Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Woman pardons mother who cut off her ears

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A Chinese woman has pardoned her mother who cut off her ears when she was asleep.

Chen sliced her daughter Xiao Jie's ears six years back in a fit of rage as then 14-year-old had stolen money from home and did not listen to her in Guangdong province.

On Oct 27, 2005, Chen severed the girl's ears while she was still in sleep and flushed the ears down the toilet. She then handed herself to the police.

Xiao, now a 20-year-old beautician, underwent a surgical reconstruction of artificial ears and has pardoned her mother that helped her get a reprieve from prison, reported Shanghai Daily citing Nanfang Daily.

North Korea bids farewell to Kim Jong-il

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North Korea Wednesday bid a tearful farewell to the country's late leader Kim Jong-il as his body was taken from the Kumsusan Memorial Palace where it has been lying in state to the city's main plaza.

The ceremony to bid the last farewell to Kim Jong-il began at the plaza of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace where his body has been lying in state, the official KCNA news agency reported.

The procession was expected to head to the city's main plaza.

TV footage also showed columns of troops standing in the snow on the plaza as a limousine carrying a huge portrait of the late leader moved slowly, reported Xinhua.

People wept as the motorcade passed them by.

The KCNA later reported that the motorcade of the hearse entered the Ryonghung intersection of Pyongyang and people lined up along the 40-km-long route.

Kim Jong-il died from "great mental and physical strain" Dec 17 on a train.

Kim's son Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be in his late 20s, is expected to take over as head of state.

TV footage showed Kim Jong-un walking beside the hearse.

Tens of thousands of soldiers with their heads bowed stood solemnly as a giant portrait of the departed Kim was carried slowly through the streets, said BBC.

53 new species found in Costa Rica in 2011

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The forests of Costa Rica provided the setting this year for science to discover 53 new species of insects, fungi and plants.

The National Biodiversity Institute, or INBio, said that it is still too soon to say if all these species are endemic to this country.

"We can't say if they are endemic or unique to Costa Rica because this is the first description ever made of them. It's very probable that, with time, we'll begin to discover them in other countries as well," said INBio's director of science, Jesus Ugalde, as cited in the daily La Nacion.

This year 26 new species of insects, 19 of plants and eight of fungi were discovered in the Central American country.

Costa Rica's biodiversity inventory includes some 500,000 species, of which 75 percent are easily distinguished on sight because they are insects.

For that reason experts found it unsurprising that most of the species discovered this year were forms of mites, bumblebees, fruit flies, wasps, lice and moths.


Jehangir questions Pasha's motive behind meeting Mansoor Ijaz

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Asma Jehangir has questioned a meeting between the ISI chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz who had allegedly authored the controversial memo, a day after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had adopted a soft attitude towards the military leadership.

The ISI chief came under intense scrutiny in the Supreme Court hearing a set of petitions in the memo case here on Tuesday.

"I called these petitions 'benami' (anonymous) because two of its respondents are the actual petitioners," Advocate Asma Jehangir argued while alluding to Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Lt-Gen Pasha who are named as parties in the petitions.

In her usual assertive and hard-hitting style, Jehangir, the counsel for former ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani, asked why one of the petitioners changed his mind two days after writing a letter to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and then filing petitions in the Supreme Court, The Dawn reports.

Earlier, Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq reiterated the government's stand that the court could intervene only on the question of public importance when it also involved the breach of fundamental rights and described the controversial memorandum as a worthless piece of paper.

Jehangir questioned a meeting between the ISI chief and Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz who had allegedly authored the controversial memo.

"Why did the spymaster investigate the matter at the back of an elected government, from where this authority came and who let him go. The ISI is not an investigating authority and if we go by their word each one of us in this courtroom is a traitor. The people of Balochistan are traitors, late Benazir Bhutto was a traitor, Wali Khan was a traitor; even one of the petitioners (Nawaz Sharif) faced the allegation of poisoning the former army chief," the counsel said.


Vin Diesel's 'Fast Five' named most pirated movie of 2011

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Vin Diesel's action film 'Fast Five' has been declared as the most pirated movie of 2011 in a new poll.

The fifth instalment of 'The Fast and The Furious' franchise raked in 626 million dollars worldwide earlier this year, Contactmusic reported.

But the sequel was also in high demand online, and was illegally downloaded a stunning 9.3 million times, according to TorrentFreak.com.

The 'Hangover Part II' was the second most pirated film with 8.8 million hits, while 'Thor 'was third with 8.3 million downloads.

Other films featured in TorrentFreak's top 10 countdown include James Franco's '127 Hours' at seven with 6.9 million hits, and this year's Best Picture Oscar winner 'The King's Speech', which landed in ninth place with 6.3 million downloads.

