Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Woman imprisons grandmom for monthly benefit money

Posted:

A German woman imprisoned her grandmother for three years in one room in pitch darkness so that she could lay her hands on the benefit money the woman received every month.

Iris Edelmann, 49, who imprisoned her 96-year-old grandmother, Elsa Koenig, sealed the windows in her flat in Leipzig with tape, foil and heavy dark felt.

There was a lavatory but no electricity in the room, no TV, radio or light, The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

When neighbours heard her cries, they informed police who freed Koenig.

"She did all this to get the 600-odd euros ($790) a month in benefits that her grandmother was entitled to," said prosecutor Gitty Pfeiffer at the start of her trial in Leipzig, Germany.

The court heard how the granddaughter, a qualified engineer, was appointed the legal custodian of Koenig when her health began to fail in 2001, which also included taking charge of her finances.

But in 2006, reportedly fed up with looking after her, Edelmann rented a cheap flat and locked her grandmother in it.

"The unfortunate old lady vegetated away in fear and loneliness and bewilderment in this dwelling while she (Edelmann) spent the money that should have gone on her proper care," the prosecution said.

"The only thing she did for her was to bring her food."

When police broke into the flat, they found her in an "appalling state - apathetic, disoriented, dirty and malnourished", according to the police report.

Her granddaughter was arrested the same day. However, the old woman died in May 2009.

If found guilty of depriving her grandmother of her liberty, the accused faces up to five years in jail.

Chinese man gets one-year jail for raping male colleague

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In what is believed to be the first case of its kind in China, a court has convicted a man for raping his male colleague and sentenced him to one year in jail.

Zhang Hua, 42, a security guard at Haosha Sports Centre in Beijing was accused of raping 18-year-old Li Jun (name changed) on May 9 last year in the company's dormitory, inflicting minor injuries on Li. Zhang, a native of Northeast China's Jilin province was detained after Li complained to the police, state-run 'China Daily' reported on Wednesday.

Rape, as defined by China's criminal law, refers to forcing a female to engage in sexual intercourse against her will. Consequently, Zhang's behaviour could not be legally classified as rape, the daily said in its report.

The judges who heard the case in a private session "in consideration of the victim's privacy" sentenced Zhang for one year imprisonment for causing injuries to Li. Zhang deliberately injured another person, resulting in minor injuries to the victim, which constituted the crime of intentional injury, the court ruled.

In addition to serving his jail term, Zhang was also ordered to pay Li 20,000 yuan (USD 3,026) in compensation. Although Zhang was convicted of intentional injury rather than rape, he is probably the mainland's first person sentenced for sexually assaulting a man, the report said.

"If Zhang had sexually assaulted a woman, he would be charged with rape and face a jail term of at least three years," director of the Beijing-based Zhongguangweitian Law Firm Lu Zheng said.

China University of Political Science and Law professor Hong Daode said he believed the case touched upon a flaw in the country's legal system. "Legislators hadn't thought about the possibility that men could be rape victims or that women can also rape men," he said. The law should be changed to include these possibilities as soon as possible, Hong said. "The frequency of same-gender sexual assaults has continued to dramatically increase in recent years," he said.

Ministry of Health HIV/AIDS and homosexuality expert Zhang Beichuan said: Many countries' laws stipulate that males can be rape victims, so perpetrators are held criminally responsible. China's criminal law should include such definitions to properly handle such cases in the future."

Teenage student considers auctioning off virginity to fund tuition fees

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A female teenage university student is considering auctioning off her virginity so she can pay her tuition fees for the next three years.

The student, who has not been named, posted a link on popular website The Student Room offering herself for sale in exchange for cash, saying that she needs the money as she comes from a poor family.

"Considering selling virginity," the Daily Mail quoted the post she had written on December 26 as stating.

"I'm a 1st year student at a good uni. My family aren't that well off and I'd like money to fund my studies/give me more opportunities/options in life," she stated.

She described herself as a "quite attractive" 18-year-old slim blonde, with a bust size of 32DD and "a pretty face".

"How much do you think I'd get? Also, would I be able to keep it quite quiet," the desperate teen added.

Her post attracted comments from 92 students, with many telling her not to do it, while others said she should expect a minimum of 2,000 pounds.

Her course, which is believed to be in the social sciences, will almost be over by the time the new 9,000-pounds-a-year fees come into effect next year.

