at Least 13 - Wall Street Journal

    By
  • SHREYA SHAH

Rescue operations continued in the Indian city of Mumbai on Friday where a five-story building collapsed earlier in the day, killing at least eight people and sending rescuers racing to reach dozens of people trapped in the rubble.

MUMBAI—At least 13 people died and dozens were injured after a five-story residential building collapsed in Mumbai Friday morning.

By evening, rescue workers had pulled 52 people from the rubble, including some dead, said Sitaram Kunte, head of the city government.

Building Collapse

Associated Press

Indian fire officials rescued a child from the debris.

Mumbai's mayor, Sunil Prabhu, told news channels that 22 families had been staying in the building, which an official at the city's fire department said collapsed at 6:10 a.m.

Mr. Kunte said he didn't know how many people remain trapped and that rescue operations were continuing.

Mr. Prabhu said the building, in the dockyard area of south Mumbai, was dilapidated and undergoing repairs.

Building collapses are common in India, particularly during or soon after the heavy rains of the monsoon season. Collapses are often blamed on the use of substandard materials and poor workmanship, with buildings going up without adequate supervision or licenses.

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Rescue workers search for survivors at the site of a five-story building that collapsed Friday in Mumbai.

In August, at least 11 people were killed when two apartment buildings collapsed in Vadodara, in the northwestern state of Gujarat. In July, 17 people died in a building collapse in Secunderabad in south India, a week after a building housing a garment factory in Bhiwandi, around 20 miles from Mumbai, collapsed, killing six people.

The deadliest case in India this year occurred in Thane, also near Mumbai, when 74 people, including 18 children, were killed after an illegally constructed residential building collapsed.

In April, more than 1,100 people died when a factory complex collapsed in neighboring Bangladesh. It was one of the world's worst industrial accidents.

—Ashutosh Joshi contributed to this article.

Write to Shreya Shah at Shreya.shah@wsj.com

A version of this article appeared September 28, 2013, on page A9 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Mumbai Building Collapse Kills 13.

Hilton Head continues work to curb violence 1 year after 8-year-old's murder - Hilton Head Island Packet

An ad-hoc group and calls for enhanced law enforcement technology that sprang up after an 8-year-old Hilton Head Island boy was shot and killed in September 2012 have quieted some.

But the memory of Khalil Singleton continues to spur community action a year after he was caught in the crossfire of a neighborhood feud.

"By (Khalil) being so young and the way it happened, him being just purely innocent and the timing of his death, I think that it reached the hearts of the people," said Ben Williams, pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church on the island.

The Hilton Head Island Community Action Committee, for example, grew out of the tragedy as an attempt to get more children involved in Hilton Head Island Boys & Girls Club and Island Recreation Association programs.

Town Councilman Marc Grant, who helped form the group, said he is working with several local churches, including the First African Baptist Church and Central Oak Grove Baptist Church, to provide bus service that takes children home or to more convenient pickup locations from after-school care. That service would also include homework help for more children who are unsupervised after school while their parents work, Grant said.

"Now we're going about putting some surveys out and advertising to see who really needs it," Grant said. "Then we can get going."

The councilman also hopes to apply for community-development grants, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to install lights and pave streets in neighborhoods like the one off Marshland Road, where Singleton was killed while playing in his grandmother's yard.

"I figure we can do those simple things that might reduce some crime," Grant said. "I know we can't eliminate everything, but we can come up with ways to solve some problems before they get started."

The community has made other significant strides, Williams said.

Shaken by Singleton's death, more people are cooperating with law enforcement and calling to report suspicious behavior, Williams said. "It seems like they have been more willing to share information on certain incidents and things that have taken place."

Finding few fail-safe ways to prevent similar violent crimes, the town made a push to improve communication, according to Mayor Drew Laughlin.

"You can try to make things as safe as you can, but I think it's unrealistic to think you can absolutely prevent those things," Laughlin said. "And I frankly think what was being done prior to that was pretty good."

Other proposals, however, have been temporarily shelved, such as Sheriff P.J. Tanner's suggestion in 2012 that the town purchase a fixed license-plate reader for about $100,000 to aid in locating missing and wanted people and stolen vehicles.

In 2014, he plans to reintroduce a proposal to create a five-person, special-enforcement unit, which would police special events and patrol high-crime areas. He suggested that team to Town Council last year as it was completing its budget. Council members decided it was too late in the budget process to find the $737,000 that Tanner said such a unit would cost, but that it would continue discussions later.

The unit could initially launch with three members, according to Tanner. For now, resources are limited because the office hasn't hired any staff despite the island's population growth, he said.

"That's where you look at this equation and say, 'We need to catch up; we're falling behind,' " Tanner said. "Five people would go a long way in being able to be proactive in certain communities."


The suspects

The three men charged with murder in Khalil Singleton's death -- Tyrone Robinson, Aaron Scott Young Jr. and Aaron Scott Young Sr. -- are being held for prosecution in the Beaufort County Detention Center, according to the jail log. No trial date has been set, but a trial could begin as soon as early 2014, according to the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office.

Follow reporter Rebecca Lurye on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Rebecca.

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Man Performs Obscene Act In Public View In Bustling Jesmond Street - Sky Tyne and Wear

A man performed a sex act on himself while sitting in his works car in a bustling Jesmond street. 

The man carried out the act in front of a passing woman in her 20s - and in full view of members of the public.

The incident happened at 5.30pm on Tuesday September 24 in Acorn Road in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne - a busy street lined with shops and businesses.

Police say a man sat in the driver's seat of a small silver vehicle was seen to carry out a sex act on himself in front of the passing woman.

The vehicle was believed to have been liveried with business details on the side.

Neighbourhood Inspector Louise Cass-Williams, of Northumbria Police, said: "This was obviously distressing for the woman and we're doing everything possible to trace the vehicle and the driver.

"This was a busy time of day in the Acorn Road area and a number of people were present. We are particularly keen to trace two other women, who were inside the nearby Nudo sushi bar, who may also have witnessed this incident.

"I'd appeal for any witnesses to this incident or anyone with information about it to get in touch with us."

The man was wearing dark clothing, was of average height and of medium to heavy build, with dark brown hair.

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Man arrested after warrant reveals weapons, drugs, cash - Post-Bulletin

Posted: Friday, September 27, 2013 7:48 pm

A Rochester man faces felony drug charges after investigators found an assault rifle, methamphetamine and more than $8,000 in cash in his home.

Traverse Andrew Kent, 30, was charged Thursday in Olmsted County District Court with one count each of first- and second-degree drug sale, both felonies, and possession of a pistol/assault weapon, a gross misdemeanor.

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