Zardari calls on Pak citizens to foil anti-democracy conspiracies

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Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said the best way to pay tribute to slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on her fourth death anniversary is to foil anti-democracy "conspiracies".

"Today we pay tributes to her. The best way to do it is to defend and protect democracy and democratic institutions in the country and foil all conspiracies against it," The News quoted Zardari, as saying.

"Let us on this day re-dedicate ourselves to the democratic mission of Shaheed (martyr) Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto whose life was dedicated to fighting dictatorship and those seeking to defame and dismantle democratic institutions," he added.

His statement came amid escalating tensions between the army and government over the Memo Gate scandal.

Zardari slammed Bhutto's assassination as a conspiracy.

"Her assassination was a conspiracy to rid the world of its best weapon to combat international violent extremism. It was a conspiracy to rob Pakistan of its best hope to establish a fully functional democracy," he said.

Bhutto, twice-elected prime minister and wife of Zardari, was killed in a gun and suicide attack on December 27, 2007 in Rawalpindi, after addressing an election rally.

'Gringrich divorced wife for not being pretty enough to be President's wife'

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Former House of Representatives Speaker and 2012 White House contender Newt Gingrich divorced his first wife as he believed that she was not beautiful enough to be the President's wife, according to his former aide.
Gingrich's messiest political problems resurfaced when CNN posted papers from his first divorce that contradict his claims his wife sought the split.
CNN interviewed Gingrich's former pal and early congressional campaign treasurer Leonard Carter, who said their friendship ended over the ambitious politician's callous treatment of his wife. "Gingrich) said, 'You know and I know that she's not young enough or pretty enough to be the wife of a President,'" Carter told CNN.
He said Gingrich initially refused to pay alimony -- a claim supported by the court papers -- and a church had to launch a food drive for Battley and her two daughters. When Gingrich left Battley, he was seeing a young congressional aide, Marianne Ginther, whom he married in 1981, the Daily News reports.
He divorced her 19 years later after an affair with another young congressional aide, Callista Bisek, who is now his third wife and main campaign strategist. On his campaign website, he denies the much-retold story that he served his first wife divorce papers in the hospital where she had just had cancer surgery.
"It was (Jackie Battley) that requested the divorce, not Newt, and it was months before the hospital visit in question," the campaign website says. But newly revealed 30-year-old court papers posted on CNN's website appear to contradict that. In the papers, Battley asks the judge to reject her husband's request for a divorce.


Man carrying 247 animals in suitcase held at airport

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A Czech national was nabbed in Argentina for trying to board a transatlantic flight with 247 live animals including poisonous snakes and endangered reptiles packed in a bulging suitcase.

The man identified as Karel Abelovsky (51), was caught while trying to board a flight for Madrid when shocked baggage X-ray technicians and staff at the Iberia Airlines desk at Ezeiza Airport in greater Buenos Aires noticed "organic substances moving inside," local media reported.


Beasts bagged: The bag also contained 15 vipers, including two
yararas. Representation pic

When they opened the bag, they found more than 200 reptiles and mollusks, among them nine species of poisonous snakes including South American pitvipers, packed in clear plastic containers.

There were also 15 venomous vipers, including two yararas -- which can measure up to five feet -- and several young boas.

Some of the animals were reported to be extremely rare and protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Two of the animals were found dead and most of the others could have suffered the same fate due to a lack of oxygen if the suitcase had been placed in the plane's cargo area.
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The discovery was made on December 7 but only recently came to light. A judge has charged Abelovsky with attempted smuggling, and he faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Researchers suspect that an exotic species smuggling ring was behind the trafficking attempt.


Egypt court stops virginity tests on women in prison

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Human rights groups say the Egyptian military has used the practice widely as a punishment

A court here yesterday ordered forced virginity tests on female detainees in military prisons to be stopped.
The court made the decision after a case was brought by protester Samira Ibrahim.

She accused the Egyptian army of forcing her to undergo a virginity test after she was arrested during a protest in Tahrir Square in March.


Not done! Women protest against the military council violations and
virginity tests on women, outside the State Council court. Pic/AFP

Human rights organisations say the Egyptian military has used the practice widely as a punishment.
"The court orders that the execution of the procedure of virginity tests on girls inside military prisons be stopped," judge Aly Fekry, head of Cairo administrative court said.

The ruling was greeted by cheers from hundreds of activists inside the courtroom.

Activists had demanded that the authorities prosecute anyone responsible for subjecting protesters to such tests.

Earlier this year, an Egyptian general was quoted as acknowledging that the military had conducted such tests, saying that they were used so women would not later claim they had been raped by authorities.

Human rights groups say such tests are a degrading form of abuse and the general's justification a legal absurdity.