The Student Room claims to be the "world's largest online student community", which helps with personal and professional advice, study guides and various other educational tips.

Meet the man who has been jailed at least 99 times in 30 years!

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A US man has been jailed at the Mobile County Metro Jail in Alabama at least 99 times in the last 30 years - more times than anyone else in the modern era of record-keeping.

Online court records reveal that William Bradley Bankston has been arrested and booked for a variety of charges including drinking bouts and public displays of drunkenness, reports the Daily Telegraph.

His latest spells inside, ordered during 2010, saw the 47-year-old accused of third-degree domestic violence and resisting arrest.

The Press-Register had interviewed Bankston in early February last year, following his 97th visit to the jail.

When the reporter inquired whether he had, in fact, been jailed that many times, Bankston replied, "Oh, probably more than that, ma'am."

Just two weeks after the Press-Register published a February 7 article on Bankston, he was arrested and booked into the jail yet again.

McCartney urges India have Vegetarian Day

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Paul McCartney has written to ask Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare a national Vegetarian Day in the country.

The ex-Beatle urged Prime Minister Singh to introduce the meat-free day in order to celebrate compassion towards animals.

He wrote that the move could save animals while helping to protect both the environment and people's health.
In the letter he wrote that a Vegetarian Day "would be a celebration of life".

McCartney has been a vegetarian activist since the mid-1970s. In 2003, it was estimated by the UN food agency that 42 per cent of India's 1.2 billion population were vegetarian.

Did you know?
An advertisement for PETA, starring Pamela Anderson, was banned from an airport in Hong Kong. The ad sees Anderson as a scantily-clad member of airport security staff and stripping passengers off all animal products as they pass through security checks.

Here's Vlad Putin peak

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Already known for his flinty gaze and rock-hard muscles, Russian prime minister Putin could find himself immortalised as the name of a mountain peak in Kyrgyzstan.

At 14,587 feet, the mountain chosen to become Peak Vladimir Putin doesn't come close to the 17,100 foot Peak Yeltsin, near Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issyk Kul, let alone reach the soaring 24,400 foot height of Peak Lenin near the country's southern city of Osh.

But there's little risk that Russia will see the gesture by Kyrgyzstan's new prime minister Almazbek Atambayev, who signed the bill to rename the peak, as anything other than a sign of friendship.

In the past few years Putin's macho image has come to the fore with a series of publicity stunts, such as shooting a tiger with tranquillisers, and a whale with a skin-sampler gun, and collaring a polar bear.

Atambayev, whose new coalition government is widely seen as pro-Russian, flew to Moscow last week for his first meeting with Putin as Kyrgyzstan's leader. Kyrgyzstan has also named a mountain after Santa Claus, in a bid to boost tourism.

According to Kyrgyz media reports, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev signed the draft law to name Vladimir Putin Peak late last year.

Parliament is expected to pass it in the near future. Local analysts have suggested that the initiative is a way of expressing gratitude to the Russian authorities.

4,446 metres
The height of the peak in the Tian Shan mountain range, which will be called the Peak of Vladimir Putin

Arnie wants to ski with Russian Prez

Posted:

The Terminator tweets Dmitry Medvedev: Fancy a bit of skiing?

The Hollywood movie star turned Governor of California who left office yesterday has clearly begun planning his life outside of politics.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been exchanging jokey tweets about a skiing trip with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

During Schwarzenegger's final day in office, the Russian President sent him a goodwill message via Twitter that read, "There are many more interesting opportunities still to come".

The 63-year-old replied by saying, "I hope you're having a great new year and can't wait to see you again maybe skiing?"

Medvedev, who has been photographed skiing with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, promptly answered, "Thanks. We agreed I remember. We'll definitely find the time."

The Russian president met Schwarzenegger during a visit to Silicon Valley in June last year and in October welcomed him to Moscow to show him plans for Russia's high-tech hub.

The two were also reported to have visited a gym together to pump iron during Schwarzenegger's visit.
They would make an unlikely pair on the slopes.

The Austrian born movie star signed off yesterday with a Twitter message that read, "I look forward to the inauguration and wish the best today to Governor Brown.

We caught my last day in office on camera."

He then posted a short Twitvid of himself placing a cigar in his mouth and turning out the lights of his office.
Posted by Harshad at 7:19 AM

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