Mid Day International News |
- Convicted terrorist throws tantrum after coming second in jail egg race
- Palin spends '$3000 campaign funds on underwear, but dishes just a $5 tip'
- Blank call saves 60-year-old Chinese man's life
- British MP's wife found working as a sex worker
- Many Pak youths giving up Islam
- Iran looking for bounty hunters?
| Convicted terrorist throws tantrum after coming second in jail egg race Posted: A terrorist convicted for masterminding the failed London 21/7 suicide bombing attack threw a tantrum when he came second in a prison sports day egg and spoon race. Terrorist Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 37, was competing at the high security Wakefield jail in northwestern England when Rangzieb Ahmed beat him to first place, 34. Ahmed was jailed for masterminding attacks on the British capital, the report said. Infuriated by Ahmed's narrow victory, Asiedu kicked his hard-boiled egg around the exercise yard before stamping on it, according to the newspaper. "He lost by a whisker, but couldn't contain his anger, kicking the egg around the exercise yard in frustration then stamping on it. Both of them were very competitive and really wanted to win," the Courier Mail quoted a source at the prison as telling Sunday Mirror. "These two convicted terrorists are supposed to be serving long sentences, not messing around like kids. It would have been hilarious if it wasn't so sickening," the source added.
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| Palin spends '$3000 campaign funds on underwear, but dishes just a $5 tip' Posted: Sarah Palin might splurge 3000 dollars out of her campaign funds on underwear for the whole family, but the ex-vice presidential candidate is one miserly tipper. "The number and range of items purchased for the entire Palin family - more than 400 in total - is mind-boggling. For Sarah, the campaign bought roughly $3,000 [ �1,940] worth of underwear (including many Spanx girdles)," The Guardian quoted Vanity Fair as saying. But what one didn't expect in Palin is a mean tipper. "Of the many famous people who have stayed at the Hyatt in Wichita (Cher, Reba McEntire, Neil Young), Palin ranks as the all-time worst tipper: $5 for seven bags," wrote Vanity Fair. Not just that, even her Facebook and Twitter accounts seem to be ghost written. The October issue of the magazine also revealed how Palin seemed to be unaware of who Margaret Thatcher was, back in 2008. "When John McCain's aides discovered that Alaska-size gaps existed in Palin's general knowledge (among those previously unreported: she had no idea who Margaret Thatcher was), they from time to time would give her some books to read in hopes of improving the candidate's learning curve," the magazine revealed. As for her hunting trips, one long-time friend of the family disclosed: "That is the biggest fallacy. That woman has never hunted. The picture of her with the caribou she says she shot? She got out of the RV to pose for a picture." In her response to the article, Palin said: "Those who are impotent and limp and gutless and they go on their anonymous - sources that are anonymous - and impotent, limp and gutless reporters take anonymous sources and cite them as being factual references."
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| Blank call saves 60-year-old Chinese man's life Posted: When a man in China received a blank call from his elderly neighbour, little did he know that it would save a life. A man, surnamed An, residing in the Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, got a blank call from Zhou, his 60-year-old neighbour, and when he called back he could hear nothing but the sound of heavy breathing. An went round to Zhou's house and knocked on the door, but when he got no response, he called the police, the China Daily reported. When the door was broken down, they found the elderly man in a coma. Zhou was immediately given treatment, and doctors say he is now out of danger.
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| British MP's wife found working as a sex worker Posted: A British MP's wife works as a prostitute charging 70 pounds "for oral sex without a condom followed by full sex with a condom", said a media report here. The revelation left the MP stunned as he said: "That's a horrible shock". Sunday Mirror reported that Tory MP Mike Weatherley's Brazilian wife Carla, 39, works at three seedy brothels. The expose could prove embarrassing to Prime Minister David Cameron, who campaigned alongside Weatherley at the general election earlier this year. Weatherley met Carla 10 years ago while he was on a business trip to Rio de Janeiro. Sources say that she was already then a sex worker. There is, however, nothing to suggest that Weatherley knew. After starting a relationship, Weatherley may have bought Carla an apartment in the Copacabana beach area. Later, Weatherley moved Carla to Britain, where they married in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2003. Carla's occupation was listed as housewife in the marriage certificate and initially, she put her past behind her. However, in February, as Weatherley geared up for the poll campaign, she re-entered the sex industry. During the campaign, Weatherley took Carla to a number of political functions in the Hove and Portslade constituency. Sunday Mirror reporter met her at a South London massage parlour where she offered to perform a list of sex acts. She then stripped off and danced naked. The media report said that Carla walked into the room in pink lingerie and said she was "Bea". She then rattled off a price list - "30 pounds for hand relief, 40 pounds for oral sex with a condom followed by sex and 70 pounds for oral sex without a condom followed by full sex with a condom". She also spoke about two brothels where she works - North Cheam - Massage and Intimate Massage in Bedford. "I started working in Bedford in February, but it is very far away. Here we have two houses, this one and one in Cheam. And I work there at the moment. I cover for my friend because she's on holiday. I work Thursday there and Friday here. Then, when she is back, I will work Mondays. Thursdays here, Mondays there," she was quoted as saying. She added: "I like it here, nice clients, nice people, nice place and good money." Weatherley said he was not aware that his wife was a prostitute and added: "Oh no. It's a bit of a shock. We separated in February and I had absolutely no idea at all. We've kept in touch and have lunch together every week so we're still good friends."