US woman, child held captive saved by Facebook update

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An American woman and her son who were held captive in their home and abused for days were rescued after she sent out a distress call on a Facebook post. On Friday, the woman posted a message on Facebook saying she feared that she would be "dead by morning."
Officers then went to her home in Utah, western US, and encountered Troy Critchfield, 33, Fox News reports. The police discovered that she had been held captive in the house for the past four of five days. She also displayed signs of assault from the bruises on her face.
The woman told police that the woman had been choked when she tried to leave the house, and her son's phone had been broken, leaving her unable to call for help.
She eventually managed to sneak into a closet with a laptop and post the message on the social networking site.
Critchfield was booked into Salt Lake County Jail on charges of suspicion of aggravated kidnapping, forcible sodomy, aggravated assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child, damaging a communication device, and child abuse.

Prince Philip discharged from hospital after four-night stay

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The 90-year-old Duke of Edinburgh was admitted in Papworth hospital on Friday after complaining of chest pains while he was with the royal family at Sandringham

Queen Elizabeth's husband Prince Philip has left hospital, four days after being rushed in for heart surgery and missing the royal family's Christmas celebrations.

The outspoken 90-year-old prince smiled and waved as he was driven away in a dark Range Rover vehicle from Papworth hospital near Cambridge, eastern England.

Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip would return to the royal Sandringham estate in Norfolk. "His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh was discharged from Papworth Hospital this morning. He is very much looking forward to rejoining his family and is returning to Sandringham by car," the palace said in a statement, referring to Philip by his official title.

On departure, Prince Philip thanked the staff at Papworth for the excellent care he has received during his stay.

The health scare was the most serious yet for the longest serving royal consort in British history, who has remained active despite his age.

Philip was airlifted from Sandringham to Papworth hospital after complaining of chest pains.

He underwent an operation to unblock a coronary artery using a stent, a mesh sleeve fitted over a sausage-shaped balloon, which is inserted into the artery and then inflated.

The stent remains fixed in position inside the body when the balloon is removed and opens up the artery to remove the blockage.

The prince was given a festive boost on Sunday with a Christmas Day visit from grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry and four others of his eight grandchildren.

The Queen visited her husband of 64 years at the hospital on Sunday after the royal family's Christmas church service.

William's wife, Catherine, appeared at the church service for the first time following their wedding in April, but she did not visit the hospital.

Prince Harry, William's younger brother, drove to the hospital in a separate car which also carried Beatrice and Eugenie, the daughters of the queen's second youngest son Prince Andrew.

Philip has told doctors he felt 'fine' and didn't want to 'make a fuss', adding, "I just want to go home," according to reports.

The Greek-born Philip is has become a national institution - almost as much for his often off-colour remarks as for his support of the Queen.

He announced on his 90th birthday this year that he was reducing his public engagements after years of touring the globe several footsteps behind the British monarch.


19 dead in South Africa road accident

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Nineteen people were killed in a head-on collision between a minibus and car in South Africa, police said Tuesday.

The vehicles caught fire after the collision late Monday in the Free State, Xinhua reported.

"Some of the people were burned beyond recognition," Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said. Four occupants in the car and 15 in the bus died. Seven others were injured.

The accident occurred when the car tried to overtake another vehicle. The minibus taxi was travelling from QwaQwa to Johannesburg.

Third arrest in 'unprovoked killing' of Indian student in UK From Prasun Sonwalkar

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A third person has been arrested in connection with the "unprovoked killing" of 23-year-old Indian student Anuj Bidve in Salford, police said. The man was held late yesterday on suspension, following the arrest of two teenagers earlier in the day.

Identity of all the three suspects, who were in police custody, has not been revealed. Bidve was with nine other Indian students when he was shot on Monday by two white men after a short conversation in what could be a case of hate-crime.

Hailing from Pune, Bidve was a postgraduate student of Microelectronics at Lancaster University and was visiting friends in Manchester during the Christmas holidays when he was gunned down. In a statement, Bidve's family has said his death had left "a void in our lives."

"Anuj was a loving son, a super caring brother and first and forever a friend for many. "He valued his relationships and put them over anything else," the family said in a statement released through the Greater Manchester police.

Professor Bob McKinlay, deputy vice chancellor of Lancaster University, said Bidve had been "at the very beginning of a promising career and had only been at Lancaster for a short time. "We are deeply saddened by the loss and our thoughts are with his family and friends, and we will do all we can to support them at this sad time." The police have not ruled out racism as a motive for the killing.

Without ruling out racism as motive, Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan had yesterday said: "This appears to be an unprovoked attack and we can't establish a motive at this time. We are investigating every possible aspect and we are in the early stages of the investigation, but we are not ruling anything out".


Posted by Harshad at 7:41 AM

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