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| Many Pak youths giving up Islam Posted: A handful of Pakistani Muslim youths is beginning to question the existence of God and, in the process, giving up Islam to become atheists. Still a small number, the trend seems to be telling of pressures that the image of militant Islam has had on them. A Facebook group has been floated for Pakistan's agnostics and atheists by Hazrat NaKhuda, a former Pakistani Muslim. At last count, the group had over a 100 members. In a thread started on the discussion board on "How did you become an atheist", Hazrat writes, "I used to be a practising Muslim. I used to live in Saudi Arabia. I have done two Hajs and countless Umrahs. Used to pray five times a day. When I turned 17-18, I realised that the only reason I was a Muslim was because my parents were Muslims". Hazrat is a young computer programmer from Lahore. Ahmed Zaidi (name changed), another member, posted on the discussion board: "I'm an agnostic simply because I see little or no evidence for the existence of God. Some time ago I decided that I'd never believe anything unless it has a firm basis in reason and as far as I know (and I admit I know very little and that there's much to be learnt), there's little or no evidence for the existence of God." The group, which is open strictly to members, has young Pakistani students studying in New York University to Oxford University to the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences as members. Saeed Ahmad (name changed), who used to be a "practicing Ahmedi Muslim", started questioning his beliefs at the age of 17. "I don't think there is any more detail to be added," he posted on the Facebook community for Pakistan's atheists and agnostics. Nawab Zia (name changed) wrote that the moot question is not "how did you become an atheist" but "how did you become a believer". He wrote: "I was a born atheist like every human being until my parents corrupted me with faith. Every child is born free and pure," Ali Rana (name changed), who loved Islamic preacher Zakir Nair and hated author Salman Rushdie, has had a change of heart too. He now thinks Nair is an "idiot" and Rushdie a genius. There are other threads on how the members "wasted" their years as theists.
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| Iran looking for bounty hunters? Posted: Reports reveal Iran offering cash prizes for killing US soldiers At least five Iranian companies stationed in Afghanistan are covertly funding Taliban militants, paying them salaries of $233 (Rs 11,000) a month with a $1,000 ( Rs 47,000) bonus for killing an American soldier.
"Iran will never stop funding us, because Americans are dangerous for them as well," said a Taliban treasurer, who travels from the mountainous Wardak province to an Iranian construction company that operates out of Kabul to pick up the cash. "The money we get is not dirty. It is for jihad," he said. The treasurer said he has picked up almost $79,000 (Rs 37 lakh) in the past six months. Afghan intelligence and Taliban sources said the firms set up with foreign aid money within the past six months -- provide cash for a network of district Taliban treasurers to pay battlefield expenses and bonuses for killing the enemy and destroying their vehicles. The Iranian companies win contracts to supply materials and logistics to Afghans involved in reconstruction. The money often comes in the form of aid from foreign donors. Profits are transferred through poorly regulated Afghan banks -- including Kabul Bank, which is partly owned by President Hamid Karzai's brother Mahmood -- to Tehran and Dubai. From there, the money returns to Afghanistan through the informal Islamic banking system known as hawala. "This means the companies involved in funding the insurgency can cover their tracks easily. It makes it harder for us to trace the cash flow," a senior Afghan intelligence official said. He said the Iranian companies had been formed with the intention of winning contracts funded by foreign aid so that donors' cash could be channeled into the insurgency. The Iranian embassy in Kabul refused to respond to the allegations.
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